Chapter Eight

West studied the grand living room, utterly fascinated by the transformation. Just a few days ago, it had been a blank slate, a soundstage with nothing but equipment, and now it looked like the inside of a luxurious mansion.

Just a few weeks into this assignment and he was finding a world that never bored him. He’d thought he would absolutely hate the times when Ally was working and he was at loose ends, but once the crew figured out he didn’t mind helping, they’d started to put him to work. He’d learned a lot about lighting and special effects when he was sure Ally was in a safe space. The acting part didn’t do anything for him at all, but there was something magical about using lights to make an actress practically glow.

Of course he didn’t need lights to make Ally glow. All he needed to do was kiss her until she couldn’t think.

He was rapidly falling in love with a woman who would leave in two months. They had an expiration date, but he didn’t like to think about that.

Ally sat on one of the ornate couches, watching as her “mother” gave a speech about keeping the family together in the face of the tragedy they were going through.

This he’d been told was “blocking.”

Over the last few weeks, Ally had done an enormous amount of research. Her days were filled with working out, doing publicity stuff that he didn’t understand, and then she got down to the actual work. Sometimes she fell asleep in the car and he had to carry her up to the condo.

He wasn’t sure how she managed it all, but at least JK Harris had been perfectly quiet. They had to deal with the paparazzi, but he’d found a fun way to get around them when he wanted to.

Sometimes having an identical twin came in handy.

“Mr. Rycroft?”

West turned, and the director was walking his way. He hadn’t talked to the director much. He didn’t seem to be around the set a lot, which confused West. Jay Clarke seemed to spend most of his time in one-on-one sessions with the cast. “Hello, sir. You can call me West. Shouldn’t you be in there? Aren’t you the director?”

Jay looked like he’d just walked in. He hadn’t set his messenger bag down yet, but the cast had been working for over an hour. “I don’t handle this part of the production. That’s what second units are for. I have two second ADs I trust. I oversee things. When we actually film this scene, I’ll be on set, but this is more for the actors to get the blocking down and to test the light and make sure everything will run properly.”

So the director had better things to do than grunt work. “Understood. I’ll be honest, I thought this would be far more boring than it actually is.”

“That’s odd because most people are eager to get a behind-the-scenes look and then realize how complex the whole thing is and they lose their fascination,” Jay replied. “If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Most of this crew loves to explain what they do. Actors aren’t the only ones in Hollywood who love attention. Speaking of attention, I heard a rumor that Ally’s stalker has followed her to Dallas. Is that possible?”

“Did it finally make the news?” He’d been surprised the press hadn’t picked up on it until now. DPD had kept the whole thing quiet, but it was inevitable that it would get out. Now the reporters would really be looking for them.

Jay frowned. “It came across a gossip site. Someone sent her a box of blood? Tell me it wasn’t real.”

He’d been meaning to have this conversation for days but hadn’t been able to pin Jay down. He was also a little surprised security hadn’t gossiped. The head of the studio security unit had all the reports and had agreed to implement new protocols now that they were going to start spending most of their time here. “The police haven’t sent me a toxicology report yet, but Ally claims it’s absolutely fake blood. She seemed to think it was something a special effects department would use. Can I ask you if you’ve ever worked with a man named JK Harris?”

A brow rose over Jay’s intellectual-looking glasses. “Can’t say I remember the name, but it’s a small world. It’s possible. How is she? She must have been terrified.”

He wouldn’t ever forget the look on her face when he’d come to pick her up. “She’s handling it as well as she can.”

“Yes, she seems to be handling it phenomenally. She hasn’t mentioned anything about it in our sessions. You think it’s from this JK guy?” Jay seemed to consider the idea for a moment. “You know, now I think I do recall hearing his name, but it was connected to Ally. Is he the set decorator she accused of harassment?”

West didn’t like how the director framed the situation. “He’s the asshole who harassed her, so yes.”

“Hey, not trying to offend. It’s hard to know what’s the truth sometimes. If Ally says he did it, then I believe her. I believe women. But the trouble is sometimes perfect politeness isn’t good for artistic environments. Not in that case, I’m sure, but in some cases, we have to be tolerant.”

He wondered how many times someone asked Ally to put up with shit to keep some bigwig comfortable. He wasn’t going to argue with this man, though. He’d promised Ally he would behave. “Anyway, yes, that’s the man LAPD has been looking at. Someone broke into Ally’s house before filming started.”

“And you think he’s the same person who sent her the box?” Jay looked out over the set.

“My boss is not entirely sure.” Eve had finished her basic report, and one of her scenarios was that this was not JK Harris, but another person with a more sinister purpose than revenge.

“She has another stalker? Because it would seem to me that this guy has a reason to hate her,” Jay pointed out. “I bet he’s having a hard time finding a job.”

Ian and Eve seemed unsure at this point. He trusted his boss’s instincts. “I’m sure he is. I think the investigators are simply trying to keep an open mind. I hope you’ll understand the new safety protocols I asked security to put in place.”

It involved more patrols, more security camera coverage, better vetting of visitors.

“I want her to feel safe here,” Jay said. “But I would bet this is going to be a hardship on the rest of the crew. Hopefully our insurance doesn’t go up. But the important thing is Ally is safe.”

Yes, that was all West cared about.

“Jay.” A familiar face walked toward them.

West had seen several of Bryce Jericho’s films. He usually played the stalwart hero. Now he looked like he’d been cast as Annoyed Man.

“I’m late because I was forced to show ID to get on set. What the hell is going on?” Bryce completely ignored everyone but the director. “Like the security team doesn’t know who the hell I am? What kind of a second-rate production are you running here?”

He was loud enough that the rehearsal had stopped, and the actors were now staring, trying to figure out what was going on.

He saw Ally standing with her arms crossed over her chest, her expression blank.

“Hey, we’ve had some trouble,” Jay started to say.

Bryce shook his head. “No, we haven’t had trouble. She’s had trouble. That ridiculous bit of fluff you’ve brought in is the only person here who has trouble.”

Ally barked out a laugh. And then shook her head. “Sorry. I’ve never been called fluff before.”

That was his girl. “Mr. Jericho, I made that call. As the head of Ally’s security…”

“Seriously? The head of her security?” Bryce shot back. “We all saw the pictures. The whole Internet is loaded with shots of the two of you acting like teenaged lovers. It’s not enough that she’s apparently bringing her stalkers along. She has to cause a scandal in the tabloids, too?”

“I’m not sure how it’s a scandal.” It was obvious Mr. Jericho was going to play out this drama. West intended to at least point out the flaws in his logic. “Neither Ally nor I are involved with anyone else. We’re two consenting adults who’ve started a relationship. How is that scandalous?”

“See? I knew she was fucking him,” Channing said under her breath.

Ally’s eyes rolled, and the brat was in the building. There was a tipping point with Ally, and she’d reached it. “Oh, you’re just jealous. He was never going to do you, lady. And Bryce, it is the twenty-first century. Me falling for my superhot and awesomely amazing bodyguard is not a scandal. Do you know what is? You fucking your trainer behind your wife’s back.”

A gasp went through the room.

Ally shrugged. “Well, we all know it. Do you know why no one talks about it? Because you guys are happy to throw me to the wolves so they’re fed and don’t try to eat you. You think I don’t know that? I know I’m incredibly pretty, but there is a brain under all this, too. I’d like to know which one of you put a tracker on my boyfriend’s car.”

The actor West had been told was playing Ally’s brother shook his head. Reid something. “Why would we do that?”

“Again, to throw off the scent,” Ally explained. “You guys know the paps are going to show up, and you want all eyes focused on me so they don’t see what you’re doing. Which in your case, Reid, is a shit ton of cocaine.”

The actor’s face turned red, and West was worried he would have to intervene.

When his baby decided she was through playing, she got mean. Though it was nothing less than they deserved.

“You little bitch,” Reid said between clenched teeth.

West started for the stairs. It looked like he might be guarding her body today.

“See, that’s way more apropos than calling me a bit of fluff.” Ally pointed Reid’s way. “Cocaine Bear understands.”

Channing snorted. “Well, she’s got you there. All that scruff. You should shave, son.”

“How dare you accuse me of using drugs.” Reid stared up at Ally. “Do you think I haven’t heard what you say about me behind my back?”

“Said behind your back?” Ally asked. “Dude, I will always insult you to your front. That’s the great thing about me. And I know one of you tipped off the paparazzi.”

Bryce threw his hands up. “This is ridiculous. I don’t know why I should have to put up with a sniveling little no talent like you at all. I think I won’t for now.”

He turned and walked away.

“What was that about?” Ally asked as he joined her. Her hand found his, and despite the bravado, he could suddenly tell she wasn’t enjoying the confrontation.

Jay held up a hand, addressing the cast and crew. “I’m going to find out. Allyson, I’d like to have a word with you in my office in half an hour. And no, I am not firing her if that’s what you’re thinking. I want to talk to each of you. This is getting out of hand. I happen to know that there’s going to be a story in Vanity Fair about chaos on this set. I won’t have it.”

Jay stalked off after Bryce.

“You should quit. You’re the one causing all this chaos, and I bet no one put a tracker on his car,” Reid said, venom dripping. “I bet you called the paparazzi yourself, you attention-seeking whore.”

Oh, he was not going to be able to keep that promise he’d made. West felt his fists clench.

Ally simply squeezed his hand. “He’s not worth it. Reid, you should go to the bathroom. You missed a spot right under your nose. Can’t get messy with the drugs now.”

She was going to kill him.

Reid stormed off.

Channing sighed and smoothed back her hair. “Oh, honey. I utterly underestimated you. I shouldn’t have given your mother’s reputation. Cocaine Bear, indeed. That’s very amusing. Well, this is a complete mess. I don’t think we’re finishing this today, so it feels like wine o’clock. I’ll be in my dressing room if you want to talk. I’ve got an excellent Pinot if you’re interested.”

Ally frowned. “I thought you hated me.”

Channing shrugged one elegant shoulder. “I suppose I’m jealous of what you can get away with, but I came up in a different time. I’m being a bit hypocritical because you’re beautiful and young and have that pretty stallion to ride.”

“Excuse me,” West began.

Ally put a hand on his chest. “You know she’s right. Hush. I think this is going to be an incredible monologue.”

Channing did seem to be gearing up. She put a hand over her heart. “It’s hard getting old in this business. Especially since they think you’re old at thirty-five. When I was coming up, I had to hold my tongue about everything. I fought, though. I brought down a producer who viewed actresses as stress relief. He was incredibly powerful, and I had to risk my career to do it. At first I thought who is this mouthy kid? You know what? You can say the things you say because women like me and your mother fought and won. So you go, kid. You’re not a half bad actress, and you only tell the truth, which this industry needs more of. And Reid really should shave. That beard made him look like he was recently shipwrecked.”

“And it’s a catchall for the coke that doesn’t make it into his nose,” Ally said.

Channing nodded. “I’ll go talk to Bryce and Jay. Mr. Bodyguard…”

“It’s West. Or Mr. Rycroft,” he corrected.

Channing shook her head. “No. I don’t remember names unless they have some sort of production attached to them. You are Mr. Bodyguard or Ally’s Hot Piece. Your choice.”

Channing seemed to have learned a thing or two from those men she’d claimed to bring down. “Mr. Bodyguard it is then.”

“Excellent. Can we allow security to identify Bryce from his very familiar face? The old boy needs the affirmation,” she explained. “He’ll be much more amenable to the rules if he knows they’ve been bent for him. Can we all agree that Bryce Jericho isn’t a stalker?”

Ally looked up at him. “It’s so not Bryce.”

He sighed, giving in. He didn’t see the imposition, but apparently, allowances must be made. “Fine, but he does have to check in.”

“Well, of course. How else would he get the fawning attention he needs?” Channing asked. “He would be disappointed if they didn’t acknowledge his godlike presence. And Ally, let me know if you get contacted by actual reporters. I’m not worried about the tabloids. They’ll take a grain of truth and turn it into a massive conspiracy. Every set has chaos. Honestly, it’s publicity, and that never hurts. But if Vanity Fair or some other industry publication is starting to write about it, that could be bad. I wouldn’t want you to get a reputation for being difficult to work with.”

“Pretty sure I already have that,” she admitted.

“Well, it’s not earned. I’ve found you very amusing to work with,” Channing admitted. “And it’s not all about the pretty landscape you bring with you. Let me know if you need help.”

West frowned. “Did she call me landscape?”

Ally leaned into him. “Shhh. You know you are the prettiest of all landscapes.”

She sniffled, and he totally forgot about being objectified. He kissed the top of her head. “Want to go sit somewhere for a while?”

“Yeah. I think this might be a cowboy, take me away moment.”

He swept her up and carried her back to her dressing room, closing out the rest of the world.

For now.

* * * *

Ally felt somewhat better an hour later as she sat down in Jay’s big trailer. It had been delivered mere days before, taking up a whole row of parking spots. Hers was being hooked up tomorrow in preparation for the weeks they would be filming on the sound stages. Four weeks of studio work and then a couple of location shoots and they would be back in LA.

And West wouldn’t be there. Unless he agreed to stay on as her bodyguard.

They were floating through, not talking about what came next because she kind of dreaded what came next. West had a job and a family here, and her life was pretty much on the road at this time.

She didn’t see how they could work, but she also couldn’t imagine her life without him. There were moments and events that changed a person so thoroughly there was a before and after. She would forever view this time as After Meeting West. AMW. She was a changed person, softer than before, more capable of being hurt.

“Cocaine Bear? Was that necessary?” Jay looked at her like she was a naughty ten-year-old.

“He annoyed me. And honestly, he’s been awful to me this whole time.” She was halfway getting along with Channing and Bryce—or had been—but Reid was a complete dick weed. “He walks away when I try to talk to him. He’s beyond rude.”

“Have you considered that it’s part of his process and you should honor it?”

“Process?” She tried to tamp down her annoyance. Jay had been trying to teach her his method for weeks now. His “method” was to be miserable all the time, to find the pain the character went through and allow herself to be traumatized. He’d wanted her to check herself into a mental hospital for a couple of days to experience the horror.

Her character was only shown in the mental hospital once, and she figured she could scream without forcing herself to endure something terrible.

“Yes. Reid is taking this production seriously,” Jay said, adjusting his glasses. “His character hates his sister, so he hates you.”

It took all she had to not roll her eyes. “I think that has to do with more than the character.” This would get her nowhere.

She’d come into the production planning to do anything she had to do. So why had she ignored what Jay wanted?

West freaking Rycroft, of course.

When Jay asked if she wanted to spend time in an asylum, she’d thought about how she would explain that to West, and it sounded so ridiculous she’d said no.

Before Meeting West, she would have gone all wide-eyed and thanked him for teaching her to be a better actress.

After Meeting West, she knew she had a process, too, and it wasn’t to act like a jackhole because of a character she was playing.

Her mom and stepdad had been in the business too long. She didn’t spend enough time with her sister and brother-in-law, so being around West, his brother and Martin, and all their friends had been a revelation.

If she’d never met West, she wouldn’t be sitting here on the cusp of being fired. She would be a sheep following this guy’s every word, but she would have a career.

“I know not everybody gets along.” Jay sat back, seeming to relax. “That’s a good thing, in my opinion. I think there’s a lot of drama to be found in real-life conflict.”

“You mentioned something about the press picking up some stories about conflict on the set. Shouldn’t we be worried about that?” She couldn’t help but think about what Channing had said. The tabloids were one thing. Industry news was another, and Ally was absolutely the one with the most to lose.

She’d meant everything she’d said earlier. They did hide behind her. She was the chum they threw into the water to distract the sharks while they swam away to the next project.

If it got out that she was the reason for production problems, there might not be another project for her.

Jay waved that off. “You know all publicity is good publicity. If it gets people talking about the movie, I don’t mind it.”

“It’s not good publicity for me,” she pointed out.

“I disagree, but I think we should talk about how it affects the production. You have to deal with the tabloids on your own. I can’t do anything about it. Now while I think you should be a bit kinder to Reid, I don’t entirely hate the vibe you two have. The friction between the two of you actually works. I’ve watched your rehearsals, and I think you and Reid have an odd chemistry that’s going to pop on screen. That’s not the part of your performance I’m worried about.”

Ally’s gut tightened. How close was she to losing this job?

The last couple of weeks seemed like a dream. Beyond a couple of nasty DMs online, it appeared her stalker had gotten a life or something. All had been quiet on that front, and she’d been able to sink into the relationship with West. She’d felt more like herself than she had in years. Even the paparazzi didn’t bother her. If they wanted pics of her and her superhot boyfriend, have at it. Though she’d had to warn Martin that they would never go away if he kept bringing them coffee and cookies. They would have a whole pack of stray photogs to feed soon.

Except Martin wouldn’t be in LA with her.

She forced herself to focus. “What part of my performance are you worried about?”

His fingers tapped on the notepad he held on his lap. “I think you understand Delia’s isolation. You have her compassion down. What you are missing is her fear. I thought you held back in rehearsals. This is where actually experiencing what she went through would be helpful.”

Yes, traumatizing herself for art sounded so fun. It was supposed to be acting. She held her tongue on that part. It wouldn’t help her. Instead, she chose to defend her portrayal based on historical evidence. “All of the accounts I’ve read claim Delia was afraid, but she was also calm and tried to use reason to explain what was happening to her. That’s what makes it so tragic. Her brother was trying to make her look insane, and when she would question him, he gaslighted her.”

Jay shook his head. “That’s not going to work for my vision. I’m making a statement here, Allyson, and your portrayal is the centerpiece. Of all the Crownes, Delia’s story is the most tragic. The audience needs to feel the horror of what is being done to her. Your restrained performance in rehearsals is not what I’m looking for. I don’t understand it. Is it that you don’t trust me enough to open yourself?”

“I’m trying to be true to the Delia I’ve come to know.” She took a deep breath and realized she was going to have to compromise. “I’ll rehearse it with more horror energy, I promise. But I would like a couple of takes where I get to experiment.”

He would use the take he wanted to anyway. He was the kind of director who said he listened to actors and brought them into a collaborative process, but he really just moved them around like chess pieces.

“Sure. But I also want to talk to you about some experiences that will allow you to draw on your own feelings,” he explained. “I’d like to set you up with a therapist who can maybe walk you through some of your recent events.”

“Why?”

“Ally, you’ve had some scary situations happen to you recently, and you’re not using them as fuel. What good is anything if an artist can’t use it?”

Well, it was called life, and not every second of it had to be picked apart and stuck on screen for all to see.

Some things were private. Some moments were only for her and her family.

She never used to think this way. Fucking West.

Life might have been easier BMW.

“I also think you should talk about your experiences,” Jay was saying. “I was surprised you didn’t. No one even knew about what was happening to you until today.”

“Security knew,” she pointed out.

“But your castmates didn’t. Your fans didn’t. These are the most important people in an actor’s life, and you’re cutting them out.”

That felt like an accusation. “I think I put enough of my life out there. Besides, one of the things my security professionals have told me is this guy is hungry for attention. He would love it if I was on the news nightly talking about him. I’m not going to allow him that much space in my life.”

A brow rose over his eyes. “Your security professionals? Or your boyfriend?”

“He’s both.”

“Yes, and he’s had a huge impact on you. That’s quite clear. You aren’t the same actress I hired. You seem much less focused. Honestly, one of the reasons I brought you onto this production was I liked how hungry you were. It was obvious to me you would do anything to be a better actress, to make great art. To leave behind your somewhat unsavory past.”

Why was it unsavory? Because she’d made money from a reality show? Why did that make her a lesser species? “I assure you I’m still hungry. Acting is all I ever wanted to do.”

“Are you sure it’s acting and not simply being famous?” Jay asked. “I thought I knew the answer, but lately I fear it’s the latter. You’re choosing your personal life over the opportunity of a lifetime. Do you want to be Meryl Streep, or are you satisfied with being Lindsay Lohan? Is your boyfriend going to star in your next reality show?”

West would be horrified at the very notion of being on the show. But if she didn’t have a career, wouldn’t she need that stupid show again?

Could she coast through life on what she had? Give up on everything she’d wanted because she couldn’t quite seem to break through?

“Are you telling me in order to keep this job I have to break up with my boyfriend?”

Jay stared at her, the moment almost becoming awkward before he spoke. “I’m saying you should think about whether having him around is helping you to focus. And you should think about the advice he gives you. He doesn’t live in our world. He doesn’t understand it, and it’s going to cost you and quite frankly the whole production. I simply thought you would be more committed to doing the work.”

She was going to lose this job. “I’ll consider everything you’ve said.”

Even as she said the words, she kind of hated herself. It felt like capitulation.

“And I’ll call in the therapist,” Jay said, smiling for the first time. “It’s a brand-new part of my method. I’m writing a book about it. I honestly think this is going to be one of those productions that goes down in history as legendary. If you stay with me, you’ll be a part of changing the way our industry works. All I need is a little compromise from you and for you to be open to the process.”

Wasn’t that what she’d always wanted? Jay Clarke was a director on his way up. He could open all doors for her.

But he might close the one to the room she felt most comfortable in.

Was she going to be smart and prioritize herself? Or was she just a stupid girl who liked a boy?

All she wanted was to get somewhere private, somewhere she could cry and try to figure out where the hell it had all gone so wrong.

As she walked out, she wondered if she didn’t have a lot in common with her character after all.