“Are you always so corny?” I ask, even as I feel my cheeks reddening.
“Again, it isn’t corny if it’s genuine. I think I forgot how pleasant it was to sleep two feet apart from someone but in the same bed while facing away and in no way breathing on each other.”
“Now, that’s exactly the kind of romance I’m looking for. Come on up.” I hang up the phone and hit the button to buzz him in.
When I turn back to the group, Caroline is wearing headphones and is completely set up with a small microphone, and her laptop is on the coffee table. Juliette is sitting next to her on the couch with a second microphone, and Isabelle has moved a chair along the far wall.
“Alright,” Caroline says, adjusting something on her mic before pivoting around to face Juliette, “are we ready to get started? I assure you, this is going to be a very standard interview. Just questions about your journey in the theater, touching on your previous shows, all leading up to dive into the production you’re now working on.”
“Fire when ready,” Juliette says, gripping her microphone and leaning in. Caroline is finalizing one last thing on her laptop when I hear a light knocking at the door. I disappear into the entry hallway as the interview begins.
Twisting the doorknob, I try my best to repress my butterflies when I find Liam standing across from me. He’s wearing jeans and a faded band T-shirt, and seeing him dressed so casually does something to me.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Neighbor-Man,” I purr seductively. “Was I making too much noise in here, and you’ve come upstairs to scold me for being such a bad girl?”
Liam stares at me for several seconds, looking an equal mixture of turned on and petrified. “I...” His words trail off, and I quickly opt to have mercy on him.
“Relax, I’m only carrying on my tradition of horrifying hellos. Consider it shock therapy.” I grab his wrist and pull him into the apartment, making sure to close the door quietly behind him.
He follows my lead and lets me usher him a few feet through the hallway. “It wasn’t an entirely unpleasant shock,” he says.
“Yeah, right. You looked four seconds away from crying. If I ever showed up at your place in a naughty teacher costume, it would probably take years off your life.”
He plants his feet to keep us standing in the middle of the hall. “Teachers can be intimidating as well as deeply sultry. What do you say we give it a try sometime just to be sure? For research purposes only.”
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to bring my role-play wardrobe. My bag was over the weight limit at the airport, and so my meterstick and thigh-high stockings were the first to go.”
“I’m sure the luggage handlers enjoyed that very much.”
“One can only hope. Okay, come on through. Your aunt is giving an interview, though, so make sure to stay quiet.”
I turn to step into the living room, but Liam catches me by the wrist. “Wait,” he says, pulling me back deeper into the hallway. “Can I see you tonight?”
Feeling his hand on my skin and catching the want in his eyes, I’m immediately tempted to say yes. But I also know that I haven’t written nearly enough while I’ve been here, specifically in the past few days. I need to buckle down no matter how much I may want to stay wrapped up in Liam and whatever it is that’s starting between us.
“I can’t,” I tell him. “I’m so far behind on my play, and my deadline is coming up fast.”
“No, I get that. I want you to come over and work. I know you’ve been preoccupied, so if you come over tonight, I’ll arrange a comfy corner for you, and I’ll spend the evening with Ollie so you won’t have to focus on anything except your writing.”
Oh, he’s good. I don’t know why I keep underestimating this soft-spoken gigolo.
“You won’t distract me at all?” I ask him.
“Not at all. I’ll be on my best behavior. Even if you launch yourself at me, I’ll refuse. You could strip naked in the middle of the room, and while I may peek for a brief second, I will then turn away and adamantly refuse any and all come-hither glances.”
I shake my head and consider his proposition further. Liam presses his advantage.
“If you come over and it’s not working out, you can leave. But let’s just try it, because I really, really like being around you. And I’ll supply snacks.”
Ugh, this bastard. Sold.
“Fine,” I tell him after a few seconds. “Are we talking about a snack or two, or like a bunch of snacks?”
“Oh-so-many snacks.”
“And Ollie will need a pillow.”
“I have pillows in excess.” I give him a questioning eyebrow raise, and he goes on. “I don’t know why I said that. I have a very average amount of pillows, but definitely enough for Ollie.”
