Page 48 of One Kind Hand

“Oh, boy.” Cody rubbed his forehead. “Do not lose your focus, man.”

Austin got on the elevator when the doors opened, picking Berto up when the pup didn’t immediately follow because he wasn’t a fan of elevators. Austin turned to face Cody who looked truly put out by the fact that he had declared Charlie to be so wonderful.

“You know, it wouldn’t kill you to think about me as your friend right now instead of your paycheck, Cody.”

His agent’s head whipped up. “What?”

“How about a little, ‘Hey, Austin, I’m happy you’re enjoying Charlie’s company. She seems nice,’ rather than ‘Do not lose your focus.’” He hit the button for the lobby.

Cody at least had the decency to look chagrinned. “I’m sorry. You’re right. It’s nice that you’re enjoying her company.”

“Thank you.” Austin leaned against the back of the elevator, wondering if Charlie had also leaned there too.

“Where is Charlie now?” Cody asked.

“She got a call to charter a flight for a client.” He pictured her behind her chopper controls and he couldn’t wait for the movie scenes in which he’d be her client. In the meantime though . . . “Can you have the plane ready for a five o’clock flight tonight?”

“Tonight? To go where?”

They stepped off the elevator and made their way outside. Austin paused while Berto christened the base of a stop sign. “To New York. I want to take Charlie to dinner and I want her to be passenger instead of pilot.”

The slightest frown turned Cody’s lips down for a fraction of a second before he schooled his expression. Too late. Austin easily read his agent. The guy didn’t like that Charlie had his attention.

Too fucking bad. Besides, Austin wouldn’t let his fascination with Charlie compromise everything he’d worked for in the movie biz so far. He truly enjoyed acting and didn’t want to sabotage himself in any way. He could manage both.

At least he thought so. He’d never actually tried before. Not with any real drive to do so. Most of his relationships up to this point had been fleeting or worse, staged.

“Yeah,” Cody said. “I’ll see to having the plane ready.” He held up his empty hands. “Apparently when we get back to the suite because some jackass made me leave my phone behind.”

Austin jostled Cody’s shoulder as the elevator doors opened. “And now this jackass is making you breathe mountain air and get a little exercise.”

“The hotel has a killer gym,” Cody said, pulling the sides of his suit coat together against the light fall breeze when they stepped outside. “This outdoorsy stuff isn’t necessary.”

“Let’s try living like the locals for a bit.” Because Charlie was a local and Austin wanted to understand her way of life.

They strolled along the street, no one paying them much attention since Austin had pulled up his hood. He could have been just another Vermonter, enjoying a morning walk with his pooch. Of course, Cody didn’t look so local with his suit and dress shoes, but people didn’t seem to notice.

“How’s your arm and your head?” Cody asked. “No concussion from yesterday’s excitement?”

“No concussion. My arm is a little sore, but I’m good to go today. Don’t worry.” All that sex he’d had must have accelerated his healing because he did truly feel wonderful.

“Well, I handed some of those set people their asses yesterday,” Cody said.

“I told you it was an accident. No one meant for that pavement to crumble like that.”

“True, but it felt good to bark at someone about it.”

Austin shook his head, but let it go. Cody was just doing his job and he couldn’t fault him for that. “When does Cassandra fly in?”

Cassandra Wood was playing the role of his love interest in Hunting Justice. Austin had worked with her before, but she’d had a smaller part and one that didn’t require any on-screen chemistry. She was the typical blond bombshell that fans revered and a gifted actress, but she was known for arriving on set at the last possible moment. People let her get away with it because she always delivered, but Austin didn’t care for that style. He liked to have some time on set before he had to be on. Everyone had their own process he supposed.

“Cassandra is due in tonight, I think.” Cody pursed his lips. “Again, I can’t confirm because my whole life has been left on your kitchen island.”

Austin elbowed him. “Quit being so twitchy.”

Cody huffed out a breath. “I can’t help it. I feel naked out here without my phone. What if we need help?”

Austin plunged his hand into his sweatshirt and produced his own phone. “Relax, okay?”