Page 86 of On Set
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“I’m so proud of you.”Hayden’s voice echoes off the empty walls of my new house just as Eli walks in carrying another load of boxes. I should have known better than to put her on speaker phone but I’m trying to unload as quickly as possible. Today is our only day off, and with just a week left of filming, I’m honestly surprised we were given today to begin with.
“Thanks,” I say as I cut into the top box of the stack. It’s labeled kitchen but that doesn’t seem to matter. I’ve found underwear mixed in with bath towels, and there was a set of pots and pans in the first box I opened. It was labeled media.
Not exactly thrilling entertainment.
We shouldn’t have drunk so much when we packed me up two weeks ago.
The day after the big blowout with my mother, Eli and I went house hunting. The first house we walked through was a disaster. The location was perfect, but the house was in disarray. The master bath had been gutted but not replaced. Appliances in the kitchen were outdated along with the countertops and cabinets. The worst part was the backyard. The small patch of grass, if you could call it that, was black, as if it had been burnt. The storage shed looked ready to give up on itself. All it would take was a light breeze and the place would crumble in on itself.
There was no way I was going to pay that much for a house I’d have to invest even more money in to make livable.
The second house was cute. Smaller than I was hoping for but priced right. The master suite had been fully remodeled, painted a soft gray, with a gorgeous clawfoot tub in the bath. The rest of the house was a blank canvas. Literally. Every wall was white. White countertops in the kitchen and baths. White appliances. White doors. There wasn’t a speck of color outside of the master bedroom.
It had potential. Lots of it. Not only was it twenty minutes from the studio but it was only five minutes from the beach. I was ready to put an offer down, but Eli insisted I look at one more place at least. He claimed he saved the best for last.
He wasn’t lying.
This place has curb appeal. From the lush, green grass and pristine landscaping with pops of color to the bright red shutters and matching front door against the bright white siding. I knew it was the one before I even stepped inside. Crossing the threshold only solidified my decision. It’s an older home, and the original character of the house has been preserved. Two bedrooms, a cute little nook in the kitchen with a built-in table and French-style doors that lead to a lavish backyard.
It’s perfect for me, and somehow Eli knew it would be.
“Christmas at your place this year?” Hayden asks, the hesitance in her voice evident.
“I don’t know yet,” I reply, sharing a look with Eli over the growing stack in front of me. “If nothing else, we’ll have a little get together here for New Year’s, how does that sound?”
“It sounds great, but I have to head back here right after Christmas. New Year’s Eve is a big night for me. As of right now, I have six clients coming in that morning. It could turn out to be more.”
“Spreading yourself a little thin don’t you think?”
“Maybe. My boss promised to bring in another host before March Madness begins. Last year I was awake for three days straight and fell asleep standing up in the elevator twice. At least this is only for one night, and they’re all interested in celebrating together so I won’t be running around like a mad woman. Instead, I’ll be playing babysitter at a party on the roof.”
A shiver runs up my spine at the thought of being on top of any building. Heights are not my thing.
“Well, I’ll keep you posted on Christmas. We need to grab the last of the boxes and get situated. My furniture is being delivered this afternoon, and as of right now, there’s no way they’ll be able to get it in here with all the boxes laying around.”
“Have fun. Tell Eli hello for me and thanks again for the half naked pic.”
Rolling my eyes, I promise to send Hayden more pictures, this time of the house once we have the place in order. When Eli walks back in and announces he has the last box from the car, I let out a sigh. They’re all inside but we still have a long way to go to unpack and not a lot of time.
“Hayden says thanks for the pic,” I state as I begin rummaging through the box in front of me, pulling out glasses one by one, unwrapping them.
“I told you it was a good idea to send it. They’re going to love me forever now.”
“Just because you’re ridiculously hot doesn’t mean they’ll love you more.”
When he doesn’t respond right away, I look up to find him with his eyebrow raised in challenge. Mimicking his stance, I place my hand on my hip and pop it out for dramatic effect. Eli drops the towel he’s holding back into the box and stalks over to me. I barely have time to take a step back before he’s lifting me onto the edge of the counter and pressing himself between my legs.
“You think I’m hot, huh?”
“Yup.”
“You’re not too bad yourself.” Leaning in, he captures my lips before I can protest. We don’t have time to make out like teenagers right now, but I can’t bring myself to push him away either.
Which is why we’re scrambling to make room for my furniture an hour later when it’s delivered. And why we’re up until one o’clock in the morning looking for bed sheets so we can crawl in and fall asleep.
Because everything around me disappears when Eli kisses me.