He swirled his drink. “I wanted to come, but I had another gig in LA. The director and I are friends, so it always felt like hanging out with my buddies when we promoted it, you know?”
“You’re not as passionate about this role?”
“No, I am. It’s just different because the big studio is such a machine. And it’s hard to be excited about a movie that hasn’t even filmed yet. I think the script is great, and I like the changes they made from the comic. Jason, the director, is awesome. I barely know the rest of the cast. I’m sure they’ll be fine. But…”
“But the backlash yesterday, right?”
He swallowed another sip of whiskey. “I kind of wished they’d warned me about it. I mean, before I accepted the part.” He would have taken it anyway, though. The money was amazing.
“It hasn’t all been terrible,” Marley said. “I think today’s interviews will be well received. You seemed to be… enjoying yourself.”
So shedidnotice him drooling over her body earlier. Mortifying. Marley then gave him a look that was pure mischief.Was he getting a glimpse of the real Marley without her professional mask on? The grown-up Marley? It reminded him of when they’d been back in school. She was usually quiet in class, but whenever it was just the two of them, she was like this. Warmer. Teasing. She laughed more. Now she seemed more confident—she was comfortable in her skin—but he could see how this person tonight evolved from his old friend.
“You’re adorable when you’re embarrassed, you know that?” she said.
Nikhil exhaled. She called him adorable. Shewasflirting with him. Should he flirt back? Nikhil didn’t normally think this hard about whether he should flirt with someone. But this wasn’tjustflirting. There would never be ajustanything when it came to Marley.
He sipped his whiskey. They were both silent a few moments. “I love hotel bars,” she said. “They always feel… private. Everyone in here is just passing through. They seem to exist alone, like not in any place. Time stands still.”
He nodded. “I know exactly what you mean. I always make a point to have a drink in the hotel bar whenever I’m traveling. It feels like one of those in-between places.”
Marley nodded. “I was thinking about getting dinner here before heading home. Want to join me?”
Yes. Yes, yes, yes, he wanted to have dinner with her. Maybe she’d forgiven him for what he’d done back in school. Maybe he was getting a second chance.
“That’d be great.” Nikhil forced a chuckle so she wouldn’t hear how eager he was. “Place as fancy as this, maybe they have coq au vin. Wait… you don’t have a significant other hiding somewhere who’ll punch me for saying that, do you? Ijustgot this tooth fixed.”
Marley rolled her eyes. “I still can’t believe Oren did that. I dumped him that day. Worst relationship ever.”
It wasn’t lost on Nikhil that she’d sidestepped the relationship comment. Maybe she wasn’t single. He knew back in high school she’d dated both girls and guys, which had been quite the scandal for a Brown girl. It never bothered Nikhil, though.
But it was clear she was still a private person. He still didn’t know why she was going on a leave of absence in a few days. Which, fine—she didn’t have to open up if she didn’t want to. But it felt like she wanted to keep this reunion surface level only.
Shedidwant to have a meal with him, though. And nothing in the world could make him say no to spending more time with Marley, even surface-level time.
He took his glass and stood, holding his hand out for her. “So, dinner?”
She stood, smiling. “Let’s do it.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Marley
Marley had no idea what she was doing. Or why she’d asked Nikhil out.
Had she asked Nikhil out?
The vodka soda had clearly gone straight to her head. But… honestly? She didn’t want to go home. Shayne was home tonight, and she still felt kind of weird about him deserting her right after her surgery. And she felt like complete trash for resenting him—she couldn’t expect her friends to put their lives on hold because of her defective genes. But staying with her parents was going to be hell, and hearing Shayne talk about his trip to Paris wasn’t fun, either.
If she went home now, she’d just wallow and feel sorry for herself. So the moment she saw Nikhil in the bar, she made a decision—forget their past and forget her future surgery for one night. She was going to lower her inhibitions and just be herself. Flirting, even flirting badly, with a movie star in a hotel bar was the escape she needed.
She couldn’t deny it—shelikedbeing around Nikhil again. He made her laugh. He didn’t make her talk about her life, but she knew he’d listen if she did. When everything in her life had been a mess back in high school, the only time Marleycould guarantee that she would smile was when she sat next to Nikhil in class. And she needed that right now.
This time he needed her, too. Dinner together would be the escape they both deserved.
They sat at one of the round private booths at the end of the bar. The high-backed seat blocked out the rest of the room in what was already a private space. The small flickering candle added to the feeling that they were the only ones in the world. Nikhil ordered a beer and Marley another vodka soda, and they looked over the menu.
“Alas, no coq au vin,” Nikhil said.
