“I doubt that.” I nudge him with my elbow because suddenly, sitting here pressed up against him, it would be so very easy to reach down and pick up his hand.
“Parker. Come on. I’d been in love with you since I was six. It took me eight years to work up the courage to hold your hand.” He gives me a nudge back, and the movement causes our hands to brush each other. His fingers twitch and I wonder if he’s fighting the same instinct I am.
Then he abruptly pulls his hand away and turns his attention to the front of the bus, where our tour guide is welcoming us. So maybe not.
“We’ll be exploring some of the most famous sights in Los Angeles today, with multiple stops at several different landmarks. Buses run every half an hour, so feel free to hop off, do some exploring, and join us again whenever you’re ready.” The bus lurches away from the curb and our guide continues talking, narrating the history of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and the Walk of Fame as we putter our way down Hollywood Boulevard.
As we head toward the Sunset Strip, an awkward silence descends. It’s not actually quiet, since we’re surrounded by chattering tourists and the honking horns of LA traffic and the drone of the tour guide, but in our little five-foot-by-three-foot bubble, the silence is thick.
“I got really drunk there one night.” The words fall out of me as we pass by one of the Strip’s dive bars. I don’t know what makes me overshare, other than needing to break thequiet tension somehow. “They have margaritas that are literally the size of your head.”
Seth’s eyes twinkle with laughter. “Drunk Parker is a sight to behold.”
“Um, excuse me, I think I was only ever drunk once in your presence.”
“Once was enough.” He clears his throat. “And it was twice, actually.”
Just when I thought we were making progress.
“If today is going to hold any possibility of fun, it might be better not to mention that whole situation.” I direct the words at the bars and clubs we’re currently driving by, half hoping he won’t hear them.
“You’re probably right about that.”
I whip my head around to face him. “I’m sorry, did you just say I’m right?”
That familiar smirk tugs on the corner of his lips. “Just this once, this one time, on this one occasion, you might be right.”
“What’s that you said? Lana is always right? Weird, I totally agree! Look at us agreeing and getting along!”
He laughs, for real, causing his shoulders to move even farther into my space.
I can’t seem to make myself shift away.
We fill the next half hour with innocuous conversation. Seth asks questions about my experiences at some of the places we pass. I fill him in with stories about the city and May and our coworkers.
“I see why you love working atATF,” he says after I tell him about one of our epic nights at the Abbey.
“The people are great.” It’s a simple statement of truth, one that also gives me pause for a second.
“But...?” Seth knows me too well and can likely see the wheels turning in my head.
“But I’m beginning to wonder if I stay for the people and not for the work.” If I’m being totally honest, I’m not just beginning to wonder. I’ve been wondering that for longer than I’d like to admit.
He’s quiet for a second, his eyes studying my profile as I determinedly keep my gaze focused straight ahead. “You deserve to write what you want to write, Parker. And your dating columns are great, but they’re also a waste of your talent.”
“You’ve read my columns?” I turn my head just slightly, allowing me to catch the expression on his face changing.
His cheeks flush, the crimson spreading to his ears, a sure sign he’s said more than he intended. “I read a few. When I knew I was going to be stuck atATFfor a bit. Not before that or anything.”
“Hmmm.” I let my knee press into his. “I’ve read everything you’ve ever published.”
“You have?” His fingers dance closer to the seam of space separating our thighs.
“Of course I have.” I turn to face him fully. “It’s brilliant. You’ve always been brilliant.”
His eyes meet mine and my breath halts in my chest. “Parker...”
“Our next stop is the Grove shopping center, along with the Original Farmers Market. This is the place to hop off if you’re in need of a snack!”
