A Humble Heart (Hollywood Hearts #1)(36)

Dana laughed weakly against his chest and playfully smacked his arm. “Smart ass.” He held her tightly in his arms for several minutes.

“I was wondering….,” Edward mussed.

“Yes?” she asked, pulling away from him.

“Well, I was wondering if you were free tonight,” he asked.

“You’ll have to check with one of my assistants,” she said, smiling.

“Hmm, going to play hard to get?” He gave her a half smile and stepped away from her. He opened the door and found Amy standing five feet away from the trailer, chewing on her nails.

“Amy, is Dana free tonight?” he asked.

She took out her palm pilot. “No, she has a book signing today.”

“Oh, I forgot.” Dana winced. “What time?”

“Oh, you have one hour before you have to be there and then you’re booked until ten tonight,” Amy said.

Dana looked at Edward. “Sorry, I have to do this.”

He shrugged. “It’s okay. I’ll pick you up at ten?”

“Are you sure?” Dana asked, trying to suppress a smile.

“Yes, I want to see you tonight.”

“Actually, you can arrive at seven if you want. She needs a date to the dinner,” Amy said.

“Perfect,” Edward said, smiling warmly at her.

“Is this the open mic dinner?” Dana asked, hoping it wasn't.

“Yup, that would be the one,” Amy said, grinning wickedly.

“What does that mean?” Edward asked. He was quite amused with Dana’s reaction. It was cute to see her pouting.

“I have to stand in front of everyone and do a Q & A session,” she mumbled unhappily.

“I’m definitely going then.”

Rick walked over with Eleanor. “If you guys are all set, we need to start our meetings now.”

Dana reluctantly nodded.

“I have to go do a scene. I’ll see you later.” Edward pulled her into his arms and kissed her. When he pulled back he saw dozens of cameras pointed their way and nearly groaned.

Just great.

********

Dana followed Rick to a black stretch limo. Eleanor, Amy, and three men were already inside. One of the men was Eric, the head of Rascal Productions. He gave her a pleasant smile. “How are you, Dana?”

“I’m fine, Eric, thank you. How are you?”

“Good, actually better than good. I have a proposal for you. Well, several in fact,” Eric said.

“Okay, I’m listening,” she said cautiously. After twenty phones calls from  p**n  companies over the weekend describing in detail what they wanted her to do, she found herself a bit wary when someone uttered the word “proposal.”

“Well, after talking to Amy we sent Hustler, Playboy and several other seedier magazines away. We would however appreciate it if you would consider doing a spread for Maxim magazine,” Eric said.

Dana’s mouth dropped. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Dana, it would be good for you. I’ve talked to them and they’ve agreed to keep it clean, a bathing suit is a must. They are going to go for the single mother who got her life back together angle. They’ve agreed to run the article by you before they put it to print. Anything you don’t want to talk about is off limits. They’ve offered a sizeable amount for this interview and pictures. I think it would be worth it if it inspired even one woman,” Amy explained in a professional tone.

Dana studied the young woman for a long moment. Amy always went above and beyond the call of an assistant. She researched everything instead of merely taking a message and handing it to her. She was always on top of everything and knew the business inside and out.

“Hmm, interesting. Amy?”

“Yes?”

“You’re fired,” Dana said.

Amy’s face crumbled. Eleanor looked horrified and the men stared shocked. “You’re no longer my assistant. You’re my representative. Come up with a figure you find reasonable and give it to me later. You’re too good to stay an assistant, Amy. I want you to help handle these deals. Do you want the job?”

Amy was practically jumping in her seat. Eleanor had to put her arm around her daughter to hold her down. “Yes, I’ll accept it.” She tried to sound casual, but failed. The men chuckled.

“Good. What else should I know about this offer?” Dana asked.

“It has a time limit on it,” Amy said after taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

“Do you think I should accept?”

“Yes, I do,” Amy said without any hesitation.

“Okay, let them know,” Dana said slowly. She felt nervous in an excited way. This was a new step. She looked at Eric. “What’s next?”

He smiled. “Well, I talked to Amy about several possible roles for you. We would like you to try your hand at acting.”

“I’ve never acted a day in my life,” Dana said uneasily.

“Dana, I’ve looked over several of the scripts and I think I've found the perfect role for you. It’s an action-adventure romance. The story line is great. The plot revolves around a history professor who goes to do research in New York only to get caught up with an FBI agent after she witnesses a murder. I think it would be perfect for you.”