Page 20 of The Singapore Stunt

Her question pulls me back to reality. The movie. Her reaction, all of this, is because of the movie. Of course. “I…” I stammer and untangle from her. “We still have to check the weather. The safety officer has to inspect all the equipment, and a bunch of other protocols need approval.”

She places her palm on my chest. “Us. Matthias. I was asking about us. Are we good? You and I?”

My stupid heart hears the question differently than her intent. I know this yet still can’t fight my reaction. I press my lips to the top of her head. A tender kiss that is more for me than her. “Yes, kitten. We are a well-oiled machine. One of the best.”

Her eyes flicker for a second before she presses a kiss to my cheek. “Good. Because I was two seconds from propositioning you to keep from doing that drill one more time.”

“If I had known that, I might’ve messed up the toss on purpose.”

She pokes my side with her pointy finger. “I wish I had known that was an option three hours ago. We could have been…” She catches herself, and we both realize she doesn’t have to complete the thought. “Can I take you out to dinner tonight?”

I pause. We’ve had dinner together every night she’s been in Singapore. Two colleagues sharing a meal. But the way she asks, right after what we just joked about, feels different. It feels like a…

“To celebrate,” she clarifies. “One last night of quiet before the filming starts.”

I nod. I should feel special. She could choose to be with anyone she wants tonight, and she’s chosen me. My ridiculous thoughts swirl, picking the invite apart like a nervous teen in high school. This has to mean more than it appears?

That’s the moment I know. I want it to mean more. I want this to not just be two colleagues sharing a meal. Somehow, I’ve let her in. Despite my reservations, despite my history, Kimberly has snuck around the palace guard and is sitting in a place that very few women have entered.

Maybe I’m fooling myself. Maybe this is her being kind and caring. This is just her spreading her sunshine spirit to the poor slob who has given her the green light for her movie. That’s all this is.

I give her another nod and can’t believe how much I’m praying that I’m wrong. Hoping that she is experiencing even just a small part of what I am. I want this. I want her.

Chapter Fifteen

Kimberly

It took us three hours and forty-three tries to reach the dozen.

Forty-three times, I climbed the steps to the tower. Forty-three times, I wiped my hands on the front of my shorts. And forty-three times, I reached the ladder.

I only missed three times, but as Mattias reminded me each time, one is too many. After every miss, he reset the counter without a trace of sympathy in his voice.

I’m bone-tired, and I know tomorrow morning, every muscle I have is going to ache. But that’s tomorrow’s problem.

We’re at another hawker market, this one in the center of town. It’s our last night alone. Tomorrow, the rest of the stunt team arrives, and we begin the final walk-throughs on set with Wesley and the second unit. In two days, filming starts for real.

This little slice of paradise with Mattias goes away, starting tomorrow. I take a sip of bubble tea, forgoing alcohol, knowing I have a future date with a tall bottle of Advil. I nibble on delicious roti prata. Once again, we have a table full of food in front of us. After the all-day workouts, we’ve put a pretty good dent in it.

I’m wearing the same sundress from last night. The look Mattias gave me yesterday when he opened the door spurred me to this decision. Tonight, he didn’t say a word, but his eyes betrayed him, a look of desire that I recognize.

I’ve used this information to my advantage. Every chance I’ve gotten here at the market, I’ve hopped up to toss a napkin in the trash, skipped to the counter for forgotten chopsticks, all the while knowing his eyes would be glued to the swing of my flirty dress. Every time I turned, I was rewarded with his eyes lowering too late.

All afternoon, Trace’s words played on repeat in my head. There is so much I don’t know about Mattias. “Hey,” I whisper, and his gaze immediately ping-pongs to me. I snicker to myself. He’s always half a whisper away.

“Can we walk this food off before heading home?”

He nods, but his voice cracks when he repeats my word. “Home?”

He stands to clear the table, and I mirror his movements. “What would you call a place you feel safe? A place you feel protected and taken care of by someone who has your best interest at heart?” I push, curious to see his reaction. “Do you feel it too?”

He tosses the trash into the bin, turns, and takes the tray from my hand. “I’m sure you have many homes where people take care of you.” He gives me his back before I can respond. It doesn’t stop me. I place my hand on the back of his broad shoulders, already knowing its effect. Something he does nearly every time I touch him like this, tender and soft. I’m Elsa, and he freezes in place.

“I think we both know what I meant.” He steps to his left to lead us back toward our compound. I grab him by the back of his elbow. “Tonight, I get to choose. This way. I want to walk the Gardens.”

The Gardens by the Bay is a nature park spanning 101 hectares near the Marina Bay Sands hotel. Home to over a million and a half plants, it’s a diverse must-see attraction that is stunning in both the day and the evening.

Our walk-through and the filming there are during daylight hours. I want to see the Gardens at night. With Mattias.

---