Page 41 of Outside the Lines
Simon shrugged. “Na. Think of it as payment for teaching me about Hollywood model set production.” His smile dropped away. “And for making some of my dreams come true.”
Were his dreams about us or working on the set? “You know, Anna asked if we could hire you.”
Simon laughed as if I’d told a joke. “Right.”
“I mean it. She did.”
His humor fled into something serious. “I have a job.” He peered toward the register and the back office. “This is a dream come true, too.”
Now I wasn’t sure if he was talking about the shop or Lydia. Both, maybe.
“Regardless, I should pay you for the supplies. It’s for studio bookkeeping, and all that.”
He twisted his face, but in the end, I had an itemized list of what I’d used, and the pricing. “Besides,” I said. “You’ll get this nifty check from the studio.”
That brightened him up. “Really?”
I had to laugh, mostly because I still had the stub from the first check I’d gotten from a studio framed on my wall. “Really.”
After all my supplies had been packed into my car, we got into his and headed to the studio lot. I let him drive, since I’d been driving my Mini too long to make the switch from little and nimble to large and lumbering. I’d probably take a side mirror off this behemoth if I were behind the wheel. He drove carefully, which I appreciated, since there was no time to repair the model.
The guard at the gate recognized me and with Simon on the books, Simon got his bright shiny temporary visitor tag, and the car got another. I directed him around the lot to my shop and had him park in my spot. When he turned off the car, he exhaled like he’d been holding his breath the entire time.
“What’s up?”
Simon’s self-deprecating laugh was followed by a shy smile. “I can’t believe I’m here, that’s all. Like—Wolf’s Landing. And not the tourist tour.”
Yup. Smitten. Hell, same thing had happened to me the first couple of times, and—like the other day—the amazement lingered. “Come on. Help me move the set into the trailer and then I’ll give you a non-tourist tour.”
We maneuvered the set inside. It had survived the trip fine and didn’t need any touch-ups, thank God. “I should let Anna know it’s here.” I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text, since I wasn’t sure if she was filming right now.
A second later my phone rang.
“Where are you? Where is it?” Anna’s voice was brisk and the sounds of gravel crunching meant she was on the move.
“In my shop. We just got here.”
“I’m on my way,” she said, then the call ended.
I stared at my phone. “Change of plans. Anna’s on her way to see the set.”
“The director ofWolf’s Landing?” Simon’s voice squeaked at the end of that.
Poor guy. Starstruck already, and he hadn’tseenany of the stars. “Pretty sure that’s the name of the show, yeah.”
He exhaled. “I’m being horrible.”
“You’re being cute.” I waved his stricken look away. “It’s all right. Everyone who isn’t an actor goes through the same thing. And some of the actors do, as well.”
He had a dubious expression, but that vanished into shock when the door banged open and Anna marched in.
She stopped in front of the grove and breathed out an audible sigh of relief. “Now, that’s an impressive week’s worth of work.”
Hearing that was a booster shot straight to my pride. “Thanks.”
Anna bent down and examined the set from a different angle. “I dare say, this is better than your original.” She stood and turned to me. “Especially considering the issue with the altar.”
Guess that was a silver lining in the whole stuntman crash—we caught an error that the fans would have roasted us over. “I had excellent help.” I gestured to Simon, who stood gaping at Anna.
