Page 104 of Between Never and Forever
I look him over. He’s changed out of the outfit he was wearing earlier and is now in a pair of athletic shorts and a plain t-shirt. The shoes on his feet could probably make one of my mortgage payments.
“Is there a problem?” he asks, and I bring my eyes back to his.
“You tell me.” I hold eye contact for a few breaths. He laughs awkwardly, and I tilt my head to the side. “You’re not her type, Paul. She’s not going to fuck you.”
Northwood’s jaw drops open, then he sputters out a bumbling attempt at a defense.
“What? No, I didn’t...I’m just running lines. I’m not—”
“Good. Don’t. If you do, well, it sure would be a shame if one of these set walls came loose and just toppled over, wouldn’t it?”
He blinks at me in shock. I keep my face blank. Then the trailer door swings open.
I step back and look into Savannah’s surprised face. Her eyes dart from me to Paul, and she tilts her head to the side before raising a brow at me.
“Did you need something?”
Her curt tone makes my nostrils flare, and then she looks over my shoulder and gives Paul a smile that makes me consider elbowing him right in his American Heartthrob face. It’s probably insured.
“Sorry, Paul. Give me just a sec, okay?”
She bats her eyelashes at him, all sweet and welcoming, but when she looks back at me, it disappears. We lock eyes, but she doesn’t say anything else.
“Brynn would like it if you could give her guitar lessons,” I say flatly, and the shocked look that flashes over Savannah’s face gives me a spark of excitement.
“Really?” she asks, and then she narrows her eyes at me again. “What’s the catch?’
“No catch. She agreed to go to the STEM day camp this week at the public library, and in return, I told her she could have the lessons.”
Savannah smirks. “She played you.”
I don’t answer, but she definitely did.
“I’ve got some conditions, though,” I say, and Savannah nods. “You don’t take her off set. I don’t want her anywhere near those paparazzi vultures that follow you around. And no photos on social media. I don’t want—”
“The association to Sav Loveless,” she finishes for me.
I don’t confirm or deny. She’s not exactly right, but she’s not wrong either. With Sav comes media attention. I don’t need that.
At my silence, Savannah lets out a humorless chuckle and rolls her eyes.
“Got it. When do you want to start? My filming schedule is weird, but we can figure it out.”
Now it’s my turn to smirk.
“Let’s start middle of next week,” I say, taking a step backwards. “I feel like it will be easier to coordinate then. See ya later, Rockstar.”
25
“I’ll talkto her tomorrow about coming up with a schedule,” I tell Brynn, trying like hell not to act as nervous as I feel.
“Why can’t I be here, too,” Brynn asks with a pout. She gives her overnight duffle bag a kick and then scowls at it.
“You love staying at Ms. Sharon’s.”
“Yeah, but I want to be here instead. I want to watch. I won’t even be in the way. You know I won’t.”
I shake my head.
