“You aren’t so hot, Dante!” Cat huffed as she got right in his face. “Just because you’ve dated half the girls in this school doesn’t mean I’m dumb enough to fall for you.”
A look of shock crossed his face, but it quickly morphed into a cocky smirk, which had me thinking that Trevor had the cocky smirk down better than Malik did.
“You shouldn’t believe everything you hear, Maxi.” Malik turned away from Cat and started to walk down the hall. Then he turned back one final time. “You really are a bitch some days, and I know that should make me want to stay far away from you, but I can’t.”
Cat snorted. “Can’t or won’t?”
Malik looked away from Cat, staring down the empty hallway. “Does it matter?”
“Cut!” shouted Claude, the director, and I groaned, certain my positive thinking had jinxed this perfect scene.
“I want to see more heat between the two of you,” Claude insisted. “I want you to melt this camera with the chemistry between Dante and Maxi.”
“More heat?” Malik shouted, in one of his trademark tantrums. At first, his childish fits of temper had gotten on my last nerve. Now, I was tempted to take bets on which direction he’d head with a tantrum. One never knew where his screaming rants would lead, and I often found myself agreeing with him, even if I didn’t like the way he expressed himself. “This is a show for teens, not soft porn. Were you suggesting I dry hump her leg for the kids watching? No, that might not be enough. Maybe we should both strip naked and go at it in front of the cameras. That would set such a good example for the kids.”
“Protecting the young viewers,” I mused, which resulted in several snickers around me. I wasn’t the only one who watched these drama-filled moments with eager anticipation. Two other writers and several crew members had gathered around me to enjoy the show. This was one of those instances where I whole-heartedly agreed with Malik.
“I’m not asking you to screw the werewolf,” Claude snapped. On a good day, Claude was an asshole. On a bad day, he was insensitive and obnoxious to the point where I was surprised none of the actors had tried to tear his throat out. Then again, the actors probably weren’t that stupid. Claude was nearly seven feet tall and a wall of muscle. When most people use that term, they are referring to someone half Claude’s width. Half-demon and half-Fae, he’d inherited the worst from both sides, and even I didn’t argue with Claude if I could avoid it. There were times when I had no choice but to confront Claude, mostly because I was the least intimidated by him. I was almost positive Claude wouldn’t kill me, which was more than most people working on the show could say.
Most people might wonder why we kept the scary pain in the ass. Claude was a fantastic director who knew how to get the most out of the actors, even if he did piss them off. While the actors might be somewhat terrified of him, I’d never heard him threaten any of them with physical violence. Then again, Claude’s mere presence was threat enough.
Malik was still ranting and stomping around the set, but everyone else had gone silent, waiting to see what would happen next. In general, I agreed with Claude on most of his decisions, but not today.
“I think Malik has a good point this time,” I interjected, annoyed when Malik smirked at Claude. The idiot was going to create even more drama if he started acting cocky.
“Are you saying I’m wrong?” Claude asked in a calm voice, which generally meant he was about to have a tantrum more monumental than Malik could ever hope to achieve.
I was getting ready to soothe Claude’s ego when Malik chimed in again.
“Mel says I’m right!” Malik taunted. “She’s the head writer, and this is her vision.”
“Actually, this scene was written by a different writer,” I told Malik, ready to smack him for opening his mouth.
“So, you have nothing to do with this scene.” Claude gave me a dismissive wave and turned his back on me.
I glared at Malik, who stood beside me as if we were making a united stand against Claude. “If you don’t shut the fuck up, I’m going to leave you here to deal with Claude on your own.”
“I’m trying to help,” Malik argued with a pout. His arms were crossed in front of his slight chest. There were times, like now, when it was hard to remember Malik was well over a hundred years older than me. I’d say he acted like the teen he played on the show, but his character showed a lot more maturity.
“No,” I said through my teeth. “You are trying to make the whole situation worse because you are in one of those moods where you want to argue. While I may agree with what you’ve said, I certainly don’t like how you’re approaching this with Claude.” When he opened his mouth, I held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t even think about arguing with me. We both know you’re only going to make this worse. You are acting childish and disrespectful.”
Malik nodded, but he still looked pouty. As for Claude, his shoulders had relaxed some, probably because he was happy about me chastising Malik.
I approached Claude like I would any highly volatile creature capable of ripping my head off. “Listen, Claude,” I began, waiting until he turned to face me. “The show is geared toward teens, so we need to keep this in the PG-13 range.”
“According to our demographics, we have many adult viewers,” he argued calmly. “I know you don’t think I consider anything beyond my artistic vision, and I will admit that it is always foremost in my mind, but that’s not all I’m thinking about. I want this show to be great, and I think we need to cater to our adult viewers. The show should be edgier, and there should definitely be more sexual tension.”
“I see your point,” I agreed, impressed that he’d thought this through so thoroughly. “Do you think it’s possible the adult viewers are watching this show because they want something more innocent than the adult programming is currently providing?” That was what our adult focus group had said, but I didn’t want to make it sound like I was dismissing Claude’s thoughts or implying he hadn’t considered all the facts. It was entirely possible he hadn’t been told about the adult focus group.
He opened his mouth to argue, and then closed it, a thoughtful look replacing his irritation. “I hadn’t considered that. Perhaps, you should have someone look into this more before we make any drastic changes regarding the sexual content on the show.”
I nodded. “Have I mentioned that you’re the best director in the business lately?”
He snorted. “You don’t have to tell me I’m good. I know how good I am.”
“Should I stop telling you how good you are?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“Of course, not,” he said with an impish grin. “It’s a good way to remind yourself of my greatness. I would hate to have you forget how lucky everyone on this show is to have me here. Some people seem to need more reminders than others.” His eyes narrowed as he glared at Malik.
“You know Malik is a major drama queen,” I told him loud enough for the temperamental vampire to hear me.
Claude nodded and turned away to bark orders at Cat and Malik. Thankfully, it appeared he wasn’t going to have them shoot the entire scene again.
My phone buzzed in the back pocket of my jeans, and I stepped away from the set as I pulled it from my pocket.
“Hello,” I answered without looking at the Caller ID.
“Ms. Blackwood?” a somewhat familiar male voice inquired.
“That’s me,” I confirmed, heading out of the filming area to make it easier to hear.
“This is Detective Giovanni,” he explained.
“Please tell me Leo didn’t suggest you call me for help with the case again,” I grumbled.
Detective Giovanni chuckled, apparently in a much better mood than the last time we’d spoken. “It’s nothing like that. I just wanted to let you know that we’ve made an arrest, and the murder had nothing to do with the show. I’ve already contacted the network executives, but I figured you’d want to know, as well.”
“That’s a relief,” I told hi
m. “And, yes, I do appreciate you calling me. Is it okay to let the cast and crew know about Amber’s death now?” I asked, even though it seemed that, thanks to the rumor mill, everyone already knew.
“The executives said they’d be making an announcement tomorrow,” he began. “It will probably be all over the news within the hour, so you can do whatever you need to.”
I’d have to think about that. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be the one to make the announcement and field the questions. “Thank you for letting me know, Detective.”
“No problem. Have a good evening, Ms. Blackwood.” He ended the call, and I tucked my phone into my back pocket, unsure if I should make an announcement or let the executives handle it.
“What’s wrong, Mel?” asked Lindsey, one of the witch actresses who played a ditsy cheerleader. Her blonde hair was cascading down her back in beautiful waves, and she was dressed in her cheerleading outfit since we were filming a scene involving the cheerleaders tonight.
Like most of the witch actresses, Lindsey kissed my ass until she believed I couldn’t hear what she was saying. Then she would insult my weight, my hair, my attitude, and anything else she could think of. If I was the sensitive type, my feelings might be hurt.
“Nothing’s wrong,” I assured her, but she didn’t leave. “Did you need something?”
“I heard you were dating Trevor Dupree,” she chirped loudly, and the background noise stopped almost immediately.
Damn nosy people! Of course, I’d known people would be talking about Trevor coming by with dinner last night. I’d even kissed him goodbye in front of several people.
“I can see by the look on your face that the rumors are false,” Lindsey added with a condescending look. “I told everyone you weren’t exactly his type.”
I matched her condescending look. “I’m not sure how this is any of your business, Lindsey. To the best of my knowledge, you have a scene to film tonight. Shouldn’t you be worrying about that?”
She huffed. “This isn’t exactly a difficult question, Mel. Why not just answer it so I can tell the others that they’re insane for thinking Trevor would date you?”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Trevor
When I recognized the witch loudly interrogating Melina, I cringed. Lindsey hadn’t been working on Night High when we’d been together, or when I’d been pursuing Melina six months ago. If she’d been working here, she would have made a scene back then. Lindsey wasn’t the type to keep her feelings hidden or worry about looking crazy in front of others. I didn’t know if Melina even knew I’d dated Lindsey.
“Yes, I am seeing Trevor Dupree,” Melina replied in a level tone. “You’ll probably see him around more because I am definitely his type. Now, I suggest you get back to work. As I recall, you have a bigger role this season, which means you need to worry about your acting career rather than my relationship with Trevor.”
Grinning from ear to ear at the way Melina had just stood up to Lindsey and admitted we were a couple, I walked into the room with the takeout bags. When Melina looked at me, I raised the bags. “I brought dinner. I picked up something special for Mr. Whiskers, too.”
“Great!” she exclaimed. “I’m starving, and Mr. Whiskers has been cooped up in my office for too long. I’m going to need a bribe or he’ll end up pouting.”
“You could stand to skip a few meals,” Lindsey muttered under her breath.
Whether Lindsey thought she wouldn’t be heard, or she was foolish enough to challenge Melina, I couldn’t tell, but Melina turned on her with a bored expression. “Did you have something to say about me dating Trevor? Or, were you just trying to be a bitch?”
“The idea of you with Trevor is ridiculous. It’s totally unnatural and disgusting,” she whined. “Trevor should be with someone worthy of him, not some ugly demon mutt like you.”
“That’s enough,” I ground out, seriously pissed at Lindsey for insulting my witch. It’s not that I didn’t know she had a mean streak, but this level of venom still came as a shock to me.
“Trevor,” she crooned. “Why would you choose her when I’m here? Maybe I wasn’t clear enough the other day, but I’m willing to take you back. I can move my stuff to your house tonight. You already know I’m not one of those witches trying to climb the social ladder by being with you. Our families are both well-respected, so you can trust that I love you. We’re socially, financially, and sexually compatible.” The last was said in what Lindsey obviously considered a sexy purr. To me, it sounded more like whining.
“I’m with Melina,” I stated firmly. “She’s the only witch for me.”
Lindsey laughed, sounding crazier than normal. “You say that about them all. Don’t you remember when I was the only witch for you? That was the only time you’ve ever gotten it right. We belong together. I forgive you for being with this half-demon. I know you’re just slumming.”
My fists were clenched at my sides, and I was about to lay into Lindsey for talking that way about my witch, when I felt Melina’s hand on my arm.
“I’m starving,” Melina interrupted. “If you want to stay here and listen to the rest of her rant, that’s fine, but hand over the food.” There was not a hint of annoyance in her voice, and I almost laughed at Lindsey’s reaction to her dismissal. Lindsey’s pale skin was mottled with red splotches.
“We’re done here,” I assured Melina before sparing one last glance at Lindsey. “I truly am sorry that I hurt you. I know I was an ass who led witches on in the past. Intentional or not, the end result was the same. I hurt you. With that being said, don’t ever fucking insult Melina again. She is my witch, and I will not put up with you talking about her like that.”
Melina laughed. “As cute as your defense of me is, the witches on the show are pissed at me more often than not. I’m a big girl, and I’ll live. I don’t give a flying fuck if Lindsey wants to insult me.”
We both walked away from a sputtering Lindsey. I knew Melina was right about the witches being bitchy with her at times, but I’d guess this was beyond what she normally had to deal with, and I was to blame.
“Sorry about that,” I said quietly.
“If you’re going to apologize every time one of your crazy exes attacks me, you’re going to spend a lot of time apologizing. Something tells me most of your exes are crazy,” she said with a snicker.
“Actually, the majority of them weren’t crazy at all, and most of them seemed fine when we ended things,” I insisted. “Believe it or not, many of the witches I was involved with ended things with me because they figured out I wasn’t the right warlock for them. I can’t believe how calm you are about what just happened. Even though she wasn’t insulting me, I want to go back there and tell Lindsey off.”
“Listen, Trevor, if you get pissed off every time someone working on this show is nasty to me, I might have to ban you from coming here so you don’t end up in anger management classes. Aside from the fact that I can be bitchy on a good day, I work with actors, writers, and artists, most of whom lose their shit on a regular basis. Don’t even get me started on the witches who are angry about the way we portray witches on the show. Hell, I even have cheerleaders complaining to me about the way I portray cheerleaders on the show, and werewolves bitching at me every time we cast a vampire to play a werewolf. I’m more than fine with the fact that people don’t always like me.”
We had just made it to Melina’s office, and she unlocked the door before looking up at me. My face must have conveyed my arousal, because she immediately shook her head, putting a hand up.
“No,” she insisted. “We don’t have time to fool around in my office tonight. I’m starving, and I have to be on set for a few scenes since I didn’t get a chance to consult with the director about the recent changes. He’s already pissy with Malik.”
One corner of my lips kicked up in a lopsided grin, and I wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince me or herself. “Let’s not forget that Mr. Whiskers is in your office.”
S
he laughed and shook her head. “Maybe I need more convincing that we can’t have sex than you do. I can’t believe I forgot about him.” She opened the door, and the first thing I noticed was Mr. Whiskers sitting on the sofa, tearing up one of my throw pillows.
My laughter filled the office. “I am going to be in so much trouble when my sister realizes your familiar has destroyed all of my throw pillows. Did you really bring one from home for him?”
She gave me a sweet smile. “It was the only way I could get him to leave your house today.”
Leaning forward, I brushed my lips against hers. “You two definitely make my life interesting.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Melina
It was after three in the morning when I finally got back to Trevor’s house, and I was glad I didn’t need to get Mr. Whiskers settled into his room for the night. He was usually in a bad mood when I got home this late, meaning he needed extra soothing. Trevor had offered to take him home when he’d left after our dinner, which had thrilled my familiar who seemed to think Trevor was the greatest person in the world. It had also been a big relief since Mr. Whiskers was spending far too much time alone in my office.
When I walked into Trevor’s room, it was dark, so I turned on one of the bedside lamps. I drank in the sight of Trevor, lying on his back, with the sheet pushed down so I could thoroughly enjoy his muscular torso. I slipped out of my clothes and then knelt on the bed beside him. The movement of the bed must have woken him. Trevor’s lips curled up ever so slightly as he regarded me through hooded eyes.
“I can’t believe I’m not dreaming,” he murmured sleepily. “I’ve dreamt about having you in my bed like this many times.”
Shamelessly Spellbound (Spells That Bind Book 2) Page 11
