Page 6 of Outside the Lines
Anna held up her hand. “You’ll have it done when you said?”
“Cross my heart.” I did too. Still had enough Catholic in me for that.
“Fine. Go. Do.” She gestured at the door.
She didn’t have to say it twice. A moment later, I was out of her hot and humid trailer, and heading across the lot to my car. All the salvaged bits from the miniature set were packed, along with the base, the plans, and the few supplies I had. I’d loaded my Mini as soon as the drizzle started. Waiting for rain to let up was pointless out here—it only ever got worse before better. That could take days. Ah, the Pacific Northwest. So very . . . moist.
I booked it to the parking lot though I didn’t know if it was the rain or the prospect of seeing Simon again that had me walking so fast. Oh hell, who was I kidding? It was Simon. His eyes, his hands, the way his shirt clung to his chest. Yeah, lust had gotten a grip on me, but there were things I liked about Simon other than enough perfection to get my dick hard.
Simon was kind. Friendly. A geek, like me. And he couldpaint. Understood miniatures, even if they weren’t the movie-set kind. Not the type of guy I normally found around here. Mostly, I ended up meeting men who were only interested inWolf’s Landingor worse—they wereemployedbyWolf’s Landing.
Lotsof people on set fished off the same pier. It worked for some, like Carter Samuels and Levi Pritchard, our star-crossed big-name actors. And Anna and Natalya.
Heck, I’d gone spelunking into the pool of available guys a couple of times, but it was damn awkward when a one-night stand fizzled into regret . . . and you had to say “Yo” to that dude the next day. And the next . . . and the next. After the third “Oops maybe not, man,” I’d stopped. Better to take things into my own hand, so to speak, than spend weeks cringing when we bumped into each other on the job.
But Simon? Simon was gorgeous, engaging, andworked in town. Couldn’t ask for a better chance. I was dying to see if I’d imagined that spark of interest. Still, I took my sweet time driving over to the shop. The cops liked to sit on this stretch of road, and the rain had gone from annoying to insulting. Fastest setting on the wipers wasn’t cutting it. I’d bought this car for sunny and dry California, not rain-soaked Washington state.
By the time I pulled up in front of End o’ Earth, my heart was thudding against my ribs. This was the start. One set. One comics guy with a wicked smile, and me. Had it been my imagination yesterday? Na. Dude was a flirt. I was a flirt.
We could be flirts together.
Before I unpacked the monstrosity of the base and all the items stuffed into my car, I ducked into the shop to see if Simon was ready. It was after lunch and I didn’t know if he was in. We hadn’t discussed the time—only that I would be here today.
I dashed through the door, and this time, there was a woman behind the counter: neon red hair, a nose piercing, and some wicked tats up her arm. Her smile was bright. “Hey, how’s it going?”
“Good! Well, other than the rain.”
She gave me an eyeroll that I recognized asOh, this one’s a California boy. “Yeah, puts a damper on the day, huh?”
I snorted. “Or at least makes everything damp.”
Apparently, my charm washed out, given her unimpressed raised eyebrow.
I cleared my throat. “Is Simon in? He was expecting me.”
That had her straightening up. “Yeah, hang on.” She opened a door behind the counter and called inside. “Si? There’s a guy here for you.”
Yeah, I was here for him. I had to bite my tongue to keep from smirking. I had no poker-face whatsoever, and I wasn’t certain I wanted the fiery comics gal to know I was macking on her boss.
Simon appeared at the door and met my gaze . . . and I’m not sure what expression I had, because comics gal took one look at me and punched him in the arm. Simon only widened his grin, which formed dimples on his cheeks.
Glad I hadn’t tucked my shirt in, because dimples were kryptonite to my self-control. “Uh . . .” And to the ability to put words together. “I have . . . stuff.” I pointed behind me. “In the car.”
Sometime during my brilliant use of the English language, Simon had rounded the counter and had come to a stop next to me. He was slightly taller. Right. I’d forgotten that part.
“Shall we get yourstuff?” Simon held my gaze a bit longer, as if he knew he’d shorted out my mind with his smile, his hair, and those lips. Then he peered out the door and crinkled his brow. “I think there’s a lull in the rain.”
That’s when my brain engaged. “I didn’t think rain ever lulled here.” We moved toward the door, side by side, but he paused to let me go first.
“Been known to happen. Count your lucky stars.”
“Astronomical or Hollywood?”
Simon let out a bark of laughter as I unlocked the car. He sobered pretty quickly. “I can’t believe you got that much into a Mini Cooper.”
I shrugged. “I’m good at squeezing things into tight places.”
Simon made a sound that might have been a swallowed giggle and wouldn’t meet my eyes at all. His skin held a blush nicely, though. “I suppose that’s a good talent to have.”
