Page 24 of The Golden Scoop

I motion for her to come closer, and she does.

“You’re always around, and I’m sure you work harder on this set than anyone else.” That might be an exaggeration, seeing as how Matt is hanging off moving vehicles, but it’s a different kind of work. “The higher ups are only going to praise Matt, which hey, if he deserves it, great. But I want to know about you.”

Zoe nods slightly, and I continue my speech to bring the point home before she can decline.

“What makes an actor great are the people around him. He would be a nobody if not for a crew like this. So I take value in knowing your experience, your day-to-day.”

There’s some truth in what I’m saying. Except, for someone of Matt’s caliber, after having been named Actor of the Year, the crew is not as important. At this point in his career, he probably has his pick of action movies to star in.

“Okay.” She squares her shoulders and nods. “Five minutes. Then I have to come back in case they need me.”

We don’t go far. And true to my word, I don’t take more than a couple of minutes of her time. Zoe is a sweet girl, and I let her rant about how she moved here from Montana to pursue her dreams. But when I ask about Matt, I get the same cookie-cutter response I got from Ben, Luna, and Riley.

Matt’s a pleasure to work with… I have seen plenty of TV shows about celebrities and before coming here, I prepared myself to deal with them… he’s a breath of fresh air. So polite and soooo dreamy (clear emphasis on the latter). I’ve lucked out landing this job…

I still thank her for her time and stick around to wait until the director yells cut to see if I can have a go at him—Jude Ace, the man when it comes to action movies. He’s been involved in some drama himself, but personally, his work is a piece of art.

“Take ten,” he calls, rising from his chair, giving his headset to another PA.

He moves to discuss something with one of the cameramen and once he’s done, I take it as my chance to steal the spotlight.

“Hi, sir,” I say stepping in front of him. I stretch my hand out. “I’m Emma Miller, with Golden Magazine. I’m writing a feature article about Matt Hunt, and I was wondering if I could ask you some questions.”

“Sure,” he answers with a grin, taking my hand in his. “Walk with me.”

The man’s tall, not as tall as Matt, but enough to make my little heel-clad legs work overtime to keep up. His brown curly hair flops over his forehead with every step.

“Did you ever think of casting someone else for the role or was it always Matt?” I ask, turning on my recorder.

We finally come to a stop by the drinks table. He grabs a water and offers me one. I take it, even though I’m not thirsty.

“King was made for Matt. The whole movie was written with him in mind. I don’t think we would’ve done it if he had declined the offer.”

“What is it like working with someone like him? I’ve heard he can be very cocky.”

I’ve also experienced it firsthand, so if he denies it, I’ll know he’s been briefed by Jennifer.

“He is cocky. But only because he can be,” he explains. I nod in understanding. Although, internally, I want to bang my head against the table. “He’s a professional. Dare I say the best I’ve ever worked with. And above all, he’s a wonderful person. I’ve had him over for dinner plenty of times. My wife’s a big fan, but I’ve never had to worry. That’s how much I trust him.”

“Even with all the articles that claim he’s a ‘playboy?’”

“I can’t attest to what he does in his own time, but I’ve never had to deal with a problem of that kind with him.”

“What about all the partying?”

I push, and I can see his brows furrow under his hair.

“Again, all of my interactions with him at work have been the most professional. As much as he might be out there, it never shows up on set.”

“Thank you. You were extremely helpful,” I answer, not wanting to test my luck. “I’ll let you get back to filming.”

He nods and heads back to his chair. I groan loudly.

Am I ever going to move past square one?

“I heard you’ve been sneaking around asking questions about me.”

The sound of his voice, drier than usual, and his breath brushing against my ear, makes me turn toward him.