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NOLAN
Ican’t fucking concentrate. Not with Andi floating around my set. I’ve been trying to focus on what everyone is saying around me all morning, but I keep searching for her in the crowds of people in the ballroom.
“She’s fine, boss. Helen will take good care of her. In fact, she was ecstatic to have her, which you and I both know is rare,” Rebekah says to me for the millionth time this morning as she catches me staring at her.
She gathers the costumes together for Ivy to take for Ford and his makeup test, but I take them from her arms.
“I need to go over there and make sure the two of them have everything they need. Ford can be a real diva sometimes. He wasn’t thrilled to know he would have an extra five pounds of prosthetics and makeup on during filming.” I push up out of my director’s chair and head in their direction.
Close on my heels, Rebekah continues.
“Are you sure you just don’t want to check and make sure they’re doing all right on their first day?”
“That too,” I grumble, causing her to giggle.
I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to check in on them, but mostly, I wanted to scare all the fuckers away that have been eye-fucking both of them - mainly Andi – all morning.
“Good morning, ladies,” I say as I approach, wanting to alert them to my presence.
“Hello, Mr. Archer,” Helen chirps as she rushes forward to take the costumes from me. “I can’t tell you what a joy it is to have Andi working with me. I know she’s still in school back in New York, but if you don’t give her a job after this, I’ll quit.”
“Helen, how many times have I told you it’s Nolan? We’ve worked together long enough.”
Helen just shrugs her shoulders and goes back to what she was doing. “It’s a habit. Not everyone is as down-to-earth as you. If you convince these two to leave school and come work with us, I won’t forget to call you by your name.”
“Nice try, Helen. Her father will put me in the ground if she quits school before she graduates this spring, but I’ll work on convincing her to join the team after graduation.”
“Really? You mean it?” Andi reaches out and grabs my forearm in her excitement.
A zing of electricity shoots up my arm, and she immediately drops it.
“Sorry,” she mumbles, her cheeks instantly turning pink.
“Of course. If you already have Helen’s stamp of approval, I would be insane not to offer you a position.” Turning toward Ivy, I continue. “If you can get Ford’s stamp of approval, I can guarantee you’ll have your pick of studios to work for, but I would hope you’d consider staying on with us.”
“Of course, Mr. Archer.”
“Call me Nolan. Just make sure Jake Taylor doesn’t hear you. It’ll always be Mr. Archer to that asshole.”
I give the four women a wink before we all begin laughing. “Ivy, have you gotten everything you need for your assignment with Ford?”
She nods.
“I rented out one of the small rooms in the spa for you as a makeshift makeup trailer. No one on the cast knows about the changes to the script. We want to keep it that way until filming. I’m looking for the shock factor with the scars. Do you think you can get a good sense of whether you’ll have everything you need?”
She pauses for a moment before answering. “I’ll need about two hours to make sure the glue and everything sets properly with the heat. Also, to ensure that when he’s sweating, nothing will move or fall off.”
I can’t help but smile. “Everything your professors said about you was on point. I’m so thankful to have you be a part of this team.”
It’s Ivy’s turn to be embarrassed. “The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Arch—”
I raise my eyebrow at her in challenge.
“I mean, Nolan.”
“Now that’s settled, I’m late for a table read. I still need to head to the front desk and check some things with Cynthia. Helen, I leave these ladies in your capable hands. Rebekah, if you could head over to Conference Room 135 and make sure everyone is ready, I’ll be there shortly.”
Andi flashes me a megawatt smile before turning back to Helen and continuing whatever they were discussing before I arrived. It takes all my effort to leave instead of standing rooted to that spot and staring at her. Just seeing the joy on her face doing what she loves reminds me of how much has changed since I first met her.
