Page 47 of The Publicity Stunt
My lips tighten in a line and I’m pretty sure I blush.
Theo applies some rubbing alcohol over Parker’s skin and inserts the big needle into a protruding vein. I try not to look.
“So, where’d you two meet?” Parker asks, gripping my hand tightly.
“A bar down the street,” Theo replies.
“A bar?”
“It was the same day I ran into you,” I add, defensive. “Holly introduced us.” A half-smile touches Theo’s mouth as I say her name.
“Whoa, back up.” Parker looks at me. “Holly?”
I nod.
“You know her?” Theo asks him.
Parker scoffs and points a thumb at me. “All good things have a price, man. Mine just happened to be Holly, the she-devil herself.”
Gaping, I shoot him a look. Parker and Holly have never gotten along, so I’m not really surprised at his remark. Quite frankly, it’s the nicest one so far. A solid upgrade from “raging bitch” and “absolute psycho.” But is it necessary to call her a “she-devil” in front of her colleague? But before I can smack Parker’s good arm, Theo asks him about his injury.
“Occupational hazard,” Parker tells him. “I’m a stunt double.”
Theo arches an eyebrow. “Oh, that’s pretty cool. Anything I might’ve seen?”
“I don’t know man, are low-budget action movies your thing?”
“Actually, I’m more into horror,” Theo says.
“Really?” Parker exclaims and glances at me. “April can’t watch a horror movie unless it’s on mute.”
I frown. “That’s not true.”
“You’re right. You can’t watch a horror movie, period.”
“Ah,” Theo muses. “So you two, huh?”
“Are just friends,” I chime in.
“Best friends,” Parker corrects. “We’re best friends.”
Theo chuckles softly.
And I just sigh.
* * *
Fifteen minutes and five painful hand-squeezes later, Parker’s arm is somewhat fixed and we’re finally on our way out.
“Thank you for coming with me,” he says.
I shrug. “I’m your emergency contact. It’s my job.”
He laughs and the sound makes me feel all tingly and warm inside. We exit the ER and head into the parking lot. “So, drinks tomorrow?” he says.
“Huh?”
“Drinks,” he repeats. “After work, obviously.”
