Page 44 of Love Unscripted
She met Simon during the auditions forShadow Peak. He had been one of the men seated at the casting call, and she noticed him immediately. Though she was sure they’d beenintroduced, she couldn’t remember his name afterward. Only his face.
He was simply something to behold. Blond, devastatingly handsome, with the kind of symmetry that looked almost unreal. But it wasn’t polished in a stiff way. There was something relaxed about him too—sun-touched skin, tousled surfer hair, effortless charisma.
After the audition, she was outside speaking with her mother when he approached.
“You were great,” he told her. “Very talented. You’re at the top of my list.”
“And who are you again?” she’d asked saucily, trying to disguise the fact that she was intensely attracted to this man who looked at least ten years older than she was.
“The producer,” he replied with a quiet smile.
She laughed self-consciously. “Oh. You’re the guy with the big bucks.”
His smile widened slightly. “You will be our star.”
He kept his word. She was cast as Queen Aradia in the fantasy series. But strangely, after that, she never saw him again.
When she asked around, she learned Simon was an executive producer by credit. His role was securing funding and identifying talent, not managing the day-to-day operations of the show. She’d been mildly disappointed at the time, though she eventually forgot about him.
Then, three years later, Simon suddenly reappeared on set. He sent word that he wanted to speak with her privately, and she agreed to meet him in her trailer.
The moment he walked in, she was overwhelmed all over again. He looked flawless. Tousled hair. Perfectly trimmed beard. Brilliant blue eyes.
“Hi,” she said breathlessly. “Have a seat.”
He nodded and sat.
“Congratulations,” he said. She had just won an Emmy for the show. “I’m sorry I couldn’t attend, but I had a personal matter to deal with at home.”
“Oh, that’s no problem. I understand.” She smiled. “Where’s home, by the way?”
“Norway.”
“Ahh.” She laughed softly. “I was trying to place the accent the first time we met. It’s very faint. I actually thought you were British.”
“I was educated in Great Britain.”
“I see.”
“I came to give you this,” he said, handing her a wrapped box. “A token of my appreciation for everything you’ve done to make the show such a success.”
“Thank you!” she said, stunned as she accepted it. “I didn’t think you even followed the show anymore.”
His smile deepened, deliberate and unreadable. “I’m an investor. It’s in my interest to keep an eye on it.” His gaze held hers. “And on you.”
The way he said the last words made her nerves tingle.
“Should I open it now?”
“Please.”
When she unwrapped it, she stared in shock. It was a gold bangle unlike anything she’d ever owned.
“It’s real,” she said in awe.
He laughed softly. “Of course.” He took it gently from her hands and pointed to the engraving beneath the band. “Eighteen-carat gold. Real diamonds. Real amethysts. The moment I saw it, I thought of you.”
“This is… I don’t even know what to say.” She shook her head. “It’s so unexpected. You shouldn’t have.”
