Love Scene, Take Two

by Alex Evansley

  Bennett gapes at her, and it takes both Olivia and Teddy kicking her under the table to remind her that she needs to keep talking.

  “No, please don’t cry,” Bennett says, laughing and already feeling her throat constrict. “I’ll start crying, too.”

  Maggie sniffs. “Do you mind signing this? I know it’s falling apart, but I’ve read it so many times, I—I don’t want to buy another copy.”

  “I’d love to.” Bennett reaches for her book, already knowing what to write inside.

  Olivia and Teddy keep up small talk with Maggie while she waits for her book. When Bennett is done, she closes the cover carefully, hands it back to her, and thanks her twice for coming. Maggie takes it back without asking for any more signatures, and once she’s away from the table, Teddy leans over and asks, “Do you normally write, like, a paragraph on the insides of people’s books?”

  Bennett shakes her head, still watching Maggie as she heads toward the exit. She stops dead in her tracks and turns around, the front cover to her copy open in her hands. At the risk of sounding cheesier than Bennett can even stand—the grin on Maggie’s face is something Bennett knows all too well, and it’s the reason she began writing in the first place.

  “Nope,” she says to Teddy. “Only certain ones.”

  * * *

  They finally have to get the bookstore’s owner to announce that the signing is officially over when it gets to be half past six.

  The hundred or so people still in line aren’t happy. If the panel hadn’t already been sitting there for almost five hours straight, Bennett would stay longer. She (and everyone else for that matter) is so antsy to get up that she isn’t bothered by the few angry shouts they get when the security team closes off the front of the line.

  That’s when Bennett notices the crack in their well-planned setup.

  Emmy sent her parents and the McGearys to the owner’s office toward the back of the bookstore. In order to get there, they have to follow the line that snakes all the way around the contour of the bookstore. There are ropes set up to keep the line organized, creating a narrow alley of people along the wall on one side and tall bookshelves on the other. Basically, a gauntlet of excited, somewhat annoyed Teddy Sharpe and Olivia Katsaros fans.

  Bennett lets out a shaky breath as they stand and file out from behind the table. People are clearly agitated about the signing ending, but at least the majority of them don’t say anything about it as they pass. They’re all mostly interested in fangirling or getting a high five from the actors.

  Bennett stays back to let Olivia and Teddy walk ahead so they can get to as many fans as they can (and to sort of use them as camouflage). It works for the most part—every now and then someone calls out to Bennett over a few screaming fans to ask her to sign something, but it isn’t anywhere near the attention Teddy and Olivia get. Bennett stays behind in their wake with one of the security guys, far enough back to give them space but close enough to keep up.

  They’re about three-fourths of the way to the back office when Bennett notices a group of guys huddled as close to the section ropes as they can get. A few of them are leaning on it like they’re daring the security team to say something.

  “Heyoooo, there she is!” one of them calls out over the dull roar of the crowd. They look like a bunch of college kids who are probably skipping class at the moment. The one who’s yelling now is wearing a UNCW shirt. The group perks up at his words and plaster nasty looks on their faces.

  “Yo, Olivia!” another yells. “Come’ere, baby!”

  Bennett watches Olivia bristle as she finishes signing a picture for a fan.

  “Aye, Olivia! I’m your biggest fan,” UNCW shirt sneers.

  “Yeah, he is.” His friend pushes his shoulder. “You’re not going to ignore your biggest fan, are you, baby?”

  Olivia and Teddy are only a few yards away from the group now, and the jackasses yelling are about to spill over into their path.

  “Off the ropes, fellas,” one of the security guys barks.

  A couple of the guys hold their hands up innocently.

  “Bennett!” someone calls out in the crowd. Two girls wave her over.

  “Please, Bennett, will you sign our books? We love you so much!” the other squeals.

  Despite the situation with Olivia unfolding, Bennett smiles and walks over; but not before throwing a few wide-eyed looks at some of the security guys, hoping they’ll get the hint. Teddy and Olivia are about to pass that group and things are probably about to get weird.

  “Olivia, baby, can I get a pic?”

  “No? What about a kiss?”

  “Ow, ow!” UNCW shirt whoops.

  Bennett can’t concentrate on signing anything with all these comments flying around. She looks at both of the girls in front of her and says, “Please stay away from those guys.”

  They nod, nervously side-eyeing the group.

  Bennett has just given the girls’ books back when Teddy and Olivia finally reach the idiots—she actually holds her breath as they pass by, waiting for some dickhead to make another comment. To everyone’s surprise, however, the guys only leer as they pass.

  Bennett sighs.

  Then someone yells, “Show us your tits!”

  “Are you kidding me?” Teddy bites out, whipping around. Olivia steps in his way and shakes her head. Bennett doesn’t hear what she says, but she does hear the reaction from the group. It looks like more words are exchanged, but after a moment Teddy places a hand on Olivia’s back to guide her the rest of the way past them. One of the security guards escorting Olivia steps up to the ropes and points to the exit. Several guys send a few more jabs after Teddy, but the others are already going on about something else.

  “Guys, guys!” one says. “What’ve we got here?”

  “Who the hell is that?” another calls out.

  Bennett looks around, trying to figure out to whom they’re referring, only to realize that most of the security team is busy either keeping people in line (literally) or escorting Teddy and Olivia away. Bennett is just standing there. By herself. In the middle of the makeshift gauntlet, with that entire group of douchebags leering at her.

  “She’s the author, you idiot,” says one particularly annoyed woman next to them.

  “Author? Of what?”

  “Oh shit,” another singsongs. “Pretty hot—I’d get with that.”

  Bennett’s eyes cut ahead to Teddy and Olivia. Teddy is busy signing someone’s phone case, but he’s angled back toward Bennett and glowering at UNCW shirt and all his friends. Bennett keeps her head down as she makes her way closer to the security team—inching toward the nearest bookshelf to put as much space between herself and the line as possible. All she has to do is get past these idiots.…

  “Aye, sweetheart?” UNCW shirt says. “Why don’t you head this way? I’ll give you somethin’ big to write about—”

  “The fuck did you just say, bro?”

  Bennett’s head whips up at Teddy’s voice ringing out, just in time to watch him storm over to the group of guys. Bennett bolts toward them, too.

  “Guys, wait—” She grits her teeth, getting there at the same time as Teddy. He wedges himself between Bennett and the section ropes, while a member of the security team wedges himself between the group and Teddy. Bennett clamps down on Teddy’s shoulder to pull him back—he looks like he’s dangerously close to throwing a punch. The last thing Bennett needs to add to the list today is a brawl.

  “I’m sick of your mouth, asshole. Back off,” Teddy snaps with so much venom behind it Bennett almost takes a step back herself.

  “Aw, sticking up for all the ladies now, Hollywood?” UNCW shirt says, then points toward Bennett. “You hittin’ that, too? How is she?”

  “That’s enough,” the security guy growls. He grips the collar of UNCW’s shirt. “I gave you the option to leave on your own. Get the hell outta here or I’ll throw you out myself.”

  One of the quieter guys of the group pops u
p from behind UNCW shirt. “Hey, man, we’re leaving.” He holds up his hands before trying to get his friend to follow suit.

  The security guard glares as he tightens his grip on UNCW shirt. Without looking away, he says, “Keep it moving, Mr. Sharpe.”

  “Thanks, Howard,” Teddy mutters, grabbing Bennett by the wrist and pulling her away with him.

  Bennett thinks they’re in the clear until someone behind them lets out an Oscar-worthy wolf whistle. Teddy turns back toward them so fast Bennett barely has time to react. She somehow jumps in front of him, though she doesn’t think he even notices.

  “Jesus Christ, Teddy,” she bites out, digging her fingernails into his rib cage to get his attention. “They just want a reaction—quit giving it to them!”

  Teddy glowers at the group over Bennett’s head and takes hold of one of her wrists again. For a second, she thinks he’s going to push her away, but instead he smooths his hand over hers and intertwines their fingers, taking a deliberate step backward. Bennett grips his hand and stalks past him, pulling him with her.

  “Fucking disgusting,” Teddy says under his breath.

  They ignore the fans the rest of the way to the back office. A few of the security guards have to section off a space in line so they can get through to a side hallway that leads to the back office. Once she’s confident they’re far enough away from the crowd, Bennett turns around and yanks Teddy closer to her to make sure he sees the look on her face.

  “Are you good?” she asks, letting more than a little attitude seep into her tone.

  Teddy jerks a hand to the back of his neck, squinting at a spot on the wall behind her. He nods.

  “Good,” Bennett huffs, dropping his hand. She doesn’t even know why she’s so irritated right now. She can’t say she has experience with being heckled like that by complete strangers. Olivia had handled the situation like a professional—like she was used to it—and it makes Bennett sick to think that something like that might happen to her regularly.

  Teddy reaches out and catches Bennett’s wrist before she can walk away. “Are you good?”

  “Yeah? Why?” she asks, sounding more hassled than she should. She tries to pull her hand away but Teddy tightens his grip. God. Teddy had stood up for her out there—for her and Olivia. And it was really sweet. She shouldn’t treat him like this, but just because she likes the idea of him standing up for her like that doesn’t mean she appreciates the scene it caused.…

  “Caldwell…” Teddy says, eyes searching hers. The intensity in his expression is putting her more on edge. “Those guys were dicks. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine, Teddy. And we need to go—my family’s here,” she says, trying to continue down the hallway. Teddy still doesn’t let her go yet. “Dude, what?”

  “Nothing, I just—” He shakes his head like he’s trying to decide on something. “I just really want to do this.”

  Slowly, cautiously, he steps toward Bennett and leans down.

  Bennett tenses at first, unsure of what he’s doing.

  “I’m giving you a hug. Calm down,” he says, dipping low and pulling her in. Bennett’s arms wrap around his neck out of reflex and her chin rests on his shoulder, and for a second she thinks she’s not up for this—too restless and strained from the day they’ve all had. But Teddy still hasn’t let her go yet, and he smells like fresh laundry, and the warmth and sincerity behind the gesture is so overwhelming that Bennett suddenly realizes this is everything she didn’t know she needed until now. She arches into him and squeezes.

  “Oh, man,” Teddy says after who knows how long, picking her up and setting her back down again. “You have no idea how much I’ve been wanting to do that lately.”

  Bennett isn’t ready for the hug to be over but her shoulders are starting to burn from reaching up so high. Teddy makes a slight noise in protest when she unwinds her arms from his neck; then he gives a satisfied hum when she wraps them back around his rib cage. Her ear is pressed to his chest and she notes with a touch of self-regard that his heart is beating as fast as hers.

  “Well, I mean—this and a few other things,” he says. “Six months is a long-ass time, Caldwell.”

  She smiles into his sweater, completely overindulging in the way he’s rubbing absentminded circles into her back. A million different clichés are running through her mind: how her heart feels like it’s bursting; how she’d probably float away if he wasn’t holding her down; how head over heels in lo—

  And then her eyes snap open and every emotion she’s feeling is upstaged by a new kind of anxiety.

  “Caldwell,” Teddy says after she accidentally exhales a frustrated sigh. “I can literally hear your brain freaking out right now.”

  Bennett snorts, but she doesn’t want to ruin the fragility behind this with talking about what is going on inside her head.

  “You smell good,” she says, hoping to distract him.

  “As long as you’re overanalyzing what type of laundry detergent I use, instead of … anything else, then I’m cool,” he says, and who even has a response like that ready to use whenever needed?

  Bennett finally does pull back so she can look up at him.

  “I’m a big fan of whatever detergent you use,” she says, since she sure as hell isn’t going to say anything else right now. Not yet.

  Teddy laughs and lets her lead him down the hallway, while Bennett refuses to ruin one of the sweetest moments she’s ever had with all the drama and bullshit of being emotionally inept. She stops in front of the back office’s door and takes a deep breath. She can handle this. She can keep her feelings in check. This doesn’t need to be a big deal, right?

  She twists the doorknob and steps inside with Teddy right behind her.

  And a second later they both come face-to-face with Liz McGeary.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Bennett was wrong. This is sensory overload.

  That’s the only way to describe walking into the back office. An onslaught of emotions slam into Bennett all at once—sort of like how Liz slams into her before she can even get through the doorframe, screeching something over her shoulder as she hugs her. It’s too much.

  Thankfully Bennett’s parents and brother appear in her field of vision after Liz pushes her aside to get to Teddy. At this point, Bennett’s fine with letting Teddy fend for himself. She goes to hug her family and hopes her face isn’t giving away the level of overwhelmed she’s reached. Her mom asks if she was surprised over and over while Tanner and their dad stand off to the side, giving Bennett a few subtle, reassuring looks to balance things out.

  Like mother like daughter, Aunt Susan wedges herself in next and holds Bennett at arm’s length, making a big show of telling her to take deep, cleansing breaths—that they’re all here for her and she shouldn’t look so stressed out. Uncle Fletcher waves, not bothering to put down his iPhone. Will is the only one of his family to seem genuinely excited to be here—Bennett even catches herself smiling at the starstruck look in his eyes when Olivia introduces herself.

  The only person to look more starstruck than Will is Bennett’s mother, but that’s only because Teddy manages to get away from Liz and walk over to say hi. Bennett watches him greet her parents, then watches his and Tanner’s animated bro-hug of a reunion like no time has passed, and she’s suddenly very aware of how tight her chest is—how it feels like she can’t take a deep enough breath.

  Eventually Emmy announces that they have dinner reservations at eight thirty across town, and that they all need to start heading that way. Liz throws a hand in the air, calling a spot in the limo like she’s daring someone to tell her no. Bennett doesn’t even know how she knew about the limo to begin with. Emmy explains that those involved in the book signing need to stay a few more minutes to go over some things with the owner (which is total bullshit), so it’s probably best that Liz goes ahead with everyone to the restaurant. Emmy is a saint.

  Bennett expects Liz to throw a tantrum. To the surprise o
f everyone in the room who knows her, though, Liz smiles sweetly and says she’ll see everyone there then. Emmy gives Bennett’s parents the name and address of the restaurant and a moment later everyone files out of the room except for Bennett, Emmy, Teddy, and Olivia.

  Everything except Bennett’s thoughts finally still.

  * * *

  “Bennett, are you gonna speak, like, at all?”

  Bennett’s gaze shifts from the back windshield to the concerned look on her assistant’s face.

  “Cut her some slack, Em,” Olivia says, stretching out across her seat. “She’s had a day.”

  Emmy isn’t having it. Bennett doesn’t blame her. Outside of thanking the owner for putting on the signing for them, Bennett hasn’t spoken a word since leaving the bookstore. She isn’t trying to be dramatic about it—it just feels like she has ninety million things to sort through in her head before she can attempt to do anything else.

  And it sure as hell doesn’t help that Teddy is pressed right up next to her with his arm slung casually across the seat behind her head.

  It shouldn’t have surprised Bennett that he’d sit next to her in the limo. And despite being a bit freaked out by how quickly her feelings escalated today, she really does want him there. But Liz being here is throwing her off. Her cousin already makes her cautious and protective of the important things in her life, and now that Teddy is included in that, Bennett’s starting to worry how long it’ll take before she catches herself teetering toward insecure as well.

  “Bennett.” Emmy tries again. “Would you like to tell us what you thought of the signing?” And what she’s really saying is that Bennett needs to snap out of it. Now.

  “It was—” Bennett starts, but her gaze shifts to the window behind Emmy’s head. The limo is slowing to pull up to the curb of some building, but there’s no way this is the restaurant. Surely Bennett’s publisher would’ve picked a place with less of a crowd … right? Bennett nods toward the window. “Em, is this where we’re eating?”

  “I think so…” Emmy turns around. “Wait, what the fuck is that?”