Page 30 of The Close-Up (Hollywood Renaissance 1.50)

“Damn, I knew I liked you,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s complicated.”

“I’mma get personal here for a sec. That all right?”

“Sure. Of course.”

“Getting with Kenan was complicated. He had a very public situation with his ex, and she was making it even tougher, on top of bringing custody of his daughter into it. I had my own shit I was dealing with. On the surface, you’d look at our situation and say we should have waited until things were simpler, but I’m glad we didn’t. It helped us sort through what was most important to us. It helped us see that we were worth it.”

I absorb that in silence, and she goes on.

“And I bet you’ve heard about Iris and August. Iris’s past relationship made national headlines. It gets no more complicated than what Iris and August had to negotiate to be together.”

“You guys are married. You’re couples. Naz and I barely know each other.”

“You should’ve seen my poor husband the first time he saw me.” Lotus lets out a low laugh. “You woulda thought lightning struck that man. The crazy thing was, it struck me, too. You can feel more with the right person in an instant than you’ve felt with folks you’ve known all your life. It’s not how long you’ve had together. Maybe it’s what you could have. I’m just asking if you’d like to find out? And bonus! Sail the Mediterranean eating bomb-ass food and hanging with the most amazing group of friends you ever want to meet? Don’t let the belly fool you. Mama still knows how to get down.”

I laugh and have no doubt I would love hanging out with Lotus and Iris and their friends for two weeks. They seem like my kind of people. With Neevah and Canon traveling to recoup after the movie wrapped, I don’t have many friends in town I know or like to hang with.

And who am I kidding? The greatest draw is that man, Naz. Like Janice said, we can keep it simple, and Cliff won’t even have to know. I cannot deny I want to see him again. Kiss him again. And more… Lord, more.

“Can I think about it?” I ask.

“Of course, you can,” Lotus says, her tone indulgent. “Honey, you take all the time you like, but I need to know by Tuesday.”

I can’t help but laugh. Yeah, this whole experience might be worth the risk.

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