Page 35 of The Expiration Date

I cough. “I think I just did.”

“Don’t be quippy with me and don’t try to evade the subject. I’ve known you all of my life, Haley Swann. I know when you are lying. Spill it!”

Damn, she knows. I knew I couldn’t lie to Anna. She’s like a fricken bloodhound when it comes to detecting lies. She should have gone into detective work so she could interrogate people. She’s a natural at it.

“Okay fine.”

So I tell Anna the entire story. Everything from the meeting in Samantha’s office, the diner, the premiere, and even the night in Aidan’s apartment. It feels so good for someone other than Aidan, Rachel, Samantha and Chris to know. I need someone in my inner circle to know what is going on. I am just too embarrassed to tell my mom and God knows what my dad would have thought about all of this.

“I swear I won’t tell a soul…not even Dan.” Anna takes my hand in hers. “I promise.” That’s the thing about Anna. She is sincerely genuine and she has never judged me for anything in my life. We have a bond that’s truly unbreakable. We support each other no matter what.

“Anna, you can tell Dan if you want. He’s your person. I don’t expect you to keep anything from him. He’s about to be your husband in, like, 48 hours.”

She shakes her head. “Nope, not even Dan. I am taking this one to the grave. You were my person first, babe. You’ll always be my person. Dan just comes in as a very close second.”

“Thanks for understanding and listening…and not judging.” I graze my finger on the black lid of my coffee cup.

“I would never judge you, Haley and of course. This is what best friends are for.” She reaches an arm around me and pulls me in for a hug.

I take a deep breath of relief as I sip on what is left of my coffee.

“But,” Anna says, “I have to be honest with you, Hales, it doesn’t seem like Aidan is faking anything.”

I almost spit out my coffee yet again and laugh. “Yeah, okay.”

“Why do you say it like that?”

“Like what?”

“All sarcastic. You are seriously telling me you don’t feel ANYTHING when you are around him, and that he doesn’t look and act like he is totally head-over-heels for you? I am pretty good at reading body language, as you well know, and what I am reading is definitely attraction.”

I do not want to admit that of course I feel something, but nothing can really happen between us. Aidan and I have a deal.

I sigh. “Okay, maybe just a tiny teensy bit, but…”

“Ha! I knew it!”

“But…nothing can happen, Anna. We are already scratching the surface of unprofessionalism and I really cannot jeopardize my connections at the studio. I need to get my work seen and be taken seriously. I don’t want to be a personal assistant forever.”

Anna shakes her head.

“What?”

“Are you sure that’s all it’s about? The work?”

“Yes, what else would it be?”

“Are you sure you aren’t putting up too much of a wall with Aidan?”

I know where this is going and I don’t want to go further. “I don’t want to talk about this.”

“C’mon, Haley. All I am saying is I know how much Robert hurt you. And ever since then, you’ve been afraid of opening up your heart again. I get that. What Robert did is unforgivable. There is no denying that.”

Tears are welling up at the memory of what Robert and Julia did…in our shower. In our home.

Anna squeezes my hand. “I sense a real spark between you and Aidan and I don’t want you to diminish it because you’re scared of letting someone else in again. You deserve to be happy, Haley. And I think he legitimately makes you happy. He could be your person.”

“I guess if you believe that, he really is a good actor.”

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