by Elicia Hyder
“Are you trying to confuse me? Am I supposed to say six or seven?”
“Seven,” she and I answered together.
He nodded. “Got it.”
I clicked record again.
He waved to the camera. “Hey, guys. Jake Barrett here, coming to you from my backyard. I wanted to let you know, I’m having a party here next Saturday…shit.”
I stopped the video. “This Saturday,” I corrected him.
“I know. Do it again.”
I clicked record.
He started speaking. “Yo, this is—”
Ava cut him off. “You’re not allowed to say yo, Jake. Try again.”
I stopped and restarted the recording.
“Hey, guys. Jake Barrett here. I’m having a party this Saturday, and you’re all invited to watch live. Tune it at seven p.m. to join me and my friends as we celebrate the drop of my newest album, The Gun Show”—he paused to flex—“in stores and available online everywhere this Friday.” He pointed at my camera. “Saturday, right here at seven. I’ll see you then.” And he winked.
I was surprised, shocked actually. “That was really good.”
He slowly dusted off his hands. “I’m a pro, honey.”
“A pro would’ve nailed it on the first take!” Ava called. She’d successfully moved the mystery man asleep at the bar over to a lounge chair by the pool.
“You’re so mean to me, Ava!” he cried dramatically, making his voice crack with emotion.
I laughed and played the video back on my phone. It was good. I got up and walked to the bar to show Ava for her approval. She bent over my shoulder and watched. “He cleans up pretty well, doesn’t he?”
With a short sigh, I nodded. “Yeah.”
As if on cue, even though there’s no way he could’ve heard us, Jake Barrett stripped off his black T-shirt. The sky opened up, and heaven’s glorious light shined down. I almost dropped my phone. “Holy smokes,” I said under my breath.
She fanned my face. “Jake, put your clothes back on. You’re going to give Lucy a stroke, and I really don’t want to have to hire a new web person.”
If my face wasn’t already red, it was then. I wanted to crawl behind the bar.
Jake laughed and put on his red shirt. He pointed to the text across the front. “Does Lucy need a hug?”
I held my hand up to stop him as he walked toward me. “Lucy is just fine.”
He hugged me anyway. Oh my.
“Come on, let’s get this done. If he hugs you too long, you might catch the pink stiletto’s cooties,” Ava said, pulling him off me.
I shot the second video. His spiel was almost a carbon copy of the first, but we filmed it at the bar instead of the fire pit. And besides the new shirt, Jake also wore his signature brown leather cowboy hat that Ava had found discarded in the grass by the pool.
“Is that all you need?” Jake asked when I tapped the stop button on the video.
“I think so,” I said.
Ava held out her hand. “May I?”
“Sure.” I handed her the phone, and she played back the clip.
“What’s the plan for Saturday with the video?” he asked me.
I looked at Ava. “Has Audrey given you any specifics?”
She crossed her legs. “She’s been planning to have a full production team here for it, but I think I’m going to cancel them too.” She held up my phone. “You’re onto something, Lucy. This is good. Feels like a home movie. It needs to be like this at the party as well.”
“I agree,” I said. “I think that’s why Jana Carter is having so much success with her videos. It’s like she invites the fans into her home.”
She flashed me a grin. “That’s exactly the angle of reasoning I plan on using with my sister. I’ll also nail down the specifics about what she wants to shoot.”
Jake raised his hand. “I’d like to play a song. We’re going to have all the equipment set up for that anyway.”
I drummed my nails on the bar top. “Might be kind of hard with the acoustics. I’ll test it out this week and see how the sound comes across on the video.”
“Perfect,” Ava said.
“Will I see you Saturday?” Jake asked me.
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be here.” I looked at Ava. “I was wondering…can I bring someone?”
She turned her eyes and cut her eyes at me. “Like a date?”
“Maybe.”
Jake and Ava sang a melodic “Ooo” at the same time.
I hid my face behind my hand.
“Who is it?” Ava asked. “Anyone I’ve heard of?”
“Maybe,” I said again.
She pointed at me. “It’s Humphrey Bogart, isn’t it?”
I’d almost forgotten about that, but of course, Ava of Golden Hollywood wouldn’t. “Yes.”
“You’re dating him? The Adler guy?” she pressed.
“Adler,” Jake said. “Do I know him? Sounds familiar.”
“Adler Construction,” she said.
He nodded. “Oh yeah. They’re everywhere.”
I held up my hands. “It’s not that serious. We’ve only been out a couple of times, so please don’t make a big deal out of it.”
Jake hooked his arm around Ava’s neck again. “What makes you think we’d make a big deal of it? We’ll be on our very best behavior.”
I didn’t know Jake that well, but I was sure that didn’t mean very much. I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair. “Oh god.”
“Of course you can bring him,” Ava said. “And Jake’s hungover right now. He won’t even remember this conversation by next Saturday.”
Jake nodded. “That’s true.”
I pulled my phone back out. “Can I make one more request?”
“Go for it,” he said.
“Can I fangirl and get a selfie to send to my dad?” And everyone else I’ve ever known in my whole life.
Jake smiled and took the phone from my hand. “Only if I get to take it.”
He held the camera high in the air and aimed it out our faces. “Cheers!” he said, kissing me on the cheek as he snapped the photo.
Thirteen
Ava drove me back to the office, and I spent the next couple of hours rewriting the marketing plans for our entire client roster. When I was sure everyone was gone for the day, I called Ethan to check in while I finished trimming and editing the videos we’d shot at Jake’s. When I finally left the office at five and fought my way through rush-hour traffic, I narrowly beat my date to my door.
I’d planned to shower, flat-iron my hair, and put on makeup, but I had barely enough time to even change my clothes. I quickly dressed in black yoga capris, a spaghetti-strap tank top, and an off-the-shoulder heather gray sweatshirt. I angled the neckline so it drooped off my right shoulder and fully covered my left because the bruising from my collision with Grace had faded to an ugly brownish green.
My doorbell rang at exactly six o’clock.
When I opened the door, I almost whimpered. West was wearing jeans and a navy T-shirt that looked like it had been tailored to mold to his body. Hell, he was loaded; maybe it had been. I was so distracted I forgot to say hello.
His eyes drifted from my face down to my sneakers and back up again. “I hope this means we’re staying in to watch Netflix and eat cereal.”
Smiling, I pulled the door open wide and stepped out of his way. “Sorry to disappoint, but we are going out. Come on in.”
He paused to wipe his boots on the doormat, and I thought I might melt into a puddle right there in the foyer. “Nice place,” he said, glancing around my apartment. He fingered the fake daisies I’d put in a vase on the table by the door. “Nice flowers.”
“Thanks. Did you have any trouble finding it?”
He shook his head. “Nope. I’ve lived here all my life. Nashville’s not that big.”
I closed the door. “Speak for yourself. I can hardly get to work without getting lost.”
“Or getting in an accident,�
�� he teased.
I groaned. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
He laughed. “Absolutely not.” His eyes popped open. “Wait, I have something for you.” He shoved his hand into his back pocket. “Now, it’s not a traditional third-date gift, but this might save your life someday.”
I cocked an eyebrow in question. “OK.”
He handed me a small can.
Turning it over in my palm, I read the label out loud. “Hornet and Wasp Killer.” I held it up and laughed. “And travel size no less.”
He nudged my arm with the back of his hand. “It’ll fit right in your purse or your tidy little glove compartment.”
I hugged it to my chest. “I’ll cherish it always. Thank you.”
He put his hand over his heart. “I’m a protector. What can I say?”
My purse was sitting on the table by the door. I made sure he was watching as I placed it inside. He winked and gave me a thumbs-up.
I nodded toward the hallway. “Can you give me five more minutes? I just want to pull my hair up.”
“Why?” He reached out and twisted a strand around his finger. “I think it’s beautiful.”
I almost fell on the floor. “You do?”
“Absolutely.”
I smiled. “OK, but I must warn you.” I pointed toward my head. “There’s a sixty percent chance of rain this evening, and that kind of humidity might turn me into Cousin It by the end of the night.”
He squished his mouth over to one side as he considered it. “Maybe bring a ponytail holder just in case.”
I tapped the side of my purse and looped it over my shoulder. “It’s right next to my bee defense.”
He opened my front door again. “Fantastic. Are you ready to go?”
“Yep,” I said, walking outside.
“Will you tell me where we’re going now?”
I smiled as I pulled the door closed behind me. “Nope.” I looked down at his shoes. “You are wearing socks, right?”
His eyes widened. “Yes. Is that a clue?”
“Maybe.”
“I’m intrigued. A date where socks are mandatory,” he said, lost in thought as we walked down the stairs.
He opened my door when we reached the truck and held my elbow as I climbed inside. “You look really cute, by the way,” he said as I buckled my seat belt.
I smiled, and he closed the door.
Watching him walk around the front of the truck, my heart raced with excitement and fear. There was little doubt West Adler truly liked me, but at the same time I couldn’t help but feel like an unlikely contestant on The Bachelor wondering if I’d receive a rose at the end of the night or be sent home.
He got in and cranked the engine. “All right, Lucy Lou. Where are we headed?”
I plugged the address into Google Maps on my phone. “Drive to Brentwood.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, putting the truck into reverse. “How was your day?”
“It was busy. And definitely interesting.”
He looked over at me. “Really? Why?”
“Stop driving a second and I’ll show you,” I said.
“Fascinating.” He pulled over sideways into a row of empty parking spaces.
I found the selfie from earlier in my photo album. I clicked it open and passed him the phone.
He frowned. “Not sure how to take this. Another guy kissing you on the cheek?” He offered the phone back to me.
“No, really look at it. Do you know who he is?”
He focused on the screen again. After a second, he laughed. “Is that Jake Barrett?”
“Yep.”
“Then I really don’t know how I feel about him kissing you on the cheek.” He smiled and handed me my phone again before putting the truck back in drive. “I can compete with a lot of dudes, but he’s not one of them.”
“He’s really funny and super nice,” I said.
West chuckled. “You’re not making me feel better, Lucy.”
“Would it make you feel better to know he said I can bring a date next Saturday?” I asked, my heart thumping in my chest.
He grinned over at me. “Only if you’re talking about bringing me.”
“You’ve made the short list of potential suitors. We’ll see how tonight goes.”
“That’s good because tonight, I’m going to blow your mandatory socks off!”
I laughed. “You don’t even know where we’re going.”
“Then I’ll have to improvise.”
Ten minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of the Brentwood Skate Center. He looked up at the neon sign and laughed. “Are you kidding me? Roller skating?”
“What’s wrong with roller skating?” I asked as he parked the truck.
“Nothing’s wrong with it if you’re twelve,” he said.
We got out of the truck and met by the tailgate. “Are you too manly and mature to take me roller skating?” I asked.
He hooked his arm around my neck, pulled me close, and pressed a kiss against the side of my head. “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, my dear. I just assumed you’d pick someplace fancy, like a steakhouse or a wine bar.”
I grinned up at him. “Then you don’t know me very well.”
He leaned his head against mine as we walked to the door. “And I can’t wait to find out more.”
We rented skates when we got inside. I could have brought mine, but I feared it might raise questions I wasn’t yet ready to answer. As we laced up beside the rink, I realized we were the only childless adults in the building who didn’t work there.
West pointed at me when his skates—size twelves, yay!—were on his feet. “If I my bust my ass, you’re not allowed to laugh or tell anybody.”
“I can’t promise I won’t laugh,” I said, standing up beside him. The old wheels felt rickety underneath me. If my derby skates were Cadillacs, these were jalopies.
He stood and wobbled a little.
I offered him my hand. “Need some help?”
He playfully smacked my hand away. “I’m a grown man. I can do this by myself.”
I laughed. “I can get you one of those walkers on wheels.”
“You’re not funny, Lucy.”
I mimicked his move from the first day we met and held up my fingers millimeters apart. “I’m a little funny.”
Without waiting for him, I rolled across the 1980s geometric printed carpet to the slick and shiny roller rink. It was crowded with preteens, little kids, and a few parents. Disco lights swirled around me and Bruno Mars crooned over the speakers. I looked back at West. He was slowly inching his way toward me.
Maybe this was a bad idea, I wondered. But then a little boy in plastic trainer skates rolled past West and slapped him a high five. The kid was barely taller than my date’s knees, and West’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.
“You know, I was pretty good at this when I was a kid,” West said when he finally reached me. The song had changed to a Maroon 5 number.
“Maybe it’s like riding a bike.” I rolled backward to give him some room to step onto the rink.
West gripped the carpeted half wall that bordered the curve. “We could have gone anywhere in Nashville, Lucy.”
I laughed. “Don’t make me skate this room without you.”
He reached for my hand and laced his fingers with mine as we rolled slowly around the wide turn. “What made you pick this?”
I shrugged. “Maybe it was the roller derby thing the other night. It looked like fun.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
“I did,” I said.
He smiled. “Maybe next season I can introduce you to a few of the players.”
“That would be awesome.” I wanted to tell him the truth. But I didn’t. I would tell him eventually, but not until I knew how far this relationship was going to go. “West, how did you get into roller derby?”
“Some of the girls work out at my gym. They gave me tickets last year to a bout,
and I’ve been hooked ever since. Adler Construction sponsors the team now.”
I didn’t dare tell him I already knew that. “Besides roller derby and the gym, what else do you do?”
He thought for a second. “I like going out downtown sometimes. And I’ve got season tickets to both the Predators and the Titans.”
“So you’re a sports guy.”
He nodded. “Is that a bad thing?”
“No. But you know, I’ve never been to a professional game of any sport.”
His fingers squeezed mine. “Well, we’ll have to fix that this year.”
My heart thudded in rhythm with Adam Levine’s voice. A little girl, maybe nine or ten, skated between us, ducking under our hands. He laughed and pulled me closer to him to close the gap. “I must say, this was a pretty fun idea.”
“Yeah?” I asked, looking up at him.
He nodded. “Yes. Even if we’re the only grown-up couple in here.”
“Want to see a trick?” I asked, releasing his hand.
“Of course.”
I turned around and skated backward, carefully watching over my shoulder. It was a move we’d practiced on Wednesday night.
He clapped his hands. “Hey, you’re pretty good!”
No sooner had the words left his lips than I lost my footing and fell flat on my backside with a hard thud. He burst out laughing and got himself stopped a few feet past me. I pushed myself up and caught up with him.
“That’s what happens when you get cocky,” I said.
He shrugged. “It’s more than I can do.”
We made a few more laps around the room. “Is this all you have planned?” he asked, then patted his flat stomach. “Because I’m going to need to be fed soon.”
I pointed to the snack bar. “They have pizza and hot dogs.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Do you want pizza or hot dogs?”
“It doesn’t matter to me.”
“I tell you what. We’ll skate for as long as you want, but then I get to pick the place to take you for dinner. Deal?”
I smiled. “Deal. But I want to play skeeball too while we’re here.” I glanced at the arcade. “I’m going home with that stuffed Minion, if I have to spend every quarter in your bank account.”
He laughed and took my hand again, this time pulling it up to his lips and kissing my knuckles. “Then I’ll make sure you win two.”