I eyeball the mirror over the driver’s seat that’s left over from the bus’s schoolkid-carrying days.
Ryker and Hudson are both watching us.
I squint past them, and yep.
Simon Luckwood isalsostaring up at the front of the bus.
He’s holding his phone close to his mouth, lips moving like he’s dictating a text.
“One problem—okay,manyproblems, but the biggest problem—there’s zero chance said turdnugget would want to be seen on a date with me in public.”
Daphne snorts. “The man who’s fascinated by how we keep fish on a stick and you having three brothers and who keeps looking at all of your family photos and smiling? The celebrity who made a point to come apologize for getting you thrown in jail when I can promise you that every single person from his agent to his security guy to his massage therapist would’ve told him not to ever accept blame for anything that could get him sued? You think we can’t make that man feel guilty enough to talk him into taking you out for one very deserved dinner at a fancy restaurant now that he’s seen how hard you work?”
“He already paid for the fish. And then some, if I was looking over your shoulder at that tip right.”
“And he’s been creating distractions for us all afternoon.”
“Bringing in more business than we’ve seen since we opened, you mean?”
I know it. Daphne knows it. Simon could probably figure it out if he wanted to give it half a thought.
She ignores me. “The worst he can say is no.”
“You’re devious.”
“Only about ten percent. The rest of me is a very nice person. We just happen to need my devious side today.”
“Need?”
“Rocking chair test.”
Rocking chair test. It’s what we do when I’m telling her something’s a bad idea and she’s positive it’s a good idea.
Seventy years from now, when we’re sitting in the rocking chairs of the farmhouse where Ryker, Griff, and Hudson’s grandkids all come see us for cookies and stories about the good ol’ days, is this one more memory we want to share with them of the trouble that we got into and the fun that we had?
“Dammit, Daphne,” I mutter.
Hey, kids, wanna hear about the time your great-aunt Bea blackmailed a famous Hollywood actor into taking her on a date to troll her ex-boyfriend?
Yeah.
This passes the rocking chair test.
And she knows it.
She cackles and claps her hands. “So, do you want me to do the talking, or have you got this?”
“I’ve got this.”
Because honestly?
The idea’s rapidly growing on me.
Jake Camille is the most charming man on the face of the earth when he wants you. He makes you feel like the center of the very universe when he’s lavishing attention on you. He volunteers his time all over town. He donates to charity, and he knows how to do and say all of the right things at nearly every moment.
Meeting his celebrity hero is apparently not one of them, but trust me.
Any other time, if there’s an audience, he’s performing, and they’re buying it.
