“You a fan?” Ethan asked, a bit nervously. The last thing he wanted was to hang out with a giant fan. That never ended well.
“Of whom?”
“ZERO? You were grooving to the music.”
“Grooving? Who says that anymore?” Ethan chuckled before continuing. “I had no idea they recorded it. Tells you what I know.”
“Okay.”
“Sorry… Pop culture isn’t something I’m up-to-date on. I remember hearing this song at the club a few years ago, back when I used to go clubbing.”
“You’re not a clubber?”
“Not anymore. Got too old for the scene. Besides, the local club has a bunch of undergraduates, and I don’t want to socialize with people I teach.”
“I can see how that could get awkward.”
“Well, can I carry your bag for you, at least? My mother taught me to be a southern gentleman, after all,” Blayne said with a big goofy smile.
“Nah, thanks, partn’ah,” Ethan said in his worst attempt at a southern accent.
Blayne’s eyebrows rose. “Please, never do that again.”
“Promise. I won’t use another bad accent.”
“Okay, then. Follow me.”
Ethan followed Blayne through the airport and across the street to the short-term parking garage. They took the elevator up to the third level and to an older model Prius. Blayne pulled out his keys and wirelessly opened the trunk.
“You can put your bag in there.”
“Thanks! Let me get out of this getup first.” Ethan took off the hat and sunglasses. He also stripped out of the sweatshirt he’d been wearing, which was becoming increasingly sticky in the hot, humid air of the Houston afternoon.
He heard a noise coming from Blayne, so he shot him a quick sideways glance and caught Blayne staring at him.Great, he just recognized me. So much for anonymity.
“So, this is me,” Ethan said, closing the trunk.If he wants to say anything about my celebrity, let him get it over with.
“Okay, let’s get on the road.”
Blayne opened the driver’s side door and sat inside. Ethan stood there for a second, a bit shocked because the scene was not playing out like he’d expected—which was good, but definitely surprising.
He walked up to the passenger side door, let himself into the car and buckled up. Blayne plugged his iPhone into the dashboard as he pushed the button to start the vehicle. A voice reading an audiobook filled the car. Blayne grabbed his iPhone, swiped and hit a couple of buttons.
“Sorry… I was listening to the latest Neil Gaiman book on the ride over.”
“Who?”
“Neil Gaiman, an amazing fantasy writer. Hell, he’s written stuff for DC Comics, too.”
“Sorry… I admit I don’t read nearly often enough.”
Blayne sighed softly, and Ethan saw his face go blank.He must think I’m some kind of backward swamp boy.“And before you ask, I went to college. I graduated with a degree in accounting. Sadly, they didn’t stress reading literature much. If you need me to balance an Excel spreadsheet, though, I’m golden.” The corner of Blayne’s mouth tilted up.
“Hope you don’t mind listening to Broadway?” Blayne asked. “Honestly, besides audiobooks, it’s the only thing I listen to.”
“Cool. You know I’m game,” Ethan replied. He knew a few people in the industry on Broadway. Heck, ZERO’s choreographer had played a swing role for like six shows. One day during one of their rehearsal breaks, she’d explained to Ethan that a swing’s job was to know fifteen different roles in a show’s ensemble. She could be in one part for the matinee and a completely different one at night. Sally had told him some pretty funny stories about her first year as a swing. Once, she had found herself completely lost in the middle of a song because she’d forgotten what role she was playing that night. Thankfully, the dance captain saw the look of fear in her eyes, grabbed her and put her in the correct position during the middle of the number.
“Earth to Roy?”
