Page 85 of Second Act
Chapter 20
“That’s a wrap!” Bryan shouted.
Relief surged through Hugh, but he fought the instinct to instantly roll away from Meryl and leap out of the bed. The actress had done her job in their love scene admirably, not to mention the fact that she was naked from the waist up. So he carefully extricated himself from their clinch and sat up, making sure to tuck the sheet around her to preserve any modesty she might have left after a dozen people had watched her strip and simulate sex with him. At least in Julian Best movies they kept the covers carefully draped over the more intimate parts of their bodies.
“Great work,” he said with a smile.
“You inspired me, babe,” she purred before tossing the sheet back and standing to take her robe from an assistant without any indication of embarrassment. She gave him a hot look. “It’s not exactly painful to be pressed up against Hugh Baker.”
He laughed, but he couldn’t return the compliment. He didn’t usually have a problem with love scenes, but the crush of her breasts against his chest had made him uncomfortable. He knew exactly why.
By a fluke of scheduling, he now had a four-hour break. After the intensity of this scene, he needed a completely different outlet, and Jess’s living room walls sprang to mind. He hadn’t lied to Gavin when he said he wanted to offer her something real, not something from his world of pretense. Fixing her wall made him feel grounded, in the sameway Jess made him feel grounded. He belted on his robe and headed for the dressing room.
Forty-five minutes later, Aidan opened Jess’s front door for him, the vinegary fumes of wallpaper solvent wafting out around him. “Good thing you texted. I was about to go out to grab lunch. By the way, why don’t you get a key from my sister?” He grinned. “After all, the whole world knows you’re together now.” He stuck his head out the door and glanced around. “Notice the lack of lurking paparazzi.”
Hugh stepped past Aidan into the front hall. “They weren’t waiting for Jess this morning?”
“She didn’t ask me to help her get through them, so I guess not.” Aidan looked sheepish. “I slept late.”
Hugh had asked her to text him if she had a problem and she hadn’t, so he decided to let it go. “Let’s get started. I’ve only got a couple of hours free.”
Once he’d gotten set up, he fell into the rhythm of scoring, wetting, and carefully scraping the many layers of wallpaper from the plaster, letting the complications of his life fall away. The only thing better would have been Jess’s company, but she was hard at work.
“I’m glad you came,” Aidan said from his section of wall. He’d scarfed down a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich while Hugh started his task. “I’ve got a job interview tomorrow. I think I have a good chance at getting the position, so I may not have as much time to work on this.”
Hugh could hire someone who would repair the walls faster and better than either of them, but he wasn’t going to mention that. Jess might have something to say about the idea, anyway. “You promised your sister you’d finish the living room.”
“I will.” Aidan’s tone was defensive. “It just might take longer.”
Hugh had made his point. “What kind of company is it?”
“It’s way cool. They deal with data exhaust.”
Hugh laughed. “What the hell is that?”
Aidan went into a long, technical explanation that allowed Hugh to concentrate on peeling off the wallpaper as the jargon washed over him.
“I was afraid that Jessica getting together with you might be a problem, but Pete’s cool.”
Hugh’s attention was jerked away from his task. “Why would Jessica’s and my relationship cause problems for your interview?”
“I told you,” Aidan said, letting a strip of wallpaper fall onto the drop cloth. “She was dating Pete Larson, who’s kind of a big cheese in the company, until you came back into the picture. But he assured me it wouldn’t affect my chances of getting the job.”
Hugh didn’t really care about Aidan’s chances of landing the position right now. “Pete sounds like a stand-up guy.” He yanked at the corner of wallpaper and cursed when a chunk of plaster came off with it. Stopping, he took a deep breath.
Aidan dipped his roller into the solvent and continued. “That’s why I introduced them. He’s from our hometown in Iowa and he’s done real well for himself, just like Jess. I figured they’d have a lot in common.”
Hugh didn’t like the idea of a man who had grown up with the same people Jess had, who could probably reminisce about the same teachers in school, who knew the street names from her childhood. Even worse, who had followed a similar trajectory out of Iowa and into the big city. A man who would fit into Jess’s life seamlessly, without any unwanted disruptions like Hugh would create.
Hugh forced himself to peel off another corner of wallpaper and tried to be subtle in his quest to find out more about his competitor. “You wouldn’t find it awkward to work with a man who might be unhappy with your sister?”
Aidan shrugged. “They didn’t date that long, so it’s not like he’s brokenhearted.”
Hugh’s tense neck muscles unclenched slightly at that piece of information.
“Besides, I would be working in a totally different area from Pete’s. He’s the CFO, and I’m tech.”
A CFO. Pete was indeed a big cheese. Hugh rubbed at the back of his neck as it tightened again.
