The Director Gets a Grip Read online

  He parked in the front drive and climbed out, realizing that the night had warmed a little. That might mean it was fixin‘ to snow.

  He rang the doorbell. After a few minutes, the large door opened, and Bianca stood there. She put a finger to her lips and stepped outside, wearing her coat.

  Surprised, he stepped back.

  “Thank you for the tires.” She smiled tentatively. “I’ll take you back to your truck.”

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

  “Not at all.” She looked down at the ground and whispered. “I don’t want my brothers watching me repay you.”

  “Ahh.” Turning, he followed her back to the car.

  He tossed her the keys and she caught them with a graceful, quick movement, then tossed them back. “You go ahead and drive.”

  Surprised, he said, “All right.”

  He pulled out of the estate and onto the road. “Where would you like to repay me?”

  “There’s a pullout half a mile ahead. I’ll show you when we get there.”

  She seemed more eager to give up the kisses than he’d hoped, and his pulse quickened.

  A minute later, she pointed. “There. Pull over.”

  He turned the wheel and pulled under some trees that hid them from view of the road. Leaving the car on for the heater, he turned to her.

  She sat straight-backed in the passenger seat. She couldn’t be more rigid if she tried.

  She looked nervous and afraid, and his heart warmed at the sight. He’d be gentle and take his time, making sure she really wanted the kisses.

  He reached out and took her gloved hand. She let him do it, and he sat back against his seat. He wasn’t going to push her, not at this point. If he didn’t get the kisses tonight, he could live with that. He’d rather establish some trust between them.

  He said, “I’d like you to increase security in the parking lot to make sure nothing like this happens again, okay? I care about what happens to you.”

  She nodded, still looking straight ahead. “I plan on setting up a camera where I park.”

  “Good. Have security check the camera feeds to see if they can learn who got into your trunk.”

  Small snowflakes began to fall, lighting on the windshield and immediately melting away.

  After a moment of silence, she said quietly, “I love snow falling and the quiet that comes with it.”

  “It is pretty,” he agreed.

  Another moment of silent while her hand relaxed in his, and she relaxed back into her seat. He rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand.

  “Where in Texas did you grow up?” she asked.

  “Austin. My parents raised my brother and me there in our family home.”

  “And then you moved away.”

  “Yes.”

  She sighed. “You’ve seen my family home.”

  “It’s impressive.”

  “I want to move out.”

  Surprised, he turned his head to look at her.

  She caught his gaze and shrugged. “I think it’s time I grew up and left the protective umbrella of my brothers.”

  He nodded in support. “That’s always a good step.”

  When she turned back toward the windshield and didn’t say anything more, he asked, “Do your parents live there, too?”

  “No. My parents died in a crash years ago.”

  “I’m sorry.” He squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back.

  “My brothers finished raising me.”

  “They’ve done a fine job.”

  She laughed. “Flattery will get you nowhere.”

  He chuckled. “You have a beautiful laugh.”

  She surprised him by saying, “Tell me something about yourself.”

  “Me? I’m not interesting.”

  She shrugged. “I told you I wanted to move. Now you tell me something. Please.”

  He chuckled at the please. “Okay. I got a pre-med degree because my parents wanted me to, and we had a big blowup when I decided to follow my dream instead of stepping into the family business. You are speaking to the black sheep of my family.”

  She considered that for a heartbeat, then said thoughtfully, “It’s a shame that they think that. Sometimes family members just don’t understand our dreams.”

  That was an interesting statement that led him to ask, “What is your dream that your family doesn’t understand?”

  She shifted in her seat. “It’s this movie. I’m really excited about this film. And I haven’t told my brothers yet that this is only step one of my plan. I want to make a bunch of these films.” She fell silent again, then said, “I don’t know why I told you that. Please don’t say anything.”

  He squeezed her hand again. “Everything said in your car tonight is confidential.”

  “Thanks.”

  “What will you call your new line of rom-coms?”

  “Love Bites.”

  “Of course.” He chuckled again. “And will you be needing an excellent key grip on all these films?”

  She arched a brow, but her eyes glittered with amusement. “Why? Do you know one?”

  He turned toward her, smiling. “It just so happens that I do.”

  When she turned her face toward him, he leaned over — and his lips met hers.

  Softly, gently, sweetly they kissed, and it was a long moment before they broke apart. His breathing was heavier, and so was hers.

  He reached out an arm and put it around her shoulder, pulling her closer.

  The second kiss was not as soft, not as gentle, not as sweet. It was more wanting and responding.

  Finally, he pulled back. Her eyes were closed, and she fluttered them open, gazing up at him with those brilliant blue eyes.

  He was moving too fast. To slow things down a bit, he pulled her against his chest and held her in his arms — and she nestled there like she belonged.

  He watched the snowflakes grow larger, heavier, wetter. Finally, he sighed. “I guess we’d better get going so we can get you home safely.”

  “I don’t want to,” she admitted softly.

  “Me, neither.”

  She turned in his arms. “This one is just because I want to.”

  The third kiss was a doozy. His heart pounding, he pulled back. “Wow.”

  “And this one is for the flowers.”

  His head was spinning by the time she smiled and sat upright in the passenger seat. “Now we can go.”

  “Speak for yourself. I can’t think clearly enough to drive now.”

  She laughed. He loved that sound. He would do just about anything to hear her laugh every single day.

  He pulled back onto the road, heading toward his truck.

  The snow was beginning to stick on the roads, so he drove carefully. “I found an area in town with amazing light. I’d like to show it to you tomorrow, around eleven. I think it will be perfect for some of the shooting we need to do.”

  “Okay,” she readily agreed.

  She was surprising him tonight — in a very good way.

  The next morning, Blake kept glancing at his watch. Nearly ten. He’d been smiling all morning — so much so that Buddy and Janine both commented on it.

  Today, they were rigging up a dolly so that the main camera would roll smoothly around the main couple while they danced in a living room — kind of like the dancing scene in Beauty and the Beast — only in a smaller room.

  Blake was taking Bianca into town at ten, which would give them time to return for the catered Thanksgiving meal being brought in at noon. Then everyone would get the afternoon off — though he suspected with this bunch of workaholics that some of them would voluntarily put in a few more hours. After all, they wanted to be home with their families for Christmas even more than for Thanksgiving, and they’d want to put in all the time they could to make that happen.

  At five to ten, Blake headed toward the front of the lot. He didn’t see Bianca, but Dunstan caught his eye and motioned toward the lobby. He nodded and went out
.

  Bianca was talking with Cindy. She looked up and smiled at him — a beautiful smile — and it was enough to blow all of his mental circuits.

  Bianca said, “We’ll be gone for an hour or so checking out locations. If I get any calls, patch them through to Dunstan. We’ll be back before the noon feast.”

  “You should see the cafeteria,” Cindy said. “Ilene got people to decorate and it looks great.”

  Blake held the door open for Bianca, and followed her out into the sunshine. The snow from last night had melted and the day was bright, but still cold.

  “Let’s take my car,” she said.

  This time, she got in the driver’s seat and he climbed into the passenger’s seat. “Where to?” she asked.

  “Go toward town,” he answered. “There’s a place right on the edge of Town Square with fantastic lighting.”

  Bianca nodded. “We film there often.”

  She drove toward town and he pointed out a couple of other possible locations — one in a stand of trees just outside the studio gates, another in a gazebo on a residential property. “You’d need to get permission, of course, but the light through that gazebo would be great at dusk.”

  This was what key grips were good at — shaping light for the cameramen, creating patterns, colors, and shadow effects.

  She pulled into the parking lot and he led her across the square to the far side, across the street from A Bite to Eat Café. He found a bench and positioned her on it so that she could see what he meant. “Now look through here, at the gazebo, and how the trees frame this area. When I was here on Monday, from ten until about two, the lighting was fabulous. It will make for great shots.”

  He waited to see what she thought of it, hoping she liked it. He found himself nervous.

  Finally, she smiled at him. “I love it.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief. “Great.”

  Bianca smiled at Blake. “Now I’m hungry. Let’s get a hot dog and a snow cone.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, holding out a hand to help her up. “Though we’ll be eating soon. Feasting on turkey and cranberries and pumpkin pie.”

  “I know. This will be an appetizer.” She took his hand, tingles shivering through her as his bare fingers touched hers. She wanted to spend time with Blake more than she wanted to eat Thanksgiving dinner.

  She could eat with her brothers at home, but they’d opted to support her and eat at the studio with those people who couldn’t be home with their families. And that’s why her brothers were so great.

  She pulled her hand back, but smiled at Blake. “Thanks.”

  She led him back toward the Diggity Dog food truck. The owner, Alejandro, said, “Ah, Ms. Rossi, what are you doing out on Thanksgiving?”

  “Some work. What are you doing here still?”

  “I just sensed I needed to stay open for another hour — and now I know why. So ... do you want your usual?”

  She nodded. He knew she liked her hot dogs with everything on them except mustard — pickle relish, ketchup, and grated cheese. The perfect combination.

  “And for you, sir?” he asked Blake.

  “Gimme a Dragon’s Breath.”

  “Full heat?”

  “Bring it.”

  Alejandro nodded and went to work.

  Blake paid, and she let him. It was nice to be with someone who didn’t expect her to cover the expenses, even on something as simple as hot dogs.

  He glanced her way, and she smiled. She couldn’t stop smiling. When had that happened? When had she stopped avoiding him?

  A trio of vampires walked by and nodded at her. She nodded back.

  Blake carried their hot dogs to a bench and they sat to eat. Blake laughed. “Maybe we should take them back to the car and eat them on the way back to the feast.”

  “No way are we eating hot dogs in my Jaguar,” she said.

  “Good point.” He took a bite. “Hey, this is great,” he mumbled around a mouthful of deliciousness.

  Bianca agreed. “Let’s walk while we eat. That will keep us warmer.”

  So they did, eating and talking. When they finished, they tossed their wrappers in a trash can.

  She didn’t realize she’d been leading him toward Jingle Belle’s Craved Ice booth until it was there, just feet away. And it was still open.

  He laughed. “Snow cones? In the winter? On Thanksgiving? Are you crazy?”

  “You’ll see. They change temperature so they’re always perfect.”

  “How can ice change its temperature except by melting?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Jingle Belle smiled at them. “Ms. Rossi. It’s so good to see you.”

  A blur of white ran out and shot between their legs. Blake jumped, causing Bianca to laugh.

  “Snowball!” Jingle admonished her color-changing Arctic fox, and the animal ran back into the booth.

  “Hi, Jingle. This is Blake Gladwell. I’d like him to try one of your fabulous snow cones.”

  Jingle smiled at him, tapping her finger on her chin thoughtfully. “I think the best flavor for you today is root beer.”

  “How’d you know it’s my favorite soft drink?”

  Jingle smiled her brilliant smile. “It’s my gift.”

  Bianca watched Blake’s face to see his reaction when the snow cone flashed with light. His eyes widened and he exchanged a glance with her, but then reached out for the cone. “Impressive. Thank you.”

  “The root beer is the best drink for finding your way back home.”

  He chuckled. “Home away from home is the best I can manage right now.”

  Jingle studied Bianca. “And I believe you need cotton candy today. It will lighten your mood.”

  Surprised, Bianca said, “All right.”

  Her cone flashed, too, and Bianca reached out for it.

  “These are on the house, Ms. Rossi.” Jingle Belle said, and began to put things away. “Happy Thanksgiving to you both.”

  “Why, thank you, Jingle,” Bianca beamed.

  “My pleasure.”

  “Would you like some help closing up?” Blake asked.

  Jingle shook her head, and replied kindly. “It will take just a few minutes, but thank you.”

  Blake took a nibble of the root beer concoction and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. “It’s cool, but not as cold as I expected.”

  Jingle smiled. “My snow cones are always perfect.”

  “I’ll be back to test that theory,” he said.

  The snow pixie looked happy at that. “I look forward to it.”

  They walked back toward the parking lot. Bianca enjoyed spending time with Blake, though she wouldn’t admit it. She had a job to do, and she couldn’t let him distract her.

  They stood at her car while they finished their snow cones, then tossed the papers in the trash, and climbed in. “I like that bench very much,” Bianca told Blake. “We needed a park bench for the scene where they meet and when they make up. I think it will work great for both of those.”

  He nodded, obviously pleased.

  She couldn’t resist asking, “How do you make that feeling?”

  He looked surprised and a little confused. “What feeling?”

  “You know. The one when we’re close together.”

  He smiled that slow grin of his. “That feeling of attraction and that everything’s right with the world?”

  That was one way to describe it, she supposed. “Yes.”

  “I don’t know. I’ve just been enjoying it.”

  Vampires could glamour humans and learn the truth. Perhaps it was time to do that. Except the first time she’d tried to glamour him, it hadn’t worked. She decided against making herself look like an idiot in front of Blake again.

  She drove through the studio gates and past the crowds still milling around, only slightly diminished though it was Thanksgiving, and pulled into her parking spot. She pointed up at the building. “There’s the new camera.”

  He looked up and nod
ded. “Good work. Did they ever find anything on the feed?”

  “No. The cameras had been tampered with.”

  They climbed out of the car and headed for the main studio doors. She resisted taking his hand. She couldn’t show affection or attraction on the set.

  But she was definitely attracted.

  Again, he held the door for her. “Ma’am.”

  She smiled at him. “Sir.”

  His answering smile made her heart pitter-pat — and his pulse pulled at her.

  “Oh, Bianca, I’m so glad you’re back. We’ve been trying to call you. People started eating without you.”

  Bianca turned. Cindy looked distraught.

  “That’s all right. We’re late getting back.” She glanced at her watch. It was 12:20. “I didn’t expect anyone to wait.”

  “I was late getting back, too,” she said. “That’s not the problem. We’re the lucky ones.”

  Bianca looked at her, not understanding. “What? What’s wrong?”

  Cindy gestured toward the dining area. “Everyone got food poisoning from the Thanksgiving dinner.”

  “What? How did that happen?”

  “I don’t know,” she replied helplessly.

  “Everyone? Including my brothers?”

  “Not them. They were playing host and dishing up food, so they didn’t start eating until people were already getting sick. They’re all right.”

  “Where is everyone now?” Bianca asked, all business once again. She sincerely cared about her crew.

  “In the infirmary,” Cindy replied. She looked as if she was about to cry.

  Bianca flew toward the infirmary, where people sat around the chairs lining the walls, moaning.

  Dr. Ben Johnson turned to her. “Ms. Rossi, we’ve had a bad case of food poisoning on the set.”

  “So I’ve been told.”

  Beside her, Blake balled up his fists, as if preparing for battle.

  She asked the doctor, “Will they be all right?”

  “Yes, but it might take a day or two before filming can begin again.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” Blake asked.

  “Everything’s under control, or at least as much as it can be under the circumstances. We have ambulances headed our way to transport people to the hospital.”