Page 9 of Love Scenes

“Joseph. I need you to get him to learn his lines.”

“Mom. That isnotmy job.”

“Your job, which I so graciously created to help you through a tough time, is to make this production run smoothly. You agreed to be a part of this team, and right now, this is what the team needs from you.”

“It’s hard for me to feel bad when it turns out he’s just as terrible as I told you he was five years ago!”

“Honey, casting Joe was Guy’s decision,” Mom says, flicking her wrist.

“It was a bad one.”

“Cut him some slack. Guy has known Joe his entire life. Joe’s dad starred in Guy’s first movie.”

“I know,” I say bitterly, even though I didn’t.

“Then you can understand why Guy wants Joe to do this. It’s all family here. From top to bottom. If you won’t do this for me, at least do it for your sister.”

This is, of course, the right thing to say. As angry as I am, Idon’t want Tyler to fail. “Fine. But I expect a pay raise. And a bigger credit.Executiveproducer.”

“Baby girl, that’s not how you negotiate.”

“Don’t ‘baby girl’ me. I’m almost thirty-one. And I’m saving your ass right now.”

“You’ll always be my baby.” She kisses me on my forehead.

Joseph walks by with a bag slung over his shoulder. “G’night, Ms. Kitty. Thanks for the talk. I need a good arse kicking every so often.” He hesitates. “G’night, Sloane.”

“One second, Joe,” Mom says. “I want to run something by you.”

Joseph comes and stands beside me.

“Would it be okay if I sent Sloane to your trailer in the mornings to help you with your lines?” Mom asks. “She might not remember this, but she used to do that with me when she was little.” She pinches my cheek, doing everything she can to soften this blow. “She’s quite a good scene partner.”

Joseph turns to me. For the first time all day, there is a flicker of liveliness in his eyes. A white-hot spark of the troublemaker I met five years ago. “That’s all right. I think I’ve got it,” he says, his brogue maxing out like speakers on full blast.

His refusal makes my blood boil. “Someone has to make sure you don’t ruin this entire production.”

It comes out harsh enough that he winces. It doesn’t matter that every person here knows it’s true, we’re supposed to speak of his failings in hushed tones, all the while coddling him like an infant.

Not me.

Not this time.

“That was hardly my plan,” he challenges.

“Are you sure? We’re already behind schedule because of you, and it’s”—I check an imaginary watch on my wrist—“day one.”

It’s incredible how quickly I decide to fully commit once Joseph dares to be this nonchalant. This is not a game. This project is employing a hell of a lot of people, and I’ll set fire to him myself before he’s allowed to be the one to burn it all down.

“It was just an idea,” Mom says. “Now go home and get some sleep. I want you rested and ready for tomorrow.” She’s softer with him now than she was with me this morning, when all I did was arrive late.

Joseph tips his head and keeps walking, another small wave before he’s out the door.

“Are you kidding me?” I say to Mom. “You’re gonna let him refuse like that?”

“I thought you didn’t want this job?”

“I—I don’t,” I say weakly.