Behind the Scenes

Chapter 12

HARRY

"Okay, man. See you tomorrow." I called over my shoulder, throwing a wave back towards Mitchell, one of the production crew. The usual hectic bustle that always seemed to surround this set had dimmed along with the approaching end of day. It had been yet another long one, but smooth, many of the kinks and hiccups that came with a new production finally worked out. Now, it seemed like we all had our jobs down, our routines figured out, and things were finally running smoothly.

I pulled my phone from my pocket, scrolling through my messages. Two texts and one call from Marcia. A text from Markus. One from my mom. And a couple random emails from my label. Nothing that I had to get to immediately, for which I was thankful. I was tired, my muscles sore from a rather intense workout that morning, and was looking forward to a night in my room with a pizza and football.

"Harry!" A shrill voice called, causing me to close my eyes in irritation. I didn't bother to turn around as she chased me down, ignoring the rain as she gripped onto my arm.

"Hey Madison," I replied dully, glancing up from my phone.

"A few of us are going out to a club tonight," she explained, bouncing excitedly. Her large eyes peered up at me expectantly, pulling herself closer and pressing against me. "You have to come."

I didn't even have to consider my answer. "No thanks," I said with a shake of my head. "Not in the mood."

Of course, she pouted out her full lips, glancing up from under her lashes. "Aw, come on. We've barely gotten to hang out since shooting started. I was hoping we could...get to know each other a little more."

Her suggestive tone made it quite clear the means in which she wanted to get to know me, the way she was gently moving herself against me enticingly. Under normal circumstances, I would have taken full advantage of the situation. A beautiful, famous girl all over me? It would have been no hesitation. But for some reason, the idea of being fawned over my Madison Regis all night, the flashes of cameras as people recognized us, the blaring music of a club, was remarkably unappealing.

Stepping out of her grasp, I shook my head. "No thanks. I have other plans."

"Aw, come on-"

I moved away further, giving her a wave as I made my escape. "Thanks for the offer. See you later."

A gentle mist of rain began to fall just as I reached my car, sliding behind the wheel quickly. The soft scent of the leather interior invaded my senses, the dashboard coming to life with the turn of the key. I had the same car back home in Los Angeles, a newer model Audi, and loved it. There was just something to be said for the sleek craftsmanship of a good car.

I pulled out of the parking lot, angling towards the exit, when a figure standing under the cover of the entrance overhang caught my attention. She was blurred from the rain, coming into focus periodically with the work of the wipers. Her long dark hair was down, falling around her shoulders, her plump bottom lip pulled between her teeth. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she was rocking her weight back and forth between her feet as she alternated between glancing towards the exit, and watching her phone.

Pulling up in front of her, I lowered my window.

"What are you doing out in the rain?" I called, causing her to startle. When she realized it was me, I could see a sense of confliction on her face that made me discouraged. Even now, after a few weeks of working together, Kate still kept me at arms length. I had turned up the charm, sought her out to the point of borderline stalker, and had tried all my regular tactics to get her to let down her guard. But nothing I did seemed to work, and even now she looked at me as though she was deciding whether or not to actually engage with me.