DB: Yeah, that was a little gushy, huh? You think I’m coming on too strong?
Q: I think he sounds like a lucky guy.
DB: Yeah, we both are.
Q: Drew, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Anything else we should know about what’s in the pipe for you?
DB: We start filmingTumbleweedin September. So anyone who’s ever wanted a tentpole steampunk movie with human-robot hybrids and a good old-fashioned Wild West feel, look it up!
Chapter Sixteen
WORKon Tuesday proved… interesting.
Steve arrived on location early to help Nina and Carol, their DP, sort out which angles would work best with the scenes they needed to shoot. The neighborhood Scotty and Morgan would “abduct” the dog from was ostensibly on the outskirts of Vegas, but Production deemed the costs too high to film on location, and one desert suburb looked much like another. This one was about two hours outside Los Angeles, if you didn’t count traffic, and looked much like Nevada: low houses with dirt-and-cactus yards, blue sky stretching forever, heat shimmer coming up off the ground.
Filming wasn’t due to start until tomorrow morning, but Carol needed to check out the light and determine what they’d need to set up in terms of equipment, so they spent most of the day at “Lila’s” house. With such a small production, it was all hands on deck. Even Steve got roped into hauling things around where they needed to go.
He didn’t have time to check his phone until he got back to the tiny hotel they’d rented. And then… well. Apparently Drew’s interview had been posted.
Hilary’s text said,In case I haven’t mentioned this before, Drew is a zillion times better for you than that asswipe Austin.
No bias there, Steve thought wryly.
His mom’s was typical Marla.Darling! Your beau sounds positively enamored. When are you going to introduce him to your dear mother?
Hopefully not during work hours. Professionalism only went so far, and his mother could turn a graveyard into a lively gathering.Soon, he replied, and hoped that would be good enough for now.
The minute he stepped into the hotel lobby, where a bunch of the crew were relaxing with tablets or phones or decks of cards, he sensed eyes on him.Suspiciouseyes.
Maybe Steve should take the time to read this interview.
He gave a halfhearted wave to the crew before plunking himself in the last available armchair and pulling up the link.
He should have waited until he was in his room. As he read, he could feel his ears getting redder and redder, and it got more and more difficult to keep himself from doing something that would give him away entirely, like grinning or covering his face or—
Movement by the door caught his attention, and he looked up to find Drew in the lobby, tucking his sunglasses into the front of his shirt. He looked over at Steve and beamed, maybe a little dopily, and waved before turning his attention to the lady behind the reception desk.
Steve didn’t realize the crew members in the lobby were staring at him until, very suddenly and obviously, they weren’t.
So much for flying under the radar.
Steve tried not to look at Drew, sure that would make their situation conspicuous, but maybe it was worse that he didn’t. In any case, Drew spent a few minutes talking to the receptionist and then came to talk to Steve.
“So,” he said.
Steve tried not to glow at him but wasn’t sure he succeeded. “Hey.”
Drew perched on the arm of Steve’s chair. Their coworkers shot them discreet looks from the main sitting area. “Small problem with the room.”
Uh-oh. “How small?” Steve asked suspiciously.
“They’re out of them.” Drew leaned over and gave him a winning look. “Know anyone who might be interested in double bunking?”
In his surprise, Steve forgot all about their audience. “You’re not going to ask someone else to do it? After all, you’re the star. Surely someone needs chewing out for this.” He batted his eyelashes.
Then someone coughed, and he remembered.
“Nonsense. I can be reasonable. As long as my roommate is cute.”
