Page 69 of Love on the Byline

“Friends can be together. Can’t they?” Slowly, Ollie raiseda hand and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear that had been blowing inand out of her periphery.

“Yeah.” It was breathless and she tried desperately to holdon to the thread of the conversation. Because she had severely underestimatedOliver Benjamin.

“There you two are.”

Blake jumped back like a teen caught making out on the couchby her parents.

Bran strolled onto the beach and made himself comfortable onthe blanket like he owned it.

Which, to be fair, he kind of did.

Ollie had narrowed his eyes at the newcomer. “How was your drive?”

“Fine. Uneventful.” Bran popped a grape into his mouth.“Grabbed some real food before heading back, so I’m ready to do this if youare,” he said to her.

“Uh, sure.”

“Great. Shoot.”

“Oh, here?” She looked at Ollie who was still studying Branclosely. “I need my notes.”

“Let’s head back, then.”

“Whatever.” Bran got his feet. “Let’s get this over with.”

Ollie followed, offering her his hand. They gatheredeverything and trudged up the hill back to the property.

Blake didn’t know why the actor was so eager to sit downwith her now, but she wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Thesooner she finished here, the sooner she could get back to her life.

15

Blake half-expected Bran to don his swim trunks and do theinterview in the pool, but he led her back inside. She was grateful. Themid-day sun was stronger than she’d thought, and the interior of the house wascool and welcoming.

They settled in the great room, with him on the sectionaland her in an armchair.

“When we take the photos, we could set up in here,” shesaid. “The light is great.”

“Sure.” Bran was very accomodating.

He also wasn’t.

Between the location and the timing, nothing about thissituation fit Blake’s expectations of how things would go. She’d been so relaxedat lunch, her thoughts settling down after rabbiting between her parents, hergranddad, and work. Spending time with Ollie, alone, was her new favoritething. She’d been tempted to tell Bran they could start fresh in the morning.

But Gideon wanted an update, and Blake had to give himsomething.

“Tell me one thing you want your...fans...to know,” shesaid, settling back with a notebook in hand.

“I thought part of the interview process was actually askingquestions.” Bran kept his eyes on her.

She found herself studying his expression, which gavenothing away. “I’m formulating an idea of what to ask.”

He nodded as if that made total sense. Establish arapport with him and probe away, Gideon had said.

It struck her how normal he seemed. When he wasn’ton, in full Hollywood mode, he looked almost like a regular guy in his baseballcap and North Face tee.

“Missing your better half? Why didn’t Ollie sit in? Ithought he was meant to be stuck to you like glue.”

Bran grinned. “I asked him to run some errands for me afterhe’s done reading through that script. Besides, I thought you and I shouldtalk.”

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