The Accidental Movie Star (16 page)

“Perfect, I think you got it guys.” The director laughed.

The laughter shook her out of the moment. Ashley pulled back in confusion, resisting Caz’s searching mouth, and looked over his shoulder. His mouth went to her neck. Her eyelids closed.

“Cut.”

***

Today, Aurora died. Ashley, wearing the character’s wig and sundress, had to walk over to a car, wave at Caz with a smile, then reach for the door handle. After that, the director would add in the green screen stunt with Aurora flying backwards to her demise.

They scheduled the explosion scene first because they needed the daylight to shoot it. Lorene would arrive this afternoon to record wedding vows, the honeymoon scene, and the wave. The actor’s day would be tremendously long, but they weren’t relenting. Keeping on schedule meant everything on a film’s budget. The studio had decided not to replace Lorene after a pleading call from her agent and because her scenes were really short.

“Ashley,” the director called.

She turned, still startled at not being called
PA
.

“We had some hiccups in the scene where you take Caz his tea. Do you mind taking this cup over to Caz?” The director handed her a cup of coffee and nodded toward the stage.

“Sure, but you know he doesn’t drink coffee.”

“It’s for the character.”

Ashley joined him. “Here.” She set the cup down on the prop desk. Caz wore the uniform of a young police sergeant.

Caz sniffed at the cup, smelling the coffee. “That’s not tea.”

Ashley rolled her eyes. “I know, the director said to give it to you.”

“You know I drink tea.”

“I know. If you say that one more time, I’m not going to be happy.”

“I know.” Caz grinned at her and pulled her onto his lap.

She threw her arms around his shoulders to steady herself, half-laughing.

Caz said, “Will you share with me later?”

“Maybe.”

“Caz,” the director said. “Lift her onto the desk and give her a kiss. Garrett, walk in and make a remark.”

Ashley blinked in surprise, but Caz moved before she could question the plan. He lifted her onto the desk and stepped between her jean-clad legs. “Want to go house hunting with me later?”

“Don’t you have a Realtor?”

“Diane. I’ve been with her. She’s getting impatient with me.”

“Do I get a vote on which you pick?”

“Maybe.” Caz kissed her. His lips felt firm and warm. She wound a hand into his hair and straightened to get closer. Her other arm slid to his waist.

Garrett’s character said, “On your own time.”

Caz pulled back and helped Ashley off the desk.

***

“What do you think about this one?” Diane, the Realtor, waved a hand toward the view below. The house was a sleek, modern, glass-style home clinging to the side of a hill. The structure reminded her of Diane, with her slim-fit modern suit, clinging to her cell phone.

Ashley wasn’t a fan of heights so she stayed far away from the open glass window. “Can paparazzi shoot through the glass? Or is his privacy protected in some way?”

“I’m sure it’s fine,” Diane said. “If privacy’s one of Caspian’s concerns he can get curtains.”

Caz looked uncomfortable and didn’t seem to like this house at all. Nor had he liked the last house. That one had been rustic in style and had also clung to the side of a hill.

“Why don’t we look at some places in the city, near the studio?” Diane said. “We can save the beach properties for last.”

Caz nodded and Ashley followed them back out to Diane’s silver Lexus sedan. Diane kept up a monologue the whole way out to the car, not giving Caz or Ashley time to answer. “Though the Hollywood Hills is really where it’s at. You can’t get anything like this view. And the resell. Well, I assume you’ll be going back to England? So resale’s certainly an important factor.”

The expression in Caz’s eyes was wild with a touch of hunted antelope. Diane was asking him his life plan. He was an actor. Ashley would bet he couldn’t say what he wanted for dinner, much less where he’d want to retire.

The first loft they looked at reminded her of Petra’s place but smaller. The loft had been convenient to the studio, but modern and soul-less. “Now, if you’re planning to start a family soon,” Diane said, “this won’t work at all, though people do raise families here. It’s not unheard of.”

For heaven’s sake, he was only a year older than Ashley; how old did Diane think they were? She bit her lip and pulled out her digital camera as Caz’s wild-eyed look got wilder. “Point out any small thing you like or dislike so I can get a shot of it.” Caz thrummed a hand on the granite kitchen counter, but didn’t offer an opinion. She sighed. He would have to be led gently. Turning to Diane, she said, “May we wander around for a bit?”

“Of course,” Diane said, and hovered in the background.

Ashley wondered how Caz had gotten stuck with such an annoying Realtor.

Diane pointed at the skylights. “Note the natural light. This is a very green choice for you.”

Caz looked up dutifully. Ashley held up her camera, took a shot, then pointed it at the countertop. “Caz, do you like this color?” With one hand, she patted the top.

“Yes.”

Ashley snapped a photo.

“That’s not the worst reason to buy a property,” Diane said. “Love is love. You should snap this place up.”

“I read that you should mainly look at the structure,” Ashley said. “The things you can’t change.” Ashley went back into the master bedroom and through to the master bath. The rooms in this loft smelled stale. The space must’ve been vacant for a while. “Do you like the separate his and her sinks or do you want totally separate bathrooms from your woman?”

Caz shrugged.

Ashley snapped a photo.

“Well, separate, of course, is the new trend,” Diane said. “But this is an older property, so you have some location advantages and give up some of the modern trends. You can always renovate.”

Caz said, “It rather depends on the girl, right?”

“Powder would probably turn one of the guest bedrooms into a dressing area.”

“Is Powder your partner?” Diane said. “Your daughter? Should we book when she can be here? How many kids are you planning on? Just a ballpark number will help.”

Ashley sighed again as Diane pushed on. It was like she was doing her best to blow the sale. Was this her first time out with a single guy?

Diane asked, “How about a place with separate quarters? You know, in case you have a buddy/entourage who want to live close?”

Ashley had to shut her down or they’d never get a word out of Caz. “I work for the studio, so I am sure you respect that we need to control the flow of information. There are some things he can’t answer right now. I’m sure you understand, having worked with famous people before.”

Caz said, “I’m really only at the gathering information stage.”

“Of course, but we all need a little push now and again or we wouldn’t get anywhere now, would we?” Diane gave a big wink. “Are there any British-type concerns you might have about a property in the States?”

“You mean like taxes?”

“Oh no, no, your real estate attorney and the title company will work all that out. I meant like foreign features.”

“Oh,” Ashley said. “That’s kind of interesting. You mean like Tudor-style? Eaves? A dormer?”

“Well, of course, certainly those things can matter, but I meant what you live with,” Diane said. “We can bring in some of those touches from home: beer on tap, and separate faucets for hot and cold water. One client even installed one of those red phone booths.”

Caz shrugged.

“Clearly, you need to do more thinking. We won’t run out to any of the out-of-town ranches today. But I do want to go down to the shore and get your reaction.”

Ashley wondered how hard it would be to get a different Realtor.

Chapter 14

The beach house had a crazy layout with an awkward view. No balcony, no porch, and the guest room had the nice view overlooking the water instead of the master. Inside, they could smell the ocean better than they could see it.

When he stood outside looking at the water, Caz’s eyes brightened. “I’d like a holiday by the water.”

Diane jumped all over the gleam. “There are lots of interested parties for this house. You’ll have to act fast with a strong bid to win this one. We can put down earnest money right away and close by early next month.”

“He’s only begun to look.” Ashley shook her head. She wasn’t sure what earnest money was, but she was sure Caz wasn’t ready for this decision.

“This isn’t it,” Caz said.

“Now, don’t be too hasty. You need to think about what you want, not what your girlfriend wants.”

“It isn’t what I want,” Ashley said. “The layout of this house is ridiculous.”

“It has character and charm.”

Ashley bit out firmly, “He doesn’t want it.”

Caz shot her a sideways look and quirked up a corner of his mouth. He was the first to turn back to the car, his arm slung over her shoulders. Traveling north on 110, Ashley sketched highlights of what she’d seen in her notebook while Caz and Diane argued.

“I’ll know it when I see it,” Caz said.

“That’s not tremendously helpful.”

“It is to me,” Caz said. “Isn’t it, Ashley?”

“Yes. Don’t rush the decision.” Caz was spending a fortune by anyone’s standards. Diane pushing him wasn’t helping.

“Fine,” Diane said. “Call me when you at least pick an area of town and I’ll find out what’s available there. You can’t sit on things out here. The California market is not like the market in England.” They’d met Diane on set earlier that morning. It was now four o’clock. Skipping lunch had fueled everyone’s annoyance.

“Want to eat dinner at my place?” Ashley poked Caz in the arm. “We can go over the photos on my laptop. I have some design books here. You can flip through and see which styles you like.”

He nodded. “I could rent, and you could draw blueprints for me.”

Ashley smiled. “I couldn’t draft you a tent. It’ll be like seven years before I could design something for you.”

“There is no advantage to building new,” Diane said stiffly.

“Would you mind dropping us off in Fairville?” Ashley asked Diane.

“Sure.” Diane looked somewhat pleased—probably because her dad’s house was fifteen minutes closer to their current location compared to the studio, meaning she could dump them out that much quicker.

The car braked in front of Dad’s mansion and Diane put the car in park, her gaze assessing the property while she pressured Caz. “I know all about your parents from the news. So this is definitely the time for you to buy your own place. Give them freedom with their shifting life plans.”

Without responding, Caz shoved the door with one hand. He left the door open behind him and walked over to the pedestrian gate.

Diane glanced from Dad’s house to Ashley and back. She spoke with her head tilted and her gaze glued to the mansion. “Anytime you want to go out again, let me know. Caz has my cell, and you both can reach me twenty-four, seven.”

“Thanks.”

“So nice to meet you, dear, I know you were a great help to Caspian today.”

***

“Nice place.” Caz followed her in and across the marble toward the kitchen.

“Thanks, it’s my dad’s.” Ashley tossed her bag on the granite counter, breathing in the smell of Dad’s kitchen—lemon cleaner and disuse. It smelled nothing like Mom’s. “Mom and I live on a much more normal, suburban scale in north Houston.”

His mouth twisted and something hard entered his eyes. “Do your parents still see each other, or no because your mum’s in Texas?”

“Mom usually spends summers with me. She’s a teacher, so she has the time off.”

“She always stays here? With you and your dad?”

“Yeah, they’re friends.”

Caz snorted, disbelief written over his face as if she’d said a politician had been faithful.

“No, really, they get along great. She’s visiting only occasionally this summer because of my job, but she used to stay most of the summer. What? Your parents don’t get along?”

“Dad comes around between girlfriends. He can’t be alone and Mum takes him back every time, no matter what he’s done.” His voice sounded blasé, but his fists clenched for a moment and frustrated rage flickered through his eyes.

Ashley made a sympathetic humming noise, but didn’t comment.

Caz looked around again, his shoulders relaxing. “Why are you working as an assistant if you live here? It can’t pay that much.”

“I’m an unpaid intern.”

His eyebrows rose high on his forehead, meeting the edge of his lighter blond bangs, and he said, “You take a lot of crap for a volunteer.”

“Don’t I know it.” Ashley opened the fridge and removed a covered dish holding two steaks marinating in one of Marissa’s recipes. The steaks would’ve been grilled last night, but Dad hadn’t been able to make dinner again, so Caz was in luck. She also scooped out the bowl of salad she’d put together: spinach, apples, cranberries, and bleu cheese crumbles. She carried the dishes through the French doors to the tiled patio. “Do you want a new house, historic, or somewhere in between?”

“I don’t know.” He used the handle to raise the lid on the grill.

“Okay, let’s go at this from a different direction. Dracula or werewolf?”

“What does—”

“Just answer.”

“Dracula, but—”

“That means gothic over woodsy nature.” Ashley fiddled with the knobs to get the grill to the perfect temperature, speared the steaks, and tossed them on. Marinade dripped; the fire hissed and emitted a smoky, citrus aroma. After handing Caz the barbeque fork, she said, “Turn them when they brown. Burn mine.”

He nodded and held onto the fork when his phone beeped. He lifted the phone in his left hand so he could read the screen. He frowned and his fingers tightened.

“What? We’re needed on set?”

“No, Mum’s texting me about her argument with Dad—again.”

“Oh. Sorry. I’m so glad my parents get along; that must be really hard.” She winced in sympathy, but left him alone. Inside the kitchen, she gathered a couple of cans of soda, iced tea, and water, not knowing what he’d like, and having a Southern need to comfort with food. She put the tray on the table under the umbrella and held up a glass of iced tea, waited for his shudder of rejection before taking a sip of the cold, sweet drink. “It’s fun to eat outside. We don’t get to in Houston, not with our heat.”