“What did you say your dad does?”
“Director. Mostly action movies, but he’s done a few spy thrillers.”
“What about your mom?”
“She travels. Does her own thing.”
“They’re still together, right?”
“On paper, yes, but they mostly live separate lives. She was his publicist when he started out. She promoted his first few films. He won’t admit it but she’s the reason he’s a success. She got his films noticed by the right people.”
“I’m getting really tired of hearing that.”
“Hearing what?”
“That phrase —the right people. Everyone around here keeps saying that. Makes it sound like anyone not in theright peoplegroup doesn’t matter.”
“Some people would agree with that. I don’t. But it’s true that certain people can get you what you want, especially in LA where it’s all about who you know. The entertainment business is fucked up, which is why I got out of it.” He motions to the wheel. “Try going forward again but this time I want you to turn around at the end and go the other way.”
“Can I go a little faster this time?”
“Yeah, but not like you did before. Don’t gun it.”
Going slow, I make my way through the parking lot, then carefully turn around and drive back to where we started.
“This isn’t that hard,” I say.
“Because nobody is here. It’s harder when you’re surrounded by other cars.”
“Let’s try it. Let’s go on the street.”
“You’re not ready. Let’s keep doing this a while, then I’ll have you try to park.”
Two hours later, I’m driving at a normal speed, making turns, and parking evenly between the lines.
“You’re a fast learner,” Jackson says as I hand him his keys.
“You’re a good teacher.” I smile at him, my eyes landing on his, unable to look away. When this happened earlier, I got a nervous flutter in my stomach. It’s not that he makes me nervous. He’s just so damn hot that being around him, being close to him, looking in his eyes, makes my body do strange things.
As we’re driving back, I check the time. “Shouldn’t you be at practice right now?”
“It’s not until seven. I’ll head over there after I drop you off so I can get a workout in before it starts.”
“Braden works out constantly. And he has these special protein bars made just for him. He has them shipped from Australia.”
Jackson laughs. “He thinks protein bars are going to help him win games?”
“I guess. You should see the fridge. There’s nothing in there but eggs and vegetables.”
“Ask the maid to get you stuff. Or the chef. I assume Brock has a chef?”
“Yeah. But she seems afraid of Brock. Or maybe not afraid . . . more like she’ll get in trouble if she doesn’t do exactly what he tells her. And I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t approve of having junk food in the house.”
“Then feel free to raid my kitchen. Or I’ll take you to the store sometime.” He shoots me a smile. “Maybe I’d even let you drive.”
Thinking back to his expression when I gunned it in the parking lot, I laugh. “You thought I was going to break your girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend?” he asks, confused.
