“. . . hardly see the end of the ramp, then I could hardly see at all. I thought it might be some kind of weird fog except it came with me when I rolled.”

“I didn’t see anything.”

“I didn’t exactly see anything either,” Daniel pointed out acerbically. “That’s kind of my point.”

Tony waited for him to mention the touch. He didn’t. “It was probably just the fumes from the fire retardant affecting my eyes.”

“Probably.”

It sounded like a pact. An agreed-upon explanation.

Because what else could it have been?

As Daniel moved away, Arra came into view behind Pam’s shoulder. She looked terrified.

Not for Daniel.

Not about the part of the stunt that had nearly gone wrong.

Given her expression, Tony’d be willing to bet serious money that she’d forgotten both Daniel and the stunt.

Tony found himself quietly murmuring, “Apparition of evil,” as Pam finally yelled “Cut!” and Daniel’s crew moved in with the fire extinguishers.

Two

“TONY”

He glanced up from his sides to find a sprite-like figure with enormous blue eyes attempting to both stare at him and simultaneously watch everything going on inside the soundstage.

“Hi, I’m Veronica. I’m the new office PA. I just started. Amy sent me to tell you . . . Oh, my God, that’s Lee Nicholas, isn’t it? He’s my . . . I mean he’s just so . . .”

And the sprite devolved into yet another new hire too starstruck to last—although Tony had to agree with the sentiment. Lee was sitting on the edge of Raymond Dark’s desk, one foot on the floor, one foot swinging, khaki Dockers pulled tight across both thighs as he waited to do his reaction shots. Tony had been doing his best not to look. He’d discovered early on that he could watch Lee or he could do his job, but he couldn’t do both.

Taking a deep, strengthening breath, he turned his back on the set. “Amy sent you to tell me . . . ?”

“What?” Veronica’s already wide eyes widened further as though they could encompass both the vision that was Lee Nicholas and the more mundane view of the person she was actually supposed to be dealing with. Tony could have told her it wouldn’t work, but he doubted she’d listen. “Oh. Right. Mr. Bane wants to see you in his office . . .”

Peter’s voice cut her off. “Let’s go right away, please! Can I have a bell!”

As the bell rang out, Tony took hold of Veronica’s arm, his fingers nearly encircling her tiny bicep, and tugged her gently away from the set. “Mr. Bane wants to see me in his office . . . ?” he murmured.

“About last . . .”

“Quiet, please!”

All color blanched from Veronica’s cheeks and Tony had to fight a snicker, as he and half a dozen others echoed the first half of Peter’s injunction, their voices bouncing around the soundstage. First day on the job, he’d been afraid to breathe after the bell and had stood frozen like a particularly geeky statue until one of the sound crew had come up behind him and knocked his knees out.