The Blood Moon Deal

Organising the Mia-Jake wedding at such short notice was considerably simplified by

Meghan volunteering to host both the ceremony and the reception in her house and pay for the

catering as her wedding present to the couple. Will was handed the gig of Master of Ceremonies,

along with the job of making sure guests did not fall into the pool. There were speeches, food

served at tables set outside, dancing in the dining room cleared out for the occasion to music from a

hired DJ, and much else that went with a wedding.

This ceremony was also the first time either Meghan or Will had met Emma's boyfriend, the

much-storied Josh, a good-looking bar tender at one of Hollywood's swankier hotels, and neither

approved of him. Meghan found him to be sleasy, making remarks about her film scenes that she

thought best not to repeat to either Emma or Will. She excused herself and walked away. Will

found him to be surly and aggressive. He excused himself and walked away. They both agreed later

that Emma could do better for herself but when it came time for the happy couple to leave and Mia

tossed her bouquet, Emma caught it and then looked meaningfully at Josh, who looked away.

That Sunday, however, Will had to leave for his Navy deep diver training course at a navy

centre in Florida without the question of an addition to Meghan's entourage having been settled.

They had gotten as far as a short list of candidates whose CVs were piled on Meghan's desk, but the

star had to go to a shoot in Canada within days, staying at a swanky hotel in Vancouver, leaving

little time for employment interviews.

"The trouble is that these ladies and guys see getting on to your entourage as a major career

move which includes travel and meeting big-time Hollywood celebrities," said Will, "so they're all

impossibly well qualified for just sitting around here doing admin. Double degrees, even doctorates

in the art of cinema."

"Really?" said Meghan, "I won't know what to talk to them about."

"Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go with an agency," said Will. "But it's done now so

pick one to hire on a per day rate like me and see if it works. If you hire a guy are you going to give

him the same speech you gave me about how you have no romantic interest in him?"

"Maybe," said Meghan, straight-faced. "Depends on what's on offer. There may be someone

cute. We could talk about art in film."

Will sighed. "That's great, I get warned off hard; this other guy gets hired straight away

because he's hot and never mind whether he's any good."

"Speaking of people being hot, are there going to be cute Navy girls on this course?" asked

Meghan.

"Not many on the diver's course but those that are 'll have trim figures," said Will. "I'll

have to check them out."

"Ha!" said Meghan

"What about security while you're away? Are you taking George?"

"Maybe. The film site has security as does the hotel and the production company will get

some ex-Canadian armed forces type for walking around if I want one," said Meghan, "but I can

walk around the streets in daylight by myself. It has been known to happen."

"True but Toronto is too close to the US border. Be careful."

"I always am, Mr Moreland," said Meghan. "You're going to join me the moment this

course ends?"

"You bet! I'll be worried about you falling for your handsome co-star."

Meghan made a face. "He's married and his wife will be with him."

"He's still a guy. That means he's potentially evil and capable of anything. I'll call every

night."

"You'd better, Will Moreland."

Then Will was gone after a passionate parting scene Meghan thought would be worthy of

any of her films and the house suddenly seemed empty and lonely. She told herself that the

separation was just for a couple of weeks and that seeing Will again would be all the better for the

temporary parting, but she had not realised, until he left, just how much Will was now a part of her

life. Did he feel the same way about her? Meghan tried to put such thoughts out of her mind,

including the big one about whether they would have a life together. She thought it would work but

did Will think that and would he say anything?

"For heaven's sake he hasn't been gone one night and already you're going crazy," Meghan

thought. She wasn't about to call Mia on her honeymoon. In any case, her assistant was going on a

walking tour of the Rockies - not hiking as Meghan understood it but walking between hotels – but

that still meant that cell phone reception would be uncertain in some places.

Will called and they talked for half an hour before he had to go to some pre-course get-toknow-everyone dinner. Meghan ordered takeaways and then called Misty, who had been at the

wedding, to complain about Will being absent.

Misty listened for a time then said: "now are you going to officially acknowledge that

you're in love with Will?"

Meghan sighed. She had not put it quite that way to herself but the stark fact was there.

"Yes, I'm in love with Will."

"You're acknowledged as one of the most desirable women in Hollywood and you've fallen

for a nerd," Misty said.

"It's sad isn't it," said Meghan, echoing Will.

"He's a hot, sweet, easy to get on with nerd who looks good in a pool," said Misty. "The sex

side is good?"

"No complaints there."

"What about getting jealous over all the men paying attention to you? Robin used to get

jealous."

"Will pays zero attention to other guys talking to me unless I say something, or the man is

sitting in his seat," said Meghan. "I'm filming sex scenes and I find that he's been out to lunch with

my co-stars or has organised a game of 'pick-up' with others."

"That's way more comfortable than Robin getting jealous," said Misty, "not to mention

more practical. He told me that if he started fights with every man that spoke to you he'd be fighting

half of LA."

"There is that," said Meghan. "His way works."

"There you go, although the fact remains that he is a nerd – a writer with strange theories

about Star Wars. I got lectured about Jedi Knights at the wedding."

"Oh Noooo!"

"You don't want to know about the real story of the Jedi Knights."

"I wasn't going to ask," said the star.

"But that stuff isn't a deal breaker," said Misty. "If he starts talking about Star Wars you

say, 'yes dear' and ignore him. Otherwise you two complement each other. You like the limelight;

he doesn't care for it. You make heaps of money but can get into trouble. Will helps you keep that

money and fixes your troubles with a minimum of fuss."

"Seems so," admitted Meghan.

"Practice saying 'yes dear'," said Misty.

"Yes, dear."

"Too much emotion," said Misty. "You have to say it without being dismissive or

encouraging. Try it again."

"Yes, dear."

"That'll do for the moment," said Misty, enjoying her role as relationship counsellor. "Now

you're going to have to take that extra step. You've had one wedding at that house; what about

another?"

"Well.." said Meghan. She also had not thought in such terms, but now it seemed the

obvious thing to do.

"This brings up the question of just how Will feels about you," said Misty. "Have you two

said anything to one another He bought you that keepsake, which is very sweet. But what's been

said?"

"Nothing really. He's not a guy who talks much about that stuff."

"Few straight guys do. But now that you've admitted to your own feelings, you can hint at

them and see how he reacts. No need to push. You are already living together. If he doesn't want

the ceremony maybe leave it for a while. "

"Hmmmm!"

"Or maybe just ask him to marry you?"

"I'd prefer the traditional way if I can."

Meghan and Misty kicked around the subject of Will for a while longer before Misty said

she had an early call and Meghan went off to bed wondering what Will was doing.

The next morning, Emma came in late, clothes dishevelled, hair a mess, mascara running,

collapsed into one of Meghan's dining chairs and sobbed into the table.

"Darling whatever is the matter?" asked Meghan.

"Broke up with Josh," she wailed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry.."

"Another girl.."

"Oh dear.."