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“That describes a hotel room, too,” he said. “I don’t know. There’s just something about a hotel that feels like you’re on vacation. Maybe if I’d vacationed in RVs when I was a kid, it would feel the same.”
She laughed. “Good point.”
He liked this easy back and forth between them. He knew he needed to address their issues, but he didn’t want to disrupt the mood.
“So, he’s having me sign contracts?”
“Yep.” He nodded. “This first production is wrapping tomorrow. He has to get everything sealed up before the second one shoots.”
This was his chance to break the news. To tell her that she was being replaced. But he didn’t know for sure. His brother had said they’d found a stylist and she’d be there Monday. At least, he was pretty sure that was what Rourke had said.
But what if something came up? Or if the stylist turned out to not be so good at styling hair? They might still need Audrie around. He really should have more specifics before he broke the news to her, right?
“Is that how it normally works?” She looked over at him.
“I think so.” Landon shrugged. “Let’s go get this errand over with.”
He added a smile to the end of that, but she wasn’t even looking at him. She just nodded as she stared straight ahead. She seemed lost in thought.
As his spirits dipped, Landon started up the truck and headed in the direction of Trailer City. He was just hoping he could find the words to say what he needed to say.
17
This was not good. Audrie had spent over a week steering clear of Landon. When they were in the same room, she didn’t even look at him. She pretended he didn’t exist. But every second of every day, every cell in her body was aware of his existence.
It wasn’t like she only had one more day to get through this, either. Even after Jessica was gone, Audrie and Landon would have to exist on the same set. She wasn’t sure how long this hairstyling gig would last, but it paid well, and she’d decided to suck it up for the sake of her bank account. She and her sister Hope would benefit for years from the financial boost this money would offer.
She followed Landon into his brother’s trailer, looking at her surroundings. Rourke’s was at the very front of the rows of trailers—she assumed so he’d have an easier time getting back and forth to the set every day.
Staying in the truck would have been a better idea. It would help her keep her distance from Landon. But she was infinitely curious what was inside one of these structures she’d driven past for almost two weeks now.
“Here it is,” he announced. “Home sweet home.”
She’d reached the top step by then and turned her body so she could take in the scene in front of her.
He was right. It was a trailer. The RV kind of trailer that people took on vacation. She’d never actually spent time in one, but she’d seen them on cable shows, and this was hardly the fanciest available. It just had a couple of couches that she knew from those shows would convert into beds. At the center of the structure was a booth-style table that would also convert into a bed, as well as a hallway that she assumed led to the only bedroom.
Audrie could see herself living here. She preferred her own house, but it wouldn’t be a bad life. Traveling around, doing hair for movie stars, and sleeping somewhere like this at night… She envied the Dixon brothers that they got to do this and make money at it.
“The contracts are here at the table if you want to sit down and sign them,” Landon said, but he was already at the table. He rifled through a stack of paperwork and pulled out a file folder. “Here it is. Bright as day.” He pointed to a hot pink sticky note on the front of the folder that read,Audrie, sign here.
By then, Landon was smiling at her, and the look in his eyes threatened to weaken her resolve. She had to deliberately shift her gaze to keep her emotions in check.
“Simple and to the point, I guess,” he said.
“It is that.” She nodded. “Do you have a pen?”
He looked around. “There has to be one here someplace.”
And that was how the two of them ended up in the very cramped space between the kitchen counter and the table. They went through drawers, most of which were packed with kitchen items like a box of zipper storage bags and some aluminum foil.
Audrie was having a tough time focusing on what they were supposed to be doing, standing so close to him. A deep longing spread through her—for him. For the fun they’d had. For the way she’d felt when she’d forgotten that falling for him meant putting herself at risk of getting hurt.
Yeah, it had been easy to stay away from him when she shut off her attraction to him. But having him this close made her aware of just how much she was losing out on.
“There might be one in the truck,” he said as he straightened. The move put him close to her again. “I’ll go look.”
She’d already made three long strides toward the door when he called out, “I can go.”
