Free Fearless in High Heels by Gemma Halliday Page B

the studio grounds are laid out like a small city; only the city is a little schizo.  There are streets of Brooklyn brownstones butting up against suburban tree-lined neighborhoods, right next to a futuristic post-apocalyptic town that also doubles as the old west, depending on which production is currently shooting.  Dana and I had once gone undercover to help in one of Ramirez’s investigations here, and I’d gotten lost wandering the pseudo neighborhoods on more than one occasion.
    Today, however, we did not need to go undercover as, thanks to Dana’s movie star boyfriend, she was on The List.  One look at her ID and the guard at the massive iron gates waved us through, indicating parking in a lot just to the right, where we quickly traded her Mustang out for a golf cart, the studio’s main method of transport.
    Moonlight II was being shot in the Brooklyn neighborhood, today, a rare daylight scene involving Lila and Daniel being forced to walk among mortals to find a magic potion that turns vampires into humans for just long enough for them to consummate their relationship.  (A scene which Dana was not looking forward to.  Rumor had it Ava had been paid extra to go full frontal.)  We parked our cart on the edge of the set, then walked in, stepping between camera tracks, lighting racks, and microphone cords to a pair of white trailers set against the storefront of an Italian deli.  “Ricky Montgomery” was taped to the door of the first in block letters, “Ava Martinez” on the other.  Dana spared one dirty look at door number two before knocking on door number one.
    A dirty look that, as it turns out, she could have delivered in person, as Ava opened the door to Ricky’s trailer a beat later.
    She blinked, batting long, fake eyelashes at us.  “Yeah?” Ava asked, unceremoniously.
    “We’re here to see Ricky, ” Dana informed her.
    “ And you are?” 
    Dana’s teeth gnashed together.  “His girlfriend .”
    “Oh.”  Ava gave Dana slow up and down, doing a hot-girl-to-hot-girl assessment.  “I see.  Well, I guess you can come in then,” she said, standing back to allow us entry. 
    I could tell it took all Dana had not to elbow the stick figure out the door as she passed by her.  Very big of her, really.
    I, on the other hand, actually was very big and did end up knocking into Ava in the tiny trailer doorway.  Just a little.
    “Sorry,” I mumbled.  “Bun in the oven.”
    “I can see that,” Ava responded, eyes flickering to The Bump.  “What’s that in your bag?”
    “Nothing.  Just a baby.”
    She frowned and opened her mouth to respond, but never got the chance as Ricky emerged from the back room.
    “What a surprise!  What’s my favorite gal doing here?” he asked, moving in to give Dana a peck on the cheek.
    While Ricky’s image on the big screen made moviegoers across the world swoon, I had to say that the in-person version was even more spectacular.  He was tall – well over six feet – had broad shoulders, slim hips, and every inch of his body was hard muscle, attesting to his gym-rat status.  His hair was black at the moment, long and lose to his shoulders.  Which might have been a little too early-Banderas to be sexy had his skin not been tinted a pale white that was so ethereal, the entire look was kind of mesmerizing.  I could see why girls were hot for him.  I firmly gave my own over-active hormones a down-girl talk as I perched myself on the edge of his sofa.
    Marco sighed beside me, echoing my own thoughts as he whispered, “God, that man is hot.”
    “Smokin’.”  I nodded, watching Dana return Ricky’s hello with a kiss.  I noticed that she included a little tongue for Ava’s benefit.
    “Wow, nice to see you too,” Ricky said once she let him come up for air.  “To what do I owe this surprise visit?”
    “Can’t a girl come visit her boyfriend ?” Dana asked.  Though whether she was talking to Ricky or Ava, I wasn’t totally