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Kevin nodded at Cal and Mimi, with a smile, and then they all watched him walk away.
“You’re going to tell us everything,” Mimi said.
“You know, I don’t think I will.”
Cal tried next. “At least tell us who Hayley is.”
“Hayley’s the best dancer you’ve ever seen,” Nick said.
“Hayley was the reason Kevin wanted to find his phone,” Mimi countered drily. “What were you doing with his girlfriend?”
Cal’s eyes widened. “Oh, this is good.”
Nick held up a hand. “You were helping find his phone; I was helping because he lost his phone.”
Mimi put on a faux pout. “Why did you get to meet her before we did?”
Nick smiled at her. “Just lucky, I guess.”
10
Hayley was absolutely sure now that the waitress at Dom and Tony’s 24/7 Diner didn’t like her.
The place wasn’t packed, and she’d been told to take all the time she needed, but the more Hayley studied the menu, the more she caught some serious side-eye every time this woman passed. She’d only been here once before, just for the few minutes it had taken to retrieve Kevin after their audition, so Hayley didn’t see how she could be paying for some past offense. Yet she had obviously done something, and as silly as it was, Hayley wondered if the woman could sense she was supposed to be with her boyfriend.
She’d intended to visit Kevin. She really had. That was the whole reason she’d come into the diner today, to get the burger he’d liked so much and walk it a block or so to Vivez Dance. The company was into their third day of tech week now, and she knew how taxing that could be. But then she started wondering when Kev’s lunch break was and how embarrassing it’d be if she arrived too early, and the food got cold—or too late, after he’d eaten something else. She pictured how his castmates might reactif Kevin got a burger and they didn’t; she worried about what they’d think of her and whether bringing Kevin his lunch made her look like some doormat who existed to serve him. It’d be better for everyone if she stayed here and ordered her own damn burger while she figured out what the hell was wrong with her.
We’re not used to being this happy.It had made so much sense when she’d said the words to Nick, and maybe she really was learning to live without stress. She and Kevin used to drink wine at threeAM, cross-legged on the living room floor; they used to make love on lunch breaks and rush back to Icarus like giddy kids skipping school. They used to crave more time because there was never enough, and now they’d gained time and lost something else. It reminded her of frustrating choreography: She’d plot out every step of a routine, rehearse it to perfection, and throw her notebook across the room, because she wasn’tsayinganything.
She couldn’t mention any of this to Kevin, not when the ache in her heart was something she couldn’t even name. Not when they had moved here to fix her. Kevin had wanted to leave; she had needed to.
Bringing Kevin a burger would be a poor apology for taking him away from Icarus.
Hayley was about to cave in and order whatever was at the top of the page when she saw her tormentor glance toward the door. Then the glowering woman smiled so completely and spontaneously that Hayley wondered if the sudden change would strain a muscle in her face. The door opened, a customer walked in, and Hayley started laughing.
Nick Freeman. Of course it was Nick. Who else could get that kind of reaction from the stone-cold diner queen?
“There you are!” the woman exclaimed. “It’s so good to have you back these days, kiddo.”
Nick grinned. “I love you, Pauline. You always act like I’m returning from war.”
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen you every day.”
“And I am so very happy to be back.”
Someone out of sight bellowed over the sizzle of meat. “Is that the boy?”
Nick looked delighted. “They still let you near the grill, old man?” he called back.
“I’ve got a new joke for you, boy-o!”
“I’m betting old joke,” Nick countered. “And if it’s as dirty as the last one, I’ll get it from you when all the women and children are gone.”
“Hey, rock star,” Hayley spoke up. “What’s good here?”
She hoped she didn’t sound as nervous as she’d felt butting in, but she really wanted to join the party that Nick seemed to bring with him. She wanted that waitress and everyone else to know that the guy with the grin really liked her too. When Nick spotted her, the light that came to his eyes melted all her apprehension.
“Hey!” For the first time, he looked genuinely happy to see her. “Here by yourself?”
