Page 7 of A Lucky Shot

The last of the last stragglers left the theatre. A grinning, teal-haired woman with dark roots and tatted arms supported a shaky blonde who looked seconds away from throwing up.

He repressed a smirk. Blondie had picked up on the film’s mood.

Josh turned his head back to his phone to scroll his messages. Replied with thumbs up to Stephen. Declined an invite to drinks that night. Left a few women on read.

Still hadn’t seen the message he was looking for. Whatever. He wasn’t expecting a response today.

The two women turned down the hallway to reveal a short woman studying the flimsy paper programme taped to the theatre entrance with her back turned to him.

Hello, fun size.

His eyes lingered on her thick thighs and round ass, before sweeping up over the boisterous chestnut curls that dusted the tops of her sloped shoulders. She rubbed her hands over her upper arms as she scanned the lobby like she could feel his eyes on her, and when she turned in his direction, he drew up from his calculated slouch.

Excitement flushed her cheeks, her chest rising and falling as she drew quick breaths, her clothes sliding over her curves like a caress. He wondered if those fantastic tits looked as good naked as they did under that shirt.

If he kept creeping in the dark like an asshole, he’d never find out.

Josh left the shadows to stand behind her. She looked even more touchable up close. One more step forward and her hair would tickle the underside of his chin. Too close. That would invade her space. He stepped back, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall beside her.

“Not a bad line up this year,” he said, and she spun to face him. Her hazel eyes widened slightly as her gaze wandered up to his face, taking a lingering path down his body and slowly back up.

Good. They were on the same page.

Her long, dark lashes fluttered as she cleared her throat. “It’s looking really good.”

A spark of goosebumps erupted over his arms. Well, shit. Her voice was as sweet as she looked. That mouth looked like it tasted just as sweet.

He nodded his head to the marquee, his mop of shaggy hair flopping into his eyes, and he shook it back with an irritated toss. “Just got out of Oblivion?”

“What? Oh!” She blew out her breath in a rush, as if remembering she had just exited a film. “What a ride! Nothing happened, but everything happened? Watching them fall apart? I mean,” she waved her hand, “the costume design needed a stronger presence, but the claustrophobia? And everyone tried so hard to do the right thing, but it didn’t matter? I wanted to see a clear resolution for the ending, but watching it coming?” She shook herself with a light shiver. “Incredible.”

Whoa. She saw it. Themes, intent, everything. In one viewing. Josh twisted his mouth in a crooked line to stifle the smile threatening to break through. “I don’t know. There were continuity errors, bad lighting in the beginning.”

“Sure, and they could have cut a few minutes, but I know the novel the film was based on. The director nailed it,” she said, dismissing his arguments. “They distilled that rambling story into a cohesive narrative. I bet it’s one of those movies that just gets better every time you see it. I’d see it again right now, but my friend is never going to forgive me for making her see it just once. My palms are still sweaty.” She lowered her waving hands and shook her head with a sheepish grin. “I’m gushing. But wow. That director is going places.”

He ran his hands through his hair, as if he could shove away her praise. “He has some work to do,” he said.

“I didn’t say it was perfect.” Her smile spread even farther across her rosy cheeks, stirring a long dormant feeling somewhere in his torso.

“It’s an amateur film fest. Everyone has work to do. This director just needs a team. I like this one even more than …” she continued, rambling other films from this year’s lineup and last year’s, listing off their strengths and weaknesses. Some of which he agreed with. Others that were, in his opinion, blasphemous. But still, informed.

What the hell. His dick could wait. “What are you seeing next?”

“I’ve got a few on my list I’d like to see, but I’m open to suggestions. My friends should be?—”

“—right here.”

The friends were back. Blondie wedged herself between him and Fun Size, shooting her a look that asked do you want to talk to this guy, or do you need a rescue?

Josh took half a step back. He didn’t need to get in the way of a friends’ night out, even if he wanted to take one of the friends back to his place and find out what that mouth could do.

Worst-case scenario, he could get her number and meet up with her another time. A few offers sat unread in his messages that he could turn his attention to for a hookup tonight.

None of them interested him, though.

“We were just about to decide on what to see next,” he said, and his target shot him a smile that lit up her face.

Sweet holy hell, she was cute. Cute, and still nameless. If tonight went well, he’d need to figure that out. Her number had to go in his phone under something.

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