Ashley put her phone back in her bag and moved closer to Powder. “Like the purple highlights.”

“Thanks.” Powder tossed her some face cream. Ashley slathered the lotion on her face and neck while Powder loaded a tray marked Loreneonto a wheeled cart. “Glad the reporter wasn’t here today. That’s a real trinity of stars, ego, drunk, and Caz.”

“Hair,” the AD called. Another lady, one Ashley didn’t know very well, went to work pulling her hair back tight while Powder prepped her face. Powder kept up a running chatter about her date last night.

“Did he wear a button-down shirt?”

“Sweater vest, it was just as bad,” Powder said. “But man, was he hot when the argyles hit the floor.”

Cutter stood in the makeup area the whole time, pacing and muttering.

The makeup artist and hair stylist were pros, so they ignored him. A few pokes, pulls, and jabs later, and Ashley was transformed into Aurora—Lorene’s character.

“Thanks.”

“Break a leg,” Powder said.

Ashley joined Cutter. “I’m ready.”

Cutter wasn’t his usual pristine self, with mussed hair and an untucked shirt. “This is a disaster. A catastrophe. Are you really a three? Because you don’t look like a three. I can squeeze you in, if you’re close.”

“Yes. It’ll be fine.” Ashley followed Cutter over to the dressing area. She went slowly, hesitant to see what disaster was left behind.

Instead, there was only beauty. Caz stood with a few of the other male actors dressing in tuxedos. She didn’t know if he looked good because he could kiss or if he just looked good in a tuxedo, but the scene was a way better view than earlier. She hesitated in the doorway.

Cutter prodded her forward. “Quit getting distracted. We’re late.”

Ashley nodded; Cutter was right. The guys had a later call time than the girls because their hair, makeup, and costumes went quicker. If the guys were already dressing, then the girls should be done.

Cutter drew her to a mobile closet away from the guys, but she responded to Caz’s wave of greeting. Caz started toward her but was pulled back by an assistant threading a tie under his collar. The guys were abuzz with gossip about this morning and Caz looked bored with the discussion. Evidently, vomiting drunks weren’t headline news to the British.

Cutter tugged on the waist of Ashley’s T-shirt, pulling her attention away from the men in tuxedos. She slapped his hand away. Just because Petra and some of the others stripped off in public didn’t mean she would. She wanted a privacy screen, two screens, and a lock if they had one.

“Fine.” Cutter let go of the cotton. He snagged a labeled dressing bag off the rack and flounced his way over to one of the screens. “Yell when you’re ready.”

Ashley was relieved to find no physical evidence of this morning’s mishap, but she still stepped carefully across the floor.

Cutter unzipped the bag and withdrew a muslin-covered hoop and a white satin corset. He passed them over the top of the screen. “Put on the framework and I’ll help you guide the wedding gown over them.”

From behind the screen, Ashley could hear everyone in the vicinity. Dressing with people standing a few feet away was weird. She tried to think of the screen as a mall dressing room as she pulled the hoop up over her waist and tied the strings in a bow. Lifting a side of the hoop, she unbuttoned her jeans and kicked them off. After she released the hoop’s frame, gravity dragged it to the floor. She rolled her hips to watch the hoop sway.

T-shirt off, she pulled the corset on backwards so she could latch most of it. After closing the hooks and eyes as far as she could, she turned the corset around and pulled the cups up over her bra. She couldn’t reach the back, so she left the top hooks unfastened. Nor could she do anything about the purple straps of her bra. Well, maybe she could tuck them into the dress. She’d see what Cutter suggested.

After emerging from behind the screen, Cutter took her arm and drew her in front of a three-way mirror. “Okay, okay, that fits,” Cutter said in relief. His hands went to the hooks between her shoulder blades, and he did them up while muttering, “Suck it in.” He made a noise of satisfaction when the last one closed. “PA.”

Ashley turned, but Cutter was talking to Olive. He and Olive lifted the white silk wedding dress carefully up and over. A full thirty seconds passed in darkness as the complicated silk gown was draped over her head. When the fabric cleared and she could see again, her eyes met Olive’s hostile gaze.

Olive said, “I’ve been reassigned to costumes all day.” Her leaden hazel glare put the blame on Ashley’s shoulders.

While Cutter twittered around Ashley, adjusting pieces of white silk, Olive did up the numerous small pearl buttons that ran the back of the dress.

“What kind of model wears purple underwear?” Olive snapped the elastic of Ashley’s bra strap.

“Ouch. Don’t.”

In a quick motion, Cutter pulled the straps down her arms to her elbows. Ashley threw her hands over the front of her chest.

Cutter said, “The corset serves as a bra.”

Ashley felt her bra loosen and pull free. She kept her palms tight on the bodice while Cutter yanked her bra away. This was the first time a guy had removed her bra, and the moment was not at all like she’d imagined. At a minimum, she’d hoped he’d be straight.

Cutter tossed the purple lace to Olive.

The AD came back in the room. “Does the dress fit?”

Cutter said, “Yes,” with deep satisfaction and fussed with the hem.

The AD ran a critical eye over Ashley and nodded.

Caz walked over and stood beside him. He stared at Ashley a moment, then at the purple bra lying across the chair back, where Olive had tossed it.

Cutter tugged Ashley’s arms down and adjusted the silk bodice. “She overflows the top a bit, but not too much. Why’d you order such large boobs?” He released the bodice and reached a hand up to shove at her chest. “The trend is flat. These don’t work with the flounce.”

Ashley slapped his hand away. “They’re real.”

Olive said, “Sure they are.”

“Who knew she had them under those T-shirts?” Cutter paced back and forth, assessing the flounce. Any other guy she’d accuse of checking out her cleavage. His eyes were solidly on the flounce.

Caz moved behind her, and she checked his reflection in the mirror. His gaze was not on the flounce. Ashley crossed her arms over her chest.

Caz raised his eyes and met hers. “I told my agent to try working in a holiday after the film.”

“Good.”

The AD took Caz’s arm, urging him away. “We’ll see you on set.”

Cutter paced two steps and made a type of moan. Then he turned on his heel and went to a kit. After that, there was no hesitation. He snipped at the ruffle covering her cleavage, and the thin chiffon detached from the top. He picked at a few threads, ignoring her slapping hands. When he was done, he turned her back to face the mirror.

Chapter 13

Wearing the wig and wedding gown, Ashley didn’t recognize herself. The gown cascaded in complicated silk drapes, and removing the flounce improved the beautiful dress to a ridiculous degree. She wanted to spend more time staring at her image through her fake eyelashes, but the extras were in place and they wanted to run through the scene. That involved checking the lighting and making small changes to the sets and costumes. Then they’d shoot as much as they could and film close-ups with Lorene this afternoon, or if Lorene couldn’t be sobered up enough for that today, they’d shoot the close-ups tomorrow.

That schedule gave Cutter a short deadline to find a size eight wedding dress comparable to the elaborate one worn by Ashley, so the AD sent Olive to help Cutter search.