Page 53 of Hot Set

She waves me off.

I try to be cool as I answerCheese and Onion Pieon the way into my office niche. To my horror, I accidentally hit speaker for a split second before I tap it back off. Thank goodness I have impeccable reflexes. Turning my back to the writer’s room, I cradle the phone against my ear.

“Hi.”

“Hi, yourself.”

“Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

“Shouldn’t you be in my bed for number ten?”

The need I feel for Jack drops from my heart to lower regions. I speak as quietly as I can without looking suspicious. “I’m not alone, Mom.” Benj and Benny emerge from their office to confer loudly with Maureen over some point of historical accuracy. “Mynot alonejust tripled.”

“I’m near to dying for you sitting in this wild and brilliant place.”

“Where are you?”

“Carrick-a-Rede Island. Birds are going mad in the sky while the sea throws a fit down below me.”

“Pictures please.”

“Naw. I’m going to bring you here. I want to carry you across the rope bridge, lie you back in the grasses, and kiss you ‘til you cry for mercy.”

Benj pokes his head into my cave. “Gillian, we need a referee with a viable I.Q.”

“Be right there.”

Jack’s voice is low and throaty. “You’re leaving me alone with the wind and the sea?”

“And the birds.”

He groans in my ear. “Truth is, I’d like to drink in a little more peace, but I’m on my way to a radio interview in Belfast.”

“With Niks?” He doesn’t answer. I wish I’d kept my mouth shut. “Sorry, that wasn’t fair. I’ll stop being a pain in the ass about her.”

I hear him release the breath he’d been holding. “Fair enough. I’ll call you tonight.”

“Wait, don’t go. I really am sorry.” He’s still on the line. “Tell me more about the interview.”

A breathy inhale precedes a few more beats of silence. “I’m to answer for our shoot of episode 101 up here.”

“Answer for what?”

“We might have started a bitty fire filming the opening battle sequence. Bobby had to do class A persuading and a fair amount of replanting before we got the go to use this location again.”

Sweet relief sweeps over me, hearing Jack’s more casual tone. Why did I have to go to the petty place so quickly with Niks and the interview? Jack doesn’t deserve that.

“I miss you, Cheese and Onion Pie.” My reward is a quick chuckle.

“It’s the same for me.” Someone calls for him. I’m ashamed of myself when I revel in the fact it’s a male’s voice. “I’m off for now, love.” He ends the call.

I set the phone down and then pick it up to call back and apologize one more time. My finger hovers above the phone screen, but I don’t follow through.Let it go for now.We’ll work this kink out with the rest of them on Saturday at the tournament and, hopefully, in his giant spa tub afterward. I vow to keep a lockdown on my insecurity over whatever that something is between Jack and Niks that’s none of my business. I can’t torture Jack when he’s thrown together for publicity with Niks. He can’t control that.

This goddamned wariness is Treat’s fault, that son of a bitch. I tap my index finger on the top of my desk. No, it’s my fault for giving him all the power in our relationship and being grateful for whatever affection he chose to toss my way. Jack and I are not like that. We’ve started the beginning of a true partnership.

I stare at the new lock screen on my phone, the portrait from the lobby of Donal Cam and Nieve. It’s the only way to have Jack on my phone that won’t look like I’m fangirling.

“Appreciate him, Gilly.” I promise myself not to go home and stress over Niks and him on location. I’ll use our time apart to curl up in my window seat and reread the rest ofThe Chieftain’s Sonseries. I’m beginning to play more and more with taking a literary beat and condensing it into a series of images. The challenge stokes my creative engine.

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