“Uh-oh.” Sandy sighed. “I forgot you were a San Francisco fan.”
Sean stared at her as if she’d grown two heads. “You can’t seriously be a Blaze fan? This is L.A.”
“I grew up in the Bay Area.”
Sean shook his head in disgust. “I don’t think I can work with you anymore,” he continued, his expression solemn. “Maybe I should talk to Rachel about getting you fired.”
Kayla stared at him speechlessly and then noticed the corners of his mouth twitch. “Very funny,” Kayla said as Sean burst out laughing. “You should do comedy.”
“Comedy is hard. I’m not sure I’m that talented.” Sean rose from the chair. “Off to wardrobe. I’ll be back in a few minutes for make-up,” he said and then turned and left the room.
“If I wasn’t engaged to the most wonderful man in the world, I’d be all over him,” Sandy said as she opened up an eye shadow compact.
“I’m done with actors.”
“Not all actors are jerks, you know. I snagged a good one.” Sandy began to apply the shadow to her eyelids. “Speaking of which, have you seen Greg lately?”
“Not since I came to my senses and broke up with him. He goes to one of the stylists at Lance’s salon but we’ve never run into each other.”
“I’m surprised Lance hasn’t barred him from the place.”
“He wanted to. But I told him it would only cause more trouble.” Kayla suppressed a shiver, thinking of the night in Malibu when she’d ended their relationship. The malevolence in Greg’s eyes had scared her and for weeks afterward she’d been on pins and needles worrying he would try to badger her into getting back together. “The last thing I want is for Greg to start bad mouthing Lance’s salon, or Lance. You know how gossip travels in this town. It doesn’t take much for someone’s reputation to get trashed.”
* * *
“Marry you?” Kayla’s dark eyes were filled with surprise. “I can’t marry you. I don’t love you, and you don’t love me.”
“I know,” Sean, as Jared, said. “It’s perfect.”
He turned as Kayla moved past him to her mark. As usual, the wardrobe department had her in one of Shay’s trademark low-cut clingy tops. It was a testament to her skill that she had engaged him so completely in the scene that the only thing he was focusing on was trying to convince Shay to marry Jared.
“Why is that perfect?” she asked. “Marriage is based on love. You should know that better than anyone.” She paused for three beats per the script and then continued. “It’s what you had with Rebecca.”
“You’re right. I love Rebecca,” he said in a low voice. “I always will.”
“And I love Stefan.”
“Rebecca’s gone. Stefan went back to Cassie.” Sean moved toward her. “And you’re pregnant.”
“You don’t need to remind me of that.” She placed her hand on her abdomen. Anguish filled her eyes. “God, I never planned for this to happen.”
“But it did.”
“I’m grateful you’ve given me a place to stay but, Jared, you don’t have to marry me.” Kayla gazed up at him, only it wasn’t Kayla. It was Shay. As usual, she’d become her character. “In fact, the more I think about this…about your offer to help me, the more I think it’s a really bad idea.”
“Why?”
“What if we get married and then you fall in love with someone else? You won’t be free to be with her. You’ll be tied to me and a baby that isn’t yours.”
“I’m not going to fall in love again.” He turned from her and moved to the table behind the sofa to look at a framed photo of him as Jared, and Nikki as Rebecca. He picked it up, stared at it for a few seconds and then put it back on the table.
“How do you know that?”
“I just do.” He tore his gaze from the photo and returned to his mark in front of her. “Your baby needs both of us.” He put his hand on her shoulder; she trembled slightly.
She stared at him for several seconds. Had she forgotten her line? It didn’t happen often, and never once while they were actually taping.
“I need to think about it,” she finally said. “Can you give me some time?”
“Of course.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Take all the time you need. Just know that I want to do this, Shay. I don’t have any doubts and I won’t have any regrets.”
“You say that now.” Kayla’s voice was sad. “But sooner or later, we all have regrets.”
It was the end of the scene, but he held her gaze for the required time so that the tape could be edited with a long fade out.
“Cut,” Bill said. “And that’s a wrap. Thanks, everyone. See you tomorrow.”
Still staring into Kayla’s eyes, Sean realized his hand was still on her shoulder. Reluctantly, he lowered it, but couldn’t seem to move. He still felt the connection they had as Jared and Shay. He was close enough to smell the faint spicy vanilla scent of her perfume. It made him want to bury his face into her neck and drink it in.
Then Kayla blinked and, just like that, Shay was gone. “Nice touch, picking up the picture. You didn’t do that in rehearsal.”
Behind them the guys on the camera crew were talking and laughing as they rolled the cameras from the set. Kayla gave them a wave and then turned back to him.
“So I guess a wedding is in our future,” she said and then quickly amended her words, “I mean in Jared and Shay’s future.”
“I told you so,” he said and she laughed as they walked off the set. They parted ways at her dressing room and as Sean walked to his, he felt almost guilty that he enjoyed working with Kayla much more than he had with Nikki. Nikki was sweet, and a competent actress. But she wasn’t in Kayla’s league. Hell, he wasn’t even sure he was in Kayla’s league.
After changing out of his character’s wardrobe and washing the stage make-up off his face, Sean picked up his scripts for the rest of the week from Amanda, and left the studio. Walking across the parking lot, he noticed Kayla’s Mustang parked next to his Jeep. The trunk was open and she was bent over it, peering inside.
Unable to resist, Sean let his gaze roam over her body. Her luscious curves, which were fit snugly into a pair of shorts, gave him an excellent view of her perfect ass and shapely legs. Just looking at her lit a powder keg in his gut. It was accompanied by a tug of arousal in his groin.
“Damn it.” He heard her mutter.
“Something wrong?” he asked, halting just behind her. She jerked her head up and smacked it on the lid of her trunk.
“Owww.” Her hand flew up to the back of her head. Turning, she pinned him with accusing eyes. “You scared me.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” she said with a grimace, rubbing her head. “My tire, on the other hand, is flatter than a pancake.”
Because he’d been checking out Kayla’s delectable body Sean had failed to notice that her car was leaning slightly to the left. He walked around her and saw that the front left tire was completely flat. “You probably have a nail in it,” he said, looking back at her. “I can change it for you.”
“I can’t ask you to do that. Besides, my dad made sure both Kelly and I learned how to change a tire.”
“You didn’t ask, and I’m sure if your dad was here he’d change it for you. Just let me put my scripts in the Jeep,” he said and unlocked his passenger side door.
It didn’t take him long to change the tire, but rather than a nail, it almost looked like someone had stuck a knife in it. There was a ragged gash near the tread. Luckily, the spare appeared to be brand new. He put the jack and lug wrench back in the trunk along with the flat tire.
“Thanks,” Kayla said after she’d closed the trunk. “Was it a nail?”
“You may have run over a large piece of metal,” Sean said, looking at his hands, grimy from the tires.
“I’ve got some wipes in my purse.” She turned and leaned over the door—treating him to yet another view of her firm backside—and grabbed her purse. She rummaged through it and pulled o
ut a pack of hand wipes. “This should help.”
“Thanks.” He took the packet from her outstretched hand. Tearing the packet open, he pulled out the moist cloth and wiped his hands.
She opened the car door and tossed her purse inside and then shot him a grateful smile. “Thanks again for coming to my rescue.”
“Hey, how about…” he began and thought about inviting her to grab a pizza with him at Cheech’s, one of his favorite places. He squelched the thought immediately even though it felt as natural as breathing. He’d given too many people the benefit of the doubt only to be proved wrong when it was revealed their motives weren’t quite so pure. He was the son of one of the most revered actors in Hollywood, and there were women, and men, who weren’t above trying to get close to him to get to his father. He couldn’t take the chance of getting involved with another person who was only trying to use him.
“Sean?” Kayla’s voice startled Sean from his reverie. He met her quizzical gaze, grateful he’d come to his senses before making another mistake. While Kayla appeared to be normal and down to earth, Sean knew all too well that many people weren’t what they appeared to be. There would be no more users in his life. “What were you saying?”
“Nothing,” he said quickly. “Have a good night.” He turned and rounded the back of his Jeep.
Before he could change his mind, Sean climbed inside, started the ignition and then backed out of his space. He drove away but couldn’t help but look in the rear view mirror and watch Kayla get into her car. Turning the corner, he headed for the security gate and tried to put Kayla Maxwell out of his mind.
* * *
Twenty minutes later, Sean was sitting at an outdoor table at Cheech’s waiting for his pizza when he saw Kayla maneuvering her Mustang into an open spot just down the street.
His first thought was that she’d followed him. It wouldn’t be the first time that had happened. He picked up his soda and watched her get out of her car, wait for traffic to clear, and then cross the street. She made her way toward Cheech’s, smiling cheerfully at an elderly man walking his dog. After she’d passed him, the old guy turned around and eyed her appreciatively, proving that, despite his age, he wasn’t too old to ogle a beautiful woman.
The second Kayla spotted him, her steps faltered and her eyes widened in surprise. If she’d followed him, she was doing a good job of acting like it was a coincidence. “Long time, no see,” she mused, stopping beside his table near the door “How do you know Cheech’s?”
“I live near here.” He set his cup on the table.
“So do I,” she said, adjusting the strap of her purse over her shoulder.
“Really? Where?”
“Atwater Village,” she said, brushing her hair back over her shoulder. “I come here all the time.”
He’d never seen her. And he definitely would have remembered if he had.
“I’m here at least once a week.” She shifted as she shoved her keys into her purse. “I love their pizza and since I don’t have anything in the house right now, I thought I’d grab a couple of slices to take home.”
“Why don’t you join me?” he asked before he could stop himself. What the hell was he doing? Had he learned nothing at all from trusting the wrong people?
Kayla’s dark eyes held his for several seconds before she nodded. “Okay. I’ll just go inside and place my order. Be right back.”
After she disappeared into the restaurant, Sean leaned back in his chair and contemplated his actions. It was dangerous—given his stance on dating actresses—to invite her to sit with him. But one impromptu dinner at Cheech’s didn’t mean anything, did it? He was curious about her, that’s all. He’d worked with her almost every day of the week for the past three weeks yet barely knew anything about her. Was it a crime to satisfy his curiosity?
* * *
Sitting at a table outside Cheech’s across from Sean, Kayla wished she’d taken a little more time with her appearance before she’d left the studio. Thinking she was going home after a quick stop for pizza, all she’d bothered to do was wash off her stage make-up and change into a pair of shorts, a simple cotton top and flip-flops. Not exactly what she’d wear on a date. Not that this was a date. If she’d met another one of her co-stars here they’d probably end up sharing a table just like she was doing with Sean. Unless it was Marcus or Rachel. In that case she’d grab her pizza and run. Literally.
“You said you grew up in the Bay Area. Where exactly?” Sean asked.
“A small town in the East Bay. About 30 miles or so from Oakland.”
“And you’re a Blaze fan rather than an Oakland A’s fan? Explain that.”
Kayla smiled. “My dad grew up in the city and lived there until he went to college.” She paused. “That’s what we call San Francisco. The city. No one in the Bay Area calls it Frisco. It’s usually how you can tell if someone isn’t from Northern California.”
Sean raised his hand, a sheepish expression on his face. “Guilty.”
Kayla laughed. “My dad’s a sports nut. He loves the Blaze and the Forty-Niners.” She reached for her soda, feeling more at ease. “He passed his love of sports on to me and my sister, Kelly. She works for the Blaze. She’s in their public relations department.”
“Your dad must be excited about that.” Sean brushed a lock of hair from his forehead, drawing attention to his hand, long-fingered and strong. Her response reminded her of how she had almost flubbed her line when he’d touched her during taping and how it had taken several seconds for her to regroup.
“Oh, he is.” Kayla nodded. “Kelly was able to get a discount on season tickets. Dad took full advantage of that.”
“I’ll try not to hold it against you that you’re a Blaze fan.” Sean’s eyes held a mischievous sparkle.
“And I’ll try not to hold it again you that you’re a Dodgers fan.”
“Do you get a lot of people asking to buy your Mustang?”
Kayla put her cup down. “I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve come out to my car when I’ve been running errands and found a note on the windshield from someone offering to buy it.” She paused to smile. “The first time it happened I thought I got a parking ticket.”
Sean grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’ve had that happen once or twice with the Jeep.”
“A parking ticket or an offer to buy it?”
Sean’s grin widened. “Both.”
She glanced at his Jeep. It was rugged and outdoorsy. Just like he was. “That’s a 1970 Wagoneer, right?”
Sean lifted his brows “’69. I’m impressed. Not a lot of people would know that.”
“Again, my dad’s influence,” Kayla admitted. “I used to spend hours with him in the garage when he was restoring cars. And I have a good memory.”
“You do have a good memory. I’ve noticed you barely have to look at your script in rehearsal.” He leaned forward, his expression curious. “How do you do that?”
She shrugged. “I have a photographic memory. I can read the script once or twice and remember everything I’ve read.”
A jovial waiter came out with Sean’s pizza and her two slices. He set them on the table along with a pile of extra napkins. She was about to pick up a slice when she heard the familiar strains of her cell phone. Sean met her gaze and smiled. “Your purse is singing.”
Kayla laughed. “That’s my family ring tone. My sister downloaded it for all of us at Christmas,” she said, reaching back for her purse. “Let me just check to make sure there isn’t some sort of emergency.” She pulled her phone out and glanced at the caller ID before answering it. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, honey,” Patricia replied warmly, “I just wanted to call and tell you I saw your scenes today. You and Sean Barrett have some major chemistry. More than you ever had with Marcus Bertrand.” Patricia paused. “I called A New Dawn’s comment line after the show. I wanted them to know that I liked what I saw today and I want more of it.”
Kayla let out a sho
rt laugh. “But you’re my mother.”
“That doesn’t matter. I want a couple I can root for. I think Jared and Shay have the makings of a supercouple.”
“Supercouple?” Kayla echoed as Sean’s eyes met hers. “Mom, don’t get carried away.”
“Did I ever once refer to Shay and Stefan as a supercouple?”
“No.”
“Then give me a little credit, please,” Patricia said dryly. “Kayla, I’ve seen you do some excellent work. But today in the park scenes, I was crying right along with you. And when you see Sean Barrett, tell him he was just as good. I’ll bet even those Shay haters out there were shedding a few tears.”
“I’m with Sean right now. I’ll tell him you liked the scenes.”
“You’re with Sean Barrett?” Patricia exclaimed shrilly. Kayla pulled the phone away from her ear. “Are you still at the studio?”
“No. We’re having pizza at Cheech’s and speaking of which, I should go. You’re the one who’s always telling me it’s rude to talk on a cell phone when you’re at dinner.”
“Are his eyes as green as they are in HDTV?” Patricia asked in a dreamy voice.
“Yes, Mom. I’ll call you on Sunday, okay? My pizza’s getting cold.”
“Bye, honey. I love you.”
“I love you too,” she said and then shoved her phone back into her purse. “Sorry,” she said as she reached for a slice. “My mom saw our first scenes. They aired today.”
“Amanda told me the comment line got quite a number of positive calls,” Sean replied as he sprinkled parmesan cheese on his pizza.
“My mom was one of those calls. She thought you were great by the way,” Kayla said with a grin.
“I’m sure she thought you were great too. Because you were.” He paused, holding her gaze. The intensity in his eyes caused her stomach to flutter. She wasn’t used to the praise. All she’d heard for the past year and a half was how her line readings were forced, her timing sucked and her facial expressions were exaggerated.
Sean picked up his pizza. “Did your mom start watching the show when you were cast?”
“Oh no,” Kayla said. “She’s been watching the show ever since I was a kid. She’s thrilled I’m on it.”
Love in the Afternoon Page 6
