Page 11 of Two Sticky Nuts

“Actually, no. For me, there’s just something about the process of creating a film and being behind the camera. People say it’s an art, but I think that applies to the actors. The director has to be methodical and meticulous in order to capture the story with a camera. It requires a deep technical background.”

“Wow. You make it all sound so,”boring and tedious,“complicated.”

“It is. But I love it. I mostly make documentaries, but my next project is a full-length feature.”

“Have you ever considered getting in front of the camera?” He has to know he’s got a face that could make him famous.

“I’ve done some acting work. Mostly after college. Tuition loans don’t pay themselves.”

“Anything I’d know?” I ask.

“Nah. Just some short roles, mostly as an extra.”

“Nothing juicy, then?” Because I’d watch. And rewatch. I might even touch myself while I do it.

“No. So what about you?” he asks, changing subjects. “Where did you grow up?”

“Kentucky. But I went to college in Dallas and never left. That’s where I met Sofie, the friend I’m here on vacation with.”

“Did it bother her that I stole you away for the day?”

Steal me for a week. A year. Make it an even decade. Just give me back in one piece after you’ve had your way with me. “She doesn’t mind. Our friendship isn’t like that.”

“Like what?” he asks.

“We don’t hold each other back or need to be glued at the hip. It’s actually pretty great. I can talk to her every day if I’m going through stuff, and she can do the same. Or we can go weeks without checking in. I always know she’s there for me, and she knows I’m here, too. We just…do our thing.”

Carter glances over, flashing those striking blue eyes at me along with a showstopping smile. “That’s different.”

“Different good or different bad?”

“Good. Most women I meet need a lot of…” He pauses. I wonder if he’s searching for a diplomatic word, or is he wondering if he can be candid? “Reassurance in their relationships.”

I shrug. “To each their own, but I’ve always been independent.”

“Me too.”

I look ahead at a small smoke-spewing bus filled with tourists. There’s a couple in the back window making out. They look like they’re having a really good time, possibly honeymooners, given the tour bus. “Do you ever see yourself settling down?”

“Never.” He glances at me and winks. “But that’s how I’ll know when I meet the right girl; she won’t want to settle down either.”

“You want to be a swinger?”

He chuckles. “No. I’m not into that at all. I meant that the woman I spend my life with will want to travel the world with me. Maybe she’ll even be my partner and make movies with me or run the business side of things. I don’t know. But I want a woman I can build a life with.”

I’m swooning, but in the most unexpected way. I love that he’s thinking about the future, and that future doesn’t involve leaving his woman behind for months at a time while he follows his passion. He wants her to be a part of his dream.

I could absolutely see myself loving that sort of life—traveling to exotic locations, seeing the world, and shooting movies. To be clear, I’m not a movie fanatic—I watch them, but they’re not my passion—and it’s not an industry I know anything about, but I’ve always wanted to run my own business.

“Would you say that there’s a place for problem solvers in that partnership?” I ask. Because that’s what I am at the end of the day. I solve problems. I make sure obstacles are removed so the business runs.

“You auditioning for the role?” He flashes another charming smile that does things to me. Dirty things.

I rub the back of my sweaty neck, my stomach pure flutters. “A little too early for that, but I’d at least read the script.”

“I think I’d like that,” he says.

CHAPTER SIX

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