Ethan Chambers took another sip from the water bottle, wishing it was a cold beer instead. He couldn’t believe he had finally gotten his lucky break and was here, on the set of Paging the Doctor, playing the role of a neurosurgeon. He wasn’t a hospital maintenance man or a victim who needed medical care but a doctor. He had landed the role of a lifetime on what was one of the most top-rated shows.
He would even go so far as to pinch himself if there weren’t so many people around, and if his agent, Curtis Fairgate, wasn’t standing right next to him, smiling, gloating and taking it all in. And of course, Curtis was ready to take credit for the whole thing, as if Ethan hadn’t worked his tail off to get where he was now.
He thought about the three years he had studied acting abroad while doing some well-received but small theater gigs. He could finally say he was now building an acting career. Even his older brother, Hunter, who had tried pressuring him to stay in the family business, was happy for him now. And that meant a lot.
“You do know your lines, don’t you?”
Ethan lifted a brow, not believing Curtis would ask such a thing. “Of course. I might be nervous but I’m not stupid. I’m not about to screw up my big break.”
“Good.”
Ethan pulled in a slow breath, wondering how he and Curtis had managed to survive each other for the past two years. Hollywood agents were known to be pushy, cynical and, in some cases, downright rude. Curtis was all three and then some. Ethan only kept him around because they had a fairly decent working relationship, and Curtis had managed to land him a spot on this show by talking to the right people. But Curtis probably would not have managed that if the sister of one of Ethan’s former girlfriends hadn’t been the current lover of one of the show’s writers.
Curtis began talking, rambling on about something Ethan had no desire to listen to, so he glanced around, fascinated at how things were going and what people were doing. He had been on the set of a television show several times, but this was his first time on one that Frasier Glenn directed, and he couldn’t help but admire how smoothly things were running. The word around Hollywood was that Frasier was a hard man to work for, a stickler for structure, but he was highly respected in the industry.
Ethan was about to pull his concentration back to the conversation he was supposed to be having with Curtis when his gaze settled on a gorgeous petite woman wearing a cute baby-doll top and a pair of wide-leg jeans. She was gorgeous in a restrained sort of way. He figured she was an actress on the show and wondered what role she played.
She couldn’t be any taller than five foot two, but he thought she was a sexy little thing with her short dark hair and exotic looks. And she was smiling, which was a change of pace since everyone else seemed to look so doggone serious.
“Ethan!”
Curtis snapped his fingers in Ethan’s face, cutting into his thoughts. “Don’t even think it, Ethan,” the man warned.
Ethan blinked, and an annoyed expression showed on his face as he met Curtis’s gaze. “Think what?”
“About getting involved with anyone on this set, especially that hot little number over there. I know that look.”
Ethan frowned. He liked women. He enjoyed sex. He did short-term affairs better than anyone he knew. The women he was involved with weren’t looking for long-term any more than he was. “Why?” he finally asked.
“Frasier usually frowns on that sort of thing on his set, that’s why.”
Ethan took another sip of his water before asking, “Are you saying that he has a fraternization policy?”
“No, but a workplace romance isn’t anything he gets thrilled about, trust me. It can cause unnecessary drama, and Frasier doesn’t like drama since it can take away from a good day’s work.”
Ethan didn’t say anything as his gaze found the object of his interest once again. For some reason, he had a feeling she would be worth any damn drama that got stirred. He shook his head, thinking he needed to put his player’s mentality in check for a while, at least until the end of the season. Making his mark on this show was his goal, and now that he was in the driver’s seat and pursuing his dream, the most important thing was for him to stay focused.
Although the urge to hit on the sexy pixie was strong, he would keep those longings in check. Besides, she probably wasn’t even his type.
“I have a feeling you’re going to be a big hit this season, Ethan.”
Ethan glanced over at the woman who had introduced herself earlier as Paige Stiles, one of the production assistants. “Thanks.”
“And like I said, if you ever need help with your lines after hours, just let me know. I will make myself available.”
“I appreciate that, Paige.” The offer seemed friendly enough, but he recognized it for what it was. The woman had been coming on to him ever since they had met earlier that day. She wasn’t bad looking, in fact he thought her rather attractive; but she hadn’t stirred his fire the same way the sexy pixie had.
Once the show had begun taping one scene after another, the petite brunette had all but disappeared. If she was an actress on the show then her segment was evidently being shot later. He was tempted to ask Paige who she was but thought better of it. The one thing a man didn’t do was ask a woman who was interested in him about another woman.
“So where are we headed?” he asked as they moved away from the set toward an exit door.
“To the makeup trailer. That’s also where wardrobe is located since the same person handles both.”
He lifted a brow. “Is there a reason for that?” he asked, since that wasn’t the norm, especially for a show of this magnitude. It was a lot of responsibility for one person.
“None other than that she wanted to do both, and Frasier obliged her. But he would since her last name happens to be Wellesley.”
Ethan immediately recognized the last name. The Wellesleys were the brilliant minds behind Limelight Entertainment Management, one of the top talent agencies in the world. Their clientele consisted of some of the best in Hollywood, although in recent years they had expanded to represent more than actors. The firm now represented an assortment of talent that included big-name singers, set designers, costume designers, writers and makeup artists.
“Wellesley?” he asked.
“Yes, the high-and-mighty.”
Ethan had the ability to read people, women in particular, and had easily detected the scorn in her voice. And because he knew about women in particular, he decided to change the subject. “How long have you worked for Paging the Doctor?”
She began talking and just as he’d done to Curtis earlier, he nodded while he tuned her out. His thoughts drifted back to the woman he’d seen earlier and he wondered if and when their paths would cross again and they would finally meet.
Finally a break, Rachel thought, sliding into a chair that was now empty. She had been in the trailer for the past five hours or so. She had sent one of her assistants out on the set to do those second-by-second touch-ups as needed while she hung out in the makeup/wardrobe trailer, making sure those actors shooting their scenes for the first time that day went through their initial makeup routine.
A couple of the scenes being shot today showed the doctors out of the hospital and in a more relaxed atmosphere either at home or out on dates, which called for a change from medical garments to casual wear.
John had approved her choice of outfits, and she felt good about that, especially since the outfit she’d selected for Livia hadn’t