Page 54 of The Hollywood Switch-up

That’s my girl. Anyway. Speaking of men who complicate things . . . Bradley Smart just texted. He’s “in the neighborhood” and wants to stop by. Thoughtful, right?

Her head spun.

Eri:

Bradley? The guy who bailed on this movie?

Annie Banana:

He didn’t bail, Eri. He had a breakdown. And for the record, he’s the only one who knows I’m here. He tracked down the retreat last week to apologize in person.

Eri:

He tracked you down? Annie, if he knows you’re in Malibu, he knows I’m a fake in the Bahamas.

Annie Banana:

He’s a sweetheart, not a snitch. He promised to keep our secret. Besides, have you SEEN his jawline?

Eri:

The same Bradley who cost the studio millions and stuck you with Stefan? And now he’s visiting? What aren’t you telling me?

Annie Banana:

Gotta go! PT round 2. Love you, mean it!

The last text sat on her screen. Annie had deflected about Bradley twice now. Changed the subject both times. Erika stared at “Read 7:23 a.m.” anger building.

Her sister was hiding something. And Erika wondered if Anneliese’s version of events wasn’t the only one.

A knock startled her. She yanked open the door to find Lily balancing two coffees, sunglasses pushed up into her dark hair.

“Jesus Christ.” Lily thrust a cup forward. “You look like roadkill in designer pajamas.”

“Last night Stefan almost kissed me.” The words scraped out. “Not Anneliese. Me. He looked at me like—” She stopped. “And I wanted him to.”

Lily’s coffee stopped halfway to her mouth. She shouldered past Erika into the villa, kicking the door shut behind her. “Back up. All the way up. Almost kissed you—as in, he wanted to kiss Erika? Not the character, not the performance?”

“He sees me, Lily. The real me.” Erika wrapped both hands around the coffee cup. “And I don’t know if that makes it better or worse.”

Lily was quiet for a beat—which was more alarming than any reaction Erika had prepared for. “He’s a lot of things—cocky, infuriating, way too aware of his own cheekbones—but he’s not a schemer,” Lily said finally. “If he wanted to burn you, he would’ve done it already.”

“Annie thinks he’s playing me. She texted this morning.”

“I’m going to say something, and I need you to hear it.” Lily set down her cup. “I love Annie. She’s been my best client for five years, and I’d take a bullet for that woman. But sometimes she’s so blinded by her own brand that she can’t see past it.” She paused. “Annie sees threat because that’s how her world works. Everything’s leverage. But not everyone operates like that.”

“That’s a big bet on a man I’ve known for three weeks.”

“It’s a bigger bet to push him away when Isabelle Vance just landed on this island.” Lily’s voice shifted into that calm, strategic register. “Stefan knows Anneliese better than anyone on this set. The mannerisms, the deflections, the bullshit. If he’s willing to help, we use that. He coaches you today. You become so convincingly Anneliese that Isabelle can’t find a single crack.”

Erika stared into her coffee. Using Stefan meant trusting him. And trusting him meant last night wasn’t just adrenaline.

Lily pulled her to her feet. “Time to get dressed. You’ve got a role to play.”

The set was already humming when they arrived. Grips hauling cable, the AD’s voice carrying across the sand. Stefan stood by a PA getting mic’d up for the day’s shoot.

When he turned and caught her staring, the corner of his mouth lifted. She looked away too fast. Peripherally, she caught Lily’s subtle nod from the edge of the set. Two minutes later, his shadow fell across her call sheet.