Shaking off all thoughts of Wes naked and ready back at our hotel, I sucked in a calming breath, closed my eyes, and counted to ten. When I opened them, I felt more connected to the job and the task at hand.
The crew bustled around me, setting up in the plush formal living room. It was decorated with a serious Puerto Rican flare that immediately reminded me of Anton. He’d taken his time with this room. I’d chosen it for the segment with Anton because it most reflected the man I believed Anton to be—the personal side, not the public persona. This room spoke of the richness and colorful diversity of the Puerto Rican culture, something I knew was very close to Anton’s heart.
There were pieces of art hanging on the walls from local artists who lived there and statues made from wood whittlers in his hometown. The woven fabric blankets his mother had made were all lovingly placed with care across the deep burgundy leather couches. The furniture alone suggested that a guest should pull up a seat and stay awhile. That was Anton. With his true friends and family, he always lent a hand where he could and made sure to offer a comfy place for those he loved to be near him wherever he hung his hat.
Kathy, my production assistant on this project, made her way to me. Her hair was long, midnight black, and down to her bum, though I’d never seen it lose and flowing. She always had it pulled back into a long French braid. I liked her a lot. The Woody Allen style glasses she wore were forever slipping down her long, pointed nose. When she stopped in front of someone, she’d push them up with one pale pink-painted fingernail. Every. Single. Damn. Time.
It made me wonder if the glasses were for show or whether she needed them more to fit her hipster style. Either way, I chose not to say anything because she was amazing, and working with her was a dream. From what I understood from Wes, production assistants who weren’t annoying or clamoring for the spotlight were hard to come by. He also thought Kathy was an old soul in a young woman’s body. I’d yet to figure out what her future goals were, but for now, I hoped I made her happy enough to stay with me through however long the Living Beautiful segment lasted with Dr. Hoffman.
“Ms. Saunders…“
I rolled my eyes. I’d told Kathy a hundred times over to call me Mia, but she straight up refused. Found it disrespectful.
“Mr. Murphy is here with Ms. Denton. I’ve got them both in makeup, which surprised Ms. Denton.” Kathy pressed her glasses up her nose even though they didn’t seem to be falling down.
I grinned. “I know. Let her be mystified. She doesn’t know that Mason has it planned to announce her as his fiancé publicly on my show. It’s been on the down-low, apparently. I just found out myself, but he wants the world to know he’s off the market and no longer a confirmed bachelor.”
Kathy’s eyes lit up with a little twinkle. “Love it. Dr. Hoffman will positively swoon, and Leona”—she shook her head at the mention of the big boss who ran the entire show—“she might kiss your feet!” She giggled, put her hand over her mouth, and looked around as if afraid someone might have heard her less than professional slip-up.
I rested my hand on her bicep. “Kathy, it’s just you and me. And you’re right. Leona will laugh manically when the first announcement is made on our show. Sometimes it’s good to have friends in high places, right?” I nudged her shoulder, and her cheeks pinked as she nodded.
“So do we know if the media room is almost set up? With Anton being out of commission for at least another couple hours, I’d like to move forward on Mason.”
She nodded, pecked on her electronic device with one finger, and pursed her lips. “I’ll make sure. Should be ready to go by the time they are out of makeup.”
I walked through the house and checked on the various spots we’d chosen to shoot for different parts of the segments. Wes and I decided we’d work together and knock out as much as possible on this trip because we needed a full month's worth of content. That way, I had the end of November and most of December free to be with my family.
Max had made it clear that if he didn’t have his sisters at his ranch in Texas on Thanksgiving he’d be hurt. Of course Maxwell was far too manly to say it like that, but he’d definitely hinted that it would make his entire year if we were able to come. Full of new-baby hormones, Cyndi made it very clear that her husband would be broken up if Maddy and I couldn’t make it. Moreover, I desperately wanted to meet Jackson, my first nephew. Plus the fact that my brother had paid a few hundred thousand dollars of my father’s debt to save mine and my best friend’s ass back in September made me think that hitting Texas for Thanksgiving was the least I could do.
I found Mace and Rachel in one of the large guest bathrooms. The thing was huge! That Anton had such a large house in the city for just him and Heather blew me away.
Rachel and Mason were sitting facing the big mirror over the double sinks.
“Hey, guys, they making you pretty for the cameras?”