Grounded By You Page 13

  “You know it’s been waiting for you,” Josh said.

  “Good,” she said. “I’ll see you then.”

  She clicked off the phone. She was already making a list of everything she had to do before Monday. She didn’t have a lot of time, but Millie intended to erase every memory of Sam Groveson from her life before then if it killed her.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Sam threw himself into his work. He didn’t know what else to do. Unfortunately for him, Jackson and Camilla’s tragic love story wasn’t a calming salve of distraction, but a constantly poking reminder of what happened with Millie.

  At first, being back in Bleckerville was strange. People he had known since he was a kid now looked at him differently, almost as if he were someone else. When his twelfth grade English teacher asked him for his autograph, he knew for sure that everything was different. He was grateful that at least his parents treated him exactly the same.

  After the first weekend though, hearing his mother complain for the third time about the photographers camped out at the edge of their driveway, Sam realized that he couldn’t stay with them any longer. It was supposed to be comforting to be at home, but he was imposing on their regular lives. Normalcy was a luxury that he could no longer afford. He wondered if his life would ever feel like his own again.

  Victoria managed to score him a room with the rest of the cast and crew at a hotel in the neighboring town of Cheshire. After that, he and Delaney rode to the set together every day. After all, it was what was expected now that everyone was under the impression that the two of them were in a budding romance.

  In fact, Delaney became his confidant because she was the only there who knew the truth. She argued with him about his decision to end things with Millie, and felt bad about her part in their break-up when he told her what he had done. She didn’t speak to him for a full day until he reminded her that if they weren’t seen together off set people would assume something was wrong.

  Delaney was nice to him, and a good listener, but Sam knew what drove her. She was reaching for the brass ring, and Where My Heart Breaks was her ladder to get there. Still, he admired the quiet vulnerability and grace that she brought to the part of Camilla. It was easy for his Jackson to connect with her Camilla when they were together in front of the cameras.

  Lee pulled Sam aside three days after shooting started to let him know that he was pleased with the dailies so far, and Sam breathed a sigh of relief. He felt confident that he had managed to avert whatever doom and gloom scenario Victoria told him was on the horizon. But it didn’t make him feel the slightest bit better about what happened between him and Millie.

  A week into shooting, he was in the tent that had been set up for make-up when he felt a presence behind him. He looked in the mirror, and his face broke out in a wide smile. Letting out a whoop of delight, he stood and gave Kate Spivey a huge hug. He barely noticed the make-up artist duck out to give them some privacy.

  “Put me down, you big oaf,” she laughed. “It’s nice to see you too.”

  “Where have you been?” he asked. “I asked Patrice, but she changed the topic on me and then told me that I was getting too buff for my own good.”

  Kate rolled her eyes and sat down in the empty chair next to him. “That sounds like Patrice.”

  “So are you going to me in on the secret?” Sam was honestly glad to see Kate. He wasn’t sure if Millie told her anything about what happened between them, but nonetheless, Kate was his conduit to Millie. He fully intended to keep tabs on Millie while he was away, and the best way to do that without her knowing was through Kate.

  Kate stuck out her left hand, and Sam saw a sparkly diamond solitaire set in a gold band. “It’s not really a secret anymore. It’s official.”

  Sam reached over and squeezed her hand. “Congratulations, Kate. That is great news. I’m really happy for you and Reed.”

  “Thanks,” Kate said. “Reed wanted to get away for a few days to celebrate, and Patrice gave me some time off, so that’s why I wasn’t here when you got here. I was sure that he wanted to wait until I finished up my fall classes, but we both always said we wanted a winter wedding. It’s going to be harder than ever for me to get away from here once the movie opens, so we decided to go for it.”

  “That’s terrific,” Sam said. “So I guess Millie is going to be your maid of honor then?”

  “I’m surprised she didn’t tell you,” Kate said. “I told her last week. She said that the two of you had been spending some time together while you ducked the paparazzi. I can’t even imagine your life now.”

  “Yeah,” Sam said casually. “Millie was a real lifesaver those last few weeks.”

  “So how’s the movie going?” Kate asked. “This is just an amazing thing. Patrice is beyond thrilled about the fact that you all are here. The free publicity of having so much of the movie filmed here is going to set the whole town up for the tourist season. She’s even talking about adding another guest house further up the beach.”

  “Expansion, wow,” Sam said. Having worked at the Willoughby for the last three summers, he knew how hard Patrice worked to make the place a success. It seemed like the movie was a boon for more people than he thought.

  “Well, I should let you get back to it. I just wanted to say hello to the big movie star,” she teased as she stood. She stopped at the threshold of the tent and half-turned back toward him. “Have you talked to Millie since you left?”

  Sam felt his stomach twist, but he managed to keep his face neutral. “I saw her for a few minutes Friday night, but I had an early flight. I’ve been pretty busy with the shooting schedule since then. Why do you ask?”

  Kate shook her head. “I’m sure it’s nothing, but she’s been acting strange on the phone. I thought she even said something about working late with Josh, but that can’t be right. I mean, she wasn’t going to take that job with her dad, right?”

  He didn’t know what to say. He hoped it wasn’t true. He shrugged. “She didn’t say anything about that to me. Last I heard, she was working on something big to take in for her meeting with that gallery owner.”

  “Huh, that’s what I thought too,” Kate replied. Then she smiled and waved a hand. “I’m sure it’s nothing then. I’ll see you around.”

  Sam half-smiled back, but his heart wasn’t in it.

  Delaney appeared from behind the mirror, obviously having eavesdropped on the conversation. He didn’t have the energy to be annoyed. Her hair was up in an old-fashioned twist, and she wore a vintage maid costume. She was shooting interior scenes with her ‘father’ that day while Sam had scenes with Karen Noble, the actress who played Jackson Monroe’s wife in the film.

  “Co-mingling with the natives?” she asked as she powdered her nose.

  Even in the worn, threadbare costume, Delaney’s figure was prominently on display. Sam wasn’t interested in her that way, but he wasn’t blind. If he really were her boyfriend, he’d constantly be chasing her around with a robe.

  “She’s the assistant manager of the Willoughby. And she’s Millie’s best friend,” he added.

  Delaney raised an eyebrow at him in the mirror. “That’s an interesting wrinkle in this sordid tale.”

  “I don’t think that Millie told her anything about us,” Sam said, rubbing his forehead. “If she did, there’s no way Kate would be talking to me right now. She’d be trying to hit my head with something hard for being so dumb.”

  “Sounds like a safe assumption,” Delaney said. “Did she ask you about me?”

  Sam rolled his eyes. “It’s not all about you, you know.”

  “I know,” Delaney said sarcastically. “I just figured that if she said something, then the gears are turning on the news of our little romance.”

  He didn’t know why Delaney was so eager to have more details of their fake romance splashed across the news. She hadn’t made any move toward him since that first night to make him think she was interested in a real romance, but she seemed inten
t on making sure everybody else thought it was real. Then he realized what it had to be and wondered why he hadn’t put two and two together before. It all made sense.

  “So who is he?” he asked quietly.

  Delaney blinked. “Who is he who?”

  “You’re equivalent of Millie,” Sam asked. “Who is waiting for you to be done with this craziness?”

  He saw a flash of pain in her eyes, and he thought for a moment that Delaney was going to cry. Then her face cleared. She looked around to see if anyone was around them listening. Seemingly satisfied, she sat back in the flimsy chair and looked away from him.

  “His name is Vance,” she said softly. “But he’s not waiting for me. Not by a long shot.”

  “Who is he?” Sam asked again.

  “He’s a guy, Sam,” Delaney said with a note of anger in her voice. “He was the director of my last play, the one that the casting director of this movie saw me in. I thought…I thought that what we had was something that would last beyond that production. I was wrong.”

  “What happened?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Delaney said, standing up. “Anyone in this business long enough will tell you that relationships are difficult to maintain. We get paid to play make-believe. Sometimes, people start thinking that the make-believe is real. That was definitely my mistake, and it won’t happen again. That’s why this thing that you and I have going on, this fake romance, is the realest relationship I’ve ever had in my life. There’s no guessing at what the other person is thinking, or wondering if there’s some undertone that I’m missing because I’m living it and not watching it.”

  “That’s just…sad,” Sam said, watching her face.

  “What do you know?” Delaney hissed. “You gave up the woman you cared about for fortune and fame. You’re the sad one here, not me.” She stormed out of the tent.

  At first, Sam was angry at her words, and then he realized that lashing out at him was the only way she could feel better about herself. He hadn’t left Millie because he wanted fortune and fame. He was chasing the fictional character who had haunted him his whole life. Jackson Monroe was the reason he became an actor to begin with. He wasn’t sure that was any better reason though.

  He wanted desperately to call Millie then and check on her. Kate’s words concerned him, and he hoped that he hadn’t inadvertently thrown Millie into some kind of tailspin that sent her running back to her family. He couldn’t think of a worse place for her.

  When the phone in his hand buzzed, he wondered if he had somehow wished badly enough that she’d call him that she had. Then he looked at the number and saw that it was Victoria. He sighed.

  “What’s up, Victoria?” he asked.

  “Hey, kid. I heard that things are going great. The executive producers have been watching the dailies and are thrilled. They can’t stop gushing about how perfectly cast you and Delaney are for the roles. They said they haven’t seen this kind of on-screen chemistry in a long time. They think the viewers are going to go crazy for the two of you.”

  “That’s good news,” Sam said dully.

  “I’ve also heard that you and Delaney have been spotted out and about around town. How fabulous,” Victoria said. Sam could hear her sly smile through the phone.

  “We’re rehearsing,” Sam said. “I got the updated filming schedule this morning. You weren’t kidding when you said that they’re trying to cram everything in as quickly as possible.”

  “The holidays are practically around the corner,” Victoria said. “They’re even more excited by what they’re seeing now. I think this could be it for you, Sam. Seriously.”

  Sam knew Victoria well enough now to know that she had called for a reason, and it wasn’t just to tell him what a great job he was doing. That’s something that she could have done through email.

  “So cut to the chase, Victoria. What do you want?”

  “I saw on the updated schedule that there’s a cast break coming up this weekend,” she said.

  “That’s if they don’t change it,” Sam said.

  “They won’t,” Victoria said confidently. “The studio is hosting a launch party for their new blockbuster summer movie that is coming out this weekend. They’d like you and Delaney to attend the premiere. Consider it a bit of a coming out party.”

  “Coming out that we’re a couple?” Sam felt a headache brewing behind his eyes.

  “Whatever,” Victoria said. “You get flown out there on the studio’s private jet Friday after shooting wraps. You attend the premiere and have some pictures snapped. You’re back on the plane Saturday morning and shooting Saturday afternoon. It’ll be a nice little break from reality.”

  That’s what Sam thought the whole business of filming a movie was all about, but he didn’t say that to Victoria. He knew she only wanted to hear one thing from him.

  “I’ll be there.”

  “Fantastic. I’ll connect with Delaney’s agent, and we’ll make it happen. Just keep doing what you’re doing, Sam. I can feel the magic here, and so will everyone else. It’s perfect.”

  And that’s exactly what worried Sam the most.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Millie buried her head in the stack of papers on the desk in front of her. “This doesn’t make any sense,” she moaned.

  Josh flicked the top of her head and she turned her head to the side to glare up at him.

  “It doesn’t make any sense because you aren’t concentrating,” he said.

  She took the papers and threw them up in the air. “No, I am concentrating. This is just a pile of nonsense, Josh. I’ve studied international economics. I grew up listening to Dad talk endlessly with his buddies about imports and exports. I played the stock market with my allowance when I was in prep school and made over ten thousand dollars in one quarter. I’m telling you, the terms of this acquisition make no sense.”

  Josh stood and pointed at the papers all around her feet. “That was really mature.” He signed. “It’s complicated, Millie. I won’t lie about that. But this is pretty simple stuff. Dad isn’t going to let you sit in on the negotiations if you don’t understand the basics.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to tell Josh she didn’t want to sit in on the negotiations. That she didn’t care one bit if they stayed a fifty million company, or grew to a seventy-five million dollar company overnight. She just wanted to go home, crawl into bed and sleep.

  “I’m sorry,” she said as she started to pick up the papers around her chair. “I haven’t been sleeping well.”

  “I can tell. You look like shit,” Josh said.

  “Geez, thanks big brother,” she said.

  Josh sat down next to her as she shuffled the papers back into order. “I’m glad you changed your mind. I really am, but I have to wonder if this is really want you want.”

  Millie didn’t meet his eyes. “What do you mean? I’m here, aren’t I? I’ve been locked up in this conference room with you every minute of every day for the last three weeks. You’d think you were trying out some kind of torturous mind meld on me the way you’ve been shoving information into my head. You act like you’re going to die tomorrow, and I’m going to have to take your place as heir apparent. I’m just the runner up, you know.”

  Josh’s mouth tightened, and he swung his chair away from her. She caught something in his expression that alarmed her. She stood and moved around his chair. She crossed her arms. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “This is a big deal, Millie,” Josh suddenly shouted. “If you aren’t going to take it seriously, then get the hell out! I don’t need someone working with me who is going to fold under the pressure and not give a shit.”

  Millie was shocked. She and Josh had their share of fights over the years, but he had never spoken to her like this. “Josh, I’m trying. I’m sorry.”

  Josh pushed to his feet. “We’re due in DC on the twenty-eighth. If you are going with me, then you better brush up on all of this and fast.” He strode out of th
e room without a backward glance.

  Millie sank into her chair with a low groan. She pulled out her phone and went into her calendar. The twenty-eighth was the Monday after Kate’s engagement party, which was a week away. She’d fly directly to DC from there.

  She couldn’t remember feeling so tired in her entire life, even after cramming with no sleep during finals. The only good thing about her new job was that she didn’t have time to think about Sam. Every waking moment seemed to be taken up trying to accumulate as much information as she could about the financials of her father’s company. She remembered now why she considered studying law instead of getting her business degree.

  The one thing that she hadn’t been able fully to shake though was her desire to paint. She originally planned to terminate the lease on her studio space, but something held her back. She didn’t intend to paint again, but she couldn’t bring herself to give the space up. Not yet. In time, she thought that she’d fully be able to give that up, but she decided she didn’t need to rush it.

  She started packing up the paperwork in front of her. She intended to go home, have a glass of wine, and pour over the numbers again in an attempt to try to make it all make sense. Being sequestered in the conference room with Josh was fraying her nerves, which was part of the reason she thought she couldn’t concentrate. The closer they got to the meeting on the twenty-eighth, the tenser that Josh got, and the crankier they got with each other. She thought there was probably some rule out there about not having siblings working together that she missed.

  Her phone lit up and vibrated on the table. “So are you fully recovered from your weekend of post-engagement bliss?” she asked. “You were supposed to call me forever ago with all the details. Text messages aren’t cutting it.”

  “I know. I’ve been completely slack, but it’s been crazy around here. The trip was amazing,” Kate said. She rattled on about the suite that Reed reserved and then provided some rather graphic details about what they had done in it that normally Millie would be completely enraptured with. Tonight, however, she found that she could barely focus.