“Hm.”
This does present a bit of a problem. While we never agreed to completely confine ourselves to the Santa Monica house, there has been the verbal agreement that any “dates” we have will be filmed. Tina and the producers might not like it if Aaron and I are exerting our energy having fun without cameras on us…
Or however else they’ll see it.
“Good call on the cab,” I say. “But what about getting to it? We have to go out the door.”
“Not the front door.”
“O-kay.”
Before I can ask about the exact layout of this escape route, he tugs on my hand. We go out the back door, where the first bit of light is stealing away. Thankfully, he doesn’t take me to the beach. These shoes wouldn’t handle sand well.
Instead, we go to the wall separating us and the neighbors to the left. Aaron looks at me expectantly.
“Um,” I say.
“I’ll boost you up.”
“Okay,” I laugh. “Why the hell not?” I poke him in the chest. “Don’t look up my dress while you’re doing it, though.”
“No promises,” he says with a smirk.
He laces his hands and lowers them, offering his palms as a step. Taking off my heels, I hold them in one hand and toss my purse over the fence.
“Here’s hoping there’s not a really mean dog on the other side,” I whisper as I brace one hand on Aaron’s shoulder and place my stocking-covered foot in the cup of his hands.
He pushes me up deftly—and fast—and I shriek. At the same time, my hand grabs hold of the top of the wall. I’m up and over, landing in the other yard with a surprising amount of grace, considering how fast everything just happened.
“You okay?” Aaron calls.
“Yeah.” I grab my purse and put my shoes back on. There’s the sound of something metal being put down back on the home side.
“Aaron?” I hiss.
His head appears. Gripping the top of the wall, he hauls himself over and lands next to me.
“Did you use a chair?” I ask.
He pushes hair from his forehead. “Yeah.”
“Don’t you think it would have been a lot easier if I did, too?”
“I’m sure it would have been, except then I wouldn’t have been able to show you how strong I am.” He pauses. “Or look up your skirt.”
I playfully smack him with my clutch.
“Come on. The cab should be here any minute.”
He takes my hand and we run at a crouch along the fence’s perimeter, giggles escaping us the whole way. He’s correct about the cab. There’s one pulling up right as we emerge onto the sidewalk.
Aaron flags it down before it turns into the driveway. Still laughing, we hurry to it.
“Where you headed?” the driver asks.
“Do you know of any good Italian restaurants?” Aaron responds.
“I know of the best. It’s right by the pier, too.”
“Perfect. Take us there, please.” He glances over his shoulder back at the house as we drive away.
“Did we make it?” My face is starting to ache from all the smiling and laughing.
“I think so. Good job back there.”
“You did great,” I say on a giggle.
Aaron puts his arm around my shoulders. “We make a good team.”
I couldn’t agree more.
The ride to the pier flies by with Aaron pressed up against me. A hazy dusk covers the restaurant the cabbie drops us in front. Aaron pays him, and, hand-in-hand, we walk for the building.
Except, there’s a hoard of people blocking the entrance. Our steps slow, and Aaron frowns at what’s now obviously paparazzi.
“Here she comes!” one of the men with a camera shouts.
“Crystal! Crystal!” They clamor for her attention. “Over here!”
A grin lifts my lips.
“You’re a fan?” Aaron asks, having to raise his voice to be heard over the din.
“No, it’s funny, is all. I saw her not even a month ago.”
As I talk, Crystal and another girl hurry past the paparazzi and take shelter in their car. The photographers keep on clicking away, only ceasing once the car drives out of the lot.
“I was jealous of her, then,” I say, “but now, I feel sorry for her.”
“Yet more confirmation that you love acting for acting’s sake.”
“There was a time when I would have liked that,” I acknowledge, “but now I know that’s not the kind of attention for me.”
“What is the kind of attention for you?”
“This,” I say, the epiphany coming to me in this very moment. I give his hand a squeeze.
How funny that my two celebrity sightings in a row should be of the same person. And under similar circumstances, at that.
Then and now. There aren’t that many days separating the evening I had dinner with Molly and first heard about the reality show and tonight, but I feel like a completely different person.
Aaron’s a big part of it. Does he have any idea how he’s pushed me toward change?
Probably not, I think as I steal a glance at him while he’s talking to the hostess. Because I haven’t told him as much.
It doesn’t feel like I can. We’ve only spent a little more than a week together. And it’s not that he’s the whole cause of my evolution. The entire reality show experience has helped me to see life in new ways.
Even though, honestly, he’s the biggest catalyst. When Aaron looks at me, I feel like I have nothing to hide. He sees me.
Which feels a tad crazy on one hand. How can he fully get me already?
But then I think about the conversation we had about getting to know people. He tried to convince me that sometimes you can know what you’re getting right off the bat.
Turns out, one day, I might have to tell him he was right.
We’re shown to a cozy, candlelit table for two. The place is on the nicer side, so I’m happy about my choice of wardrobe. My hand isn’t even on the back of my chair when Aaron darts over and pulls it out for me.
“Thank you,” I say, fully impressed.
“You’re welcome.” He settles across from me.
A short silence follows, where we stare at each other. Then, at the same time, we burst into laughter.
“Sneaking out was a lot of fun,” I say. “It felt like I was in high school again.”
“The night’s only getting started,” he says with a twinkle in his eye that promises he’s got something up his sleeve.
“What are we doing next?” I ask.
“I’m not telling.” He makes a show out of unfolding his menu and hiding his face behind it.
“Gimme a hint.” Under the table, I nudge his foot with mine.
“Nope.”
“Aaron.”
“Oh, look, they have tiramisu.”
“You can’t have dessert before dinner.”
He peeks around the menu. “I can have whatever I want. Besides, it wouldn’t be dessert. I was planning on having you for that.”
A shiver runs through me. “Oh.” I clear my throat. “That would be, uh…that sounds good.”
The waitress arrives. Predictably, Aaron orders a bottle of wine.
“You’ll like it,” he says, once the waitress departs. “It’s a different kind from the one we had the other night.”
“I liked that one,” I remind him.
“And that’s why I got this bottle. Based on what I think your tastes are, you’ll like this even more.”
“Tell me more about my tastes.” I seductively lean forward, crossing my arms under my breasts so that my cleavage bulges up over the dress top.
It’s a slight enough move that no one else in the restaurant notices it, but Aaron sure does. His lips part, and even in the dim setting, the dilating of his pupils is apparent.
Slowly, I bite my bottom lip and make a show of perusing the menu. “Hm. What should I have? I’m kind of in the mood for…” Lashes fluttering, I look
up at him. “Sausage.”
Aaron shakes his head. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me right now?”
“I have a general idea.”
The waitress arrives with our wine, and I sit up straight, the flirting coming to an end. For now.
“To tonight,” Aaron says, raising his glass. “To shaking off those ten or so third-wheels.”
“Yeah.” I giggle. “What do you think Tina would say if she came in here right now and saw us?”
“She’d probably start filming us on her phone. Maybe recruit the wait staff for light and sound.”
My first sip of wine brings a lovely earthiness to my tongue. Aaron’s watching for my reaction, and when I nod, he smiles big.
After we order our meals, I take my clutch and stand. “I’m running to the ladies’ room. Back in a few.”
The bathroom is the kind with a powder room connected to it, which is perfect, since I came in here to check my makeup. A girl, maybe a few years younger than me, enters right behind me. Setting her purse on the counter, she smiles at me in the mirror.
I smile back and get to extracting my lipstick from my clutch. Overall, my makeup is good, but I might as well put some more color on while I’m in here, since I’m sure to lose some drinking wine.
The girl sets her phone down next to her purse and starts powdering her face. At the sight of the phone, my mouth practically waters.
“Hey,” I say. “Would it be okay if I borrowed your phone to call my roommate?”
Her nose wrinkles in confusion.
“I know, who doesn’t have their phone, right?” I ask. “It’ll only take a couple minutes.”
She shrugs. “Yeah. Sure. Go ahead. Oh, hold on. Lemme unlock it.”
She puts her finger on the screen to scan her print, and I give her the most grateful look ever.
“Thank you so much.”
It’s a good thing I memorized several people’s phone numbers months ago. After getting stuck once at the airport after having left my cell on the plane, I learned my lesson about relying on my electronic phonebook.
I tap in Molly’s number and hold my breath while it rings, praying she’ll answer the unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Molly! It’s me! Rachel.”
She gasps. “Rachel? Oh, my God. How are you? How is everything? Did you murder Aaron yet? I heard through the grapevine at work that he’s your match. What are the chances, right? Oh, God, you’re not calling to ask for help hiding his body, are you?”
“No,” I chuckle. “It’s the opposite, actually. We’ve been getting along really well. Like, really, really well.”
The line goes dead quiet. She’s picked up on my suggestive tone.
“That makes sense,” she says, after a moment. “It was only a matter of time.”
“What?” I ask in shock.
“Yeah. He’s hot. I did a little snooping. And you’re amazing in a hundred ways. How could you two not hook up?”
The word makes my heart twist. “It’s more than a hookup.”
“Really?” Her voice rises half an octave.
“Yeah. He’s not like what I thought he would be at all.”
“What about the parking spot?”
“Trust me,” I answer. “Everything else about him more than makes up for that.”
“You mean he’s packing?”
“No. Well, yes. But what I mean is…”
He’s certainly not lacking in that department. But that’s not what I was talking about.
“He’s a good guy,” I say. “I feel like he really sees me.”
Again, there’s a short silence. I think about her at home, curled up on the couch.
“Rachel,” she says, “that’s really sweet. I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks.”
The girl who loaned me the phone has packed her purse up. She steals a glance at me in the mirror.
“Anyway,” I say hurriedly, “I have to go. I just wanted to let you know everything is going well. How are you?”
“Busy. This job is as insane as I thought it would be, but totally worth it.”
“Good. I’m glad. I’m looking forward to getting back home with you.”
“But you’re not looking forward to it too much, huh?” she asks, a smile in her voice.
“Right. Love you, Molly.”
“Love you, too. See you soon.”
We hang up, and I hand the phone over to the girl. “Thanks so much. You’re a lifesaver.”
Back at the table, Aaron’s inspecting the far wall, a distant look on his face. The second he spots me, though, he’s up and pulling my chair out.
“Thank you,” I say, taking the seat, “but you don’t have to do that every time.”
“What if I want to?” he purrs in my ear from where he stands right behind me.
“Then by all means, keep on.” He takes his seat, and I add, “Sorry if I took a little long. I got talking with a girl in the powder room.”
It’s only a half-lie, right? Not as serious as a full one.
“No worries. I occupied myself by sitting here, staring at nothing,” he says with a chuckle.
“Would you have been on your phone if you had it?”
Aaron sips his wine. “Probably.”
“It’s funny how much time I always waste looking at mine. It’s not until I was forced to go days without it that I realized that. Do you miss yours?”
He studies his wine. “I haven’t thought about it much. Did you like this wine? I can order another bottle, if not.”
“No, it’s great.” Didn’t we already confirm that?
“Good.” He takes a long drink, his eyes down.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
Aaron’s shoulders rise. “I’m fine. Sorry. All of this filming is wearing me down.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Here’s a chance to talk about what will happen once filming is over, but this evening feels so good. I don’t want to risk dampening the mood. So instead of saying anything, I take a sip of wine.
Soon, I’ve had enough wine and we’ve shared enough laughs that one week from now feels like decades away. It belongs to someone else’s lifetime and is filled with issues and concerns I’ll never need to worry about.
What I have is right now. And it’s absolutely perfect.
Chapter 18
“I don’t want to go back to the house yet,” I say with a pout as we leave the Italian restaurant.
Aaron loops his arm through mine. “We can stay out as late as you want to. We’ll need to find something to do. How about…”
He nods at the entrance to the pier.
“Ever been here?” he asks.
“Once or twice.” I smile.
“I never have.”
“Why does that not surprise me?” I ask, bumping my shoulder against his arm as we walk.
Hand-in-hand, we stroll across the boards and under the bright, colorful lights. It’s early enough that families are still out. A few kids jump up and down in excitement as they enter the arcade area.
“So,” I say. “Is it stressing you out not having work to keep you busy?”
“No,” Aaron says right away. “I have something else much better keeping me busy.”
“Oh, yeah?” I bite into my smile.
The interview earlier in the day comes to mind. I told Tina that I’ve mostly had bad dating experiences. It would be nice to have some insight into what that’s been like for Aaron. It’s hard to imagine him staying single for long. Then again, the way he tells it, it seems he’s married to his job.
“That looks like fun.” He’s stopped walking and is looking in the direction of the amusement rides.
“The roller coaster?” My stomach plummets like I’m already on it.
“No. The Ferris wheel.”
“Oh. Good.” Heights I can handle. It’s speed that freaks me out.
“Want to?”
“Sure, why not?” I shrug.
As the Ferris wheel kicks into gear, I nestle in close to his chest. It’s hard to say whether it’s the ride or his arm around me that makes me feel like I’m flying.
The city lights sparkle like millions of fireflies. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, and sharing the moment with another person makes it infinitely better.
“I’m glad the interview part is over with.” I sigh in pleasure.
Aaron squeezes my side. “There will be more once the show comes out.”
“Ugh. Why’d you have to remind me of that?”
“Sorry,” he says. “I liked doing the interview. It was kind of fun.”
That makes me raise an eyebrow. “Yet another sign that you and I have completely different ideas about what constitutes fun.”
“I dunno. Is this fun right now?”
“Yes,” I say through a smile.
“Then we do have some things in common.” He brushes his finger along my cheek, and my smile widens. “What did you say in your interview?”
I pretend to be offended. “I’m not going to tell you that!”
“What? Why not? And please don’t tell me that I’ll need to tune into the show to find out.”
“I wasn’t going to say that.”
“Then why not let me know?”
Because I might have been more transparent than I meant to be, and I’m still not very good at owning that. Hopefully, I will be one day, but right now, I’m still self-conscious when it comes to revealing things about myself.
It’s weird to think about where Aaron and I might be when the show does air and he finally sees what I told Tina. That seems so far away that I can’t even comprehend it.
All I know is that I hope he’s still in my life.
“I said nice things about you,” I settle with answering.
Aaron groans. “Wow. Seriously? I can’t get any more detail than that?”
“Nope.” With arms folded, I make a point of looking at the horizon.
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