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“Believe it,” I laugh, pulling Casey tighter in my lap. We’re sitting in a bar at the back of a casino. Casey’s in my lap because quite simply I can’t make myself put her down. I know how close I came to losing her, and I haven’t recovered yet. “I can’t wait,” I tell him, but I’m looking down at Casey and my words are all for her. She’s smiling up at me and I can’t resist giving her a quick kiss.
“I can’t either,” she whispers when we break apart.
“Damn it, Casey you let him off the hook too easily. You’re supposed to make him crawl,” Aden mutters.
“Then that means I should make you crawl too, right? Since you proposed the bet to begin with?”
“That wasn’t my finest hour,” he admits, looking contrite, scratching the side of his face through his beard. He’s actually looking pretty haggard. He did something that has probably never been done before. He walked off the set of the movie. He’ll probably be sued for breach of contract and a million other things, but he said he was done. He’s burned out. He has been for a while, but I can see it clearly now.
“Speaking of that damn bet,” Titan begins…
“God. Do we have to?” I whine. I know Casey has forgiven me, but I hate to remind her how clearly stupid the man is she’s decided to take on as her husband.
“Well, I mean I wasn’t there, but it seems to me Aden lost. So what is he supposed to do? Pay you? Because his money might be tied up while he takes on the studio.”
Aden flips him off, he’s not really concerned about the repercussions. He said he was packing up and leaving Hollywood and not looking back. At first I didn’t believe him, but over the last two weeks there’s a calmness about him that I haven’t seen in years.
“We didn’t bet money,” I tell him, kissing Casey’s forehead in apology. Even though she swears she’s fine with things now, I still feel like a fucking asshole.
“What the hell did you bet then?” White asks.
“If I lost I was supposed to finally start working on my screenplay and stop putting off what I really wanted to do with my life,” Aden murmurs.
“Well fuck. That might be out now, since your name is mud in town,” Titan says helpfully.
“Not if the screenplay is a bestselling novel, first,” Casey declares, looking at all of us with a sly grin.
“You want me to write a novel?” Aden says, but there’s something in his eyes. He likes the idea, I can tell.
“What? Why not? Stephen King, James Patterson, Nicolas Sparks….”
“Yeah, but I’m not them,” Aden says, watching her closely.
“They weren’t them at one point,” she says, making me blink, but I get what she’s saying.
“Damn. I have to say I like this idea Aden. You’re always jotting ideas, and stories. I think you can do this,” Titan says.
“I think so too,” White agrees.
Aden looks at me, “What do you think?”
“I’ve learned to never argue with Casey. She’s clearly smarter than I will ever be,” I tell him honestly.
“Well that’s true, except for agreeing to marry you, she’s definitely—”
“Hey!” I growl, interrupting him, causing Casey to laugh.
“So where does one go to write the next great American Novel?” Aden asks, taking a drink of his scotch.
“Somewhere off the map. Completely secluded, because let’s face it, the press is going to be all over you,” Titan answers.
“That’s the damn truth, they’re already breathing down your throat. I’m surprised they haven’t shown up here yet,” I sigh, hating that my buddy has to go through this shit.
“Well, to be honest, and I’m sorry Aden, but you kind of look like shit at the moment,” Casey says softly.
“Gee thanks,” he says holding up his drink in a ‘cheers’ motion.
“Hey. I’m merely trying to keep it real,” she grins.
“Idaho.”
Everyone looks at Titan like he’s insane, which he might truly be.
“Idaho?” Aden mumbles. “What the hell is in Idaho?”
“Potatoes?” Casey asks and I have to kiss her. I mean that was cute, my woman has a smart mouth. A damn good mouth too and if she doesn’t quit squirming on my dick, I’m taking her out of here and putting it to even better use.
“Okay, what’s in Idaho besides potatoes?” Aden asks.
“Nothing,” Titan answers. “That’s kind of the point. You need to go somewhere as far from Hollywood as you can get. I’d say farm country in the middle of nowhere Idaho is the answer.”
“Hey, I have an idea. I have a cousin who is getting ready to open a small hotel in Idaho. She’s a good kid, been served a raw deal from life, especially after my aunt died. You could rent from her and…”
“And give your cousin income,” Aden smirks at White.
