“Everything okay?” he asked.
She nodded, tilting her face, leaning up to kiss him. And as she did so, she found her eyes glancing sideways to where John had been, as though she had something to prove. But John had gone, and she felt an unexpected pang of disappointment.
11
Chloe ducked out of theparty to use the bathroom. Overall, she was enjoying herself more than she’d thought she would, especially with the protective force field of Rob around her. But something about the acoustics, the amplification of a hundred conversations, felt exhausting, like trying to stay upright in a river. She wished she had a book. She could really use a reading break. Just a few chapters to tide her over.
When she came out of the bathroom, she found Sean, waiting for her in the narrow, dimly lit corridor.
“Hey,” he said, shooting her a tentative smile. “Loud in there, isn’t it? My ears are ringing.”
“Yes. Hi,” she said, surprised to find him here. Were they going to have a heart-to-hearthere, outside the loo?
“So, how’s life with you?” he asked, grinning, then thrustinghis hands into his pockets, shifting his stance, leaning back against the wall.
“Good, good,” she said as a reflex. “How about you?”
“Yeah, you know. Crazy busy. I only got in two days ago. Still jet-lagged,” he said, shooting her that familiar goofy smile.
“Did you come just for this?” she asked.
“No, it was lucky timing. I had a meeting with these producers in London.” He raked a hand through his jet-black hair. She leaned back against the opposite wall, pressing her hands behind her.
“Who were you meeting? You know I work for a film company now?”
“Oh right. Cool.” He bit his lip. “I can’t really say. Talent meetings, you know.”
A silence hung between them. She imagined how different their roles in a meeting would be. Her, taking notes and making coffee, him, the big-name director, calling all the shots.
“Sorry, that was a wanky thing to say. You’re not going to tell anyone,” he said, blowing out his cheeks. “It was with Daniel Craig about this prepper film they want me for.”
She took a beat. Wow.
“It’s so impressive, what you’ve done,” she said. “I’m so proud of you.”
“You watched them then, my films?” he asked, eyes shifting to the floor.
“Of course I did! I even waited for the credits in the theater so I could see your name come up again, twice—writeranddirector. I did a little cheer both times, spilled popcorn all over myself,” she said. His mouth lifted at the edges, but in his eyes she saw a flicker of annoyance. He started picking at a piece of loose paintwork on the wall.
“Listen, I wanted to apologize for not replying to that email you sent,” he said, clearing his throat. So he had got it.“It was rude of me not to write back. I wanted to, I was thinking about you, but then it felt like I should probably call, and life got crazy, you know how it is. I was doing eighteen-hour days…” He trailed off. “Then it felt like I’d left it too long.” He scuffed his foot against the floor. “I’m always chasing my tail on stuff I need to reply to.”
“Maybe you need a shit-hot PA to help you keep on top of things,” she said with a tight smile, trying not to let show how much it stung that he simply “hadn’t had time” to respond.
“I have two,” he said, no flicker of irony. Chloe flexed her palms behind her back. Why did this feel like talking to a stranger? Maybe because he was a stranger now. But was she really so insignificant to him that an email congratulating him, extending the olive branch of friendship, had just been another irksome task clogging up his to-do list?
“You were my best friend, Sean,” she said softly. “We did everything together. It feels crazy to me that we lost touch over…” She trailed off.
“I know, me too,” he said, eyes wide and eager now. “And I’m sorry, about all that stuff with Susie.” A flush crept up his neck, and he tugged at the cuff of his sleeve. “If it makes you feel better, she didn’t just make me choose between her and you. When I got the job in LA, she told me we couldn’t stay together if I went.”
This did not make Chloe feel any better. He had put Susie over their friendship, but a job over Susie. She chewed on her lip, feeling a new coldness between them.
“You still acting?” he asked. Though he must have known that she wasn’t.
“Every day, acting like I’ve got a clue what I’m doing with my life,” she said, letting out a nervous laugh, and it echoed around the too-quiet corridor, taunting her. Their eyes met now, and he looked…she didn’t know. Awkward? Embarrassed? She couldn’t read him like she used to. How could a conversation be about so much and so little all at once?
A group of women were heading down the corridor toward them now, and Sean bounced on his toes. “Anyway, we’ll catch up properly later, yeah?”
A cold weight settled against her ribs. She folded her arms across her chest, then dropped her gaze to the floor.
