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A few minutes later, Zoe was strapped into her carseat, happily holding her tablet to distract her, and we were on our way.
Only unlike our usual trips, I was sitting in the middle of the backseat with Zoe and Adam on either side. I still didn’t understand why he wouldn’t sit in the front seat with Mak. And I didn’t feel comfortable leaving Zoe in the back with someone unwilling to interact with her. So that left me carefully balancing on the hump in the middle of the backseat. I couldn’t even watch Zoe’s tablet with her since she was still in a rear facing carseat. Fantastic.
I fiddled with my phone, but after pictures of me watching Zoe went viral a few weeks ago, I’d shut down all my social media. More than a few crazies had reached out for either an introduction to my boss or to tell me I was a skank. It wasn’t worth it.
Plus I was still avoiding my bestie since I was technically sleeping with my boss that she’d hooked me up with.
Nothing to see here.
“So I was wondering…” Adam began, and without thinking, I turned slightly in my seat to face him.
He was so close.
“I know you said before you weren’t ready to date anyone, but it’s been a few weeks. How are you feeling about it now? Icould get us into this crazy club. Have you heard of Partners? It’s legit.”
I’d done the whole party thing in my twenties, or part of them anyhow—before I’d settled down and got married. Now my idea of a good time was a movie or a book, preferably on the couch at home with some yummy takeout.
“I, uh, don’t exactly have any time off. So even if I wanted to, I couldn’t—”
“’Even if you wanted to?’ That sounds like you don’t want to.” Adam frowned like I was speaking a language he didn’t know.
“I’m not exactly a club girl. I like to do quieter stuff like watch a movie at home or read a book.” Not scream into someone’s ear because the music was so loud while standing in ankle breaking stilettos.
“But how will anyone ever see you if you’re always at home?”
“Why would I want anyone to see me?” I thought of all the photographers who’d followed me when I first started working with Zoe and shuddered. No thank you.
Adam whistled softly. “You’re in Hollywood. That’s the point of being here. Everyone wants to be seen.”
I shrugged uncomfortably. I could feel Mak’s gaze on me. Meeting his sunglassed eyes in the rear-view mirror, he tilted his head, and I could almost hear his thoughts.Finish him. Don’t give him another in.
“Um, it sounds to me like we probably want different things. I don’t think we’d be very compatible.” Ugh, that sounded horrible and generic. “I hope we can be friends.” Because that was so much better.
Judging by the way Adam’s face quickly turned red, he wasn’t impressed with my generic let down either. But he quickly nodded and said, “Yeah, sure.”
He faced forward, and we continued the most awkwardly tense car trip in recent memory. Mak was his usual stoic self,not saying a thing, and Zoe had fallen asleep, still clutching her tablet.
I pulled my phone out again and pretended to read a book through an app, turning pages occasionally. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Adam’s still red face with his arms crossed over his chest as he stared out the side window. I bet he regretted not sitting up front.
I know I did.
By the time we pulled into the parking lot, I was a mess of vibrating nerves. My knee was jumping so high I think it might’ve startled Zoe awake. She squawked and waved her arms as she stretched. I bent over her carseat and smiled down at her so she knew she wasn’t alone or with strangers.
I didn’t even notice Adam had left the car until I realized Mak was standing in the open car door, waiting patiently for me and Zoe to climb out. I quickly unstrapped the kiddo and exited the car with her in my arms. Adam was nowhere in sight.
“He said something about having somewhere else to be,” Mak rumbled next to me as he closed the car door.
“Right.” I looked down at Zoe in my arms. “Ready to go to Daddy’s trailer? He probably won’t be there. He’s working right now I bet, but we’ll see him soon.”
Zoe babbled something about Dada, and I nodded along like I was listening, but really, all I was doing was flagellating myself over how I’d handled Adam. It’d been so long since I’d had to turn someone down.
I sighed.
“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Mak said as he walked next to me, the bag slung over his shoulder. “You handled it the best you could.”
I hummed my agreement, but I really wasn’t feeling it. I still wished I’d handled that better.
Soon my time and attention were taken by keeping Zoe occupied in King’s tiny trailer. It might’ve been the most luxurious trailer I’d ever been inside, but it was still way too small a space to keep Zoe in all day long. By the time we’d hit King’s midday break, Zoe and I were both frustrated and near tears.
