you something to eat. And an aspirin.”
“No.” She tugged
back until he slowly released her hand. “No, I have medicine upstairs. And I
need to get ready.”
She lowered her
eyes from his searching, worried gaze.
“Okay,” he
conceded, taking a step back, giving her space to move away. “We’ll see you in
a little bit then.”
She felt both men
watching her as she walked to the garage and up the staircase. Once behind the
closed door, she released an agonized breath and brought her hands to her face.
It wasn’t fair. It
wasn’t right. Why did Joe look at her that way? Why did he talk to her that way
if he was engaged to be married?
Through the window
screen above the kitchen sink, she heard Joe’s raised voice, then Tony’s. It
sounded like they were arguing.
She lowered her
hands, walked over to the window and stared at the street below. Joe was
shaking his head as Tony spoke to him in a quieter voice. She couldn’t hear
what the younger brother was saying. Joe flung up his hands in a gesture of
denial, stepped away from his brother. He paced, and then stood still, hands
fisted on his hips, looking at the ground as Tony continued talking to him.
Then Joe’s shoulders sagged as if in defeat. He gave a curt nod of his head, appearing
to agree to something, before walking away. Tony stood there for a while,
watching his brother. He rubbed one hand across the back of his neck, his own
shoulders drooping as if carrying a heavy weight.
Willa closed her
eyes, but that only made her headache worse. She searched through a cupboard
for her prescription medicine, filled a glass with water. It usually took a
half hour for the medicine to kick in. She forced herself to eat half of a
banana and a cup of yogurt. Then she headed for the shower.
Someone was
knocking at the door when she emerged from the bathroom twenty minutes later.
Tightening the belt on her robe, she went to the door, relieved to see it was
Veronica peering through the window.
“Hey, there,”
Veronica said in a cheery tone as Willa opened the door. “How are you feeling?
Tony said you have a headache?”
“It’s almost gone,”
Willa said truthfully. “I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
“We’ve got some
time yet.” Veronica scanned Willa’s face. “You look really pale. We’ll get some
extra foundation on you. What are you going to wear?”
Willa led her into
the bedroom and waved towards the closet. “I was planning to wear jeans and a
shirt. You can pick out the shirt.”
Willa slipped into
her underwear and jeans while Veronica sorted through the closet.
“It has to be
something you don’t mind getting dirty or torn. How about this?” Veronica said.
She held up a tangerine-colored, long-sleeved polo shirt. “This color will help
warm up your skin tone.”
Willa shrugged.
“That’s fine.” She pulled on the shirt, then stood at the vanity table and
brushed out her hair in front of the mirror.
“Willa, are you
okay? You seem…down.”
Willa tugged her
hair back into a ponytail. “I am feeling down. Tony told me about their
parents dying in a fire. Do you know that story?”
Veronica stood
behind Willa, frowning at her own reflection. “Yes. That came up during the audition
process. But we aren’t bringing that into this series. We’re introducing Tony
and Joe as two brothers who inherited the business their father started.”
Willa turned
around. “You need to honor their parents somehow. Maybe have a picture of them
in the credits? A dedication?”
“Not a bad idea,”
Veronica said consideringly. “I’ll ask the guys if they’re okay with that. Is
that all that’s bothering you?”
“Yes.”
Veronica pursed her
lips, studying Willa with a storyteller’s eye. Then she sighed. “Alright, then.
Let’s get you in make-up and do the sound check.”
She paused on her
way out the door. “I’ve asked Collette to be on the shoot today. The guys
really like her. I think the viewers will get a kick out
“No.” She tugged
back until he slowly released her hand. “No, I have medicine upstairs. And I
need to get ready.”
She lowered her
eyes from his searching, worried gaze.
“Okay,” he
conceded, taking a step back, giving her space to move away. “We’ll see you in
a little bit then.”
She felt both men
watching her as she walked to the garage and up the staircase. Once behind the
closed door, she released an agonized breath and brought her hands to her face.
It wasn’t fair. It
wasn’t right. Why did Joe look at her that way? Why did he talk to her that way
if he was engaged to be married?
Through the window
screen above the kitchen sink, she heard Joe’s raised voice, then Tony’s. It
sounded like they were arguing.
She lowered her
hands, walked over to the window and stared at the street below. Joe was
shaking his head as Tony spoke to him in a quieter voice. She couldn’t hear
what the younger brother was saying. Joe flung up his hands in a gesture of
denial, stepped away from his brother. He paced, and then stood still, hands
fisted on his hips, looking at the ground as Tony continued talking to him.
Then Joe’s shoulders sagged as if in defeat. He gave a curt nod of his head, appearing
to agree to something, before walking away. Tony stood there for a while,
watching his brother. He rubbed one hand across the back of his neck, his own
shoulders drooping as if carrying a heavy weight.
Willa closed her
eyes, but that only made her headache worse. She searched through a cupboard
for her prescription medicine, filled a glass with water. It usually took a
half hour for the medicine to kick in. She forced herself to eat half of a
banana and a cup of yogurt. Then she headed for the shower.
Someone was
knocking at the door when she emerged from the bathroom twenty minutes later.
Tightening the belt on her robe, she went to the door, relieved to see it was
Veronica peering through the window.
“Hey, there,”
Veronica said in a cheery tone as Willa opened the door. “How are you feeling?
Tony said you have a headache?”
“It’s almost gone,”
Willa said truthfully. “I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
“We’ve got some
time yet.” Veronica scanned Willa’s face. “You look really pale. We’ll get some
extra foundation on you. What are you going to wear?”
Willa led her into
the bedroom and waved towards the closet. “I was planning to wear jeans and a
shirt. You can pick out the shirt.”
Willa slipped into
her underwear and jeans while Veronica sorted through the closet.
“It has to be
something you don’t mind getting dirty or torn. How about this?” Veronica said.
She held up a tangerine-colored, long-sleeved polo shirt. “This color will help
warm up your skin tone.”
Willa shrugged.
“That’s fine.” She pulled on the shirt, then stood at the vanity table and
brushed out her hair in front of the mirror.
“Willa, are you
okay? You seem…down.”
Willa tugged her
hair back into a ponytail. “I am feeling down. Tony told me about their
parents dying in a fire. Do you know that story?”
Veronica stood
behind Willa, frowning at her own reflection. “Yes. That came up during the audition
process. But we aren’t bringing that into this series. We’re introducing Tony
and Joe as two brothers who inherited the business their father started.”
Willa turned
around. “You need to honor their parents somehow. Maybe have a picture of them
in the credits? A dedication?”
“Not a bad idea,”
Veronica said consideringly. “I’ll ask the guys if they’re okay with that. Is
that all that’s bothering you?”
“Yes.”
Veronica pursed her
lips, studying Willa with a storyteller’s eye. Then she sighed. “Alright, then.
Let’s get you in make-up and do the sound check.”
She paused on her
way out the door. “I’ve asked Collette to be on the shoot today. The guys
really like her. I think the viewers will get a kick out
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