Page 56 of Two Hearts' Ploy

It was nearly August, and later this week, they’d be filming the video. Starting tomorrow, the technicians from Wren’s production crew would begin arriving along with a few selected musicians.

Wren would be getting another makeover as well. Samantha would still take charge of her wardrobe, while Robin would return exclusively as her makeup artist. Someone new would be styling her hair, which would integrate a lot of different accessories along with extensions.

But instead of being excited about everything positive happening in her life, she was reluctantly counting the days before the summer would be over and she’d have to leave Crystal Rock.

And Jeff.

She’d begun to love everything about her new life, and she dreaded having to go back to the old.

“What’s wrong?” Jeff asked, walking up the staircase from the basement. “You had the most dismal look on your face when I turned the corner.”

“I can’t believe it’s nearly August.”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about that myself,” he agreed. “Why don’t we get out of here for a while and eat?”

“Now that everyone is arriving to film the video, will we be safe?’’

“Jake’s managed to find accommodations for them at the Inn somehow, so most of them will be staying there. How about we take off in the cruiser and hit one of the restaurants located near the lake? I don’t think we’ve had dinner yet at the Riverbend Lodge. It should be pretty slow since it’s Monday.”

“I’ll wear my big glasses with some baggy jeans and pull my hair into a short ponytail.”

“Sounds good,” he said grinning. “The weather’s a little cooler now at night. Make sure you grab a jacket.”

When she came back downstairs another fifteen minutes later, Jeff was studying the walls in the living room.

“That technique you used really does look great with the woodwork,” he observed. “Now all we need is furniture – although the accessories you’ve added to the shelves on either side of the fireplace look like they’re right where they belong.”

“The sponging gives the walls just enough color to tone down the white but makes the room look like more of a showplace with its beautiful high ceilings. That’s why it worked so well in the master too.”

“Maybe we can take the truck and do some antiquing if you feel like you need to get away from Crystal Rock during the next couple weeks,” he said as they headed outside. “I’ve been inside quite a few well-stocked places, including a couple of malls that aren’t too far from here.”

“Of course, I’d like that. Maybe we’ll even find you the perfect living room furniture,” she said.

He snorted. “Easier said than done when I’m not even sure what I want.”

When she patted him reassuringly on the shoulder, he rolled his eyes. “If any of the guys I commanded heard me talking like this about paint and furniture, they’d probably try to have me demoted.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep your antiquing addiction a secret. I swear,” she said.

They laughed.

A few minutes later, they were speeding across the lake in the cruiser.

She liked the Riverbend Lodge, she decided, thirty minutes later when they were seated at one of the outdoor tables. The interior needed a facelift, for sure, but it was an interesting kind of place. Jeff had mentioned that it had once been a trading post since it connected the Crystal Rock Lake to the Crystal Rock River, which branched off from Lake Superior.

“The food isn’t half bad either, as long as you don’t mind breaded shrimp or fish. Those were always my favorites as a kid,” Jeff admitted.

“These shrimp are great,” she agreed a few minutes later as they sat and ate. “Although they’re probably the last thing I should be eating since I’ll be filming the video soon.”

“I’m pretty sure you haven’t put on any weight this summer,” he said, his eyes lingering.

She nodded. “You’re right. I was surprised, but I guess I’ve been pretty active, compared to my life in California.”

“Wren?” he asked, becoming serious. “Is it wrong for me to ask about your life with your parents? I know I could ask my mom, but I’d rather hear it from you.”

“Yes. You deserve to hear the truth,” she admitted, wiping her face with her napkin and discarding it onto her plate. “Let’s have some coffee while we talk.”

A few minutes later, after sipping her coffee, she began.

---