Page 70 of Shine For Me

“Hmm.” I realize Genie is looking back and forth between me and June and I hurry to change the subject, asking Rick what he has lined up next.

“Absolutely nothing,” he says. “I need a good three months to recover after working with Gabriel Cain.” He nods at June. “No offense.”

Genie snorts. “She knows her cousin is a pretentious, demanding bastard.” She nudges Rick. “Look, the studio sent Hawkins out here to pretend like they give a shit. Let’s go harass him for money—the budget for my next project is pitiful.”

Once they’re gone, June looks up at me. “Is it weird that I’m kind of going to miss her?” she asks.

“She definitely makes life more interesting.” We watch as Genie approaches the guy from the studio, her arms already waving around in agitation. The poor guy looks terrified.

“Come on.” I take June’s hand. “Let’s go sit.”

We find a place near the bonfire and this time, June doesn’t sit three feet away. She climbs right up between my knees and leans against me, her back to my front. Our new position doesn’t go unnoticed—plenty of people are shooting us curious glances. But June doesn’t seem to care. In fact, she pulls my arms around her middle. I grin as I rest my chin on top of her head—if she’s trying to prove something, she’s doing a pretty good job.

We sit watching the fire for a few moments before June breaks the silence. “So, are you going to tell me about the Hiller project, or do I have to pry?”

Chris Hiller is an up and coming director who I’m scheduled to start working with at the end of the summer. It’s a movie I haven’t been too excited about—some kind of spy thriller with a pretty cliché script—but my agent assures me it will be good for my resume. Something about showing off my range.

“I haven’t decided yet,” I tell her. “I just broached the subject with my agent, asked what she thought about me passing on it.”

“I’m going to assume she wasn’t thrilled.”

“Not really, no. But she did say it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I dropped out. I’m pretty much booked through next summer, so it’s not like it would hurt my chances at working or anything.”

“You weren’t super into the script,” June says. I don’t recall ever telling her that, but I probably wasn’t very effusive about the project, either.

“Not really. Mostly, though, I think I want to spend some more time at home. The Hiller film shoots on location in Vancouver. Four freaking months.” I’ll miss the Littles leaving for college. And now that I know Ash is struggling, I really don’t like the thought of being gone for so long.

“I think it’s a good choice for you,” she says. “I know you’ve been wanting some more time with your family.”

“It’s a little nerve-racking, honestly. To turn down work. I think there’s a part of me that’s still waiting for everyone to realize that I have no business being in front of a camera.”

June scoffs. “Oh, please. The camera loves you. You’re one of the most in-demand actors working right now—taking a few months off isn’t going to change that.”

There’s something in her voice I can’t quite identify—wistfulness, maybe?

“You okay?” I ask, tightening my arms around her. She leans further into me and tilts her head back to give me a sheepish smile.

“I might be a little jealous. Taking time off sounds really good.”

“Then you should do it,” I say automatically, then hurry to continue when she opens her mouth to argue. “And don’t tell me your grandfather wouldn’t like it. He doesn’t get to decide how often you work.”

She’s quiet for a moment, her gaze drifting back to the fire. “Honestly? I don’t even know what I would do with time off.”

“What did you used to do? Before you started acting?” While her twin brother was a child star, June didn’t get started until after she turned eighteen.

“I was busy with school. But it didn’t really feel like work. I loved school.”

“I bet you did, you little nerd.”

She laughs. “I wassucha nerd. I got my GED early and took online classes for my bachelor’s. I had my degree before I turned twenty.”

“What’s your degree in?”

She makes an amused noise. “Literature.”

I snort. “We’re a strange pair, June Cain.”

I think about June in that bookstore, the way she looked all lit up from the inside out. And the way she likes to fall asleep with an old paperback every night. Or all the hours she spends on set with her head bent over that stupid word game. A rush of affection washes over me and I kiss the top of her head.