Page 20 of Flippin' Cowboy
On cue, the camera crew production crew rose from their half-eaten dinners. A few moments of chaos ensued as they unloaded the vans and set up cameras, lights, microphones, and other pieces of equipment that Nick couldn’t identify.
Nick felt a twinge of guilt about their interrupted meals. And Winnie didn’t look happy about it either. He caught her giving him a dirty look, as if this situation washisfault.
Alerted by the sudden rise in volume, a pretty young blonde woman in a white chef’s coat and a black cap emerged from the kitchen. Nick recognized her features and noted the familial resemblance to Winnie. This must be the chef-sister, Summer Snowberry.
“Hey, is everything okay?” she called, sounding concerned.
She came to a halt just outside the swinging kitchen door as she spotted the bewildering array of audio-visual equipment. “Oh, I see. No problem, guys. Let me know if you guys need me towarm up your plates once you’re done, and I’ll tell Brock to hold off on the dessert course,” she continued cheerfully.
A few minutes later, everything was ready to roll. At Karla’s direction, Nick and Kegan left the diner and re-entered.
To his irritation, Karla asked them to repeat the maneuver three more times, because Kegan kept forgetting not to look around at the cameras and the rest of the fascinating array of equipment surrounding them just out of frame.
Next came the ordeal of having to sit down with Winnie and Mrs. Snowberry and tell them, on camera, that after thinking about it, he wanted to work with them to save the old inn.
“… and I see a lot of potential in this town,” he continued, with more enthusiasm once the painful part was done. “The downtown area is filled with historic buildings, and your train station is a gem. With a little work, they could really shine.”
Mrs. Snowberry beamed at him across the table. “I’m so happy to hear that, Nick!” she said enthusiastically. “You have a reputation for amazing restorations, and I know that you’ll do justice to Caroline Snowberry’s historic home.”
“I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to this project.” Nick took a deep breath. “In fact, if Winnie agrees that the building is structurally stable enough to be saved, then I’m willing to do whatever it takes to bring the Snowberry Springs Inn back to life.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Karla break into a huge grin and give him the thumbs-up.
“I’m 90 percent certain that the building is sound—other than the roof,” Winnie said coolly. “My suggestion to Grandma Abigail to tear it down was based purely on budgetary reasons. Iwas concerned about the amount of money it will take to bring everything up to code and redo the interior, and how long before the new hotel recoups all the renovation costs.”
“Don’t worry about the numbers,” Nick said, determined to score points on camera. He continued recklessly. “I’m willing to pay for any reasonable budget overages if it means not having to cut corners on the important stuff. We’ll find a way to make things work out.”
Winnie narrowed her eyes at him, as if judging his sincerity. Then, after exchanging glances with her grandmother, she said, “Fine. I guess we’re a team now. I look forward to doing a walkthrough with you tomorrow and hearing your thoughts on the scope of work.”
Nick felt a slap of surprise at her lackluster tone. He’d humbled himself coming here tonight. The least she could do was fake some enthusiasm!
Then again, Winter Snowberry didn’t have any reason to like him.
But dammit, he hadn’t been wrong when he criticized those restoration projects on her show! The thought of all that beautiful original mahogany wainscoting and trim work languishing under a coat of white paint still made his blood boil.
He stuck out his hand. “Same here,” he declared, lying through his teeth. “Partners it is!” He forced himself to smile at her. America was watching, after all.
She, too, forced a smile and shook. Her palm was very warm.
Out of nowhere, Nick vividly imagined his cock in her pleasantly firm grip.
He felt himself getting hard and hoped to God no one at the table would notice a suspicious bulge at his crotch. His knitted sweater was long enough to cover the front of his jeans, right?
“And… cut!” Karla announced.
Nick blinked. He’d almost forgotten they were being filmed.
“Guys, that was great,” she enthused.
Nick hoped that meant she wouldn’t ask them to repeat their conversation another three or four times.
A crew member had set up a large flatscreen monitor at a nearby table, presumably to preview the footage as it was being shot. Karla walked over to him and leaned over his shoulder.
After a few moments, she straightened and gave the room a thumbs-up. “And that’s a wrap for tonight. Great work, everyone!”
All the crew members and extras cheered. “Now we can finish dinner. Those mushrooms were amazing,” someone commented.
“I’ll go ask Summer and Brock to reheat everyone’s plates,” Winnie said, rising to her feet.
