I was surprised when Lew made it the entire day. The fight scenes went about as well as was to be expected, but the chase scene that came after suffered a few technical issues that had us all on edge until, finally, our director declared himself satisfied. Lew sat through it all and didn’t seem bored at all, which was a miracle. I loved my job, but it had its moments, especially if you weren’t involved in a scene.

We stopped for take-out on the way home, partly because I was starving, partly because I wanted to be able to just sit down and talk to Lew about my job and my career, now that he’d seen some of it.

I set out the plates on the breakfast bar while Lew unpacked supper. Thai food tonight, sweet and spicy, from a place one of the guys working the lights had recommended to me earlier today. Lew got me water, but poured himself a glass of wine.

“Thanks,” I said. I was still trying to cut those last pounds, but the long days were making going for a run difficult. I might try going to the gym later on tonight—I had a membership in one of those twenty-four hour ones nearby.

“You’re welcome,” he said, and sipped at his wine.

I dug into my pad thai, avoiding the noodles—too many calories. “You were quiet this afternoon. Tired?”

He shook his head. “Thinking.” But he said it lightly and smiled at me before sticking his fork into his own pad thai.

“Thinking about what?”

He shrugged. “Something someone said to me once about actors. About how intense the emotions were when you were filming.”

He wasn’t wrong there. “And?”

Lew reached for his wine. “And they reminded me of all the broken marriages here in Hollywood.” He raised his eyebrows at me and drank a mouthful of wine.

The food turned to ash in my mouth. “You think I’m going to go off to film and fall in love with one of my costars.”

He didn’t answer, just ate a mouthful of his dinner and watched me.

I didn’t think I could love anyone but Lew. In the five years since I’d come here, not once had anyone sparked me like he did. Even at his most infuriating, there wasn’t anyone here who could hold a candle to him.

Or maybe that wasn’t what he was getting at. After all, I’d dumped him, hard and brutal, when I thought my career was threatened. “You’re worried that I’m going to love my career more than you.”

He made this jerking motion with his head, like he was silently agreeing it was possible.

I thought about that for a moment, trying to find some proof that I could be trusted. But really, there wasn’t any. Proof of intention, for sure, but not what he seemed to be looking for. “I don’t know how to show you that I’m not going to do that again. I don’t think I can, except by not doing it for the next twenty years.” I put down my fork, my appetite suddenly gone. “You can talk to my dad. I made sure before you came that if I couldn’t make Hollywood work out, I could come home to work in the business.”

“Uh huh.”

I sighed. “I told him that what I wanted was to have you and Hollywood, but if I had to choose, I was going to pick you. Which meant I was going to need a job. I absolutely pulled the nepotism card there.”

He snorted a laugh, but still didn’t say anything.

“We can call Dad,” I offered. “You can ask him.”

Lew shook his head. “No, I believe you.” He poked at his meal, his appetite seemingly gone too. “I don’t mind you working in Hollywood. I can already see that I’ll spend a lot of time alone. That doesn’t bother me. Not much, anyway.”

“Only when I’m working on set. Even then, when we’re on stage, I’ll be here.” I paused and added, “I can try television. It’s not really my thing, but it’s more regular in schedule than movies and more likely to keep me home.”

“I’m not going to make that decision for you, Mike. I can’t.” He turned to me and put a hand on my arm. “I’m trying to make my decision here.” He shook his head and took his hand back. “I need more time to think.”

Not much I could say to that. “All right,” I agreed. “You’ll let me know if there’s anything I can do that might help, though?”

He nodded and smiled at me, reaching for his wine. “I will.”