Heidi's Guide to Four Letter Words(13)

“Sorry, didn’t want to interrupt,” he says with a kind smile. “I’m Jameson Kenter. I think I’m on the schedule to do some recording this morning.”

I blink my eyes a few times, wondering if I’m dreaming. When the tall, devastatingly handsome man I’d recognize anywhere is still standing on the other side of my desk, I know I’m awake and this definitely isn’t a dream.

“You’re Jameson Kenter,” I whisper in awe.

With his short, jet-black hair and striking green eyes, Jameson Kenter would make any woman act like a fool in his presence, even if he wasn’t one of Hollywood’s hottest up-and-coming actors. Even though action movies aren’t really my thing, I’ve seen everything he’s done, because he’s just so pretty to look at, on top of being a great actor who does all of his own stunt work.

Jameson chuckles softly and nods, reaching his arm across the desk with his hand out.

I look at his hand, back up to his face, then down at his hand again before I realize what he’s doing and quickly leap up to shake it. The back of my knees smack into the seat of the chair and it goes flying backward, crashing into the wall behind me. I’m so busy wincing at the loud noise it makes that at least it stops me from giggling like a fool when Jameson’s large, warm hand wraps around mine and he gives it a firm shake.

My cell phone starts buzzing loudly again from inside the desk drawer, bouncing all around the metal interior, making an even bigger racket than my chair flying into the wall. Dropping Jameson’s hand, I quickly reach out and slam the drawer closed to quiet the noise, giving him an apologetic smile when he chuckles again.

“I’m sorry. It’s only my second day here, and I have to say I’m a little surprised to see a real, live movie star standing in front of me. No one told me there’d be famous people walking through the doors. You’re like, really famous. And tall. I didn’t think you’d be so tall. Are you filming a movie that takes place in a recording studio or something?” I ramble.

Jameson smiles at me and casually slides his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. There’s just something about his kind eyes and how normal he seems that makes me feel at ease.

“I actually just finished filming in Minneapolis. I was hired to narrate a book, and my agent was able to find this place and squeeze me in while I’m in town,” he explains. “I haven’t had a vacation in a while, so I thought I’d take some time off after recording just to lay low and check out the sights.”

“You’re narrating a book? At EdenMedia?” I asked in astonishment. Pressing my palms flat against the top of the desk, I lean across it and lower my voice. “You know what kind of books they narrate here, right?”

Jameson’s smile deepens, and even though it doesn’t have the same effect on me that Brent’s smile does, it’s a nice smile, and I really can’t believe I’m standing here having a conversation with the Jameson Kenter like it’s no big deal and it happens every day.

Working here might actually have some perks.

“I hope it’s romance novels, since that’s what I was hired to narrate. Otherwise, I’m in the wrong place.” He quirks his lips in a smile.

“Oh, and you’re definitely in the right place if you’re here to narrate romance novels, if that’s what you call them. At least you won’t be narrating a Penelope Sharp book, since someone’s already doing that. I think my ears are still on fire after listening to a few lines from that thing yesterday, let me tell you.”

“Sleeping with my Secretary or Falling for my Secretary?”

“I…. You…. Oh my. You’ve heard of those books?”

“I should hope so. Penelope Sharp’s my wife.”

Forget the loud, annoying buzzing still coming from my desk drawer. That sound you hear right now is my head exploding from embarrassment.



“You can stop apologizing.” Jameson laughs as I guide him down the hallway to the empty recording booth he’ll be spending the rest of the day in.

“I really am sorry. I had no idea, and I never would have said something like that otherwise.” I push open the door to the booth to allow him to enter ahead of me.

“I told you, it’s fine. She doesn’t really publicize that Penelope Sharp is Aubrey Kenter’s pen name, because she doesn’t want people to think she’s using my fame to sell books. There’s no way you could have known,” he explains as I hover in the doorway and watch him get comfortable on the stool in front of the microphone.

Everyone who’s ever heard of Jameson Kenter knows about his marriage to Aubrey. It was the fairytale of the century as the world watched the two of them fall in love all over social media. She was just a small-town, regular, everyday woman from Ohio who decided to do something crazy a few years ago and got a job as an extra in one of his movies when they were filming in Cleveland. Jameson and Aubrey met over Danishes at the craft services table, and now they live happily ever after in Hollywood.

“Heidi, I’m gonna need your help testing out the microphone levels,” Dave states in a rush as he walks into the room behind me and sits down at the DAW, giving Jameson a wave from the other side of the glass like it’s perfectly normal there’s a famous Hollywood actor sitting a few feet away.

Obviously, this kind of thing happens all the time and he’s not even fazed by it. I’m so busy wondering what other famous person might make an appearance at some point that I completely miss what he just said.