the video button. Instantly she could see herself in a small box on her screen. He answered on the first ring, and just like that, they were looking at each other. Brandon, his face life-size in the full screen, and in the far left corner a tiny box that showed how she looked to him on the other end.
“Hi …”
“Hi.” His voice was soft, his eyes dancing. “How many nights in a row is this?”
She giggled. “I haven’t counted.”
“I have.” He was sitting in his office chair and he leaned back, a grin spread across his face. “This is our sixteenth night.”
“I love it.” Bailey let herself get lost in his eyes. Skype was crazy that way … it was a computer screen, yes. But because the image was life-size and because they could talk in real time to each other, skyping was more like talking to someone through a window. Only maybe better. Because their faces were so close, their eyes so connected. “How was your day?”
“Better now.” He angled his head. “I miss you. Really bad.”
“I miss you too.” It was true. These past few weeks skyping together had brought them closer. “I look forward to this.” She felt her smile drop off. “Especially lately.”
“You better.” He chuckled and then seemed to realize the change in her mood. “Why especially lately?”
Bailey hesitated, not sure how much she should say. She didn’t want his pity … but she could definitely use his prayers. “I don’t know … I might not be ready. A couple of the ensemble girls sort of hinted that maybe the part was given to me.” She hesitated. “You know, because of my part in Unlocked.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Brandon’s eyes flashed. “You trained hard for that part.” He raked his fingers through his hair and jerked back in his seat. “Remember the director? She said you were the strongest dancer that day.”
“Yeah … but since then she’s been hard on me. And I deserve it.” She hadn’t admitted this to anyone except her mom. “The dancers here are so good.”
“They’ve been on the show for months. Of course they’re good. After the first show, you’ll be fine.” Brandon’s expression eased and he smiled. “Now … about the way I miss you …”
Her worries left and a lighthearted laugh came easily across her lips. “You have a one-track mind.”
“True.” He leaned close. For a second he brought his face so close that only his eyeball filled the screen. Then he leaned back and laughed once more. “I sit here all day … waiting and watching … wondering when you’ll finally find the time to go home and get on your computer.”
“Oh, right.” Her laughter filled her room, and her heart felt light at the sound. “That’s you, Brandon. So bored … nothing to do but sit around waiting for me to get on Skype.”
“Well … that and my movie.”
“How’s it going?” He was doing an emotional film about a father and a son, set in the world of NASCAR. The movie was called Chasing Sunsets, and it was based on a bestselling novel that was still one of the hottest books on the New York Times list.
“Let’s put it this way … at some point earlier this afternoon, I was flying around a race track at nearly two-hundred miles an hour.”
“What?” She leaned forward, as surprised as she was concerned. “Are you serious? That’s too fast … I mean, you were a passenger, right?”
“Yes … But next week I’ll drive.”
“At two-hundred miles an hour?”
“Maybe.” He laughed again. “Okay, maybe half that.”
“Hmmm.” She wasn’t sure how she felt about him racing as part of his moviemaking. “Shouldn’t you have a stunt double?”
“And miss all the fun?” His eyes sparkled with the challenge. “Come on, Bailey … You should know me better than that.”
“So …” she relaxed a little. He would be fine … no one would let him get hurt. “What was it like … in a car that fast?”
“It’s the weirdest thing …” A sense of adventure shone in his eyes. “At first it’s like you can’t believe you’re going that fast. But at a certain speed — I don’t know, maybe a hundred and eighty or so — everything starts to feel like it’s in slow motion. The edges are blurred, and the only thing you can really make out is the track ahead of you.”
Bailey imagined herself in a car moving that fast. “Sounds crazy.”
“It is.” The familiar flirting returned to his expression. “But you know