Page 27 of Role Play

Chapter Twenty-Three

Aidan

We clinkedour glasses together for the fifth time. The entire morning, since she'd called with the news, my feelings about Jane's movie role bounced back and forth between being elated and being apprehensive. But when she showed up at my office door, looking as if she needed weights on her shoes just to keep her feet on the ground, I landed firmly in the elated category. If she was happy, I was happy. And if things were meant to be, then they were meant to be. It sounded simple, almost too simple in my head. But I just wanted her to know that she had my full support.

I discretely checked my phone for a message from Heath. We had a major shipment going out today. It was the kind of day when I wouldn't normally break for lunch until the last truck was gone. But Jane was so excited, and I was dying to see her. So I carved out an hour of free time.

"Is everything all right at work? I hope I didn't take you from something important." Jane sipped her third glass of champagne. Her cheeks were pink from being slightly drunk, which naturally made me wish there was time to stop at my apartment on the way back to the warehouse.

"Nothing more important than you. I only wish we had time for a quickie."

A sly smile crossed her lips as she moved her foot under the table. Seconds later her toes were rested against my crotch. "Are you sure there's no time? I'm free until three o'clock when I have to meet up with Russell to go over details. Holy shit.” She dropped her foot, seemingly forgetting all about the under the table flirting idea. "I can't believe I'm going over details with my agent about a movie role. It's all so surreal. I'm sitting here with my superhero sized boyfriend, who is one half dream and one half fantasy, and I'm talking about being a leading lady in a movie. Things never line up so beautifully like this. It's just not in my stars. When I was in high school, I wanted nothing more than to be head cheerleader. I worked my butt off. I got the position only to trip on a curb on the way out of the gym after tryouts. I broke my leg. My cheer career was over and head cheerleader went to my lifelong nemesis. That's how things usually go for me." She picked up her napkin and pressed it over her mouth. Her green eyes flickered with worry.

"What's wrong?" I looked behind me expecting to see a monster, or worse, her ex-boyfriend, but there was no one there. As I turned back to her I figured out why she'd pushed the napkin over her mouth. "You are worried you just said all that out loud?"

She nodded. "I'm so stupid, always testing fate like that."

"Jane, stop worrying about superstitions. You got the part because you are beautiful and talented. And as for me, you're stuck with this half dream, half fantasy. Until you become too famous and I'm just a memory."

"Never." She sipped some more champagne. "Woo, this stuff has me bubbly all over. Are you sure you don't have any extra time? I get kind of loose when I've had champagne."

"Loose, huh? Let's get out of here. I just found an extra half hour in my work schedule."