Thrill Me (Fool's Gold #18)(60)

She worked quickly and efficiently. There was no attitude, no demanding. She gave her best and it was obvious she expected the same from everyone else. Her style was quiet and controlled, with a confidence that allowed everyone else around her to relax.

He was the only one who knew she’d been too nervous to sleep the night before. He’d seen her shaking when no one else had, but he wasn’t going to tell. He admired the hell out of her. Maya had talent, and the ability to make it work. As they’d discussed, she’d jumped and he was right there with her.

The actors appeared—six men and women in their twenties and thirties. They would play happy, romantic couples having a wonderful time at the casino. Later in the day, they would be filming a family of four having fun together by the pool.

He and Maya talked to the actors. He walked them through the actions, demonstrating where their marks were and the pacing of the flow. Maya watched it all through the lens of the camera, nodding as he explained.

“We’re fighting the clock,” she said loudly. “Let’s start from the top. Couple number one, take your place.”

Del used the stopwatch function on his phone to time the action. The couple did as he’d directed, with the second couple following quickly behind. They ran through it twice more. Del watched closely.

After the third time, he walked over to Maya. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” he asked. “Her dress.” He pointed to the actress in a red cocktail dress. “When she turns to the left, the skirt does something funny.”

Maya gave him a quick smile. “Good eye. It’s distracting. If she turned to the right, we’d get better flow with how they’re moving. Let’s try it.”

They made the change and did another walk-through. Maya did a sound check with her audio guy, then called for everyone to get ready.

Del knew the drill. The slate would show the shot name and take number. Quiet was called for on set. Audio went first, then the cameras rolled. The actors got their cue and the filming began.

He watched the action, but he was also keeping tabs on Maya. She ran the show. He was comfortable with that, but he also wanted her to know that she wasn’t in this alone. He would be there if she needed him. As a side benefit, he was learning the equivalent of a master’s class from her. Information he could use when he started his video series. No more amateur mistakes for him.

“Hi. I’m Cindy. I’m one of the hair and makeup people.” The woman who had walked up to him was about twenty-five, with gold-blond hair and big green eyes. A tight T-shirt stretched over impressive breasts.

“Del.”

“I know. I asked about you.” She smiled. “Want to get some breakfast?”

The invitation was clear. She leaned toward him as she spoke. Her smile was easy, and when she finished with her question she put her hand on his arm. Del took a step back.

“Thanks, but I’m with her.” He nodded toward Maya.

Cindy shrugged. “You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

* * *

BY THE END of the shoot, Maya knew two things for sure. That she’d never been so exhausted in her whole life, and that together she and Del had created magic. She’d only viewed the raw footage, but she liked what she’d seen.

The actual editing would be handled elsewhere. Still, she had copies of all she’d shot and later would get the finished commercials for her portfolio. In theory, she would never need them. She already had a job she liked. She wasn’t looking to make a change. But it was good to have options.

She parked by her office. Del had wanted to drive her home, but she had a few things she needed to check before she could return to her small house and crawl into bed. She hadn’t slept more than four hours for a week. She was so tired she was punchy, but it had been worth it.

She was proud of what she’d done. There’d been a challenge and she’d pulled it off. Del had been a big part of that. He’d stood by her the whole time. He’d offered great suggestions, had provided a buffer when one of the actors got a little full of himself and had ignored the blatantly sexual invitations of several cast members, not to mention from the crew.

Watching some big-busted sex kitten make eyes at him hadn’t been fun—especially knowing how great a night with him could be. But he’d refused them all. From what she could tell, he hadn’t been tempted. Not that he owed her anything. It wasn’t as if she’d ever told him how she felt.

She walked to the rear door of the office and opened it. “I love you, Del,” she said aloud, then giggled. There was a conversation changer, she thought. Would he back out of the room slowly or run for the hills? Because she was pretty sure he wasn’t going to be happy with the news.

Del liked her—she was sure of that. They worked well together. But love? He was interested in his next project, not forever. While she wanted...

Her brain was foggy, her thoughts unclear. Sleep beckoned. Just as soon as she sent off a few emails, she promised herself. She would sleep for two days and wake up refreshed. It was a plan. A good plan. She—

“There you are.”

Maya jumped and screamed as two small figures appeared in front of her. It took a second for her eyes to focus in the dimly lit hallway. Eddie and Gladys hovered.

“It’s two in the morning,” she said. “What are you doing here?”