Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 40546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
“Okay, Gabby. It’s safe.” He walked down the stairs and turned to offer her a hand.
“Thanks, Kole. What did you expect, a shootout at the airport?” she teased as she waved to the familiar driver and called, “Hi, Jerry.”
“I’ll never take anything for granted when it comes to your safety,” he said easily. Within minutes, Kole and the driver had their luggage transferred over to the vehicle as Gabriela waited out of the sun inside.
As they joined her inside the car, Jerry cheerfully announced, “The set hasn’t been the same since you left, Miss Gabriela.”
“What happened while I was gone?” she asked, smiling at his reflection in the mirror.
“From the parking lot, I don’t get to see anything, but the grumbles from everyone I’ve taken back to the airport say there were a ton of retakes while you were gone. The director isn’t getting what he wants on film.”
“Oh, that’s not a good thing to hear,” Gabriela commented.
Kole could hear the tension in her voice and noted her fingers twisting on the car seat between them. Covering her hand with his larger one, he squeezed lightly to reassure her. “I’m sure they just needed you back on the set to have everything fall into place.”
“Wow! That’s some positive thinking,” she said with a smile.
He could tell she didn’t think he knew what he was talking about, but she relaxed slightly. Her hand ceased its fidgeting on the upholstery. She watched out the window and leaned closer as they went through a gated area. There was a flurry of activity everywhere. It looked like mass chaos, but Kole suspected it was actually a well-choreographed ballet.
“Where are the living quarters?” He leaned sideways to talk quietly to Gabby.
“There are a few areas. The different disciplines are all together because we have varied hours. Most of the actors are in that secluded area over there,” she said, pointing to a gathering of trailers a short distance away on the right side of the road they traveled.
“Where is the filming?”
“It depends. The exterior of the mansion is over there. They film the gardens and arrivals in that area. The interior is set up inside. See that enormous building over there? That’s for shooting the inside scenes,” Gabby explained to him.
Kole sketched out the area in his mind, trying to orient himself to the filming area. There were so many people roaming everywhere, it would be a nightmare to secure. Impossible. He would need to stay close to Gabby, even if that meant he slept under her trailer.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“We’ll come up with a plan to keep you safe,” he reassured her quietly. She nodded and seemed to leave it in his hands.
“Miss Gabriela? Are you in trouble? I’ve never seen you with a guard,” Jerry asked, obviously eavesdropping.
“You’re so sweet to worry about me, Jerry. I’m fine. Kole is just for show. You know all the big stars have bodyguards,” she told him.
“You’re going to be bigger than all of them,” he promised her. “I hear a lot around here and the director is happiest about your scenes. He calls you a natural talent.”
“You’ve just made my day, Jerry.” Gabby grinned at the driver. “But I bet you tell everyone that.”
“Not me,” he grinned back. “We’re here. I have directions to drop you off at the boardroom before taking your guy here to the trailer to stow your things.”
“We stay together, Jerry,” Kole corrected him firmly. “Swing by the trailer first, please, and we’ll stow everything in Miss Gabriela’s trailer. Then you can drop us off for the meeting.”
Jerry looked at his watch and nodded. “I have time for that.”
Within a few minutes, Kole had everything stowed inside her trailer. When asked, Gabby had scanned the interior space and declared it looked just as she had left it. Kole would search the premises thoroughly before they relaxed inside. After returning back to the vehicle, Jerry drove them to the boardroom.
“I don’t know if you can come inside with me,” Gabby whispered to Kole.
“I need to make sure it’s safe inside. Use the excuse that you’re introducing me to the people inside,” Kole suggested.
“Smart. Okay.”
Kole easily dismissed the driver as a threat. The older man treated his client as a treasured family member. The driver wouldn’t harm a hair on Gabby’s head. But he was an excellent source of information, seeming to listen to everything that happened on the set.
A few turns and they arrived at a small building without windows. Kole slid from the vehicle and helped Gabby exit as well.
“Thank you, Jerry,” she said gracefully.
“Any time, Miss Gabriela. Stay safe now with your bodyguard. Do what he says. I’ll look forward to seeing you around the set,” Jerry told her.
Kole steered Gabby toward the entrance. He tried the doorknob and found it locked. Knocking, he waited.