Page 16 of Faking the Play

“She did.” I smiled. “I haven’t thought of that in ages.”

We spent the drive to the theater and the wait before the movie started bringing up more memories from our shared past, things I’d forgotten or hadn’t wanted to look at because they were too painful. Now that the guys were back in my life, I found myself enjoying the nostalgia.

As soon as the theater lights began to dim, Ryan and I fell silent. We’d never had any problem being quiet around each other before, and this was no different. We sat with our arms pressed together on the single armrest between us, the heat from his body a welcome warmth in the air-conditioned theater.

The first time Jason and I had gone to the movies, I was so nervous that I couldn’t remember anything about what we watched. I’d been too busy analyzing everything. With Ryan, however, I could just let it all go. Let us be us and not worry about what he was thinking or if I was reading too much into a touch or a look.

I found the difference to be refreshing, to say the least.

Once the movie was done, it felt natural to take his hand again, so I did, and my stomach flipped at the pleased surprise that flashed across his face.

It suddenly occurred to me that I’d never heard anyone talk about Ryan with a girlfriend. Women flirted with him all the time, and there were a few times over the years when I’d seen him with a woman, but never the same one. Sure, we hadn’t been friends, but I heard enough gossip about the other two that I should’ve heard more about him if it had been there.

“Is there somewhere specific you want to go eat?” he asked as we left the theater. “You said you didn’t want fancy, so I didn’t make any reservations anywhere.”

“Let’s just go somewhere we can walk to.” A restaurant across the street looked promising. Not fast food, but not somewhere we’d feel underdressed either. “How about there?”

“Looks good to me,” Ryan agreed. As we walked toward it, he asked, “What did you think about the movie?”

“I enjoyed it,” I said. “After this past week, I needed something that wasn’t going to get my emotions in knots. That was the perfect balance of adrenaline and plot.”

“Plus, shirtless Hemsworths are never a bad thing, right?” Ryan teased.

I fanned myself with my free hand. “I’m only human, and those guys are hot.”

“Wow. Sounds like I have some competition,” he joked.

I liked this side of him. He was such a serious guy most of the time, I’d always loved being able to draw him out.

“There’s no comparison,” I assured him, squeezing his hand. “They’re a fantasy. You’re better because you’re real.”

I caught a glimpse of surprise in his eyes, but then we were at the doors to the restaurant and the moment was gone. We were given a table almost immediately and then it was all about figuring out what we wanted to order. Once we did that, our conversation turned back to the movie, and we spent several minutes discussing it before I started to wonder if Ryan was just humoring me.

“You know how you said you guys were going to help me with not being so awkward?” I changed the subject. “Maybe we can start with conversation. I mean, we’ve been talking about the movie for nearly a quarter of an hour. It has to be getting old, right? How do I get better at this?”

“You don’t need conversation lessons,” he said. “Because it’s not just up to you. If a guy isn’t hanging on your every word, or not carrying his side of things, that’s on him. You’re perfect.”

The last two words hung between us as warmth spread throughout my body, a combination of embarrassment and pleasure at the compliment, and a whole lot of arousal.

After letting that linger between us for a few seconds, he smiled at me. “But, I do have some other ‘lessons’ in mind for later on.”

Before I could ask what he meant by that cryptic statement, the server appeared with our food and the conversation shifted again. It wasn’t until we were leaving that I remembered he hadn’t expounded on what he’d meant about future lessons.

He held the door open for me, and as I passed by him, I said, “I’d like some more details about those lessons you promised me.”

Without missing a beat, he fell in step next to me, putting his hand on the small of my back. Bending down closer to allow me to hear him, he murmured, “First, you’ll have to tell me if you’re a good girl…or a bad girl.”

I shivered despite the evening’s warmth, my brain scrambling to decide on the best way to respond to that question.

“Amelia?”

That voice made me freeze mid-step, my mouth falling open as a pair of people stepped into my line of sight. One was my roommate and best friend, Megan, and the other was a guy with sandy brown curls and green eyes.

Jason.

My ex-boyfriend.

“Well, damn,” Jason said with a loud laugh. “This is awkward.”

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