by Nina Lindsey
Swiveling her chair to hide her flush, she tried to keep her voice even. “All right. I guess I can make the time for a movie.”
“Yes!” He fist-punched the air in triumph. With both hands.
She couldn’t prevent a smile. “Under one condition.”
“Name it.”
“You don’t wear the wig.”
Hesitation flashed over his expression. “Why not?”
So I can admire your sun-kissed hair, of course.
Clearing her throat, she gave a nonchalant shrug. “Now that I know who you are, the disguise is weird. If you want to go out as old acquaintances, you have to be Jake Ryan.”
“Uh, not a good idea. I can’t risk being recognized.”
“I can’t risk being seen with a poor imitation of Clark Kent.” She arched an eyebrow. “If I’m going to be me, you need to be you.”
He let out his breath. “Okay. For you, no disguise. The wig is itchy as hell, anyway. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“Great!” Another brilliant smile broke over his face.
Callie’s breath shortened. “You know, for an international heartthrob, you’re unusually excited about going to the movies with a Classics professor.”
“I’ve never dated an academic.” He stepped closer, lowering his head to look her in the eye. The scent of him drifted to her nose—fresh air, autumn leaves, wood smoke. An outdoor adventure.
“And I’m not going to the movies with a Classics professor.” His voice deepened an octave, sending a shiver through her. “I’m going to the movies with a nice-girl acquaintance from high school who used to grab my attention every time she walked past and who was destined to change the world with the force of her intelligence.”
Despite the fact that her heart was pounding against her ribs and her skin was hot, Callie managed to slant him a cool look. “Good one. You should put that in a screenplay.”
A shutter came down over his eyes. He pushed away from her and stood. Tension threaded the air for half an instant, so quick that she wasn’t even sure it was there at all, much less where it had come from. Had she said something wrong?
Then he smiled again. “Can I pick you up, or do you want to meet at the theater?”
Though her blood fired up at the thought of being confined in a car with him, feeling his warmth, Callie said, “Meet. We can just meet.”
“Okay. I saw that the Vitaphone theater is still open. Do they still start movies at seven-thirty sharp?”
“As far as I know.” She flipped open her daily planner. “I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw a movie.”
“All right, Dr. Prescott.” Jake stepped back toward the door. “I’ll see you there at seven. Wear a plaid skirt.”
Her heart jumped again. She watched him leave, the purely female part of her appreciating the breadth of his back and his perfect ass.
The click of the door closing brought her sharply back to reality. What was she doing? She didn’t have time for movies or hanging out. She had papers to grade and a book to write…
Oh shit.
Grabbing her phone, she replayed a voicemail from the Cambridge Press editor, who spoke in a clipped and disapproving tone.
“We had a phone appointment at noon, Dr. Prescott. I’m unable to reschedule today, so it will have to be next week. Please contact me at your earliest convenience.”
With a groan, Callie tossed the phone aside and rested her head in her hands. Despair squeezed her chest.
Two encounters with Jake Ryan, and not only was she making inane remarks about his button fly, she was annoying her tenure committee with her tardiness and forgetting about critical appointments. Now she’d made a terrible impression with the woman who would decide whether or not to offer her a book contract.
She’d cancel the movie tonight. Except she didn’t have Jake’s contact information.
Okay, she’d meet him at the Vitaphone and tell him she didn’t have time for a movie. She hadn’t socialized much in high school either, which was just one of the reasons she’d been accepted to Harvard on a scholarship. She certainly couldn’t “hang out” now, not even with him.
What if she fell behind on her book proposal? What if Jake Ryan interfered with her quest for tenure? What if her mother needed something? What if one of her students saw her out on the town?
What if Jake was right and she actually had fun?
Chapter 6
Buttoning his shirt, Jake studied himself in the mirror for the tenth time. This was his third shirt change, and he couldn’t figure out why he was being such an idiot about picking out what to wear for his date…er, his “get together” with Callie.
Maybe because all of his recent “dates” had been publicity ops, so fashion experts had swooped in beforehand to tell him what to wear. Hell, they’d tailored his suits and tied his damned ties.
He finished buttoning the shirt and stepped back. Black dress trousers and a forest-green YSL shirt. Should he wear jeans instead? The ones with the button fly? Callie’s observation about his fly had him insanely curious about what else she’d noticed about him.
His phone buzzed with a call from his sister. Still studying himself in the mirror, he took the call. “Hey, Pam.”
“How’s the undercover work?”
“Boring.” Though things are starting to look up. “How’s the pregnancy work?”
“So far, so good. I spent two hours yesterday looking up nursery ideas on Pinterest, so I might already been entering the nesting phase. Brad has been looking into starting a college investment fund, so I’d say we’re right on track.”
The tension in Jake’s shoulders eased. Two months ago, he hadn’t expected Pam’s news about the baby. Not only was he glad for his sister and Brad, the anticipation of a nephew had made him think more about the future. He hoped he’d be in Los Angeles when the baby was born, but if not, he planned to return as fast as possible.
His reaction was a little strange—he hadn’t been around babies much at all. A few of his co-stars had brought babies and toddlers to the set, and he’d liked them well enough, but the idea of a little kid calling him Uncle Jake had hit him with unexpected delight.
Maybe because until now, his family had just been the three of them, with his brother-in-law joining them two years ago. Jake had kept his promise to take care of his sister and mother with everything he had. Now he knew he’d extend that promise to future additions to the family.
“What about the news reports?” The lightness in Pam’s voice dimmed. “Any idea when you’ll be able to come home?”
Home. Funny that he’d been thinking of his return to Bliss Cove as coming “home.”
“Hopefully in the next couple of weeks. The studio is rolling out damage control and trying to convince the reporter not to press charges.”
“You should be the one pressing charges.”
Jake let out his breath. “I don’t want legal problems on top of everything else. It’ll work out, Pam. No one’s been harassing you, have they?”
“We got a few calls asking for a comment, but nothing too bad.”
“Call me immediately if that changes, okay?”
“I will. How are you keeping yourself busy up there?”
An image of Callie flashed in his mind. “I’ve been taking lots of photos and video. Nothing very interesting. I’m thinking of looking for a job.”
She laughed. “Good luck. Bet you can’t wait to get back to the bright lights and big city.”
Yesterday, Jake would have agreed without hesitation. Now he thought he wouldn’t mind his exile for a little while longer.
After saying goodbye, he put his phone in his pocket and studied himself in the mirror again. He started to unbuckle his belt and stopped. No way was he changing for a fourth time. It was a movie at a small-town theater, not a Hollywood premiere. He wasn’t out to impress Callie anyway.
Irritated, he turned away from the mirror and reached for his wig on the dresser. No, no wig. That was also pr
obably why he was so edgy. All he needed was to be swarmed by fans and the damned paparazzi.
But for Callie…
Pulling in a breath, he grabbed his jacket and keys before heading out to his rental car. He drove to Mariposa Street and parked near the Vitaphone movie theater.
The 1920s-era theater sat like a stately old queen between two dark, vacant storefronts. Arched windows perforated the Spanish Colonial façade, which was decorated with intricate plaster designs. A vertical neon Vitaphone sign, the letter T burned out, sat above the marquee.
A pang of sad nostalgia went through him. The theater—hell, the whole district—was a lot more rundown than it had been the last time he was here. Graffiti marred the buildings, and most of the stores were vacant with their windows boarded up. Bliss Cove had been badly neglecting this part of town.
He walked down the almost deserted street. At least the lack of pedestrians lessened the chance of him being recognized.
“Intuitive reading, honey?” A husky female voice filtered into his thoughts.
He glanced toward a narrow stucco storefront. A woman in her mid-thirties leaned against the doorjamb, looking…abundant. Abundant black curls, abundant cleavage displayed by her flowing, emerald-green caftan, abundant silver jewelry and makeup.
“Excuse me?”
She indicated the store window, where a display of books, candles, and gemstones sat amidst colorful silk drapery. The name Moonbeams was written in gilt paint over the glass, and in the corner Destiny Storm, Psychic and Intuitive.
“I offer discounted intuitive readings once a week.” The woman—Destiny apparently—slipped her gaze over him from head to toe. “You look like you could use one.”
“No idea what that is.”
“It’s a way to release blocked energy and connect with your inner self to clarify your life’s path. I read Tarot and Oracle cards, but mostly I read you.”
Jake barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes. “No, thanks.”
“Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.” She pushed away from the doorjamb, her jewelry jingling. “You look like you could use some clarity.”
“What does that mean?”
“This.” She waved a hand in front of his chest. “Your heart chakra is leaking energy. That indicates you’re confused. Questioning your self-worth, perhaps. Do you have a One True Love?”
Jake had heard a lot of talk about chakras and auras among his Hollywood friends and colleagues, but he’d never paid attention to it, much less bought into all the weirdness. He’d sure as hell never heard of any One True Love. Then again, he’d never done a romantic comedy either.
“Uh…I don’t know what that is,” he finally said.
“Ah.” She lifted a finger with a claw-like red fingernail. “That might be part of your problem. If you…Evening, Joe!” Straightening suddenly, she looked past him and waved so hard her bracelets jangled again.
Jake followed her gaze across the street, where a Metalworks Hardware van was parked in front of a vacant store. A tall guy in jeans and a Metalworks T-shirt descended from the driver’s seat. He glanced in the woman’s direction and gave her a nod before opening the back doors of the van and disappearing inside.
“Speaking of closed books…” Destiny muttered. She started across the street, passing Jake in a whiff of smoky perfume. “Stop by another time. I’ll honor the discount.”
“Thanks.”
“Live in the light, honey.” She hurried over to peer around the back of the van.
Jake was pretty sure he’d have remembered if Destiny had been around when he was a teenager.
He started back to the theater, catching sight of a cat watching him through the window of the building across the street. A painted wooden sign read Meow and Then Café. As he passed, another cat leapt onto the windowsill and began licking its paw.
He turned away and scanned the street for Callie. His heart started beating oddly fast. What if she didn’t show?
Of course she’d show. She wasn’t the type to stand a guy up.
She was intense, though. Nothing had gotten in the way of her academics in high school, and nothing would get in the way of her career now.
What if she’d gotten busy with one of her research papers or stuck in a meeting…she’d prioritize work over a movie date with an old friend who hadn’t really been an old friend and—
What the hell was the matter with him?
He pushed his sleeve up to check his watch. Exactly seven.
She wasn’t here. He’d notice her if she was. He was developing a habit of noticing everything about her, from the way the light shone on her brown hair to the way she crinkled her nose when she was puzzled…not to mention the double-breasted blazer she’d been wearing that did nothing to conceal the shape of her breasts beneath her beige blouse.
“Hi.” Her voice, smooth and warm with a hint of a rasp, slid right into his veins.
His pulse sped up. She approached from the corner, her dark hair loose around her shoulders, her stride long and purposeful. In high school, she’d walked across the quad like that, as if she were going somewhere important. He hadn’t been lying when he’d told her she’d caught his teenaged attention.
But they weren’t teenagers anymore. Now his reaction to her was a hard, hot pull of attraction more forceful than any he’d experienced before. It tugged low in his body, crackled through his veins, electrified his nerves.
And all he was doing was watching her walk toward him. She wore a thin, camel-colored jacket over a beige sweater and a straight tan-and-brown skirt that, while not plaid, showed off her long, shapely legs.
“Sorry I’m late.” She stopped, hitching a purse over her shoulder. “I had a few things to finish up.”
Jake swallowed. “You’re not late.”
She glanced at her watch. “Three minutes. I’m usually on-the-dot punctual. Unless, of course, I’m hindered by a broken elevator.”
He sent up another silent thank-you to the elevator gods for that most excellent timing.
“You look…” He indicated her hair. “Uh, great.”
Christ. He wasn’t a teenager anymore, but he was sure as hell acting like one.
“I haven’t seen your hair down,” he added.
“Oh.” She touched her hair self-consciously as a pleased light appeared in her eyes. “Thank you. You look nice too.”
“Thanks.”
She swept her gaze over him and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Actually, I just came to tell you I can’t…I mean, I really shouldn’t…”
He held up a hand, his insides twisting. “You promised me two hours. If you don’t follow through, I’ll just show up at your office again tomorrow. Maybe with another Latin insult for your esteemed colleague.”
Callie’s mouth twitched. Fidgeting with her purse strap, she glanced at the marquee, which displayed the titles of the two movies showing on the Vitaphone’s screen.
“Okay.” She blew a long breath upward, stirring the hair at her temples. “Which movie is playing first?”
“Sudden Impact. Love and War starts at ten, but we could get something to eat and come back, if you’d rather see that.”
“Is either movie good?”
“Love and War has great acting and an interesting story about complicated family dynamics, but it’s uneven narratively. The director tried to connect the storytelling to French New Wave cinema and the—”
He broke off and cleared his throat. As if a Classics professor needed to hear his take on film criticism.
She was watching him with a faintly quizzical gleam in her eyes. He indicated the second movie on the marquee.
“Sudden Impact is a rewrite of an eighties film, but it misses the point of the original,” he continued. “They added a bunch of explosions and car chases. Nothing moviegoers haven’t seen a thousand times before.”
“Well, considering I haven’t been to the movies in the past decade, it’ll be brand new for me.”
She flashed him a smile that was like a firefly—quick and brilliant.
A slight tightness spread through his chest. Still studying the marquee, she lifted a hand to her necklace, absently running one finger back and forth across the silver chain. The gesture was so hypnotic Jake couldn’t pull his gaze away.
“So which one should we see?” She glanced at him, her pursed mouth drawing his attention to her perfect bow-shaped lips. “Or do you want to do something else?”
He could think of a lot of things he wanted to do with her, not the least of which was kiss her pretty mouth.
Suppressing the urge, he indicated the crosswalk. He also wanted to talk more with her, see her smile, and discover what else she’d been up to in the past fifteen years, but that kind of intimacy would push him farther into the danger zone that was lit with flashing neon signs.
This evening was the result of the deal he’d made with Eleanor Prescott. Nothing else. Okay, he was attracted to Callie, and he liked her, and he was glad they’d connected again after so long, but that was it.
There would be no dating and sure as hell no kissing. No matter how much he wanted it. She was off-limits, both because he was only here for a short time, and his instincts told him Callie wasn’t a “short time” kind of woman, and also because Eleanor had made it clear he and Callie could never be a good match.
“You pick the movie,” he said.
“Let’s try the action flick.” She started toward the crosswalk. “I could use a break from complicated family dynamics. Greek mythology is packed with them. Not to mention, I have a few of my own.”
Curious about that statement, Jake glanced in both directions down the street and extended a hand toward her. Her fingers barely grazed his before he realized his mistake. An electric jolt shot clear up his arm at her brief touch. He jerked his hand away and shoved it in his pocket.
Callie blinked, faint confusion darkening her eyes. Keeping a good distance, Jake gestured that it was safe to cross the street and fell into step beside her.
He needed to be careful. He was accustomed to taking the lead and being protective, both with the young starlets he agreed to accompany to parties and especially with his mother and sister.