Page 43 of The Love We Make

“Indeed, she left me with some serious skills.” Mimi’s thumb pushes onto a particularly painful point at the base of my skull. “Skills I haven’t practiced in too long.”

“Are you some sort of renaissance woman who can do just about anything?” It’s easier to chat when I can’t see Mimi’s face.

“I can’t act to save my life, so I wouldn’t call me that.” There’s plenty of glee in Mimi’s voice. Her hands on me are increasingly divine.

“We all have our strengths, but right now, you’re definitely winning if we’re tallying up our individual ones.”

“It’s not a contest.” Mimi’s just stroking my skin with her fingertips now, and that feels the most divine of all. “Besides, I think you won everything there is to win today. I told you my kids wouldn’t adore you any less after meeting you.”

“Well.” I’m of half a mind to just let my head drop back against her belly and have her caress me wherever she wants. “The format of the party was genius, of course. A pool party is not like a dinner party where conversation is much more formal. It’s also easy enough to retreat from when needed.” Not that I could go anywhere unnoticed this afternoon. A St James had eyes on me at all times. “And when there’s dancing, you can just let the music speak for you.”

“Smart move.” Her thumbs dig in again. “It worked like a charm.” She massages my shoulders in silence for a while.

“I take it you don’t have a hot date tonight?” I ask after a few moments of blissful quiet.

“Not after a pool party at Nora Levine’s house.”

“What are you doing tonight?”

“It’s almost nine. It’s evening already. This is what I’m doing tonight.” Her fingertips scoot downward, along my spine.

“I guess I lost track of time.” A rare occurrence in my universe. “You can do this all night long as far as I’m concerned.”

The sound of Mimi’s laughter is delightful. “Is your shoulder feeling better?”

“Oh, no. It’s still very sore,” I lie. “Please, don’t stop.”

“All right.” Mimi lowers the straps of my bikini and I’m glad I’m sitting down. “I’m using some of this sunscreen to smooth things so I can give you a proper massage.”

“That wasn’t a proper massage until now?”

“Not a proper Mimi St James massage.” I hear her squirt lotion into her palm. Then I feel her spread it over my shoulders.

I heave a deep sigh. What a day. It’s not as though I didn’t have a good time, but it takes a lot of mental energy to entertain a group of people like that—although it helps when every one of them turns up loving you already, even for no good reason at all. I’m glad I was able to do this for Mimi—and she’s paying me back, more than plenty, in kind.

Mimi wasn’t kidding. It’s as though I can feel her fingers everywhere now. Even when she kneads the toughest knot out of my shoulder, and it should be hurting, it feels right—like her hands are exactly where they’re meant to be. That ex really did teach her a trick or two.

“I think I’ll have to fire Issa,” I groan when her touch loses intensity. “Are you available to do this twice weekly?”

“I’ll have to renegotiate yourUnbreak My Heartcontract first. Massages by executive producers are most definitely not included. Quite the opposite.”

“You have my full consent.” Fatigue hits me like a ton of bricks—always the aftereffect of a skilled massage. “I can give that to you in writing as well.”

Mimi gives my shoulders one last squeeze. Did her fingertips just linger? It’s not just fatigue I’m feeling, that’s pretty much all I know at this point. For a brief moment, I allow myself to wonder what it would be like to let those magic hands roam across my entire body instead of them being confined to my shoulders.

“I’m going to wash my hands. I’ll be right back.”

“Thank you so much,” I shout after her.

* * *

I’m so tired, I can barely still string a sentence together, but I don’t want Mimi to go home. Luckily, she seems perfectly content to sit here in silence with me, overlooking the glowing lights of the city below.

“It’s so peaceful here,” Mimi murmurs. “I don’t feel like I’m in LA at all.”

“Yeah. It’s pretty magical. So restorative to come home to after a long day.”

“I can imagine.” Her eyes glisten in the half-light of the patio.

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