Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 115308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
I didn’t know what to expect when he showed up for the video shoot this morning. It was day one of our schedule. Today we were shooting our parts in the campaign and engagement announcement film Pennington’s wanted to release at the end of the week. Christina gave me the day off work, which meant I had to make up the hours over the next few days. I felt awful that Baird had to muster up enthusiasm to do this just days after his Professional League championship dream was crushed.
My jittery nerves were already at peak level. Of course, the production team didn’t know we were acting the part of newly engaged lovers, which added to my nervousness.
The production had been in South Lanarkshire since the wee hours of the morning. They had spent the past few weeks gaining permits and permissions so they could arrange our announcement using their homeware products on a huge field where Baird and I were to fly over in a hot air balloon. Since I didn’t have a car, Baird was going to drive us to the site, but he’d texted me late last night to tell me he wasn’t in the city, so he’d just meet me there.
I knew he was suffering from the loss, but I was anxious about where he was and what he was doing. My chest burned every time I considered who he might be doing it with. Never mind the fact that he knew I was in a bit of a state about our plan and I’d wanted his support.
I told myself I was being selfish, that I hadn’t just lost a national championship and been subjected to the relentless abuse of so-called fans and the tabloid media.
Yet there was a part of me that feared Baird was ultimately one of those guys who was really good at apologizing but who never really changed.
A trailer had been set up for us, filled with the outfits I’d helped select from our line-up. Becky had wanted me in something showy and expensive from the store, but I’d convinced Hilary and Christina that because the announcement was a big, over-the-top production, we should find ways to advertise items that were more affordable. We already had access to data that told us there were people who didn’t even step inside Pennington’s because they thought the products were out of their budget. Yet we had a vast range in our stores, and I wanted to appeal to the market we were currently missing out on.
I won that argument. And the evil eye from Becky.
Once my hair and makeup were done, I dressed in a fairly inexpensive pale green, calf-length cami dress that didn’t flash a lot of skin but molded to my body. It was sexy without being too sexy for a retailer ad campaign. As I slipped on the brown leather flat sandals we’d chosen, Gail, the production assistant assigned to me, popped her head in to let me know Baird had arrived ten minutes ago. They were rushing him through hair and makeup.
Relief and irritation flooded me, and I felt a little dizzy. After downing my third glass of water, I excused myself to use the portable restroom. We were supposed to have warm, clear skies all day and I was already feeling it. It was a surprisingly balmy morning for the first week in June. When I came out of the restroom, assistants were fussing over Baird. Fixing his hair, brushing lint off his shirt.
I’d also chosen items for him to select from and was weirdly happy to see he’d picked my favorite shirt among the lot. It was an army-green cotton short-sleeve button-down, with turn-back cuffs and a Cuban collar. On Baird, the sleeves were a little tight around his biceps, but he looked exactly how I imagined he would. Cool as hell but classy. He’d paired it with dark denim jeans with turnups and kept his biker boots on.
The look worked for him.
He was hotter than hot.
As if he felt my attention, he turned his head ever so slightly to meet it. His eyes roamed down my body and back up again. My breath caught at the heat in his gaze.
I reminded myself not to take his perusal too seriously. Especially as I didn’t know where the hell he’d been last night.
Knowing we had a bunch of cameras to face while we pretended to be in love, I didn’t approach Baird with the intention of arguing. However, every step I took toward him, I grew more and more irritated.
“Hey, babe. You look amazing.” He drew away from the assistants to place a hand on my waist. He bent his head to brush his lips over mine.
It startled me for two point five seconds before I realized we were supposed to be an engaged couple. My lips tingled and I tried not to tense.