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“Hi,” I said.
“Hello Brian,” Tess said through her cake, emphasizing the name Tony had given me.
“Funny.” I shook my head as Tess lifted a shoulder and turned back to her cake. “Listen, can we talk? Maybe outside?”
She swallowed and looked up at me again, something sparkling in her eyes that gave me hope. But then she killed it. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
My heart dropped and disappointment flooded me. No. This could not be over. “Please,” I said, hearing an edge of desperation in my voice I didn’t like at all.
Tess heard it too, because she looked at me another long minute, our eyes connecting and sending off sparks in my gut. Then she stood and gave me a quick nod. “Come out a few minutes after me,” she said quietly. “I’ll be in the barn.”
She left then, and hope turned into a lovesick house-chicken inside me, all moony and soft. She was giving me a chance—a chance to tell her how I felt, to convince her not to ignore what I was sure she felt too. I sat there a minute longer, every cell in my body screaming at me to follow her. But she was right, it was smart to wait, not to appear to be dashing outside in pursuit of the wrong Manchester sister.
Just as I stood to go, my heart in my throat, a hand landed lightly on my arm.
“Ryan.” It was Alison. “I have a few questions. I thought maybe we could chat for a minute.” She sat in the seat Tess had just vacated, and my heart sank to the floor as I slid back into my own seat.
“Sure,” I heard myself say, but my mind was already outside, already crossing the wide expanse of lawn, stepping into the big darkened barn. Where Tess was waiting for me.
“Well,” Alison began, looking down and turning through pages of notes in a small moleskin book. “So, your last film,” she said, still flipping pages. “That was the one most critics are referring to theTitanicof your career, right? With the zombies?”
I hated that reference. There had been memes online with an iceberg covered in zombies and me at the helm of a ship. Because part of it had been set in Antarctica, and I was supposed to be the captain of this research vessel—you get the idea.
“Right.”
“So on the heels of that failure, and after everything that happened withCharade, how much do you think this new relationship with Juliet Manchester will help?”
I felt my eyes narrow. She had my full attention now. “First of all, I don’t know how many years I’ll have to apologize for the wayCharadeended. I mean, everyone knows the actors don’t actually write the show, right?” I was so tired of talking about that show, I thought my head would blow off. “Wait, what did you ask after that?”
“I just mean that there is a bit of speculation that the relationship with Juliet is a PR move mostly. I wondered if you could comment on that?” Alison smiled sweetly, and I wondered suddenly if she’d known all along. Did she actually know anything now? My mind raced as I tried to figure out how to spin this to save Juliet.
“Well, you’re very savvy, Alison,” I said, pasting on a grin. “And you’re one-hundred percent right.”
“Really?” Alison perched on the edge of her seat, pushing away Tess’s cake and leaning toward me.
“I mean, yes. There’s no way anyone can be associated with Juliet Manchester and not see their star rise a little. She’s a phenomenon.” Alison was nodding madly. “Who also happens to be one of the sweetest, most genuine, and kindest people in Hollywood. Not to mention lovely, inside and out.”
This wasn’t what Alison had wanted to hear. Her posture stiffened. “So this relationship …”
“Has made me one of the luckiest men alive,” I confirmed. It had been luck, after all. It didn’t mean I was in love with Juliet, though. But Alison didn’t need to know that. “And if my career gets a boost just because I adore Juliet Manchester? Well, that’s just gravy, right?” I stood, smiling graciously. “Excuse me.”
Alison might have had more questions, or suspicions, but I didn’t care. Tess was waiting for me, and my heart wouldn’t let me waste another second pretending not to understand exactly what should happen next. I glanced behind me, but Alison was so busy scribbling, she didn’t notice me leave.
I slipped out the tent door and made my way around the edge of the sprawling lawn, avoiding the glow of the lights strung in the trees. A few people meandered here and there, appreciating the beauty of the landscape, the water. I didn’t need them to see me and strike up a casual conversation, delaying me even more.
The barn door stood open, and I stepped inside, into the dark interior. It was quiet, as if the barn stood in a world apart from the music and light just outside. The faint smell of horses and hay drifted around me, and from the darkness, a familiar voice said, “Hi.” Just the sound of it brought a smile to my face and made a little beat echo through my body.
My eyes adjusted slowly, and I found Tess sitting on an overturned crate, her arms resting on her knees. She looked innocent and vulnerable there, and I had to resist the urge to move straight to her, to gather her in my arms.
“Hey,” I said, pulling up another crate to sit next to her.
Neither of us spoke for a moment as the sounds from the party outside filtered through the thick warm air, sifting bass beats and high laughing voices into single notes and a vibration I could feel in my bones.
“The party is going so well,” I said. “Do you think Gran is enjoying herself?”
“Well, she’s still there, as far as I know. That’s a good sign.” Her voice was soft, uncertain in the darkness.
“Thanks for meeting me out here,” I said, trying to pad the way gently into the conversation I wanted to have, though I wasn’t sure exactly what to say.
