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Dad says, “I thought you weren’t coming home for another two weeks.”
“Filming wrapped early,” Reese says cheerfully. “Don’t know if I’ve ever said that before! Honestly, I think the director just wanted to get the hell out of there. He caught malariaanda tapeworm.”
“Oh my god!” cries Theo. “Were you sick, too?”
“Nope!” Reese pats his flat stomach. “Healthy as a horse. I didn’t even get the shits more than two or three times. Who’s hungry?”
“Nobody anymore.” My dad pulls a face.
“More for me, then.” Reese grins, piling his plate with tortillas and meat.
“So, when does this show air?” Dad says. Despite his disgust at Reese’s table manners, he still takes a huge bite of his fajita. Even my brother can’t ruin Theo’s food.
“Not for a couple of months,” Reese says, talking with his mouth full. “But there’s a viewing party for the pilot next week. I got you front row seats! You, too, Theo, you’ve got to come—pilot parties are the best, everybody’s in a great mood ‘cause nothing bad has happened yet.”
Theo smiles. “What sort of bad things?”
“Oh, you know…terrible ratings, terrible time slot, director quits, star quits, network goes bankrupt, entire industry goes on strike…all the things that blew up my last six gigs.”
Theo lifts her virgin mojito. “Well, here’s to nothing bad happening…”
Reese touches his solo cup to hers. “For at least one entire season!”
We all toast, Reese draining his cup in one long draught.
“God, it’s good to have ice again!” He holds his forearm up against mine. “You’re pale as a ghost compared to me!”
I’d call my cafe au lait color a long way off pale, but my arm does look light compared to Reese’s dark brown tan. He’s covered in scratches and bug bites, too.
“So…,” he says with a shifty look between Theo and me. “How come Theo’s staying in the guest bedroom? Is that part of the Great Boss Fakement?”
“Sort of,” Theo says, blushing furiously.
“How’s that going?”
“Excellent,” I say. “We’ve moved on to Phase Two.”
“Phase Two, wow!” Reese grins. “Is that the part where you guys pretend to get married and have a baby?”
“No,” I say with dignity. “No baby will be required.”
“Are you sure? Because I don’t think you’ve fully committed to the ruse. A big old belly would be really convincing…”
“Don’t give him ideas.” Theo shudders. “I can absolutely imagine Sully making me wear one of those fake baby bellies that are supposed to traumatize teenagers.”
“I can imagineSullydoing that, too…,” Reese says, with a wicked glance in my direction. It has not escaped his notice that Theo is using my nickname.
Not much escapes my brother’s notice when it comes to causing trouble and harassing people. In fact, I’m starting to think it might not be such a great thing that he’s back home.
My dad looks happy, at least. And I am, too. Though I can’t shake the feeling that the presence of Reese is unlikely to help matters.
Reese is an agent of chaos. He likes things best when they’re messy, unpredictable, and exciting. Which is the opposite of what this plan needs to be to succeed.
Plus, I just know he’s going to give me shit about Theo. Reese has always had a soft spot for her.
Already he’s watching us from the other side of the table, observing how Theo refills my drink and how I pass her the sliced avocado before she even asks because I know she likes to pile avocado on almost everything she eats.
“So how does it work?” Reese says. “Theo passes you the inside info, and you use it to charm her boss?”
