Page 13 of #Starstruck

“Hi, Chase Covington.” I don’t know how I was able to form words. Or how I hadn’t dissolved into an incoherent, blubbering pile of Zoe goo.

“Hi, Zoe Miller.”

We were still shaking hands, which was basically holding hands at this point, as it had gone on so long. He was just grinning at me like I was some long-lost friend he was excited to catch up with.

I didn’t want to imagine what my slack-jawed, overwhelmed face looked like. He probably thought I was an idiot.

A guy with dark-brown hair and wearing a Bluetooth device in one ear came over. “Chase, Marty wants a word.”

Chase finally let go of my hand. “Thanks, One-F. Stick around, Zoe Miller. There’s more to say.” He walked backward a few steps, like he didn’t want to stop looking at me. With a wink, he finally turned and headed toward the director.

The girl who had nudged me said, “You are the luckiest wench in the entire universe. How didyoucatch Chase’s eye?”

I understood she was basically insulting me, but seriously, I had no idea.

I tried to watch him out of the corner of my eye, but I didn’t think I was doing a good job of being subtle. Especially since he kept catching my gaze and smiling at me, like he knew something I didn’t.

Every cell in my body felt alert and aware, like I was a walking exposed bundle of nerves.

“Zoe!” Lexi ran up to me, out of breath. “Can you believe it?”

Certain she was here to talk about the parallel universe that had just opened up, where Chase not only knew my name but was also looking for me and told me he wanted to talk to me and had basically held my hand, I sighed deeply. “I don’t really know how to explain it—”

She cut me off. “Neither do I! The DA just told me the director liked what Chase and I did. I’m going to get to say that line in the movie. I’m going to be an under-five! I mean, the line will probably end up on the editing room floor, but this is going to be such a great credit for me. I’m going to say a line in a Chase Covington movie!”

So not where I thought that conversation was about to go. “That’s amazing, Lexi. I’m really excited for you.” I stood up to hug her.

“Can you hold this for me?” She handed me her bowling ball, and I was surprised it was an actual, heavy bowling ball. I guess I thought it was like those fake rocks from old sci-fi TV shows that were hollow inside but looked heavy. It spoke to her dedication that she’d been holding it this entire time. “I seriously have to pee.”

Lexi had the bladder of an ant, so I wasn’t surprised she needed to use the bathroom. I was impressed she had lasted this long.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and whirled around, dropping the bowling ball.

A man swore and yelled, “Ow!”

Some tiny part of me was relieved when I realized it wasn’t Chase. It was the guy he’d called One-F. He was hunched over, grabbing his left foot.

“I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

“I think it’s broken,” he said through clenched teeth.

Chase was there and calling for a medic. The medic rushed over and had One-F sit down. She carefully took off his shoe and sock and did a couple of tests. One-F grimaced and winced the entire time.

“It seems broken. I’m going to call for an ambulance to take him to the hospital.”

I put a hand over my queasy stomach. They were definitely going to fire us now.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Chase asked. Which meant One-F was somebody important to Chase. I felt light-headed and seriously considered sticking my head between my knees.

“No, stay here. If you come, it will just delay production.”

I apologized two more times, and One-F told me it was fine, accidents happen. The ambulance arrived quickly, and two EMTs got him onto a stretcher and out of the building.

“Excitement’s over! Let’s set up for another shot!” the director’s assistant called out.

“I’m sorry I broke your friend,” I told Chase. All I kept thinking about was that scene fromDirty Dancingwhere Baby was trying to act cool and impress Johnny and went to that party and blurted out, “I carried a watermelon!” and then beat herself up afterward for saying something so stupid. That was how I felt. It was my “I carried a watermelon” moment.

“One-F is not just my friend. He’s also my personal assistant. Which means I am down one assistant, and I rely on him a lot.”

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