Tony. “You Anthony Phillips?”
“That I am,” he agreed. “But you can call me Tony.”
Ava conceded his flirtatious charm might not be premeditated. It was possible he was just one of those guys who couldn’t help themselves.
In any event, Beks wasn’t charmed. “I’m the PA and the coordinator,” she said, all business, and introduced herself. “Follow me.” She turned on her chunky heel, clearly expecting him to do as she directed and asking as they exited the room, “You got your papers and ID?”
Ava watched them disappear, thinking how interesting it was to see Beks at work. The crew was going to be testing audio and lighting today, so she likely had a lot on her plate. It would be fun to be a fly on the younger woman’s wall and observe more of her interaction with Mr. Charm in the midst of all that.
“Right,” she murmured with a little laugh. “Like you’ve got so much time to be watching someone else work.”
And shrugging, she went back to her own.
CHAPTER FOUR
This is turning out to be a lot harder than I thought it would be.
T HE MINUTE A VA got home that evening, she kicked off her heels, washed off her makeup and changed into her navy, white and orange Moroccan-tile-patterned sleep pants, topping them with a cotton knit camisole and cardigan. She made herself a quick bite to eat and was seated in front of the fireplace with a glass of chardonnay a short while later, trying to decide if she wanted to select a recorded program from her DVR to watch or simply continue staring at the flames, when her doorbell rang.
She blew out a breath. “Crap.” She was so not in the mood for company.
But since she was currently in a dating slump, it was likely Poppy or Jane, and adjusting her attitude, she set aside her wineglass and rose to answer the door.
The last person she expected to see on the other side was Cade, and for a second she could only gape at him.
“Whoa,” he said, looking just as startled. Except that didn’t make sense. Not when, unlike her, he had known perfectly well he was coming here.
Damn him, anyhow. Here she was all naked-faced, not a spec of makeup to give her pale complexion a littlecolor or hide her freckles, while he, even under the hallway’s fluorescent fixture, looked like a million bucks, his eyes blazing brilliant blue in that lightly tanned, angular face. The harsh light also picked out the raindrops spangling his hair and dampening the shoulders of his worn leather bomber jacket.
His expression smoothing out, he gave her a slow once-over and raised his eyebrows. “Modeling for Victoria’s Secret in your spare time?”
She glanced down at her unfastened cardigan, which exposed the fact that she was naked beneath its matching light orange tank top. Crap . She pulled the cardigan’s sides together to add another layer of fabric between his too-seeing eyes and her unbound breasts.
And made a rude noise even as she buttoned it. “Like I have free time. Aside from this half hour I was trying to snatch for myself, that is.” She gave him a pointed look. “I’m off duty, Gallari. Why are you here?”
“I wanted to remind you that the makeup and hair people will be here day after tomorrow, as well as three of my interview subjects, so you’ll have additional people to feed.”
“I know. I talked to them about their transportation needs, remember? Which, since the hair and makeup women are local, were nonexistent. And I’ve arranged drivers for the interviewees.” She waved a dismissive hand. “But that’s neither here nor there. The real question is, you couldn’t have called me about it?”
“I could have. Except I also need to talk to you about doing an interview for the documentary—and that’s better done face-to-face.”
“You want me to—?” Wondering if she looked as blank as she felt, she gave her head a little shake andadmitted, “Okay, I’m clueless. Surely you have more qualified people to do whatever it is that needs
“That I am,” he agreed. “But you can call me Tony.”
Ava conceded his flirtatious charm might not be premeditated. It was possible he was just one of those guys who couldn’t help themselves.
In any event, Beks wasn’t charmed. “I’m the PA and the coordinator,” she said, all business, and introduced herself. “Follow me.” She turned on her chunky heel, clearly expecting him to do as she directed and asking as they exited the room, “You got your papers and ID?”
Ava watched them disappear, thinking how interesting it was to see Beks at work. The crew was going to be testing audio and lighting today, so she likely had a lot on her plate. It would be fun to be a fly on the younger woman’s wall and observe more of her interaction with Mr. Charm in the midst of all that.
“Right,” she murmured with a little laugh. “Like you’ve got so much time to be watching someone else work.”
And shrugging, she went back to her own.
CHAPTER FOUR
This is turning out to be a lot harder than I thought it would be.
T HE MINUTE A VA got home that evening, she kicked off her heels, washed off her makeup and changed into her navy, white and orange Moroccan-tile-patterned sleep pants, topping them with a cotton knit camisole and cardigan. She made herself a quick bite to eat and was seated in front of the fireplace with a glass of chardonnay a short while later, trying to decide if she wanted to select a recorded program from her DVR to watch or simply continue staring at the flames, when her doorbell rang.
She blew out a breath. “Crap.” She was so not in the mood for company.
But since she was currently in a dating slump, it was likely Poppy or Jane, and adjusting her attitude, she set aside her wineglass and rose to answer the door.
The last person she expected to see on the other side was Cade, and for a second she could only gape at him.
“Whoa,” he said, looking just as startled. Except that didn’t make sense. Not when, unlike her, he had known perfectly well he was coming here.
Damn him, anyhow. Here she was all naked-faced, not a spec of makeup to give her pale complexion a littlecolor or hide her freckles, while he, even under the hallway’s fluorescent fixture, looked like a million bucks, his eyes blazing brilliant blue in that lightly tanned, angular face. The harsh light also picked out the raindrops spangling his hair and dampening the shoulders of his worn leather bomber jacket.
His expression smoothing out, he gave her a slow once-over and raised his eyebrows. “Modeling for Victoria’s Secret in your spare time?”
She glanced down at her unfastened cardigan, which exposed the fact that she was naked beneath its matching light orange tank top. Crap . She pulled the cardigan’s sides together to add another layer of fabric between his too-seeing eyes and her unbound breasts.
And made a rude noise even as she buttoned it. “Like I have free time. Aside from this half hour I was trying to snatch for myself, that is.” She gave him a pointed look. “I’m off duty, Gallari. Why are you here?”
“I wanted to remind you that the makeup and hair people will be here day after tomorrow, as well as three of my interview subjects, so you’ll have additional people to feed.”
“I know. I talked to them about their transportation needs, remember? Which, since the hair and makeup women are local, were nonexistent. And I’ve arranged drivers for the interviewees.” She waved a dismissive hand. “But that’s neither here nor there. The real question is, you couldn’t have called me about it?”
“I could have. Except I also need to talk to you about doing an interview for the documentary—and that’s better done face-to-face.”
“You want me to—?” Wondering if she looked as blank as she felt, she gave her head a little shake andadmitted, “Okay, I’m clueless. Surely you have more qualified people to do whatever it is that needs
Similar Books
