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“Please do,” I smile at him. “It’s much easier to bamboozle people who never see me coming.”
Our eyes lock, and there it is again. That deliciouszingof awareness, hot in my bloodstream…
“Come on, Robert’s holding court about that three pointer he got with LeBron again.” Another guy from the wedding party interrupts us before I melt in a puddle on the floor.
“That’s our cue to go be manly men,” Reeve says.
“Remember your manly SPF, so you don’t get burned!” Ivy calls, as the guys all head over to a cabana; a haze of cigar smoke drifting up into the fresh, tropical breeze.
The minute we’re alone, Ivy grabs my arm and tows me over to the bar area. She pushes a drink into my hand and fixes me with a demanding stare. “You. Josh. I want details.Now.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” I insist, taking a tiny step back.
She gives me a look.
“Well… nothingmuch,” I admit, then fill her in on our airport not-so-meet-cute, and my even-damper second impression. “So you see, I barely know him.”
“Yet.” Ivy emphasizes the word. “And he’s in the cabana right across from you. So convenient! I love this for you,” she declares, intercepting a tray of chips and guacamole for us. “He’s the perfect vacation fling material.”
“Except, I’m not on vacation,” I remind her. “This is work for me, too.”
Ivy waves her hand dismissively. “You can pull off a wedding in your sleep. Avery can’t be half as demanding as your usual directors when it comes to their creative vision, and you handle them just fine. Plenty of time for flinging. Or being flung…”
I have to smile at that, because who am I kidding? I’ve been thinking the exact same thing. “We don’t know if Josh is interested in any fling-slash-flung activities,” I remind her.
“Are you blind?” Ivy asks. “Of course he’s interested. He couldn’t take his eyes off you.”
“He’s probably just checking I’m not about to take another tumble in the pool.”
Ivy sighs. “Don’t play naïve, you’re too old for that.”
I burst out laughing. “Thanks for the pep talk, babe! Have you thought about a career as a motivational coach?”
She just grins. “I just mean, all this ‘does he like me?’ bullshit is for when we were young and haven’t figured it out just yet.” She slurps her cocktail happily. “But come on, we’re wise women of the world. And you know exactly when a guy is into you now. We all do. It’s a vibe.”
She waves across the patio at Reeve, who waves right back. Beside him, Josh sends me a warm smile, too; deep in conversation with one of Robert’s Rat Pack friends.
I feel that low tug of attraction, deep in my stomach, and have to take another gulp of my cocktail to cool down.
“OK,” I admit happily. “The vibes with Josh have… potential. But it’s been like, ten minutes. I barely know the man.”
“Then get to know him this week,” Ivy says, giving me a sly grin. “Preferably, naked!”
4
HAZEL
More guests arrive,until the bar and pool are packed with Hollywood It-Girls and major power players, air-kissing and laughing it up over the freely-flowing champagne. It’s all getting a little too A-list for me, with designer sunglasses and Oscar speculation as far as the eye can see, so I make my excuses and head down to the beach to check on the set-up for tonight’s dinner.
Phew.
It’s quieter here, just a spotless stretch of golden white sand, dotted with palm trees and a few cabanas; gauzy drapes fluttering in the breeze. I take a deep breath, and let my tension ease, enjoying the shady breeze and soothing sound of the waves gently lapping the shore.
That’s better.
It feels like things have been crazy, every minute since I left home. I’m used to chaos, a movie set is pretty much walking the tightrope between success and disaster every day, but there’s a different level of tension buzzing in the air here trying to pull off Avery’s perfect day.
Make that,days. Because it’s not just the ceremony that needs to go flawlessly, but days of big, themed events beforehand, too.
