“Fantastic.” I heard a few claps. “We didn’t want to film in Louisiana anyway. It didn’t have the right feel. Oregon has some great tax breaks, so we’ll be saving money filming in that location anyways. Alright, pre-production’s set for two weeks. You may need to fly down with your fiancée a few times, but we’ll make it work.”
“Do you want me to tell her?” Please let me tell her.
“Of course! We’ll be in touch, Jaymeson.”
“Sir.”
I ended the conversation and stared at my phone for a good five minutes before mindlessly shuffling back into the suite.
“Everything alright?” Alec popped his gum and leaned back in the chair.
“Yeah.” I stuffed the phone back in my pocket. “Um, I got the part.”
“Awesome.” Demetri pumped his fist in the air. “I love happy endings. The whore discovers a heart and lives happily ever after in Oz under a rainbow of potted gold.”
“Uh…” Alec patted Demetri’s shoulder. “I think you’re mixing your fairy tales up with the great wizard and lucky charms.”
“Damn, I’m starving,” Demetri muttered.
“They’re offering the other lead to Pris.”
Demetri fell back in his chair. Alec caught him before he hit the ground. Both of them cursed then winced as Dani moaned in her sleep.
“How?” Alec asked while Demetri said. “Does she know?”
“We did the audition tape together. It was…” Hot. That’s what it was. It was amazing. The first time I’d said I love you out loud.
Alec clapped his hands. “Dude, stop spacing out. You’re worse than Demetri, and you don’t have the excuse of having no brain cells left from drug use.”
“I love my brother. I love my brother. I love my brother.” Demetri squeezed his eyes shut and repeated the mantra.
“Boys!” Nat entered the room lifting bags of food in the air. “We brought you food!”
We fell silent.
The girls stared at us.
We stared back.
Demetri coughed.
“Er, something wrong?” Alyssa asked with a weak smile in place.
“Priscilla’s going to be in a movie!” Demetri blurted then covered his mouth while Alec smacked him on the back of the head. “Sorry, I’m hungry. I can’t control myself when I’m hungry.”
Groaning, I looked back to Pris.
Her eyes narrowed. “What?” She shook her head and let out a nervous laugh. “That’s impossible.”
“They liked the audition video we did.” I smiled encouragingly. “Danny Erickson just called me. Not only does he want you to play opposite me, but they’re going to film here.”
“We have got to jump on that soundtrack.” Alec elbowed Demetri in the ribs. “Call Stan.”
“Are you serious?” All color drained from Pris’s face. “But what if I’m horrible?”
Everyone burst out laughing.
“You’ll be fine.” I took slow steps toward her. “I promise. You’ll be with me.”
“But—”
“Dude, she may need Demetri’s paper bag,” Alec interjected.
“Funny,” Demetri grumbled under his breath.
“Love.” By the time my fingers grazed her jaw, color was returning to her cheeks. “We’ll be together. I was all set to turn it down, and then he said your name. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than get to kiss my fiancée, and get her to fall in love with me all over again, scene by scene, line by line…”
Nat and Alyssa sighed.
Yeah, the guys were probably going to poison my cereal.
“Okay.” Pris’s brown eyes were wild with excitement. “But, if I suck, you have to make me better.”
“Oh, I’ll make it all better,” I murmured, kissing her.
“There he is!” Demetri announced. “Damn, I was worried for a second. It’s always hard, you know? Losing a whore.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Priscilla
It was a week before we were able to take Dani home. Jaymeson and I had spent countless hours in that suite with her. I still couldn’t believe that he’d gone to all that trouble just so we would be comfortable.
Dani was a lot more easy-going around the guys, but I could tell it still unnerved her.
There were also the nightmares.
At least once a night she woke up yelling for our dad. Every time, I held her and cried with her. My heart wasn’t healed, but I was trying so hard to be strong for her, and in turn, Jaymeson was strong for me.
One night, I must have slept through her scream because when I woke up Jaymeson was sitting next to her on the bed, leaning against the pillow stroking her hair as she slept.
I imagined the piercing in my heart was what it felt like to watch someone you love loving the most important person in your life in return. It was beautiful, and I knew in that moment that my dad would have loved Jaymeson. Because Jaymeson loved my dad’s little girls more than life itself.
He showed it in his actions.
Jaymeson had helped get Dani to the car while I’d gone to the accounting department to discuss the payments for the hospital bills. I knew my parents didn’t have a ton of money, but I figured that hopefully with their life insurance I could pay for part of her bills.
“Paid in full.” The nurse had flashed me a knowing smile.
“But—”
“Paid in full,” she repeated. “Now was there anything else I can help you with?”
Confused I’d made it ten steps before it struck me.
Jaymeson.
It had taken the entire plane ride back, lots of kissing and coaxing, but he finally ’fessed up and said he not only paid for the hospital stay but may have possibly bought Dani a new car in the process, for when she was ready to drive again. Sort of as a welcome home present so she wouldn’t be so sad.
I accused him of spoiling her.
His answer was, “I want to spend my life spoiling you. Both of you.”
Pretty sure Demetri and Alec were getting tired of watching us because they’d all moved to different parts of the private jet.
Yeah, private jet.
I was still in shock.
“So.” Jaymeson cleared his throat. “I, uh, thought we should um…” He turned bright red. “Bring your stuff over to my place.”
“My stuff?” I asked.
“Yeah.” Why was he turning red?