She thanked him when she got out of the car, and she looked like a movie star, even though he was dropping her off at a college dorm.
“Thank you, Hamish, I had a wonderful time,” she said politely, and he laughed.
“No, you didn’t. You were scared to death on the red carpet. I could feel you shaking.”
“I loved the film,” she said. “And being with you.” She said it so softly he could barely hear her, and she gazed at him with big shy eyes.
“You can’t be invisible all the time,” he said, and she nodded. She looked so beautiful and so vulnerable that he couldn’t stop himself. As the snow began to fall again, he bent down and kissed her. It really had been a beautiful evening, despite the collegiate setting now, and the stress the press had caused her. She hadn’t expected him to kiss her, but there was something wonderfully romantic about it. She wondered if he had meant it, or he just got carried away on the high of the evening. But she wasn’t going to ask him. She enjoyed the moment, thanked him, and floated into her dorm as he watched her go.
* * *
—
The reviews the next day were fabulous and well deserved. The film was a total victory for Hamish, and the cast. And they raved about Antonia’s performance, and said she was the most exciting young face to hit the screen in years. And one of the reviewers saw the resemblance to Audrey Hepburn too, so he wasn’t wrong.
Antonia called Hamish at his hotel as soon as she read them.
“Bravo!” she said when he answered the phone in his suite. His phone had been ringing constantly since early that morning. “And thank you for last night.”
“Thank you for giving me that scene. It gave the picture an extra push.” Even she could see now that it did.
“They want more of you, Antonia,” he said gently.
“They can’t have me. I’m not an actress.”
“You could be, a great one.”
“It’s not what I want to do,” she told him for the hundredth time.
“When am I going to see you again?” He changed the subject.
“How long are you here for?” She had forgotten to ask him.
“Two more days. Let’s have dinner tomorrow night.” He had press interviews lined up all day and evening.
“That’s perfect. I have to turn a paper in tomorrow, so I have to finish it tonight.” He felt like he was dating a schoolgirl, but it amused him.
“How much longer do you have here?” he asked her.
“I graduate at the end of May,” she said proudly. It was only five months away, and he knew he could wait.
* * *
—
When he took her to dinner the following night at Majorelle uptown, the subject of his next movie came up. He was working on the deal now, and the casting. It was a juggling act to find a time when everyone was available, particularly the cast. He almost had it nailed down but not quite.
“There’s a supporting role for you in that movie, Antonia, if you’ll do it. And I have a confession to make. I’m offering it to you for two reasons. One, I think you would be extraordinary in it, and I know you can do it, if you’re willing. And two”—he looked at her tenderly and felt young again when he did—“I’m in love with you,” he said softly. “I want to work with you, and I want to find a way to keep you with me all the time.” She didn’t answer him for a minute, and he kissed her. She hadn’t expected this to happen. She had loved working for him for two summers, and what he had taught her, but she never expected to fall in love with him.
“I want to be with you too,” she whispered back. She felt safe with him. She didn’t need to hide when she was with him, and she wanted to make him happy. “I’ll do the movie,” she said bravely. “And maybe one day you’ll let me write a screenplay, and we can work on a movie together that I write and you direct. Is that a deal?”
He smiled broadly at her in answer. “You’re a stubborn woman, which is part of why I love you. I promise we’ll write and direct a movie together one day. And in the meantime, I’m going to make you a star.” He was certain she would be. The public would love her, but not nearly as much as he did. He was crazy about her.
“You make me happy,” she said peacefully. “That’s all I need.” She didn’t want to be a star. It had never been her dream.
“You make me happy too. We’ll be ready to start shooting in June. You’ll have graduated by then, so that should work perfectly. And I want you to stay with me after we finish the film. I have an idea of how to do it,” he said mysteriously, “but there’s plenty of time to talk about that. What are you doing over Christmas?” he asked her, and she wasn’t sure.