I didn’t think much of it. Two sleaze balls hanging out together wasn’t anything new in this industry.
All I cared about was making sure they didn’t see me.
But something about the way they were laughing, almost too casually, made my skin crawl.
I don’t know why, but something made me pull out my phone and dial Leera.
“Hey,” she answered. “What’s up?”
“Um, nothing,” I said. “Just checking in. What you doing?”
“Nothing much. Just sitting on the couch watching TV.”
“Are you alone?”
“Just me and KJ. Kory’s out of town on business. He left last night.” She paused. “Why? Were you trying to stop by?”
Hmph.
“Um, I was thinking about it,” I lied. “I’ll let you know after I finish this meeting with my agent.”
“Okay. Sounds good.”
“Love you,” I said, hanging up.
Why the hell would he lie about being out of town?
I shoved my unease to the back of mind and focused on why I was at the hotel in the first place.
Even though I wanted to know more, it was probably better that I didn’t.
Just mind your business, Skye. Mind your motherfucking business.
And that’s exactly what I did for the next hour. I went over things with my agent, called Leera back to let her know I wasn’t going to make it, then headed home to get ready for my date.
By the time Ocean pulled up, my only focus was on the thrill of seeing him.
His car door clicked shut, and he grinned at me. “You ready?”
I laughed, sliding my hand into his. “Yep.”
We drove to the spot he had picked. It was one of those old-school drive-in theaters. The air smelled of popcorn and the faint hint of car exhaust, but I didn’t care.
We parked, settled in with blankets and snacks. I popped open a small bag of candy we had grabbed on the way. Ocean had kept it simple with a small box of chewy fruit candies, while I’d grabbed the candy I’d loved since I was a kid.
“I can’t believe you eat those. Them damn things taste like extension cords,” he teased, shaking his head.
“Whatever,” I said, smiling. “Don’t judge. Licorice is amazing.”
He laughed, that deep, rumbling sound that made my stomach do flips. We talked, about little things, about our week, about nothing and everything all at once. I loved how we could sit side by side in a car, the movie flickering across his face, and it didn’t feel like we needed words to fill the spaces.
Eventually, I told him about my mom and Leera coming by. He listened quietly, nodding, his hand brushing mine every once in a while.
“So, you guys finally came to an understanding?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. I mean, it doesn’t mean everything’s perfect, but it’s a start. Baby steps.”
He smiled. “That’s good. I’m glad you guys found some kind of common ground and you’re at peace with things.”
