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But Sophia would understand. We were doing it for Zoe and King—they needed our help now more than ever. And she wouldn’t have to lie. She wouldn’t have to make a statement—she’d just be walking around wearing a piece of jewelry I gave her.
“Let’s keep it confidential for now. I think it’ll be best if we stir up a frenzy with a ‘are they or aren’t they’ scenario. We’ll have Sophia show up to set with me wearing the ring and get people talking. Speaking of, make sure she has clearance to come to set tomorrow.”
“Gotcha. I’ll let you know when the jeweler can come. Anything else?”
“Yeah. What’s playing at the Dusk Drive-In tonight?”
Jeff furiously shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. If you tip off the paps, you’ll end up in handcuffs for inciting a riot.”
“Nah, this is a real date. I think if we get security to sit in a nearby car and someone stakes out a spot near the back, we should be good. Or better yet, how about you call in a fake tip about us going to that British chef’s new restaurant? Then the paps won’t be looking for us.”
“A real date,” Jeff repeated flatly. “Are you…” He shook his head after he trailed off. Trading his cell for his tablet, he started tapping away.
“Finish what you were going to say. Am I what?”
Jeff sighed and set his tablet down with a sharp click. “Are you sure you’re not making a mistake? Sophia is hot as hell, but you’re keeping her around for a reason. Dating her now sounds like a recipe for disaster. Lines will be blurred and someone will end up with her heart broken. You sure you wanna do that?”
I flinched. “Wow. Nice to know what you really think about me.”
“Come on, Rome. Don’t be like that. You know I’m only speaking from love here. Anyone can see the kind of girl Sophia is. She’s going to catch feelings in a heartbeat. She’s not built for this life.”
“Maybe I want her to.” The words spilled out of my mouth from some deep, dark space inside me. A place I really didn’t want to poke around in for too long. “Anyway, I want to take her to a drive-in. What’s playing at the Dusk? Or what’s that other one?”
The muscle in Jeff’s jaw flexed as he tapped away at his tablet. “The Legion is playingDirty Dancing, and the Dusk hasGoonies.”
“Perfect. Set us up at the Dusk with a staked-out spot and security. What should we do for dinner? Eat before or after? Maybe during?” I was talking to myself really at this point. I didn’t want my assistant to plan this date with Sophia. It was important to me that at least the bones of the date were my idea. I wanted to prove to Sophia that this was a real relationship and not all headlines and clickbait. “I’ll think about it and let you know. Don’t forget to call that fake tip in and give me a heads up when the jeweler is on his way so I can send Sophia out on an errand. Thanks, Jeff.”
I kept my tone light and jovial, but honestly, I was still smarting over his “end up with her heart broken”comment. He didn’t know what was going on. He didn’t know what I was starting to feel for Sophia.
Because it was very possible that at the end of this whole thing, I would be the one left broken hearted.
Chapter Sixteen
Sophia
Rome hadn’t given me any clues about where we were going. He’d just told me to dress in comfortable layers and be ready at seven. This, after his strange request that I walk Pongo after lunch. I didn’t mind—I loved his goofy mutt. But since I’d moved in either Rome or his assistant, Jeff, had taken over that duty. And when he’d asked me, Jeff had been standing in the other room texting. Weird.
Anyhow, we were now in the backseat of his Escalade, in LA traffic, headed to a destination unknown to me.
But not to the two bulky guys in the front seat.
“So I know you’re not going to tell me where we’re going ‘til we get there,” I said in a soft whisper. “But will they be with us the entire night?” I tilted my head toward the front seat.
“Nah, I mean they’ll be around, but they won’t be on top of us all night.” Rome held my hand and rubbed his thumb over my knuckles. “They’ll just be in the vicinity to make sure things don’t go sideways.”
“Oh.” I’d thought this was a real date, not a publicity opportunity for our public relationship. Silly of me to think there was a difference.
“There shouldn’t be any photographers. No one but Jeff and our security crew knows we’re here tonight. This is a night just for us—regardless of our shadows.”
“Oh. Good.” I smiled up at him. “I like the way that sounds.” I would’ve leaned over and given him a kiss, but I was so conscious of our entourage that I couldn’t.
Rome didn’t have any qualms about it.
He leaned over, cupped my face in his hands, and gave me a soft, slow kiss that had my toes curling.
Right up to the moment Hulk#1 hit a pothole that jarred the car and bumped my nose into Rome’s.
I jerked away and rubbed my smarting nose. “Ouch.”
