Page 39 of Hate To Be Mine

I got dressed quickly and texted the group chat: “Meeting in the resort conference room. Fifteen minutes. Everyone.”

The conference room was designed for intimate wedding receptions or exclusive corporate retreats. If it wasn’t such a shitty day outside, it would be really beautiful. Everyone crowded in the conference room, dripping wet, looking like kids at a summer camp that had just canceled all outdoor activities.

The models clustered together near the windows, staring mournfully at the rain. And just like on the plane, everyone naturally sat with their teams. Elizabeth and Annika stood near the front with the wardrobe folks. I spotted Bernadette in the back corner. She was wearing one of the sundresses with a sweater over it despite the muggy heat. Her hair was down around her shoulders. It was a new look that I liked, but I had to admit, I did dig that whole stern look.

“Alright,” I said, raising my voice to be heard over the general grumbling. “Obviously we’re not shooting today. The weather is shit, and it’s supposed to stay shit until at least tonight.”

“So what are we doing?” someone called out.

“We’re taking a mandatory chill day.”

That got some looks. Confused looks, mostly.

“Look, we can’t control the weather,” I said. “We knew this was always a possibility. We’re in the tropics. It happens. We could sit around being miserable about it, or we can make the best of it. Use the time to catch up on prep work if you want. Otherwise, just hang out. The resort has games, the pool, the bar. Let’s enjoy paradise and try not to get into too much trouble.”

A few people laughed. The tension in the room eased slightly.

“We’ve got two weeks scheduled for a reason,” I added. “Weather delays happen. We planned for this. So let’s not panic. Let’s just be cool. Yeah?”

“Yeah,” someone echoed, and others nodded.

“Great. Meeting adjourned. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. And don’t get crazy with the alcohol. Ladies, I love you, but I can’t have you suffering puffiness.”

They all knew how to handle their alcohol—just like I did. I was only going to be doing one shoot, but I would be careful. I didn’t bounce back the way I used to.

“That leaves the options pretty wide open,” one of the photographers said, and everyone laughed.

As people started filing out, chatting about what they’d do with their unexpected day off, Bernadette made her way toward me. She waited until most people had left before speaking.

“We should be using this time to review the risk assessments for the next few days,” she said quietly. Not confrontational, just matter of fact. “Go over the locations, confirm safety protocols, make sure everyone’s on the same page.”

“No one will listen,” I said. “Right now, they’re restless and bored and looking for ways to blow off steam. If I try to force a safety meeting, they’ll tune out completely.”

“But it’s the perfect opportunity.”

“Bernadette.” I kept my voice gentle. “Trust me on this. We need to keep them from getting into shenanigans first. Once everyone’s settled down, we can think about productive work.”

Elizabeth appeared at my elbow. “Sebastian’s right. I’ve been on enough shoots now to know that a crew on a rain delay is like prisoners during a lockdown. You have to let them burn off energy before you can expect them to focus.”

Annika nodded her agreement. “Give them a few hours to play. Then maybe they’ll be ready to learn something.”

Bernadette looked between the three of us, clearly unhappy but outnumbered.

I could practically see the wheels in her brain spinning. I didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing and what it might mean for me.

“What if I can make reviewing the rules fun?” she asked.

I raised an eyebrow. “Fun? You?”

“Don’t sound so surprised. I’m capable of fun.”

“The jury’s still out on that.”

She ignored my jab. “I’m serious. What if I could create something that would engage the crew, make them actually want to learn the safety protocols, and keep them entertained on a rainy day?”

“If you can make safety protocols fun, I’ll kiss you.” The words came out before I could stop them. Meant as a joke, a throwaway line. But the second they left my mouth, I realized how much I meant them.

Bernadette’s cheeks flushed pink. “That’s my reward?”