Page 30 of Doc Showmance
She compressed her pretty lips and blinked up at me.
Her face tightened, but she didn’t answer.
I squinty-eyed right back at her.
She said, “We talked about this last night.”
“No, we didn’t. I brought it up. You avoided answering. Now…that guy…kissing you in the lobby?” My hands fisted. I forced them to relax. “What the hell?”
She cocked her head. Her long hair made her look a few years younger when in a ponytail. Her lips twitched to the side. There was something she wanted to say, but she was holding on to it. Then her lips tipped upward, her eyes sparkled. “You’re talking about Bruno?”
The way she’d said the guy’s name, Bruno, made it sound like I should know him. I couldn’t tell if she was laughing at me over my behavior or that, of course, she had a boyfriend. I didn’t even know why I was upset. It’s not as if she and I were a real thing.
“If you have a boyfriend, then this whole TV thing is a nonstarter for me. I will not be that guy. I won’t do a fight on national TV over a girl who I’m not even really seeing.”
“You’re saying I’m not worth fighting over?”
“That’s not what I said. I won’t deal with this farce if there’s a boyfriend in the picture.”
“Now you grow a conscience? Where was this concern when I was ambushed in a conference room and they discussed when and how I’ll French kiss you?” Her gaze dropped to my lips.
Now I couldn’t stop thinking about kissing her. I wondered what it’d be like. I suspected she’d be a firecracker once she got warmed up.
She said, “You shouldn’t pick a fight with Bruno. He ran with a rough crowd in high school. He might play the adorable koala bear in public, but he’s a scary fighter.” She squinted at me as if trying to deep read my thoughts. “Are you jealous?”
“No.” I dragged the word into two or three syllables, which didn’t help me convince her I wasn’t jealous. “I’m looking out for myself to not get my ass handed to me by someone like Bruno over something that isn’t real. Are the two of you involved…dating?”
“Involved? Yes, but not how you think. Dating? That’d be problematic.”
“Are you being obtuse on purpose or just to irritate the hell out of me?” I crossed my arms to stop myself from reaching out to her, as if touching might make her stop talking in circles. When she still didn’t say more, I said, “Jesus, Amber. Just tell me who Bruno is and why him dating you is problematic.”
“I signed a contract that says I’m supposed to be thinking about dating you, right? Or at least theoretically in some distant future moment when Marianna decides it’s time for us to make it to first or second base. I’m not a girl who can handle dating two men at once. Honestly, dating one person is usually beyond my capability to steer straight. And Bruno… He’s my brother.”
“He can’t be your brother. You’re…and he’s…were you adopted?”
She laughed that rich sound that almost tugged a smile out of me. “You really know nothing about me. He’s my foster brother. He brings me lunch sometimes before he goes to his afternoon law class down at USD.”
I blocked her from exiting as she clearly intended. “Are you dating anyone else?”
“That implies I’m dating Bruno and another person? Bruno and I together is gross.” She pulled her hand away from the door handle behind me. “Are the specifics of my dating life so important that you need them right now?”
“I need to know how much this is screwing up both our lives. I’ll start. I’m not seeing anyone seriously right now. I’ve had a lot of first dates the past few months. There was a mix-up in Colombia last month while taping the show, but I never dated her. Never did anything with her.”
“I really couldn’t care less about your dating life. Apparently, you care a lot about mine.”
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I didn’t move, assuming it was the cameraman.
She cocked her head. “If you’re not seeing anyone… Ian, how long has it been since you got laid? Is that why you’re so uptight and strung out?”
“Good Lord.” I covered my face. “Can you just tell me if you’re dating anyone?”
The knocking became more insistent.
I glanced out the window, ready to hand the cameraman his ass.
Bruno had his face pressed tight to the window. His nostrils flared when he met my eyes.
