Olivia swallowed a nervous lump in her throat because in truth, shewasworried about being on camera. She knew she didn’t have to remember any lines or hit any marks, but she’d never done anything on film before, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to overcome the nerves racking her body like live wires at the mere thought of it.
“Hey. You’ll be fine, Liv,” Chuck said as if he’d read her like a book. The fact that he had annoyed her. As did the fact that he reached out and gently touched her arm with an assuringsqueeze that admittedly accomplished the job and made her relax. What was more, that simple, genuine gesture reminded her how much she already missed the feel of his hands on her.
She shook him off and side-eyed him. “Don’t.”
He looked wounded for a brief second. His lips pursed and he nodded. “Sorry. You seemed worried, so I thought— Never mind.”
A new car pulling into the driveway interrupted their conversation. Where Olivia half expected TJ Price to have finally shown up and climb out of the zippy Prius—though she had to admit, she would have expected him to arrive in something a little flashier—she instead saw an eager young man pop out from the driver’s seat and begin unloading grocery bags from the trunk.
“Who’s that?” Olivia asked.
“Probably our runner,” Chuck said.
“Our what?”
“An assistant who runs errands for the production.”
The young man, who could not have been a day over twenty-one, bounded up the driveway with grocery bags swinging from his elbows and a case of seltzer in his arms. He was tall and skinny with brown skin and a pair of smudged glasses that had begun to slip down his nose. He smiled so brightly at them Olivia could see all his perfectly white teeth.
“Hi! I’m Tyler,” he chirped. “I’d shake your hands, but mine are a little full.” He awkwardly laughed, and Olivia instantly liked him.
“Hi, Tyler. I’m Olivia. Do you need a hand?”
“Oh no. I got it, Ms. Martin,” he said, and juggled his load. “I’m just stocking the house with groceries for you. I startedwith some basic staples but let me know if there’s anything specific you want. I’ll be happy to get it. Hi, Mr. Walsh,” he said with a smile at Chuck.
“Hey,” Chuck said in a disinterested tone that sounded dismissive.
“I loved your last movie,” Tyler gushed. “That scene with the car and the thing.” He mimicked an explosion sound and happily laughed. “It was so cool.”
“Thanks,” Chuck offered with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Olivia was about to whack him in the arm and tell him to stop being rude to someone who was clearly a fan, when another car came screeching into the driveway. The front gate had been held open for all the traffic. This car was much more what she’d expected TJ Price to crawl out of. A modern Batmobile in jet black that was so low to the ground, he really did have to hoist himself up out of it.
“Sorry I’m late!” he hollered, and trotted up the driveway. “Traffic on the 1, you know how it goes. So, who’s ready to party?” He grinned at them, and a whiff of his cologne hit Olivia in a rush when he stopped on the front porch and punched his fists into his hips. He was close to her in age and exuded the confidence of someone used to commanding the room.
“Nice of you to join us,” Parker said with an annoyed bend to his lips. He rejoined their crowd on the porch, this time with a cameraman on his heels. “Okay, gang. We’re set up to roll, now let’s— Tyler, move. You’re in the shot.”
“Oh! Sorry, Mr. Stone,” Tyler blurted. He tore his starry-eyed gaze from Chuck and walked backward from the porch. “Where should I put these—?”
“Just leave them in the car for now,” Parker tersely instructed. “I’ll let you know when you can come inside.”
“Okay, but some of this stuff is frozen, and it’s pretty warm out—”
“Tyler! You’re a smart kid. Figure it out!” Parker called over his shoulder. He turned back to Olivia and Chuck with a tight smile stretching his lips. “Sorry. He’s my daughter’s boyfriend. My husband made me hire him this summer. I swear, nepotism is going to be the death of me in this town.Anyway, let’s get going.”
Olivia tried to keep up. Chuck looked unfazed and maybe a bit bored.
They walked right up to the front door before Parker turned around.
“As a reminder before we go in,” he said, “you’ve consented to be filmed around the clock inside the house and on the property. All the common areas and backyard are equipped with cameras and microphones. In addition, the film crew will be here daily except for Sundays. And”—he paused for dramatic effect—“one final reminder: if you leave the house other than to go into the backyard, you lose.” He grinned at them like he was entirely too pleased with himself. “So, what do you say, Olivia and Chuck, are you ready?”
The desire to turn around and run hit Olivia so hard, she would have done it if Chuck hadn’t surreptitiously pressed his hand into her lower back. He held it there like a guardrail, and in that moment, she was thankful he’d touched her because otherwise, she would have lost them the game before they even started.
“Yes,” Chuck said.
“Mm-hmm,” Olivia echoed in a breathy murmur that didn’t even sound convincing to her.
“All right, then! Here we go!” Parker sang. “TJ, take it away.”