AllFreeNovel
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It was hard to find someone I felt comfortable with when Cam was born. I was in the early days of my Hollywood career, working long hours as a stuntman, and being a single father to a newborn wasn’t easy. Back then, I barely had time to eat, sleep, and bathe. Every free minute was devoted to my little girl.
“How’s your Christmas shopping coming along?” Ryder asks with a knowing smirk. He was there last year when I was out on Christmas Eve, cursing myself for waiting so long to finish shopping for Cam. It was a fucking nightmare.
“I’ll have you know that I’m finished,” I say, grabbing another cookie off the plate. Christmas-themed or not, they’re good. “I got started in October this time. No more holiday shenanigans for me. I’m going to finish this movie and relax.”
The meeting starts, and our conversation is cut short. The studio owner, Julianna, clears her throat and stands before us in her designer pantsuit. She looks every bit like the former model she is as she addresses the entire cast and crew. I’m sure whatever she’s saying is important, but I find my mind wandering until Julianna mentions the assistant director.
“I know you’ve all heard that Bryce’s wife went into labor. I talked to him yesterday, and his wife successfully delivered twin girls. They’re a little early but doing just fine.” There’s a smattering of cheers and applause before she continues. “Butthat means we need a replacement assistant director. So Hailey Walker will be coming in to fill the position. She’ll arrive later today.”
Julianna continues to talk, giving everyone an overview of Hailey’s qualifications, but I don’t register any of it. I’m pretty sure I stop breathing as a wave of memories washes over me.
“Hailey Walker…” Ryder looks at me closely, and I’m sure he can see the shock on my face. “Isn’t that—”
“Yes,” I cut him off, barely able to get the words out around the tightness in my throat. “It’s her.”
“The woman you were crazy about all those years ago? That was when you first got into the business, right?”
“Yeah.”
“The one you haven’t stopped obsessing over?” He eyes me suspiciously.
“I’m not obsessed.” My words come out harsher than I intended, so I soften my tone. “I just think about her from time to time. That’s all.”
“How do you feel about her taking over for Bryce?”
Ryder’s a private person, who doesn’t like discussing his feelings, and I decide to take a page out of his book. Because I‘m too overcome with emotion right now to even process it all. Hailey was theone that got away, and now she’s coming back.
Fuck me.
“I’m fine. Good for her. I'm sure she’ll do a great job,” I say, knowing that I’ll be lingering around the set for the rest of the day, even though I really have nothing to do.
If I don’t do anything else today, I’m going to lay eyes on the woman I’ve wanted for ten years but couldn’t have.
HAILEY
I hate being late. It’s amateur and unprofessional, but sometimes there’s nothing that can be done to avoid it. Unfortunately, my flight to LA from Nashville was delayed, so I didn’t make it to the movie set until after the big meeting. I knew the studio owner, Julianna, would announce me as the replacement assistant director, and I wanted to be there to make a great impression on the cast and crew. But it looks like that ship has sailed.
When I finally arrive, the set is bustling with activity, and I quickly realize they’re preparing to shoot a scene. It’s not quite ready yet, so I scan the sea of faces until I spot my new boss.
Luca Regis. I’ve never worked with the man before, but he’s well-known in the business. Mostly, he has a reputation for being an arrogant pain in the ass. But everyone also says it’s worth putting up with him because he’s excellent at what he does. His work is critically acclaimed, and it’s due to his ridiculously high standards.
I guess it’s a good thing I like a challenge.
“Mr. Regis,” I say, approaching him as he flips through a script on his clipboard with a red marker in his hand, making changes.
He glances up at me for about a second before looking away. “I’m busy.”
“Yes, I know. I imagine that’s because you’re down one assistant director.”
This time he gives me his full attention. “You’re Hailey Walker?”
“Yes.”
He eyes me from top to bottom, assessing if I’m cut out for the job. “Come on, then.”
He’s curt as he spins on his heel and starts to walk away. I scramble to keep up with his long stride.
“Today, we’re filming the Christmas morning scene. These are the lead actors,” he says, pointing to the four cast members sitting in chairs and running lines. He begins to list their names, but I hold up a hand to stop him.
