Movie sets had taught her more than any classroom could have. Even as a production assistant on her first movie, where her tasks ranged from finding street parking for the teamsters’ trucks to procuring weed for the lead actor, she had gained more knowledge than taking notes behind a desk. With the inevitable downtime on a shoot, she observed the gaffer, the grips, and the boom operators. She’d finally figured out the best boy’s job. The pay couldn’t have been lower, not legally anyway, but she wouldn’t have traded it for a higher-paying office job. A life behind a desk had flashed before Anna’s eyes when she’d worked a handful of temp jobs. The endless beige walls and the constant whine of the printer had been soul crushing. She would do anything to avoid that fate. A generic office was a sharp contrast to a movie set, where it felt like anything was possible.

Since accepting the director job two days ago, she’d felt like the old Anna, the Anna who could get things done—the Anna who managed professional sets and told people what to do for a living. By the time one of the electricians picked her and Jenny up at the Rome airport, she couldn’t wait to get to the set. The plane had landed ninety minutes ago, she hadn’t slept in twenty-four hours, and she hadn’t been happier in months. Well, not since a lazy afternoon in a bar that should’ve receded by now. Instead, it hovered about her like a troublesome ghost, prodding and poking at her peace of mind.

Trying to ignore the lingering memories of John’s hands on her waist and his warm breath on her neck, Anna focused on the formidable soundstage in front of her. As they had driven under the welcoming arch, they had passed the buildings common to any studio lot: the commissary, the office buildings, and the numbered soundstages. It was the outdoor sets that had brought the production to Rome—an Italian villa, a medieval village, and half a Roman amphitheater. Driving by each one, Anna imagined the empty spaces waiting for a cast and crew to bring them to life.

As Jenny and the electrician followed her across the parking lot to Soundstage Number Nine, everything appeared normal. Anna breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe everything is going to work out. But then she walked inside. The soundstage might have appeared normal, but it sounded all wrong.