Caleb picked up the package, handed it to Holly and left.
Throwing the shirts on the sofa, she scrubbed her hands over her face.
Holly faced one problem from her past unscathed. Now all she needed to do was go to dinner, face her parents and talk about her future. That was a problem she couldn’t guarantee she’d walk away from unharmed.
* * *
“Great to finally meet you, Ethan.” Jerry, the director walked into his high-rise office overlooking an overcast Sydney CBD. The view didn’t interest Ethan. It took all his strength not to bounce around in his seat like an excited child. A wounded soldier battling through the struggles of life after war was a lot different from an action hero. The script was amazing.
He hadn’t told Holly about this meeting because after the confrontation with Shaun, the focus was on making sure she was okay. Then he got distracted by the hours they spent fooling around in her bed.
He rose from the chair and shook Jerry’s hand. “Good to meet you too.”
They both took their seats, Jerry offered him coffee and then got down to business.
“Chloe gave you the script?” he asked.
“She did, and it’s great.” Ethan couldn’t wait for filming to start.
Jerry placed his elbows on the armrests of the chair and steepled his fingers. “I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure the role suited you. Chloe insisted you were more than capable. You’re an action hero not a dramatic actor. Is your sister a little biased?”
Ethan chuckled. “Chloe would be the first to tell you if I sucked at something. Trust me, she shows no sibling love when it comes to business.”
Jerry nodded. “All right. Your solicitor has reviewed the contract and, as he’s no doubt told you it all looks good.” He slid a blue folder across the shiny desk toward Ethan. “The role is yours.”
Ethan wanted to spring from his chair and fist bump the air. But he remained calm as if he hadn’t just been handed a part he’d wished for all of his career.
“There’s one stipulation.” Ethan’s stomach clenched. A sentence starting like that never finished well.
A knock sounded at the door. “Arrh, right on time. This is your leading actress.”
Abigail Matthews entered the room. She was tall, supermodel thin, with long black hair and dazzling blue eyes. She wore clothes that showcased her trim and toned figure. Her last two movies had done well at the box office. Not great hits like the movies he starred in, but were films with substance. Ones that had people talking about over dinner or coffee. Exactly what he wanted from his work. This would be great.
Jerry introduced them, they politely kissed on the cheek and took their seats.
“I was about to tell Ethan what we’ll need from him—well, from the two of you, to help this movie grab the public’s attention. As you already know, PR is huge in our industry. Fans go nuts over the personal lives of celebrities, especially their love lives.” He pointed a finger like a gun at Ethan. “You’re the action hero.” Then he said to Abigail, “and you’re climbing the film industry ladder.” Ethan had a sinking feeling where this was going. “The two of you as a couple will get everyone talking about this movie.”
God, Ethan was so sick of the bullshit it sometimes took to make a movie. “Surely this film doesn’t need—”
“A low budget movie needs all the help it can get. Don’t forget I’m taking a risk hiring you. You two cast together will make the money back plus a hell of a lot more.”
Ethan turned to look at Abigail. “Are you okay with this?”
She smiled and nodded. “It’s only acting, we won’t be hurting anyone.”
It might hurt Holly. How would she react if he told her he needed to hide their relationship because he had to be seen with another woman? She knew how much a role like this meant to him surely, she’d understand?
“Isn’t there something else you could do?” Ethan asked. He didn’t want to pretend to date his leading actress.
Jerry stared at him for a moment with a frown. “Chloe said you’d do whatever it took to land this role. Was she wrong?”
“No, she wasn’t wrong.” Three weeks ago, he wouldn’t have hesitated or thought twice. Now all he could think about was Holly and how she would react. “But—”
“I have other actors I’m looking at who’ll snatch this up in a second.” Jerry clicked his fingers for emphasis. “Do I offer it to someone else?”
“No, it’s mine,” Ethan said and hoped Holly would understand.
“Good. I’ll have my assistant contact your publicist to arrange plans.”
