“What's next for you?”
“I'm supposed to be in New Orleans shortly after Christmas.”
Allen nodded and reached for his cup. “That's the one with Tyson Ioannou, right?”
David nodded, surprised that he'd bother to keep tabs on other movies. But then, the movie business was a surprisingly small world. And Tyson was a rising star, ridiculously versatile and obviously destined for the industry’s highest honors.
The women laughed, and Allen's gaze softened as he looked at his wife. As if unable to stand not touching her, he reached for her hand. She shot him a quick smile and turned back to her conversation.
Vanessa hadn't been big on PDA. She'd never cared to hold hands, in public or otherwise.
David stared at their joined hands. What must it be like to claim your woman so publicly? In the scheme of things, it was a chaste touch, and yet, the signal was loud and clear to anyone looking.
Marissa belonged to Allen and Allen belonged to her.
Sabrina had been right about the shop talk. What she couldn't have known was how pleased David was to get to pick Allen's brain. The man obviously had a deep love for cinema. They were still talking about their favorite old films when Marissa sat back and sighed.
Allen's gaze swerved to her, mid-sentence. “Are you okay?”
She pushed her plate away, her second of the morning. David glanced at his watch. They'd been talking for almost two and a half hours.
“Yes. Stuffed,” she assured him.
What they said about pregnancy glow was spot on. Marissa was practically shining with happiness.
“We should get you upstairs to rest,” he told his wife. Then to David and Sabrina, “this last term has been killer.”
David remembered how scared he'd been during Vanessa's final trimester. It certainly hadn't helped that he'd been halfway around the world in a barren desert.
Allen was lucky to get to experience every step. David said so.
Sabrina's gaze swerved to his and her jaw dropped ever so slightly.
“I keep trying to convince Allen to quit jet setting and to open a theme park or something, that way we could stay in one location for more than a few months at a time,” Marissa said as Allen helped her to her feet. A curtain of her glossy red hair swung down, covering her face. She tucked it behind her ear and slipped her arm through her husband's.
Sabrina gathered her folder and they followed the other couple to the hotel lobby.
“Forget the theme park. Move to Atlanta and open a decent haunted house,” Sabrina said.
“Oh,” Marissa cooed. “He’d love that.”
“The one we went to Thursday was…”
“Crap,” David inserted.
Sabrina nodded. “He’d know. He's been to well over 100 haunted houses.”
“Really?” Allen eyed him, his expression turning thoughtful.
David shrugged. “A hundred and fifty-seven, but who's counting?”
Allen laughed.
The four of them paused in front of the elevators.
“Thank you so much for bringing over the sketches. I love your work so much,” Marissa said and pulled Sabrina in for a hug.
“And I love that your work makes her so happy,” Allen said, taking his turn.
“You're both very welcome. I can't wait to meet this little one,” Sabrina said. Once again, he was struck by how warm and genuine she was.
It shouldn’t have surprised him, but for some reason, it did. What did it say about him that his world had been filled with cut-throat, cold people and one woman stood out like the brightest star in the heavens. It was like seeing the girl who’d dazzled him at seventeen, brightening his world, opening his eyes.
David hung back as Sabrina said good-bye to her friends.
“I’ll be in touch,” Sabrina said as the elevator doors opened.
With his arm around her waist, Allen guided his wife on board. They turned and waved. David lifted his hand.
He'd just had lunch with one of the best directors in the world. He didn't think he could be star struck, but...surprise.
He huffed a laugh.
“Sounds like you two had a good time,” Sabrina said as the elevator doors closed.
“Nice guy.”
“He is.”
“How many weeks is she?”
Again, Sabrina's brow lifted in curiosity and he saw the questions churning through her mind. “Thirty-four.”
Rather than ask the questions, she turned for the main door.
“Ready for part two?”
“Of?”
She slid her arm through his again and pressed the side of her breast against him. God help him. What was it about this woman that got under his skin so easily?
“Our date. Don't worry, I'll have you home before you turn into a pumpkin.”
He laughed as they stepped out into the warm October sun. The air was crisp, just the way he liked it. The gorgeous blue sky above beckoned and he had a hard time remembering exactly why it was he'd been resisting the gorgeous woman clinging to his arm.
A few hours in her company and he felt like a new man.
Which was dangerous, he knew.
But when she turned that wide, warm smile up at him, he found he didn’t care quite so much about protecting his heart. In fact, he was starting to wonder if he’d lost the battle the moment she’d collided with him at Jill’s Halloween bash.
“Lead the way.”
12
Sabrina felt more energized than she had in years. Brunch was a complete success. David had loved the trip to the Civil War museum. After that, she'd pointed her car north to the Atlanta Motor Speedway where a fleet of supercars waited.
She knew the red one was a Ferrari but that was as far as her knowledge went.
“Pick one,” she said, after they'd been admitted.
He seemed a little tongue tied as his gaze darted left toward the brilliant yellow car and then right to the two black ones. Somewhere in there was a Lamborghini and she distinctly remembered him saying he wanted to drive one someday.
Today was someday.
Of course, they'd been thirteen and the world had been their oyster. That was back before she'd lost control of her body and ruined their friendship, but she was hoping this was still on his bucket list.
“I paid extra so you can have a
