Page 36 of No Interest in Love

Damn, Shay is relentless. I pull my shoulder up to keep the phone by my ear, take both her wrists, and lock my elbows. She’s not getting anywhere near this call.

“I can…but isn’t Shaylene with you?”

“Yeah, but you know her. She’s been chatting up so many people here in LA, she’s keeping real busy. I told her I’d take care of this one.”

“Give me that damned phone!” Shay demands. I shove up, tuck her hands behind her back, and make her sit on them. She wriggles underneath me, her chest bumping into mine, causing my brain and skin and heart and nerves to run absolutely wild.

“I’ll contact Carletta’s assistant tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you, Julie.”

Then I hang up with a giant grin on my face. Shay sticks her tongue out at me.

“Tuck it back in unless you’re gonna do something with it.”

I’m teasing.

(Sort of.)

I release my knee that’s pinning her hands under her ass, eyes locked on hers, wondering if she’ll take me up on the offer. She’s got that mischievous glint in her expression. I like this feisty girl. It’s the girl who whacked me over the head with a flip-flop. It’s the Elmo Girl…butnotthe Elmo Girl. It’s the one who’s not so worried about schedules and planning and making things perfect. It’s Shay. Fun, playful, adorable…no, regular-looking Shay.

The corner of her mouth twitches, and then she licks her pointer finger…and jams it into my ear.

“Son of a—”

“What’s the plan now, Sherlock?” she asks as I wipe my juiced ear using my shoulder. I’m tempted to wet-willie her back, but Milo’s door cranks open, distracting me. Truffles jumps in first and licks the ear I just cleaned.

“All right. Sorry, but gotta head out,” Milo says, handing us each a water bottle, grinning at the way I’m hovering over Shay. I sit back, clearing my throat and refusing to look at either of them.

“Um…one more minute?” I ask, tapping on his Facebook app. I log out of his profile and enter in my own.

“What are you doing?” Shay asks, leaning over, face close enough that the screen glow hits her lips.

“Gonna send my friends a group IM. Maybe one of them will see it.”

“Yeah, but how arewegoing to see when they respond?” she asks as I type to Alec, Theresa, Liz, and Landon.Hey. Out of cash and need to get a flight to Alabama for an audition by FRIDAY. Can you guys spot me till I get back?

I type in my account number, log out, and hand the phone to Milo. Then I grab Truffles’s cheeks. “Bye, buddy. Thanks for the ride.”

“Oh yeah, because he was driving.”

I laugh and shake Milo’s hand. Shay gives him a hug. Then we hop out in silence. I don’t know about her, but I’m still trying to shake my muscles free of all the tension. But whether that’s from sitting on my ass for a day and a half or from something else, I’m not sure yet.

Shay starts pacing and biting at her pinkie nail the minute Milo and Truffles hit the highway.

“Any ideas?” she asks.

“Maybe there’s an Internet café or something at the airport. Take the shuttle, hang out there till one of my buds gets back to me.”

“And if they don’t have a way to log on?”

“We could pretend my wife in New York is about to have a baby, and I lost my wallet.”

She laughs to herself before bringing her nail back to her mouth.

“What, no go?” I joke, planting my ass on top of my carry-on. “You know people won’t help us out if they know the truth.”

“I don’t know. Sexy actor needs help getting to his next movie with Carletta Ocean.” She sighs and stops her pacing. “Could be worth someone’s money.”

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