I clear my throat and pick up my pen, striking throughGet a guy’s numberand writing inHave a one-night stand. I regret it almost immediately, but I refuse to let that show on my face. I throw down my pen quite triumphantly considering the colossal mistake I just made. “Doyouhave any questions?”
“Nope.” He crosses his arms and leans on the table, bringing him close enough into my bubble that I get a whiff of him. He still smells like sunshine and salt.
The scent threatens to bring up even more powerful memories, so I sit back in my chair to create as much distance between us as possible. I narrow my eyes at him. “I really want to win this, you know.”
“So do I.” He raises his eyebrows in a challenge.
“I’ve been in LA for longer than you’ve been a writer.”
He shrugs. “Doesn’t mean I want it any less.”
“Why do you?”
“Why do I what?”
“Why do you want to work for theChronicle? Why here? I’m sure you could have gotten a job anywhere. Why trample on my home turf?” The words come out sharp, laced with all the anger I felt yesterday and this morning. Anger that was slipping over the last few minutes of this conversation. I latch on to it.
Something that looks like sadness flashes through the blue of his eyes for half a second before they harden to steel. “It was always the dream, right? Living and writing in LA?”
Yeah, it was.Ourdream. One he gave up any right towhen he took all our fantastical, young-and-in-love plans and Hulk-smashed them to smithereens.
My breath hitches in my chest. “That was a long time ago.”
“I suppose.” He pushes his chair back with an obnoxiously loud scrape. “I’ll text you if I have any questions.”
“Guess that means I have to unblock your number.”
He pauses, his hands on his thighs as he’s about to stand. “You really blocked my number, Parker?”
I meet his gaze dead-on. “Can you blame me?”
He doesn’t flinch under my glare. Shaking his head slowly, he rises from his seat. “Whatever. Think you can manage to be professional for the next ten weeks?”
I bite down on my lip to hold back my retort—Think your mom can manage to be professional for the next ten weeks?Instead, I nod, coolly, calmly, totally unfazed. “Good luck, Seth. You’re going to need it.”
He rolls his eyes, spinning on his heel and marching out the front door without a backward glance.
And I’m glad he doesn’t turn around, because I most definitely can’t seem to tear myself away from checking out the rear view.
Lana’s List for Seth
Get actual furniture and household items (i.e., linens and towels)
Update wardrobe
Set up a dating profile on a relationship-seeking app/website
