As far as Anna's suggestion, I made a show of giving it some thought. "So this sack of yours, is it see-through?"
Her smile faltered. "What?"
''I'm just saying, if people can't see what's inside, what's the point?"
"Well..." Her tongue darted across her lips. "Maybe the sack is…"
Just then, a perky blonde appeared beside our table. "Oh, my God," she squealed, looking from me to Anna. "What areyoutwo doing here?"
The blonde looked familiar, but I couldn’t seem to place her. Standing behind her was a lumpy brown-haired guy maybe a decade or two older. He wore a dark suit and tie – not too pricy, but not the cheap stuff either. From the look on his face, he wanted to be anywhere but here.
My gaze drifted to Anna. The way it looked, she was feeling the same.
Anna still hadn't replied when the blonde practically gushed, "It's beenwaytoo long." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder and said, "This is Preston, my fiancé, by the way."
Anna gave Preston a tentative smile. "Oh. Congratulations."
The blonde smiled. "Thanks. We're planning a November wedding." Without looking behind her, she said, "Isn't that right, Preston?"
Preston gave an obedient nod.
The blonde beamed at Anna. "Hey, I know. Why don't we join you?"
Anna hesitated. "Um, actually…"
This was too good to pass up. I said, "Sure, grab a seat." To drive the point home, I moved deeper into the booth, making room for Preston or whoever.
But it wasn't Preston who dove in beside me. It was the blonde. As she slid closer, she leaned her head close to mine and whispered, "I justloveyour movies, by the way."
"Thanks." I looked to Anna, who was sliding over to make room for Preston. She looked stiff and uncomfortable, which is exactly why I'd invited them in.
Obviously, the blonde was someone Anna knew. Whether she was a friend or acquaintance, or hell even a waffle customer, I didn't care. All I knew was that Anna needed to get used to playing her part, and it would be better to start here in front of a friendly audience than in front of the hostiles she'd be meeting later on.
Anna didn't know it, but we were going to the coast in just a few months for the premiere of the new movie. This was half of the reason I'd started the process here, in the middle of nowhere.
Better than most people, I knew the importance of rehearsals, and I was determined to make sure everything was running smoothly by the time we ventured beyond Anna's home turf.
Call it a dress rehearsal.
From beside me, the blonde looked to Anna and said, "Well? Aren't you going to introduce us?"
It was a funny thing to say, considering that blonde had practically introduced herself, aside from her name, that is.
Still, I kept my mouth shut as Anna went through the process of telling me that the blonde's name was Mackenzie and that she was an old friend from high school.
When Anna finished, Mackenzie giggled. "I'm notthatold." With a big eye-roll, she looked to Preston and said, "I mean, if anyone's the geezer here, it's him." But then, her eyes brightened. "Preston's in banking."
Of course he was.
I was no expert in relationships, but even I could see that theirs wouldn't be a marriage based on mutual respect and admiration – unless the guy had a cock the size of Texas.
Preston said, "Actually, I'm in finance."
Mackenzie snapped, "I know. That's what I said." Afterward, she turned to me and said in a friendlier tone, "If you ever need financing for a new movie, Preston's your guy."
I gave Preston a quick once-over. If I needed financing – which I didn't – I sure as hell wouldn’t be seeking it from a guy so dense that he'd marry someone who only had eyes for his wallet.
Still, I said the appropriate things and then looked to Anna, who'd been silent during this whole exchange.
