“According to my dad, I’ve had the cushiest life possible.”
“And that’s why you don’t care about your reputation? You’re trying to prove something to him, or something like that?” I winced at the bluntness of my question, but hey, he wanted us to get to know each other, right?
“Maybe it started out that way,” he admitted. “Now it’sjust what I’m used to. Every time one of my escapades makes the news, it pisses off my dad so much. I’d be lying if I said that didn’t give me the tiniest surge of joy. But now it’s kind of biting me in the ass. My father has had me blacklisted at every major production company. I’ve finally finished a screenplay—one I think could actually be something great. But I can’t get anyone to take me seriously.”
“I don’t miss those days.” I thought back to when I was first submitting my novel to publishers.
“But you’re getting your book published. You made it.”
“After, like, ten rejections,” I said. “I’d written a bunch of manuscripts that I scrapped before I finally got someone to take interest in one.”
“You still did it. All on your own, too. Nobody handed you anything.” A curl fell into Eli’s eye and he brushed it away. Light from the fire flickered across his features.
“Well, one good thing about losing your dad’s support is that when you finally do find success, you’ll know it wasn’t handed to you, either.”
After a few seconds, he nudged my knee with his. “I like your attitude.”
“There is no way that someone with as much charisma as you isn’t destined for greatness,” I added.
His curled lip transformed into a broad grin. “Says the girl who’d never heard of me before this week.”
“I guess you make a strong impression,” I admitted, before wishing I could take it back once I saw the gleam in his eyes. Would he read too much into that?
“If this show had gone to plan—if you were actually writing or pitching or whatever right now—what would your next book have been about?” he asked instead.
“Oh, uh, I’m not really sure.” I bit my lip. “Your guess is as good as mine. I haven’t been able to write much lately. Eversince...” I couldn’t finish the thought, but he must have known what I meant by the way his intense stare locked on me.
“You should pick me tomorrow,” he said, after a beat of silence.
I blinked in surprise. That hadn’t been at all what I expected him to say. “Um, but Sofia,” I said pathetically, hoping he would drop the subject immediately.
“What about her? There’s nothing there. Pick me, Calla. This whole thing is about taking risks, right?”
Suddenly I felt too hot, and the fire in front of me felt uncomfortably close.
“I have Arnie,” I said. There. A perfectly valid excuse. He couldn’t expect me to bail on my partner.
“Again, so what? You and Arnie are friends at best. He’s the safe choice for you, and you know it.”
I found myself at a loss for words, struck by the realization that Eli seemed to see right through me. I had indeed identified Arnie as the safe choice. Arnie was kind. Arnie wouldn’t push me. And most importantly, I had zero chemistry with Arnie.
Eli was something entirely different. And that scared me.
“We’re still getting to know each other.” The excuse sounded pathetic even to my own ears, but I needed Eli to back off this subject.
He laughed wryly. “That’s bull. Come on, Calla. Take a risk and pick me.”
“You don’t even know me,” I said.
“I’m hoping to change that.”
I looked past him toward the lodge, longing to be back inside and out of this pressure cooker.
Eli shifted, blocking my view. “You don’t have to search for an escape route.”
“I’m not.” I tried my best to appear unfazed. “I seriously want to stay partnered with Arnie. I’m not trying to play it safe. I really don’t feel anything for you. I know that might be hard for you to believe, but it’s the truth.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m not saying all this to you just because I think every woman in the world must be interested in me.”
