CHAPTER TEN - RACHEL
I knew Duncan would be upset, but I had no idea he’d let an entire week go by without even talking to me. I had seen him every day on set, but he hadn’t so much as looked at me across the crowd or walked over to say hi. A growing ache was burning in the pit of my stomach that he may have quit his job altogether, preferring to go back to how things had been before Shauna’s blindside, and it grew every minute he was late for work. I had even had Jefferey check outside while I rallied the team inside to get a move on.
“He’s not out there. You want to tell me what happened. You’ve been way down lately. Do I need to utilize my black belt and kick his ass?”
“You’re a black belt?” I had to stop and wonder if he was pulling my leg. Jefferey was very fit, but the only arts I’d imagined him learning were the kind you used a paintbrush for.
“Don’t look so surprised. I have two of them.”
“Well, Duncan’s a Navy SEAL.” I gave him a shrug, and he shrugged back.
“I’m not afraid of him. Not only could I disarm him , but I could put him to sleep with one quick jab from this perfectly manicured hand.” He gave me a wink, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Jefferey, you never cease to amaze me.” No truer words had ever been spoken.
“You still haven’t answered my question about what happened with you two, but I’ll let it go. Just remember, if he does show up, I’ve got my eye on him.”
“You’re making me wonder if we need security at all.” We shared a chuckle and about that time my phone rang. Jefferey had it again, and he passed it over with wide eyes.
I glanced at the screen to see that it was Star Summers’ manager. I hurried to answer the phone, and by the time she explained to me that she and Star were showing up on set, laughter erupted from the side entrance as well as the shouts from the paparazzi. I turned to see that it was Star Summers, and with her was Duncan.
My blood turned cold at the way she seemed to be chatting him up and practically falling all over him. He stayed upright and professional as usual, looking like the lethal killer he was, but from all my life of knowing him, I could see the flattered gleam in his eye as Star touched his arm and complimented his muscles.
“You really saved me back there. I’m so lucky they hired a nice big hunk of man like yourself to protect me from my two left feet and all of those bullies. What did you say your name was again?”
“It’s Duncan, Ms. Summers, and it’s my pleasure.” There was an underlying tone, a smoothness to that usual rough voice that had me wondering what other kind of pleasure he’d like from the pop princess who was currently wearing stiletto-style thigh-high boots. She had on a skirt so short I thought it was panties, and a plunging neckline so low that I could see clear down to her naval. Her blue-tipped, bleached blond hair was going to look perfect with the whole freak show theme she’d ordered up to represent her upcoming single.
Her manager was behind them, but she was on the phone and walked off to a corner with her head ducked as if she couldn’t hear over Star’s flirtatious chatter.
“Oh, this looks amazing!” Star took her paws off Duncan and hurried to the stage where she spun in a circle to take it all in. “You got the colors spot on!” She glanced down at Jefferey, and her smile spread even wider, showing all her teeth which were so perfect and gleaming they had to be veneers. Then I noticed it, her signature mark, right in the middle of her front left tooth, was a little gold star embedded right in the surface, and somehow it didn’t distract from her perfect body or her sex appeal.
Duncan hung back and seemed to be keeping a watchful eye, but I was more concerned at the eyeful he was getting each time he looked her way. To make matters worse, she hadn’t forgotten about him as I had hoped.
“Where’s my hero?” she crooned, as she stepped out from behind the funhouse mirrors. “Duncan, dear. Come and do me a favor, love, and tell me what you think.” She stared at him with hopeful eyes, and he seemed to hesitate a moment before slapping on a big grin and heading up. On his way past me, he turned his head and cut a glance in my direction.
He had to know I was boiling inside and my eyes narrowed as he joined her.
She grabbed his arm and pulled him close to her hip and gestured to the mirrors. “Do you think these should stay or go? I’d really like your opinion.” She stared at him as if commanding his attention but to his credit, he stepped back.
“I’m just the muscle around here. I don’t know shit from art and design, but I like them. Maybe you should ask your set producer. She gets paid to think about this stuff.” He motioned toward me, and I stood there holding my clipboard in a death grip, white knuckles and all.
With that, she turned her nose up and shrugged. “I’d rather have your unbiased opinion.” She glanced at his distorted reflection and then shook her head. “Damn, even this crazy mirror can’t ruin your sexy.” She ran her hand across his flesh, pushing up the short sleeve of his black t-shirt to reveal his inked, muscular arms and, wouldn’t you know, she managed to find a star in all that ink and made it seem like he’d done it just for her.
He let out a chuckle and stepped away turning his attention to the doors as if to make sure no one was slipping in.
I took the opportunity to step forward. “Ms. Summers I’d like to take you on a tour and go over everything if you don’t—”
“Ugh, no! This is all wrong!” She stood gaping at the art wall that I’d had custom-painted with funhouse style art. “Would you mind explaining why this man looks like he has tits?” She pointed to the depiction of the bearded lady and Jefferey gave me a withering glance.
“I know several men who have tits,” he mumbled.
I tried my best to control my tone. “That is a woman. She’s the bearded lady. You know, like they had in the old freak shows.”
“Really? They had that? Why didn’t someone put her on hormones, for God’s sake? Could you put a plant or one of those crazy mirrors in front of her face? She’s quite unattractive.”
“Yes, you are,” mumbled Jefferey and any other time I would have snickered.
“How about if we hung one of the signs in front of it?” I waited for her to chew on her thumb like the spoiled child she was as she gazed at the painting a little longer.
She nodded and spun around to face me. “Perfect, now you were saying something? Where are you taking me?” I hadn’t realized she’d caught that part.
“I was saying I’d like to show you some of the props for the special shots and maybe we could line them up to you?” I wanted to have something to show my producer, who should have been there, to show him that things were on target, but when I led her over to the frame up, there was a banner hanging too low.
Upon further inspection, I realized her tall boots were throwing everything off. “I’ll have to coordinate with wardrobe on the day of the shoot and make sure they put you in shorter heels.”
“Shorter? I don’t like shorter heels. You’ll have to make all the proper adjustments to accommodate my style.” I wanted to choke her, but instead, I took it all with a smile.
I turned to tell Jefferey that we’d have to make some adjustments, but nothing too horrible and while I had him cornered, the pop diva used the opportunity to turn her attention back to Duncan. I caught her sizing him up with a glance, and then she snapped her fingers and called for her manager. The woman hurried onto the set and were whispering to one another. The older woman seemed annoyed, but shook her head and stepped back.
Star placed a hand to her flat tummy and gave me an apologetic look. “I’m famished. I’m afraid I’ll have to be leaving for lunch now, but maybe if my schedule permits I can come back later when you’ve got things adjusted to my actual height.”
I wanted to tell her we had everything custom-made for her real height, but there was no sense in arguing with her and Brock wouldn’t like it.
Then she turned her attention to Duncan. “Would you be a dear and join me? It’s just me and Magda today, and I’m afraid of all those flashes.” She looked at him with pouty lips and pleading eyes.
He shrugged.
“I suppose I can.” I knew he had one of his men on set as backup, and I quickly thanked Star for coming and stepped away with Jefferey. When I glanced back, Duncan turned to meet my eyes as he stepped up to her side and escorted to the two women out.
The look on my face must have told all and Jefferey, like usual, had something to say. “That woman is known for taking up with her security, and she’s dated three of her guards in the past two years.”
I snapped my head in his direction. “That doesn’t help to know.”
“Please, he’s not into her. The way he kept looking at you, he wanted to see your reaction.”
“Yeah, right. He knew it was pissing me off and he liked it.” I knew something about Duncan that Jefferey didn’t: his reputation for being with lots of girls. Besides, there was no denying that she, with all of her flashy clothes and wild hair, looked even more stunning next to his strong, dark, tatted self.
The burning I’d had earlier was now an inferno in my gut.