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“True.”
“I know it’s lame to be so disappointed, but I’ve always wanted to see it.Sleepless in Seattleis my mom’s favorite movie, and we’ve watched it together so many times. I wanted to go up there for her.”
“I’m not judging you or your motives. I’m sure it’s an amazing view or it wouldn’t be something everyone does when they come here.”
I lowered my arms. “You’resureit’s amazing, like you don’t know that firsthand?”
“I’ve never been up there. I’ve seen a lot of the world, but touristy things are always so overrun with people, so I avoid them.”
Hmm. That was inordinately sad. I returned my attention to his hair and positioned myself on his other side.
“Why did you become so quiet?” he asked.
“No reason.”
He reached for my wrist, circling it lightly.
I went still, the warmth from his skin seeping into mine. “That’s a dangerous thing to do when I have shears this close to your head. I could have messed up your haircut with a giant, gaping hole.”
“It’s only hair. It’ll grow.” His voice was weirdly quiet, and he didn’t release me. Instead, he pulled my hand away from his head, turning it over to see my palm. “You don’t have to feel sorry for me, Frenchy.”
I couldn’t feel much of anything right now except the fire that poured from his fingertips and spread over my skin. My voice was tight, but I did my best to sound unaffected while Rhett infused me with electricity. “Not so much feeling sorry as feeling that some of your travels were a waste if you had to miss seeing things you wanted to see.”
“It’s my job,” he said quietly.
“Then maybe you need to rethink being such a workaholic.” Movie-watchers worldwide would be holding their breath if they heard me suggest that. “I mean, the world definitely needs more Rhett Myers on the big screen, so don’t misunderstand me. But do you have to do every single little thing Bridget lines up for you?”
“Right now, yes.”
“Because you’re paying her to protect your image.”
“I need her help.”
“I know what my question would have been if I’d won,” I whispered, trying to ignore the way his thumb brushed lightly over the sensitive skin at my wrist. But as much as I was dying to know what he was covering up, I recognized that it was too personal to ask.
Rhett’s blue eyes narrowed slightly on me. I didn’t want our friendship to become something tainted by my need to know everything about him, and I didn’t want him to think I cared more about his fame thanhim. Yes, I fell for the man as a pre-teen and steadily built on that adoration every passing year, but now that he stood before me in the flesh, he was becoming more and more human. The man I thought I knew was slowly fading, replaced with the real Rhett. And to my utter joy, I liked the real Rhett better.
But the more I saw of his life, the more I wondered how much of him was a fantasy. He didn’t have room for a woman, for a real relationship. Especially not some nobody hairstylist. His image was too important to waste on me. I certainly wasn’t Bridget-approved.
At present, I wanted to enjoy what time I had with him, and if he happened to fall for me along the way, I wouldn’t say no to that, either. But I wasn’t holding my breath,
I tried for a light smile. “But I didn’t win our bet, so I should probably finish your cut. You don’t want to show up at the fundraiser tonight with lopsided hair, right?”
“I guess not.” He dropped my hand like it was made of hot coals and straightened in the chair. I went back to where I’d left off and kept snipping away, nearly finished.
“So, you earned a question, Rhett. What’s it going to be?”
Chapter Twelve
I was a fairly openbook. As long as he didn’t ask me anything likeWho are you in love with?then things wouldn’t get too awkward between us.
“I’m going to save my question.”
I looked at him. “That was not in the original agreement.”
“It wasn’t in the original agreement that I had to use my question right away either.”
“Fine print, but you’re right. Cheater.” I pulled the strands of his hair at each temple, checking to make sure it was the same length before setting the shears and comb on the counter.
