“Thank you, Mac. Good luck tonight.” She winked at Mac and nodded at the lady approaching their table.
Mac gave Alex a thumbs up and his attention shifted to his date. “Darling! You look magnificent.”
Alex giggled as the couple walked away, and Fin grinned at her.
“I like him,” she said. “I’ve seen a ton of his movies. He’s one of those actors we talked about who completely sells you on his character, regardless of the role.”
“Aye, he’s won multiple awards. But you wouldn’t know it to be around him. He and I became friendly during this last project, and he’s quickly becoming part of my inner circle.”
“Did you just propose a business deal with him?” Alex asked before sipping her wine.
“Aye, Addie and I have discussed starting our own production company so we can have more control over the projects I work on. At one point during filming, Mac had mentioned a similar desire, and I think we would work well together. In fact, if you don’t mind, I’ll set a reminder right now to call him on Monday.” Fin pulled out his phone after she waved him on and keyed in a reminder.
They spent the balance of the meal discussing the business side of Hollywood and how things worked. Alex was fascinated with the similarities and differences in Fin’s industry compared to others she had worked in or studied. She asked questions, several of which prompted Fin to make some notes on his phone. Alex enjoyed the speculative nature of the discussion and asked “What if…?” and “How…?” type questions. From the answers Fin gave, she could tell he had given this topic considerable thought.
When they finished eating, Fin and Alex drove back to the cottage, looking forward to another walk on the beach.
Chapter15
Sunday Headed Home
Sunday afternoon foundFin sitting in the living room marking up the manuscript with some closing notes. Last night had been another wonderful night of exploring each other’s bodies. Their activities ranged from slow, tantalizing lovemaking to frenzied, hardcore sex. He’d finally gotten her naked in the shower, where they’d narrowly avoided a mishap from the slippery tiles.
Earlier today, they’d eaten breakfast, watched a movie, and packed a lunch to eat at the beach. They played in the ocean some, but this late in the year, the water was getting chilly. After showering together, they moved to the bed, where Alex promptly fell asleep following their activities. Fin left her there undisturbed and decided working on the new project was a great way to spend the afternoon while she slept.
His phone buzzed, and Addie’s face popped up on the caller screen.
“Afternoon, love,” he greeted her warmly.
“Finley! I’ve got news. I started the process for filing the injunction against that Cole witch. We can’t do much about her, but we can target her man, the one who assaulted Alex. We’re filing a restraining order. We can file one of these without having to go to court. If he violates that, then we have reason to take him to court and get an injunction. Additionally, if it goes that far and we wind up in court, we may be able to tie everything back to Miranda Cole. At least, that’s my understanding. We should hear something back this week from my guy in Texas.”
“That’s something, I suppose. Thanks for following up on it. Listen, I wanted to talk to you about our production company. I think we’re closer.”
“You found the unicorn?”
Fin laughed at her reference. The first time they’d talked about forming their own production company, it had been in jest. But through the years, the idea kept finding its way into their conversations to the point where they had decided if they found the right project, they would stop talking about it and actually do it. All they needed was that one magical unicorn to launch their company.
“Aye. I believe I have. A manuscript fell into my hands before I left London and I’ve been marking it up and making notes. I expect to finish today and will send it to you this evening so you can review it. It’s got all the elements we’re looking for… characters you care about, a plot that keeps you invested, a story that runs the emotional gamut, yet leaves you satisfied at the end.”
“Fin, this is exciting. It seems like everything we’ve looked at lately is focused on big, action-packed super hero stories. How’d you get it again?”
“An unexpected source. One of the production assistants slipped it to me one day. A friend of hers had written the script based on a book. I’d read the book a while back and remembered the story, so I told her I’d give it a look. I’m happy I did.”
Fin rattled off the name of the book and the author so Addie could look it up later.
“I look forward to reading it,” she said.
“I think you’ll love it. And there’s one more thing. You remember meeting Mac McBrewster a few years ago?”
“Your current costar? Yes, I remember.”
“Right. Well, while shooting this last film, he and I talked at length about what it takes to run a production company. He’s got experience in this area as he’s partnered with others before on previous projects. And he shares our same values and work ethics. I think the three of us would be brilliant together. I’m talking with him on Monday to pick his brain some more about the process. If you’re open to it, I want to invite him to join us.”
When she didn’t respond, Fin added, “I know it’s a change to what we planned, but it feels right. Just think about it and get back to me, okay? We can set up preliminary meetings to make sure he meshes for you like he does for me.” Fin held his breath, waiting for her to say something.
“Okay. I will. Send me the unicorn.” Addie cleared her throat, signaling a change of topic. “So, I haven’t seen you in the news lately. How have you managed that?”
Fin relaxed. “I took the weekend off. Alex and I have been hiding out down on the coast. It’s been brilliant.”
