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“Then I’m definitely interested in having more land, not—“
“Wait. Save it for the cameras. Save all this.” Kate pointed between us.
Cameron and I locked gazes, and I rolled my lips over my teeth, then bit them, pretending to hold back a flow of words. She did the same but puffed her cheeks out comically, like the words were trying to explode from her mouth. We lasted about four seconds until we both burst out laughing at our silliness. Kate shoved us toward our fancy interview area, and we went without protest, still chuckling as we took our seats.
The TV crew was busy with last-minute preparations. We didn’t talk, but we both looked our fill. Her blouse was as delicious as I had feared. The swell of her cleavage was utterly tempting, but not blatant. I’d love nothing more than to pop one more button open and feast my eyes on her gorgeous breasts—again.
I rubbed the back of my neck and dragged my thoughts from the gutter, but it was too late. I was sure she knew what I was thinking because a soft pink blush burned through her stage makeup, and she toyed with that infernal button, a teasing smile on her lips, reminding me of my saucy water nymph.
“Action!” We both jumped and looked away, our connection severed.
She recovered first, clearing her throat and reading her scripted lines from a cue card. I counted cameras. Two, no, three-pointed at us. And a man held a boom mic overhead. With considerable effort, I suppressed my nervous desire to cough and tug at my collar.
“Tell me about the vacation lifestyle you are looking for.” With genuine interest, Cameron looked directly at me, ignoring the cameras.
Doing the same was harder than I expected. Breathe, I reminded myself and narrowed my focus to her and only her. Slowly, a sense of calm replaced the nerves. Her question came off the list that we’d been given by Kate. A nice softball pitch I appreciated.
Living in Hollywood, I’d never aspired to be in front of the camera. Even walking red carpets made me uncomfortable. I wasn’t famous; this wasn’t my job.
Cameron’s genuine interest and professional attitude flowed around me, decreasing my stress level and allowing me to accept being recorded even if I wasn’t a hundred percent comfortable.
We’d not had much time to talk per Kate’s instructions, so I wanted to talk about houses with her. Ultimately, she would help me find a home to buy, whether or not it was in front of the camera, thanks to that contract I’d signed.
“I’m looking for peace. A slower pace of life. A chance to put down my cell phone and look around.”
“Sure.” Her soft smile reached her crystal blue eyes and made them sparkle. “And when you put down that phone, what do you want to see?”
“No smog. I’m so over that dull, ugly haze. I want blue skies and twisted oak trees. Limestone hills that are almost mountains.” So, shoot me, I’d taken some poetic license.
“I’ve always thought the hills here invited a person to climb them. A challenge, but not a daunting one, you know?”
“Yes, nature on a human scale. Nothing like the Rockies.” Excitement made my words tumble out faster and faster. I leaned forward toward her. She got it. She understood.
“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you find our little town?” It was another softball question from Kate’s script.
“A college friend has a place on the river, and he invited me to come fly fishing. The week was incredible. I think my blood pressure dropped twenty points, and I slept like the dead. The slower pace, the charming town square. No LA traffic. It was the perfect storm of a vacation.” It was fun doing public relations for Elmer. The idyllic town brought out my inner PR guy.
“And now you want your slice of hillside paradise?”
I nodded.
A chance to put down some roots in fresh soil. Forty-four wasn’t old, but it was right there, smack in the heart of middle age. Lately, I’d thought of it as halfway to dead. Nothing new to look forward to in the second half of my life. So fucking depressing.
Elmer was a new chapter.
“And the dream property?” She had a prop notepad and pen out as if she needed to take notes when three cameras rolled.
“A big house, so my family can come to visit. Maybe even a guest house so they can spread out. River access would be great for fishing. And I’ve got to have epic views from every room.”
The dream was to have a place where I could reconnect with family and friends. I wanted to draw together all the unraveled threads of my life into something more. I had made my money; it was time to enjoy it.
She looked up from her notes, pen poised to keep writing. Her excitement for the house hunt was written in every line of her body, from the way she leaned toward me to the white knuckles on the fingers gripping her pen. The same feelings I had for this new chapter in my life seemed to infect her.
“I can’t wait for my mom to see the stars here.” I sounded like the biggest dork, and I wished I could pull the words back. Somehow, I knew my moment of sappy sentiment would make the final cut. But Cameron was so engaging, so believable. She made me forget the cameras and let all of my dreams vomit out to be captured for posterity.
The only thing I could compare the interview to was a really good first date. One of those nights when time stopped and distractions faded. It was just us.
“You are close to your parents. So maybe a first-floor guest suite for them?” Her practical suggestion pulled me back to the conversation.
