Page 70 of Deck the Hauls

The party.

Sleeping with Dana had completely overshadowed the other events of last night, but now they came flooding back.

“It was good to celebrate with everyone, but Austin kind of put a pall over the whole thing,” I said.

“With him coming on to Ava like that? That was so inappropriate.”

I nodded. “That, and he sleazed on to me before that too, basically saying he could pull some strings and get me some more HolLove roles if I slept with him.”

Mihira froze, her hand of popcorn nearly at her mouth. “What? That’s awful. I’m sorry Em. I’d noticed he was unnecessarily touchy-feely, but I didn’t realize he’d go that far.”

“Well, hopefully he’ll stop. Dana had a word with Charles about it.”

“Good on Dana,” Mihira said.

Nerves bubbled in my stomach. Would Dana saying something come back to bite me? But it had to be done. Creeping onto your co-star was one thing. Creeping onto a much younger, more junior crew member like Ava was unforgivable. Just like Phillip had done. A chill shot through me. Dana’s words from last night rang in my ears.

Take your time. Enjoy Thanksgiving and give yourself a few days to think about it.

Mihira glanced behind her shoulder, where Dana was leaning against the window, eyes closed, breathing heavily. “She seems great.”

“Yes, she really is.”

Mihira looked back at me, her dark-brown eyes dropping to my torso.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

Her lips quirked. “I noticed that you’re in the same clothes you were wearing last night. Are you guys dating?”

I froze. Shit. I should shake it off and just tell Mihira I spent the night because we were stranded in the snowstorm.

But Mihira’s gaze burned into me. It would be so good to speak to someone about Dana. I glanced in the mirror. She was sound asleep. Mihira had mentioned in passing that her brother, who she was close to, was gay, and I trusted her.

I lowered my voice. “We’re not dating, but we did sleep together last night. I got lost in the snowstorm, Dana found me, and then we were stuck in her cabin overnight, and one thing led to another.”

“Oh my gosh!” Mihira let out a squeal, sending my eyes flicking back to Dana’s reflection in the mirror.

“Sorry!” Mihira lowered her voice. “And then she spent the night clearing the roads so you could get home? That is so romantic.”

Heat flooded my cheeks. The whole night had been incredibly romantic. The candles, the mattress by the fire, the two of us trapped in a cozy cabin together.

“So what’s the plan? Is Dana going to stay with you for a few days, maybe try long distance? You two are clearly into each other.”

I shook my head as we drove onto Bear Mountain Bridge, the Hudson River stretching out on either side of us. “No. Neither of us thinks it would work. We’re just going to be friends.”

“Why wouldn’t it work? Because of the distance?” Mihira asked.

“That. And I’m not really out. My close family knows, but Dyker Heights is still pretty conservative and you know what the internet is like. I don’t feel like opening myself up to random homophobic attacks online—or in person for that matter. I decided a while ago I’d only date men publicly.” The metal suspension cables of the bridge whizzed past.

“I’m so sorry that’s something you have to think about. Sometimes I wish I was attracted to women, especially after a few bad dates in a row, but I know from Rohan’s experience that being out isn’t always smooth sailing.” Mihira sighed. “Have you tried online dating recently? It’s grim out there.”

I shook my head. “No, not for a while. I’ve just been so focused on trying to get acting work that I haven’t felt the urge.”

“Honestly, that might be for the best.”

After everything went down with Phillip, I hadn’t actively pursued any relationships. I’d dated a few people since then—a server at my parents’ restaurant, an actor I met at an audition—but it had all fizzled out fairly quickly.

As we drove off the bridge, I flicked my gaze back to Dana in the mirror. She turned her head, emitting an adorable little snort, and my heart bounced.