Page 56 of Something Cheeky

“I should be asking you that question,” Zoe blurted. Screw caution. Her exhaustion combined with the alcohol had quieted her inner editor. “Are you two—”

“Ladies, we brought some snacks,” TJ interrupted as he slid a tray of loaded tater tots in front of them. “Danny sweet talked the bartender into a BOGO.”

“Voilà!” The actor came up right on cue. He held another traythat was completely covered with deep-fried potatoes. “I had to. The kitchen was closing soon and I’m famished.”

TJ had terrible timing, but Zoe’s stomach grumbled. Bar food always tasted better after a few drinks. TJ glanced at the actress, then gave Zoe a questioning look. Zoe shrugged. She still had more questions than answers.

“It’s as if you read my mind, Danny.” Katie Mai dove right into the mounds of melted cheese topped with bacon bits. If she wondered what Zoe’s question had been, she didn’t mention it.

Zoe would have the actress’s undivided attention tomorrow during her fitting. She’d recruit TJ to dig up Katie Mai and Derek’s history. TJ would call it procrastinating, but she needed to know before taking the next step with Derek—whatever that was going to be. If the two of them were a thing, Zoe didn’t want to get in the way.

Chapter 25

“What kind of pub closes at nine?” Th?o grumbled as they walked away from the Wharf.

“When it’s a Wednesday night,” Derek replied. “We have rehearsal early tomorrow, so I’m going to put on my director hat and send you all home.”

“Party pooper,” his cowriter mumbled as she tucked her head into Katie Mai’s shoulder.

He hadn’t seen her get this drunk in a while. Derek had been too wrapped up in his own worries about Zoe and the show that he’d forgotten how much pressure Th?o was under, too. He’d check in with her in the morning.

“I’ll walk her back to her apartment. It’s next door to mine.” Katie Mai looped her arm around Th?o’s. “Let’s go.”

“Are you two good?” Derek touched Katie Mai’s arm as he searched her face for the apprehension from their earlier conversation.

“I’ll talk to her tomorrow when she’s sober.” Katie Mai sighed heavily. “Sorry to rope you into this.”

“I’m here for you. Both of you.”

“And you have some talking to do with you-know-who,” Katie Mai added as she nodded her head at Zoe, who was talking to TJ, Danny, and some of the other cast members.

Now it was his turn to sigh heavily. He hadn’t meant to avoid Zoe most of the day, but Heather had a schedule they needed to follow. He’d been in rehearsal while she’d been busy in the costume shop.

“Hey, Katie Mai, wait for us,” Danny called. “We can all walk back together.”

Prestige rented several furnished apartments a couple of blocks away from the theater for their out-of-town actors, which was a majority of this cast. Part of Derek wished that his apartment was in the same building as theirs, but his cast needed space. Even though they were all friends, he was still their director and they’d need to blow off steam the closer they got to opening night.

“Derek!” TJ waved him over. He stood next to Zoe, who was leaning against a large concrete pole that kept cars off the cobblestone pathway.

Derek’s body straightened as he went on full alert. He looked at Zoe and back to Katie Mai and Th?o, who now had her arm wrapped around Katie Mai’s waist.

“I have everything under control. Go help Zoe,” Katie Mai urged.

He ran over to Zoe. Her eyes were glassy as she grinned at him.

“Derek!” Her voice echoed off the dark buildings. “It’s about time you talked to me.”

“Hey, Z.”

“Can you drive Zoe home?” TJ asked quietly.

“Will she be okay?”

“Mostly, but I don’t think she ate enough today and Mr. Bobbins kept her up all night. So the rum punches hit her hard.” TJ’s tone implied it had been more than Mr. Bobbins that contributed to her insomnia.

“Of course,” Derek replied.

She wasn’t the only one who lost sleep last night. He’d lain in bed, recalling how she explored his mouth and the heat of her softbreasts pressed on his chest. He also couldn’t forget the agony on her face as she kicked him out.

---