Page 34 of Between Takes
Chapter Twelve
I swayed for hours on my feet and my voice grew hoarse from singing along, but I wouldn’t have changed last night for the world.
Tilly had worn sunglasses in the wardrobe trailer when we’d turned up this morning, and Moira, her boss, took delight in rattling around the small space. Nothing would wipe the silly grin off her lips, though. Hungover or not, she was still riding a high from last night.
Hell, even Shaun seemed in a good mood, and he’d claimed to hate gigs. An SA had come up to him on set for an autograph, and he’d actually smiled at her. Cue shock and horror.
After checking in with the production office on Shaun’s schedule, I retreated to his trailer for a breather, and maybe a brief lie down. He’d been fending off groupies for at least nine years; he could handle a couple hours without me.
Resisting the lure of his super comfortable sofa, I poured myself a gigantic mug of coffee and settled in at the table. First thing’s first: rejig Shaun’s calendar against production’s tweaks.
Shaun found me hours later pinching the bridge of my nose. Staring at a small bright screen might not have been my best idea of the day – particularly not after a late night and with a stomach full of nothing but coffee.
Then a deliciously fragrant bowl appeared in front of my nose, and the headache eased its grip.
I stared at him. “What’s this?”
Shaun pushed my tablet aside and placed the bowl in front of me along with a set of cutlery. He’d brought me curry and rice. I stared at him and the meal. Why is he bringing me food?
“Eat, Mona,” Shaun ordered, taking a seat across from me.
I didn’t move, and he chuckled.
“I swear I didn’t poison it. It’s just a butternut curry.” I met his wary gaze, shock written plain across my face. He shifted in his seat, his eyes dropping to the bowl. “I know you don’t drink milk, but I wasn’t sure if it was for health reasons or because you’re vegan. So, I got the vegan option to be safe.” He sighed at my continued silence. “I didn’t see you at lunch.”
I glanced at the time on my tablet, surprised to find that time had flown by and I’d definitely missed lunch.
“Thanks for this.” I picked up the cutlery and dove in.
“Just look after yourself, please? I don’t want you getting sick because of me.”
I met his concerned eyes, but trepidation held my voice hostage. He was being nice. I had no defence against Nice Shaun.
“When I eat, you eat. No exceptions. If I have to eat every meal with you, I’ll do it.”
I laughed. “You won’t do that.”
He didn’t so much as smirk at my disbelief.
“You’re going to come home with me every night and cook me dinner?” I was joking, but he nodded, his mask of seriousness intact.
“If I have to, then prepare for a dinner guest.”
As threats went, it was potent and confusing. Why the hell should my boss care if I ate? He barely cared about how his actions affected others. My eating habits shouldn’t have piqued his interest. At least during the workday, I’d be able to uphold that. An image of my grimy galley kitchen flashed before my eyes, and I grimaced. I did not want to cook real food in that place.
Thankfully, someone knocked on the door before Shaun could force the matter. Muttering beneath his breath, he opened it to a fresh-faced runner. He stared up at Shaun with wide, nervous eyes. His throat worked but no sound emerged while his face reddened.
“I’ll be there in a sec,” Shaun said, his tone much softer than his usual biting exasperation with the junior staff.
The runner’s eyes widened further, the change in Shaun setting the kid on edge.
“We’re not done.” He turned to me with a smirk that said, “See? I can’t control how people react to me.”
“Do you need him on set?” I asked the runner.
The guy’s eyes latched onto me and his face relaxed marginally. He nodded.
“Stop playing with the boy and go.” I climbed to my feet and approached him. He watched me with a shuttered expression. I didn’t understand the look, and if I’m honest, I didn’t want to think about it. Who knew where my mind would go after last night?
