#etta austen

[hookedonponix]

I could get used to this.

[hookedonponix]

For Austen, the best part of working with Reid the first time? "His sense of humor. One of the things I can really be attracted to in a human being is if we have the same volley" — she snaps her fingers to indicate her rapid-fire back and forth repartee with Reid — "that can take place without missing a beat. I find that to be quite fantastic."

A beneficial effect

She's not kidding. With Reid, Austen seems more laid-back, mischievous and unguarded than usual. During an afternoon interview at the Four Seasons, Austen serenades this reporter with a rendition of the song "Oh Donna," kicks her Christian Louboutin-clad feet up on the coffee table and sips her iced cappuccino, which she admiringly compares to an ice cream float. Earlier, at a photo shoot, Austen had appreciatively rubbed Reid's taut thigh.

"Feel that," she said, admiringly.

"That's no fluke, baby," Reid quipped.

And that's pretty much how they were on set, reports The Retreat co-director Will Speck.