14
Landon
“Where exactly are we going?”Chloe asks from the passenger seat of my jeep. School finished—without incident—twenty minutes ago.
All right. That’s not exactly true.
There were several incidents. Like spilled paint. One kid testing out his newfound vocabulary—a word he’d heard his much older brother use.
A word that wasn’t appropriate for his ears or those of his classmates.
And then there was the disagreement over whose turn it was to pick today’s story. For a second, I thought it was going to end in a brawl.
“Sausalito,” I reply.
“So, who’s the mysterious person you want me to meet?”
“She’s Isabelle’s grandmother.”
“Okaaay. Is there any particular reason you want me to meet her?”
“I figure she can help us with the show.”
“So, she’s a teacher?”
I grin at Chloe. “Nope.” And return my attention to the road.
“What kind of background does she have that will help me with the show?”
“She has an Academy Award for Best Actress and a handful of Tonys.”
From the corner of my eye, I see Chloe swivel abruptly in her seat. “Are you kidding me?” Her voice comes out as a squeak.
“I kid you not.”
“And she’s expecting us?”
“She is. She doesn’t know who you are. She knows you’re a client, and I’m working undercover as a teacher at the school where you teach. She’s not aware of the specifics beyond that.”
“Does she know why I need her help?”
“Yes. That part, I could tell her.”
“Does she also believe I’m your girlfriend?”
I nod. “For the sake of the mission, it’s better that she believes the same as everyone else. But you don’t have to worry that she’ll be like Kiera. She won’t grill you about why things are moving quickly between us.”
“Does she know our relationship has progressed at lightning speed?”
“I’m not sure if that part came up in the discussion Isabelle had with her.”
“Will you at least tell me her name?”
“Josephine Ashworth.”
That results in a squeal from Chloe. “Ohmigod. I know who she is. My grandmother was a huge fan of hers. I’ve seen every one of her movies at least three times. She’s an amazing actress.” Compared to a Jaguar, the speed of Chloe’s words would’ve left it in the dust. “I don’t even know what to say to her. I’m going to sound like an idiot.”
I highly doubt that. If anything, Isabelle’s grandmother will fall instantly in love with her.
