Again, Tina was startled. “I’m sorry. Was I mistaken about the time or …”

“No … no, you weren’t.” He came ‘round the corner and walked towards her, taking giant strides. Over 50 years old, he was still one of the handsomest men in the business. Perennially in annual lists of “Sexiest Men Alive,” the man was one of those confirmed bachelors that women inside and outside of the business were falling all over themselves to attract.  “Gavin Bowen.”

“Tina. Glad we’re finally meeting face to face.” He flashed her a toothy-grin, eyes twinkling as he shook her hand, acknowledging the implicit message in her greeting. Due mainly to his handsome, suntanned face, the twinkly eyes, and that famous smile, he was still amongst the reliable, bankable draws who could green light films on the strength of his signature alone. Like few people could, the overall package that comprised Gavin managed to consistently attract a steady flow of tushes into seats at the movie theaters, seemingly no matter what the film was about, as long as he was in it. “Sorry for my get-up. I think there was a mix-up in the details about this meeting. I was about to start a workout and just about finished my warm-up when they buzzed me down in the gym to tell me that you were here.”

As he accepted a glass of water from another white Polo-shirt wearing man who materialized seemingly out of nowhere, Tina shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. Ok. Not how I wanted this meeting to start. “If this isn’t a good time, I can come back, maybe after lunch …”

He waved her off with his free hand. He gulped the water and then set the glass down on a coaster that had been surreptitiously left there for him. “Hungry, Tina?”

Tina drew her head back, again surprised, given the hour. “No, not particularly. I had breakfast with my family about an hour and a half ago, and I should be good ‘til…”

He gave her a lopsided grin. Milking the trademark asset that got asses into seats. If she was so inclined her brain cells would’ve started to misfire by now. “The family’s a group of early risers, huh? Didn’t realize this was paradise? Hasn’t woven its spell on your family, yet?”