Page 33 of The Love Raffle

Amber fixed her top as she looked at him, some hair in her face.

Levi was mesmerized. The slightly disheveled look was working for her. “Thank you for telling me.”

Amber held her knees tightly. “You’re welcome.” She sat back with a sigh and looked at the ceiling. “You’re a good kisser, Levi Marks.”

That meant a lot coming from her. “Really?” He sat back too, staring at the old lamp overhead. It had a bit of a flicker thing going on but didn’t stay off long enough to be noticed. The ceiling had water marks on it. They were red-rimmed but brown overall.

“That’s good to know. It’s been a while since I kissed someone off the big screen. Thought I might have done it wrong.” He brought his arms to the back of his head, his tiredness catching up to him. Staying stuck here on Amber’s tiny couch forever wouldn’t be so bad. This moment was surreal.

“How?” Amber asked, her eyes closing.

“Like…maybe I’d slobber all over you.”

Amber giggled and covered her mouth. “That would have been a turn-off.”

“Really?” Levi was getting the hang of talking to her. He didn’t feel pressured at all. It was like being home. Talking to an old friend. “What could’ve saved me if I’d done that?”

Amber had been drifting into dreamland when he asked. She caught the question anyway. “I guess the vastness of your eyes. They’re like the ocean.”

“Ocean Eyes,” Levi tried to sing.

Amber smiled into slumber. “You sing too?”

Levi turned his face to hers. He had concocted something witty to respond with, but she was asleep. He opted not to wake her and thought he’d watch for a bit instead.Just five minutes.Then he’d be out of her hair.

Chapter 10

Dreams to her were characterized by hazy backgrounds and faraway voices. Some were harder to distinguish from reality but most, she knew, were simply that…dreams.

Amber was on set ofThe Love Rafflebetween Elouise and Conner. Her childhood home was mere feet away while her mother functioned as host. Those excited fan girls from work were the studio audience. Beca’s voice kept repeating “connections” overhead.

“Alright, so here we have a struggling musician,” said her mom. The woman’s signature floral knee-length dress was absent in this fantasy. Amber knew her to wear them under aprons but right now she sported a sparkly suit. Much different from what the actual host wore when Amber made an appearance on the show but close enough.

Elouise waved at a floating camera with wings.

“Wannabe gay icon singer.” The woman gestured to Conner who winked and struck a pose. “And of course…”

The spotlight shone right in her face. She squinted at the intensity then looked at her mom.

The woman’s brown eyes flickered to red as she frowned, and her smile turned menacing. “My daughter. Peak desperation itself.”

Amber’s eyes finally adjusted, and she stared into the enthusiastic audience. Girls were clapping and screaming. Oneof them got up and did a worm dance on the floor in front of the others. “God, I hope I wake up soon,” Amber muttered.

Her mother walked right up to her podium and rested an arm on top of it, looking deep into Amber’s face.

Amber was getting that childhood fear she was all too familiar with. “Hi, Mom.”

The woman’s judgmental glare flipped to a bright smile. “Hi, sweetie. Tell me, how’s Hollywood? The people want to know.” She pushed her microphone to Amber’s lips.

Amber saw each and every person smiling her way. However, their smiles were not welcoming. No. They were the types from horror films. Quite disconcerting.

Her hands trembled. “It’s been…” She worked up the nerve to look her mom in the eye. “Good. I got a part in a popular show, I’m having fun with my friends, and I met someone.”

Resounding applause. One girl stood and pumped a fist. “You tell her, Amber!”

Amber actually felt encouraged. She nodded. “Yeah. Itoldher, didn’t I?” She knew this was a dream but maybe it could also be her chance to do what she was too scared to do in real life. “Yeah, Mom. Everything’s great despite whatyousaid.” She popped her collar and her friends clapped.

The woman laughed in her throat, shaking her head. “No, no, no.”

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