looking at him, and it was making him nervous. “So you’re okay with it?”
“I better be. We’ve got five more weeks of rehearsals and two shows to get through.”
He smiled. “So I’ll see you at the diner?” They were all headed out for a late-night snack.
“You know, I’m kind of tired. I think I’m going to head home.”
“You are upset.”
They reached her car, and she unlocked it. “I’m fine. Goodnight.”
He leaned in to kiss her, and she turned so his kiss hit her cheek. “Amber.”
She looked at his mouth, and her gaze quickly flicked up to his eyes. “I just need time. You’ve still got lipstick all over your mouth.”
“Oh.” He scrubbed at his mouth.
She got in her car and powered down the window. “Bye, you scurvy dog.”
He wasn’t sure if he should be glad she was speaking pirate to him or worried she was calling him a scurvy dog. “Bye, me beauty.”
She inclined her head and drove away. Maybe flowers were in order. But that would be like admitting he’d done something wrong. He’d just done what he was supposed to do. He was acting. It was just acting. She had to get used to that.
“Hey, Bare,” Lauren called, hips swinging, saucy as all hell in her short shorts. “Can I hitch a ride with you? Meg bailed.”
He swallowed hard. Lauren was the one who asked if he was single. The one who said she liked older men. The one who had her tongue in his mouth.
“Sure,” he croaked. He really, really hoped this didn’t get back to Amber. It was a car ride and nothing more. Nothing would happen if he had anything to say about it. Which he most certainly did. He was the king, after all. He could handle a young, twenty-something flirt. Right?
She got in his car. He turned the ignition and startled when she pushed the button that made the loudspeaker moo on top of the car. She laughed. He’d nearly forgotten about the loudspeaker. He hadn’t used it in so long because Amber didn’t like it.
“What was that?” she asked.
“It’s for my shop. It lets the kiddies know fro-yo is nearby.”
“Cool.”
Really? That was cool? Amber told him never to play it when she was in the car. Lauren pressed the button again and again, making the car moo the entire drive to the diner. Even Barry was getting tired of it.
He parked, and they headed to the diner’s entrance.
Lauren put her hand on his arm, stopping him a short distance from the door. “Bare, can I ask you something?”
He turned. “Sure.”
“Do you think I’m pretty?”
“Yes.”
He turned to go, but her hand tightened around his arm, anchoring him in place. He turned back to her. She bit her lip and gave him these big soulful eyes that made him feel like she might be hitting on him.
“Did you like our kiss?” she asked.
“Now, Lauren,” he said in his best I’m-thirty-one-years-old-and-I-know-better-than-you voice. “That was just acting. You know I’m with Amber.”
She stuck out her lower lip. “You didn’t answer my question.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t like it. It was just that it felt wrong. He really didn’t want to encourage her.
“Sorry,” he said. “Just didn’t do it for me.”
“Well,” she huffed. Then she marched ahead of him into the diner. He followed her to the big table in the back, where the rest of the cast was already seated. “I’ll get a ride home with someone else,” she hissed before taking a seat next to Zac.
He stayed for a little while, eating some mozzarella sticks, before making an excuse to head home. He wanted to kiss Amber again. He wanted her to know he only had lips for her.
~ ~ ~
Amber drove around for a bit, blasting the radio, reminding herself Bare was a great guy who would never fool around on her. He’d done nothing wrong. Nothing sneaky or behind her back. Hell, he’d been hesitant to even kiss those girls in the first place, until Toby threw a fit about it. That’s why she’d made herself scarce. She had a feeling he was holding
“I better be. We’ve got five more weeks of rehearsals and two shows to get through.”
He smiled. “So I’ll see you at the diner?” They were all headed out for a late-night snack.
“You know, I’m kind of tired. I think I’m going to head home.”
“You are upset.”
They reached her car, and she unlocked it. “I’m fine. Goodnight.”
He leaned in to kiss her, and she turned so his kiss hit her cheek. “Amber.”
She looked at his mouth, and her gaze quickly flicked up to his eyes. “I just need time. You’ve still got lipstick all over your mouth.”
“Oh.” He scrubbed at his mouth.
She got in her car and powered down the window. “Bye, you scurvy dog.”
He wasn’t sure if he should be glad she was speaking pirate to him or worried she was calling him a scurvy dog. “Bye, me beauty.”
She inclined her head and drove away. Maybe flowers were in order. But that would be like admitting he’d done something wrong. He’d just done what he was supposed to do. He was acting. It was just acting. She had to get used to that.
“Hey, Bare,” Lauren called, hips swinging, saucy as all hell in her short shorts. “Can I hitch a ride with you? Meg bailed.”
He swallowed hard. Lauren was the one who asked if he was single. The one who said she liked older men. The one who had her tongue in his mouth.
“Sure,” he croaked. He really, really hoped this didn’t get back to Amber. It was a car ride and nothing more. Nothing would happen if he had anything to say about it. Which he most certainly did. He was the king, after all. He could handle a young, twenty-something flirt. Right?
She got in his car. He turned the ignition and startled when she pushed the button that made the loudspeaker moo on top of the car. She laughed. He’d nearly forgotten about the loudspeaker. He hadn’t used it in so long because Amber didn’t like it.
“What was that?” she asked.
“It’s for my shop. It lets the kiddies know fro-yo is nearby.”
“Cool.”
Really? That was cool? Amber told him never to play it when she was in the car. Lauren pressed the button again and again, making the car moo the entire drive to the diner. Even Barry was getting tired of it.
He parked, and they headed to the diner’s entrance.
Lauren put her hand on his arm, stopping him a short distance from the door. “Bare, can I ask you something?”
He turned. “Sure.”
“Do you think I’m pretty?”
“Yes.”
He turned to go, but her hand tightened around his arm, anchoring him in place. He turned back to her. She bit her lip and gave him these big soulful eyes that made him feel like she might be hitting on him.
“Did you like our kiss?” she asked.
“Now, Lauren,” he said in his best I’m-thirty-one-years-old-and-I-know-better-than-you voice. “That was just acting. You know I’m with Amber.”
She stuck out her lower lip. “You didn’t answer my question.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t like it. It was just that it felt wrong. He really didn’t want to encourage her.
“Sorry,” he said. “Just didn’t do it for me.”
“Well,” she huffed. Then she marched ahead of him into the diner. He followed her to the big table in the back, where the rest of the cast was already seated. “I’ll get a ride home with someone else,” she hissed before taking a seat next to Zac.
He stayed for a little while, eating some mozzarella sticks, before making an excuse to head home. He wanted to kiss Amber again. He wanted her to know he only had lips for her.
~ ~ ~
Amber drove around for a bit, blasting the radio, reminding herself Bare was a great guy who would never fool around on her. He’d done nothing wrong. Nothing sneaky or behind her back. Hell, he’d been hesitant to even kiss those girls in the first place, until Toby threw a fit about it. That’s why she’d made herself scarce. She had a feeling he was holding
Similar Books
