Page 39 of Love At First Fright
“What did you just say?” Ellis growled, almost angry.
“I said I need to get laid, Ellis.”
“No you didn’t, you were going to say something else. Tell me, Rosemary.” The command swept over her, a knot tightening in her core. She opened her mouth to tell him, but—
He’s with Jenna Dunn.The thought doused her need to reply. Rosemary forced herself to turn away, ignoring Ellis. She ordered her drink. When she turned around, Ellis was back at the table, taking a long sip from his drink. Good, he should stay away. She thought about going to find Josh and continue their conversation, but that held less and less appeal. Besides, it was hot in here. Rosemary needed a breather. She paid for her drink and took it outside.
—
Rosemary leant against the bandstandand people-watched, her brain slowly clearing. She looked on through the curved glass windows at the people inside the Thimble & Friar merrily chatting away, the warm light of the pub spilling out onto the green. Here in the bandstand, a quiet October breeze drifted past her, whispering through the branches of the sturdy old maples. The air smelt of cold, and Rosemary shivered. It was dark enough out here that if it weren’t for the full moon, she wouldn’t have been able to make her way.
She spotted someone with a familiar silhouette leaving the pub, cigarette lighter in hand, luminescent ghost dog in tow, crossing the green towards her.
“First a bush, now a bandstand. You’re not very good at hiding, you know?” Ellis chuckled, his voice honeyed and low.
“Good thing I wasn’t hiding then. Have you come to apologise?”
Ellis stepped up into the bandstand and stood beside her, his arms resting on the railing as if they were looking out from a balcony.
“I’ll apologise for thinking you can’t handle yourself, but I won’t apologise for chasing away that guy, he was laying it on far too thick.”
“Maybe I liked that. It was…honest.”
“You like people to be honest with you.”
“I do. Less complicated.”
“Well, in the spirit of honesty, I don’t actually smoke.”
“Good, it’s a horrible habit.”
“I just needed a breather. Between Vincent and Lance arguing about Oscar nominations and the sound of that bachelor party by the bar, it all got a little much. Sometimes I take out this lighter and tell people I’m going out for a cigarette so I can have a moment to myself. Works wonders at parties.”
When he smiled at her like that, she could barely focus. How could he be so unaware of what he did to her? Andwhywas he here with her in the first place? He had a girlfriend. She was not about to get in the middle of that mess, whatever they had going on. Rosemary gazed back out at the green, breaking eye contact.
Slowly, timidly, it began to rain. It pattered on the wooden roof above them, the gentle hum of rain on leaves and grass. It grew heavier, pulling the pub and its sounds of people into the distance until all that was left was the pearlescent curtain of rain and the heat of Ellis’s body beside hers. Neither of them spoke, but he reached out, almost brushing a finger on the curving tattooed vine on her left wrist. The near-touch was agony. He paused, then said, “I’ll trade you a secret.”
Rosemary nodded, barely trusting herself to speak.
“I’m not really dating Jenna.”
“What?” she spluttered.
“It’s part of some harebrained scheme my agent Brody does every now and again. He pairs me with an actress, we ‘date’ for a few weeks, just enough time to get her industry cred and get her a starring role in whatever picture she was auditioning for, and then we amicably call it quits.”
“Ellis, that is so fucked up.”
“I am aware.”
“Why do you let him do that? He’s using you as some kind of…celebrity dating pawn.”
He sighed. “I know. But trust me when I tell you that if there were a way out of this, I would have taken it already.”
Rosemary couldn’t quite comprehend the absurdity of his agent’s scheme, and she suspected there was more to it than Ellis was telling her, but a rather large part of her brain was busily engaged with throwing a giant party, complete with imaginary fireworks, to celebrate the fact that Ellis was single.
“Now you tell me your secret, Rosemary.” This time he did touch her hand with his, the side of his palm to hers, lingering, resting on the banister of the bandstand.
“What do you want to know?”
