rush of embarrassment. “Sorry, I didn’t realize they hit the table. I was just keyed up.”
Caz shrugged and drank his tea. “So you don’t like earthquakes. It’s not the stupidest fear to have.”
“They bother you?”
“I’ve never been in one, but I’m sure it would.”
He looked so calm, she doubted it. Ashley drank the rest of her tea then fiddled with the porcelain.
Caz put a script in her hands. “I’ll read the lines. You read Lorene’s part with me?”
“Okay.”
***
The AD said, “Places. Picture is up.” Next, they said information about the shot, “Roll camera,” then “Speed.” The clapper guy called out, “Marker” and clicked the clapperboard shut. “Action.”
Ashley set her notebook down and walked over to where Caz sat at a fake desk, stopping on her mark, feeling stupid and awkward. She held out the cup. Caz put his hand over hers and brushed his thumb over the back. Ashley’s shoulders relaxed; she smiled.
“Cut. Got it.”
***
Petra held the latest tabloid in her ringed fingers, scouring the pages. “Where am I? Where am I?” She made a delighted squeal and swung the glossy image toward the onlookers. There was a sizable shot of a bikini-clad Petra on the beach experiencing a wardrobe malfunction. Her delight ended when Petra flipped to the next page.
Caz made the tabloid also, with a picture taken from the doorway of his trailer. The picture contained a girl with blonde hair leaning over a smiling Caz. His hands rested on the fly of his unbuttoned jeans. Someone must have been behind Olive and the AD with a camera.
Petra read the caption aloud. “Caz and his mysterious blonde companion take time off on the set of Eternal Loss, Eternal Revenge .” Petra narrowed her eyes and stared harder at the picture.
Powder turned with raised eyebrows. Ashley widened her eyes innocently and stepped forward to fake interest in the photo. Her shoulders relaxed when she got a closer look.
She felt enormous gratitude for her long hair. Its messy length obscured her features just as it had in the limo.
Dad didn’t like her going out with guys who picked her up at the front door and met him. He’d be furious to see her featured in a tabloid, especially while rolling around on top of a couch with a guy—then throw in the fact that he was an actor: Armageddon.
Petra tossed the magazine aside, exchanging it for her laptop. After going online, she typed with the tips of her nails. Click, click.
The Tween In ‘Trinity of Stars’ interview downloaded. In addition to the chopped-up and spliced Q&A, the reporter gave a brief wrap-up. “My Trinity of Stars interview almost turned into a Duo of Stars. Where is the missing Lorene? Well, you didn’t hear it here, but buzz on the set says poor Lorene can’t face being around the power couple Caspian and Petra. Or, as we call them, CasPet. So what do you think, viewers? CasPet or are you holding out for CasLore? Vote on our website.”
Olive said, “CasPet.”
Petra grinned and clicked on another news link. This one featured Caz’s impromptu signature signing at the tea shack. Nine times out of ten, studio regulars and out-of-state tourists filled the tea shack, but not that day. Caz had happened to greet the tour on a day that a member of the press was visiting incognito with his family. Caz’s joke about needing tea, which had gone over well with the kiosk crowd, played just as well when repeated on national television.
Petra flicked through some more screens. “I need to interact more with my fans. I should upload more news about my day. What I’m doing, where we are with the filming. They’d love that.”
“They would,” Olive said.
***
“Let me see it.” Caz put down the book he was reading.
Ashley checked out the cover: Le Misanthrope ou l’Atrabilaire amoureux . “ The Misanthrope. I’m reading that too, for school.”
Caz nodded. “Let me see.”
“Huh?”
He lifted the hem of her T-shirt. Ashley
Caz shrugged and drank his tea. “So you don’t like earthquakes. It’s not the stupidest fear to have.”
“They bother you?”
“I’ve never been in one, but I’m sure it would.”
He looked so calm, she doubted it. Ashley drank the rest of her tea then fiddled with the porcelain.
Caz put a script in her hands. “I’ll read the lines. You read Lorene’s part with me?”
“Okay.”
***
The AD said, “Places. Picture is up.” Next, they said information about the shot, “Roll camera,” then “Speed.” The clapper guy called out, “Marker” and clicked the clapperboard shut. “Action.”
Ashley set her notebook down and walked over to where Caz sat at a fake desk, stopping on her mark, feeling stupid and awkward. She held out the cup. Caz put his hand over hers and brushed his thumb over the back. Ashley’s shoulders relaxed; she smiled.
“Cut. Got it.”
***
Petra held the latest tabloid in her ringed fingers, scouring the pages. “Where am I? Where am I?” She made a delighted squeal and swung the glossy image toward the onlookers. There was a sizable shot of a bikini-clad Petra on the beach experiencing a wardrobe malfunction. Her delight ended when Petra flipped to the next page.
Caz made the tabloid also, with a picture taken from the doorway of his trailer. The picture contained a girl with blonde hair leaning over a smiling Caz. His hands rested on the fly of his unbuttoned jeans. Someone must have been behind Olive and the AD with a camera.
Petra read the caption aloud. “Caz and his mysterious blonde companion take time off on the set of Eternal Loss, Eternal Revenge .” Petra narrowed her eyes and stared harder at the picture.
Powder turned with raised eyebrows. Ashley widened her eyes innocently and stepped forward to fake interest in the photo. Her shoulders relaxed when she got a closer look.
She felt enormous gratitude for her long hair. Its messy length obscured her features just as it had in the limo.
Dad didn’t like her going out with guys who picked her up at the front door and met him. He’d be furious to see her featured in a tabloid, especially while rolling around on top of a couch with a guy—then throw in the fact that he was an actor: Armageddon.
Petra tossed the magazine aside, exchanging it for her laptop. After going online, she typed with the tips of her nails. Click, click.
The Tween In ‘Trinity of Stars’ interview downloaded. In addition to the chopped-up and spliced Q&A, the reporter gave a brief wrap-up. “My Trinity of Stars interview almost turned into a Duo of Stars. Where is the missing Lorene? Well, you didn’t hear it here, but buzz on the set says poor Lorene can’t face being around the power couple Caspian and Petra. Or, as we call them, CasPet. So what do you think, viewers? CasPet or are you holding out for CasLore? Vote on our website.”
Olive said, “CasPet.”
Petra grinned and clicked on another news link. This one featured Caz’s impromptu signature signing at the tea shack. Nine times out of ten, studio regulars and out-of-state tourists filled the tea shack, but not that day. Caz had happened to greet the tour on a day that a member of the press was visiting incognito with his family. Caz’s joke about needing tea, which had gone over well with the kiosk crowd, played just as well when repeated on national television.
Petra flicked through some more screens. “I need to interact more with my fans. I should upload more news about my day. What I’m doing, where we are with the filming. They’d love that.”
“They would,” Olive said.
***
“Let me see it.” Caz put down the book he was reading.
Ashley checked out the cover: Le Misanthrope ou l’Atrabilaire amoureux . “ The Misanthrope. I’m reading that too, for school.”
Caz nodded. “Let me see.”
“Huh?”
He lifted the hem of her T-shirt. Ashley
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