What he says stops me. Could it really be this easy? Are the pieces of my life falling back into place after what has felt like years of swimming against the current? Some washed-up baseball player holds all the keys to my career happiness? “You would do that for me?”
“Yeah, of course.” He grabs a slice and places it on my plate before choosing one for himself. He flicks off the sausage and takes a big bite. Around the food he says, “I’ll do it. For quid pro quo.”
8
NOLA
Quid pro quo. The same term I used against Max is now what he’s dangling in front of me. The offer makes me pause. “That sounds like the premise of a bad made-for-TV movie. I have nothing you could possibly want—what do you thinkIcould help you get?”
“I don’t know yet.” He swallows and moves his slice of pizza around the air while he talks. “I’m offering to help if you tuck away the knowledge that at some point I’ll ask for something in return.”
“That sounds indefinite. It also sounds like you are asking to cash in on something that could be construed as sexual harassment.”
A wide smile breaks out across his face. It makes him look boyish and for a second, I forget he’s mostly made up of grump. “That’s my bad. I promise you, I didn’t mean for it to come across that way at all. My sisters would dismember me if I was ever anything but a complete gentleman.”
“You have sisters?” I’m proud I remember to pretend this is news to me.
With a nod he expounds. “I actually have a twin sister, who is in the film industry, and we have an older sister, who is a Foreign Service medical doctor.”The way he proudly describes them to me is endearing, but I’m not entirely sure if it’s true. A family that has siblings who are a (former) pro baseball player, actress, and doctor? No way. That’s stuff from a romance novel.
“Wow. They’re too accomplished to sound real.” A noise from the other side of the room steals my attention and I turn as I disbelievingly ask, “Would I know anything your twin has been in? What’s her name?”
“Her stage name is Madelyn Ford and?—”
I whip around at that name and my mouth gapes open. “No. Way. The star ofMeet Me in New Yorkis your sister? You are such a liar.” My morning sleuthing never mentioned famous actress Madelyn Ford as his twin sister. Then again I skimmed anything that wasn’t directly talking about him.
“Want me to FaceTime her?” He reaches for the phone in his back pocket as I hold out my pointer finger and run it very slowly down the side of his face. From his eyebrow to jaw, I intently study the similarities of the man in front of me with those of the actress whose career I’ve followed since she took off fifteen years ago after starring inSunsets in Paris.
His breathing slows as I trace a path through his stubble and I hold my finger too long on his jaw, before dragging it across his mouth and wiggling my finger back and forth against the dimple in his chin. Pulling my hand back, I touch my lip with my finger and sigh in disbelief. “Oh my gosh. I totally see the resemblance now. You two have the same eyes and mouth. Wait, is she not a real redhead?” I’m aware I’m overstepping all boundaries to ask for a potential piece of gossip, but her hair is absolutely gorgeous in a 1990s JuliaRoberts kind of way and Max is an everyday medium brunette.
“Uh.” Max blinks rapidly, seemingly coming back to the present. His gaze drops to my hand and I realize what I’ve done.
“Oh, that was inappropriate. I’msosorry.” I wring my hands together as I try to explain myself. “Two seconds ago I was talking about sexual harassment and then I touched you. It’s a bad artist habit—I’m a tactile learner and was doing my method of studying the subject. Which in this case, is you.”A nervous chuckle bubbles out of me.
Color tinges his cheeks and he suppresses a smile. “Word to the wise, I recommend you don’t ever touch Stella.”
I bite my lip. “Good to know.” Trying to circle back, I run a hand through my hair. “The red hair though . . .”
“Yeah, she’s a natural. Stella was a redhead in her day and Madelyn was the lucky genetic recipient. Violet and I got Grandpa’s green eyes and his brunette hair. Violet’s hair is a darker brown than mine.” He laughs and looks away. “You didn’t ask for any of that.”
“No, but I like this. I like knowing about you.” I close the very small gap between us and bump him with my shoulder like he did to me a few minutes before.
He gives a half smile and takes a drink. “Sure, now you do—now that you know about Madelyn.”
I know I was adamant I wouldn’t get to know Max, but he’s easy to talk to and the little I know of him so far, he’s fascinating. Still. I can’t let him know I’m enjoying this and roll my eyes. “Stop. Tell me what your fancy-titled doctor sister does.”
“Violet is aForeignServicemedicaldoctor,” he reiterates slowly, “which is an over-the-top way of saying she is a doctorfor government employees who live abroad. She’s currently working in the embassy in Vienna.”
“L.A., Austria.” I hold my hands up as if weighing the locations. “And you’re the lucky sucker who’s in Boise.”
He’s contemplative. “Idaho had never been on my radar before, but it’s growing on me.”
The way Max hides behind his raised glass as heat creeps up his neck makes me wonder whether a tiny part of that could be because of me or if it’s in direct correlation to how warm the room’s gotten. What he probably means is he likes Boise for all the reasons it’s become a top ten city in the last few years. The latter. Definitely the latter. This disappoints me until I remember we are not on a date, and I’m just the girl who kissed him that one time.
Grounded back to reality, I say, “I need to get home. Emma will be dropped off soon and?—”
“No need to explain, I get it. I’ve taken up too much of your Saturday anyway.” He pushes back his barstool and stands.
“You never decided how long you can call in your favor.”
