Ren had gone from that to feature films, which was a major leap into a new realm for him. He’d enjoyed the challenge but still hadn’t expected too much. His rise to stardom had been a surprise, but he’d enjoyed the ride. It was coming down from the intensity of his fame that was going to be problematic, but he’d deal with that when he had to. For now, he could still work for a few years on projects he could pick and choose. That was enough.
Katrina was getting a second chance to grab her own brass ring, and Ren felt sort of bittersweet about it. She seemed balanced enough to handle the fame that might come her way. He’d bet she wouldn’t be one of those women who go all bitch-diva once they achieve a little success. She just didn’t seem the type, based on what he’d learned about her and her background.
She had a good, solid family behind her. They’d keep her real, if nothing else. He was already sure that she’d come out of this gig with a healthy career ahead of her. He hadn’t seen her act yet, but she definitely looked the part. If she could just read the lines and give them the merest shadow of emotion, she’d get more work out of this.
If, however, she turned out to have real acting chops under that innocent-looking exterior, well then… The sky was the limit for someone like her. She was beautiful enough to be a leading lady, but her looks were also versatile enough for character work—if she had the talent. In his heart of hearts, he found himself rooting for her.
Shaking off the strange thoughts, Ren straightened from his leaning position against the side of the building. All the jaguars in the cast immediately saw him. The humans were mostly oblivious. He nodded to his Clanmates and began walking after them, catching up with them as they neared the picnic area where the food was being served.
He joined the chow line at the end and followed along, gathering a tray, plate and utensils before attacking the breakfast offerings in their chafing dishes. Greg and Liatha Mendez queued up behind Ren and said hello.
“How are we set for this morning’s work?” Ren asked, always interested in what Greg had up his sleeve as far as fight choreography went.
“This site is great. We can work behind the building. There’s a big enough field that’s shielded on three sides, and I doubt any paparazzi will be able to spy on us,” he said in a low voice.
“Yeah, I took a look around when I first got here a little bit ago,” Ren admitted.
“You’re getting even better at stealth, my friend. I didn’t even scent you,” Greg said with a low chuckle, his words quiet enough so that only Ren and Liatha could hear.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Ren said jovially. “I’ve been working on being unseen. That skill will come in handy when I finally retire in a few years.”
It had been Greg who had offered to teach Ren advanced stealth techniques. Not only was Greg a martial artist and weapons master of international acclaim, he was also a master of shifter skills like stealth and stalking, with few equals among the jaguar Clan. He was an older cat, about the same age as Dennis, and he and his mate, Liatha, had been a couple for over a century. They were more like aunts and uncles to Ren than contemporaries, though they didn’t look much older than he did. Such was the blessing of shifter genetics. As long as they weren’t taken out by chance or by design, they usually lived to a ripe old age and stayed young-looking to human eyes.
“Give me a year or two, and I’ll turn you into a ninja, my friend,” Greg promised with a chuckle, though Ren wasn’t sure if it was truly a joke.
There were all sorts of rumors in the shifter community about Greg and his family. Ninja training was right up there on top of the list. In fact, one of his sons had been living in Japan for more than a decade, and half the Clan was convinced he was in line to be the grand master of some ancient ninja tradition. But maybe, that was just a rumor. Cats did like to gossip more than other shifters when they got together.
“I may take you up on that, sensei,” Ren replied as he forked a small mountain of crisp bacon on top of the heap of eggs he’d already taken from the serving dishes.
When all three of them were through the line, Ren and Liatha stopped to get coffee while Greg went to snag some seats. Ren almost stopped short when he turned to find that Greg had chosen to sit with his old friend Dennis. And Dennis, of course, was sitting right next to the human. Katrina.
Using all his acting skills, Ren kept moving, not letting any of his thoughts show on his face. For that matter, he wasn’t sure what to think about the visceral reaction he had to her, every time he saw her. He was confused, but he strove not to let it show as he took a seat across from her at the large table. He nodded good morning to everyone over the rim of his coffee cup, stalling for time to get his racing thoughts under control.
“So, what have you got on your schedule for today, Ren?” Dennis asked jovially, from his seat next to Katrina.
“Kat and I are blocking some indoor scenes this morning, then it’s off to fight practice with Greg in the afternoon,” Ren reported, glad for the softball question. “How about you?”
“Fight practice with the lunatic arms master all day, I’m afraid,” Dennis said, sending his old friend Greg a wink along with a teasing grin.
“I’m going to remember you said that,” Greg replied, raising the coffee his mate had brought for him in salute.
“Kat, I’m not sure you’ve met Greg and Liatha Mendez yet, have you?” Dennis asked politely, making the introductions when Kat replied she had not. “Greg is our fight choreographer, and his wife, Liatha, is in charge of props and set decoration. They are old friends of mine,” he added.
“I’m very pleased to meet you,” Kat said politely.
Chapter Five
Everybody ate their breakfast as the conversation progressed, talking about the schedule and what was in store for the next few days. Liatha talked about the tapestries she’d sourced from a local collector that were going to feature greatly in her set decoration plans. Katrina let the talk flow around her, soaking up as much information as she could, learning as she went.
Katrina noted that everyone at the table, including Liatha, had heaped their plates with food. Katrina, by contrast, had chosen to make a sort of egg sandwich for herself with a slice of toast and a helping of scrambled eggs. She would need the protein for the day ahead, but she didn’t want to eat anything too heavy, since she was bound to be nervous. They all had coffee, but Katrina had opted for bottled water. She knew she had to watch every calorie when filming because the camera could be merciless.
She supposed the men didn’t have to be as cautious, and Liatha worked behind the scenes, but the amount of food they packed away was impressive, regardless. Katrina looked around the picnic pavilion that had been taken over completely by craft services and noticed that a lot of the other folks were eating just as heartily. Maybe it was the free food. Maybe it was the tradition for actors and crew to have large breakfasts then eat lighter the rest of the day. She just didn’t know.
Liatha asked her a question, and Katrina put her wandering thoughts aside and made small talk with the older woman. She ate slowly, finishing when everyone else did, and spent the few minutes they had before they had to be at their various tasks just sitting back, enjoying the feeling of camaraderie and anticipation. Everyone, it seemed, was eager to get started.