Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 62811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
They’d finished filming at the mansion and were now on the main set in a studio, and Sasha had her own trailer. Jared, of course, was standing nearby, and another man was watching her trailer door. She had spent hours on Sunday going over her script and character and had come in early to run lines with Cassidy.
Her co-star, Adrian, was a nice guy with enough of an edge to play Steele, the focused, man-on-a-mission Marine. Sasha felt enough chemistry with him to know their scenes together were electric, a gift that didn’t happen with everyone she worked with. And though she sensed Xander’s tension during their emotionally and sexually charged scenes, he never brought jealousy between them after the director called cut. Not even after the first kiss scene.
On the other hand, having her mother on set was a challenge. First, Annika had introduced herself to everyone she deemed important, reminding them of the smaller roles she’d had in movies that … no one knew about. When that effort failed, she began to declare to all who would listen, and even those who didn’t, that she was Sasha’s mother and had given up so much to get her daughter where she was today. It reached the point where Sasha was grateful when filming started and everyone had to be quiet.
Except while she was working, she caught sight of her mother and her agent with their heads together, talking, laughing, and nodding, clearly in agreement on something. And Sasha had a feeling she wouldn’t like what they were discussing.
“And that’s a wrap for the day. Sasha, we’ve moved quickly. Two, three more days max for you,” Isaac said. “Great job.”
She smiled at the director, grateful for the praise. “Thank you,” she said and walked toward Cassidy, who waited behind the cameras.
“I’m starving,” Sasha said to her friend. “What do you say we get dinner? Just you and me? We can talk.” Sasha needed to see for herself that her friend was okay.
“What about Xander?”
Sasha grinned. “He’ll understand we need girl time.”
He’d left the set to have lunch with his agent, satisfied Sasha had Jared by her side and Rhodes, the extra security agent, by her trailer door.
Her friend’s eyes sparkled as she nodded. “Time together would be great.”
“Perfect,” Sasha said. “Just let me say goodbye to my mother.” She gestured toward where Annika was chatting up a guy who worked on the crew. He looked familiar to Sasha but didn’t strike her as being important enough for her mom to waste time on. It wasn’t the way Annika operated.
She walked over, and to Sasha’s surprise, her mother shot her a look of utter relief. “Sasha, there you are. I was just trying to tell this … chatty man I have a car driving me to Mackinaw City. My friends are meeting me at the ferry when I get to Nantucket.”
“And I was just telling your mother that you and I go way back,” he said, his gaze raking over Sasha. “I worked with you on a few of your movies, right?” The man, who appeared to be in his early thirties with brown hair and eyes, smiled at her in a way that was too … much.
Sasha narrowed her gaze, trying to remember, but there’d been so many movies and so many faces on set. Still, not wanting to be rude, she played along. “Umm, right. Mom, come on. I’ll get you to your car.”
She turned away from the man and faced her mother. Before she could speak, Jared walked over, joining them from where he’d been doing his job, always waiting, always there. “Everything okay?”
Sasha nodded. “My mother was talking to that guy–” She turned to point out the man but he was gone.
“He was boring me with stories of his times on set with Sasha. As if he were someone important.” Annika waved a hand, obviously dismissing the guy.
She glanced at Jared.
“I saw him but I’ve seen you both talking to quite a few people on set. What was his name?” Jared’s steely gaze swept the area.
“I don’t know. He assumed I knew who he was,” Sasha said, wrapping her arms around herself.
“Ms. Keaton?” Jared looked to Annika for answers.
Annika shrugged. “How would I know? I forgot it as soon as he told me.” She glanced at her watch, obviously worried about making her ferry.
Uneasy, Sasha looked to Jared. “Can we get her to the car service we arranged?”
Jared nodded. “I’ll get someone to take her out–”
“Sasha.” Xander called to her as he approached from across the room.
“Hey,” she said, relieved he was here.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Jared is going to take Mom to her car. I’ll explain while we head to my trailer.” Now that Xander was with her, she could let Jared take her mom.
She turned to Annika. “Have fun with your friends. I love you,” she said, hugging her mother.