“This way, Delilah,” called a photographer.
“Over here, love. Big smile; that’s it.” The flash from another camera blinded her for a second.
“Can we get one of you and Brad, Delilah?”
She cringed inwardly at that request but kept the smile on her face. “If I catch up with him, of course you can.”
She continued down the red carpet, pausing to stop and sign autographs and have her photo taken with fans of the show. Questions abounded about her upcoming season and she fielded them as well as she could. She’d become a master at avoiding questions regarding what was happening in the series. Keep them keen and waiting was her motto. So far it had worked, and everyone was looking forward to the next series—everyone but her.
By the time she made it to the door of the hotel, Kim had made an appearance and stopped for photos with Delilah, cementing their friendship in the eyes of the press. “I want you to do a couple of shots with Brad too, Del. Have to keep the fans guessing here, don’t we? Nothing like a hint of romance between the two of you to get interest firing.”
“Of course we do, although I hear he has a lady on the side nobody knows anything about. His reputation as a player will be at risk if they figure out who she is.” And I’m glad my name will be off the list when that happens.
Kim laughed. “Nothing Brad does will deter his fans. You know that. They’ll always love the guy. You are so lucky he is in this show, Del. Imagine if the lead had been one of the other actors who tried out? I doubt it would be as popular as it is now.”
“Whatever you say, Kim. I just write the story, you manage the people. Bet you’re glad he signed with you, though. Look what it’s done for your career.” She smiled at the flashing cameras.
“You know how hard I’ve worked to get where I am, honey. I’ve made no bones about the fact that I will do whatever it takes to keep my clients happy. And you know I love you, so I’ll always look after you.” She air kissed Del’s cheek and another camera flashed, capturing the moment.
“Oh look, here he is, the man of the moment.” She gestured toward the actor who women swooned over in droves. “Brad, darling, over here please…for a shot with Delilah. I want to see this on the front page of Women’s Weekly next month. It’s high time you two got another spread in that magazine to keep the interest in the show moving along at a steady pace. I’ll set it up later.” Kim pushed them together and made sure Brad had his arm around Del’s waist before she stepped away and gave the photographers a clear shot.
Her skin crawled as Brad turned his mouth to her ear, looking for all the world like he was kissing his favorite show writer. “Ramp up that smile, sweetheart. Don’t you dare make it look like this is anything than the blissful moment it should be.” He turned, grinned at the adoring public, and waved as Del did her best to look enthralled with the man by her side. He slid his hand down her back and had the nerve to smile directly into her face as he cupped her bottom.
Sleazy bastard. With her teeth gritted and the smile still intact, Delilah turned to him. “Move it or lose it, buddy.”
“Don’t even try it. You know you will come off worse. A final smile for the camera and you can go. I have women clamoring to get handled by me.” Brad turned back to the paparazzi, showed his pearly white teeth, and the cameras went wild again. The sound of women screaming his name made her want to sprint over and tell them what a low life he really was. The only person that mattered to Brad Hollows was Brad Hollows, and it hadn’t taken Delilah long to figure that out.
Once inside the hotel, she managed to escape her manager and the ego overload of her leading man. After taking a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, she made her way into the main room and retreated to one side, out of the way of human traffic. Sipping the cold liquid, she let the bubbles flutter over her tongue and closed her eyes. It was times like these she wondered at her decision to make this her life and put everything else on hold.
“Delilah, there you are.” Paul Steenburg, the head of the studio, walked toward her. “I believe you are leaving us for the great Outback tomorrow. Kim said something about recharging your batteries.”
She swallowed the disdain over the trip and put on her game face. “Yes, I think it’s high time I got some fresh air. See something different and find some great plots for our characters.”
“Brilliant idea. Enjoy yourself and come back with a renewed energy. I like that idea.” He nodded and walked off to talk to someone else, leaving her alone.
Paul was a nice guy, and he’d always been supportive. She watched Kim and Brad work the crowd, and shook her head. Unlike her agent and leading man, who were all about grabbing what they could get, the boss of the studio was down to earth and honest. Perhaps camping with the crocs wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Right now, they seemed the lesser of the two evils.
The following morning, the taxi driver dropped her bags on the sidewalk and slammed the trunk of his car. “That will be thirty four dollars and fifty cents. Thanks.” When Delilah counted out and gave him the correct money, she added a twenty dollar tip. He looked her up and down, his gaze on the expensive shoes and suitcases and smiled. “Next time you need a cab, make sure you ask for Bert.”
She watched as he gunned the car away
