“I don’t want to.” He sighed deeply against my hair, sending shivers down my arms.
I scratched my nails over his head, feeling bold by his obvious comfort in my touch. He shuddered as I said, “You can tell them no.”
He pulled back. “Sally said there’s a chance you could get an agent. I want you to get what you want.”
His face was as serious as I’ve ever seen it. And it was pretty serious most of the time.
I felt a pang of dread. “You think if we don’t do it, she won’t set up the meeting?”
“I don’t know. People are around here are …” He paused to think of the words.Poor Charlie. He really was so jaded about Hollywood. He hated every moment of being here. And yet he said he was glad he came. “Manipulative,” he finished. “But listen, my annoyance at being a circus act isn’t worth you not getting a chance at an agent. I just want to make sure you’re okay with everything.”
“I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.” I really didn’t mind but his discomfort was adding to my stage fright. We just needed to get through it. We would have each other’s backs. It would be alright.
“Okay.” He pulled me to him one more time to inhale my scent, as if it gave him strength. “Let’s get this over with.”
I cupped his cheek with his hand. “How bad can it be?”
32
Kate
Okay,it wasn’t great.
I winced as the director thrust the uniform toward Charlie.
“Not a bloody chance,” Charlie said, arms crossed and a scowl on his face.
“People would love to see the Intrepid Trio back in their training flight suits,” Sally explained.
Behind her, a man from the costume department watched the exchange nervously.
“I don’t care. I’m not putting that on. This is a hard line.” Charlie was large and fierce. I could see now how people found him intimidating. Everything soft and sweet from our short drive over was gone, and the mask was back in place. The worst part was my inability to do anything. I wished I could lean forward and take his hand to offer the comfort he so badly needed. Even I had to admit, filming Harrison, Emma, and Charlie in their old flight school uniforms—made forchildren—was over-the-top cheesy. And maybe a little ick.
Sally let out a long-suffering sigh. “Fine. Fine. Harrison and Emma didn’t go for it either.” She waved the man from costumes away. “Go to makeup. We’re already behind schedule.”
When she walked away, Charlie looked at me pointedly and nodded in the direction of a small alcove off the sound stage, between the sets. “‘How bad could it be?’ she asked.” He raised an eyebrow at me, a hint of a smile tugging his lips.
“It wasn’tthatbad,” I lied. I poked him in the ribs, and he grabbed my hand before it could retreat, just as he had in the car. Like whenever I touched him, he didn’t want to end the connection. It was a theory I would have to investigate later as our day wore on.
He flicked a glance around then narrowed his eyes and leaned close to whisper in my ear. “Please tell me that wasn’t something you wanted to see.”
I guffawed loudly. “No. No offense but seeing you in the uniform you wore before puberty does not do it for me.”
He looked into my eyes, studying me closely. There was something like insecurity in the knit of his brows.
“You know that I doknowyou’re not Freddy Finks, right?” I placed a hand on the strong muscles of his shoulder and squeezed. “And I certainly do not have a crush on a fictional character.”
Anymore.
He let out a breath like he’d actually been worried. Then my words registered, and his right dimple popped. “Are you saying you have a crush on me?” When he dropped that accent to a lower octave, I melted.
“I thought that was fairly obvious.” I licked my lips.
His gaze moved over my face. He leaned over me, arm braced on the wall, my neck craning back just to look at him. Charlie’s gaze was filled with a yearning that had to match my own. His head lowered to mine, like he was about to kiss me where anyone might see us even after we’d set boundaries in the car. Charlie wasn’t ready for our relationship to be made public yet. A loud laugh between people passing nearby broke the hazy lust cementing us in place.
“We better get to makeup,” I said, not moving.
His jaw flexed but he nodded and pushed off the wall. “Just a few hours,” he said as though to rally himself.
