Page 77 of Holly Jolly July

“I think it’s how you embodied the alien and brought it to life.”

“But we did it—we went viral!” I squeeze her against me before letting her go to grab the door. “We make a great team.”

Mariah nods in agreement, that adorable half smile of hers lighting up her face. “Yeah, we do, don’t we?”

“Ellie?” a familiar voice calls from somewhere off set.

We halt where we are, me half outside and holding the door open for Mariah. I look over my shoulder and panic, shutting the door quickly.

Mariah mouths,What?through the window.

I mouth back,Matt!

She gawps and takes three big steps backward. Our cover was almost blown.

I give Mariah a wide-eyed stare through the door, then put on a bright smile and jaunt to where Matt is standing on the other side of the fence. I wait for butterflies, for tingles, forsomething, but nothing happens. “What are you doing here?”

He flashes his hundred-watt smile, which is regrettably back to its pearly-white lustre. His smile used make me weak in the knees, but now just makes me sick to my stomach. “Haven’t heard from you in a few days,” he says. “And I thought this would be less creepy than showing up at the cabin.”

“Ha... yeah, you’re right.” I give him some finger guns. “Still a little creepy, though.”

“Or is it romantic?” He pulls a small bouquet of orange and pink dahlias from behind his back.

I gasp, eyeing the arrangement. “A point for romance.”

“What time are you finished here? Can I take you out for dinner? I know this amazing—”

“Actually,” I interrupt, stopping him there, “we have more filming to do. It’s just a quick break, a touch-up in hair and makeup, and then I’m full on again. But I’ll call you, okay?”

His smile wanes. I reach through the fence and hold out my hand, which he takes.

“I’ll call you,” I reassure. If I didn’t know he was a two-timing player I’d almost feel guilty. But I know the truth about him now. His acting skills are nearly on par with my own.

“What do you want me to do with these?” Matt gestures with the flowers, unable to fit them through the fence.

“Keith?” I ask.

The guard takes them for me. “I’ll deliver them.”

Matt thanks him, gives me a wink through the fence, and walks off.

I take a few steps backward, then turn and bolt to the café set. Mariah is there waiting. “He’s gone,” I tell her, opening the door and double-checking over my shoulder.

She exhales a relieved breath. “That was close.”

“Yeah. I didn’t think of it before, but what if he sees our TikTok? He’ll see us together and then our cover will be blown.”

“Should we... delete it?” She looks down at her phone as if it’s something precious.

“No. Leave it. But we have to act fast.” I grab her and pull her along the sidewalk.

“What do you mean?”

The guard interrupts us, handing me the bunch of flowers. Mariah and I eye it, then look at each other. “He obviously hasn’t learned anything from our pranks,” I say, waving the flowers about.

She sighs. “You’re right.”

I open the door for her and let her go up the stairs ahead of me, trying not to be distracted by her bubble butt in her tight pants. “We have to try again, use a different tactic.”

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