Page 14 of Burn the Script

“If you stick around after tonight, I’ll expect you to keep whatever happens between us a secret. No one can know unless they sign an NDA.”

Soft fingertips grazed the back of my hand as he withdrew his touch. “If it makes you feel better, I’d prefer to keep things quiet. I also value my privacy. And I might be willing to see where this goes as long as I’m not pressured or tricked into anything. Give me all the facts, and I’ll decide what’s best for me.”

“I can do that,” I said with an eager nod.

I would try my best not to scare him off with my ambitious approach to life. At the lawyer’s office, he’d commented that I must be used to getting what I want. He wasn’t wrong, but I took pride in working hard for everything I earned.

Fame came with many perks, but I was picky about which ones I leveraged, like hiring my lawyer’s private investigator to find Miguel. He didn’t seem too pleased about my clever methods. If he was tallying pros and cons, my grand gesture appeared to be a tick in the negative column, along with my celebrity status.

The latter thought had me sitting up straighter. “Did you really not know who I was on the beach?”

His mouth quirked to one side. “I honestly didn’t. My cousin told me after I was served with the lawsuit.”

“The fake lawsuit. I had to get your attention, and I couldn’t show up on your doorstep without causing a scene.”

Miguel stretched his neck from side to side and rolled his shoulders. “What’s it like, being famous?”

Spinning my glass on the table, I sighed. “Exciting, at first. Then it became overwhelming. I didn’t become an actor for the fame. I did it for the film education and the money.”

His gaze slid to the windows, as though he could see the ratty furnishings inside from where he sat. “You don’t seem to spend much of that money.”

“I save it. I want to make my own movies, and I’d rather fund them myself than have a studio breathing down my neck or taking away my creative control.”

He watched me over the rim of his glass while finishing his tea. I liked having his eyes on me. With him, I didn’t need to hide.

“You’re very forthcoming about yourself, considering our NDA expired,” he said.

“Do you plan to expose me?”

“Never.” The earnest declaration sounded like a vow. It also confirmed my gut feeling about his high level of integrity.

“Good.” I tossed my napkin on the table and shoved my chair back. “Do you drink whiskey?”

“Only top-shelf,” he said with a sly smile.

My heart skipped a thousand beats. I had expected Miguel to make excuses to leave after dinner. His witty response was a welcome surprise, but his willingness to stay longer gave me hope. He was offering me a chance to get to know him and show him the real me, and I wouldn’t waste a second of it.

I slowed my steps to keep from hopscotching into the house like a giddy schoolboy. “Give me three minutes, and I’ll join you by the fire pit.”

7

GRAHAM

NOW

Tuesday, January 3rd

My toes and hands press into the cut grass, body holding steady in a taut, straight line. The dark canyon before me sleeps, but my brain has been reprogrammed to operate in a different time zone. Texas is two hours ahead of California, where I woke this morning long before dawn and my alarm. I’ll need to add power naps to my daily calendar if I want any chance of balancing a cross-country courtship with a grueling production schedule.

Inhale. Move from Chaturanga to Upward Dog.

A chill rushes through me as my bare legs collect the dewdrops from the ground. An arched back and stretched obliques help my lungs expand, but my mind remains clouded. Since yesterday, all I’ve thought about is how good it felt being near Miguel again.

Exhale. Move to Downward Dog and hold.

The subtle changes in his appearance didn’t go unnoticed. The trimmer waistline and purple shading under his eyes are signs he’s faring as poorly as me, but neither detract from his beauty.

Inhale. Step forward with each foot, bringing them together. Exhale. Fold at the waist and grab my ankles. Hold.