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Jihae clapped beside him, her face as placid as ever, but he knew she was as excited as he was for Charity because she was sitting on the very edge of her seat. When the crowd quieted down, she leaned toward him and whispered, “So well-deserved.”
“Yes, and imagine what she can do for Best Placed Bets.”
“I know. I so hope she will decide to work with us.”
“We’re close,” he assured her.
Colin’s blood hummed with excitement. Charity Banning was a gem, and she was going to transform a beautifully told story into an addictively entertaining script. His and Jihae’s partnership was already proving to be an amazing match. And he was dying to pull her into his arms in a bear hug, but he didn’t think he could handle it.
The rest of the ceremony passed in fast-forward mode as many films received the recognition they deserved and others were passed over. Colin’s high remained until the end, and he couldn’t wait to brainstorm with Jihae about their joint project.
“Let’s go,” he said.
He tugged Jihae to her feet, hoping he could convince her to have dinner with him. Her hand felt so right in his that he held on to it for a second too long.
Jihae gave him a soft smile, gently freeing herself. “I feel like I could talk the whole night away.”
His eyes shot to hers. He wanted to kiss her so much in that moment that he couldn’t breathe. But more than that, he wanted to share his ideas and excitement for Best Placed Bets with her. He wanted to know what she was thinking and hoping for. He wanted to know her.
“You want to grab some food?” he asked in a voice much huskier than the question warranted.
“Yes, please,” she said, and glanced at her watch. “We need to find someplace that stays open late.”
“You’ve been to Pink’s, right?” he said as he got into his car.
“Nope. I’ve never been.” Jihae grinned at him from the passenger seat. “And I don’t want you to pass out or anything, but I’ve never even heard of them.”
“Seriously?” Colin shot her a sideways glance, his eyebrows hovering near his hairline. “How long have you been in LA?”
“Eight months or so.”
“You’ve been missing out. Pink’s is a Los Angeles institution and you can’t call yourself a true Angeleno until you’ve had a hot dog there.”
“Well, we can’t have that. Let’s go get some dawgs.”
They lucked out and snagged a parking spot right outside the hot-dog stand. He’d deliberately chosen the least romantic place he knew—he needed help to keep himself in check—but he didn’t want to make Jihae walk for miles in her heels.
“Oh, wow! Is that the line?” Her jaw dropped when she saw the line of people down the street and around the corner. “Must be some hot dog.”
Colin grinned at her wide-eyed wonder, proud he was responsible for it. Her excitement didn’t cease even after the forty-five-minute wait.
“Ready to order?” the cashier asked when they finally got to the counter. She gave them a friendly smile despite the never-ending line.
Colin turned toward Jihae, who waved him on to order first. Even after studying the menu for nearly an hour, she wasn’t ready to decide on her first Pink’s Hot Dogs experience.
“Two Planet Hollywood dogs, onion rings and an Orange Crush.” Then he turned to her with a raised eyebrow.
“A Martha Stewart dog and a root beer,” she ordered in a rush as though she was afraid she might change her mind if she didn’t hurry.
“Good choice,” he said.
“I hope so.” She still sounded nervous about her decision.
“You really can’t go wrong with them.”
They sat down at one of the white plastic tables with aluminum fold-up chairs and waited for their order. His mouth watered as he watched the other patrons devouring their dinners. It was an elbows-on-the-table, talk-with-your-mouth-full kind of place. He hadn’t been sure if Jihae would appreciate a restaurant like this, but there was no doubt she was thrilled to be here. A genuine smile danced in her eyes, the shuttered look of her business persona nowhere to be seen. God, she was breathtaking.
Their dinner arrived and her eyes widened at the sheer size of their hot dogs.
