Page 46 of To the Moon and Back

Lauren pulled her face back. “You? Nothing at all. You’re rich andneed no further material possessions.” Carly’s bottom lip emerged in a pout forthe history books.

“Don’t level the Daniel pout on me. That’s playing dirty.” Morepouting. “I’m not made of stone.”

“Then kiss me and give me a gift because I love gifts.” Carlylooked so expectant in that moment that anyone would be an idiot not to fallfor her immediately.

Lauren touched Carly’s chin and offered her a slow kiss that shehoped communicatedGoodshow. I find you very sexy. Break a leg. I could kiss you for days.Surely, she’d succeeded on all four counts. “Now, about that gift.”

Carly grinned and clapped like a kid on her birthday. She wentfrom beautiful to sweet to sophisticated to innocent and back again with suchease. The contradictions kept Lauren captivated. She went to her bag ofsurvival kits and pulled out a separate gift that she’d wrapped up special forCarly.

“I believe this is what you’re looking for,” she said andpresented the rectangular present.

Carly carried it to the couch, already enamored. “I was actuallyjust kidding,” she said, sounding nervous. “You didn’t need to do anythingspecial for me.”

Lauren shrugged and sat next to her. “I wanted to.”

The moment felt quiet, like the hubbub of the day had gone stillfor them for a few minutes. Carly unwrapped the gift and stared down at the inscribedframe that held a print of Van Gogh’sStarryNight.

“Lauren,” Carly whispered achingly, running her hand down themahogany frame. That’s when she caught sight of the inscription.To the only other person I’d wantto watch stars with. –L. Carly shook her head in wonder and thentouched her heart. “This is an amazing gift. I don’t know what to say.”

“Say it goes with the décor in your home and that you’re notsecretly scheming to ditch it in the deepest recesses of your garage. Which, ofcourse, is very much your right.”

Carly was still admiring the painting. “It’s going someplacespecial where I can see it each and every day.”

“Really?” Lauren felt her heart reaching. She needed to becareful. Maybe because it felt like she’d climbed to a very precarious height?Things between her and Carly had started rocky but had steadily built tosomething she never in a million years would have predicted. Yet here she sat.Caring. Wanting. Reaching.

“Really.” Carly kissed her softly. “I will treasure it.”

“You smell amazing,” Lauren said. “How do you do that soconsistently?”

Carly laughed quietly as she stood. “Magical shampoo. All part ofmy plan to woo you. You better get ready for Froot Loops in the morning. I makea mean bowl.”

“Post-it notes, magical shampoo, and Froot Loops. Who knew I wasthat easy?”

“Easy?” Carly gasped. “I’m working overtime over here, killingmyself in the name of the woo.”

Lauren lowered her voice. “Do you want a tip? You don’t have to.”

“What if I want to? What if I like doing things for you? Because Ido. I love the way the sides of your mouth quirk up when I say something funny.Makes me want to be a permanent comedian, and I’m amusing at best.”

Lauren’s chest swelled. She resisted the urge to place a hand overthe pang. “Well, when you put it that way.” A pause. Her stomach fluttered.“So, will I see you…tonight? You know, after the show?” She tried to play itcool, but she still felt vulnerable when she put herself out there with Carly,almost as if she was asking the pretty girl to prom, if prom involved tearingeach other’s clothes off, which, technically, it often did.

“I certainly didn’t want to presume anything. But I hoped we mightsee where the night led. If it’s to one of our places, then that’s purelybonus. Plus, I need my Rocky IV fix at some point soon.”

“That chubby little dog can’t get enough of you.”

“It’s mutual. His tan curlicue tail alone is worthy of a visit.”

Lauren studied Carly. She seemed herself, yet not. “How are youfeeling about tonight?”

Carly blinked several times, which was a total tell. Yep. She wasin her head, and just as nervous as Lauren was. “I’m trying not to think aboutwhat’s going to happen in just a couple of hours. I spent the day buried inloud music to keep me from dwelling. My mind is a dangerous place.” She pointedto the dressing room around them. “I dashed in here as soon as I arrived, todistract myself. You have a remarkable way of doing just that for me.”

“So, it sounds like you’re anxious.”

“A basket case. You?”

“Nervous in a good way.” She ducked her head and captured Carly’sgaze. “I think you’re going to be surprised by the energy you find coming backto you from the live exchange. There’s nothing like it.”

“What if what comes back to me causes injury?” Carly lookedentirely serious. “What if they throw things? I was thinking about that atthree a.m. What if one of them just gets angry and pelts a cell phone at ourheads.”

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