Page 13 of Hollywood

“Enough. Thanks for running interference.”

“Happy to help. Now, I was promised food.” I hooked my arm through his as we crossed the parking lot to his bike and pressed my body against his as the bike zipped through town, warm wind on my skin and whipping my hair behind me. Being this close to him felt good and I closed my eyes, absorbing the feel of him and the wind while the motorcycle gripped the pavement.

***

The ride ended far too soon but the pizza joint smelled heavenly and we settled into a booth that overlooked the parking lot. “So, I have a really important question Hollywood.” I leaned in close and smiled. “What do you like on your pizza?”

His smile came slowly but dammit, it packed a big punch. “Everything.”

“Everything,” I parroted the word. “Anchovies?”

“Yep.”

“Pineapple?”

“Yes, but not at the same time, at least I don’t think I do.” He laughed and I joined in.

“So lots of meat, cheese and vegetables?”

“Best way to have pizza,” he shot back with another brilliant smile that I felt all over my body. “You pick something, and I’ll pick something until we have a pizza, yeah?”

“Sounds good.” We went back and forth until we had a pizza that was probably overloaded with toppings and threetypes of cheese. “Now I have a real question but feel free to tell me it’s none of my business.”

That piqued his curiosity. “Ask.”

“It’s about your time in prison?” I paused, noticing the way tension slowly filled his body. “Were you scared when you first went in?”

Immediately his body relaxed, and he leaned back into the fake leather seat. “That’s not what I expected you to ask.” The words rushed out of him, but I appreciated the way he thought about my question before he answered. “I was worried, but I wasn’t scared. I’m tough and I know how to kick ass, but it’s different there, a whole new fucking ballgame.” He shook his head and folded his arms, a clear defensive posture. “There are a lot of different groups, each one with their own expectations and you don’t know where you fit in until you’ve already chosen a side, because you have to choose fast.”

That was an interesting perspective. “Do you have to pick a side?”

“Hell yeah. If you’re on your own, then the whole damn place is your enemy. If you choose a side, then at least those people will have your back. Most of the time, unless you fuck up.”

“Wow. Seriously?”

He nodded. “It’s not a place you want to be, trust me.”

“I do.” I did trust him, implicitly. “Which side did you choose?” Not that I knew what the sides were, but I had an idea. “The side that let me get out as soon as fucking possible. With good behavior I managed to cut a ten year sentence in half.”

“Impressive.”

His lips pulled into a crooked grin. “Thanks.”

“Was the food as awful as they say?”

He shook his head. “It was about a hundred fucking times worse.”

“Then you can have the first and biggest slice of pizza.”

“Thanks.” The word came out softly, barely above a whisper and in that moment, my crush on him grew a little stronger.

“Hey Hollywood.”

“Yeah?”

I grinned. “I’m really glad you made it out alive.”

“You are? Me too.”

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