Page 28 of Heavy Shot

"Jill?"

"Rhiannon! Hello! How are you?"

"Good. Good. How are you? Still hating LA?"

"Meh. Yes and no. I'm working on getting new management, so hopefully, my stay will be lucrative at least."

"So, you are planning on staying?"

"Yes. There's nothing for me in New York. If I'm going to make a move, it has to be now."

"I hear you. I wasn't too thrilled at the prospect of living out here, but I'm adjusting."

"Adjusting like crazy I'd say. Spending quality time with Kline Scott?"

Was she fishing? Rhiannon wasn’t sure, even less sure what to say. "Yeah, well, that's a very recent development. Too soon to tell what to make of it."

"Oh?"

"Yeah.Actually, you ran into us on our first date. I'm going over to his place for the first time this weekend. He's been to mine, but I've never been there. His son is out of town."

Jill made a noncommittal noise then said with something that sounded like relief, "Well, I'm sure you'll have a nice time. He's a good guy. We ran into each other again and I sat down with him and his manager for a little while. Roland is hysterical!”

Rhiannon paused, considering whether she should mention that the conversation on their first date had mostly been about her, but she decided against it. That wasn't a discussion for the phone. "Seems so," she said, fingering the spoon on her desk. "Anyway, I called to see if you were free tonight. I thought maybe we could get together. Maybe dinner?"

The surprise in Jill’s voice was only matched by gratitude. “Really? I would love that! Oh, Rhi, that's a great idea. Can we do something normal and not celebrity-ish? I’ve only been out with my managers and August, and they just want to go to all the hotspots."

"I could cook. I'm not much of a celebrity, so my idea of dinner is pretty low-key."

Jill sighed happily, "Oh that sounds great. That sounds so great. Should I bring anything?"

"Just you and your appetite. Italian okay?"

"Sure. I’m low carb right now, but I can cheat for a night. Just give me a time and address.I need to hire a car."

Rhiannon rattled off the address and her cell number, in case there were any difficulties finding the place. "I'm right on the beach. See you about seven? I'll need to stop at the market on the way home."

"I'll see you then."

Rhiannon laughed as she hung up, remembering her first days in LA. She’d come out to a full job, though, with built-in company, and a room full of writers who wanted to suck up to their new boss. From what she recalled, August was a lot of fun for snarky conversation at a party, but he wasn’t exactly warm. And there was no such thing as a warm manager.

Thinking about Jill’s carb issues, she went ahead and made zucchini noodles along with fresh pasta and sauce. Thad was always on some kind of diet, as were the rest of the cast, so she’d heard everything. If Jill was going up on the big screen, cheating her diet would be as stressful as losing her hair.

It was just after seven when she arrived, a bottle of wine and a gorgeous charcuterie board in hand.

Rhiannon opened the door, smiling brightly. "Jill Parker! Come in. Come in!" she said, swinging the door wide.

Jill stepped inside and accepted a sideways hug and air kiss. "Thank you so much for having me over. Honestly. I could cry."

"Please don’t," Rhiannon said, seriously. “What’s this?”

"I couldn’t come empty-handed, so I stopped off at Erewhon," Jill said with a frown. “Did I say that right? August said that’s the place to go."

"Aw, thanks. Alcohol goes with everything," Rhiannon tugged the hem of her gray hoodie down over her hips, glancing at Jill’s trim, jersey sheath and Chanel flats. She looked like an off-duty ballerina. Accepting the bottle, she smirked slightly, reading the label. "Huh."

"What? You don't like this vintage?"

"Oh, yes, I do. It's lovely. Just had some last weekend, in fact," Rhiannon said, with a bit of a laugh. "Kline brought the same exact wine."

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