Page 135 of Let’s Make a Scene

“Horses live a long time,” Jack says, “but I didn’t think we’d be reunited like this.”

I might be wearing jeans and a sweater because I’m not filming, but Jack is in full costume and the effect is just as mouthwatering as it was the first time. More so, actually, because I’m even more desperately horny and I know exactly what’s underneath all that buttoned-up regalia.

I’m not the only one who has turned out to watch Jack filming his “galloping, windswept across the parkland” scenes. I’d say 95 percent of the female cast and crew members (and a significant proportion of the men for that matter) have wandered innocently down for totally legitimate reasons.

“You look very handsome,” I say, a little breathless.

Jack’s mouth pulls up in a dangerous half-smile. “Yeah, I remember you looking at me like that the first time around. A man on horseback really does it for you, hey, Taylor?”

“I think it’s you on horseback, more specifically.”

His smile grows. “Now, that is good to know. How about—” Whatever he’s going to say is cut off when Reckless Ed, who has been standing tranquilly, occasionally flicking his ears back and forth, lets out a high-pitched whinny and suddenly swings away from me.

“What the—” I leap backward, and in his surprise it takes Jack a couple of seconds to get the horse back under control.

“Oh no.” There’s laughter in Jack’s voice as he calls over his shoulder. “It looks like Reckless Ed has spotted the one that got away.”

I follow his gaze to find Hannah climbing up the hill toward us. She waves but hesitates when she sees the giant horse. I don’t know if horses can actually smile, but Reckless Ed is doing a very good impression of it.

“I didn’t know you were here,” Hannah says to me, one eye on the horse who is practically quivering with excitement as Jack moves back toward us.

“Oh.” I frown. “You didn’t come here looking for me?”

She blinks several times. “Err… yes,” she says. “I mean, no.”

“Well, that clears things up,” I mutter, bemused.

That’s when Jack and Hannah share a shifty look. “What’s going on?” I ask suspiciously.

“Nothing!” Hannah says brightly.

“I asked Hannah to come up,” Jack says. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist seeing if Reckless Ed remembered her.”

The horse in question drops his enormous muzzle on top of Hannah’s head, huffing happily into her hair. My best friend freezes, a huge, unnatural smile on her face.

“Yep, you got me!” she exclaims, her shoulders up round her ears. “Anyway, if you don’t need me, I’d better be going.”

“Is everything okay?” Jack asks, easily.

“Yep. Yep.” Hannah’s head bobs. “Everything is all good. Just perfect.”

“Did you just wink at Jack?” I ask.

“Something in my eye,” Hannah mutters, stepping gingerly away from Reckless Ed.

Jack coughs into his hand, and I think he must be trying to hide a laugh, but I’m distracted by Jasmine’s appearance on set.

“Okay, weirdos,” I say. “I need to go and grab Jasmine really quick. Have a good scene,” I say to Jack. “I’ll be cheering you on from behind the monitors.”

Jasmine looks up when I stomp over. “That was a good note about the ballroom scene yesterday,” she says. “I was just talking to Lo and we think we’re going to shoot some extra footage to fill the gap, when we’re back in the studio.”

“Great.” I feel a little glow of satisfaction. As she promised, Jasmine has let me sit in on the evening meetings when she and Logan go through the day’s shooting. Apart from the misery of having to watch myself in uncut, unedited footage, it’s been fascinating, and to give Logan his due, he’s been just as happy as Jasmine to welcome my input. He even offered to put me in touch with some of his contacts. (“Thrilled to be an ally!” he insisted.)

“I also have those details you were asking about,” Jasmine adds casually.

My gaze sharpens. “She said yes?”

Jasmine nods, and I exhale. Lilah Meritt was third AD on one of Shawn’s films, and someone who Jasmine knew had been pressured into a bad situation with him. I asked Jasmine a couple of days ago if she thought Lilah might be willing to talk to me about it, and it looks like she’s agreed.