“I mean, why are you still acting?”

Reed gave a rueful smile. “I can’t do much else at this point. Scented candles and therapy are more expensive than I would’ve thought, and besides...” Reed glanced through the doors to where Jenny conferred with Anna.

The redhead’s look of concern for her friend was profound. Again, John was pleased that Anna had such support.

“I hoped I might see her again. Get a second chance, you know?” The older man looked abashed, but the hopefulness in his voice resonated with John.

Anna shook her head at her friend and moved away. She looked up at John, and he hoped that meant she was coming to talk to him. Didn’t she know he would support her too?

“What are you going to do when you find out who did this?” Reed asked.

“I haven’t decided yet. I’m going to get creative.”

“Good,” Reed said, stepping aside as Anna walked up to John.

#

ANNA HAD A LEAK ON the set. Her head was spinning. She had to keep it together in front of the cast and crew, as much as her blood boiled. She had a few minutes as the cast and crew readied for the scene, and she walked over to John. She needed to talk to him.

“I’m sorry,” Anna said.

“You didn’t do anything.” John shrugged, as if the article were no big deal. “Why are you apologizing to me?”

“You aren’t worried?”

“I’m angry,” John said. “What are you going to do about the leak?”

“We’ll get the day’s scenes in the can. I’ll figure it out after.”

“Why aren’t you angry?” John asked.

“I don’t have the luxury of being angry. I have a job to do.”

John scowled.

“So do you. Don’t you have a call with Los Angeles?”

“Thanks for telling me my job,” John muttered.

Anna raised an eyebrow. They might both be having bad mornings, but no one had called him a predator in one of the biggest publications in their industry.

John sighed. “Can we talk later?”

“Let’s get through the day.” Anna looked at her phone. She’d missed a call from Dan Richards, the film’s producer. She turned off her phone. She had a scene to shoot.

#

JOHN SPENT THE DAY trying to do the job he was being paid to do. There was enough work that he should have been able to keep his mind off the leak. Who the hell was so dead set on ruining this shoot? Tom was underwriting this thing. If he was anything, he was stingy with his money. There was no way he would set up this shoot just to tear it down.