“Never,” I repeat. Her chin dips a small nod of acceptance.

Because, I didn’t say no in L.A., I left before I could say yes. There’s a difference. It’s not the right time to talk about it, but after today, after all those loaded looks and the earth-shattering conversation on the patio, I won’t forget to bring it up.

Regardless of what my plans are in five months.

We finish the walk-through after repeating the upstairs bedrooms for the lighting guys and move on to demo. They won’t be getting all the demo on camera, obviously. We’d be here all week just trying to dismantle the kitchen. Instead, they film as I break down the cabinetry, and Shelby, true to her word, makes a show of watching. I’ve pulled off my flannel, stripped down to a gray tee and damn if that girl doesn’t follow my every move. I can feel her stare burn along my skin, licking at my neck and caressing my forearms. I stop to look at her, swiping at sweat and offering the mallet. She shakes her head, lips spreading in a salacious smile, well aware the camera’s rolling. “No, thank you. I’m just happy to supervise.” Shelby winks in an overtly cheesy way, the camera eating her up.

Oh, she’s gonna get it. I let the mallet drop near my foot and swipe again at my forehead. She narrows her eyes in challenge. Without overthinking it, I grab the ends of my T-shirt and tug it over my head in one swift motion, tossing it at her.

She shrieks, catching it deftly, and laughs, full-bodied. I replace my goggles, pick up the mallet, and continue to work on demolishing the rest, thanking every deity that I’ve kept up on my running routine over the years.

Soon, the camera crew breaks for lunch, and I’m lost in the work of dismantling everything. My arms and shoulders burn with exertion, but I relish the feeling. Layers of blisters on my hands, sweat trickling in my eyes, covered in drywall and years of dust. It’s not that I haven’t had to work hard before. I’ve tracked indigenous tribes across the desert and climbed mountains and slogged through jungles. I spent hours a day learning choreography and performing lines on cue and producing emotion out of nothing from the time I was ten years old.

But my dad was always on my back to find something of my own to be proud of. “You spend all your time observing and re-creating, Cameron. You need to make your own way—settle down and start taking yourself seriously.”