Page 105 of Between Never and Forever
“No. We’ve talked about this. You’re staying at Ms. Sharon’s while they’re filming. That’s final.”
“But what if Sav can only give me lessons on her lunch breaks?”
“Then I’ll call Ms. Sharon and you can walk back on the lunch breaks.”
“What if she can only do it at night after shooting?”
“Then I will come get you and bring you back here after filming.”
She huffs. “But I wanna watch—”
“Brynnlee, the answer is no.”
Not only will there be a ton of expensive equipment around here, but this movie has scenes that Brynn isn’t old enough to watch. She’s mature for her age, but I’m not about to let her watch sex or murder scenes just because her idol will be starring in them.
My gut twists. I’m especially not looking forward to the sex scenes.
“Go on,” I tell her, and she huffs again before picking up her duffle bag. She starts to stomp down the front porch stairs, but I call after her. “Forgetting something.”
She sighs loudly, then grumbles, “Goodbye, I love you see you later.”
“I love you more,” I say to her retreating back. “Be good for Ms. Sharon.”
I lean on the porch railing and watch as she drags her feet the whole two blocks to Sharon’s. When she reaches the house, Sharon steps out onto the sidewalk and sends me a wave. I wave back, then Sharon shuffles Brynn into the house.
Once Brynn and Sharon are out of sight, I walk the couple of blocks to Main Street. When I turn toward our small coffee shop, I notice a familiar man staring angrily at the sign painted on the large window. I step up next to him and take it in.
For the most part, Main Street looks the same, but a few of the businesses have been altered slightly for filming. Names and logos changed, fresh paint, etc. The coffee shop is one of them.
What used to beOakport Sugar and Creamis nowBuongiorno Bakery, and instead of the usual logo displaying a happy pink pig lounging in a teacup, there’s a plain white outline of a coffee bean and a croissant.
“This is your doing,” Joe Shultz grumbles before taking a drink from his cardboard coffee cup. Even the to-go cups have been changed.
“How so?”
He flicks irritated eyes to me before looking back at the window sign.
“You had to go and build that million-dollar house and now all these Hollywood folk want to take over our town.”
I raise a brow at the sign, but I don’t look at Joe.
“Movies have been filmed here before, Joe,” I remind him. “Blame the studio up the coast.”
Joe shakes his head and his nose twitches.
“Those were romantic films. Comedies. Not this explicit baloney crap. Not with that devil music making band girl.”
Devil music making band girl?I almost want to laugh. Something tells me Savannah would get a kick out of that one.
“They’re only here for a couple weeks, Joe. Two tops. In and out, and it’s good for the economy of the town.”
Joe snorts into his coffee, but doesn’t say anything else, so I walk into the café without another word. Mary Lynn, the lady behind the counter, sees me walk in and smiles, then gets to work making my coffee. She’s already setting it on the counter by the time I reach it.
“He’s been out there for thirty minutes just starin’ at the sign on the window as if everyone in here can’t see him doing it,” Mary Lynn says with a grin. “‘Bout refused his coffee when he saw the cups.”
I shake my head. Joe Shultz needs to find a hobby.
“Did the studio contact you about tomorrow,” I ask her, and she nods.
