Excerpt of The Proud and the Prejudiced by Colette L. Saucier

"Alice," Peter called out from his make–up chair. She stopped and faced him but didn't approach. She refused to be summoned to join the bevy of females floating around him. As soon as he seemed to realize that, he stood and walked to her with script in hand.

"Is there something you can do for me, Mr. Walsingham?"

"Uh...yes. I wanted to discuss this scene I have with my sister."

She released an aggravated sigh. Now what?

"Could we speak somewhere more private?" he asked. "Your office perhaps?"

She shrugged and led the way, and he closed her office door behind them. She faced him with her arms folded across her chest.

"So what's the problem now? The plot? The dialog?"

"No, I've given up on that. I was just thinking that this is momentous information Tristan is sharing with Clarissa. I don't think he would discuss it with her in a hospital cafeteria."

"We've had too many scenes in her living room already. She's a brain surgeon; she has to spend some time in the hospital."

"But even to discuss the script, I asked if we could speak in private. She is a neurosurgeon. She should have her own office at the hospital."

He did have a point. "We do have a doctor's office around here somewhere. This is really going to piss off all the extras in that scene."

"Maybe we could start in the cafeteria and move to her office. Here, let me show you." He opened the script and handed it to her and then, coming behind her to read over her shoulder, pointed out the section. "We could go ahead and keep all this..."

He spoke low, his breath against her ear, and his nearness disconcerted here. Her already–tiny office continued to shrink around them. Is he sniffing my hair?

Focus! "And, uh, right here she could say something like, ‘We should discuss this in private. Let's go to my office.'" He smelled good. Under the aromas of make–up and hairspray and soundstage, she could detect a spiciness that reminded her of pumpkin pie and yet somehow masculine. Warm and familiar, like holidays at home.

"Yes, exactly," he said softly against her neck.

She flinched then turned around to face him and took a step back. She waited for her heart to start beating again before speaking. "I...um...I like it."