She opened her mouth to volunteer, but sealed her lips without saying a word. Why make promises she wasn’t sure she could keep? Best to test the waters first.
But the chance to do something to make Max notice her had fallen right in her lap. And she was determined not to blow it.
“Long time no see, babe,” Doug said as he joined Dana at The Castaway in Burbank on Tuesday evening.
Dana had invited Doug to the restaurant in the hills overlooking the golf course because it had been his favorite back when they were dating. Once the sun set and the city lights twinkled below, the setting would be magical. Too bad it had never sparked romance between them.
“I’m glad you could make it on short notice.” She rose from her seat and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. As usual, the doofus turned his head at the last second and she caught him square on the mouth. He was one of those people who kissed every female, young or old, on the lips, and because he was the total package—smart, ambitious, charming and attractive in a golden-boy kind of way—he could get away with it. Unfortunately, there had never been any chemistry between them, not even a tiny fizz. But they’d given it their best shot.
“Lucky you called when you did. The boss and I leave on recce at the crack of dawn tomorrow. I won’t be back for at least two weeks, longer if it doesn’t go well.”
“Ooh, I’m jealous. I love scouting out potential locations. Where are you headed?”
“Can’t say. Top secret. But it’s somewhere warm and sunny with umbrella drinks.” His blue eyes, shades paler than Max’s, glimmered with amusement. He took his seat. “Congrats on the promotion.”
“You heard?”
“Tinseltown is a small, gossipy community. Besides, you were once my girl, so I keep tabs on you. Liking the job so far?”
“Most of it. It has a steep learning curve, but I’m learning from the best.” She wasn’t going to tell him Max was working her fanny off, and she was lucky to get six hours of sleep each night or that she loved every minute of the torture.
“I’ll bet it’s a load of pressure with Honor nearing completion.”
She smiled. He’d opened the subject, which made her job easier. As an assistant director, Doug assisted the director much the way she assisted Max. Doug didn’t actually direct and he was okay with that. She’d have preferred the more creative position. But his job meant he knew a lot about ongoing projects.
“Yes, there is a lot of tension at the moment. I hear Willow has its own World War II film coming out soon.”
“You heard correctly.”
“Is it a romance?”
One corner of his mouth rose in a teasing smile. “Could be.”
“Oh, c’mon, Doug.”
He leaned forward and caught both of her hands in his on the table. It was a familiar gesture, one he’d done dozens of times before. “Why should I share with you? You work for the enemy, remember?”
“What do you have to lose? Everyone in Hollywood already knows the gist of Charles’s and Lillian’s story, and your picture is coming out first. Besides, I introduced you to the person who ended up hiring you for this job you adore, remember?”
Doug used to live in her building and had been her premiere date on more than one occasion before they’d tried and failed to be more than just occasional stand-in dates. She’d made the job connection for him at an after party.
“Good point.” He released her, waved down the waiter and ordered a bottle of champagne. They had been together for about a year, and he hadn’t forgotten her preference for Krug Brut Grande Cuvée. “Yes, it’s a romance. I know how much you love sappy love stories.”
“How similar is it to Honor?”
“It’s similar.”
She grimaced. That wasn’t good. “That’s going to make marketing on our end difficult.”
“Not if you play up the differences.”
That’s exactly what Markus had said. “How are we going to know what those differences are?”
The waiter returned with the champagne. Dana impatiently waited for the whole tasting ritual thing to pass and then opened her mouth to repeat her question. Doug halted her with a raised finger.
“First we celebrate your promotion.” He lifted his glass. She dutifully clinked her rim to his and sipped. The golden liquid bubbled down her throat leaving a nutty, toasted finish behind, but it failed to sooth her agitated nerves. She didn’t need alcohol. She needed answers.
Doug covered her free hand with his. “Dana, relax. I didn’t work on the film directly, so I don’t know the details, but I might have a copy of the script at my place. You can follow me home and I’ll check. If I don’t, then I can probably get you a copy when I get back. After all, as you said, what could it hurt? It’s too late in the game for any espionage stuff.”
Surprise made her gasp. She couldn’t possibly ask for any more. “Will that get you in trouble?”
“I don’t think so. I’ll test the waters first.”
“I don’t want to get you fired.”
He winked. “I don’t want that, either.”
“I could kiss you, Doug.”
“Please do.”
That stilled her for a moment with a twinge of discomfort. “But you know—”
“Dana, just shut up and kiss me. I know it means nothing. But it raises my value to be seen with a hot chick.”
Chuckling, she rose and leaned over the table without bothering to argue about his “hot chick” comment. She gave Doug a quick peck. It was like kissing her brother only Doug wore pricier cologne.
“Celebrating something?” Max’s voice said behind her.
She froze an inch away from Doug’s lips and then straightened and turned. The icy look in Max’s blue eyes made her uneasy. “Uh…hi, Max.”
Max wore his black Jack Victor suit with a white shirt and a black-and-white patterned tie. He looked delicious in a forbidding way.
Doug’s chair scraped as he pushed it back and rose. “We’re celebrating Dana’s promotion. I’m glad you were finally smart enough to recognize her worth.”
She shot Doug a warning glance. Doug ignored her and offered Max his hand. “I’m Doug Lewis. We met a couple of years ago at the Legions premiere.”
Max gave him a brief, hard shake. “I remember.”
Max no doubt did. Dana didn’t think he ever forgot a name or face. But at the time Doug hadn’t been working for Willow. Should she tell him Doug had promised her a copy of the Willow script? No, better not. She didn’t want to get Doug in trouble, and she didn’t want to raise Max’s hopes in case Doug couldn’t deliver.
“Thanks for stopping by to say hello,” Doug added in clear dismissal. “We won’t keep you.”
Aghast, Dana stared. Did the man have a career death wish?
Max’s cold eyes found Dana’s again. “My appointment is waiting. Don’t stay out late tonight. We have a full schedule tomorrow. I’ll meet you in the kitchen at six.”
Having dropped that bombshell, he strolled across to the dining room. Her gaze followed him to a table where he joined his older brother.
Dana turned on Doug. “Are you crazy?”
“Whoa. He’ll meet you in