“Stop it, Willa.”
I’d been staring him down without realizing it, and I grinned. “What’s the matter?”
Doug leaned around me and took a single Red Hot candy out of the bowl. He put it in his mouth and scooted away from me. “You’re not my boss, and I don’t have to kiss you just because you ask.”
Whatever. He was totally preparing for this. He knew me too well to think I’d let it go. I crossed my arms and waited until he finished chewing. He wasn’t patient enough to let the candy melt in his mouth, and I hid my smile about that. “Do you need a drink of water now?”
He shook his head and a determined look crossed his face. He stood and pulled on my hands until I was standing too, my chest against his. The air between us charged with unexplored possibility, and my heart sped up as he wrapped his arms around my waist.
I was suddenly the one terrified—the one who wasn’t ready. But then his lips were on mine, taking his time, nudging mine to respond. And respond they did.
Doug
She’d asked me to stick my hand in the fire without getting burned. It was hopeless, but I’d given in anyway. The cautious, self-protective side of me continued waving danger signs, saying it was time to let go, to back away and let her run. But that voice was drowned out by everything else. By the hunger and the brilliancy of holding her and melding my mouth with hers.
My hands moved to the side of her head, cradling her face so I could angle her in just right as I kissed her with everything I had. She gave a little satisfied whimper, and it was the wakeup call I needed. I’d never unhear that. She’d ruined the possibility of my heart remaining whole and untouched.
I backed away, almost tripping over the coffee table, before righting myself. I couldn’t look at her. “Satisfied?” I whispered.
I knew I wasn’t. How could I be as long as kissing her was part of some dress rehearsal for a TV show? At least this was a moment Alan couldn’t have. I’d never kiss her like that for TV. The thought was more than a little depressing. She’d have her guard up after this, now that I’d revealed the depth of my longing for her.
“Doug.” Her voice was like a plea, but I didn’t know what she was asking for.
“I think I’ll be ready for any surprise kisses now,” I said, still not looking at her.
She gave a shaky little laugh. “Um, yeah.” It made me feel like less of a failure. At least she was a little rattled from it. She turned from me and went to gather up her purse and belongings, including Dot, still asleep on a chair. She rested the dog’s head against her shoulder and stroked her back. Of course Willa was leaving. We couldn’t even look at each other.
I opened my front door for her and walked her down to the parking lot. We both stopped abruptly at the sight of a car idling with a guy hanging out the passenger side, his camera pointing at us amid the sound of endless clicking. The paparazzi had found us.
It’s a celebrity instinct to pose for photos, even unwanted ones. A neutral, uncaring face looked way better in photos than an annoyed or unhappy one. So, we ignored them, moving quickly, but calmly.
As soon as I had Willa safely in her SUV and out of the parking lot, I ran upstairs and called up the landlord. It went to voicemail, but I let him know the paparazzi had gotten through the gates and right up to my apartment. It was time to move, another worry stacked on top of all the other ones.
Willa called a half hour later to let me know she’d arrived home okay. “Check social media, Doug. The pictures of us tonight are already up.”
I glanced at the dark curtains blocking my front window. But I still had to ask. “What kind of pictures?”
She let out a sigh. “The two of us walking down from your apartment.”
“Good.” Well, better than what I’d feared.
There was a long pause before she said goodnight and hung up. If she wasn’t going to bring up what had happened between us, I wouldn’t either. Maybe for her it was just a good kiss. Or a passable one anyway.
I opened up an internet window and Googled us. She was right. Social media was blowing up with the new revelations about the show with headlines like ‘The Judges of Triple Threat Are Stealing the Show with Their Tabloid-Like Antics.’
People had started up Team Doug and Team Justin wars, adding their allegiance as frames for their social media profile pictures. The images of me with my arm protectively around Willa while she clutched her dog were everywhere. ‘The Real-Life Romance of Two Unlikely Rising Stars,’ it said above our heads.
The comments were mostly too stupid or too mean to read so I closed the browser and sat back. Now that Dot had left, Tiger slinked over and climbed in my lap. I ran a hand over his smooth fur and tried to figure out when my life became a circus. It had never really been normal. Not even my childhood. But now it was just … a mess.
