Next to Me (Triplets book 3)

Chapter 16

When Elyse awakened the following morning, she was alone, but there was a note on the pillow that told her to help herself to anything she wanted in the kitchen and, when she was ready to go, she should text Sawyer, and he would send a runner to pick her up and take her to the set.

After reading the note, she took her time, burrowing back under the warm covers and remembering the night before. There had been something different about Sawyer. He had seemed almost desperate, as if he was also afraid what they had was tenuous.

Elyse took her time getting ready in the bathroom on the floor below, enjoying the fact that she had the massive house to herself. She wasn't sure what one should wear to visit a movie set, but she decided to be comfortable and put on an old pair of jeans and a warm sweater. She also debated about make-up, but she usually wouldn't wear it unless it were for an evening out or a special occasion, so she opted not to wear it. After her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, she was ready to go.

As Elyse grabbed a glass of water and a banana, she texted Sawyer. She had expected to wait because he was working, but his reply was immediate, and her ride would be there in five minutes. As Elyse moved through the living room, she saw a large bulldog sleeping on the couch, and the unexpectedness of it made her jump.

"There's a very large dog on the couch," she
            texted Sawyer.

"That's Polly. She's Sully and Phee's dog.        
           She's not supposed to be on the couch, so don't tell on her."

Elyse walked over to the couch with her hand held out, and the dog lifted her head, sniffed, thumped her tail, then put her head back down on her paws, looking forlorn.

"There are treats in the jar in the kitchen.
           She misses Phee."

By the time Elyse had grabbed Polly a treat and watched her hover it in one gulp, her ride pulled up out front. The ride to the set was very short, and the runner didn't say a word to Elyse, ignoring her 'good morning' and appearing to be put out by having to give her a ride. Elyse was abandoned as soon as the golf cart stopped, and she was at a loss as to what to do. A security guard was standing by the house's front door, and Elyse wandered toward him.

"Hello," she greeted with a smile.

"Name," he barked, causing Elyse to jump.

"Elyse Moore." She licked her lips, nervous that she wasn't supposed to be there, but after a moment, he nodded and opened the door for her. With nothing else to do, Elyse entered the house and was transported into another world, one that was a hundred years ago.

As she looked around, there appeared to be fifty people milling around on the outskirts of the room, and the lights in the center of it with the camera were generating a ton of heat. Elyse stood awkwardly, gawking at it all. It was like a carefully orchestrated dance.

"Are you Elyse Moore," A young girl wearing an earpiece asked, and Elyse nodded mutely. "Follow me," she instructed.

Elyse had nothing else to do, so she followed her to a chair that was out of the way, in the corner of the room. Two other women were sitting in some chairs a few feet from her, and she nodded in a friendly way, but they only watched her with narrowed eyes. One was considerably younger than the other, and if Elyse had to guess, she would say they were mother and daughter.

As Elyse's eyes scanned the room, she caught sight of Sawyer, Paloma, and Sullivan in the center of everything, with their heads together in discussion. Sawyer looked completely different. He wore a flat cap, slacks that hugged his butt and hips with a dramatic flair, a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, and a waistcoat. It was amazing how simple clothes could transform a person.