Page 31 of Lights, Camera, Love

‘I should go,’ I say, digging out my phone to book an Uber. It’s too late at night to consider a bus, regardless of my financial woes. ‘I have to be at the film studio at four a.m. tomorrow.’ By insisting to Rafa that I want to keep to my evening teaching schedule at DanceLab while shooting the interior scenes forMovingduring the day, I’m burning the candle at both ends.

‘I’ll walk you to your car,’ Kye offers.

‘Thanks, but it’s at the mechanic’s.Again. I think that guy’s grandkids will be sending me thank-you cards one day, considering how much money I’ve given him,’ I joke. ‘I’m just calling an Uber.’

He watches me tap into my phone and mutters, ‘Your dad’s one of the richest people in the world, and you have to drive a car that doesn’t work. Something’s not right there, Evie. That seems a bit fucked up to me.’

As indelicately put and presumptuous as his comment is, one thing I’ve learned about Kye is that he’s a straight-shooter, and every blunt sentence feels strangely refreshing. In the industry I work in, I’m used to so much pretence.

‘You know what? You’re bang on,’ I say. ‘Gabriel Dean isn’t right in the head. So,fuck himand his private jet. I hope he crashes.’

Of course, I don’t really mean that, and I’m sure Kye knows it. But it feels good to let off some steam, and when I chuckle lightly to make it clear I’m kidding, Kye reciprocates with that fuckinggorgeoussmile that I caught sight of at the cabin on the farm.

I wave a hand in his direction while locking my eyes to my phone. ‘You should do that more often,’ I murmur with heated cheeks.

‘Do what?’

My Uber pulls up right in time, and I lurch towards it. I set my fingers on the door handle, but then I muster up some courage and turn around to glance back at Kye. ‘I’m not kidding when I say that you have the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen. It’s actually ridiculous how stunning it is. Don’t waste it.’

Surprise flares in his eyes, and he swallows hard.

I dive into the back seat of the Uber and ask the driver to please get going before I pass out from embarrassment.Telling Kye to smile more—what am I, a lecherous old man?

I’m still cringing at myself when my phone rings in my hand.

‘Hey,’ I say to Rafa.

‘Well?’ he dangles.

‘Well, what?’

‘What did that extremely hunky man who you left with want with my girl?’

‘Oh, that was just Groucho.’

He pauses. ‘Thatpiece of candy was Austin Reynolds’ grumpy manager?’

‘It was. His name is Kye, and he’s not a piece of candy.’Yes, he is.‘He just wanted to chat about something movie-related that I guess couldn’t wait. I’ll fill you in when I see you, I promise.’ I don’t want my Uberdriver to overhear anything about the fake romance I’m about to embark on with Austin, just in case he recognises my face, decides to quote me somewhere, and blows up the whole charade.

Am I really going to do this? What would Teenage Evie think?

Teenage Evie would be infinitely more excited than Adult Evie,I realise. I glance at my reflection in the window to make sure it’s really me looking back and not some alien creature I’ve body-swapped with.

‘So, the reason I’m calling,’ Rafa says as I look out the window at the twinkling city being eaten up by the blackness of the underground tunnel, ‘is that I need to ask you a favour. It’s for the DanceLab showcase, but it only occurred to me after you left tonight.’ He hesitates. ‘Remember how I said that I’m gonna get some celebrities attached? Well, my darling honey—’

‘Spit it out, my darling honey.’

‘Ineedyou to get Austin Reynolds on board.’

My brows fly up. ‘Oh god, I’m not sure he’d be up for that. When he agreed to do the movie we’re working on, he made it clear that he would be doing as little dancing as possible. That’s my role. He doesn’t strike me as the coordinated type.’

‘Please, babe,’ Rafa begs. ‘I’ve got some celebs interested, but none are of Austin’s calibre. To be honest, the biggest star I have is a one-line guest actor fromHome and Away.Do you know who Brian is—the guywith the big beard who works at the Summer Bay tyre shop?’

‘No.’

‘Exactly! My other biggest name is that platinum-haired chick with the lisp who does those carwash ads.’

‘Nowher, I know,’ I say, smiling.

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