“Ever the opportunist,” she said with a roll of her eyes, but she stopped halfway. Her heart suddenly trilled in her throat. Her hands grew tacky with nerves, but a thrilling anticipation thrummed through her like an electric current. “Actually, I might have an opportunity foryou. Can I swing by the studio office?”
Chapter
17
Two days later, Olivia wasreturning home midday when she happened upon a scene that looked straight from a movie—partly because there was an actual camera there filming it.
Chuck stood on the sidewalk outside her apartment’s living room window throwing pebbles at it two stories up and shouting her name.
“Olivia!” he called a second time.
The first time, she’d thought she was imagining things and her boyfriend couldn’t possibly have been hurling pebbles at her window like a lovesick teenager in an eighties film while Benny the cameraman stood by and Tyler the PA kept the sidewalk clear. But alas, that was exactly what was happening.
“Liv! Open up! I have to tell you something!” Chuck shouted again as she climbed out of her rideshare and he threw another pebble. Where he was even getting the pebbles, she had no idea because the only bits of nature around herapartment were stray leaves and the occasional empty Starbucks cup that the wind nipped from a trash can.
“What are you doing?” she asked when she approached.
He stopped and turned to her in surprise. “Oh! Hey. No wonder you aren’t answering.” He gave her his dimple-popping grin and eyed her outfit. She wore a businessy skirt and blouse with heels that had him eyeing her legs and looking like it was difficult to speak. “Did you have a meeting this morning?”
“Yes. But again, what are you doing?” She nodded at the camera and up at her window, which thankfully wasn’t chipped.
He eyed the camera and then pinched her elbow to lean in and mutter, “I’mgrand gesturing. Parker thought it would play well for the end of the show.”
She narrowed her eyes and gazed around for the EP in question, wondering if he’d somehow beat her home. “I just talked to Parker, and he didn’t mention anything about filming a new ending.”
“Yes, well, it’s supposed to be a surprise. We’ve got Benny and Tyler here,” he said with a smile.
“Yes, I see that. But again, why?”
He threw out his arms and half squatted in excitement. “Because I have something to tell you!”
“Then tell me.”
“I will! But can you go upstairs andpretendyou heard me down here calling you instead of finding me out here?” He looked at her like an eager puppy.
She arched a brow at him. “No.”
“Liv, come on. Play along.”
“I’d rather not.”
“Do it for Tyler!”
“For Tyler?”
“Okay, do it for me, then.”
She paused. “We’ve already done plenty for the cameras, Chuck.”
“True, but this is one last hurrah.” He made jazz hands and moved his hips side to side. That, along with his doughy little dimple still popped,almostgot her, but not quite.
“You can hurrah me here in the street.”
“Ugh.Fine! You have to act surprised, though.”
“If it’s surprising I will be surprised on my own.”
“It is.Trustme.”