Free Stars Collide by Janice Thompson

did.
    What was it with these two living in the past? Maybe someone needed to nudge them . . . right on into the present.

6
    Who’s the Boss?
    The following day, Rex gathered the cast and crew together on the set for a meeting. I couldn’t read the expression on his face. Only when he said, “Meet your new director,” did it sink in. Tia Morales had arrived.
    A petite woman about my age stepped up to the front of the group. Her gorgeous olive skin contrasted perfectly with that jet-black hair and those dark brown eyes. Yowza. Talk about pretty. I twisted a loose strand of hair around my finger and squinted to give her a closer look. I hadn’t counted on our new director being such a knockout. Obviously, neither had the cast and crew. Several of the guys stood with wide eyes.
    Rex introduced Tia, listing her credits. She did indeed have an amazing résumé. But I still had my doubts as to how that would transfer to our stage. And how would our crew take to working with a woman? Some of our cameramen were a little rough around the edges. I couldn’t imagine them treating a female director with the same respect they’d given Mark.
    To their credit, the guys in our crew gathered close and seemed ready to hang on her every word. After the somewhat elaborate introduction, Tia dove right in. “Thanks for that intro, Rex. Glad to be with you. I’ve been around the block and seen a few things, so I think I’ve got something to bring to the table.”
    For someone so petite, she had quite a booming voice. Must’ve taken acting lessons. The gal really knew how to project. And project she did. Her lyrical accent only made her more intriguing, and I could tell she’d cast a spell on the guys with her gorgeous physique. And with the build-up Rex had given her, who could blame the guys for being intrigued? This woman was part Wonder Woman, part technical guru, and part . . . Miss America.
    She stared us down, her voice all business. “People, I’m here to take this show from the number four spot up to number one. That’s why Rex called me and that’s why I responded to the call. I’m a fun person, but not on the set. Once those cameras get rolling, it’ll be all work and no play. You might as well get used to that now. I’m a go-getter. Like to see things done, and done right. My reputation is on the line and so is yours.”
    Several eyes widened, including those of a few guys in the crew. No doubt they’d pegged Tia as a pushover, based on her natural beauty and petite form. But she was clearly no pushover.
    Okay. So this would be interesting.
    Scott leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Does this stage have an escape hatch? If so, I’d like to utilize it.”
    “Me too,” was about all I managed to squeak out.
    On and on Tia went, talking about how she planned to run a tight ship. How the only way to make a mark was to give 110 percent. How she planned to stay up nights figuring out the best camera angles, the best timing for our lines, and the best scene layouts.
    I kept a watchful eye on the kids, who looked . . . well, terrified. I felt our family environment slipping away bit by bit with each word she spoke.
    Thankfully Tia turned her attention to the guys in the crew, talking about technical things. While they looked a bit more reserved now, I could see a tremendous amount of respect in their eyes as she shared her vision for how the show would be filmed from now on. Jason Harris, our cameraman, was the only holdout. He shook his head and turned to one of the other guys, whispering something. Hmm. I sure hoped we could all just get along. There had been enough tension on the set already, and for the sake of the kids, we needed this to be a calm and safe place.
    Speaking of children, they gathered around the edges of the stage, their little eyes wide as Tia talked. A couple of the youngest ones still looked frightened, but Candy rolled her eyes and leaned back against the stage, clearly bored. Lovely.