Page 64 of Love to Prove You Wrong

It was hard realizing that I had to put a big red cross over my plans. If Mr. Benson had told me earlier that there was another offer, then I might’ve been able to match it. But the way he’d handled it meant I didn’t stand a chance. There was nothing I could do now. The papers had been signed by this mystery buyer. It was over.

Justin waved me over to the booth at the far end of the diner where he was waiting for me. I slid into the seat across from him and gave him my best smile. I didn’t want to put a damper on our date, so I tried to act as if nothing had happened. He reached over, cupped my face, and kissed me with such intensity that I was afraid I’d turn into a gooey puddle.

“I missed you,” he said, even though we’d seen each other the evening before.

His words made me grin. “Me too.”

Justin’s phone rang, but he declined the call without even looking at the screen.

“Shouldn’t you take that?” I asked. “It could be important.”

He covered my hand with his and slowly stroked it with the tip of his thumb. “More important than spending time with you? I doubt that.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but the chirping sound of his phone cut me off. Justin let it pass again, but when it rang for a third time, he couldn’t ignore it any longer.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, letting out a heavy sigh. “Why don’t you go ahead and order? I’ll have a burger.”

“Sure,” I said.

I got out one of the menus shoved between the napkin holder and the condiments and scanned it. It was nothing more than a way to keep busy, though. I knew the menu choices at this place by heart and always ordered the same thing. The burgers at Dave’s Diner were to die for.

Moments later, Leanne appeared. She took a pen and notepad out of her apron and shot me a welcoming smile. Leanne was a doll, or at least she was to me. She wasn’t very fond of outsiders or tourists, but the townspeople all held a special place in her heart. “What can I get you, sweetie?”

“We’ll both have the burger and fries. Oh, and could you bring a pitcher of water and a soda? I don’t know what Justin wants to drink,” I said.

“Sure thing.” She let her gaze travel to the spot outside where Justin was talking on the phone. “Can you believe how much he’s grown? I remember him and his friends being insufferable teenagers, and look at him now. Quite the catch.”

I let my chin balance on my hands and sighed. “It’s quite unbelievable, I’ll tell you that.”

“Well, I’ll get Dave working on those burgers,” Leanne said. “And take a napkin. I don’t want you drooling all over my diner.” She winked and stuffed her notepad back in her apron before returning to the kitchen.

I put the menu back and watched Justin through the window as he talked on the phone, trying to keep my saliva inside my mouth. His features had hardened, and his shoulders were slumped. He kept shaking his head. That phone call didn’t look like a good one. I felt for him. There was nothing like that punch of bad news hitting you in the gut, especially when you least expected it. Whatever news he’d received, we could be miserable together.

When he walked back in, confusion was written all over his face.

“Are you okay?” I asked. “You look kind of pale.”

He swallowed and put his phone on the table, then started rubbing his temples. “I… Er… That was my agent.”

“Are they cancellingIn Dire Need?” I asked.

He blew out a puff of air. “No.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

His eyes met mine and dread crept upon me. His expression clued me in on the fact that whatever news he had would affect me in a bad way.

“Actually, they offered me a part in a movie.”

I furrowed my brows. “That’s good news, right?”

“It is.”

“Then why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

He waited a beat before answering my question. “They want me to play the lead in the upcoming Crocodile Man remake.”

My eyes grew wide. Crocodile Man was one of the world’s most popular superheroes as well as a billion-dollar franchise. This would catapult his career faster than I could blink. “Wow, Justin, you’re going to take it, right? This is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

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