Chapter 4

4

"Cut!"

Lauren leaned her head back and rolled it from side to side, attempting to work out the kinks and knots that the stress of this long day had put into it. This was the fifth time that the director yelled cut, only to be followed moments later by the word 'reset'—meaning, (she now knew) move everything back into its original place because they were going to film another take.

Lauren didn't know how many more moments of faux frivolity she had left in her.

Fortunately, this time, the director's voice didn't give the instruction to reset. This time, blessedly, came the words, "We got it, folks. That's a wrap."

Hallelujah , Lauren inwardly rejoiced. She wanted nothing more than to go home, pour herself a glass of wine, get lost in some hot water and bubbles in her luxurious, oversized bathtub, and bring an end to this long and bizarre day.

She slung her purse over her shoulder and, waving only the quickest and most perfunctory of goodbyes to her friends, strode purposefully towards the door.

Her plan was thwarted, however, by a member of the clipboard-and-mic brigade, who stopped her before she reached her destination.

"Are you the real estate lady?" the young woman asked.

For all Lauren knew, it might've been the same one who ushered her to the table when she first came in. Their identical headset mics and busy-and-bustling attitudes made them all start to blend together for her.

When Lauren affirmed her identity as 'the real estate lady,' she was told to wait there, and the woman hurried off before Lauren could even provide her grudging agreement.

As she was waiting, Karina sauntered up with a wicked grin and a sparkle in her eye. "Hey, Laur. So what did Host Boy whisper in your ear that got your panties in such a bunch?"

Lauren crinkled her brow. She seriously did not want to get into this with the girls, certainly not in her current state of exhaustion, and certainly not in the middle of Sue Ann's Café with television production personnel still buzzing all around the place.

"Nothing, Kar. Honestly."

"Tell me," Karina insisted, her wicked smile not losing any of its wattage.

Lauren sighed. "Not here. We'll talk later."

"Nope. Tell me," Karina continued to tease.

"Tell you what?" Sam and Amanda asked in concert as they walked over and joined the conversation.

Lauren groaned and began to rub her temples.

"Oh, what exactly Hottie Host Man whispered in her ear during the first take that got her cheeks burning like they were on fire."

"Oh, yes, you absolutely have to tell us that," said Amanda matter-of-factly, turning towards Lauren.

"For sure. Not even a question," confirmed Sam.

Lauren took a deep breath, trying to keep her face neutral even though she could feel her cheeks start to burn again, and even though she could feel her hands begin to tremble when she remembered the words he said and how his breath felt against her neck.

Maybe she should tell her friends what he said. Then his asshole-ness would be revealed for what it was. Her friends would no doubt be more than happy to point that out. If she heard them calling him what he was, then maybe she could stop this crazy reaction she was having to him.

Shaking her head slightly, she leaned in, lowering her voice to a frustrated whisper. "If you must know, he asked if I'd ever thought about removing the stick from my ass and loosening up."

Karina burst out laughing, and all three of the other girls smacked her arm.

"What?" Karina asked, her merriment not dimmed in the least. "It's not like I agree with him. I just like his style is all."

Amanda frowned. "Well, I think he's a jerk now. I really liked him at dinner, too. He seemed so friendly and approachable. But he had no right to talk to you that way!"

"Thank you. I appreciate that," Lauren said, glad for the affirmation.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know, I can see both sides. Yes, of course, it's super jerky to say that. But by the same token, maybe he meant it to be funny and we just don't get his sense of humor? Also, it might be a guy thing. They're a lot less sensitive about remarks like that than we are."

Karina brightened even further. "Brilliant, Sam. I agree with you. Let's bring the guys over and get their opinion."

Lauren began to protest, "I really don't think she meant—"

But it was too late. Karina was already gesturing for Justin, Ryan, and Luke to come over. When they did, Karina told them the story. Her retelling was a little too gleeful for Lauren's liking but nonetheless accurate. When she was done, they all started laughing.

Amanda's jaw dropped. "So you all think that's funny? Not even one of you thinks that's unforgivably rude?"

The three guys looked at each other and then back at the girls, shaking their heads.

"Nah," Justin said, wrapping his arms around his irate fiancée. "You gotta realize, babe. Not all guys are as classy and as sensitive as I am."

This made the group laugh again, and Amanda began to soften, looking up at Justin. "I know you're joking," she said affectionately, "but you really are classy and sensitive."

They kissed lovingly, bringing an unexpected pang to Lauren's heart. She shook her head. Nope. She couldn't give in to her lonely impulses. Dwelling on her loneliness, letting it make her vulnerable—that's how she found herself entangled with a charming bastard, a.k.a. her ex-boss, and Lauren had had enough of those to last a lifetime.

The woman from production approached the group.

"Thanks for waiting," she said pleasantly but briskly. "Here's the deal. The producers love the town. It seems from another time, heart of America, that kind of thing. They've extended the shoot to two weeks to expand and get footage from local businesses like here in the café, the outdoor adventure and ski resort, and some of the other downtown businesses. Maybe that cute ice cream parlor, Two Scoops.

"At any rate, the crew and the talent need someplace to stay. It's not feasible to commute in from Lake Tahoe every day. The director's got a lock on an apartment that's apparently above this café, but that only covers him. So, basically, what we need is a furnished property that could comfortably sleep a dozen people. Doubling or even tripling up rooms, of course. And then another property, but this one wouldn't need to be as large. It would only house Ben.

"Obviously, if we needed to contract them for the whole month, that would be fine. Do you have anything like that? You'd really be helping us out of a bind."

Lauren was already nodding, pulling out her smartphone, completely comfortable now that she was back in Super Agent Mode. "Absolutely. I need to contact a couple of owners, but I don't think it will be a problem. I have a couple of different properties in mind that should fit the bill. What's your email? I'll send you the information and the lease agreement once I have a deal on lock."

The woman smiled. "One more little wrinkle. Think we could get into the properties tonight?"

Lauren smiled back. She loved nothing more than a real-estate-related challenge.

"I might be able to make that happen," she said airily, in a tone that implied she sure as hell would make that happen. "Let me just jet back to the office. Here. Put your number into my phone and I'll call you the minute I know anything."

As Lauren walked down Main Street towards her office with the familiar buzz of a deal about to take shape electrifying her blood, it suddenly hit her that Ben wasn't going to be around for two more days…

Ben was going to be around for two more weeks.

--- ~ ---

After stepping out back of the Café to check in with his mom, her doctor's and make sure that his sister was okay Ben was exhausted. Physically and mentally. He'd meant for the calls to take fifteen minutes tops, but over an hour later Ben wanted nothing more than to get back to his hotel room and shake off the day—take a long hot shower, get a good night's sleep, and come back to Hope Falls again the next day focused and prepared to do good work. It sounded like heaven.

Now he just needed to find a production assistant and figure out where his town car was. Just as he was starting to make his way over to the group of techs striking the set to see if he could scare up a PA—any PA at all—his cell phone rang. Glancing at the face, he saw that it was his agent. That was weird. His agent never called when he was out on location. Maybe he heard about this morning.

Ben answered the call and heard his agent's rushed but cheery voice. "Benny boy! Clear your schedule, my friend. They've extended this shoot to two weeks."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. They love the ambiance up there. And listen, I'm not sure if it has something to do with the delay today or the fact that the shoot has been extended but either way production has arranged a place for you there in town."

"Starting tonight?" Ben was startled.

"Yeah. I guess there's some real estate woman who was able to find a couple of rentals. The hotel is packing up your things and a PA's already on his way to get them. All you have to do is go collect the key and relax in your new home away from home."

"That sounds great," Ben said.

"Hey, when you roll with me, kid, you get luxury."

"Thanks," Ben said, although he suspected his agent was trying to take credit for 'wrangling' an accommodation that was actually pretty standard. Still. Never hurt to let the guy feel appreciated.

"That's about it," his agent wrapped up. "There should be a car waiting for you. Call me back if they give you any problems, kid."

"Sure," Ben agreed readily and said goodbye.

He walked out onto the sidewalk, and sure enough, the town car was idling in a parking space immediately in front of the café. Ben climbed into the back and sank down gratefully into the overstuffed leather seats, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Do you know where we're headed?" he asked the driver.

"Certainly, sir," the man replied deferentially, pulling the town car out into the street.

Ben watched the streets of the quaint little town pass by outside the window, and he definitely saw the charm that the production team saw. This town had everything that viewers liked to relate to—friendly people, close-knit friends and family, and a strong sense of community. Yet it also had the magic ingredients that made people watch real estate reality shows inspirationally—stunning natural beauty and—his bread and butter—gorgeous mansions set high in the hills.

As the town car finished its climb into the hills surrounding Hope Falls and pulled up in front of a beautiful cabin, Ben's pulse sped up with happy anticipation when he saw that Lauren was standing in front of the house. Illumination from the porch light revealed that she definitely did not look equally pleased to see him.

Ben climbed out of the town car and tipped the driver, waving as he sped away. He turned and walked towards Lauren but stopped mid stride and froze. She was completely bundled up, in a jacket, gloves, hat, and scarf. Only her brilliant green eyes and full red lips were visible. She looked soft . Approachable. Adorable. It took Ben by complete surprise.

"What?" she asked defensively as she wrapped her arms tighter around herself.

"Nothing," he managed to answer, still unable to move as he stared at her trying to regain his mental balance.

"It's obviously something," Lauren insisted, her tone filled with irritation. Reaching up she brought her hand to her mouth then her cheek. "What? Do I have something on my face or…"

"No. You look…"

Lauren's emerald gaze lifted to his and what he saw in them caused him to momentarily forget how to speak. Raw vulnerability. Ben swallowed over the knot in his throat that the look in her eyes had just caused to form.

"Adorable," he said answering honestly, which caused the same feeling he'd seen in Lauren's eyes to rise up in him as well. Raw Vulnerability. "Probably the cutest thing I've ever seen."

Rather than taking his words as the compliment they were intended to be, however, he watched Lauren stiffen, her gaze hardening.

"Mr. Stevens," she began coldly, "I've already been to the crew's house and overseen that lease signing, and now showing you this property and getting the lease signed is the very last task on my to-do list, the ending of an extremely long day. Perhaps we could get through this without you prolonging it by teasing me?"

Ben lifted his hands in mock surrender. "I wasn't teasing you."

Lauren looked skeptical. "I've been called many things in my life, but never adorable, or cute."

A smile pulled at Ben's lips as a sense of pride that he'd been the first to say those things to her warmed his chest. "Then I think you've been listening to the wrong people."

His response seemed to fluster her a little, but she pulled herself together quickly, letting that remark slide entirely and getting straight down to business.

"Look, I just need to collect the check and get a signature. Then I can hand over the key. Do you have it?"

Shaking his head he answered. "No, but I'm sure someone will show up with it soon."

"Who?"

Ben shrugged. "I don't know. Someone from production."

Lauren's jaw tensed and she rolled her shoulders back as she spoke slowly. "Wow. It is somewhat shocking to me that no one involved with this production seems to have the slightest consideration for my time."

Ben was also thinking " wow ", but for totally different reasons. He couldn't quite believe that this woman had somehow managed to break down every wall that he'd carefully constructed of his ‘host' persona and made him feel more real and connected to anyone than he had in…he couldn't remember.

Not wanting to reveal any of those internal discoveries he quickly assured her, "Lauren, I totally understand. Believe me, industry people, myself included, can be incredibly frustrating. I truly apologize for all of the inconveniences you've had to put up with today."

His apology seemed to bring her up short. In fact, it seemed to catch her completely off guard. She opened her mouth a couple of times to respond, but in the end, all she said was, "It's freezing. No need to stand out here in the cold while we wait. Let me show you around the house."

Then, without waiting for him to respond, she turned and walked up to the front door of the house, taking out a key and turning it in the lock. She opened the door, pushing it wide and gesturing for him to precede her into the house.

Ben walked in ahead of her, taking in the surroundings. The cabin was, obviously, nothing that would compare to the lush surroundings of Karina's home, but by any other standards, it was a truly wonderful space.

The ceiling was crossed with roughhewn beams, but the room was kept from being too dark and oppressive by the light-cream-colored paint that covered the walls. The furniture was overstuffed and looked extremely comfortable, which was perfect for Ben.

In the evening while he was on the road on a shoot, he really liked to spend his time resting up for the next day, getting in the right mind frame, then studying the details and dialogue he was going to be responsible for knowing the next day. In short, he liked to spend his time getting prepared.

However, in hotel rooms, many times, there was no good place to sit and spread out papers in front of you except for the bed. That was all well and good, but after a while, it did get a little tiring. It would be a nice change of pace to be in one place for a while, a place with comfortable furniture, a place where he could spread out his papers on the coffee or kitchen table.

"This looks great, Lauren," Ben enthused. "It looks perfect, actually. You did a great job. Thank you so much."

Again, Lauren seemed surprised by his response, and it made him wonder with a somewhat sinking feeling what sort of impression he must've made on her initially that she would be so shocked every time he displayed even the most basic of manners.

Lauren covered her surprise quickly, however, and continued the tour. She led him through the kitchen, pointing out all of the updated stainless-steel appliances, and then up the stairs.

As they stepped into the bedroom, Ben didn't think it was his imagination that she was getting slightly nervous and fidgety. As she pointed out features, it seemed that her voice was getting a bit higher and she started rambling.

Ben knew it definitely was not his imagination when she led him into the master bath and began talking about the bathtub.

"So, as you can see, the bathtub is large enough to accommodate two... Not that you would have two people in there...or, you know, not that you wouldn't... It's none of my business..."

Ben hated the fact that she was so obviously uncomfortable, but he had to admit he liked seeing her a little off-balance. It was a stark contrast and a welcome relief from seeing her only as being supremely put together and on top of things. In fact, he realized that he wouldn't mind seeing her this way more often. When it came down to it, he admitted to himself, he just wouldn't mind seeing her more often, period.

Unfortunately for Ben, Lauren's nervous rambling was cut short by the ringing of her cell phone. In contrast to Ben's disappointment at the sound of that ring, Lauren seemed highly relieved. She snatched her phone out of her pocket as if it were a life raft rather than a communication device.

She looked at Ben, adopting a regretful expression, and said, "Sorry. I have to get this. Please excuse me."

Ben nodded his agreement, but Lauren didn't even wait around to see it. By the time he started nodding, she'd already turned away from him and started to walk to the far side of the room, giving herself at least an illusion of privacy.

He couldn't hear exactly what she was saying on the phone, but he caught enough snippets to make it clear that she was closing some kind of deal. When she walked back over to him, she was flushed with excitement. He recognized that particular brand of enthusiasm. That was a victory flush. She'd just closed a deal, and from the look on her face, it was probably a difficult one.

Ben smiled wide. He was truly happy for her. He knew that feeling well and loved it every bit as much.

"It's the best feeling in the world, isn't it?" Ben asked, his smile lighting up his face.

Lauren looked, for the first time all day, completely and totally in the moment, her guard down, and—dare he say it—possibly even enjoying his company.

"Yes. It is," she confirmed, a broad grin spreading from ear to ear.

Ben, perhaps letting his confidence get the better of him or perhaps seduced by the mystical allure of her smile, committed the cardinal sin of sales—he went too far too fast. Well, no, scratch that. The cardinal sin of sales is when you keep talking after you've already got the sale—but going too far too fast came pretty close.

He reached out, brushed her arm with his fingertips, looked straight into her eyes, and said softly, "You're beautiful when you smile. You should do that more often."

This had a disastrous effect on her state of happy relaxation, which is to say it completely annihilated it. Lauren snapped immediately back into 'business mode.'

Looking around as if she couldn't quite believe that she'd wasted this much time goofing around in the house with him, she said impatiently, "Where in the world is the PA with my check? I need to get a signature and hand over these keys so I can go home."

With that, she spun and exited the bedroom, the moment entirely shattered because of him. He heard her footsteps descending the stairs and decided (with reluctance) that since she obviously wasn't coming back, he might as well follow her.

He caught up with her just as Lauren was exiting the front door, and they both saw the PA standing in the driveway, on her cell phone, staring up at the mountain opposite the house.

Damn . Ben knew that there was no way that Lauren would be around any longer than absolutely necessary, which meant that his opportunity to recapture the moment they'd shared in the bedroom, just slipped through his fingers like sand.

As Lauren and Ben were approaching the PA, they heard her talking on her phone saying, "I don't know where she is... I know. I'm freezing my ass off... I was supposed to meet that uptight, prissy chick here, but I don't see her anywhere."

"Found her!" Lauren said cheerfully, and the PA spun around, her face red with embarrassment.

"Yeah, I'm going to have to call you back," she muttered softly into the cell phone before snapping it shut.

"Oh, honey," Lauren said sympathetically. "Of all the things you said into the cell phone, that shouldn't have been the one you chose to say quietly."

Ben started cracking up. The PA looked mortified. Ben could sympathize. Not only had she been overheard saying mean things by the very object of her derision, but now the host of the show on which she was a lowly production assistant was having a good laugh at her expense. All in all, not a great night.

"Sorry," the PA muttered, holding out the signed lease and attached check. "I really didn't mean anything by it."

"Not at all," Lauren replied graciously, giving the paperwork a quick once-over and then handing the keys to Ben. "And now, if you all don't mind, I believe I am going to take my uptight, prissy ass home to soak in a hot bath."

She was halfway down the driveway towards her parked Mercedes when she turned to Ben and, with a small smirk and a wink, said, "Who knows? Maybe it'll loosen up the stick."

With that, Lauren climbed into her car and zoomed away. Ben was impressed with the way she handled the situation. Most of the women he dealt with couldn't handle being insulted. They flew apart. But Lauren—she was a class act. She didn't explode with rage. She merely gave as good as she got. He liked that.

Of course, now she'd left him with a completely different problem. He had no idea how he was going to fall asleep that night because all he could do was picture Lauren Harrison naked in her bathtub.