“I need to use the restroom. Don’t start without me,” Jesse said as he set the cheeseballs down on the counter.
“Bitch, you had like thirty minutes,” Corie said. Amanda managed to hold in her laughter. Lilah covered hers with a pathetic cough.
“Corie, you’re free to go back to your house. In Sacramento,” Jesse said.
“Just hurry up. It’s already late as hell and this is the best one,” Corie replied.
“Yeah, yeah. Amanda, please make yourself at home.”
“Thank you. I will.”
“Come on.” Sam nodded across the room and guided her over to the couch with a hand on the small of her back. The dogs followed, gathering at her feet again as soon as she and Sam were comfortable on the couch next to Lilah. Vega made herself comfortable on the love seat next to Corie and then Amanda saw it, what Sam was talking about with their obvious relationship. Corie sat back and pulled Vega’s legs across her lap. Amanda quickly shut down all thoughts of her proximity to Sam. How she’d put to bed any chance of simple, casual, familiar touches developing between them.
Not that casual touches, or an under-the-blanket couch snuggle was something she considered having with Sam, but seeing the ease between Vega and Corie brought an odd loneliness back to the surface, that odd tug that had convinced her to sleep with Sam in the first place. She was lonely and worse, she was dying for an affectionate touch. She’d have to settle for Jason’s murderous rampage across the island of Manhattan. She made herself comfortable on the worn leather cushions between Sam and his cousin and did her best to think of anything besides how close their thighs were to touching.
“So how’d you two meet?” Vega asked. “Sam ran out of here so fast we didn’t get to ask him follow-up questions.”
“Uh, through mutual friends. Helene and Ignacio. After the, um, Oscars, I went to the Vanity Fair party with Helene and he wouldn’t stop talking to me on the dance floor.” After weeks of lying to Dru, it felt weird to tell the truth.
“Typical,” Vega teased.
“I’m so happy they got married,” Lilah said with a dreamy sigh. “I know you’re not supposed to ship real people, but when they were doing press for Magnet the fangirl in me prayed that true love would find two people so talented and beautiful.”
“They are a great match,” Amanda said, laughing about Lilah’s earnest declaration. “It’s like looking directly at the sun when they are together.”
“You’re in the industry too?” Vega asked.
“Yeah, she’s a writer,” Sam said. The touch of pride in his voice turned her stomach. So much for the truth.
“Damn, I was hoping for another ally. I’m a nurse.”
“No on-camera work, no horses?” Amanda replied, trying to keep the focus on Vega.
“No. Private-care nurse. Usually for the elderly. I love it, but I’m always looking for someone to relate to when I have no fucking idea what the hell they are all talking about.”
“Well, I know jack about running a ranch, so you and I can be clueless there together.”
“Deal,” Vega laughed.
“What are you working on?” Corie asked.
“Oh, uh. Top-secret thing in development.”
“Ah, gotcha.”
“It’ll be my first writing credit.” Amanda hated how smoothly the lie rolled off her tongue. She knew the drill. Knowing her name was enough. All they had to do was a quick search and her profile or lack thereof would pop up in the online movie database. Her first two PA credits were listed, but that was it. She didn’t want to lie to Sam or his family, but for now she needed some part of her life that Dru couldn’t touch. Luckily, she’d never been added to the call sheet so there wasn’t an Internet trail of “Assistant to Ms. Anastasia.” Still, work was the last thing she wanted to talk about.
“Lilah, you work at the ranch?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Yeah. I work for Zach. Have you met him?”
“Just for a second last weekend.”
“I mean I sort of work for him and Jesse—”
“Not for much longer,” Jesse said as he walked back into the room. He flopped his massive weight down into a recliner in the corner that seemed to have been custom-made for his size. The black Lab wandered over and settled under the footrest.
Lilah shrugged, rolling her eyes. “I got promoted.”
“You did?” Sam said, surprised.
“Yeah.” Another shrug.
“You don’t seem so excited,” Amanda said.
“Well, I’m getting my own office and everything, but now I have to work downstairs with Delfi. I’m going to miss working upstairs.”
“I’ll show you the office blueprints later,” Sam said, throwing Amanda a lifeline. She had no clue what Lilah was talking about.
“We ready?” Jesse asked.
“Yeah, let’s do this shit.” Corie settled farther into the love seat, her hands still draped over Vega’s legs. Jesse held up the remote and pressed play. Amanda tried to focus on the most eighties movie opening she’d seen in a long time, but as the ridiculous movie and Corie’s hilarious commentary went on she realized the tension she’d spent the whole drive trying to chase away had settled back on her shoulders. She was tight all over and all she could think about was Dru and what mood of hers would be waiting for her when she got home to LA.
“You okay?” Sam asked quietly.
“Yeah, just thinking about work stuff.”
“Listen, you’re in Charming now, baby. You can leave that all behind.”
Amanda couldn’t help but laugh. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Uh, I’ve never seen this before. When do they get to Manhattan?”
“You got an hour at least!” Corie yelled across the room.
“Are you serious?” Lilah replied.
“Will you please,” Jesse groaned, his tone somehow dry. “I’m trying to watch the best movie ever.” Amanda chuckled to herself, but her leg accidentally brushing against Sam’s shifted her attention again. A tingle rushed down her thigh and again she was fighting the memory of what it felt
