Page 23 of Snow Balled

“Yeah. It’s like they have one of two reactions. First, they treat me like a celebrity is an entirely different species. Like I’m not even a person, I’m just my job.”

“Aiden gets that a lot.”

He was one of the biggest movie stars in the world, so that wasn’t surprising. At least he got to be normal when he was at home with Ronnie and their other two partners. “The other reaction is—”

“Let me guess. They want to get in your pants, right?”

“Right.”

“But wouldn’t that happen anyway? Face it, girl, you’re hot.”

I grimaced. “Possibly, but when guys find out I’m an actress, it becomes even more of a challenge for them. Like I’m some kind of conquest.”

“That sucks. I guess you should enjoy your chance at anonymity while you can.”

“What do you mean?”

Ronnie’s voice was sympathetic. “Well, the press tour starts in three weeks. Your face will be on a lot of screens even before the movie comes out.”

The thought made my stomach ache. I grasped at the only strand of hope I had. “You really think so? Do you remember who the leading ladies were in the first three movies?” Aiden’s character, Chase Cooper, had a different love interest in each film.

Ronnie was quiet for a moment, likely trying to remember. “Two of the three,” she said at last.

“I wish you were coming on the tour.”

“They don’t send stunt people on those.”

“Even when they’re dating Aiden Hunt?”

Ronnie sighed. “According to the studio, we’re not dating. Too much of a scandal, I suppose.”

My heart went out to her. It was so unfair that she couldn’t be open about the men she loved. “I’m sorry.”

“I shouldn’t complain,” she said hastily. “I love my job, I love my men, I love my life. But it’d be nice to go out on a date with them from time to time.”

“Yeah, I get that.”

“Anyway, since I can’t go, you have to promise to keep Aiden in line for me during the press tour.”

“I’ll try.” I rolled over on my side, gazing absently at the rustic furniture in the little room. “Hard to believe that he’s actually one of the people I’m looking forward to seeing.” I realized after I said it that it’d sounded kind of bad, but Ronnie knew Aiden and I’d had a rocky start at the beginning of filming.

“Who aren’t you looking forward to seeing? Oh wait, I know, that assistant director. What was his name?”

The pain in my stomach intensified. “Walter Henderson.” I sure as hell hadn’t forgotten his name.

“Oh, yeah. God, that guy was an asshole.”

“Tell me about it.” Henderson had made my life miserable on the set. He’d tried to make me go topless in the sex scene, even though my contract specified no nudity. To say he was an asshole was putting it mildly. Of course, he wasn’t the only man in Hollywood like that.

“But you don’t have to worry about him until the premiere. Assistant directors aren’t important enough to go on the publicity tour.”

“Really?” That seemed almost too good to be true. But since she lived with Aiden, Ronnie knew more about this stuff than I did. Most of the films I’d been in hadn’t gotten much attention from the press.

“Will you be able to make the tour?” Ronnie asked. “Kylie said they don’t know how to extract you yet.”

“Oh. Yeah, it’s going to be a while. Trees and branches are down all over. But I can’t imagine it’ll take three weeks.”

It shouldn’t, right? No way I could stay that long with men I didn’t know. Plus, it wasn’t good for them, either. They hadn’t said anything, but I’d probably messed up their brainstorming or whatever it was they were doing for their business.

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