“I do.”
“And when the ball drops, you’re just going to turn to me and let me kiss you in front of everyone?”
“Well, no. I just meant that we could disappear around midnight.” Samara looked down. “It bothers you that I’m not out, doesn’t it?”
“Honestly, no,” Dana said. “Maybe if you were anyone else, it would have, but I understand why you don’t want to just announce it. When you announce something, the whole world gets involved.”
“Doesthatbother you?” she asked. “That if…whenI come out, if we’re still doing this, you’d be in the public eye, too?”
“No,” Dana said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with my career, but the movie will come out, and people who see it will know who I am. If I keep acting, that will continue, if I’m lucky, and I’ll be in the public eye anyway.”
“But you’d be Samara Barber’s girlfriend.”
Dana smiled at her and replied, “There are worse things in the world to be.”
Samara laughed, and it felt good, like a little tension just released from her body.
“You really want to kiss me at midnight?” Dana asked.
Samara nodded and replied, “Well, I don’t want to kiss anyone else.”
“So, you’d only be kissingme, then?” Dana asked. “Like, I’d only be kissing you, and you’d only be kissing me?”
“Are you trying to ask me if we’re dating exclusively?”
“I guess I’m trying to see if that’s something you want,yeah. You went from going hot and cold on me and might be going straight to scalding.”
“Iamnot.” She laughed. “I’m just curious.”
“But is that what you want?” Dana asked.
“Dana, I didn’t sleep well last night without you there, and I’m standing here asking you to come to LA with me so that I can kiss you at midnight because there’s no one else I want to kiss. What doyouthink?”
“Come here,” Dana replied and held out her hands for Samara to take.
Samara walked over to her and took them.
“Lainey and Paige are going to Paige’s parents for Christmas this year. They rented a cabin somewhere.”
“Okay?” she asked more than said.
“And I called my mom today about the whole moving away thing. We talked, and I asked about Christmas. She said that they could stay, and we could do Christmas together, but they were thinking about going to my aunt’s house this year. She has a nice place in Myrtle Beach, and they haven’t seen her in a while. Basically, my mom was only going to cook Christmas dinner if I was there, but if I’m not, she doesn’t have to.”
Samara smiled and asked, “Does that mean you’re free to come to LA?”
“What about Christmas withyourfamily? Don’t you all do things together?”
“My sister and brother-in-law live in Montana now. My dad moved to Wyoming last year. I bought him some land, and he’s kind of one of those gruff, outdoorsmen now. He took it hard when my mom died.” Samara moved her hands to Dana’s shoulders. “He hasn’t wanted to do a family thing since, which I understand. I don’t really want to go to Montana, and my sister doesn’t want to come to LA. I’ve never been close with my grandparents, so that’s about it.”
“What were you going to do, then?”
“I have options,” she replied. “I’ve gone to my agent’s house for the past two years.”
“Your agent?”
“I’ve known him for years. He’s close to family.”
“Babe, just stay here. I’ll tell my parents you’re going to be there, and we’ll have Christmas with them. I’m sure they’d love to meet you anyway.”
