12. Twelve

12

TWELVE

I might’ve been bouncing out of bed the first week of filming, but by the time the second week rolled around, I wasn’t feeling nearly as chipper. My time so far had been split between scenes with the coven—meaning Sylvia was sucking the energy out of me like an energy vampire instead of a witch—and with Leo. We’d spent half the week filming outside after dark, which meant my days were topsy-turvy. I couldn’t tell if I was coming or going any longer.

“We’ll do better about doling out the night shoots if we get a second season,” Miles promised as he sat with me in the bar after we’d finished filming for the day.

“That will be nice,” I replied automatically. I might’ve been exhausted, but I was never one to forget my manners.

“Yeah.” Miles searched my face. “You look tired.”

Of course I looked tired. We’d filmed until three in the morning. Then I had to turn around and be back on the set at ten o’clock. Thankfully, most of the stuff going on today revolved around Ed and the vampires. I had one scene with Leo to film and one with Sylvia. Then I was done for the day.

And my bed was calling me.

“I’ll take a nap,” I said. “It’s fine. This is part of the job, right?”

Miles didn’t look convinced. “I’ll look at your call times again. I thought I did a better job than this.”

I didn’t want him worrying about me being delicate. Just like Leo’s “difficult” label had followed him, a “delicate” label would haunt me. “I’m fine,” I assured him. “I just need to adjust. You don’t have to change anything for me. I’ll get better at taking naps.”

“Are you sure?” Miles didn’t look convinced.

“I’m sure,” I assured him. “Don’t worry about anything. I’ve got this.”

He studied me a beat longer, then nodded. “You’re doing really well. You and Leo have electrifying chemistry. I was a little worried at first, but you guys have been great all week.”

Since Leo and I had reverted to sniping and glaring at one another on a regular basis—the long hours and short breaks getting to both of us—I found that observation interesting. “I’m glad you’re happy,” was all I could say.

In truth, I wasn’t happy. Being around Leo was torture. Whenever we were close, my heart rate sped up, I had trouble remembering my lines, and my cheeks kept flushing to the point where they had to fix my makeup. All that slowed down filming. And Leo? Yeah, he seemed to get frustrated whenever the filming was dragged out for no good reason. I couldn’t blame him really. If he were the one causing issues, I would’ve been angry too.

He was just so Leo.

“You guys are on fire,” Miles continued, apparently not noticing how my demeanor changed the second he brought up Leo. “If I didn’t know any better, I would totally think you guys were fighting feelings for each other in the real world too.”

“Well, that’s not happening.” I sipped my iced tea.

“Of course not.” Miles waved his hand as if I’d said the funniest thing in the world. “You guys haven’t bonded. I think that’s what helps the chemistry. It’s not something I considered before, but it might be a tactic moving forward.”

“Yes, well…” My eyes moved to the door when the man in question appeared. Leo looked as tired as I felt. He was still handsome of course— damn him!— but he’d lost a bit of pep in his step, and I wasn’t surprised when he hopped on a stool and ordered a Jack and Coke.

“Are you guys plotting how you’re going to make my life worse or something?” he asked without looking at us.

“We were just talking about the tight turnaround from last night,” Miles replied. If he was bothered by Leo’s dark countenance, he didn’t show it. “I told Sam that I’m going to try to be better about scheduling night shoots. We got everything we needed for the first and second episodes last night, though. I’ll look at the schedule for the third and fourth episodes so we can try to make sure you guys get more sleep.”

“Awesome.” Leo flashed an obnoxious thumbs-up. Then he took his drink from Levi and downed half of it.

“It’s a bit early for that, isn’t it?” I prodded without thinking. It was none of my business if he wanted to drink in the middle of the afternoon. I wasn’t his mother, and he’d been on time and on mark for the entire shoot so far.

“Well, Mom , I thought a cocktail might help me take a nap,” he replied. “I’m exhausted, but my mind won’t shut off. My internal clock is all over the place.”

I was right there with him. That didn’t mean I liked his tone. “Well … have fun.”

He narrowed his eyes as he looked between Miles and me. “You two look chummy.”

I didn’t know what to make of that. “We’re just talking about the shoot.”

“Yes, I’m thrilled with the two of you,” Miles said. “Your chemistry is off the charts. I wasn’t certain after that first day—it took you guys a bit to get into it—but ever since, you’ve been amazing.”

We’d also been poking each other between takes that entire time. Our determination to be friends had melted like an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. We weren’t even making an attempt to be decent to one another between takes now. What Miles was misinterpreting as chemistry was actually loathing.

I loathed Leo. I hated his stupid face. I hated that his eyes lit up when he offered up a genuine smile—which hadn’t happened in days at this point. I hated that he made fun of the costumes. I hated that he was always looking at me … and silently judging. I hated everything about him and I knew he felt the same way about me. There were times I caught him staring at me and imagined he was wondering if he could pop off my head like a dandelion.

The whole thing was a nightmare.

“I’m glad you’re happy,” Leo said, mimicking my words from only minutes earlier. His gaze moved to me. “I don’t care if you’re happy,” he said out of nowhere.

“Right back at you,” I replied sweetly.

Miles was too interested in looking at the call sheets for the rest of the week to realize we were glaring at one another. A silent conversation was happening between Leo and me that only we could hear.

I think you’re full of yourself, I sent his way.

I think you’re untalented and wasting time because you keep screwing up your lines , he fired back.

Maybe if you could stop smoldering for five freaking seconds, you donkey, I would be able to remember my lines.

I think that’s a you problem. It’s not my fault I’m so hot.

We continued to glare. The only thing that stopped us was Miles slowly getting to his feet.

“I’m going to rework some call times for later in the week,” he announced. He was all smiles when he looked up. “You guys should get some sleep. I can’t have my immortal vampire and the hottest witch on the East Coast walking around with bags under their eyes.”

“We’ll get right on that,” Leo said dryly. He continued to glare at me even after Miles was gone.

Because I didn’t want to lose—although there was no prize for winning—I glared right back.

We sat that way, about fifteen feet apart, and glared for what felt like a really long time. We were the only two in the bar—it was too early in the afternoon for happy hour—and the only movement came when we sipped our drinks.

That’s where Daisy found us a good ten minutes later. “What’s this?” she asked as she glanced between us.

“What?” I jolted out of my reverie, which had included imagining knocking Leo out, tying him to a rock, and throwing him off a cliff. Of course, I tried not to think too hard on the things I’d done to him in the minutes before I’d tied him to the rock. He’d been naked…and there might’ve been some chocolate sauce.

Seriously, just what in the hell was wrong with me?

“Never mind.” Daisy looked more amused than bothered as she sat at the table with me. Her eyes moved to Leo, who was fishing cash out of his wallet to leave for a tip. “Something I said?” she asked as he started for the door.

“I’m taking a nap,” Leo replied. “Your little friend there kept flubbing her line delivery last night so we were out two hours later than was necessary.”

I wanted to die as I sank lower in my seat. He was an ass of the highest order. He was also correct.

“Okay, then.” Daisy didn’t look bothered in the least by Leo’s glare. “Have a nice nap, little one. You clearly need it.”

Leo worked his jaw. It was obvious he wanted to snap at her, or maybe say something snarky. He didn’t, though. He simply shook his head and headed for the lobby. “Have a nice day,” he grunted out as he departed.

Daisy watched him go, amused, and then turned back to me. “I thought you guys were trying to get along.”

“Apparently, this is us getting along,” I replied. I let the weariness sweep over me as I lowered my head to the table. “He makes me tired.”

“I think what’s making you tired is fighting the attraction you feel for him.”

Suddenly, I was no longer tired and jerked up my head. “What?”

“What?” she asked, innocence and light practically pouring out of her.

“I heard what you said.”

“Then why did you say ‘what’ that way?”

“Because … that is the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard.” Seriously, had she even met us? We hated each other. We couldn’t even be in the same room together without wanting to hurt one another. That wasn’t attraction. That was … hatred.

I was almost positive that was true.

“Oh, don’t even.” Daisy was a no-nonsense type of woman, and that was on full display today. “You can deny that you’re attracted to him all you want to yourself—and that seems to be your current plan—but anybody watching from the outside sees things differently.”

“And how is that?” I demanded.

“You want to jump him.” She just laid it out there. No buildup. Just bam.

“I do not want to jump him. I don’t even like him.”

“You don’t have to like someone to jump them,” she replied. “Heck, I wanted to punch Jax in the face the first time I met him.”

“You did?” That was alien to me. They were so in sync with one another it was disgusting. It also made me wistful when he brushed her hair out of her face. It made me grin when he patted her behind when he thought nobody was looking. It made me roll my eyes—and maybe ache a little bit—when they pretended they were going upstairs to their penthouse for lunch when I really knew they were going for a different reason. Apparently, they thought the elevator doors shut out all the action about two seconds before it actually did. Hearing they had disliked each other was shocking to me.

“Oh, we didn’t like each other at all,” Daisy said. “He thought I was overpaid. I thought he was coming in to ruin his grandfather’s legacy … and I hated him for it.”

“But … you’re so happy.”

“Yes, because once we got out of our own way, we realized that all those feelings we were feeling—the snark, the glares, the whispers behind each other’s backs—were really ways for us to cover for the fact that we were attracted to one another.”

I couldn’t wrap my head around it. “I don’t have feelings for Leo.” She was crazy if she thought that.

“I didn’t say feelings. I said you were attracted to him.”

“It’s the same thing.”

“Not even remotely.” Daisy shook her head. “Attraction is chemical. You can’t really ignore it. If you do, things will combust.”

“Is that what happened between you and Jax?” I was honestly curious.

“It is. We combusted all over each other. Then we did it again … and again. And then we started talking and realized we had a lot more in common than we realized. It was the combustion that allowed the walls to come down, though.”

I stared at the door Leo had disappeared through minutes before. “I think you’re crazy,” I said finally. “He irritates me.”

“And you irritate him. He’s irritated because he doesn’t want to be attracted to you. I see it all over his face whenever he looks at you. You’re irritated because he’s not being nicer to you. You’re used to people thinking you’re cute as a button and wanting to be your friend.”

“I don’t need him to be my friend.” I meant it. “I just need him not to be an ass.”

“I don’t think he realizes he’s being an ass.”

“Since when are you Leo’s biggest fan?” I snapped. “You acted as if you didn’t even like him on that tour.”

“I’m not sure I do like him,” she admitted. “Part of me feels sorry for him, though. He’s awkward.”

“He is not. He’s smooth and charming with people when he wants to be.”

“And how often does he want to be?” Daisy raised an eyebrow. “Can you not see that the reason he sits in the corner and drinks by himself is because he doesn’t feel comfortable around people? I mean … you read people fairly well, Sam. Why do you keep missing the mark on him?”

The statement was like an arrow straight to my heart. “He doesn’t come across as awkward,” I argued. “I’m awkward.”

“You’re slapstick,” she countered. “You like to put yourself in a little box that says ‘funny’ on the outside of it. If you’re funny, people can’t dislike you. Deep down you’re sarcastic and mean, just like the rest of us. You need to be a people pleaser to keep getting roles, though, so you’ve simply adopted that as part of your persona.”

I didn’t like what she was saying about me. It grated. That’s because it’s the truth. Was she right? I couldn’t help thinking she was right. I was a people pleaser by nature because it made me nonthreatening.

I was never going to be a Jennifer Lopez in life. Forget the body and entourage. I just didn’t have it in me to not care what people thought about me. I was happy being Jennifer Garner. She was a genuinely good person and people loved her for a reason. That’s who I wanted to be. She didn’t intimidate people. She was simply loved.

“Leo isn’t a bad guy,” Daisy said. “He’s just really awkward. His awkward is different from your awkward. His awkward forces him to put up walls. Your awkward forces you to break them down. In a weird way, you’re kind of a good fit.”

“I don’t like him,” I growled.

“You might not like him yet, but you want to see him naked.” Daisy shook her head when I opened my mouth to argue. “It’s not a bad thing. It’s just the way of the world.”

“And what do you think I should do about it?” I demanded. “The director was just telling me what crazy chemistry we have. If I allow myself to combust with Leo—that’s assuming he would allow it—what happens if the chemistry disappears?”

Daisy held her hands palms out. “I’m the wrong person to ask about that,” she replied. “Personally, I don’t get the whole acting thing. If you’re asking if I would give up a role on a television show to keep Jax, though, the answer is yes. He’s worth it.”

“What makes you think Leo is worth it?”

Her response was a lazy shrug. “I don’t know. It’s just a feeling I get. He’s sad, and sometimes when he looks at you, he’s not sad any longer. That kind of makes me root for him because he’s obviously got good taste.”

I couldn’t deal with this conversation for another second. “Are we still going out tonight?” I asked.

She nodded, not missing a beat. She could’ve pushed for the conversation to keep going. She didn’t, though. She seemed to read the room. “Yes. I have a unique experience you’re going to love.”

I waited for her to expand. When she didn’t, I lifted my chin. “That’s all you’re going to tell me?”

“Yup.” Daisy was solemn. “The dress is casual. You shouldn’t need a hoodie or anything because the temperature isn’t going too low tonight.”

“Who is going to be with us?”

“Just some friends,” she replied.

“Lux?” I was already afraid.

Daisy chuckled. “Lux is a new mother. Her complaints have made a shift. She’s not sleeping for a different reason now.”

“And how is the baby?”

“He still doesn’t have a name—she refuses to even consider Frank but hasn’t landed on anything else either—but he’s healthy. He’s big. He’s just not much of a sleeper.”

That made sense. “Well … I’m game for whatever you have planned. I don’t have to be on the set until ten o’clock tomorrow. I’m going to take a nap, and I’ll be bright and bubbly for our evening extravaganza.”

“That sounds like a plan. I’ll meet you down here at six o’clock.”

“I can’t wait.” I said it, but I wasn’t certain I meant it. Now that she’d brought up the chemistry between Leo and me, it was all I could think about.

Just what in the hell was I going to do about this situation?