Shocking Sapphires - Ann Omasta Page 0,17
said, “You said first off. That implies there is something else to come.”
“Oh, right. Secondly, I’m kind of surprised what a diva you are.”
This time I wasn’t amused. I despised that word. Through gritted teeth, I said, “Divas are female.”
Molly flattened her lips and shook her head before saying, “Apparently, not always.”
“Yes, always,” I told her firmly. Unable to stop the mischievous grin from emerging, I added, “We male divas prefer to be called cocky jerks.”
She tipped her head back and let out a throaty laugh that made blood rush to my groin. I was immensely relieved to discover that my parts appeared to be in working order down there. That had been one of my first concerns after absorbing the news that I was paralyzed, but I’d been too befuddled to ask at the time. I’d been anxiously waiting for the male doctor to return so I could get the scoop from him. I had feared the worst because my cock had seemed to be completely lifeless lately, but Molly’s sexy laugh had brought it back to the land of the living.
Truly enjoying myself for the first time since the accident, I added, “I’ve played an arrogant bastard on screen so many times that it almost comes naturally to me.”
“Perhaps you’ve been typecast,” the adorable woman suggested.
“Perhaps,” I agreed, smiling at her.
We settled into a comfortable silence, until Molly asked me, “Why did you come to our little slice of heaven in Maine? It doesn’t seem high-profile enough for a big star like you.”
I heard the barely concealed judgment in her tone, but chose to ignore it. “I’m going to be in a movie that is being filmed here. I always like to scope out the location before filming starts. Nobody expects me to be there yet, so I can move around incognito for a while and get a feel for how the place truly is before Hollywood shows up to glamorize it.”
Molly looked perplexed for a moment, but then she brightened. “Oh, you’re in Alex’s movie!”
I nodded. “Alex Biggs is the author of the series of books the movie is based on. He is the one that insisted we film here. He had it written into his contract and wasn’t willing to move forward with the project without it. That guy’s a tough negotiator.”
Molly smiled. “He just loves this place beyond reason, like all of us locals do. Besides, the story is loosely based on true events that happened here when his wife was abducted, so he probably didn’t want the feeling of the story to get lost in translation if it was filmed in Hollywood.”
“All of that crazy stuff really happened? Here?!?” I looked out the window, truly stunned that this peaceful little burg could have so much high-stakes drama.
“Most of it,” Molly confirmed before asking, “Does Alex know you’re here? He’ll be so excited.”
“Wait… You know him?” I had assumed the talented author was a recluse who kept mostly to himself.
Molly grinned at me like I was the most clueless being she’d ever laid eyes on. “Of course, I do, silly. I’ve known him since we were kids. You really don’t get how small towns work, do you?”
“I guess not,” I answered, shaking my head.
“I’ll let him know you’re here. I bet he’ll want to come and talk to you about the role.”
Reality crashed in then and practically suffocated me. I’d managed to forget my new situation for a few brief moments.
“What role?” I snapped, making Molly’s eyes grow wide. I knew my tone was harsh, but I needed to lash out at someone.
When Molly remained silent, I added, “I’m sure Alex won’t want a cripple playing the main character in his movie. They’ll probably get Christian Hart to take my place.”
I hated so openly revealing my insecurities about the handsome young actor, but my roles were sure to be few and far between now. It wasn’t even a competition between us now. Christian would win just by walking in on two legs––a simple feat I could no longer manage.
“Alex wouldn’t do that.” Molly’s voice was filled with confidence, even though she couldn’t possibly know the accuracy of her words.
“I’m sure he’ll do whatever it takes to make the movie a success, and that will require a leading man who can at least walk.”
When Molly opened her mouth, presumably to object, I added, “Besides, it probably won’t be up to him anyway. Once projects like this get big enough, they take on lives of their own.