Page 21 of To Love Jason Thorn

His gaze landed on Bobby. “I’m in. You cango over everything with Tom.”

He was in? In what? IN WHAT? Certainly notmy book?

“Are you done with your meeting withOlive?” he asked Keith next.

Hello, people! Am I not still standinghere?

Keith’s gaze found my startled one beforehe answered Jason’s question. “I’ll send you the contract and personally callyou to schedule a lunch date. We’ll go over the optioning agreement with youand make the necessary changes then.”

I was starting to feel dizzy. Had I saidokay to their proposal already?

Absentmindedly, I nodded.

“Call me when the meeting is done, Tom,”Jason said as he pulled me behind him.

“I can’t believe this,” he muttered as soonas we were out the door and in the maze again.

Other than being shocked into silence, Ijust hoped he had been in the building enough times to know how to get out ofthe damn thing.

One hand engulfed in Jason’s, the other flailingbehind me with my handbag, I tried to keep up with his big strides.

Is this really happening?

Just when I saw the light and thought wewere finally out, I was pulled into an empty office and those dark chocolateeyes of his focused completely on me.

“Olive, you are beautiful,” he said afterwe took in each other in the thick silence. “You’ve grown up so much.”

Fuck.

“I did do that. You look very good, Jason.It’s nice to see you.”

Was that my voice that was trembling? Hewas still my first crush and my first heartbreak, but he was also Jason Thorn. TheJason Thorn who was only twenty-six and had two Oscar nominations under hisbelt, but I wasn’t going to think about what was under his belt because thatwould be bad. Really bad. He was one of the most versatile leading actor in theindustry. Did I mention he was the best? He was more than just an actor. He wasa star—a troubled one, I should say, but still a big, shiny star. Any otherwoman would be jumping on him if they ever found themselves locked in a roomwith him, which I believed they usually did.

I, however, was slowly stepping back towardfreedom.

“That’s it? That’s all you’re gonna say tome?”

The last day I’d smiled up at him, he hadmanaged to stomp on my heart with a simple text message, not even knowing hewas stomping on it. The last time he had tugged my hair as a goodbye had beenthe last time I’d ever heard from him.

Sure, he had texted and called Dylan forthe following few weeks, but after that I don’t think even Dylan heard from himagain. One year later, we had watched his first movie as a family in the sameliving room where he had spent countless hours with us.

“I’m too shocked, I don’t know what to sayreally,” I blurted before I could say something stupid.

“I am too, but, god, look at you, littleone.” Another slow perusal of my body. “I didn’t even recognize you when Ifirst walked into the room. What are the odds?”

“Right?” I chuckled nervously. “What arethe damn odds…”

“You have to tell me everything.”

“Everything? What do you mean?”

“Dylan? Is he here in LA. too? How aboutyour mom and dad? Is everyone okay?”

“Yes. They are all fine. Mom and Dad stilllive in San Francisco. Same house, actually. Dylan is in D.C. He is a teacher,and married to the sweetest girl. Can you believe that?”

I kept walking backwards.

Small steps, Olive. You’re so close tofreedom.

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