Page 10 of The Fake Script
“Was Auston always this dreamy?” Alice asks, looking at me.
The corners of my lips twitch into a smile. “Oh yeah. He was already a heartthrob, for sure.”
“Are you going to be okay having him around?” Hayley asks, tilting her head. “I know you said you weren’t interested, but . . .”
“I’ll be fine.” I bob my head. “That was over ten years ago. I’ve since cured myself, one book boyfriend at a time.”
Hayley and Alice both chuckle.
“Thank heavens for book boyfriends,” Hayley sighs as we start walking again. “Where would we be without them?”
We launch into a conversation about our favorite book boyfriends over the years, and as always, it’s a heated debate. I mean, how can we pick just ten? That’s impossible.
“I think they’re getting ready to start shooting again,” Hayley says as we reach the bookstore. When I glance at the set, my eyes instantly fall on Auston. He changed his former outfit for a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves and black pants. A few buttons are undone, revealing a hint of his chest.
Swallowing hard, I try to force myself to look at Madison, but Auston has a magnetic pull that demands my attention, and I can’t look away. Finally, Madison walks into the store, leaving me no choice.
“Action!” the director shouts.
Diego is leaning against the wall, gazing at—I assume—Sarah inside. I think I know what scene they’re filming, which is a good start. After a moment, Sarah struts out of the store, looking both mad and flustered when she notices him. Another thing that would never happen to me. Flustered isn’t in my emotional range.
They say their lines, and Diego looks at Sarah, then brushes a strand of hair out of her eyes in a very romantic way. Um, wait. What are they doing? That’s definitely not in the book.
I shake my head, unable to hold back my snort. But when I focus back on the scene, all eyes are on me.
“Cut!” the director bellows before standing up, hands on his hips. “Who just snorted?”
My cheeks redden, and I suddenly wish I could melt and disappear below the ground. I knew watching the filming was a bad idea.
With a sheepish gulp, I raise my hand. “Sorry. I’ll be quiet.”
His eyes narrow on me. “Who are you?”
Holding my head high, I say, “Emma Sterling, bookstore owner.”
“And why were you snorting?” he demands, scratching his bald head.
“Uh, it’s just that . . . Diego Loma would never do that, the hair thing. At least not at this point in their relationship. He’s an alpha male billionaire who’s frustrated by his infatuation with Sarah. He doesn’t understand why he’s here, and he’s fighting it. Which makes him surrendering to his feelings later in the book so much more powerful.”
“Excuse me,” a woman with sleek long brown hair cuts in. “Who do you think you are?”
“Emma Sterling,” I repeat. “I’m a big fan of the book.”
“Well, Emma, keep your mouth shut. Or get off set.”
“Hold on a minute, June.” Auston says to the woman, both hands in the air. My heart skips a beat. “No need to be mean. I know you’re the script supervisor, but she has a point. It’s important to know those details if we want to do the book justice.”
She crosses her arms. “The script was okayed by the author. What else do you need?”
“Moving on,” the director says, clapping his hands. “We’ve already lost enough time as it is. Everyone keep quiet, or get off set. Let’s roll again.”
6
Approach With Caution
Auston
Madison keeps chattering in my ear about something, but I can’t bring myself to pay attention. Right now, I’m not Diego, and she’s not Sarah. Which means I’m under no obligation to listen to her.