I took a risk and slipped her hand in mine as we wound along the path. She didn’t yank her fingers away or resist, so I went with it.
“I plan to see you inThe Tidethis weekend,” I told her. She turned her head so I couldn’t see her expression… “What? What did I say wrong?”
Her feet came to a stop on the path, and she looked at me and growled.“Grrr.”If I wasn’t so concerned I’d done something wrong, it would have been sexy.
Instead, I made light of the moment. “Was that meow in prep for a role I don’t know about?” I felt an eyebrow raise and a smile form on my mouth. I joked easily with Billy, which was a rarity for me—the serious doctor—but also strange since she was an untouchable celebrity.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to growl. It’s just you’re real to me now, and I hate when people Iknowknow see my work. What if you don’t love it? You wouldn’t be able to tell me.”
“I’m going to love it. If you didn’t guess, I’m a longtime fan. Nothing you do could ever disappoint me. I don’t think you could disappoint anyone. And the growl…sorry to say, but hot as fuck.”
She didn’t respond, only turned to me with round eyes as if I’d told her Santa Claus was in fact real.
“Can I say that to you?”
She looked up at me, bright-eyed, hair flowing behind her in the breeze, and started to speak and then stopped.
In that moment, I took the biggest gamble of my life—and that was saying a lot because I delivered high-risk babies for a living. I wrapped my arm around Billy Conway, and softly pulled her close before putting my mouth on hers.
I touched my lips to hers gently, asking for permission without saying the words. When her mouth moved against mine, I pressed a little deeper, my palm on the small of her back gathering her a bit tighter. She inched closer, making sure there was no space between us, and there was no denying my excitement. Our hips sought friction as my mouth and hers did a delicate tango. The juxtaposition nearly had me going off in my pants. No joke—like a teenager making out on the golf course, his parents only a few feet away. Except we were grown adults out from under the watchful eyes of our moms and dads, only under the scrutiny of a bodyguard.
On a sigh, my tongue entered her mouth and hers met mine for a new type of dance, our lower bodies still seeking friction.
Neither of us spoke, and while I wanted to sayIs this good for you?I couldn’t bring myself to break free from Billy.
Her body was a combination of supple and pointy edges, slim for the camera, yet so beautiful. Her warmth seeped through the fabric of her dress to my palm, and I dreamed of running my hand down her bare back, feeling her skin. I picked up the speed of the kiss, nipping at her bottom lip, eliciting a moan from Billy, making me feel like a goddamn king…until a low whistle rang through the air and she quickly pulled away. The reaction was Pavlovian.
“Frank,” she murmured, which was not what I wanted to hear after the moment we just shared.
That was when I heard Frank whistle again, and she responded by waving her hand in the air.
“Time’s up,” she said quietly, running her hand over my cheek in what was meant to be some sort of comforting gesture.
“That was—”
“Magnificent,” she interrupted me, lighting a small fire in my gut.
“It was. You’re stunning, Willa,” I whispered into the night, feeling annoyingly rushed, my hand on her back, hers still on my cheek, our bodies continuing to hum. I felt more words bubbling up my throat. I didn’t want this to end. Whatever this was.
“I have to go. I’ll be in touch.” Her words were steadfast, and she was gone in a flash, up the path she walked down.
And I was left wondering if it was all a dream.
“I don’t know about this one…I mean, she’s getting old. I’m talking about Billy Conway,” my friend clarified, as if I didn’t know and wasn’t about to lose my shit.
Although she didn’t know I was friends with Billy. Friendly? Acquaintances?
“She’s really…I’m not sure what. Maybe it’s time for her to hang it up,” Betsy droned on.
I hadn’t heard from Billy since our dinner and kiss. And granted, I hadn’t texted or called either, but I was in uncharted territory. I thought seeing her latest movie, where she played a woman scorned, would give me an excuse to text. Although I wasn’t sure why I’d decided to ask Betsy to come along, other than I didn’t want to go alone. Betsy and I met at work and dated a few times about a decade ago. We decided we were a mismatch pretty much right away, her being an eternal pessimist and my living for the glory of life and all. We remained friends and occasionally got together to talk medicine or just have fun. Betsy was a pathologist, which was the perfect field for her, and one I tried not to have a lot to do with.
“I think that’s a bit harsh. She’s allowed to make a living after her twenties,” I commented on Betsy’s disregard for Billy. I tried to keep my defenses neutral, my finger twitching to dial “Wilma” and tell her how much I adored seeing the film.
“Maybe she was tired. I read they pushed production onThe Tidebecause her brother cast her last-minute inSuper Lady. I guess that’s why they were released so close to one another. Hollywood royalty…the whole family. But, hey! Thanks for taking me. I’m not going to complain. I didn’t even pay.”
I’d hidden the VIP passes, pretending to have purchased our seats in advance, and I was currently grateful over the decision. Betsy was a hound dog on a scent.
“You know Gary, in L and D?” Betsy changed subjects. I had no idea where she was going with this one, but I was pleased to move on.
