Thrill Me

by Susan Mallery

  A lot of today’s clips would be purely devoted to the season, but they would also get shots that were simply town based and could be used at any time of the year. Later in the week, they would be filming at The Christmas Attic to simulate the end of the year. Morgan over at Morgan’s Books was going to decorate one of his windows to celebrate all things spring and Easter to help them out. Maya had gone over their footage a couple of days ago. Her best guess was they were within a week of wrapping up their project. While she would still have postproduction work to do, Del’s part would be finished. Leaving him free to move on.

  They hadn’t talked about when that would happen. She knew why she was keeping quiet, but was less sure about him. She hoped that he was trying to figure out how to ask if she wanted to go with him. In her wildest dreams, she imagined him telling her he’d always been in love with her and...

  She ran the video back and made sure it was there, clear and usable. She worked automatically, leaving her brain free to admit that even in her mind, she wasn’t sure what happened after the hoped-for admission of love. Did he propose? Offer to show her the world? Or simply carry her off into the sunset?

  Telling herself that not only was it a fantasy, but that even if it came true, she didn’t have to write his lines for him didn’t make her any more comfortable with the unknown. She knew her twisting stomach nerves came from the fact that there was a shoe waiting to drop. This one in the form of Elaine coming clean with her family. And when that happened, Del was going to find out that Maya had known about the cancer all along and hadn’t told him. She had a feeling that conversation wasn’t going to go very well.

  If only she knew how he felt about her. Asking made sense, but she couldn’t. Not until she could tell him how she felt, which she couldn’t until she didn’t have to lie to him.

  And here she was, back where she’d first started.

  Del walked over. “Why are you looking so serious? That was a great shot.”

  “You have no way of knowing that.”

  “I could see it in your eyes.” He flashed her a grin. “I nailed it.”

  “Have I mentioned how your modesty is your best quality?”

  He moved close and lowered his voice. “Is that what we’re calling it these days?”

  He leaned in as he spoke. His warm breath teased the side of her neck and made her shiver. Or maybe it was simply being near the man himself. Del had always had the power to get to her. Time and distance hadn’t changed that fact.

  She stared into his eyes and wondered if what they had was enough to survive what he was about to learn. Del had a lot of great qualities, but from what she could tell, forgiveness and understanding weren’t two of them.

  She returned her attention to the camera and played back what she’d filmed. He watched intently.

  “Great shot,” he told her. “The colors pop against the backdrop. You can see enough of the mountain to get a real sense of place.”

  She nodded. “We have a lot of material. I’ll want to do a few shots of the live nativity in December, but otherwise, we’re nearly there.”

  His dark gaze settled on her face. “Does that mean you’ll be going back to your desk job?”

  “Sure. I have editing to do and cable access to worry about.”

  “How interesting is that?”

  “It depends on who Eddie and Gladys talked into giving over their butt photos.”

  “Ever think about doing something—”

  Two teenage girls approached. “Hey, Del. Hi, Maya. Filming for the town videos?”

  Maya held in a sigh. Talk about bad timing. She turned to the teens and reminded herself that they’d been a big help with the questionnaire and discussion.

  “We are,” she said cheerfully. “Shooting B-roll. Do you know what that is?”

  “Background stuff,” one of the teens said. “For between the main action shots. It provides color and context.”

  “Good answer,” Del told her. “What’s up?”

  The girls exchanged a look, then glanced at Del. “We’ve been talking about your project,” the blonde said. “And we have some ideas.”

  Her brunette friend nodded vigorously. “Like going to a country where girls have to get married really young. You could follow the couple for a few years and see what happens. Also, what about careers? Here everybody talks about how we can be anything.”

  The blonde wrinkled her nose. “Which isn’t exactly true. Trust me. No one wants me doing anything with the space program. We’d crash for sure. But if I was good at math—”

  “Like me,” her friend said with a smile.

  “Yeah, like you, then I could do anything. Is it like that everywhere? Do all kids have opportunities? Or does it come down to what your parents do? If your dad’s a farmer, you’re going to be a farmer?”

  Del listened intently. “I like this and I see what you’re saying. How much is choice? How much is geography or financial means?”

  “Uh-huh. And there are expectations. Like getting married and having kids. But at what age? If you’re supposed to get married at eighteen, it’s hard to go to college, right?”

  Her friend nodded. “Plus, there are family rules. In my family, everyone goes to college. But if you’re the first one to go, are you supported or expected to help pay the bills?”

  “Nice,” Del said. “You’ve given us a lot to think about. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome,” the teens said together, then headed back to the festival.

  “Good ideas,” Maya told him. “Although it would make me sad to see a young girl have to get married.”

  “I agree, but it happens.” Del looked around. “What about different cultural celebrations? It’s been done a lot. Is there a fresh twist?”

  “We could brainstorm that.”

  “I’d like that.” He paused. “About what we were talking about before,” he began, just as her cell phone rang.

  Maya pulled it out and glanced at the screen. “Caller ID says City Hall, and as I work for the mayor, I need to take this one.”

  She pushed the talk button. “This is Maya.”

  “It’s Bailey. Mayor Marsha needs you to go to the Lucky Lady Casino right away. Ernesto and Robert want to talk to you and Del.”

  “Did anyone say about what? Am I worried or happy?”

  “I’m sorry, she didn’t say. For what it’s worth, she didn’t seem the least bit upset.”

  Maya tried to find comfort in that. “Does she ever?”

  “Sometimes.”

  “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

  Bailey laughed. “A little, but I doubt anything is wrong.”

  “I guess we’re going to find out.”

  * * *

  DESPITE IT BEING a weekday, there was plenty of traffic on the highway leading to the hotel-casino. Del drove his truck onto the property, then found a parking space in the back lot. He and Maya walked toward the large building.

  “Nervous?” he asked as they approached the glass doors leading into the casino.

  “Yes. I want to say I’m not, but I am. I saw the raw footage for the commercials. We did a great job.”

  “Mostly you,” he told her.

  “Thanks. I hope there’s not a technical problem.”

  She was too careful for it to be that, he thought. She’d had multiple cameras, had checked each shot, backed up the footage. If there was a mistake, it wasn’t on her end.

  Del liked that Maya was careful about her work. She took pride in what she did—something he could respect. Too many people were only interested in doing just enough to get by.

  Once they were in the casino, they followed the signs that pointed them toward the hotel. In the lobby, the concierge directed them to the general offices where
a receptionist led them to a small conference room.

  Ernesto and Robert were waiting inside.

  “Thank you for coming,” Ernesto said with a smile as he rose and shook their hands.

  Robert followed his business partner, then gestured for Del and Maya to take a seat.

  The businessmen sat on the other side of the table.

  “We’ve seen the rough cut of the first two commercials,” Ernesto said, nodding as he spoke. “Very impressive. We’ve worked with several production companies before, and none of them have captured exactly what we were looking for nearly as well as you two did.”

  Robert leaned toward them. “We like what we saw very much. Ernesto and I have talked it over. We’d like to hire the two of you to handle all our publicity videos. We have twelve properties in all—two are in the United States and the rest are around the world. The shoots would likely take about eight weeks a year.”

  Del hadn’t known what to expect from the hoteliers, but it hadn’t been a job offer. Sure it was just part-time, but making commercials? Talk about an unexpected second act.

  Ernesto explained about what would be required, then named a proposed salary offer that nearly made Del laugh out loud. He would guess it was about double what Maya was currently making with the city. Not bad for a few weeks’ work.

  He glanced at Maya and saw she was wide-eyed with obvious shock. She looked at him, as if asking what he thought. He nodded slightly. She turned back to their hosts.

  “You’ve made a generous offer,” she told the two men. “We’ll need to talk about it.”

  “Of course. Let us know if you have any questions. We can work around your schedule by planning well in advance. This could be a profitable partnership for all of us.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “I’M IN SHOCK,” Maya said for the third time since they’d left the casino. “I can’t believe it.”

  The offer was incredible. Not just the money, although that was spectacular, but all of it. The chance to work so creatively, to learn and grow. To see other parts of the world.

  Del pulled up into her office parking lot, then turned to face her. “I had no idea they were so impressed with your work.”

  She opened the passenger door and got out. “Our work. They’re hiring both of us.”

  “You’re the talent,” he told her, then stepped out and joined her.

  “Behind the camera,” she said with a laugh. “You dazzle in front.” She grabbed his arm. “Del, this is incredible. Do you realize the opportunities this opens to us? With your name and my contacts...” She waved her free hand in the air. “I don’t even know where to start.”

  There were a thousand things they could be exploring, she thought. More commercials. Shorts. Taking his ideas for the videos about the kids and running with them. Possibilities swirled, each brighter and more alluring than the last.

  He stood in front of her, illuminated by the sun. Tall and handsome and exactly who she always wanted to be with.

  “We should find out where the other casinos are,” he told her. “Maybe we could piggyback trips. You know, film the commercials and then go locate a couple of schools. We would already know the area.”

  “I was thinking the same thing. Obviously we’re not doing videos for every hotel every year. But that’s okay. It means that in a couple of years, we’d be going back to the same location. We could follow up. See how the children we filmed before have grown and changed. Ask the same questions and get the new answers.”

  “We could also find a writer somewhere. Someone who does freelance work. Maybe hire him or her to write articles on what we’re doing to drum up interest.”

  She nodded excitedly. “Or do companion articles. Supplement the videos. For teachers, like we talked about before. Sample discussion questions. With everything digital it’s easy to change and update content.” Maya pressed her hands together. “What about an online newsletter? We could talk about where we’re going next. Students could subscribe. We could give kids in other countries a forum for talking to kids here.”

  There were a thousand possibilities, she thought happily. So many opportunities.

  “You know,” she said, “with the money we’re getting from this, funding your project wouldn’t be such a stretch. I wouldn’t need much of mine and—”

  She pressed her lips together as she realized what she’d said. “Not that you’ve said you want me involved or anything,” she added, feeling awkward and uninvited.

  Del grabbed her arms and pulled her close. “Maya, without you, there’s no idea and there’s certainly no job with the hotels.” He released her and looked at her.

  “I’ve been thinking about this a lot,” he admitted. “About us. The way we work together. You understand what I want to do with my life.”

  Her breath caught as her body went still. Hope filled her. Hot and bright, it grew like a bubble and she nearly floated away.

  “I hope you want the same thing,” he continued. “We’re good together. A great team.”

  “We are,” she whispered, thinking that loving him was the best thing to ever happen to her.

  “I have some money.”

  She blinked, not sure what he was talking about. “Okay,” she said slowly. “That’s nice.”

  He laughed. “I sold my company for a healthy profit. I have enough money to fund our project. Ever since I got back to Fool’s Gold, I’ve been trying to figure out what’s next for me. I’ve had offers, but none of them were right. This is right.”

  He touched her face. “I want us to form a partnership. Create a company. We’ll do the commercials for Ernesto and Robert and go film our kids and create programs teachers can use in classrooms. We’ll hire a writer or two and some production staff, but most of the work, the fun stuff, we’ll do together.”

  He released her. “I know you just got back. That you’re not going to want to leave right away. If you aren’t sure, you could ask Mayor Marsha for a leave of absence, so you’d know you could return here. I hope you’ll consider what I’m offering. The world is beautiful and I’d like to show it to you.”

  Disappointment had a flavor. It was bitter with an unexpectedly sharp aftertaste.

  “You want us to work together,” she said softly, needing to be sure she got it right. “To be business partners.”

  He nodded eagerly. “I bring the financial capital to the table, but you have the talent. We’d be in this fifty-fifty.”

  The “this” being their company.

  He didn’t love her. He didn’t want to marry her or tell her he couldn’t live without her or that he’d never forgotten her. There was no confession of undying devotion or a ring. Not even a hint of anything remotely personal. In his mind, they were friends, colleagues. Nothing more.

  “It’s a lot to think about,” she murmured. “My head is spinning.”

  And her heart was breaking, but she wasn’t about to share that with him.

  “You need some time,” he said. “I get it.” The engaging smile returned. “We could be great together, Maya.”

  “I know.”

  They could. Just not the way he meant.

  * * *

  MAYA SOMEHOW GOT through the rest of her workday. As soon as she could, she headed out of town. She was confused, hurt and scared. That meant she needed help and there were only a couple of people she trusted with that information.

  She arrived at the Nicholson Ranch just before five. She’d already called Phoebe to let her know she would be stopping by. Her friend had insisted she stay for dinner and was waiting on the front porch when Maya pulled up.

  For a second Maya just looked at her friend. Back in LA Phoebe had been the one not sure what to do with her life. While she’d loved selling real estate, she’d never been able to shake the feelin
g of it not being enough. Helping others find their dream home had been satisfying. And that sense of having done a good thing had allowed her to mask an uncomfortable truth—that she never felt as if she deserved a place to belong, as well.

  Falling for Zane had changed all that. Maya wasn’t sure if it was loving the man or allowing him to love her that had caused the transformation. Either way, Phoebe was now a confident woman who knew she belonged. Whatever might be messed up in her own life, Maya knew she could take comfort in knowing that two of the people she loved most were blissfully happy.

  “Hey, you,” Phoebe called as Maya got out of the car. “I have a bottle of your favorite red wine already open and we’re having pasta for dinner.”

  Maya hoped she didn’t look as pathetically grateful as she felt. “Did I sound like I needed carbs when I called?” she asked. She stepped onto the porch.

  Phoebe hugged her. “You kind of did.”

  “Then thanks for reading my mind.”

  They went inside.

  Maya remembered the ranch house from when she and her mother had first moved here twelve years ago. The sheer size of the place had surprised her, as had the furnishings. She was used to plastic and hand-me-downs. Not big pieces made of wood. Not hand-carved tables and plush fabrics that were warm and comfortable.

  In the few weeks Phoebe had been in residence, she’d started making changes. Several of the walls had been painted a pale yellow. The layout of the open family room had been shifted so the sofas faced each other, instead of the fireplace. Gone was the big TV on the wall and in its place were bright paintings.

  Her presence was felt in small ways, too. Cut flowers stood in pretty vases and fashion magazines nestled with a livestock quarterly. Just being in the house made it easier to breathe, Maya thought. Whatever happened, she had family. Should she need rescuing, there would be a contingent, if not a village. She wasn’t on her own.

  Phoebe pointed to the sofa by the coffee table. A bottle of wine sat on a tray. There were two glasses along with a plate of cheese and crackers.