“Thanks. You clean up well yourself.” Taking in his tux and Italian loafers, I decided he didn’t look half-bad. The penguin suit was way better than the Beastie Boys tee ... or maybe not?
What is it about this guy? On paper, he’s one hundred percent wrong for me. His e-mails are equal parts annoying and funny.
Okay, more funny than annoying. More like refreshing. Different. Exciting.
But as I stand next to him now, he’s giving me head-to-toe tingles, and I find myself dwelling on his e-mails.
“Thanks. To answer your question, I asked them to grab me when you got here because I was afraid we wouldn’t connect. I have to go backstage, but do you want to grab something to eat after this? I mean, you flew all the way here, and I thought I could show you around.”
He was obviously rambling, and ran a now visibly shaky hand through his styled hair before smoothing it back into place. To me, he looked better with it mussed.
I commanded my eyes to move from his hair and meet his gaze, and then almost wished I hadn’t. There was something about his eyes. They were compelling. Alluring.
“Sounds good,” I said, flattered he gave them my name and nervous about him asking me to dinner.
“Let’s meet here when it’s over? This way you don’t have to hold a seat for me during the movie and you can actually enjoy the film, and I’m not interrupting with all my fun facts, if that’s cool with you? I just want you to have a good time.”
He was rambling again, and all I wanted to do was run my fingers through his hair and fluff it.
“That sounds good. Since I have to report on this movie, I should concentrate.”
“So, I’ll see you back here.”
“Yes, right here,” I said, nodding. It felt as though we both needed the confirmation.
As we stood there for a beat and then one more, I wasn’t sure what to do. We’d made a plan, and it was unclear what he was waiting for ... but then he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek.
Oh, that’s what he waited for!
His lips lingered a bit too long for it to be a brotherly or cousinly kiss, but it wasn’t on the lips. Instead, his mouth caressed my cheek. I sensed a whisper of doubt on his part—should he be doing this?—along with a heavy dose of want, as if he’d been waiting a long time to do it.
Confusion and need clouded my own thoughts like the smog had clouded the air when I landed this morning.
My phone provided a welcome distraction when it buzzed in my clutch as Layton made his way back to wherever he needed to be. I pulled it out, punched in my code, and read my text.
JANIE: Send me pics of the hotties! TAKE ONE HOME! Sorry. I didn’t mean to scream in ALL CAPS ... yes, I DID! Take one home.
Funny, I hadn’t even noticed any hotties, let alone one I wanted to take home.
The movie was actually great. It was witty and sappy, sweet and sassy, funny and sentimental; basically everything you want in a rom-com. I took my time leaving the theater, eavesdropping on all the unofficial reviews and making some mental notes about the audience’s favorite scenes as I made my way to our meeting spot.
It didn’t help that my starved stomach rumbled. It was past my bedtime at home, and I hadn’t eaten much during the day because of the slinky red dress I was wearing and the lack of Spanx.
I found a spot near the bar and typed a couple of notes into my phone.
The scene where she drops her scarf in the grate and bends over to pick it up, about to give the whole city a peep show, and the hero quickly comes up and hides her bare ass, hugging her from behind.
The restaurant scene where they share garlic bread and make a point of kissing as soon as they leave the table, commingling garlicky breath.
Don’t forget to mention the sound track. The music was spot-on ... in fact, would make a great playlist for a long run.
“Eeep!” I jumped a foot in the air when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
“Oh, wow, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Shit.” Layton berated himself, closing his eyes tightly and cursing.
“No worries. I was making some notes for the review and I was concentrating. You scared the heck out of me.”
His cheeks deepened in color. “Not quite the reaction I was going for.”
“Well, I won’t forget it,” I teased him, letting him off the hook. Obviously, I’d checked my bitchy self away, and I can’t say I was upset about it.
