“Lighting director’s having an artistic difference with a twenty K spotlight. Nobody can put his hands on the crate of extra bulbs.”

“I’m surprised anyone can put his hands on anything now. Okay, I’ll see to it in a minute. Tell me why you’re not out soaking up the sun while you have the chance.” She smiled and tucked a pencil behind her ear. “Hasn’t anyone warned you what a slave driver I am? You show up at the theater, you go to work.”

“That’s what I’m counting on.” His voice was deep and resonant. Still, she wanted him to practice the lazy drawl of his character until it was second nature. “Look, I don’t want to sound green, but this place …” He lifted his palms a bit dramatically and took in more than her office. “It’s amazing. Being here’s amazing. I can soak up sun anytime. If I can’t rehearse, I can unpack crates.”

“You don’t sound green, you sound psychotic.” With a laugh, she stood. “And I know just what you mean. Crates, it is. God knows we’ve got plenty of them. Now why don’t we—”

Her door swung open again, this time without a knock. Bennett grinned at her. “They told me I’d find you locked in here and snarling.”

“I’m not snarling. Yet.” She got up immediately and opened her arms for a hug. “Prince Bennett, Russ Talbot.”

Russ hesitated between offering a hand, bowing or standing still. “I’m never sure how to greet princes.”

“We say hello,” Bennett told him. “I hated missing the dinner last night and meeting your troupe.”

“What you missed was seeing how many pretty actresses you could flirt with.” Eve picked up her clipboard.

“There’s that.” He shot his grin at Russ. “Are there many?”

“Enough.”

“I knew I could count on Eve. In any case, I’ve come to take you away from all this.”

“Fine.” She looked up from her notations. “Come back in two hours.”

“Two hours?”

“Better make it three,” she corrected after a glance at her clipboard.

“Eve, you’ll wear yourself out.”

“Wear myself out?” Laughing, she nudged him out into the hall with her. “I haven’t even started yet. I could use the lift, though, if it’s not putting you out. Say”—she looked at her watch—“five-thirty?”

“All right if—”

“Unless you’d like to stay. We’re about to uncrate boxes.”

“I’ll be back.” He gave her a quick kiss before he started down the corridor. “Nice meeting you, Talbot.”

“That’s the first time I’ve ever seen royalty get the bum’s rush.”

Eve sent Russ a smile. “Much as I love him, he’d be in the way.”

“Not much like his brother,” Russ commented.

“Ben?” Eve shook her head as they walked in the opposite direction. “No. No, he’s not.”

“Gets a lot of press.”