“Thanks. Not bad for a rural Arkansas gal, huh?”
“I don’t hear the accent.”
“Yeah. Dialect coaches have worked with me to get rid of it. They said otherwise I’d be typecast in Southern roles.”
“Hey, maybe not. It’s worked out for Reese Witherspoon,” Briggs said.
“True!”
She showed him around the house for a few more minutes and seemed to take extra time in the backyard, at the pool.
“Check it out! I’m going to put a big slide right there.”
“Nice.”
“It’s going to be a swirling one. I’ll invite all my Little friends over for swim parties.”
Her eyes darted to him and she said, “You’re not even looking.”
“Sorry. It’s hard for me to tear my eyes off you.”
Riley giggled. “Are you ready? Where are we going?”
“How do you feel about Mexican?”
“I always feel good about that.”
They walked through the house, went outside, and Briggs held the door of his pickup for her as she climbed in. Thirty minutes later, they were at El Coyote on Beverly Boulevard.
The host led them past the lobby with its framed signed celebrity portraits and to a table in the back. No one seemed to recognize Riley so far, and Briggs wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
He wanted her to get all the recognition she deserved—and more! But at the same time, being out with a celebrity wasn’t normal for him. And, when he stopped and thought about it, hewasn’t sure how he’d feel about all that. Not that he was insecure with her being in the limelight. It was just that, right now, he wasn’t ready to share her.
Filing that away to ponder later, he made a silent vow to work through all that. Riley was a high-profile person with a big career. He wouldn’t let his shyness or desire to keep her all to himself stand in her way.
Right now though, it didn’t seem to be an issue.
“I could just drink cups and cups of their salsa,” he said after thanking the waiter for bringing chips and salsa.
“I’ve never been here, but I know it’s famous.”
“Hey, I’m glad I can share something new with you,” he said.
“New to me,” she agreed. “But I know this place has been around forever.”
The waiter returned, took their orders and delivered drinks, and then left them to their conversation again.
“That look in your eyes,” Riley said. “You have a question.”
“I have a lot of questions.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
With her elbows on the table and her fingers interlaced, she made a bridge with her hands and rested her chin on it with a smile. “I’m an open book.”
“Favorite movie ever?”
