Page 43 of One Time in Paris
He closed the laptop and stood. “I thought it was for the best. We don’t want a repeat of Vegas, after all.”
She flicked a glance at him, something in his tone making her pause.
Vegas had brought nothing but trouble into her life.
Yet the idea that he feels the same way...makes me weirdly irritated.
“No, you’re right. Thank you for being the sober and responsible one this time. I’ll be sure to repay the favor next time,” she said with a tight smile, her posture stiff. The more this sounded businesslike and transactional, the better.
That’s all this is, anyway.All he’s here for.A business arrangement. He knew how to keep things professional, even with her. He’d shown that when she’d gone to him, asking to help Davy, and he’d responded coldly, making demands of his own about a costar.
Her brother’s flowers by the bedside were only a further reminder of the boundaries she needed to draw.
Aiden cleared his throat. “Speaking of Vegas, thereissomething I wanted to discuss with you. I was hoping to catch you before I leave to?—”
Isla’s phone rang.Davy.Lifting it to her ear, she said, “Hello?”
“Isla, where are you? Call time was at seven. The driver at the hotel says he’s about to leave.”
Isla checked the time.
Shite. I’m forty minutes late.
“Oh my God. I overslept. I’m so sorry. I’ll be in the lobby in five minutes.” She hung up and flew toward the bathroom.
“Everything all right?” Aiden’s voice carried from behind her.
“Yeah, I’m just insanely late. Call time was at seven. You should have woken me.” She grabbed her toothbrush and squeezed some paste onto it.
“Sorry, I didn’t know the call time.”
She didn’t answer, scrubbing the terrible taste in her mouth away as she ran the water. She spat, then managed, “Not your fault. But I need to get out of here. What was it you wanted to talk about?”
Aiden stepped toward the bathroom door, then hesitated. His fingers flexed at his side as he watched her through the reflection of the mirror, and she sensed...something different about him. Something she couldn’t quite put a name to. His expression wasn’t quite readable.
She threw her hair into a ponytail, dragging foamy cleanser across her cheeks.
“It can wait,” he said at last.
“Maybe tonight, after I get done filming?”
“I’m flying back to New York this morning for an important meeting Mason is heading up for me.” He let out a short, frustrated breath. “I’d delay, but I promised Mason my support. Turns out the role of CEO is rather important to a corporation.”
That’s right.He was leaving.
And the thought of him not being here—well, that shouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t make her feel off balance like she was stepping onto a stage without knowing her lines. He’d just hung around the set scowling anyway.
Yet, I’m going to miss him.
Not in some big, dramatic way.
Just enough that it niggled at her with the unexpectedness of it. Of how much his presence here had mattered to her.
“Yes, it must be difficult being so responsible. So important,” she said with a teasing laugh, then washed her face.
After she’d finished, she dried herself. “Will you be coming to some of the other locations?” He couldn’t hear the hopefulness in her tone, could he?
“We’ll see,” he said with a frown.
