Totally and Completely Fine(19)

I jumped. I hadn’t even heard Ollie approach. He dropped into the chair next to mine, and I pretended I hadn’t been ogling one of his actors.

“Shouldn’t you be directing?” I asked.

He waved a hand. “Lindsay’s got it,” he said.

Lindsay was the assistant director, and from the look of it, she did seem to have it all under control.

“She’s my retirement plan,” Ollie said. “I expect her to take over Hollywood in the next five or so years, after which I will be shamelessly leveraging any gratitude, guilt, or sense of obligation that I’ve accrued during this time.”

“Sounds foolproof,” I said.

“I know how to spot talent,” he said.

My gaze had wandered back to Ben, and vice versa. The smile he sent my way was so hot it could have given me a sunburn.

“Lauren,” Ollie said.

“Hmmm?”

“Eye fuck each other any harder and you’re going to get the entire crew pregnant.”

I smacked Ollie in the arm to distract from the blush I felt creeping up my face. Busted. I still tried to play it off.

“You cast him for a reason,” I said. “He’s attractive.”

“He certainly is,” Ollie said.

“I’m just imagining that I’m your audience,” I said.

“Oh, is that what you’re imagining?”

He winked and I let out a sigh of acceptance.

“Okay, he’s gorgeous and I’m very attracted to him.”

Ollie’s grin only grew wider.

“But it’s nothing,” I said.

“Oh, sure,” Ollie said. “Nothing.”

“I’m leaving tomorrow,” I said. “It’s nothing.”

“Hmmm.”

“What?”

Ollie shrugged. “I just remember hearing a few rumors about a younger, braver Lauren.”

“Gabe gossips like a housewife,” I said.

Ollie looked like he was going to say something else, but before he could, we were joined by Lena and Gabe, both armed with fro-yo.

“Got you a swirl,” Gabe said, handing me one.

“And for me?” Ollie asked.

Gabe gave him a look. “Shouldn’t you be directing?”

I lifted a hand, all what did I just say?

“I assure you both that I know how to run a film set,” Ollie said, standing. “And this is why Lena is my favorite Parker.”

Lena didn’t exactly beam at the compliment, but the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, which was basically the same thing.

“I was thinking…” Ollie said.

I noticed he’d positioned himself between me and Ben. As if I was incapable of containing my lusty stares in the presence of my brother and child.

Then again, I could vaguely see a PA dumping a bucket of water over Ben’s head and was grateful that I didn’t have a full view of the way Ben’s swim trunks clung to his hips and thighs and…

“What do you think, Lauren?” Gabe nudged me.

I hadn’t even heard the question. I was truly pathetic.

“Sounds great,” I said.

“Great,” Gabe said.

“We can go out to dinner afterward,” Ollie said. “A nice, long dinner.”

“Is there any other kind with you?” Gabe asked.

Ollie ignored him. “Why don’t you find a nice place for us to go, Lena?” he suggested. “Expensive. Exclusive. I’m sure your uncle would be happy to treat us to a five-course something.”

The gleam in Lena’s eyes told me that she was going to do everything she could to make a significant dent in Gabe’s credit card. With her phone out, she headed toward video village.

“No seafood platters!” Gabe called out, before shooting Ollie a look. “Bastard.”

“You’re a movie star, love,” Ollie said with a wave of his hand. “You can afford it.”

Gabe scowled and followed Lena.

“Dinner?” I asked, wondering if that was all I’d agreed to.

“I invited you all to watch some dailies,” Ollie said. “It’s not always the best idea to show your actors uncut footage, but I thought it would be nice for Lena to see some of the process.”

We both looked over at my daughter and my brother, who were now standing next to each other. I hadn’t realized how similar their body language was until I saw them with their arms crossed, each leaning on one leg, their hips at almost the exact same angle.

“She’s a great kid,” Ollie said.

It made my heart warm to know that other people could see past Lena’s tough exterior to the soft interior. And Ollie had been around long enough to know exactly why she’d had to develop such a thick skin.

“I hope she’s having fun,” I said.

“I think she is,” Ollie said. “She’s been nothing but an angel to me.”

“It’s the accent,” I said.

He threw back his head and laughed.

“You Americans,” he said. “All someone has to do is roll their R’s or silence their H’s and you go weak in the knees.”

“You’re not wrong.”

“Ben’s got a lovely accent,” Ollie said, without a drop of subtlety. “Hard to top that growly, sexy Irish lilt.”