Page 45 of One Time in Paris
Like Texas, Arkansas also appeared to have an Eiffel Tower replica.
Unlike Texas, it was part of the town fountain and only about fifteen feet tall.
No wonder Davy’s smile had been so overly bright at call time that morning—forced.
“How are we supposed to get three days of content out of this?” Isla asked, watching the townspeople as they milled near the Eiffel Tower fountain. Canopy awnings had been set up all around it, along with some inflatables, cornhole games, and a dunking booth.
Close to a brick wall, a chain-link fence was covered in locks—a lovelock fence to commemorate France.
Cute.But still...not a lot to work with.
“How are we supposed to get threeminutes?” Kyle retorted.
Maybe she should have realized it would be like this when she’d shown up to her room last night at a weathered motel like the ones she’d seen in old movies but had never stayed in.
Isla glanced nervously over her shoulder at the crew, who stood in an adjoining parking lot, discussing among themselves. Tomas was still finishing hair and makeup, thankfully, which meant Isla could prepare herself mentally before he started pawing at her again.
Funny how wholly she’d moved on. Tomas...was part of a different life.
When Davy had first brought this hosting plan up, she’d thought about that life and that past with rose-colored glasses. Nostalgia about the good, fun moments.
Now, on the second week of filming, she wasn’t surebackwardwas what she wanted at all. It had been so easy to forget what she didn’t love about acting. Being touched on a film or theater set by her costars—some who were less courteous than others about the state of their breath—and the early mornings and late nights. Hell, even the way her skin hated this amount of makeup.
Stepping back intoactingwas easy enough. Stepping back into the lifestyle, though?
That was entirely different.
She wasn’tthatmuch older, but she felt older somehow. The problem was that she realized now how much she hadn’t known or understood even just a few years ago.
And she was more acutely aware than ever about how unanchored she feltnow.
“No Aiden and Callum ambush this time?” Kyle asked, following the direction of her stare. “I keep waiting for them to pop out from one of the trailers.”
“Thankfully, no. At least, they haven’t warned me of an ambush.” She kept it light. Casual. Like it didn’t matter that she’d sent Aiden a text last night asking him if he was still coming.
And he’d never replied.
“Callum hasn’t, anyway,” she added quickly before Kyle could pick up on the shift in her tone. “I haven’t heard from Aiden at all.”
Kyle’s brows flicked up over his sunglasses. “Really?”
She shrugged. “He’s busy—CEO things. Too important for the likes of me.” Her joke was hollow, the words sharp in her throat.
Dammit.She could not let this keep bothering her.She knew he was busy and had been stressed about his work, but it took two seconds to send a text.
“So, you and Callum are talking at least now?” Kyle shot her a worried glance. “I was worried we would get to London for the party, and you’d still be fighting.”
“I’m not sure I would have called it fighting per se. I was mad at him, not really the other way around. He’s been trying to get on my good side ever since.”
Kyle peered at her. “Oh, I don’t know that I’d go that far. He was definitely mad at you. Mad enough to dig up an old boyfriend, get me bumped down to third wheel, and hop on a nine-hour flight.”
That’s true.She cringed. “I didn’t mean that?—”
“You know I’m on your side. What he did was much worse. If I ever did something like that to Liddy or Elle, they’d probably punch me in the face. But Callum’s. ..very protective of the people he cares about. It’s what makes him good enough for my sister.”
“Listen to you, talking like an old man instead of the spoiled youngest child.”
He snorted. “Takes one to know one.”
