“Thank you. And thank you for doing this. I couldn’t trust anyone else with this project.”
She smiles, and it’s nice to see some lightness back in her eyes. “You know I’d do anything for you.”
“I know. And I’ll try to abuse the privilege a little less after all this.” I stand, offering her my hand and pulling her out of her seat. “Come on. I’ll treat you to a glass of wine.”
“A glass of wine from one of the bottles you demanded production pay for?”
“Yup, one of those.” I sling my arm around her shoulder as we make our way upstairs. “Free wine is free wine, baby.”
She laughs. “You got me there.”
Chapter Fifteen
I can tell by the smirk on Liz’s face that whatever bomb she’s about to drop is going to be a big one. Despite things feeling weird between me and Grayson the past few days—even though we went back to our usual hooking-up schedule after that one-off night—it feels like things have shifted. But we made it through today’s filming with our chemistry still intact, so I figure that whatever it is that has Liz grinning like a gleeful clown, it has nothing to do with our performance. Which only makes it all the more terrifying.
She claps her hands together as she approaches Grayson and me, stopping us on our way back to wardrobe, where we were headed to change out of today’s costumes. “So. A delightful opportunity has presented itself, and I, of course, have already accepted on your behalf.”
Knowing Liz, a “delightful opportunity” could be anything from volunteering at an animal shelter to studying the origins of silent film through the medium of mime. My money is on something that doesn’t involve cuddling cute puppies.
Before either of us can ask questions, Liz gestures to an attractive woman in her midtwenties who’s been following along behind her. Thank god filming’s almost done, because I swear this woman is drop-dead gorgeous and could replace me, or any of us in this movie, in a heartbeat.
And you can bet I take notice of how Grayson reacts to this inhumanly stunning woman. She offers him a blinding smile along with her hand, which he shakes for the required half second before dropping it. The smile he gives her is small and insincere, although I doubt anyone other than me would pick up on that fact. My own smile is just a tad bigger than usual.
Of course, none of this really matters because Grayson is certainly allowed to flirt with whomever he chooses, but it still warms my frigid heart, just a smidge, when his eyes don’t even linger on her impressive chest.
I mentally rejoin the conversation just as Liz is explaining why the mystery woman has blessed us with her presence. “The marketing department is starting to kick things into high gear and so we thought it’d be fun if the two of you did your own little version ofThe Newlywed Game—you know, as a cute little promo.” Liz hates the wordcute, so I know she’s hamming it up because she knows this is my nightmare. One of the best parts of being strictly behind the scenes as a writer is not having to participate in stilted, cheesy games like this one. Being comfortable on camera in character is one thing; being comfortable on camera as myself is a whole other beast.
I’m trying to figure out a way to politely say “absolutely the fuck not” when Grayson throws his arm around my neck, pulling me in like he’s about to give me a noogie.“Sounds like a fun way to get people excited about the movie. Doesn’t it, Emmy?”
I glare at him, and if this is payback for dipping out the other night, then I think the scales have been unfairly tipped. “Sure. Great. Sounds like fun.”
Liz shuffles us off into a quiet room where three chairs already have been set up. The woman—whom I finally learn is Crystal, a member of the PR team assigned toNo Reservations—sits across from us and hands each of us a whiteboard. While she’s securing her camera on a tripod, she explains the rules of the game. “Okay, so I’ll take turns asking you questions about each other. You’ll write down your answers and then reveal them together and see how many matches you can get.”
“What does the winner get?” Grayson asks with a smile, although he directs the question to me and not to Crystal.
She laughs anyway. “No prizes, at least not today. This is just for fun.”
“And for promo. Don’t forget that part.” I don’t mean to sound like a cynical bitch, but sometimes I just can’t help it.
Crystal jumps up from her chair. “Just one second. Let me grab an extra charger, just in case.”
Grayson takes advantage of her absence, leaning over to nudge me in the ribs. “Care to make a little side bet here, Ems?”
I glare at him again, but my competitive side is stoked. If there’s one thing I hate more than my emerging feelings for Grayson West, it’s losing. “You’re on. What do I get when I win?”
He drops his voice lower, the rumbling of it tickling my skin. “Whatever you want, Harper.”
I raise my eyebrows. “That’s a lot of leeway, West. I’m not prepared to offer the same. Name your prize.”
He turns his head ever so slightly, his lips brushing along the curve of my neck. “When I win, I get you. For a whole night. No interruptions, and no rushing out the door.”
The heat of his words and the warmth of his breath on my skin make it seem like a mostly sexual request, but I can’t help but feel like what Grayson is really asking for is a lot more than just that.
More than I’m prepared to give.
Because I definitely don’t want this to be more than what it is. I can’t want that.
But that won’t deter me from accepting his challenge. I know I can win this. “You’re going down, West.”
