Page 20 of Unscripted with Mila

She muttered something about my dad, and I shook my head. “He is used to seeing me sleep-deprived, Andi. It wouldn’t worry him—well…it wouldn’t surprise him. He knows what happens when I get on a roll.”

I headed to my room and got dressed. I chose a simple skirt and lacy blouse, needing to feel feminine and in control. I left my hair down, brushing it until it shone a burnished gold. The soft rust color of the blouse suited me, and the kick pleat on the taupe skirt made it different. I slipped on low heels and even added a swipe of gloss and mascara. I looked polished and professional.

Andi agreed, nodding her approval. “Cami needs to dress you all the time.”

I laughed. “This would not be comfortable writing attire.”

“But perfect for meeting the cast.” She looked past me. “What’s in the garment bag?”

“Oh.” I grinned with a sheepish shrug. “An impulse buy. I’ll never wear it, but I had to have it.”

“May I?” She indicated the bag.

“Of course.”

She pulled down the zipper and lifted out the soft yellow dress. In the sunlight, the hidden glitter sparkled, the layers of colors on the skirt breathtaking. “Kiddo, this is spectacular.”

“I couldn’t resist it. I was only going to try it on, but it fit as if it was made for me. I loved it and decided to splurge. Maybe I’ll wear it to Sammy’s wedding.”

“Sammy’s getting married?” she asked, surprised. “When did this happen?”

“No. Well, she says no. But I have a feeling this Luke is going to give her a run for her money. He sounds like exactly what she needs.”

“Wherever you wear this, you’ll be the star. It’s beautiful. Maybe even while you’re here.”

“I doubt that. I have no plans for a big night out. But one day.” I zipped the dress back into the bag. “It was indulgent, but I couldn’t resist.”

“You deserve to indulge.” She patted my arm. “You ready to go in and meet everyone officially?”

I sucked in a deep breath. “Yes.”

“Then let’s go.”

* * *

It was warm and bright, and I wore my sunglasses and floppy hat. Andi teased me about looking like a movie star, and I ignored her, knowing she was trying to make me smile. I found the sun here hot, and I was feeling a little out of sorts today, not that I would admit that to Andi. I had waited too long to buy the hat, and the sun always had an effect on me—as if it drained me, leaving me light-headed and tired. I’d made sure to eat this morning, and I drank a lot of water last night and today. I was certain by this afternoon I would feel better. Once this meeting was over and I could get down to the reason I came here—talking to the cast about their roles and answering any questions. If I was honest with myself, coming face-to-face with Nicholas was what was making me the most nervous. Would he recognize me as either the gofer he liked to order around or the woman he kissed in the pool? Every encounter, we’d been in the shadows. I introduced myself as Mila in the pool, but no last name. I used Reed’s nickname for me as the gofer. It seemed harmless, but now I wondered. Unless luck was on my side and he never gave either woman another thought or connected us as the same person.

We went to the studio and were escorted to a large room. The table was equipped with papers, pens, pencils, sticky notes. On the sideboard were coffee, water, juice, sodas, and an array of breakfast foods. I wasn’t hungry, but I took a cup of coffee and some water.

Amber breezed in, looking effortlessly beautiful. Her long blonde hair was in a ponytail. She wore leggings and a tunic, the sleeves rolled up. A baseball hat was backward on her head, glasses on top of it, and her feet were encased in steel-toed boots. She looked casual, stylish, and ready for work. She was smiling and friendly, kissing me on the cheek and helping herself to pastries and coffee, chatting the whole time.

“So excited to get this going,” she enthused. “I have some ideas to bounce off you, Mila. I spoke with your uncle. Three of them, in fact. So charming. You Canadians and your accent. I love it.”

I shook my head. “We don’t have accents.”

She sat down, talking around a mouthful of pastry. “You do! The way you say your r’s and about. Never mind the eh bit. I love it. Anyway, Aiden and I spoke at length, along with a Halton?”

I nodded. “He’s a lawyer.”

“Yes. They agreed to let us do some filming. Aiden walked me around the town via Zoom. It is perfect and will cut down on the filming needed elsewhere. I’m sending a crew to meet with the town officials and get the permits. Aiden and Bentley are going to help.” She grinned. “I am assuming they carry a lot of weight there.”

“They do,” I agreed, sipping my coffee. “Our family owns a lot of the businesses and housing in the area. They turned it into a project to make the town prosper.”

“And your complex! My God, what was it like to grow up there?”

“We lived in Toronto while I grew up. We moved in my teens. I love it there. I do much better in small towns than big cities.” I dropped my voice. “Or new places and crowds.”

She patted my hand. “You’re among friends here. Lacey and Nicholas are eager to meet you. I know they have questions. As do some of the secondary cast. And the pictures of the town have inspired me for some scenes.”