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“Before I answer that… Grayson?”
Wes smiles again. “Nice kid, but from the little I got out of him, he’s been through a lot. Things might be looking up though. He’s in a band and they just signed with a label here in San Francisco.”
“Wow, that’s incredible.”
“It is. Maybe one day they’ll be famous and we can look back on that one time we met their lead singer in a bar.”
“Absolutely. I wish I’d known. I would have got his autograph.”
Wes laughs, before turning his serious expression back on. “So, now…about you.”
My smile fades ever so slightly when the topic comes back to me, but luckily our drinks arrive and Wes doesn’t notice. “I’m actually here for a conference. One of thoselet’s put you up in a fancy place so you don’t leave earlyconferences,” I joke. Although I’m not really joking. There are only really two sessions I want to attend, so if it wasn’t here I probably would leave early.
“Are you living here?” I ask, quickly changing the subject again before he can comment. I came to that assumption last night while talking to Dylan and Summer, and I’m genuinely curious.
“I am. For now. I’m looking for a place, but I haven’t found anything that feels right.”
He shrugs as an unsure look crosses his face. It’s actually adorable.
“I understand that. I heard you’ve been contracted for a few years, so you need to be comfortable during that time.”
“Exactly!” he exclaims, excited that I get it. “If only my real estate agent understood that. She definitely thinks I’m high-maintenance.”
“Are you?” I ask with a giggle as my mind goes crazy with images of what a high-maintenance Wes would look like.
He holds his thumb and pointer finger an inch apart and winces. “Maybe a little,” he says, making me laugh even louder.
“There’s nothing wrong with going after what you want,” I say when I’ve calmed down a little, trying to ease his mind.
Wes stills for a moment before a smile lights up his face. “I’m glad you feel that way. Wise words. Something to live by.”
Huffing out a nervous laugh, I steer the conversation in another direction, because I’m ninety-nine percent sure we’re no longer talking about a house. “Am I allowed to ask who initiated the trade, or is that inappropriate?”
“You can ask anything you want…”
“Doesn’t mean you’ll answer,” I finish for him.
“It doesn’t mean Ihaveto answer. But for you, I just might. Actually, I want to.”
His lips pull into a lopsided grin as he lifts his shoulder, and my heart skips a beat. The raw honesty isn’t something I’m used to, and I find it endearing. But of course, instead of being genuine in return, I joke, “Guess I need to start thinking of more interesting questions.”
“Guess you do.” Wes grins, lighting up his whole face while heat radiates through my chest. There’s just something about him that makes me feel so much more at ease than I’ve felt in a long time. Maybe ever.
The conversation continues to flow easily, and I find myself really enjoying his company. Not that I thought I wouldn’t. But I wasn’t sure what to expect. When my phone buzzes in my pocket, I’m shocked to discover we’ve already been here for two hours. Rejecting the call, I smile and signal for Wes to continue his story.
“And then he said—”
My phone buzzes again, and I mentally facepalm, realizing a fault in my plan with Dylan and Summer. We never decided what to do if Ididn’tneed a bailout. I sigh and smile apologetically. “I’m sorry, I’ll just be a sec.”
Holding my breath, I prepare myself for his negative reaction, but when he smiles without a hint of annoyance, I relax, even though I’m a little shocked.
My call to Summer connects and I rush out, “I’m good, talk soon,” before moving to hang up.
“Lucy, wait!” Dylan’s voice comes through the line, but I hang up anyway. Summer will talk him down.
Shoving my phone out of sight, I look up to find Wes’s eyebrows raised as he does nothing to hide his amusement. “Was that what I think it was?”
“Absolutely not,” I lie unconvincingly, only smiling when Wes chuckles.
