My cheeks heated. “Oh, um. Really? We just haven’t talked about it...”
His dimple caved in as he looked down at me. “Have I not made that clear? Sorry about that. Calla, will you be my girlfriend?”
I shook my head, biting my lip. “Are we in high school?”
He pretended to look offended. “Hey! I’ve never asked someone that question before. Don’t take this milestone away from me.”
Piper looked back and forth between the two of us. “You two are so cute I could throw up.”
Chapter Twenty-One
“You sure you’reready for what’s next?” Eli eyed me nervously.
In response, I snaked my arms around his torso and squeezed. “If you’re there, I’ll be fine.”
“He’s going to act like he’s this charming guy whom you’re lucky to be meeting, which, of course, makes him come across as a total dick,” he warned.
“I’m a writer, remember? I have thick skin.” Not entirely true. I might have cried a little when Piper had read my first manuscript and given me a critique on the ending. Eli didn’t need to know that, though.
“Eli. Calla. We’re ready for you to go out front and talk with Tim,” Shay said, walking out and waving her clipboard.
“How did your meeting with him go?” I whispered as we followed Shay’s heavy steps.
“About as well as can be expected. He asked if I’d met someone, or somehow screwed this experience up, too. Then we argued for about fifteen minutes before his phone rang and he insisted that it was important and he had to take it.”
We walked down a long hallway, toward one of the doors that led out front.
“They let him keep his phone?” I asked. I hadn’t seen a phone on set since I arrived.
“Of course. He’s Tim Price. He can do whatever he wants,” Eli said mockingly. “If we’re lucky, he’ll get another important call five minutes into our conversation. That’s really all the time you’ll need to get to know what he’s all about.”
Shay led us through a door toward the front of the building. I had barely been this way since first arriving; we did any onsite challenges on the property and the vans we took to offsite challenges were kept along the side of the building. But as we walked out onto the front porch and massive entryway to the lodge, the windy drive that led up to it brought memories crashing back.
I had been so nervous upon arrival I had practically been shaking. And that was when I’d still thought I’d just be here writing. The memory struck me as funny. What if that had been the truth? I doubted I would have been able to get past my substantial mental block on a show like that. Meanwhile, just a few days of getting beaten up in challenges and opening up with Eli had my mind already filled with inspiration. I could hardly wait to start outlining my next story.
Shay pointed us in the direction of three rocking chairs that sat facing the gravel drive. The view out here was just as stunning as everywhere else, but something about the road being in view made it less magical—like I could just drive away and back to reality at any moment.
Eli’s demeanor grew stiffer as we approached the chairs, one of which was already occupied. Tim held up a finger as he relayed something in a hushed tone over the cell phone that was pressed against his ear.
After another awkward few seconds of us standing there,Tim ended the call and stood up. “You must be Callie,” he said, taking my hand.
“Calla,” Eli corrected gruffly, glaring at his father.
“It’s fine. Happens all the time,” I said, trying to make light of the mistake. “And you must be Tim.”
It was strange seeing Tim in real life. While I wasn’t a big fan, or anything close to it, I had inevitably seen many reruns of his movies on television growing up. He was shorter in person. Isn’t that what everyone says about meeting actors in real life? But with Tim it was true. He stood quite a few inches shorter than his son. His hands were oddly smooth when he shook my hand for an extended time before releasing me; almost as if he had them exfoliated daily.
“Calla, of course. I knew that,” he said, lightly smacking the top of his head. “Please sit. I’ve been dying to meet the girl who has my son so captivated.”
As we sat, and I could see Tim up close, I noticed the lack of fine lines on his face. It looked artificial. Much like his too-perfect teeth, which were an unnatural shade of white.
“I’m pretty captivated, too,” I started, trying my best to seem charming. Although the last time I had met a significant other’s family members for the first time, I had been only eighteen. “Your son is an amazing guy. I feel really lucky that it worked out this way and we got to meet each other.”
Tim snorted and threw his head back in amusement. Eli bristled in response. “Amazing? That’s funny. The tabloids might have some other choice words for him.”
“Only because they don’t really know him.” I leaned in closer to Eli, already feeling defensive. “They only print whatever cheap drama they think will sell.”
“They know enough, trust me. My son has always been trouble. I’m just glad he finally found a girl who will get him to straighten out.”
