To Catch a Star by Romy Sommer Page B

was a card-carrying member of the Christian Taylor fan club.
    “It’s such a treat working with him,” Robbie said around a mouthful of tagine, “Christian’s one of the truly great actors.”
    Not him too.
    Seeing her scepticism, Robbie waved his fork in the air as he explained. “Most actors, when you walk them to set, they don’t talk to you. They’re already in that zone where they’re preparing to get into character. Christian stays himself right up until that moment he walks on set. Then it’s like he flicks a switch and he becomes someone else. That’s a rare talent.”
    Where she came from, that wasn’t called talent. Sociopaths could also be charming and duplicitous.
    Robbie’s fervour mounted. “He’s wasted in these action and special-effects movies. I’d love to see him do something with real meat in it.”
    “I’ll remember to tell him that,” Teresa said.
    Robbie completely missed the dryness of her tone. His face lit up. “Would you? A friend of mine’s written a script I think he’d be perfect for. It’s a little different from his usual stuff, though. Could you get him to take a look?”
    She doubted Christian would follow any advice she gave, but she bit back the comment. “No promises, but I’ll give it a try.”
    She seemed to be saying that a lot today.
    “Who
is
that guy?” Christian scowled at the flustered catering assistant attempting to dole more salad onto his plate.
    “What guy?” Dom asked, craning his neck to look.
    “The pretty boy next to my assistant.” He really didn’t intend the
my
to sound quite so possessive. But it did. His scowl deepened.
    “That’s Lee. One of the art directors. Apparently he’s an accomplished set designer too. Talented young man.”
    Christian grabbed a napkin, knife and fork from the dispenser at the end of the buffet and made a beeline across the room, leaving Dom to catch up.
    “May I have a seat?” He pulled out the vacant chair beside Teresa and smiled at the group around the table.
    “Of course.” The blonde hunk with the ill-concealed biceps on the other side of Teresa smiled and gave Christian the once-over. “Any time!”
    Christian relaxed. Pretty Boy was no competition.
    “I’m Christian.” He leaned forward to offer his hand to Lee. His elbow brushed Teresa’s arm and she shifted away. Or attempted to. There was nowhere for her to go. “And you’re Lee, the set designer.”
    Lee preened as he shook Christian’s outstretched hand. “Strictly speaking, I’m only one of the art directors.”
    “But very talented. I’ve heard good things about you.”
    Dom, in the process of sitting down across the table, choked on a laugh.
    “Oh damn, is that the time?” Robbie pushed out his chair and rose. “We’re back on set in five, everyone,” he called to the room at large. Then he turned back to Christian. “We’re moving the camera to the top of the stairs. We’re going to be at least an hour, so take your time.”
    Christian nodded, and Robbie excused himself to head back to work.
    “So how do you two know each other?” Christian asked, waving his fork from Teresa to Lee.
    “We met through Kenzie.”
    It took him a moment to place the name. The freckle-faced redhead who’d brought Teresa to the wardrobe room. “The new girlfriend of Teresa’s ex-boyfriend. How cosy.”
    Lee pushed his empty plate away and rubbed his stomach. His phone, on the table beside him, beeped a text message and he glanced at it. “Damn. I’d love to stay and chat, but I’ve got places to go and people to see.” He rose and grinned at Christian, flashing his dimples.
    Christian smiled back. “It’s been a pleasure. We should do this again soon.”
    Lee winked, patted a hand on Teresa’s shoulder in farewell, and headed off.
    Teresa rounded on him. “Do you have to flirt with everyone?”
    “That wasn’t flirting.” He held her gaze and smiled, then ran a finger over the back of her hand, where it lay on her lap. She