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“Kind of the opposite actually,” she said, meeting his gaze. “He’s convinced I’m hiding away here in the city and spiraling into being a hermit. I need him to see that I’m doing okay. And it would help a lot if he could see that I’m dating someone. I usually tell him everything, but if I tell him about our arrangement, he’s going to worry even more that I’m going off the deep end. So…”
Jasper smiled. “I need to be the boyfriend.”
She let out a breath. “I know that’s a big ask, but can you act like we’re the real thing with Cal?”
He pressed his hand to his chest in mock horror. “Hollyn Darling, I’m a serious thespian. Of course I can act like I’m totally hot for you. I mean, it will be a real hardship to behave like I want you. I’m totally not thinking about you naked right this very second.”
She smacked his arm and laughed. “I’m being serious. Like I’m asking you to spend time with me outside of lessons and, you know, the bedroom for this.”
He reached out and dragged her chair closer to him. Since that day in the video room, they’d barely passed a day during the last two weeks without a lesson and a little after-hours fun at his place. The fact that she even had to ask him for this said he wasn’t doing a good enough job showing her how much he was enjoying spending time with her. “I’m being serious, too.” He kissed the tip of her twitching nose. “Happy to do it. And bydo it…”
“Jasper.”
He grinned, loving that he could rile her up so easily. “I’m kidding. I’ve got your back. We’ll show your friend how unhermit-like you are. Totally well-adjusted Hollyn with her totally underemployed slacker boyfriend.”
She pursed her lips. “Who is going to start his own kick-ass theater.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he said dismissively, but her confidence in him sent warmth through his chest.
“Thank you.” She put her hand on his knee and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “You’re a good guy, Jasper.”
He flipped his collar upGrease-style as she backed away. “You’re totally killing my bad-boy image here.”
She tilted her head, a quizzical look on her face. “Wait, you had a bad-boy image?”
“Hey,” he said in mock offense and reached for her.
She laughed and stood before he could grab her. “I’ll email you that list of businesses. And if I bring Cal to your show tonight, will you come out for drinks with us afterward?”
“Of course.” He fixed his collar and smoothed it down.
“Great.” She bit her lip. “By the way, just FYI, Cal has Tourette’s, too, but he has more verbal tics. So he’ll say some stuff that doesn’t make sense in the conversation. Usually snippets of song lyrics.”
Jasper nodded. “Got it. Thanks for the heads-up.”
“Also…”
“What?” he asked when she hesitated.
Her nose and cheek tics cycled through their dance. Something was bothering her, but all she said was “Never mind. See you later.”
Then, she lifted her hand in a quick goodbye and strode off toward the stairs that led back to her office. Only when she was out of sight did his brain finally come back online and retrieve the snippet of conversation he’d been reaching for earlier.
“No, I’m not a virgin. I dated my best friend in college.”
Her best friend.
Hell.That had to be the guy who was coming into town. Hollyn didn’t have a long list of friends. She definitely wouldn’t have a long list ofbestfriends.
That was what she’d almost told him just now but chickened out on. He was going out for drinks with her ex. The only other guy she’d slept with.Fantastic.
He wasn’t particularly bothered by meeting someone’s ex-boyfriend. If Hollyn and Cal wanted to be together still, they would be. But he had no idea if she had an ulterior motive. She should’ve briefed him. Was she trying to make the guy jealous? Prove something? Was Jasper supposed to be cool and friendly? Overly affectionate and protective?
He didn’t like not knowing Hollyn’s motivation or his role.
Well, this should fun. Not awkward at all.
He turned back to his business plan. Suddenly, the numbers seemed like they might end up being the easiest thing on his agenda today.
