Page 34 of Out of the Gold

She remains silent.

I take a few more steps. “Sam tells me I need to go where the money is.”

“For him.”

I slant her a glance. “That thought has crossed my mind.” My hand lands on my forehead. “He’s right, though. I need to bank as much as I can now, as I’m not sure when this gravy train will end.”

“What do you mean? You’re very sought after. I’ve heard—overheard—your conversations with your agent. He’s always proposing new roles.”

“Yeah. Rom-coms. Or more likeDoctor Manipul8.”

She frowns. “Don’t you like playing these types of characters? You’re so good at them.”

A reluctant smile tips my lips. “Thanks.” We stop in front of a novelty shop, filled with all things Italy. Her eyes roam over the display. “Want to go inside?”

She tosses the knitting needle into her purse. “Do we have the time?”

I check my watch. “Yeah. This has to be our last stop, though.”

She nods and I open the door for her. Following her in, I watch as she picks up unusual items, usually located on the bottom shelves. She shows me a pretty hand-painted spoon rest with the word “Positano” on it.

“I like it.” I take it from her and am impressed with the craftsmanship—it’s not a typical souvenir. The scene is not of the water, but rather one of the small alleys, with a lemon tree next to a gelateria. Like where we just were. I return the ceramic to her.

“Me too.” She heads to the cash register.

While I keep my head down, Melody starts talking with the clerk. She’s friendly.

And perceptive.

And talented.

And beautiful. I shake my head.

She returns to my side carrying the new bag. I reach out for all of her packages. “Here, let me take these for you.”

“Nah, I’ve got it. I bought all of these, so I should have to carry them. Besides”—she gives me a sideways glance—“they’re not heavy.”

This independent streak is out of my depth. No woman ever refused my help before. “Are you sure?”

“Yup.” We head toward the ferry. “So, Charles, if you don’t mind my asking, what’s the difference between acting on stage and in movies?”

What a question! “Well, in the movies, it can take hours to get maybe a minute’s worth of usable footage. The cameras have to capture every angle, and the director has to be happy with it. And on this set, there’s quite a bit of green screen, as you know. That’s definitely a learned skill.”

“I bet. But you do make it look easy.”

Her compliment warms my chest. “Thanks, Melody. Since this is my third round as Doctor Manipul8, I’ve learned how to deal with it.” I scrape my palm over my stubble. “The learning curve was a bitch, though.”

We exchange smiles. After a few moments, she prompts, “And how’s all this different from the stage?”

I rub my forehead. “On stage, there’s no time for redos, so you really have to hit your mark on the first try. And when you flub a line.” I roll my eyes.

“What happens then?”

“Nothing good.” I chuckle. “I remember this one time, we were doing . . . what was the play?” I remember the scene and snap my fingers. “Right! We were doingThe Tempest, and the woman playing Miranda was supposed to say, ‘Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.’ Instead, she said, ‘Your story, sir, would give me the remedy for,’ and she stopped. Mute.” I chuckle again.

Wide eyes filled with mirth, Melody asks, “What did you say?”

“Well, I was playing the lead, Prospero, and she was responding to my story. I have to admit, I tortured her a little. I said, ‘hemorrhoids?’” Remembering the actress’s horror, I throw back my head and laugh.

---