NICKContent © copyrighted by .

“You did what?"

I stared at my phone, willing it to get better reception. I put it back against my ear. Still, all I heard was the crackling and intermittent sound of Isaac's voice.

“Agreed...” Crackle, fuzz. “List... Silence.

“Isaac? Isaac?”

“..all me...” Pop, static, fuzz.

“If you can hear me, I'm going to go find Pat's PA. The kid has one of those satellite phones. Text me anything important”

I ended the call. I pulled on the coat I bought after my first day on set. The one I packed was entirely too lightweight for the wind. The snow and the cold were one thing, but the wind. It could cut through concrete. Make ice cubes instantly. Everyone had images of Hell as a burning lake of lava. Flames and heat and burning. Hell seemed like it would make a great tropical vacation right about now. No, if there was Hell, it was dark and stinging cold.

Why had I agreed to this? Oh, right, because it sounded like fun. Because I got smaller interesting roles, even after my fan- favorite success with Lions of Medea. Because Captain Wonder was still in post-production. And not set to release for another year.

Teasers were out, but they only announced next year, not when. Was the studio going to go for a summer blockbuster or a Christmas hit? The franchise was big enough to risk a blockbuster, but the character was from a little-known spin-off comic, and I wasn't exactly a box office pull. At least not yet.

I shrugged into my coat and fastened it up. It was too cold to try to be a badass and wear the coat open. I had weeks of this left. It would be nice to know that Isaac had made headway on finding Kayla. I wasn't exactly letting thoughts of her distract me, but honestly, I much rather think of her than brood over the weather situation.

I pushed the door to my trailer open. The trailer wasn't exactly warm. The wind sliced through me, my supposed warm coat, and my lined jeans. I hated this weather. I pulled my coat around me more, as if it wasn't already zipped, and snapped.

I headed toward the warehouse we were using as a sound stage, and where the production crew and their offices were. The steel warehouse felt like a giant refrigerator without the lights on or the staff and crew actively working.

“Hey, have you seen Pat?” I asked at the open door to one office.

“No, what do you need?”

“Ym looking for Pat's PA, you know the little redhead. She's got one of those satellite phones.” I held up my useless cell phone. “I've got to talk to LA and I can't get a signal for shit”

The guy nodded and pulled something off his belt.

“Here, use mine. We've all got satellite connections out here? He held his phone out to me.

“Thanks, man” I took the phone. I hooked my thumb over my shoulder. “Il be out here”

The guy scoffed. “Too cold in the warehouse. Use one of the offices, they've all got space heaters. You'll be a lot more comfortable”

“Thanks.” I waved with the phone and headed a few offices away. I found an empty one and switched on the light, and the space heater. It was comfortable enough I even unzipped my coat.

I punched in Isaac's number.

“Isaac Werner,” he said in precise business diction.

“Isaac it's me."

“I thought it might be. You're lucky I answered. You know I don’t answer unidentified numbers?”

“Isaac,” I grumbled. “What's so important you couldn't text me?”

“I have an update on your little girlfriend situation”

“I don't have a girlfriend.”

“And that's exactly why we have a situation.”

“Did you find her or not?” I felt my blood pressure raising.

I wasn't in the mood for Isaac's games. I was cold, I was tired, I was hungry. I was fully cranky and aware of it. My n**e scene was filming the next day. I hadn't had anything to eat, or drink for almost twenty-four hours,

I couldn't risk being bloated. I had to be muscularly defined, cut with sharp definition. On top of the whole hunger situation, tomorrow's scene was being shot outdoors. I wasn't looking forward to having to be naked long enough for the director to get a good shot of my ass in this cold.

“I found her, but she is a shrewd customer? Isaac said.

I felt the tension melt out of my muscles. He had found Kayla. “she answered her phone?”

“Yeah, she did."

“Is she willing to be my date to these events?” I felt an unexpected excitement. He found her.

“Yes and no."

I didn't like the sound of that. “What do you mean, no?"

“she’s not exactly willing to drop everything to show up at a few parties with you. She's going to need to move to LA and wants a stipend.”

“A what?"

“A stipend. She wants to get paid” Isaac said in careful slow words.

“Fuck me. I can't have a paid companion. Can you imagine how that would go over with the paps. Hell, if the studio found out, there goes my Captain Wonder career. They'd recast it or scrap the whole deal”

I walked in a tight circle; the office was entirely too small for me to properly pace. This wasn't good.

“No one would differentiate me paying her to show up at a party from her being a prostitute.”

“I think you're going too far, Nick. No one is going to accuse her of being a prostitute.”

“It doesn’t matter. Movie stars don't hire escorts. If anyone finds out she's paid that's the end of my career”

“Look, you wanted her. Getting Kayla involves moving her across the country. You didn't tell me she didn't even live in the same time zone."

“she didn't tell me. I just knew she wasn't from LA. Okay, so we pay to move her”

“Pay to move her, pay for her apartment, pay her”

I huffed out a heavy breath. The small heater wasn't taking care of all the cold in here. I could see my breath with each frustrated puff.

“I've got this, Nick. I just need you to give me your blessing. You don't need to know the details."

I closed my eyes. He was right. I didn’t need to know the details, I wanted to.

“Tell me”

“This is the plan,” Isaac began. He continued to tell me the complicated history he crafted for our back story. If I was to be seen repeatedly with the same women, there were going to be questions asked. Isaac had answers for everything. The man could be a novelist if he wanted.

We met at a party around Halloween. She was dressed as Ishtaria and I, Mithrandes. So far, so good. And since it was the truth, I wouldn't exactly mess it up.

I was intrigued by her version of my character's love interest. Again, the little history Isaac was concocting was completely in line with the truth.

“Isaac, that's exactly how we met.”

“Perfect. Now you're also engaged. Is that real too?"

Now he was just being a smart-ass.

“I've got a little job for her lined up with my stylist, so she isn't simply lounging around your house being decorative.”

I wouldn't mind her doing that. She was lovely.

“Okay, so I'm dating someone in the industry that I met at a party. Seems reasonable.”

“You'll pay her rent, buy her a car, and cover her expenses. The stipend is so she can pay her bills, buy lunch, and pay for incidentals."

“Ym not actually paying her a paycheck then?"

“Exactly. And if people ask how serious you are, you say very much. It will give a story as to why you are suddenly being seen in public with the same woman."

“Why is the studio being such a pain about this? It's such an old-fashioned thing for them to do. I hadn't heard of this level of relationship manipulation from a studio since the early twentieth century.”

isaac laughed. “That's because you haven't heard about it. It's been going on the entire time. Ever see a power couple you didn't expect? Or a couple you were so certain would get together, and then at the last minute, they split and marry other people almost instantly? The studios are constantly trying to create perfect little couples not only on screen but off. Congratulations, you are a person of interest. So much interest, the studio wants you to partner up.”

Damn, he was right.

“Hey, why do I have to pay rent on an apartment? Why can't she live in the house?"

I could hear Isaac's heavy breathing through the phone.

“How much talking did you do?"

I chuckled. “We weren't exactly having a conversation."

“Oh, I see. Well, well, well. Miss Kayla Gotlieb was a little primmer and more proper with me. She's from a very old-fashioned family. Cohabitation outside of wedlock is a no for her. You found yourself a good girl. The only one left in LA”

“She's not in LA I reminded him.

“Well, she will be. Once we're done here, ll make all the arrangements. I can have an agent on that apartment in the morning. Vl find out what kind of car she wants. And get some dresses in. You'll be hitting the red carpet pretty much as soon as you get back”

“As long as this keeps the studio off my back, and they stop trying to set me up”

“This should take care of that. And everyone will love you. How's the shooting?”

I groaned. “Filming the nudes tomorrow.”

“Oh, Nick, you've got to be hungry.”

“Not really. After the first six hours or so it's not so bad. But it's fucking cold here. Take care of Kayla, get everything all set up. Get her whatever car she wants, as long as it's not nicer than mine. And no Ferraris, okay Isaac