Page 63 of Behind the Scenes
“Oh? And here I thought you didn’t much care about me or my associates. Is that worry I hear?”
I hated the teasing tone too. Hated how it sent my mind reeling.
Hated how much I ate it up.
I rolled my eyes. “Liability. The last thing I want to be is present when she faints from lack of sleep and food.”
She let out a laugh and shook her head.
“Hungry? You must have worked up quite an appetite working today.” There was a knowing tone to her voice.
I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. I hopped out of my chair and shifted my heavy bag on my shoulder.
“So you saw that.”
She let out a laugh and looked back at the director and her co-star. Her manager was off to the side, waiting for his turn to talk with the director.
“I always see you, my love. Plus, how could I miss it?” she asked and shook her head. “Every time he glared at you and you met him with that insane smile of yours, I knew he was in deep shit. I think he knows it too.”
Insane smile.I scoffed.
“Well, I’m almost done with my case,” I said as I shifted the bagagain, trying to downplay it. “And you don’t have to worry. I have a very high success rate.”
She reached forward and took the bag from me.
“You warm my heart,” she teased, but the teasing tone was quickly dropped and replaced with something more serious. “Seriously, though, I appreciate this. I have more than enough money but that guy…”
“I get it. So… food?”
Her eyes lit up at my words.
“It’s a bit late so we missed our reservation, but I know a spot not far from here.”
I gave her a quick nod. “You’re paying of course. I’ll take it out of the retainer fee.”
This got another laugh out of her.Fuck, why does such a simple sound make my chest feel so warm?
“Never crossed my mind that I wouldn’t.”
She stepped closer, putting an arm over my shoulder, turning me toward a small path that led out of the beach and to the main road. It was blocked off by signs and banners to keep out the onlookers, but we managed to squeeze through. There were a few stragglers, but the guards stationed there gave them a stern look when they tried to creep closer to us.
“Does it ever bother you?” I asked after one of the fans tried to yell to get her attention.
They had been standing around all day just waiting for this moment only for Harley to brush them off with an ease that must have stung.
“Yes,” she confessed, her lips pushing into a thin line. “Given my… circumstances, it can be hard to constantly be followed by them. But I pay good money to keep them at a distance.”
“Those are yours?” I asked, motioning to the husky security guards. She gave me a nod. I made a mental note to addunsafe work environmentto my case.
“You, give me a piece of paper.” One of the security guardsfroze before slowly pointing to himself. I gave him a look and held out my hand. “And a pen too if you have it.”
The one next to him handed me the pen while the original one dug around in his pockets for what turned out to be a crumpled receipt.
I ripped it into two and held them out to Harley.
“Sign, please.”
She paused to look at me, something flashing across her face that I didn’t want to name for fear of how bad it would make my skin heat.
