Thanks for the support! A quick reminder of the "glitch" my story hits. Except perhaps on Saturday and Sunday, I'll be updating this story every day. It should be higher up on the list than it is sometimes.
Chapter Five:
Their fitness trainer George Orson appeared at their office via Skype.
"He knows I'm talking to you guys," he said. "So, if you're hoping he'll open up to me more, you're wasting time."
"Okay," Macy said. "How is his training going?"
"He's a model student," Orson said. "He never complains and does exactly as told. I asked him to cut back on the coffee and he did it."
"What about his roommate, David Rossi?" Faye asked.
"The guy is very nice and accommodating," he said. "I offered him some fitness tips and even he took them."
"We start shooting in two weeks," Macy said. "How does he feel?"
"I think he's eager to get out of the bubble he's living in."
"Okay how does his body look?"
"Not much work was needed as I told you the last time. He is camera-ready."
"Thanks, George," Macy said as he waved. She ended the session.
"Next item of business: The women," Macy said.
Faye pulled out a box from under the table. "We have thirty, you get to knock it down to twenty."
"Pull out the top five to win this thing," she said.
"Ava Donnelly, a private investigator. Mika Herd, a social worker. Dana Perim, a pediatric nurse. Lena Corton, an accountant and Kayla Matiss, a homeless shelter manager."
"I like what I see," she said. "All of them could be saints. Now who are my villains?"
"Sarah Dern, a vet who paid for school through exotic dancing. Mary Zoran, a teacher aid who got cut out of Daddy's fortune for having sticky fingers. Mel Greenaway, a civil rights lawyer who once got a rich kid from pleading guilty for painting obscene words on a female teacher's car for giving him a B."
"Find me one more and I'll be happy," she said. "I don't trust the profiler in him to sniff these women out. Let's see the blonds."
"They aren't all blond, but they are vapid," Faye said.
She smiled and laughed. "Whoever did some of this implant work shouldn't have a medical license." She pulled out a pen and marked three. "I want these just for reaction shots alone."
"You're terrible, you know that?" Faye said mildly.
"It's what makes me good at my job."
…
A week before shooting began Reid attended a party for the network. He smiled and asked intelligent questions about the shows being represented.
"Are you nervous about being surrounded by twelve gorgeous women?" one actor asked.
"I'm here to find love and that is all that matters," Reid said.
The actor nudged him gently in the shoulder.
"You have the party line down good," he said and moved on.
Then he saw her. He knew she would be at the event but still wasn't prepared to see her. She was dressed in a simple blue cocktail dress that brought out the color in her eyes. He realized he was staring and decided to approach her.
Lila looked up from the conversation she was having and saw him. She smiled.
"Hi," she said cheerfully.
"Hi," he said nervously.
She turned to the people she was talking with.
"Guys this is Spencer Reid. Spencer, this Lyle, Tony, Katy, and Collet. They are my costars in—"
"The Future Force," Reid said. "A time traveling police agency."
She laughed. It sounded like music.
"You did your homework."
"So, how do you two know each other?" Tony asked.
"Oh, he saved my life from a stalker a lifetime ago," she said casually.
Reid turned slightly red.
"I just wanted to say, hi" he said nervously.
"It's good seeing you Spencer. In this setting, I never would have imagined."
"Me neither," he said. "But I'm looking for love and for some reason this seemed the right place at the right time."
"I'm glad to see you Spencer," she said.
"You too, Lila," he said. "Enjoy the party."
"You too, Spencer."
"Thanks."
Macy and Faye were watching from a distance.
"Did you see the tension between those two?" Macy said.
"Yep," she said.
"I want to see that on television with every girl he likes."
"I'll try to make it happen," she said.
"So how long has Lila been married?"
"Four years, with a kid," Faye said. "Don't get any ideas."
Macy sighed. "If only life were more like a movie."
"Only in your dreams, Macy."
…
Three days before shooting, Faye gave Reid a tour of the mansion.
"There are hearts in every room," he commented.
"It's about love, my friend," she said opened another door. "This will be your confessional room where you share all your concerns, hopes, and dreams."
"At the prompting of a producer," he said.
"A word of advice that will be hard for you to take: Try not to think so much."
"How is that good advice?"
"You're going to be surrounded by women non-stop," she said. "Eventually, you're going to have to turn off part of your brain and start living in the moment."
"That doesn't sound like fun to me."
"It is, I promise," Faye said.
They left the room and Reid looked out a window. Gardiners were still working and technical crews were arranging lighting and microphones.
"I still can't believe I'm doing this," he said with a sigh.
"Start because, it going to be real on Monday," she said.
"I really hope I know what I'm doing."
"I think you do," Faye said. "I believe it."