Page 76 of No Interest in Love

“That you’re scaring the hell out of me.”

4:49P.M.

“Wow,” Carletta says, breaking character. She grins wide, squealing a little under her breath before picking up her demonic-looking pet. “You were well worth the wait.” She turns to the casting director. “Bring Jason’s tape to the conference tonight.”

He nods and pulls out his tablet. Carletta bounces back to me, grabbing hold of my arm and squeezing tight.

“Walk with me,” she says, widening her eyes in a baby-doll way. She acts a hell of a lot younger than I thought she would. “Let them talk about all the boring stuff with your agent.”

My heart kicks when Shay’s mentioned, and then again when Carletta opens the door and invites her in. I turn my hand, palm out. Shay passes and taps it with hers.

Carletta leads me to a copy room. I raise my eyebrow when she perches herself up on a fold-out desk, crossing her long legs in her designer skirt. I almost hear the porn music start up in the background.

“I wanted to have this conversation with you in private over dinner, but you totally bailed on me.” She says it with an overly annoyed flair, but I think it’s supposed to be flirtatious. I might be off my game since my hand’s still tingling from low-fiving Shay three seconds ago.

“I have a good excuse,” I tell her, shrugging into the copy room and taking a seat next to her. She turns into me and bats her eyes.

“I’m interested in hearing it. I don’t get stood up…well…ever.”

She laughs at herself, and I laugh at the fact that she thinks that’s funny, but it’s not. But she’s attractive, so she can get away with that stuff. More demanding than I thought she’d be, too. It’s still hard to believe I’m sitting in a copy room with this powerhouse of an actress.

Yeah…she’s attractive for sure.

But not really adorable.

I run a hand over the back of my neck and proceed to tell her—in vast detail—about the week from hell. Only I’m not thinking it was that hellish anymore. I’d probably go through another just to spend that kind of time with Shay again.

“Okay…I so heart you right now,” Carletta says, putting her hand to her chest. “I can’t imagine being stuck without any money or phone. And on top of it you have to be with your agent. Talk about not having fun ever.”

“Actually, she’s—”

“But you made it! And if you hadn’t told me, I never would’ve known you spent four days without showering. What is that smell?” She leans forward and presses her nose to my sleeve. “It’s like rain clouds.”

“Uh…it’s whatever the motel had.” I hop off the table to get some space—from her and the cat still perched in her arms. “I should probably get back to—”

“Where are you staying tonight?” she cuts me off, hopping off the table too.

“Not sure.”

“The studio booked several rooms for me for the weekend. You can stay as long as you want.” She pulls out a card from her bra, the cat growling a bit as she shifts it against her hip. “I’m in suite 702. Stop by and see me if you get lonely.” She leans forward, letting her hand fall flush against my ass as she slides the card in my back pocket. Her pink lips tilt up, and she brushes them against my ear. “Yeah…I work fast,” she whispers, then settles her mouth just under my jaw.

The warmth in my neck shoots in a downward spiral and rests in my stomach. This is why I couldn’t find the pivotal scene in my earlier recap. Because it’s right here. I’m at that fork in the road Milo talked about, choosing the path of Barney or the path of Ted. Barney’s the guy who gets all the women he wants. He’s the one who is happy through most of the show. He’s the one who gets laid, drinks, and through the genius of the writers and Neil Patrick Harris, is still likable.

Ted isn’t that. He’s lost and confused and hopeless, wanting theonewoman whom he can marry and have kids with.

A week ago the answer was clear. I’d march off down the Barney path and not give a second glance over my shoulder at the suckers who chose Ted.

Now…I can’t think of any reason why I shouldn’t join those suckers. And what a place to figure this all out, when I’m with the woman Iwaschasing all week. Miss Unattached Fling. Miss Sure Thing. Miss I Don’t Want Anymore.

Carletta leans back, not noticing how I was completely in another world just now. She does a cutesy shrug of her shoulders, blows me a kiss, then walks out, leaving that hotel card burning a hole in my back pocket.

6:52P.M.

Shay sets up a dinner for all of us. Producers, casting director, Carletta, me, her…

It all goes well except for the fact that Carletta keeps biting her bottom lip and leaning into my ear for private conversations. Shay looks like it doesn’t bug her—which bugsme—but she nibbles that pinkie nail every time it happens.

After dinner, I let Shay have the hotel room Carletta offered. Told her I was covered, even though I’m not. I just need to walk around a bit, decide how this is going to go down. Choose which road seems more appealing, or maybe which road is the one I really want. I call my grandma from Shay’s room phone—which makes Shay smile, but I’m not sure why—just to check in, but to also hear the Grandma Voice of Reason. But when we start talking, I can’t get into it. So after I hang up, I hit a movie, walk around, try to clear my head.

---