Page 38 of The Love Raffle

As much as Levi found her bright green eyes mesmerizing, he would rather not have them so close. He leaned away and looked at Rachel. Her phone call must have been going well because she was smiling. “I… Fiona, I’m not in love,” he whispered. Oscar was here this whole time, staring. Levi read the guy’s mind like a text message.Yeah, judge me all you want.He and Amber were already happening. “At least I…I don’t think so—how would you know?” Absolutely no one on set gave a damn about their personal lives but it wasn’t impossible for someone within earshot to catch wind of this discussion and relay info to the press for cash. The fake relationship had been organized by his and Fiona’s agents. A few producers and the director may haveknown it was phony but not the crewmen. According to Rachel, the more people who believed it meant the more real it would seem. They couldn’t take chances here.

Fiona would not let up. “The way you keep getting lost in memories and how your nostrils keep flaring.” She poked his nose. “Who is she? She must be special.”

“I…I don’t know if I can call it um…” Now why wassheof all people into this? Talking about Amber with her was the last thing he wanted.

Rachel returned with a smile on her face. “Alright, next date venue is the beach,” she announced, her pointed fingers drawing a circle in mid-air. “After shooting, you two will be seen on a picnic. Try to put those acting chops to work, okay? We want people to get thirsty for more…um…” She held her phone to her face. “Oh, Liona. Ooo, nice power couple name.” She shivered. “Gives me the tingles.”

Levi watched her walk off with Oscar, who for some reason was singing “Jingle Bells” despite the time of year. “Acting chops?”

Fiona put her hand on his knee. “We can give them a fake kiss.”

Levi thought back to hisrealkiss with Amber. His lips parted and his tongue brushed across them.

“As long as your girlie doesn’t mind.” Fiona’s breath tickled his ear.

Levi leaned back to see her smirk playfully. “Right.”My girlie?How long would Fiona keep up that accent?

In love.How long did it take to fall in love?

* * *

Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream was an all-time favorite of Amber’s. Eons must have passed since she’d had it. Withher spoon halfway out of her mouth, she was visited by distant memories of the better parts of her childhood. The sidewalk outside her grandma’s house and a dozen kids lined up along it. Their reason for doing so was a hot pink Chevrolet truck with ice cream flavors spray-painted on the side.

“Look at that. Inner child unlocked.” Conner pulled out his phone to take a photo. He held an untouched cup of Raspberry Ripple in his free hand while they both strolled slowly along the sidewalk. The sun was just setting on the City of Angels. Obviously, that meant nothing to its hyperactive residents. Street performers were as active as ever and all sorts of people zipped down the sidewalk, heading to various engagements. He could smell the tension from here. A girl a few years under him had just run past with her cell to her ear. He sometimes enjoyed guessing where people were headed.Seventh audition of the day.He shook his head with an eye on the time. Their shift would begin soon.

Amber playfully flipped him off. “You’re too corny.” She put yet another scoop of the delectable ice cream in her mouth. “I can’t believe it’s already over.” She peered up at the blue sky and the single cloud floating across it. “I love working on a big set.” She hopped and clicked the heels of her sandals. That caused one to pop off but Amber hurriedly slipped it back on.

Conner laughed at her enthusiasm. He pocketed his cell and then dug into the treat he’d purchased. “How do you feel? Evenmorefamous after your date with you know?” He wriggled both brows and leaned down to speak into her ear.

“Oh, be quiet,” Amber laughed as they took a bend down a corner past a knick-knack store. Others like it lined the street. She knew why. One of the city’s many beaches lay right across the road. Tourists of all kinds walked the sidewalk to the stairs that would take them there, the sort of people who found pleasure in collecting useless junk from every city they visited.

She laughed good-naturedly at the clusters of people filling the stores.I’d do the same if I was visiting a popular city for the first time.“The date didn’t really leave me feeling famous.” That offensive dream kept visiting her thoughts. “It was…” Levi and those crystal blue eyes of his. “It left me…warm, cozy, at home.” She giggled. “But also kind of uncomfortable because something in me is trying to convince myself that I’m taking a shortcut to all of this through him.” She breathed out and stared wistfully at the oblivious tourists dotting the sand and sea ahead. The beach seemedextrapacked today. “But I don’t really want to burden you with all that, Conner. I’m just glad you could make it to the end of my shoot and that you bought me a treat. You’re so awesome.” She tiptoed to kiss his cheek.

Conner stopped walking after her cold lips made contact. “Wait, what? Shortcut?”

Amber slowed down and then stopped altogether. “It’s weird. I don’t know. I just had a crazy dream.” She looked down at her Styrofoam cup. Her ice cream was melting.

“Amber, what the hell do you even mean?” Conner said over a crisp breeze that blew their hair around. It ripped through the happy howls of tourists on the beach. Even the crash of the waves seemed irrelevant behind it.

Thiswas why she’d prefer to not bring up that whole mess. “I just… It’s just my own weird insecurities, okay? But it has nothing to do with my date or him. I’m actuallyreallyexcited to see him again.” She’d refrain from saying his name. This was allclassifiedstuff.Still don’t know how to feel about that.

“What do we keep saying, though?” Conner spoke with his mouth full. It was hard to understand him, but Amber got the gist.

Amber smiled. “That everyone in the industry had an unfair advantage so it’s totally okay to grab any opportunity you get? Is that what you want out of me or something else?” She stuck herspoon into her ice cream. Some guy on roller skates with a radio on his shoulder came rolling past them. He wore suspenders and a headband.Wow.LA really was “that place.”

“Good girl.” Conner patted her head. “Dating him doesn’t even give you much of an advantage. No one knows, remember? What youdidget was more work after a fair appearance on a show with him.” He waved his spoon in her face, some ice cream flying to her nose. “Sorry, Ambs.”

“It’s fine. I’ve always wanted your saliva this close.” Amber pinched Conner’s stomach through his blue tank top. He wore bright colors outside of work. Today was warm so she too had her arms out. She’d rolled up the sleeves of some Green Day merch and tucked the top into her denim shorts. A pair of black sandals completed her look.

“And why wouldn’t you?” Conner joked. “Anyway, if you got an advantage out of dating him, it’s fair. And if you didn’t then…oh well. Just know that you’re getting work because you’re gorgeous and amazing. Now stop acting like your second break is all because of—”

“Levi Marks!” a chorus of screams rose from the sidewalk over the beach.

Amber gave Conner no warning. Her legs just worked on their own. She ran right to the street and was almost hit by a white minivan chock-full of stoners.

“Amber!” Conner yelled behind her.

Amber almost fell in the street. “Sorry!” she said to the van, which had halted at the sight of her. She shook her head and went to the railing over the beach. A group of teenage girls who’d been on their way down the stairs were galloping like horses across the sand.

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