She pushed the door open and stepped out onto the warm stone patio. She hadn’t bothered with shoes since she was just going to be by the pool.
“I hope you like your steak still mooing on your plate,” Max said with that signature smile. “Noah here likes to barely get them warm before he pulls them off.”
“You’re just cranky because Abby had to cancel at the last minute and you’re dateless.” Noah flipped the large hunks of meat and closed the grill lid. “I’ll have you know I have had those on there for ten minutes.”
Callie smiled. “I’d prefer mine to be dead and not still bleeding.”
Max laughed. “Take yours off and leave mine and hers on. I’ll man the grill.”
Noah turned to his friend, using his tongs as a pointer. “No one mans my grill but this man.”
Laughing, Callie moved to the steps of the pool and eased down onto the top one to put her feet into the refreshing, cool water.
“I’m sorry about the movie, Callie.”
She jerked her attention to Max, who was also coming to sit on the top step with her.
“Thank you. It’s been…hard to digest.”
Max nodded. “I imagine. I can’t compare my experience to yours, but I was turned down for a role I wanted once. It was the one role I knew would really launch my career.”
Intrigued, Callie shifted to face him better. “Really?”
“I was overlooked because of my height.”
Callie knew Noah was taller, but she’d never thought of Max as short by any means.
“Your height?”
“The producer wanted someone well over six foot and I’m just at six even. I didn’t figure a few inches would make a difference. Apparently, I was wrong.”
Callie extended her legs and swirled them around the water. She hadn’t known how Max got started in the industry. He seemed to have just exploded onto the screen.
“Looking back, I’m thrilled I didn’t get that role,” he went on. “That movie ended up tanking in the box office and the part I would’ve played was cut out except for a few scenes.”
Callie rested her feet back on the smooth step and leaned back onto her good hand. “Wow. I had no idea.”
His eyes met hers and Callie could easily see why all the ladies swooned over him.
“Every actor has a story, Callie,” he told her with a soft smile. “We don’t always jump straight into stardom, and we fight to get where we are. And if Anthony Price wanted you in this film, I can guarantee you he will look at you again.”
Callie shook her head. “I’m not so sure.”
“I am,” he told her with confidence. “I know Anthony and he’s a great guy. They have so many makeup artists and tricks they can pull to make that scar disappear.”
If only it were that easy….
“But I’d have to go into a casting call looking like this,” she told him. “That’s a strike against me.”
“Perhaps,” he agreed, resting his muscular arms on his legs and leaning forward. “But your acting skills will override any scar. They’ll see your talent and know any good makeup artist can fix that.”
More hope bloomed within her and she so wanted to believe every word he was saying.
“If you two are done, these steaks are officially dead,” Noah called from the other side of the patio.
Max came to his feet, extending his hand to help her up, and smiled. “He gets grouchy when I tell him how to cook.”
Callie laughed. “If you hadn’t, I would’ve.”