She stared at her hands. “I’ve got actors who
hate each other and a director without a heart.”
Gunther smiled. “If anyone can turn this movie around,
it’s you.”
“I’m not sure why you think that. I haven’t worked on a
movie for years, and it’s not as if I was ever a genius when it came to film.
Frankly, I think you may have overestimated my abilities.” She meant to say it
wryly, but the words that emerged held a hint of panic.
Gunther, always attuned to her real feelings, turned
sharply toward her. “What’s this nonsense? Did Ryker say something like that?”
She shook her head, regretting the attempt at a joke.
“It’s just…forget it. I’m just tired.”
She had known from the start that Ryker didn’t want her on
the set and didn’t believe she had anything to offer to the film. But tonight
she’d heard first-hand just how cynical he was. The more she thought about it,
the more depressed she became. In the clip she’d seen, Lena and Jake looked
worse together than anything Ryker had directed in the past. And now that she
knew how intractable Ryker was, her task seemed almost insurmountable.
But she could hardly say that to Gunther—the very
person who had insisted she be there.
His voice softened. “Alix, this is Gunther. Tell me what’s
going on.”
She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair.
“It’s going to be an uphill climb. You know that, right? I don’t want any
expectations that I can pull off some kind of miracle. I’m just supposed to
film the romance, Gunther. I don’t know how to make it.”
“Nonsense. You did exactly that a hundred times over when
we worked together.”
“No, I didn’t. I took actors and put them in bed together.
I added some pretty lighting and a woman’s perspective, and you’d think I
reinvented the wheel. This is different. There’s real emotion at play here.”
“You understand emotion,” Gunther said softly. “You
understand what it means to be hurt. I’m not sure Ryker does.”
She grimaced. “Great. So I’m supposed to be the emotional
conduit for the entire movie? Thanks. That makes me feel much better.”
He chuckled. “All right, liebling , perhaps we
should change the subject. How’s the book coming?”
She wadded her napkin and threw it at him.
“Not a better subject?”
She paused and studied the bubbles rising in her glass.
“Lately I just feel…” She sought for the right word. “I feel stuck. I don’t
know how I’m going to turn around your movie when I can’t even get my own work
right.”
“I thought you were almost done. One or two more couples,
you said.”
She stood and paced to a wide bank of windows that looked
out over flat pools of water sparkling with moonlight. “No. You were right.
It’s more than that. The truth is, I don’t know how to finish it. Something’s
missing, and I can’t figure out what. I keep taking more pictures, and they’re
all wrong.”
“Sometimes you just have to pull the plug,” Gunther said.
“Know when to quit.”
“No,” she snapped. “I’m not quitting. I’m going to figure
it out. I just need time.”
He held up his hands. “Okay, okay. At least give yourself
a break. Forget about the book and think about Salva’s Revenge .I’m
betting one hundred thousand dollars and one month that you can fix it. I have
faith in you, my dear, even if you don’t.”
“Thanks.” Alix drained her glass and gazed back out the
window. “Thanks a million.”
Chapter Nine
By the time Alix arrived at the
studio the next morning, Ryker was already there, peering through a viewfinder
from various positions around the set and mumbling to himself. She tried to
ignore the leap of her pulse when she saw him, taut backside outlined by a snug
pair of tan chinos, dark hair reflecting the bright studio lights.
He spun around when the door clicked shut. “You’re here.”
One side of his mouth quirked upward. “I wasn’t sure if you would come
hate each other and a director without a heart.”
Gunther smiled. “If anyone can turn this movie around,
it’s you.”
“I’m not sure why you think that. I haven’t worked on a
movie for years, and it’s not as if I was ever a genius when it came to film.
Frankly, I think you may have overestimated my abilities.” She meant to say it
wryly, but the words that emerged held a hint of panic.
Gunther, always attuned to her real feelings, turned
sharply toward her. “What’s this nonsense? Did Ryker say something like that?”
She shook her head, regretting the attempt at a joke.
“It’s just…forget it. I’m just tired.”
She had known from the start that Ryker didn’t want her on
the set and didn’t believe she had anything to offer to the film. But tonight
she’d heard first-hand just how cynical he was. The more she thought about it,
the more depressed she became. In the clip she’d seen, Lena and Jake looked
worse together than anything Ryker had directed in the past. And now that she
knew how intractable Ryker was, her task seemed almost insurmountable.
But she could hardly say that to Gunther—the very
person who had insisted she be there.
His voice softened. “Alix, this is Gunther. Tell me what’s
going on.”
She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair.
“It’s going to be an uphill climb. You know that, right? I don’t want any
expectations that I can pull off some kind of miracle. I’m just supposed to
film the romance, Gunther. I don’t know how to make it.”
“Nonsense. You did exactly that a hundred times over when
we worked together.”
“No, I didn’t. I took actors and put them in bed together.
I added some pretty lighting and a woman’s perspective, and you’d think I
reinvented the wheel. This is different. There’s real emotion at play here.”
“You understand emotion,” Gunther said softly. “You
understand what it means to be hurt. I’m not sure Ryker does.”
She grimaced. “Great. So I’m supposed to be the emotional
conduit for the entire movie? Thanks. That makes me feel much better.”
He chuckled. “All right, liebling , perhaps we
should change the subject. How’s the book coming?”
She wadded her napkin and threw it at him.
“Not a better subject?”
She paused and studied the bubbles rising in her glass.
“Lately I just feel…” She sought for the right word. “I feel stuck. I don’t
know how I’m going to turn around your movie when I can’t even get my own work
right.”
“I thought you were almost done. One or two more couples,
you said.”
She stood and paced to a wide bank of windows that looked
out over flat pools of water sparkling with moonlight. “No. You were right.
It’s more than that. The truth is, I don’t know how to finish it. Something’s
missing, and I can’t figure out what. I keep taking more pictures, and they’re
all wrong.”
“Sometimes you just have to pull the plug,” Gunther said.
“Know when to quit.”
“No,” she snapped. “I’m not quitting. I’m going to figure
it out. I just need time.”
He held up his hands. “Okay, okay. At least give yourself
a break. Forget about the book and think about Salva’s Revenge .I’m
betting one hundred thousand dollars and one month that you can fix it. I have
faith in you, my dear, even if you don’t.”
“Thanks.” Alix drained her glass and gazed back out the
window. “Thanks a million.”
Chapter Nine
By the time Alix arrived at the
studio the next morning, Ryker was already there, peering through a viewfinder
from various positions around the set and mumbling to himself. She tried to
ignore the leap of her pulse when she saw him, taut backside outlined by a snug
pair of tan chinos, dark hair reflecting the bright studio lights.
He spun around when the door clicked shut. “You’re here.”
One side of his mouth quirked upward. “I wasn’t sure if you would come
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