Page 29 of We Own Tonight
Looking at Eli, though, makes me wish for anotherlife.
One where we could be friends. One where we could maybe be more than friends, but that isn’t the life I’mliving.
Still, a girl canhope.
Eli shifts a little and clears his throat. “My full name is Ellington Walsh, I’m forty-two years old, never married, and grew up here in Tampa. I have one brother, Randy, who’s two years older than I am. We’ve been in Four Blocks Down since I was eighteen, and now I’m an actor. I plan to go into movies soon, but I’m waiting for the right part. Oh, most importantly, I like blonde girls who tell me they loveme.”
I laugh. “Tell me something I wouldn’t find onWikipedia.”
That look of silent preening is back in his eyes, and I want to smack myself. “You looked me up,huh?”
“Sure.” I snort, trying to play it cool. “No, I’ve grown up watching you in a non-creepy way. It isn’t like I don’t know all your bullet points. How about you tell me something about your life that yourfriendswouldknow.”
Let’s see how much Eli wants to tell me. I’m not sure he actually wants this friendship like he thinks. I’m not even sure what a friendship with a famous person even looks like. Will there be people following him around? Is there some crazy security team he has? Does he have people? Do I even know what that means? Nope. The only people I have are my best friends andsister.
“Okay, I would’ve been here an hour earlier tonight, but a girl kept me heldhostage.”
My eyes widen. Is he seriously telling me about another girl? “Wow.”
“Not like that!” he quickly says with his hands raised. “Shit. I’m not good at this. I’m talking about Daria, myniece.”
“You have aniece?”
I haven’t followed Randy’s personal life since he’s married. That crosses the line into creepy. I do know that he and his wife were together when the band formed, so he’s always kind of been off limits. It was always Eli that was theheartthrob.
“Yeah, she’s a man-manipulator already. My sister-in-law has trained her to terrorize my brother and me. She has this whole big eyes and squishy face thing downpat.”
I smile, understanding how kids can get you to do what they want pretty easily. “Basically, she rules yourworld?”
Eli nods. “I promised her one song. One. And eleven songs and fifty minutes later, I was in the car. If that doesn’t show you what one little ‘I love you’ from her does, I don’t know what will. Basically, if she wills it, she gets it. She even got me to play with dolls.” Heshudders.
I can’t imagine him playing with a little girl, but a part of me swoons at the thought. It’s hard to picture him as anything but the elusive manwhore that the tabloids make him out tobe.
“That’s actually kind ofsweet.”
“You think I’m sweet?” he asks with hope filling hisvoice.
“I thinkthatissweet.”
My clarification goesunnoticed.
“I’m taking that as you like me. I don’t blame you, I’m quitecharming.”
I groan while grinning. “Wikipedia didn’t mentionthat.”
His finger grazes my bare leg before falling flat. The skin under where his hand rests tingles. “I’m saving the good stuff foryou.”
“Luckyme.”
He laughs. “Well, most girls would thinkso.”
“I guess it’s a good thing I’m not most girls then,” I throwback.
“Why is that?” Eliasks.
“Because you aren’t trying to be friends withthem.”
Eli’s deep, rich laughter fills the room. “Touché.”
