His Larkville Cinderella

chapter SIX



ADAM loved shooting. Stepping into a role and losing himself in a character were second only to the adrenaline rush of succeeding at something difficult and dangerous. But life on the set was like moving from an aquarium to a fishbowl. His world became smaller and more visible. At least to the cast and crew.

That was a small price to pay to do what he loved.

Adam parked near the set. One of the perks of being a movie star was a reserved parking spot. His car was one of three vehicles in the VIP lot. Not surprising given the sun was just now clearing the horizon. He liked arriving early to give himself time to relax and prepare.

He always started his day with a cup of coffee from the refreshment table. Craft Services put out a spread of snacks and drinks to tide them over between the catered meals they were fed.

One of the electricians shouted a greeting.

Adam waved.

Spending twelve to fourteen hours with the same group of people gave him a chance to get to know the cast and crew well. But only a week in, he knew this production would be different because of two women—Megan Calhoun and Lane Gregory.

One was as sweet as a cupcake. He’d had barely caught sight of Megan since shooting began. But she’d been on his mind and in his dreams since last Sunday night. Two places no woman belonged. Thinking about sex was one thing. With Megan, it was different. Okay, he might have thought about what she looked like naked and sleeping with her, but he’d also been imagining her pretty smile and her captivating eyes. Adam didn’t have time to dwell on those things, however appealing. He needed to focus on his feelings, rather Maxwell’s feelings, for his wife, Calliope. She was the only woman who could take up residence in his thoughts.

The other was his costar, Lane Gregory. She was the best of old Hollywood and new, but the woman was relentless in her pursuit of, well, him. Attention, gifts, innuendos. Adam had taken to hiding in his trailer whenever he could, something he rarely did while shooting. He preferred being where the action was. A good thing Lane wasn’t an early riser.

“You’re late,” Lou, who worked for Craft Services, said. “I thought you might have slept in this morning.”

“And miss the first pot of coffee? No way.” Adam greeted the man with a handshake. “How did your daughter’s softball game turn out?”

Lou grinned. “She hit the cycle. They won six-two.”

“Excellent,” Adam said. “There could be a scholarship in her future.”

“Hope so.” Lou handed him a steaming cup and a blueberry muffin, nicely warmed with a pat of butter softening on top of it. “Your standing order, sir.”

“Thanks.”

As Adam turned, he caught the scent of perfume wafting in the air. Not any perfume. Lane’s.

Damn. She must have figured out his morning routine.

Maybe he could ditch her before she saw him. The costume department was nearby. He could sneak in and see if Megan was there. Interns always got the crappy call times. He wouldn’t mind saying hi to her.

An oh-so-appealing image of her filled his mind. He’d missed seeing her.

On second thought, as tempting as paying her a visit might sound, he’d better not. On his mind was one thing. Under his skin was another. That was the one place he didn’t allow a woman. It was safer that way.

“So it’s true about you being an early bird.” Some men might consider Lane Gregory’s breathy voice sexy. Adam had at one time. But now the sound grated on his nerves. “I thought if I got here early enough we might be able to...rehearse in my trailer.”

He should have gone to see Megan.

No way did he want to be alone with Lane. Not without a bodyguard. Maybe two. He might be strong, but the woman was dangerous. And not in a good way. “I have a few things I need to do.”

Lane was beautiful. He’d give her that. Her long blond hair, porcelain skin and blue eyes were the envy of many women. Her curvy figure enticed men. She smiled coyly. “I can think of a few things we could do together.”

Not in this lifetime. Adam pointed to her left hand where a huge diamond, iceberg-size, shimmered beneath the morning sun. “I doubt your fiancé would appreciate that.”

Adam sipped his coffee. He needed to be alert to handle Lane’s flirting.

She moved closer. “I doubt he’d mind if our rehearsing made the chemistry onscreen stronger.”

Bull. He stepped back to put some distance between them. Just look at Rhys Rogers. The young actor’s career was DOA thanks to “rehearsing” with Lane, and Hugh Wilstead’s not-in-the-least-bit-understanding response. The studio head had the Midas touch and the respect of the industry. When Hugh spoke, everyone listened. No way would Adam cross him, not for a roll in the sack with Lane, not for anyone.

Lane, however, lived in a different reality. She’d grown up in the movie industry. She was spoiled and pampered and expected the world to fall at her feet. Pretty much the exact opposite of someone like Megan. He would have to try another tact. “Lane, beautiful, talented, Lane. Look at you. Look at me. All we have to do is stare at each other and the screen will sizzle with chemistry.”

She gave him a sultry look. “Why not rehearse until passion explodes?”

“We’d end up with an R-rating or NC-17.”

“I wouldn’t mind.”

Adam would. He wanted this film to be the best it could be, but there were limits to what he would do to achieve that goal. Lane was one of them. “Nothing personal, but I don’t mess around with married or engaged women.”

“Honorable. Dare I say noble?” She smirked. “But rules are meant to be broken.”

“Some rules, yes,” he admitted. “Not this one.”

She winked. “We’ll see about that.”

She pranced away, her hips swaying seductively.

Adam was usually up for a fling with his costars, but Lane’s engagement was only one reason he didn’t want to sleep with her. She was all about artifice and deception. The total opposite of someone fresh and honest like...

Megan.

She stood outside the costume department. She wore a green jacket, jeans and canvas shoes. The shoes sparkled. Those were different than the sneakers she’d been wearing before. A black trendy-looking messenger bag hung on her shoulder. He hadn’t seen that before, either. But her wild curls were still piled on top of her head. He wondered if she ever wore her hair down.

She had her cell phone pressed against her ear and a big smile on her face. Adam remembered the way she’d looked at him at the observatory. He’d thought she might want him to kiss her. But while waiting for another sign, he’d remembered his decision not to kiss her.

He wondered who was making her smile. Maybe that idiot best friend of hers.

Adam bit into his blueberry muffin to mask the bitterness souring his tongue.

Time to head back to his trailer. He needed to review his lines, not think about some woman who wanted another guy.

Walking away, Adam glanced over his shoulder. Megan was still on the phone, but she was no longer smiling. She looked...concerned. Maybe even upset.

Unease balled in his stomach.

Man, he was being stupid. No reason to overreact. Megan was simply talking on the phone. So what if her smile had faltered for a moment? It could be her boss or her landlord. Her business wasn’t his business. He should get out of here. Now.

Except his feet wouldn’t budge. A protective instinct, the same he’d felt whenever his mom used to introduce him to a new “uncle,” sprang to life.

The look on Megan’s face, the way she ducked her head, bothered Adam. It didn’t matter who was on the other end of the call. He didn’t like the idea of anyone upsetting her.

She was too sweet, too nice.

This might not be his business, but Adam didn’t want to leave her on her own if she was upset. And he wouldn’t. He didn’t have to be anywhere for another hour and a half.

He positioned himself at a table where he could see Megan more clearly. This was as good as any other place to enjoy his muffin. He took a bite and watched her.

* * *

Megan stood outside the costume department so happy to hear from Rob. Not a text, but an actual phone call. She hadn’t spoken to him in over a week. His texting had been erratic, too.

“It’s good to talk to you, Meg,” he said.

Her heart swelled with affection. With Rob in her life, she would never be one of these people who died and her body wasn’t found for months because no one noticed she was missing. “I know. It’s been insane here. Crazy busy. I’ve never worked so hard in my life.”

“Have you met anybody?”

“Oh, I’ve met lots of people.” Megan listed the various crew members she’d befriended. She thought about Adam, too, even though she’d wanted to avoid him. Thankfully, he hadn’t been around much except during shoots. She’d seen him only in passing. He would wave or nod in her general direction. The way he’d done to others when they’d had lunch at the cafeteria.

Megan should be happy he treated her like everyone else and wasn’t going out of his way for her. That was what she wanted. Distance. Except staying away from him and being treated the same as others didn’t feel as good as she thought it would. She no longer felt...special. Silly, but true.

“That’s great you’re making friends,” Rob said. “But I wanted to know if you met a guy yet.”

She let the words sink in, unsure what to say or think. This was the first time Rob had ever mentioned her and another guy. She didn’t like it. “You mean someone to, um, date?”

“Yes.”

Adam popped into her head. Too bad the only thing “date” and “Adam” had in common were the number of letters in the words. She pressed her lips together. “No, but I’ve been, um, busy.”

Though others, including Kenna and Rosie, had been flirting with guys since the shoot started. Megan couldn’t help but compare each man she met to Adam. So far none came close to the friendly, handsome actor.

“Too bad,” Rob said.

Weird. He sounded...disappointed. “What about you? Have you met anyone?”

“Actually, I have.”

The air rushed from her lungs. She nearly dropped the phone. “Really? I mean... That’s great.” She tried to sound interested, happy. “Who is she?”

“Someone you know. Knew. Pru Bradford.”

Megan recognized the name. She tried to place it. “Prissy Prudence from fifth grade? The girl who never wore anything but frilly dresses and fancy shoes?”

“Yeah,” Rob said. “She still wears dresses, but she’s a lot prettier now. She works at an art gallery. She loves to cook, and you should see the things she knits. So talented.”

Megan’s heart plummeted to the pavement. Splat.

“She doesn’t sound like your type at all.” Meow. Megan’s claws were showing. “You’ve never shown any interest in art.” Not that Larkville had any “arts” to speak of. That was one thing that made her feel as if she were suffocating there. “Or knitting.”

Or sewing. Her sewing.

“A couple of shirts Pru’s made are hot.”

“I’ve designed some hot dresses,” Megan countered.

Ouch. That sounded kind of desperate.

“For who?” he asked.

She grimaced. “Me.”

“I had no idea,” Rob said.

That was because she’d kept the dresses a secret. She figured no one would like them so why open herself up to more criticism. “The local cattleman’s dinner or the library dessert benefit don’t exactly call for haute couture.”

But it was more than that. People hadn’t tried to understand her. The high school drama teacher had been a despot who wanted no input on costumes. The Larkville quilting bee didn’t appreciate the ideas and creativity Megan brought to their gatherings. The entire town, especially her mother, had wanted to break Megan as if she were a wild mustang needing to be tamed.

“That’s true,” he agreed. “But I’ve got to admit, it’s hard to picture you all dressed up with makeup and your hair done.”

Rob saw her as Cinderella before her fairy godmother arrived, not a beautiful princess the prince wanted to marry. That stung. “We might have grown up together, but there are a few things you don’t know about me.”

“Yeah, it’s been fun learning about Pru.”

Ouch. Rob hadn’t a clue. Megan blew out an exasperated puff of air. “I bet.”

“I know what you should do,” he said. “Find yourself a boyfriend so you can doll yourself up and wear one of your dresses.”

Megan grimaced. First a date, now he wanted her to find a boyfriend? Rob had parked her in friend zone and let the meter expire. She dug her toe into the asphalt. “I can’t conjure up a date out of thin air.”

“Have you thought about online dating?”

Yeah, right. She would be the one woman to end up catching the eye of an ax murderer or psychopath. “Not my style.”

“There’s a guy out there for you, Meg, I just know it.”

Yeah, you.

But that wasn’t looking likely now. Not as long as Prudence was in the picture. Megan thought about what Adam had said.

Find another guy. Someone who will appreciate you. Spoil you. Kiss you until you can’t see straight.

She sighed. “For all I know he could be right under my nose.”

Or on the opposite end of this telephone call.

“That’s the spirit. I want you to be as happy as I am,” he continued. “There’s nothing better than starting fresh in a new town with a new job, new apartment, new girlfriend.”

Her stomach roiled. Thank goodness she hadn’t eaten breakfast yet or she might be sick. “Things are moving fast.”

“Sometimes you just know.”

His words speared her heart. She forced herself to breathe. “Sounds...serious.”

“I really think Pru could be a keeper,” he confessed.

Rob had never talked this way about a woman. Megan couldn’t believe he was talking about Prissy Prudence. Okay, they’d been ten years old when she moved, but how much could a person change in twelve years?

Megan didn’t want to know the answer. “Keep me posted.”

“I will,” he said. “I plan on bringing Pru to the Fall Festival in October. She hasn’t been back to Larkville since her family moved away.”

It was May and Rob was talking about October? Megan cleared her dry-as-sandpaper throat. “The more, the merrier.”

Forget caffeine drinks. Megan needed to mainline chocolate to survive today.

“Pru loves going to the movies,” Rob said. “Maybe we could visit you in L.A.”

The thought of watching Rob and Pru hold hands and kiss made Megan nauseous. “I have a small studio apartment. It might be a little cramped.”

“We don’t mind.”

Could things get any worse? She didn’t want to know the answer to that, either.

“Pru would love to see some movie stars in person,” Rob continued. “Adam Noble is her favorite.”

At least Megan had something to contribute to the conversation. “Adam is the lead actor in the film I’m working on. He’s a nice guy. Very friendly.”

An excellent pillow and backrest, too.

“You know Adam Noble?” Rob sounded impressed.

That surprised her. He wasn’t into movie stars. “We’ve met.”

“Wow. That’s so cool.”

The excitement in his voice had Megan staring at the phone in disbelief. Who was this person on the phone and what had he done to her best friend?

“I have a brilliant idea,” Rob said. “Pru’s birthday is coming up. Could you get an autographed picture of Adam Noble for her?”

Seriously? Megan’s shoulders couldn’t sag any more or they’d be hitting the ground. She needed a T-shirt with the words Sucks to Be Me! imprinted on the front and Doormat on the back. “I don’t know. When’s her birthday?”

“July. It would mean a lot to me.”

They could be broken up by then. Or engaged, an evil little voice whispered. “I’ll, um, see what I can do.”

“I can always count on you. Best buds forever.”

Until some other woman clawed her talons into his heart and carried him away from her. Anxiety grabbed hold of her. “I should get going.”

She would rather face an angry Firebreather than stay on the phone with Rob any longer.

“Good talking to you,” he said. “I’m almost glad Pru was busy so I had time to call you on my break.”

Almost? That wasn’t a nice thing for Rob to say. Megan gritted her teeth. He’d always treated her like an all-star. Now she was second string. Telling him to dump the girl probably wouldn’t be a smart move. She’d better think of something else to say. “You know me. Always there for my best bud.”

“Don’t forget about Adam Noble’s autograph,” Rob said. “If he could personalize it to Pru that would be awesome.”

“Awesome,” Megan repeated. What had Adam said when she used that word when they had lunch?

That’s a strong adjective.

She supposed it would be awesome for Rob and Prudence.

Megan couldn’t imagine a guy like Adam asking her to get his girlfriend something for her birthday. He probably wouldn’t get a woman a toolbox, either. That had been Rob’s birthday present for her. Okay, she’d used a screwdriver to put together a table she bought. Still...

So. Not. Romantic.

But when you were a “best bud,” romance didn’t factor into gift selection. Anger surged. All her plans for a future with Rob were vaporizing. Plans or fantasies? The latter looked more likely at the moment.

“Text me and let me know when you have the autograph,” Rob said.

Megan disconnected the call. Talking to Rob had drained what energy she had left.

“Good morning.”

She jumped, startled to see Adam. What was he doing here so early?

“Here you go.” He handed her a steaming cup of coffee. “What’s going on? You look like you lost your best friend.”

“I think I might have.”

“Rob?”

“He thinks he found a keeper.”

“That has to hurt.”

She thought for a moment. “I’m more angry.”

He smiled at her. “That’s better than sad.”

Nodding, she took a sip. The coffee was black. Strong. She choked. “I didn’t realize you drank sludge.”

“The stronger, the better. Especially on Fridays.”

“I’ve been dragging since Wednesday.”

“You’ll get used to it.”

“I have a feeling I’m going to have to get used to a lot of things.”

“This must be messing up your plans.”

“Wreaking havoc.”

“Anything I can do to help,” Adam offered.

She’d spilled most of the details about Rob. Might as well tell him everything so she would look like a loser only once. “Actually, there is. I don’t know if it’s against the rules or anything, but would you mind signing an autographed picture for Rob’s girlfriend, Prudence? I mean, Pru. It’s going to be a birthday gift from him. You’re her favorite actor.”

Adam’s gaze narrowed. “He asked you to do this for him?”

Megan nodded, realizing how silly she must look.

His brow slanted. “Does Rob know how you feel about him?”

“Sort of.”

“Say again?”

“Well, I once told him how I felt.” The mortification of that still made her cringe even after all these years. “That didn’t go over well. But I’ve dropped hints.”

“Hints?”

She nodded. “He’ll figure them out.”

“And you still think the guy’s smart?”

“Unless he’s pretending to be oblivious.”

Adam frowned. “You need to get away from Rob.”

“He’s in Texas.”

“Doesn’t matter where he is,” Adam said. “You can do much better than someone like him.”

“Maybe.” But as she spoke the words her heart screamed, Definitely!

“How did he figure out we know each other?” Adam asked.

“I told Rob about you.”

Adam’s smile crinkled the corners of his eyes, sending her pulse rate into overdrive. “So what did you tell him? How much taller I am in real life? Or hotter? Or that I’m a very comfortable pillow?”

His lighthearted tone told Megan he was joking, but her cheeks warmed. Friend or not, Adam probably wasn’t interested in hearing her whine about some other guy she was into. “I, um, told him you were starring in the film I was working on.”

“The hotter and pillow comments might have made him jealous.”

“Rob isn’t the jealous type. He wants me to meet someone out here.”

Adam raised his hand. “You met me.”

“I mean a guy.”

He flexed his arms, striking a he-man macho pose. “Do I look like a girl?”

She grinned. “No, but Rob was talking about a guy I could date.”

Adam’s mouth quirked. “So now I’m undateable.”

Megan gave him a look. “You know what I mean.”

“What?” He sounded surprised. “We went out. We could do it again.”

“No, we can’t.”

“Because I’m the lead actor.”

She nodded. “I keep waiting for Eva to give me the talk she gives everyone who works for her. But so far I’ve been spared.”

No doubt Eva didn’t think any movie star would be interested in a lowly intern from a nothing town in Texas.

“If I wasn’t off-limits, would you go out with me?” he asked. “Say a real dinner at a restaurant, not a friendly picnic.”

She remembered how romantic Adam had made everything at the observatory and how close their lips had been when he hugged her. He’d seemed to want to kiss her, but backed away. She thought he wanted to be friends. Now she reveled in how he looked at her. He made her feel like Cinderella being asked to dance by the prince.

Her heart pounded. Heaven help her, she would say yes to him. No doubt about it. Megan swallowed around the lump in her throat. “You are off-limits so it’s a moot question.”

His frank appraisal made Megan want to cover her face with her hands and hide. But she kept her chin up and her posture straight, even if she was quivering inside.

“Fair enough,” he said.

There was nothing fair about the way he made her forget everything, including Rob. Adam Noble was dangerous. Every instinct told her to get away from him. Now. “Thanks for the coffee. I have to go.”

As Megan hustled into the costume department, she ignored the urge to glance over her shoulder and see if Adam was staring at her. She had to be realistic, not set herself up for more disappointment. Her hopes were already being dashed. She didn’t need to let Adam in on the action, too. She didn’t have a fairy godmother waiting to appear and wave a magic wand to make everything better. Fairy-tale endings didn’t happen for girls like her. Even if, in her heart of hearts, she wished they did.