Page 12 of Solid Foundation
I frowned. “Set designer?” When he nodded, I continued. “I didn’t know reality shows had set designers. I guess I thought those were just for sitcoms or whatever.” Max’s soft grin did something to me and my stomach turned with butterflies.
“A common misconception,” he murmured.
A knock on the trailer door startled me, distracting me from staring at Max’s mouth again.Fuck.I was going to have to get myself under control. He placed a hand on my shoulder casually, my body heating at the touch and my heart rate speeding up.
“I’ll get that.” Max released me and opened the door. Standing outside, looking more annoyed than even I usually did, was the landscaper.
“We’re done mowing the yard. Anything else?”
Max glanced at me. “We’re good?” When I nodded, he focused his attention on the landscaper again. “Let me take a look before you go, just in case.”
The second they were gone, my phone buzzed. I checked it and saw a text from Troy, the carpenter who was also helping with demo that day, with a request for additional supplies. With a sigh, I scrubbed a hand over my face and headed outside to find Troy and several other people from the construction crew standing in front of the house chatting.
“Sorry, boss,” Troy said. “We’re ready to move to the interior. But… we’re going to need more asbestos suits. I didn’t order enough. Didn’t account for the extra crew on hand for the demo, plus the film crew will need them too. Respirators, eye protection, the whole nine.”
I glanced at the time. It was barely nine and we were already stalled. Great. That’s what I got for not checking behind people, I supposed. “Sure thing. I’ll head to the hardware store and stock us up. Do what you can out here in the meantime.”
He nodded. “Ten-four, boss.”
Under normal circumstances, I’d just take my company credit card and go, but the studio was funding the supplies for their crew, and I didn’t have a card to cover it. Which meant I needed Max. TolocateMax. I didn’tneedhim. Not like that. Obviously. I pressed my index finger to the spot between my eyebrows as I thought for a moment.
A few minutes later, I found Max behind the house, watching my team rip off ancient trim and rotting siding. Skirting around the camera crew, I managed to get into the production tent behind where the camera was filming without interrupting the shot. Shortly after I arrived, the director called “cut” and Max turned his focus to a monitor, watching the footage play back with the director.
“Thanks, Gideon,” he murmured to the camera operator. A blond guy I hadn’t noticed before sidled up to him from inside the tent then, looking just as young, eager, and fresh-faced as Max did. He looked ready to take on the world. Max turned to him and gave him a fist bump before they began a quiet conversation.
I waited patiently, trying to recall where I recognized the blond guy from. He was dressed nicely enough, in jeans and a neat polo, but he wasn’t anyone I’d met so far. I was sure he was a part of the show crew, but that didn’t explain why he looked so damn familiar. After waiting for an eternity, they both turned and spotted me.
Max smiled. “Perfect timing. Sterling, Jake is our foreman.”
“Oh!Sogood to meet you finally. Max told mesomuch about you.” He grinned and cut a glance at Max, whose cheeks were pink. I frowned, trying to parse out what was happening, but Sterling continued. “Right, Max?”
Did that mean Max had told Sterling about me? Had he told him something about me other than just the fact that we were working together? Sterling’s tone certainly seemed laden with meaning. I shook my head quickly. I was starting to sound like a teenager with a crush, which I definitely wasn’t.
Max rolled his eyes and laughed. “Youcan fuck right off, Sterling,” he said without vitriol. “Jake, Sterling is our darling host. And my insufferable best friend, unfortunately.”
“And don’t forget, I’m your roommate for the next two months.”
Max ran a hand through his hair. “How could I possibly forget?”
“Host, huh?” I thought for a moment before it dawned on me. “That’s where I know you from.”
Sterling noticeably brightened. “You’ve seen one of my shows?”
I nodded. “I think so. You were on that interior design show, right? Where neighbors swap houses and decorate a room?”
“I was! Design shows have been my bread and butter, so I’m pretty excited to expand into this realm.”
Max grinned. “You watch interior design shows?”
“Hmph. Yeah. Sometimes I need inspiration.” A moment passed between us, silent and heavy, and just as I was trying to figure out what it all meant, Max cleared his throat.
“Did you need something, or were you just coming to check things out? Not that I mind.”
“Yeah.” I rubbed the back of my neck idly. “I, uh… the team needs supplies. Asbestos removal suits, among other things. We can’t let the cameras inside during demo without them.”
“Yeah,” Max said eventually. “That makes sense.”
“I need someone to come with me to the hardware store to purchase said protection.” I spoke slowly, not sure he understood.
