Page 43 of Are You Going to Love Me

After all the hugs and well wishes were given, she quickened to her trailer. She couldn’t even focus on packing her things up before she found her phone and called Staysha in a panic.

“How was it?” Staysha giddily questioned, looking into the camera.

“Well, that onscreen kiss was very real and I’m fuckin’ embarrassed.”

“Why?” Staysha quizzed. “Everyone is talking about the chemistry between y’all. Like it’s jumping off of you two. They’re even considering doing the music video and having you as the leading lady.”

Eden rolled her eyes in agony and dropped into a nearby chair. “I think distance is the best bet. I don’t want to get in my head about this and-”

Staysha finished her sentence. “And put your heart on display. Doesn't it suck being a lover girl?”

Eden rolled her eyes as a knock sounded against the door. “I’m not a lover girl. And I’m not going to be one. There’s too much to do before I can even consider being one.”

Eden pushed herself from the chair and went to open the trailer door, haphazardly thinking it was a member of the crew here to collect something. What she found was Maximus, his hands in his pockets, looking up at her from the bottom of the stairs.

“You like Big Rod’s?” he asked, shooting a shot.

“She loves Big Rod’s!” Staysha shouted from her place on the phone. Eden fidgeted and fumbled as she attempted to hang up and smoothly recover. No use. Maximus was chuckling, and she was still frazzled. Cheeks hot from the embarrassment, while being the constant subject of his ogling and musing.

“I like it. I mean...it’s late, you don’t have security. Maybe-”

“You hungry?”

Eden bit her lip and nodded. Although food was readily available, the nerves of all of this kept her from eating. “Yeah, I could eat.”

“Then it ain’t too late. Plus, I may or may not have some heat on me.”

Eden cut him a look. “I don’t know nothing.”

“How long you need?”

“Um,” she started as she nipped her lip again and looked around. “A few minutes.”

Maximus rumbled. “Aight, heard you. I’ll be out here.”

Relief fell over her for a millisecond before realizing she just agreed to be in his space for however long. Coils free of the bun, the uniform provided by the costume designer folded and placed neatly on the counter, Eden appeared minutes later with her bag thrown over her shoulder.

As Eden approached, Maximus’s eyes blanketed over her. The mere gesture had made heat a constant flood through her. Before Maximus could get too carried away in his staring, he asked, “You drove?”

“You know, out of all the things I bought for myself, a car hasn’t been one. I JoyRide everywhere now. Before, when I had brand deals, the rides were sponsored. But now I should probably look into it.”

Maximus removed the bookbag from her shoulder and started in stride to his awaiting vehicle. Like him, the jacked-up pick-up truck was simple but powerful. Five percent tint. White paint, black shoes. It was sexy and a true Waynesville type of ride. Eden liked how she knew he was a gangsta, but he didn’t feel the need to state the obvious.

“You can get in or you need help?” he questioned, opening the passenger side door.

Eden waved him off. “I’m five seven, I can get in here.”

He laughed. “Who told you that? You ain’t five’ seven”, E. Maybe on a good day five’ five”, five’ five and a half”.”

“A girl can dream.”

“And stretch,” he toyed, picking her up off her feet and placing her inside the truck. “I’m too hungry to stand by and watch you get a running start to get in.”

Eden offered him a roll of her large eyes and a flick of her middle finger. For half a second before he closed the door, his expression darkened. Had she blinked, she would have missed it. The glint stirred something up in her that should have remained sleeping. Something was awakened by the onscreen kiss that shouldn’t have even been a thing.

She watched him round the hood of the truck and crossed her legs and took a settling breath. The ride, while quiet and quick, was comfortable. Maximus’s right hand gripped the steering wheel while the left elbow was propped in the window. He was still making sure he respected her boundaries, although she hadn’t told him what any of them were, he needed to pretend for the sake of control. Control kept his hand on the steering wheel and not placed between her thighs, surrounded by the warmth.

Parked in front of Big Rod's, Maximus hopped out and made his way to the passenger side. “You need a lift or-”

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