“You’ve got a lot going on,” John said. “Give me ten minutes.”

Anna agreed. John walked over to the two actors. He said something that made Derek laugh and Nicole hide a smile. Derek took off to his trailer, and John pulled Nicole aside to talk to her.

Jenny walked into the soundstage with Reed, but the two quickly separated when they saw Anna. Somehow, she’d become a disapproving schoolteacher. But she couldn’t shake the image of Jenny’s tear-streaked face answering the door of her Paris hotel room.

Jenny joined her at the craft services table. “So,” Jenny drawled. “How’s it going?”

“Please say what you have to say so we don’t have to drag this out.”

“This is perfect.” Jenny clasped her hands. “On-set hookups happen all the time.”

Jenny wasn’t wrong. Anna was pretty sure the adage “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” had actually originated on movie sets, where everyone, cast and crew alike, preferred discretion. Shooting a film was an intense experience. Hookups were common. The actors and crew were usually good about keeping things quiet, unless there was a terrible grudge. Even these days, when everyone had a camera in their pocket, everyone had an interest in keeping a curtain drawn over what happened on set. Anna wondered again if John would want an on-set fling. Did she? No, she needed to be sensible about this job. This was her comeback. She didn’t need to be sleeping with her AD. “Not to me.”

“Come on, we’re far from LA. No offense, but the press is not that interested in you.”

“I’m wounded.”

“Please,” Jenny said.

“It would never work. I can’t be distracted. If I don’t get this movie made, I’m going to be shooting dog food commercials in the Valley.”

“Please, do it for all of us.” Jenny looked ready to get down on one knee.

“What does that mean?”

“Thighs, Anna, thighs.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“I’m pretty sure you do.”

“You need a distraction on this shoot, but I was hoping it wasn’t my lack of a dating life.” Anna met her friend’s eyes. “How are you? How’s it going with Reed, really?”

Jenny smiled. “So far, it’s all Jane Austen appropriate. He makes tea, and we talk about books.”

“Doesn’t Jane Austen always end with a marriage?”

Jenny’s eyes lit up. “Don’t worry, Anna. I can handle him.”

Anna begged the god of movie shoots and college roommates to protect Jenny. The PA walked over to ask Jenny a question, and the two conferred.