ten minutes ago. You guys were awfully quiet.”
Kelsey’s cheeks warmed as her thoughts returned to Patrick’s mouth. She stepped away from Grayson’s probing surveillance and put her drink in the sink.
With a laugh, Grayson walked back to his seat. “Hey, Red, could you please make some more popcorn?” he asked as he sat down, still shaking with silent laughter and flashing Kelsey a childlike grin.
Kelsey stood in the large, white tent, chewing on her bottom lip as she waited for the morning meeting with their director. Grayson stood several feet away but was surprisingly quiet, which was probably better for Kelsey. Her thoughts were riveted on her conversation with Patrick the night before.
She’d made her stance clear, so she doubted that he would make any more of a move than he already had. And his flirtation really hadn’t been that bad; it hadn’t made her terribly uncomfortable. Still, she’d tossed and turned all night, going over every word, every action, every aspect of every interaction they’d had since filming had started. Her Jekyll and Hyde behavior had been unfair and, in all honesty, exhausting. Patrick probably thought she was mentally unstable.
Sometimes she felt mentally unstable.
But now that she’d cleared the air, Kelsey could relax. Be herself. The weight on her shoulders was already lighter.
Kelsey looked up as Patrick and their director, Andy Davidson, entered the tent. Patrick handed her a cup of coffee and she lifted her eyes, round with confusion, to his face. He’d never brought her coffee; she usually waited until after the meeting for that.
“Mocha latte with skim,” Patrick said.
Kelsey’s chin dropped.
“That’s not what she likes,” Grayson snorted.
“I’m pretty sure it is,” Patrick countered and took a sip of his own coffee, acting like this was a routine interaction for them.
“No, Kelsey likes the caramel macchiato,” Grayson argued. Kelsey studied the coffee in her hand for a second, then turned to him and shook her head.
“No, I like the caramel macchiato,” Veronica stated as she entered the tent.
Grayson’s dumbfounded expression slowly turned mischievous. “Isn’t that interesting?” he whispered as he walked past Kelsey to his seat.
“Great, we’ve established coffee preferences. Now let’s talk about work, shall we?” Andy said, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.
Kelsey glanced at her coffee, then at Patrick, and mouthed a “thank you.” He gave her a small smile and nodded.
As Andy went over the schedule for the day and the rest of the week, Kelsey congratulated herself on the civil interaction she’d had with Patrick. Granted, she hadn’t really had to say anything, but surely it was a step in the right direction. She cast a quick look at Patrick. He was engrossed in the meeting and his own gaze bounced between Andy and the script in his lap. She tried to do the same, but as Andy began to break things down to an hourly basis, there was a high-pitched squeal just outside the tent.
Kelsey looked in the direction of the sound and her heart twisted. Patrick’s dance partners from the bar were headed in their direction. She stole a glance at Patrick and saw that his eyes were closed and his jaw clenched, then looked at Andy, whose face and balding head had turned beet red.
“Ladies, this is a closed set, you have to leave. Now!”
Andy brushed past Patrick and made a beeline for the girls, who were again being led by the perky brunette who Kelsey remembered not so fondly. Patrick rose and followed at a slower pace, his shoulders squared, head held high. Three guards were already headed toward the group.
Veronica studied her nails, Grayson bounced with laughter, and Kelsey rolled her eyes. She studied the coffee in her hand and wondered about it. She’d thought it was a peace offering, but now considered it might have been bought for her for other reasons . . . none of them good.
“I wonder how often that’s
Kelsey’s cheeks warmed as her thoughts returned to Patrick’s mouth. She stepped away from Grayson’s probing surveillance and put her drink in the sink.
With a laugh, Grayson walked back to his seat. “Hey, Red, could you please make some more popcorn?” he asked as he sat down, still shaking with silent laughter and flashing Kelsey a childlike grin.
Kelsey stood in the large, white tent, chewing on her bottom lip as she waited for the morning meeting with their director. Grayson stood several feet away but was surprisingly quiet, which was probably better for Kelsey. Her thoughts were riveted on her conversation with Patrick the night before.
She’d made her stance clear, so she doubted that he would make any more of a move than he already had. And his flirtation really hadn’t been that bad; it hadn’t made her terribly uncomfortable. Still, she’d tossed and turned all night, going over every word, every action, every aspect of every interaction they’d had since filming had started. Her Jekyll and Hyde behavior had been unfair and, in all honesty, exhausting. Patrick probably thought she was mentally unstable.
Sometimes she felt mentally unstable.
But now that she’d cleared the air, Kelsey could relax. Be herself. The weight on her shoulders was already lighter.
Kelsey looked up as Patrick and their director, Andy Davidson, entered the tent. Patrick handed her a cup of coffee and she lifted her eyes, round with confusion, to his face. He’d never brought her coffee; she usually waited until after the meeting for that.
“Mocha latte with skim,” Patrick said.
Kelsey’s chin dropped.
“That’s not what she likes,” Grayson snorted.
“I’m pretty sure it is,” Patrick countered and took a sip of his own coffee, acting like this was a routine interaction for them.
“No, Kelsey likes the caramel macchiato,” Grayson argued. Kelsey studied the coffee in her hand for a second, then turned to him and shook her head.
“No, I like the caramel macchiato,” Veronica stated as she entered the tent.
Grayson’s dumbfounded expression slowly turned mischievous. “Isn’t that interesting?” he whispered as he walked past Kelsey to his seat.
“Great, we’ve established coffee preferences. Now let’s talk about work, shall we?” Andy said, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.
Kelsey glanced at her coffee, then at Patrick, and mouthed a “thank you.” He gave her a small smile and nodded.
As Andy went over the schedule for the day and the rest of the week, Kelsey congratulated herself on the civil interaction she’d had with Patrick. Granted, she hadn’t really had to say anything, but surely it was a step in the right direction. She cast a quick look at Patrick. He was engrossed in the meeting and his own gaze bounced between Andy and the script in his lap. She tried to do the same, but as Andy began to break things down to an hourly basis, there was a high-pitched squeal just outside the tent.
Kelsey looked in the direction of the sound and her heart twisted. Patrick’s dance partners from the bar were headed in their direction. She stole a glance at Patrick and saw that his eyes were closed and his jaw clenched, then looked at Andy, whose face and balding head had turned beet red.
“Ladies, this is a closed set, you have to leave. Now!”
Andy brushed past Patrick and made a beeline for the girls, who were again being led by the perky brunette who Kelsey remembered not so fondly. Patrick rose and followed at a slower pace, his shoulders squared, head held high. Three guards were already headed toward the group.
Veronica studied her nails, Grayson bounced with laughter, and Kelsey rolled her eyes. She studied the coffee in her hand and wondered about it. She’d thought it was a peace offering, but now considered it might have been bought for her for other reasons . . . none of them good.
“I wonder how often that’s
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