Page 26 of The Love Raffle

Amber twirled an end of her black hair. “I also like animals. It’s been a while since I’ve had a pet, though. My apartment doesn’t allow them. My childhood dog is still at my mom’s house in Tennessee.”

“Is that where you’re from? You’re a country gal?”

“Don’t make fun of me.” Amber heard more laughter from her friends. “Yeah, I am.”

“Hmm… I wonder how we can make an activity out of that.”

Amber crinkled her brow. “What do you mean?” Her stomach filled with butterflies. “Wait, are you planning another date?” She shouldn’t have asked. She was being too forward. She held her forehead and squinted her eyes. “Wait, sorry, I meant—”

“If you want to call it that.”

Amber’s breath hitched. She felt fingers crawl up her arms to her shoulders and shook them off. “Oh wow, another date!”

“Wait, I’m sorry. Are you too busy?” Levi went from slightly nervous to embarrassed. “Because if you are, we don’t have to—”

“No, no, I’m not. I mean, we can meet next Thursday. I usually have Sundays free but that’s my day to knock out for twenty-four hours.” Amber’s brain had this crazy hum going on inside it. It was like something singing within her. Again, she couldn’t pinpoint the reason behind her enthusiasm. She didn’t want to use this guy.Has it been so long that I can’t tell when I like someone anymore?She’d been so busy with work and trying to book roles that her love life had been placed on a high shelf. Her last romantic encounter was when she’d first moved here.

“Oh, okay. I can respect that you need your rest. Ha ha. I can meet you at your place. Directions, please? You know what? You can send them to me.” Levi spoke rapidly, his tone nervous.

Amber found it endearing. She was sure that with his status he’d dated tons of girls in the past. Maybe not all in the spotlight but there had to be many behind the scenes. Was he like this with all of them? “I will since I have your number now.” She was playfully pinched in the rib by Elouise, whom she elbowed. The girl laughed. “So, what exactly are we doing at my place?”

“Shoot,” Levi groaned. “I’m sorry. You must find me unbearable.”

Amber snickered. “No, it’s okay. Want to watch a movie?”

“Definitely.” Levi sounded amused. “Let’s watch something simple and get to know each other better. No pressure.”

Amber grinned. “Right. No pressure.”

“Right,” Levi echoed quietly. “You can send me more details, and we can meet next week. I hope your long shifts and late nights don’t make you too tired. I’m excited to learn more about you.”

Amber felt tingles go down her spine. It reminded her of the first time she held a guy’s hand in middle school. “Same here.”

After the call ended, Amber shoved her phone in her bag and breathed out.

Conner’s face appeared in front of hers. “Did somebody say Levi Marks and Amber Sheridan, new celebrity power couple?”

Amber pushed him away as he and Elouise laughed. She laughed with them. “You two are the worst.”

The bus finally arrived, and they got up to leave.

Chapter 9

“So good to meet you, man. I’m a big fan of your work.”

Levi shook hands with the director of his new film, Ethan Spike. It was Monday morning, and this first set was in a warehouse at the heart of Hollywood. It was meant to be a spaceship since his character had been lost in space at the end of the last movie. Quite a few scenes would take place here, actually.

“You know how it goes. You’re on your spaceship, starving and injured. You open your eyes, look through the glass, and see Mrs. S looking right at you,” the director stated from his seat after Levi was placed before the cameras.

Oscar was next to the crew and director to watch and support him.

Levi shut his eyes as his makeup was touched up by a makeup artist. So far it was just him up here but after they did a few takes, he would have to shoot with Fiona. She was still in hair and makeup.

“Action!”

Usually, Levi was focused while filming and would have nothing on his mind apart from his lines and the mood of the scene, but today he was finding it hard to keep his mind on the task at hand.

“Great job so far,” said a crew member a few hours later, handing him a bottle of water on his way to the snack table. Shooting those takes had brought them to eleven a.m.

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