Page 106 of Heavy Shot

He hugged her and kissed the top of her head and Kline, without thinking, put a hand down on her shoulder. "She's obviously delirious. She's forgotten who she's dating."

"Oh, Kline," she said, surprised. "I didn't know you were here."

"Obviously," he said, with a smile. “But I’m here! And so are photographers, so…"

“They’re everywhere,” Jill said, looking up at Thad apologetically as they separated.

“You can talk in my office if you’re just talking.” Rhiannon shook a finger at Thad.

Kline looked back at Rhiannon with a grim statement as Thad led Jill off."If she's photographed with him while I'm around--"

"Then you'll get even more publicity out of the scandal.Just shut it, Kline.You'll have her to yourself soon enough.Thad leaves for Prague next week–as soon as we wrap for the summer hiatus."

"Prague?"

"He took a role in Rick's latest production and he's going over there to film his bit."

"Really? How long's he going to be gone?"

Rhiannon narrowed her eyes. "Too long if you're thinking what I think you are. Leave them alone. They're both happy."

"I have nothing but their best interest at heart," Kline said icily as he turned to walk away.

Rhiannon Charles

Rhiannon didn't respond to Kline, seeing that he was waiting for it, and turned off to the Craft Services table before she could change her mind and throttle him. The rest of the week was dark, and she was glad it was the finale. Hiatus was sorely needed. After Jill's visit, Kline seemed to take so much pleasure in slinging the barbs that had been written for him at Thad's expense, Rhiannon was wishing she hadn't written them. It was to the point that the rest of the cast was starting to show discomfort. The usually happy group was startlingly silent between takes, and his sitcom kids stayed huddled close to Thad--like they felt the need to protect him.

For his part, Thad was a trooper with a smile and seemed not to notice. He took his verbal falls with practiced grace and was rewarded with delight from the studio audience when the afternoon came. Rhiannon had sussed out that he was spending most of his free time with Jill, which in turn seemed to solidify his ability to roll with Kline’s punches.It was all water off a very happy duck's back.

The photos of Jill and Kline clenched up in a club surfaced quickly, and rumors spread that they were moving in together.Candids of Jill leaving his drive were offered as proof."These don't bother you?" Rhiannon asked him when a second round of make out pictures, these taken from Kline's well-known backyard, showing the two of them in bathing suits and each other's arms appeared alongside photos of them surfing together.

She and Thad were in the VIP Lounge at the airport waiting for their flight out to Prague, and he was texting back and forth with Jill.

Thad shrugged a bit. "Is that the worst they’ve got? It's acting.I figure the people who are important know who you're seeing. Even the media really knows. The press knew when you were on the red carpet with Kline, remember? They set up the story to get clicks and sales. They aren’t actual journalists trying to find and report a truth. It’s just work. It’s like the golf game that seals the big deal you sign in the office or something. How the fuck do I know? I’ve never had a real job.”

"It would bother me," Rhiannon grumbled.

"It did bother you.I remember. Nobody likes to see someone they care about tangled up with someone else, but that's that, you know?It's this business." A new text chimed, and he chuckled at something on his phone.

"I just think if you care about someone--"

"Hey, we haven't gotten that far," Thad interrupted gently."We’re not to a point in this where I can start huffing about how she spends her time. I’m trying to take things slow. Jill agreed she wanted to take things slow, so that's what we're doing. I care. I feel a really strong connection. I think she does too. But right now,we haven't made any promises, and she was straight up from the beginning that she had this publicity to do and didn't feel right getting exclusive while that was on.I respect that."

"I don't like it."

"You don't like Kline,” he said blandly as he typed in a text.

"Guilty as charged.I just think–I don’t understand why. I don’t understand it. I will never understand what's wrong with her that she's willing to let publicity drive her to this when she could be with you?"

Thad laughed and gave Rhiannon a one-armed hug."Okay, two things. One, don't worry about it.I'm not worried about it.When the time is right everything will fall into place. Two, maybe it’s good for me to not be trying to marry someone else for a while? Maybe it’s good for me to get to enjoy a woman and her company casually? Maybe it’s good for me to just hang out on the phone with a woman, or text a woman and get to know her before I propose? I’ve married the last three women I’ve dated."

"Still. He's going to make a play for her while you're gone.You watch."

"I'd rather not. Look, Rhi, I've been at bat a few times now.I know sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. I also know that you can't quit just because the game looks bad. Do I like seeing his tongue rammed down her throat?No. Am I going to like seeing it rammed down her throat at the movie premier, when his tongue is the size of my whole body up on that screen? No. But I do know that's all he's got rammed anywhere, and he won't have it there as soon as her film is over.It's work."

"I want you two to make it."

“You are weirdly invested in this.” He shook his head and looked back down at his phone.

---