Disappointment flashed through me, but I turned away to watch the couples again so he wouldn’t see.
“Do you?”
I shrugged, still not looking at him. “I suppose. Though …” My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “I’ve never danced with a man before.”
When he didn’t say anything, I wished I hadn’t admitted it.
But then Theo reached over to take my glass and placed it on the bar. I frowned at him until he held out his palm.
My stomach fluttered in realization.
Warmth filled the wee ache in my chest, and I took his hand. Without speaking, he curled my fingers tightly in his and led me to where the couples were dancing. With grace and ease, like he’d done it a million times, he pulled me into his arms and slowly began to sway to the music.
Nervous and unsure at first, it took me a few seconds to find rhythm with him. Relaxing, temporarily happy, and appreciative he’d do this for me, I rested my cheek on his chest and melted as he wrapped his arms around me.
“Maybe I could get used to it,” he whispered in my ear, and I smiled, those butterflies in my belly flapping their wings.
It was such a perfect moment, and I knew I’d remember it for the rest of my life.
When the song ended, replaced by a more upbeat Tom Grennan track, I lifted my head and smiled up at him. “Thank you.”
Something finally softened in his expression. “Thankyou.”
“Cavendish?”
Theo jerked at the voice, and I turned with him to find a familiar good-looking guy approaching us. “Scott.” Theo nodded.
“It’s been a while.” The dark-haired man slapped Theo’s biceps before glancing at me and then taking a second glance.“Uh …” He shot me a smile, then turned back to Theo. “Haven’t seen you at the Roebuck.”
“It was becoming infiltrated.”
Scott chuckled. “By A-listers, you mean? You do know you’re in that category?”
Theo raised an eyebrow. “I think not. How are you, old boy?”
“Good, good. I got a recurring part onThe Beat. Film it here, get to stay home, all’s good. How are you?”
“Fine. Writing.”
“I hope you’ll look me up for whatever it is you’ve got cooking.” He grinned cheekily and then turned to me, gaze … interested. “Hi, I’m Scott Holland.” He held out his hand and I suddenly recognized him. Scott was an English actor who’d starred inKing’s Valleyand a British soap before that.
Surprised he’d noticed me after years of invisibility in Ardnoch, it took me a second to shake his hand. My cheeks pinkened. “Sarah. N-nice to meet you.”
“You too.” Scott held my hand a little longer than appropriate before turning to Theo. “Alice and Brent are here with some friends. Come have a drink with us.”
I thought Theo would say no since we were technically on a date, but he surprised me by nodding and following Scott across the bar to a larger booth at the back.
Theo seemed to know a few of the people already and Scott introduced me to the group, but my heart pounded and I could barely hear over my nerves. I disliked how nervous I got meeting large groups of new people, but I decided if I was going to work on a film set with Theo, I needed to get over my old insecurities.
Theo slid into the booth next to a pretty redhead who seemed to know him. I took the seat next to his and Scott quickly sat on my other side. A waiter came over to take more drink orders and as Theo engaged in conversation with the redhead, smirking atsomething she whispered in his ear, I decided I needed another mojito.
“So, Sarah,” Scott leaned in a smidge too close to ask in my ear, “what do you do and how do you know Theo?”
“I’m a writer.” I wasn’t quite ready to out myself to the world yet, so that’s all I said. “You were inKing’s Valley.”
He smiled, pleased. Scott was very good-looking but honestly, he did nothing for me. I was afraid no one else but Theo could now. “I was. So, a writer? Like a screenwriter?”
“Perhaps,” I hedged.
