Page 17 of Falling Off Script

Adrian spots me. His expression shifts—like he’s been waiting for this moment and just got the cue.

“Emily,” he says, walking over with the ease of someone who thinks the room belongs to him.

Trevor’s vibrating with excitement. “Youknowhim? That’s insane. You didn’t say you were in that circle.”

“It’s not a circle,” I say flatly. “It’s a fire pit. And someone handed him the matches.”

Adrian reaches our table, Jessie trailing two steps behind him like she’s trying to look casual and not like she just manifested me through sheer guilt.

“Hey man,” Adrian says, shaking Trevor’s hand like they’re cofounders of a protein startup. “You been following my content?”

“SinceZayne Law Part Two,man. That monologue on dopamine discipline? That rewired me.”

“Oh my God,” I say under my breath.

Adrian chuckles. “Glad to hear it.”

Then he turns to me. And the smile softens, just slightly. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Same,” I say. “I usually only run into my nemeses in Instagram ads.”

Jessie clears her throat. “Hey, Emily.”

I turn. “Hi, Jessie. Small world. Or were you just hoping I wouldn’t notice who you’re working for?”

She shifts her tablet behind her back like it's incriminating. “I’m just contracted short-term.”

I nod slowly. “Right. Contracted. Like herpes.”

Adrian raises an eyebrow. “Should I give you two a minute to unpack that metaphor, or...?”

Trevor laughs like Adrian just invented humor.

“So how do you two know each other?” he asks, totally oblivious to the fact that my soul is attempting to leave my body via eye roll.

“Oh,” Adrian says, stepping just close enough to make it feel like he was already in my personal space. “Emily and I did a panel together. Some ideological combustion. And a few viral thirst edits.”

I give him a look. “Possibly a restraining order edit too.”

Jessie sips her water and stares at the ceiling like she’s trying to contact ahigher power.

Trevor, for some reason, is loving this.

“You guys should collab again,” he says. “Honestly, the tension between you two? Peak content.”

“I’m going to need you to never say that sentence again,” I say, stabbing my drink with a straw.

Adrian leans in slightly. “I’m glad we ran into each other.”

“Wow,” I say. “Did they teach you that line at Zeta Hogwarts?”

Jessie chokes slightly on her water.

Adrian just smiles. “No. That one’s original.”

I shoot Jessie a glance. She’s blushing. Not beet red—but definitely soft pink.

That’s when I know. She likes him. And not in a professional development kind of way.

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