“I’m taking you out for dinner and drinks after work today, buddy. You look like you’re about to pass out.”
I shake the thoughts out of my head. “I’m sorry, Sam. It was a rough night. Too many thoughts and not enough brain cells.”
“Out partying with Coop?”
“Nah, he’s off somewhere. Toronto, I think he said.”
“Tell him to bring that new dog of his by sometime. She looks sweet as hell. I heard his brother got called up to the pros.”
“Backup goalie for Pasadena, yeah. Want me to get you some tickets?”
“Absofuckinglutely. No shitty seats, either. I should get a box.” He leans forward on his giant desk, folding his hands as his face turns serious. It makes me nervous. “Hey, I heard about the grant falling through. I’ll get a feel for who has jobs coming up. If I can pull some strings and get you a few more gigs once this one is over, I’m sure it would help. Shit has been rough for you lately, but hang in there, and if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here, man.”
“Thanks, Sam.”
He means it, even if I never take him up on it. Hell, I won’t even ask him to hire me full time, even though I’m sure he’d take me in a heartbeat. He shuffles through a desk drawer, pulls out a card, and hands it to me.
A therapist. Fantastic. Sam covers insurance for his freelancers, so he’s not leaving me with a lot of excuses to get out of this.
“He’s really good. Went to school with my wife before he took off for Paris for a while. If you don’t want to talk to me, try talking to him. I’ll cover the cost.”
“Sam, you don’t have?—”
“I have the resources to care for my people, so don’t argue with me. Anyhow, don’t worry about how you get nervous around new folks. I think you’ll get along wonderfully with Lex. She’s weird as hell sometimes, and I can’t figure her out, but she’s excellent. You two will have fun making this money.”
Dani must have made me paranoid. If I didn’t know Sammy well, I’d be concerned about his motives—is this meant to be a date or a project? Neither would surprise me, especially with Dani involved. I wonder if they’re in on this together and it’s some elaborate?—
“—It would be nice if you were doing that again. At least a little more than you have been, anyhow.”
Shit. I phased out again. “Wait, doing what?”
“That’s exactly what I mean. You’re way too damn stressed. You’re gonna burn yourself out like this, kid. When was the last time you hit the town and enjoyed yourself? It’s Hollywood, baby!” I laugh, but Sam’s not kidding. “Jamie, you gotta live a little. You don’t even come out to Dani’s gigs anymore, and you used to be a regular. You’re too young and talented to lock yourself away like this. Enjoy life again, man.”
“It’s got to give me something to enjoy first.” It’s possible it already has. I stand up with Sam and gather up my stuff. “Don’t worry, I won’t scare her away with the brooding artist routine.”
“What? I thought women were all about that whole moody, starving artist scene?” He claps me on the back while he throws his head back, laughing. “Come on, let’s introduce you to my little vampire. When you said you might be busy, I was going to stick her with Lorenzo. She probably would have chewed his ass up and spit him out.”
I smile, holding in the anxiety running through my veins. I can do this. Meet this Lexi person, go back to the coffee shop, and become a part-time creeper. Perfect. There’s the potential that I’ll find her again and realize she’s a daydream and nothing more. Or worse, she’s got the personality of a rock.
Sam’s talking about money again as he holds the door open, and when I finally regain my focus, my heart stops. Across the table, working on her laptop, is my coffee queen.She’s still beautiful. The ethereal wonder that came and went before my eyes. But now she’s here. In Sam’s office.
Wait. In Sam’s office?
Lexi.
Alexis.
Sam mentioned her name earlier, even before this project. Dani said her name earlier when I dropped off the prints. I’m a fucking idiot. I try to check with Sam. Maybe this is a joke; I even blink a few times to make sure it’s not all in my head. But there she sits, the woman who lit a match to the dying embers of my soul.
Of course, this also means I have to talk to her. Words less moronic than ‘you dropped this’ and ‘you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, please run away with me’ are now necessary—this plan is failing already.
This could be the best or absolute worst three months of my life. Based on my current track record, there’s a depressingly high chance it won’t end up as the former.
This is a disaster. This is terrible. I’m about to be working with her! She can’t be the woman of my dreams and my co-worker. Shit. Dani planned this whole thing somehow. That’s what she was hiding when I mentioned the pink hair and the coffee shop. We inevitably had to cross paths. I fell into her trap without her doing anything beyond mentioning that I was hungry. Is that why Dani invited me out tonight? I can’t go to the mixer! Lexi might think I’m a loser!
I am a loser.
Dani’s devious little plot was brilliant—likely exceeding her own expectations. Especially when I waltzed in like a love-struck Shakespearian Romeo going on and on about his Rosaline. If Rosaline looked like Lexi, there’s no fucking way I’d give Juliette a second glance.
