Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 104820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
And then it occurred to her that the news crew would be coming to the house. Panic gripped her. She deeply valued her anonymity. “Do I have to be on-screen?”
“No. I’ll keep you out of it, don’t worry.”
She relaxed a little. She’d never taken care of anyone famous before, and at first glance it sure seemed like a lot of work. Considering Arch was still in considerable pain, it didn’t seem fair that now he had to give an interview on TV just so the narrative of his accident didn’t spiral in a way that was undesirable to the studio.
“They say all publicity is good publicity,” he told her, “but I’ve never believed that.”
She’d never thought she’d feel empathy for a movie star—after all, they always seemed to have everything they ever wanted and more—but now she realized things weren’t that clear cut.
Because right now, she most definitely empathized with Arch in this situation. Any normal person would be able to take a long nap right now. But he had to work out, eat really clean, and do media interviews—all while enduring the pain of his body working to heal.
No, she thought, she would never want to be famous.
“Let’s forget about it for now and finish.”
Chapter Ten
Somehow, Tessa managed to get through the rest of their workout without short-circuiting from being so close to Arch. She whipped up a nutritious, kale-packed lunch, which he wolfed down.
Arch might be restricted by a cast, but he still managed to keep himself busy. There were more phone calls with his agent and a press agent from the studio, who went through the questions he could expect from the TV interviewer. The press agent asked if Arch needed her there, and he laughed. “I’m an old pro at this. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry, I won’t get tricked into saying anything I shouldn’t. Who’s doing the interview?”
Tessa strained her ears. She wasn’t a big TV watcher, but she knew Celebrity Tonight, a daily show that highlighted what the stars were up to, the good and the bad. They promoted the new TV shows and movies and were quick to report when a famous marriage or relationship broke up or a new one began. If a star was in trouble, the news wouldn’t take long to show up on Celebrity Tonight. The co-hosts were Roxy Thanton, a former supermodel, and a guy who’d once been in a boy band. His name was Ben. Tessa couldn’t remember his last name. All she knew was that they were both easy on the eyes and constantly upbeat.
“Yeah, that’s fine,” Arch said. “I’ve worked with Roxy before. No problem.” He sounded resigned rather than thrilled that the co-host herself would be flying up to interview him. Tessa was no expert, but even she knew that the stories the hosts covered themselves were always the leads.
Arch didn’t seem bothered by the fact that he’d have a TV crew in his house in a few hours. Tessa, however, was on edge. She tidied the already tidy house, straightening the cushions and running the vacuum cleaner around.
From his chair, Arch cocked an eyebrow. “What are you doing? I have cleaning staff.”
“I don’t want the TV people reporting that you live like a slob,” she said with dignity.
“It’s the crew who will make the mess,” he retorted. “They’ll move the furniture and track sand in. I’ll get the cleaners in tomorrow to clean up after them.”
Even so, she made certain the downstairs rooms were spotless and was pleased Mila had brought Arch flowers, as they made a nice centerpiece on the coffee table.
The crew were coming at three p.m. At two, Tessa asked Arch what he was going to wear. He was currently in a pair of board shorts and a T-shirt that had seen better days. He glanced up at her from the script he was reading, looking amused. “You’re as bad as the studio’s PR people. I’m supposed to wear a T-shirt in a solid color and loose trousers so that I look relaxed, but not like I’m letting myself go.”
She was almost positive the PR rep hadn’t said anything like that. Probably, she’d told him to look strong and sexy, which was what every female viewer would want to see.
“Maybe you should start getting ready now,” Tessa suggested. It was going to take him longer than it usually did. He seemed surprised at her suggestion and then glanced down at his cast.
“Right. Thanks. I forgot that even changing clothes is a workout now.” He got himself to his feet, grabbing the crutches she held out for him. His biceps bulged as he worked the crutches. She had never, ever thought she’d find crutches sexy.
But then, that was before she’d met Archer Davenport.
What was the protocol with a TV crew? Should she make coffee? Would they want snacks? Should—