I’m not doing this. Lulu yawns at me before she flops onto the floor, bored with my stupidity.
“Yeah, you’re right. I suck at this. Thanks for that vote of confidence.” I pull my hair up, trying to get it out of my face while I figure out what to do next. “Maybe I should call Dani. Her sister might know who Renate is and Dani would play matchmaker. She loves that shit.”
Pongo replies with a huff and rolls onto his back.
A thought pops into my head and I can’t help but laugh. “Dude, could you imagine if Renate turned out to be Dani’s sister? That would be weird as hell, huh?” I shiver at the thought when I let it sink in a little more. “Don’t even wish that into existence, man! One Dani is enough. Even knowing there’s another one out there is fucking nuts.”
I trudge to the fridge and take out the orange juice, chugging straight from the bottle. Bourbon would hit the spot better, but it’s a bit early for that, and it’s gym day. If I puke, Steve will fucking kill me after he’s done laughing his ass off about it. More quick breaths as I center myself and grab the phone off the charging dock. I haven’t been this fucking nervous since…since. Since I had a panic attack in the middle of a damn audition. At least that worked out for the best because the movie bombed hard and I got picked up for an incredible show after that.
This isn’t a movie, though. It’s bigger.
I grab the phone and open the phone app and freeze. “NOPE! Fuck.” I open the messenger app instead and pull up Jamie’s thread.
Dude, what was the name of that school?
JimJam
Literally called Hollywood Tech and Arts, man. Are you drunk?
Wait…why?
Nothing and fuck you. My agent asked.
JimJam
Bullshit. Call me later when you’ve thought of a better lie.
If I tell him now, he’s going to talk me out of this. I could ask him who she was, since he talked to just about everyone last night. But if I describe her as the knockout short chick with the pouty lips and thick thighs? He’d slap me through the phone. He had to have noticed me watching her last night. There was no trying to hide it.
I’m arguing with myself over what I should do, and when I glance down again, I’ve already Googled the school and my thumb hovers over their phone number. I check the time and scoff. I don’t have a fucking clue if the schools are open right now or not.
“Hollywood School for Technology and Arts. How may I help you?”
A real person? People still answer phones? Come on Coop, head in the game!
“Yes, hello! My…wife and I have been checking into schools in the area and we spoke to a teacher at your school the other day. I believe her name was Renate. I don’t recall her last name.” I’m laying it on thick, slipping into a character I played in a television show years ago and hoping like hell this lady falls for my bullshit. “She teaches something to do with art… or technology?”
Fuck, you’re an idiot, Cooper.
“Oh, Renate Silva?”the voice on the phone asks.“She’s the head of our technology department.”
“That sounds right. Hispanic, long hair, in her late twenties or early thirties?” I sound like an absolute douche. I hope this doesn’t get back to her. Although, I’m sure it will, since I doubt many ‘fathers’ call the school with physical descriptions of teachers they’re trying to reach. Stalker!
“Yes, sir. That’s Ren. Did you and your wife have additional questions about the school or anything else I can help you with?”
I’m about to say no and hang up in sheer panic when I get an idea. “Well, we’d like to send her a small gift, something to thank her for her help. A token of our gratitude. Would that be possible? Not to her home address, obviously, but something to the school?”
“Yes, sir. We would take the deliveries in the office.”
“Perfect. Thank you for your time.”
I don’t even wait for her to end the call, hanging up and cheering like I’d won the lotto or something. “Renate Silva! Head of the Technology department—wait. Silva?” I pull up my contacts and scroll through. Sure enough, there’s Dani’s name followed by Silva. Oh, I will never hear the end of this. Jamie talked to Renate last night, but they weren’t acting all buddy-buddy or anything like I thought he would act toward Dani’s sister.
Icannothave the hots for Dani’s fucking sister. Can I?
Both dogs sit there staring at me like the moron I am as I drop onto the edge of the couch. I let out a slow, deep sigh, unsure what to do next. It’s the first person who’s caught my attention in years and it has to be my friend’s sister? Dani islikemy sister, which makes this all so wrong.
Am I overreacting? Like I don’t do that every damn day of my life.
