it’s not the first time an actress stirred up drama for more air time.”
An actress. Weird. “Not me.”
“Sorry then. I also guess you get asked to cook for people a lot?”
Every freaking day. “Sometimes.”
Roberto smiled. “Let me make it up to you. Dinner with me. Tonight.”
Max stood up and put his hand on the back of my waist. “She can’t. She has plans with me.”
I tilted my head back to look at him, trying to figure him out. “Thanks, Max, but I already had coffee today.”
“It’ll be better than coffee.”
His low voice made me shiver. I couldn’t figure him out. I just knew I liked him. “Swear?”
He nodded.
I turned back to Roberto with a sincere smile. “Thanks, Roberto, but I already have plans.”
Roberto glanced at Max and passed me his card. “No problem. If you change your mind, give me a call.” He waved for his crew and they packed up and headed out.
I had a date with Max. Remembering the last date, I tried not to get my hopes too high. But I didn’t succeed. I kept my eyes averted so Max wouldn’t see the extent of my excitement. “I’ll text you my address.”
***
Max took me to the Huntington Museum, where I saw the Pinky and Blue Boy paintings for the first time. It was surreal. To see something you’d seen your whole life in prints, but to see the huge, real canvases in person. Art. Wow. Max really put thought into this date. And now he was suffering for it. Taking an artist to an art museum could only lead to suffering for the non-artist. “Please a little longer?” I’d said that several times today.
“No.” Max had had to say that several times too. He grinned and pulled me out of the gallery. “Let’s check out the gardens.”
The gardens were equally freaking cool, which was saying something. He held my hand and we walked the pathways between the exotic plants. The cacti were the coolest. We had killer cacti in Austin, but these were beyond anything I’d ever seen. This place held another world. I lifted Max’s hand and spun around until he drew me to his side.
“People haven’t bothered you at all—other than those autographs in the little café.”
“Most people see a normal guy. If we were at a premiere, they’d expect to see actors so they’d see actors. Here, we’re just one more couple out to enjoy the sunshine.”
Max was too modest. He received a lot more double-takes than a normal guy got, even a guy as handsome as him. But these pathways had their steep points, fans would have to be determined to try and catch him here. I peered at my hiking shoes, grateful for the heads up he’d given me regarding footwear. Shorts and a tank were perfect for this date.
“Tell me what you like about Dragon Night . The animé? The live action. How’d you get involved?”
Max led me over to a secluded bench by the pond. “I know the artist. I bought in, signed on, and brought the studio on board.” He rolled his head and gave me a hot questioning look. “Do you really want to talk about the Art Department and those drawings?”
No. Maybe. “Just know that Justin’s working on those touchups. You should see changes early next week. I’ll go pick the drawings up myself.”
Max nodded and checked the pond. “Frankly, the Art Department has a different vision from me. And, next week, if the drawings aren’t better, I’m activating the Rights Reversion clause.”
“I have no clue what that is.”
He drummed his fingers on the back of my hand, a casual and intimate gesture all at once. “Basically, the movie studio has a time limit to present acceptable artwork. Next week, time’s up and I shop the script to other studios.”
I tucked my feet onto the bench and wrapped my arms around my legs. Disappointment settled in my stomach. I’d dreamed of working with him on the project in the fall. “And Archie knows this?”
“I’m sure he does.”
“Well. We’ll see what Justin can come up with. He might surprise you.
An actress. Weird. “Not me.”
“Sorry then. I also guess you get asked to cook for people a lot?”
Every freaking day. “Sometimes.”
Roberto smiled. “Let me make it up to you. Dinner with me. Tonight.”
Max stood up and put his hand on the back of my waist. “She can’t. She has plans with me.”
I tilted my head back to look at him, trying to figure him out. “Thanks, Max, but I already had coffee today.”
“It’ll be better than coffee.”
His low voice made me shiver. I couldn’t figure him out. I just knew I liked him. “Swear?”
He nodded.
I turned back to Roberto with a sincere smile. “Thanks, Roberto, but I already have plans.”
Roberto glanced at Max and passed me his card. “No problem. If you change your mind, give me a call.” He waved for his crew and they packed up and headed out.
I had a date with Max. Remembering the last date, I tried not to get my hopes too high. But I didn’t succeed. I kept my eyes averted so Max wouldn’t see the extent of my excitement. “I’ll text you my address.”
***
Max took me to the Huntington Museum, where I saw the Pinky and Blue Boy paintings for the first time. It was surreal. To see something you’d seen your whole life in prints, but to see the huge, real canvases in person. Art. Wow. Max really put thought into this date. And now he was suffering for it. Taking an artist to an art museum could only lead to suffering for the non-artist. “Please a little longer?” I’d said that several times today.
“No.” Max had had to say that several times too. He grinned and pulled me out of the gallery. “Let’s check out the gardens.”
The gardens were equally freaking cool, which was saying something. He held my hand and we walked the pathways between the exotic plants. The cacti were the coolest. We had killer cacti in Austin, but these were beyond anything I’d ever seen. This place held another world. I lifted Max’s hand and spun around until he drew me to his side.
“People haven’t bothered you at all—other than those autographs in the little café.”
“Most people see a normal guy. If we were at a premiere, they’d expect to see actors so they’d see actors. Here, we’re just one more couple out to enjoy the sunshine.”
Max was too modest. He received a lot more double-takes than a normal guy got, even a guy as handsome as him. But these pathways had their steep points, fans would have to be determined to try and catch him here. I peered at my hiking shoes, grateful for the heads up he’d given me regarding footwear. Shorts and a tank were perfect for this date.
“Tell me what you like about Dragon Night . The animé? The live action. How’d you get involved?”
Max led me over to a secluded bench by the pond. “I know the artist. I bought in, signed on, and brought the studio on board.” He rolled his head and gave me a hot questioning look. “Do you really want to talk about the Art Department and those drawings?”
No. Maybe. “Just know that Justin’s working on those touchups. You should see changes early next week. I’ll go pick the drawings up myself.”
Max nodded and checked the pond. “Frankly, the Art Department has a different vision from me. And, next week, if the drawings aren’t better, I’m activating the Rights Reversion clause.”
“I have no clue what that is.”
He drummed his fingers on the back of my hand, a casual and intimate gesture all at once. “Basically, the movie studio has a time limit to present acceptable artwork. Next week, time’s up and I shop the script to other studios.”
I tucked my feet onto the bench and wrapped my arms around my legs. Disappointment settled in my stomach. I’d dreamed of working with him on the project in the fall. “And Archie knows this?”
“I’m sure he does.”
“Well. We’ll see what Justin can come up with. He might surprise you.
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