Page 46 of My Twin Sister's Extremely Famous and Incredibly Hot Neighbor

Relief cascades over me. I’d rather Jera not work with Dustin either. “Oh.”

“I really appreciate you going over there and reading those lines for me.”

I feel a little bad for messing things up. “Sorry you didn’t get the part.”

“Really, it’s okay. I have scripts come to me all the time. I’m sure something else will come along. Something better even.”

I riffle through Jera’s closet looking for what to wear. “I hope so.”

“Anyway, I just wanted to let you know. And to thank you again for dropping everything for me. You’re the best. Seriously. I’ve already started looking at vacation packages for us. How does Cancun sound?”

I’ve never been to Mexico. It sounds beautiful. “I’ll need a passport.”

“No problem. I’ll pay for it to be expedited.”

I warm at the thought of spending time with Jera. “That sounds good.”

I get off the phone with Jera and finish showering. I find a blue one-piece swim suit that I like and put it on under a pair of jeans shorts and a white cover up. I pack for the beach and get my travel carrier for Squint. I use the kind that makes him look like he’s sitting in my purse, so he can see out and I can pet him. At the last second, I toss a sketchbook and my travel paints in my bag. I’m ready and waiting when Dustin pulls up.

After I get in the car, I look at him. “What made you think of a trip today?”

“I got the part.” He glances at me as he pulls out into traffic. “I’ll be busy soon with publicity shoots and everything the show entails. I just thought a day away sounded good before all of that starts.”

I pet Squint, who’s staring at the moving scenery. “Congratulations. Really. I’m happy for you.”

Dustin clasps my hand. “I heard they cast someone else for your part. I’m sorry. I’m honestly surprised. The way you read it with me was great.”

“Yeah, I bombed the audition. But that’s okay. Something else will come along,” I say, repeating what Jera told me. I’m just relieved that Jera’s not mad at me for sucking at acting.

“You’re right. You’re talented. I’m sure you’ll find more work.”

Thirty minutes later a man buckles me into the back of a helicopter. He gives me Squint, letting me hold him on my lap. Dustin is in the seat beside me.

“Have you ever ridden in a helicopter before?”

I shake my head. “No.”

He reaches past me and pulls a pair of headphones with a microphone off a hook and hands them to me. “Put these on. It will be too loud to hear, so you can talk through these.”

“Okay.” I do as he says, and he puts on a pair as well.

The pilot climbs into the helicopter and closes the door. The co-pilot turns around to make sure we still have our seatbelts on and are ready. The pilot starts the engine, and I understand why we have the headphones.

I’ve seen helicopters on television lift straight in the air but sitting inside when one takes off is a very different experience. It feels like you shouldn’t be able to move in that kind of direction. My stomach drops to my toes as we fly up in the air. The view is amazing. Soon, we’re coasting over the water.

Dustin hands me his phone. “Do you want to take pictures?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Squint behaves really well as we fly to Catalina Island. I get several fantastic shots using Dustin’s phone. The sky is such a deep blue with just the right amount of clouds, it’s going to be perfect to paint. I hand his phone back to him as we land on a concrete square.

A driver is waiting for us as we disembark the helicopter. He takes our bags for us and puts them in the trunk. I carry Squint in his little carrier and slide into the back seat. Dustin climbs in beside me.

“Did you set all this up this morning?” I ask.

“Yes.”

My heart swells. I don’t know how Jera has been so lucky to have such a sweet neighbor, but he really is incredible. I lean over and give him a quick kiss on his cheek.

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