Page 39 of Camera Chemistry
“I’ve heard about him. Football coach, right?”
“Yeah. Shawn. We’ve known each other for decades. He’s Maven’s godfather, actually.”
“Is he single?”
“Why? Interested?” Aiden quirks his eyebrow.
“Definitely not my type. But he might be Lacey’s type.”
“Tell me about her. She’s your best friend?”
“Yeah. We met in med school. Female friendships are hard for her, but she and I clicked. We’re a good pair of opposites that balance each other out.”
“What kind of medicine does she practice?”
“She’s a pediatrician. Totally selfless, too. She runs her own practice and accepts patients without insurance.”
“She sounds like you.”
“You think I’m selfless?” I ask, popping another bite in my mouth.
“Wholeheartedly. You helped your friend out with something you weren’t sure you were going to enjoy. You thanked the assistants on set who brought you coffee with a smile and treated them like equals. I might not know a whole lot about you, Maggie, but I can tell you’re a kind person who puts others first.”
“Speaking of selflessness, look at you. Handing out grilled cheeses to hungry folks. You’re a good host.”
Aiden licks his fingers clean and takes our empty plates to the sink. “Orgasms and food. Put me down in the record books as the best ever.”
“There’s that humbleness, again.”
He laughs, rinsing the porcelain then coming back over to take my hand. He pulls me from the bar stool and wraps his arms around my waist. “You’re a smart-ass.”
“You called me selfless two minutes ago.”
“Potato, potahto.”
I rest my head on his shoulder and stare out at the twinkling city lights. “Aiden?”
“Hm?”
“Thank you for such a wonderful night. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen when I came over here, but you’ve exceeded all of my expectations.”
“Right back at you.” He stands on his toes and kisses the top of my head. “I’m glad I did the shoot. It meant meeting you.”
Those words are important, I know. Some cosmic arrangement of the universe so our paths would cross, destined to intertwine. In another life, maybe we could be something. A couple that spent quiet moments together after a long day of loud noises, unwinding on the couch, side by side. He’d make me tea. I’d help clean up. It wouldwork, a match made in heaven.
“You’re thinking hard,” he murmurs.
“Sorry. Just daydreaming.”
Aiden hums. “Do something for me?” he asks.
“Bend over the stool?”
“We’ll do that soon, but not yet. Will you dance with me?”
“Here? In the kitchen? While I’m not wearing underwear?”
“Well, now I do want to bend you over the stool.”
