“We’ll only meet at the hotel then,” I say, placatingly.
“What if people see me coming and going?”
“People have already seen you coming and going.” I flop down beside her, clasping her hand in mine and playing with her fingers. “Usually dragging me out by the ear.”
Anya scoffs and gives me what I will now and forever call a ‘loving tap’.
“We should mix it up. Keep them on their toes.”
“Who is ‘them’?” I laugh.
“Shut up.” She bites her lip. “You can come to mine sometimes.”
My smile pulls at my cheek. “You’re so cute when you get shy.”
“I’m not shy.” She gives me a shove. “You don’t have to come to the apartment, gosh.”
I raise my arm and squeeze her to me. “I want to come to your place, Anya.”
I kiss her forehead.
She eventually pulls away from me and picks up her clothes. “I’ll go home and get changed, and I’ll meet you at work. Can you get there okay without me?”
“Can I go downstairs and get in the car without you?” I sit up, resting my arms on my bent knee. “I think I can manage, freckles.”
“Very funny.” Anya pulls her shoes on before she leans down and presses a final kiss to my mouth before heading out the door. I get a vision of the future, her coming to kiss me goodbye every morning before she leaves. I shake it off. Just yesterday we agreed we would keep it casual, see where it goes. It’s way too soon to be imagining a future of lazy mornings and goodbye kisses.
But as the door closes behind her, I can’t stop the grin that pulls at my mouth.
***
There is nothing that could happen today that would ruin my good mood. I finally got the girl I can’t get out of my mind, into my bed, with an understanding that she would return. I try to contort my face into my regular blasé expression and not the dopey grin I know I currently have.
Anya’s waiting for me when I step out of the car a few hours later, handing me my sides and a coffee. If I let my fingers linger on hers when I take the cup out of her hand, that’s our business.
I watch her bite the corner of her plump lip as she breaks our connection. “Straight to makeup today.”
“No down time?” I throw her a cheeky grin.
She narrows her eyes at me. “Not today.” We fall into step as we head to the makeup trailer. “You can have sometimeafter wrap. Back at your hotel.” It’s adorable that she thinks her little code is subtle.
I throw her an incredibly subtle wink in return. She rushes to open the door to the trailer ahead of me. I hold the door open over her head and usher her inside. Keeping things low-key is one thing but my girl being my personal doorman makes the gentleman inside me wince.
We step into the makeup truck and my good mood plummets like a lead balloon.
Sat in the chair next to mine, a white makeup bib around his neck, is Callum McBride. He looks over at me and greets me with an overly enthusiastic,“There he is. The leading man.”
My teeth clench together and I am frozen to the spot. I feel Anya’s hand flutter at my back giving me a gentle nudge to move.
Sally gestures for me to sit in the chair next to McBride. I stare straight ahead. Unfortunately, that requires me looking at my own face. I would much rather see the dopey grin I’ve had since this morning than the dark scowl I currently can’t budge. Refusing to let my eyes flicker to McBride, I instead fix my gaze on Anya who warily leans against the opposite wall. I know her tension is due to the blond asshole sat next to me, currently charming the artist who is attaching his ridiculous fake beard to his jaw.
Still, the sight of her relaxes me into my seat.
“Haven’t seen you around much Daniel. Not like you, party boy, eh?” McBride goads.
I take a deep breath. “I have better things to do with my time than sniff coke with you, Callum.”
McBride bleats a laugh. “Since when?”
