Page 44 of Playing for Possession
My teeth itched with embarrassment. None of this was Kieran’s fault. It was me. I couldn’t help it. Not all of us had our innate good looks and world fame to fall back on. It wasn’t news to me that I wasn’t a natural in front of the camera.
Elena pointed at Kieran and swept her fingers over her mouth, imitating a smile. “You need to smile. You’re speaking the dialogue as though you’re being forced at gunpoint.”
Kieran weighed her with a critical squint. “Maybe if this stuff didn’t taste like shit then we’d be able to pull it off.”
I smothered my laugh. Kieran was so dry and brutal sometimes. I should have been more professional, but I couldn’t help that he made me giggle even when he wasn’t trying to.
Elena’s eyes snapped to me and she waggled her finger at me. “Yes. There we go. Like that. Do that. Look at this can of Fizzz the way you are swooning over him and we won’t have any problems.”
Heat rose in my cheeks.
Kieran’s eyes flashed with anger. “Don’t talk to Joanie like that. You don’t have to be rude.”
“Explore the Fizzz.It’s one line.” Elena smile stretched. “It shouldn’t be this difficult.”
Elena plowed off over the sand to harass some other poor member of the production staff.
I fanned my face with my hand, which only made me feel hotter with the effort. “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”
Kieran’s usually stern expression softened. “You’re not doing anything wrong.”
Having to redo this repeatedly wasn’t exactly making my performance any better. In the last take, I’d got so distracted by watching Kieran’s throat bob as he swallowed the drink that I’d forgotten my line. Kieran’s smile was nonexistent, and mine looked overbright and ridiculous. It was getting painful. They really couldn’t have picked a worse pair for this. A wave of amusement went through me. It was so ludicrous it was actually funny.
Kieran’s voice was low and reassuring. “One last time. We’ve got this. This is going to be the one, I know it. We’ve done this six times now. They can’t expect much more. The Calverdale insurance doesn’t cover us drinking a full can.”
A laugh escaped me. At least I wasn’t alone in this. This would have been even worse without Kieran.
I turned my face to the sea and watched the waves rolling in, willing the gentle lull to soothe me. “Let’s get it done. If we get it wrapped up today, we could be on a plane this evening.”
He dropped and picked up a handful of sand, watching as it slipped through his fingers. “I was thinking about that. What if we stayed?”
“I’m sorry?”
“I spoke to Carlos this morning. He’s had to fly to Madrid for a few days on emergency business, but he’s disappointed we won’t getto have dinner together. He really enjoyed meeting you. He wants to talk more about the brand endorsement.”
“He does?”
Kieran spread his fingers and let sand cascade from one palm to the other. “I haven’t had a holiday in years. I’m going to stay on until the end of the week at least. Why don’t you stay too? Have a proper holiday. Carlos would love it.” He let the sand run out of his hand and stared at his empty palm. “Unless you have other things you should be doing...”
My heart pounded, but I tried to smooth my expression. Kieran wanted me to stay here with him? That was out of the question, wasn’t it? I had things to do at home. Although, not really. Training didn’t start officially for another couple of weeks. It had been so long since I’d had a holiday, too, and a chance to have dinner with Carlos Ramirez? That was a dream come true, let alone the idea of a brand collaboration. But it was so spontaneous. So not me.
Elena planted herself in front of me. “We’re ready to go again.”
Kieran brushed himself down and stood. “Fine, but this is the last time.”
“We want it to be perfect.” Elena held her speakerphone to her lips and her voice boomed out. “Female player first. Action.”
I tried to adjust my expression into a camera-ready smile. My body thrummed with excitement. Could I stay longer? I couldn’t seriously be contemplating it. But maybe it would be a good idea. Kieran was so much more fun than I could have expected. I was supposed to be seizing the day, or at least reaching for it carefully. Making the commercial with Ramirez was on my list. Maybe this was an opportunity. More time with Carlos Ramirez. More time with Kieran. A proposition that made my stomach flutter.
We walked ten paces, and I took a sip of the drink and tried not to grimace. I pasted a smile onto my face and looked down the camera lens. “Explore the Fizzz.”
“Cut,” Elena shouted.
She gave a slow clap and nodded. “Better. You had a sparkle in your eyes that time. That’s the best one yet. Why don’t we try one more?”
Kieran folded his arms. His expression was cold and unfeeling. “No. That’s it. We’ve explored the Fizzz more than anyone could be expected to. You’ll have to use what you’ve got. If you have a problem with that, then you can speak to my agent.”
I cringed at Kieran’s bluntness and shot him a look. Rob had warned him about his attitude, but it had gone in one ear and out the other. He really couldn’t care less what people thought about him. It was easy to see why he’d got a reputation for being combative, but really that wasn’t fair. He spoke his mind, and he didn’t shy away from conflict. It wasn’t aggressive. It was assertive. Not a terrible quality. A good one, in fact, if he channeled it in the right way.
