Page 90 of Reel Love

Bodhi and Kai give him twin looks of warning.

“What are you basing your assessment on?” Ben asks. “What tells you it went well?”

“We laughed. She came to my house. I drove her home …”

“She came to your house?” Ben asks.

“Just to see where I live.”

“Yeah. That’s why women come to a guy’s house after a date. To check out the architecture, the floor plan … to see if the load-bearing walls are holding up.” He laughs.

Did I blow it? Was my goofy tour a misfire?

“What did you do when she was at your house?” Ben wags his eyebrows.

Bodhi shuts him down. “Not your business, bro.”

“I uh … gave her the tour?”

“Oh! No! No, you didn’t!” Ben is cackling.

Bodhi looks at Ben with a scolding expression a father would give his child.

“I did, actually.”

I thought she liked it. Did I misread her?

“What exactly is included in the tour?” Bodhi asks, with a soft look to his face. “I mean … your house is like a 20 second tour tops. No offense.”

“None taken.”

I don’t answer right away because I’m busy overthinking Alana’s expressions and what I did and said. I’d rather be buriedalive six feet under this beach than tell them about thehot biologist in glasses.

“Are you blushing?” Ben asks.

Kai turns on Ben. “Look. It wasn’t too long ago you were nearly crying in my lap about Summer, so you need to take it down at least ten notches.”

“It’s okay,” I assure Kai.

I don’t know if I’ve ever heard Kai so upset. He’s as steady as the waves on a flat day. Kai’s not yelling, but he’s slightly red at the neck and his face says he means serious business.

Ben raises his hands. “Sorry.” Then he looks at me. “I’m sorry, Stevens. I didn’t mean any harm. You know how we all are. We rib one another. It’s what we do. So, tell us about the tour. If you want.”

I do. I want their perspective. Minus the glasses part. That’s between me and Alana.

Alana.

I smile again.

“We had dinner at Cucina.”

“Good. Good,” Bodhi encourages me.

“And it was good. The food, our conversation …” The fact that she’sALANA GRAVES.

I don’t say that, of course. These guys actually know her. They’ve all hung out with her in person far more than I have at this point. Summer and Alana are both in the movies. Mila is Phyllis’ niece. And Phyllis and Summer are close. Kai is connected that way.

But I just met her. And kissed her. Another smile … I don’t think I’ve smiled this much in the cumulative past five years. Not like this. Not the kinds of smiles that won’t quit.

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