Gone With the Nerd (Nerds, #4)(2)
Author: Vicki Lewis Thompson

He loved this little technological toy, partly because it was state-of-the-art and sheathed in space-age titanium, but mostly because Zoe had given it to him for Christmas. It was a perfect gift, which meant she understood him, and that was gratifying. "Are we talking about day after tomorrow?"

"That’s right. I know it’s short notice."

He checked his electronic day planner. "It is, but I don’t have anything pressing. Nothing I couldn’t cancel." Kristen had a conference in Chicago, so he’d planned to spend the weekend running errands. He shouldn’t be so happy to be spending time with Zoe, but he’d work on that problem. He closed the PDA and returned it to his pocket. "What do you need?"

"I’ve booked a little cabin in Long Shaft, and I wondered if you would go there with me so that I can—"

"Excuse me—Long Shaft"? Where the hell is that?"

"Northern California. We’ll fly to Sacramento and then you’ll rent a car. Can you go?"

He felt as if he’d walked into the middle of a movie. Nothing made sense. "Why? Why would you want the two of us to go to a cabin in a place called Long Shaft? And what kind of a name for a town is that, anyway?"

"Long Shaft is an old mining town. This place is totally off the map, and I don’t want anyone to know we’re there. I… uh … need some coaching."

"On what? Trust me, I’m not a dramatic coach, and I can’t think of a single thing I know how to do that would come in handy in your line of work, unless you’ve suddenly accepted a role that involves contract law."

"No, that’s not it." She seemed uncertain, as if she couldn’t figure out exactly how to explain herself. "I don’t suppose you saw two copies of a script lying on the passenger seat of the Boxster."

"No. I was too busy making sure the paparazzi didn’t vandalize the car."

"I’m auditioning for a part next week. It’s a romantic comedy with some action/adventure thrown in, and the female lead is a chemist."

He still didn’t get it. "I passed chemistry, but I wouldn’t say that’s my area of expertise. If you’re looking for a chemist, maybe you should consider someone from UCLA. I can’t imagine that you’d have to be secretive about it, either. Any chemistry prof down there would love to—"

"It’s not the chemistry part that I’m worried about. So long as I follow the script I’ll sound like I know my chemistry. It’s the character of Vera who worries me. She isn’t like any of the others I’ve played. As you might have noticed, all my roles so far have been glamorous and sexy."

"And that works, Zoe." It was working on him right this minute. The conversation was weird to begin with. All their meetings until now had centered around contract clauses and legalese, and he didn’t think she’d ever been dressed quite this provocatively for those meetings, either.

He had trouble concentrating when she smelled so good and looked so incredible. She did amazing things for a low-necked blouse. He’d known that all along, but he’d never allowed himself to fully acknowledge Zoe’s sexual appeal. Today he couldn’t seem to help himself.

"I’m in a rut," she said.

"It’s a damned nice rut, too. You’re a top earner at the box office. Why would you want to mess with success?"

She took a deep breath. "Because I’m tired of low-budget movies where I carry the whole thing but get no respect for my work."

He’d become so engrossed in how a deep breath affected her cl**vage that he had trouble absorbing her comment. Belatedly he realized that this was a damned serious topic that could have life-changing results. She was his top client and he needed to focus.

Clicking back to lawyer mode, he started gathering information. "What kind of respect are you after?"

"The kind that comes from working with A-list actors like Nicolas Cage, who might take the male lead, and Steven Spielberg, who’s directing."

"I see."

"That’s the league I want to be in. I finally figured out that if I keep playing myself in these throwaway films, I’ll never get there. This project, if I bring it off, could win me a Golden Globe."

No doubt about it, she was shifting gears and he needed to stay alert. "Have you talked to anybody at the studio about this?" He could imagine some major resistance to this idea of hers.

"I have, and basically they don’t expect me to have a good audition for the part because this isn’t normally what I do. They want somebody like Holly Hunter or Jodie Foster."

"That’s tough competition."

She leaned her head against the seat and blew out a breath. "Tell me about it. That’s why the studio is willing to let me go for it and fall on my face. If I’m no good, they don’t have to cast me, so they’re playing along, certain I’ll be awful."

"How about Leon?"

"Leon thinks I’m out of my mind, but he expects me to go down in flames, too, so he’s not terribly worried. I’m determined not to fail. And I want you to help me get inside this character’s head, show me how to act the way she’d act so I can nail the audition."

"I don’t understand how I can do that."

"It’s very simple." She paused. "No offense, Flynn, but I want you to teach me how to be a nerd."

Chapter Two

From Flynn’s expression, Zoe knew she should have found a more delicate way to broach the subject. No guy really wanted to be called a nerd even if he knew that’s what he was. "I apologize. I’ve offended you."

"Not at all." The tight lines around his mouth said otherwise.

She scrambled to find some way to repair the damage. "You’re not a complete nerd," she said. "I mean, there are lots of cool things about you."

"Name one." Behind his black-framed glasses, his gray eyes gleamed as he issued the challenge. He looked well and truly pissed.

She searched frantically for an example and remembered the image of him driving the Boxster, but of course that was her cool car, not his. "Well, you … um … wear prescription sunglasses instead of attaching that flip-up kind to your regular glasses." It was the best she could come up with on short notice. "That’s very cool!"

He snorted. "Even a dweeb like me wouldn’t wear the flip-ups. But prescription glasses aren’t cool. To be cool I’d have to wear contacts, so I wouldn’t need prescription shades in the first place. But I think contacts are too much trouble."

"Actually, I like your glasses." She surprised herself by saying so, but it was true. They gave him a sincere, scholarly air that she found endearing. "They suit you."

"You mean they suit my nerd image."

"There’s nothing wrong with your look. You’re true to yourself. You know who you are."

His expression softened. "I think you do, too. And you’re definitely not a nerd."

"I can learn to be a nerd. By playing someone very different from me, I’ll prove I have what it takes to work with top directors and actors. Getting this part would be an excellent career move."

He studied her for several long seconds.

"You don’t see me doing it, either, do you?" How depressing to think that no one believed in her acting ability. She did, though. At sixteen she’d deliberately taken the part of a hard-drinking, meddling old biddy in the school play. She’d nailed that role, too.

But from the day of her first Hollywood audition, she’d been typecast as the bombshell. She loved the fame and fortune, but she hated the assumption that a glamour-puss was automatically an airhead who couldn’t act. Because of that prejudice she never got to work with the big names and she’d never win any awards. She craved both.

"I don’t know if you can do it or not," Flynn said.

"Neither do I," she admitted in a moment of brutal honesty. She’d played herself for so long she might be unable to change. Maybe she’d lost that nugget of genuine talent she’d had back in high school. "But I have to try. Will you help me?"

"Why can’t we just work on this at your house? Why go all the way up to this Long Shaft place?"

She took it as a good sign that he was asking questions instead of turning her down flat. Maybe she had a shot at making this work, but she’d have to be straight with him. "A couple of reasons. First of all, this won’t be easy, so I will need maximum input from you. I’m talking about total immersion, an all-weekend marathon."

Flynn blinked as if she’d said something shocking.

Then she figured out why. He might think total immersion meant being her boy toy for the weekend in addition to coaching her on all things nerdy. Although Zoe didn’t play the game that way, the tabloids had helped give movie stars that kind of rep, so Flynn could easily misunderstand her intentions.

"The cabin has two bedrooms," she said quickly. "I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong idea about what I’m asking."

His startled expression disappeared. "I assumed there would be two bedrooms."

No, you didn’t. "Of course."

"I mean, you and Trace Edwards are practically…."

"Yes, we are. Practically." Practically nothing to each other. Their high-profile dating was all about publicity. She’d started worrying that Trace was getting emotionally involved, though, and she needed to find a way to call a halt to that, because she felt only friendship for the guy.

"And as for me," Flynn continued, "as it happens, I’m committed to someone."

Knock her over with a feather boa. "Is that right?" She stared at him in astonishment. "You never said! Who is she? Anybody I know?" Come to think of it, she had no clue about his private life, except that he was single. Of course he must date, but she’d never thought of him as having a steady girlfriend. The idea added a whole new dimension to Flynn’s personality.

"You wouldn’t know her. She’s a law professor at Harvard."

"Perfect!" How fake and jolly that sounded, but she didn’t dare say what she really thought, that two law professors in the same relationship sounded as exciting as test-driving a golf cart. "You must have tons of things in common." Tons of boring things.

"Uh-huh."

"Do you have a picture?" She found herself feeling a wee bit territorial, which was stupid. Flynn certainly had a right to a life apart from his dealings with her.

"No picture. But she’s coming out here for a visit next week, so I’m sure we’ll take pictures then. Maybe you’d like to meet her."

"That would be nice." Not really. The more Zoe thought about this development, the less she approved. Long-distance courtships usually ended with someone moving. She didn’t want that someone to be Flynn. "You’re not thinking of living back there, are you?"

"No. At least not at the moment."

Well, that sucked. He hadn’t promised to stay in California until hell froze over, which was the kind of statement of intent Zoe was looking for. Imagining Flynn leaving her life was unsettling. Extremely unsettling. She’d never realized before how much she counted on his solid presence.

"So what’s the other reason for heading off to Long Shaft?" he asked.

"Oh." She’d become totally derailed by the prospect of Flynn involved in a cross-country love affair. "Vanity, mostly," she said. "I don’t want anyone to know how hard I worked at this."

He nodded. "In case it doesn’t go well."

"Or in case it goes extremely well." She struggled to hide her irritation. Honestly, nobody had faith in her. "Either way, I don’t want them to see me sweat. Using you as a coach would be our little secret. I hope you’re okay with that."

He stared at her. "You think I’d want to tell everyone I’m the guy who taught you how to be a nerd?"

"Um, no, guess not. Good point." She hadn’t appreciated before how touchy this subject might be. "So here’s my plan. We fly up on different airlines and go to the cabin separately."

"Won’t you be recognized and followed?"

"I’m working on that. First of all, Leon won’t know a thing about this. Most of my public mob scenes are courtesy of Leon and the new publicist, Sandi. I’ll be recognized on the airplane, but I’m taking some nerd clothes and I’ll change in the airplane bathroom."

"Nerd clothes."

"Yeah, you know—polyester, drab colors, out of style …" She trailed off as she realized that she’d just described his white shirt, mud-colored slacks, and brown and white striped tie. "Functional stuff," she amended. "Sturdy clothes."

Amusement glinted in his eyes. "Now you’re getting the idea."

And suddenly the tables were turned. He was the one passing judgment, and she felt the need to defend her choices. "But clothes can be a fun thing! They can lift your spirits! Colors have an effect on people. They’ve done studies on it!"

"I’m sure they have, but if you want to transform yourself into a nerd, you’ll have to give up worrying about your clothes. Because we don’t care. It’s not a priority with us."

Zoe blew out a breath. "You’re right. And I will give up worrying about clothes this weekend." She couldn’t imagine it—packing a suitcase with things she didn’t care about—but she’d try. Even her nightgowns would be boring, not that Flynn would see that, but she wanted to stay in character all the time, even when she was buck nak*d, not that Flynn would see that, either.. ..

But they would be living in the same cabin. At some time, they would each be nak*d. Maybe not at the same time and definitely not in the same room, but there would be disrobing going on. It was an interesting thought. More than interesting. She wondered what kind of a body Flynn had, and she’d never wondered about that before.

"Okay, so you’re changing into nerd clothes in the airplane bathroom. Then what?"

She pulled her thoughts away from Flynn, nak*d, to deal with Flynn fully clothed and sitting next to her in the car. They had more details to settle. "If I’m dressed differently, I should make it through the terminal okay, and a friend’s picking me up at the airport and taking me to the cabin."

"You have a friend in Long Shaft?"

"Strange as it sounds, yes. We were both cheerleaders at the same high school in Sacramento. And our last names are close in the alphabet, so we ended up together on class seating charts. She’s relocated to Long Shaft, and she’s the one who suggested the cabin. It’s rented in her name."