that—on-screen chemistry. She never imagined they were actually involved when they were no longer delivering the lines of Molly and Desmond.
Nolan walked quickly from Elle, pacing the length of the hallway, his arms stretched out to rest behind his neck. “No one knows. It was . . . a casual thing. At least, I thought it was. I guess I was sorely mistaken.”
“So you and Whi—I mean, this other person, was it a one-time thing?” Elle pressed, mostly out of curiosity. She hadn’t reacted so well when Whitney had mentioned their fling a few weeks earlier. She wasn’t sure if it had continued without Whitney sharing the details.
“Yes, of course. It was just . . . I don’t know, a drunken thing. No big deal. I’m still friends with her and everything.”
“But Gina . . . she found out.”
“Yes. And as you can see, she’s pissed.” He gestured toward the room.
“Well, obviously you two have some things to discuss.”
“Obviously.” Nolan leaned his hips against the wall, looking up to the ceiling in defeat.
“But here’s the thing. Right now, you’re on my watch and this can’t affect your work.”
“Believe me, I know. I’m doing my best.”
Elle glanced back inside the conference room. Gina was watching them through the tiny pane of glass in the solid wood door. Her eyes were glassy and her fingernails tapped against the top of the table.
“Come with me.”
Elle led Nolan back into the room, where he resumed his seat. She, however, stood tall in front of the two actors. “Everyone, except for our two leads, you can take a ten-minute break. Meet back here at nine forty-five, all right?”
Papers shuffled and chairs squeaked as the supporting cast gathered their things and left the room. Gina placed her phone in her purse and looked to Elle, her fingers continued to tap against the wooden table.
“I’m going to make this brief.” Elle paced behind the table, looking between the two actors holding up the workday. “Whatever drama is happening between you two, you can figure it out on your own time. Right now, you need to pull yourselves together and focus on the task at hand. I’ve been working like a maniac on this season and I will not watch my show go down in flames because you two are having some sort of ridiculous fight.”
Gina’s nose flared and her eyes widened. Her attention snapped to Nolan, daggers peaked from her brown eyes.
“You told her? I can’t believe you, Nolan. Seriously.” She stared down at the table, biting her lower lip as her cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson.
“He told me very little—the rest is blatantly obvious.”
“Right.”
“I really don’t have time for this. Now, get over yourself and get into character. For the next two hours, you’re Molly, not Gina. Have I made myself clear?” Her fingernail tapped the table as she pressed it down to make her point.
“Yes,” they said in unison.
“Thank you. I’m going to grab another cup of coffee. When I get back, I expect this cloud of tension to be gone.”
The two actors glared at one another and Elle knew she had to leave that room. If she didn’t she’d end up using the rest of the ten minutes lecturing them. Her cup was empty and she desperately needed a boost. She walked down the hall to the kitchen. A fresh pot of coffee filled the room with the bitter yet inviting scent she craved so deeply. Elle inhaled deeply while filling her cup to the brim. She resisted the urge to stop by Whitney’s office, knowing it would just fan the flames of drama. There was nothing Whitney could say or do to fix the situation Nolan had created with Gina. It just had to play itself out.
A text rang in: Just finished my costume measurements. Meet me for coffee before I head out?
Luke.
Disappointment swarmed her belly as she knew she had no time to see him. She had two minutes before she was needed back for the table read. There was no way for her to steal away with him for any amount of time before he would leave the building.
Table read, I’m sorry. I wish I could . . .
How about dinner?
Elle smiled, excited to see the man she couldn’t evict from her thoughts.
Sounds good. Pick me up?
You got it. Send me your address later.
Seven o’clock?
Perfect.
With a new air of confidence, Elle strolled back to the conference room, knowing even Gina Romano couldn’t spoil her good mood. That evening would