Page 31 of Switching Places

She tilted her head as if showing off. He suspected, but wasn’t sure. She kept her expression as neutral as she could.

“You look a bit different. But I like it.”

“Good. I’m glad you called for lunch.”

It was enough to deflect his uncertainty. Damien Carter launched into the reason he had to come to the studio, and why lunch was convenient. The movie currently being shot was chock-full of trials with some of the junior actors and problems with the weather and schedules. He complained, stopped to charm the waitress who took their order, then resumed once they were alone again.

At first Emma listened avidly, then gradually grew conscious that her father seemed entirely self-centered. Throughout lunch, he dominated the conversation, taking it as his due that she’d be fascinated by each word he had to say.

Had he always been this way, even when married to her mother? Was this how Lily had grown up? In vain, Emma waited for him to ask her how things were going, to talk about any aspect of her life, to again look at her with a question in his eyes.

Instead, Damien finished lunch with a quick kiss on her cheek and an admonition to keep in touch. He had to run for an appointment.

Emma sat alone at the table after he left, stunned. She couldn’t believe that he hadn’t realized instantly that she wasn’t Lily.

Yet upon some reflection, how could he? He had never asked after her, never showed any interest in what she was doing besides questioning why she wasn’t in Mexico and if she wore new makeup. It seemed as if she’d served as a sounding board. Once he’d finished unloading, he’d left. He hadn’t even made arrangements to see her again.

“Lily?”

She turned and looked up, right into Logan’s dancing green eyes.

“Hi.”

She smiled, suddenly happy she wore another of Lily’s creations. She chided herself. Did she really think he’d have any interest in a shy librarian from Virginia? Not when Hollywood overflowed with beautiful, talented and liberal women. Clothes didn’t make that much of a difference, just in how she felt.

Logan pulled out the chair beside her and sat down.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I met with a producer on a new script, then decided to stop by for a bite to eat. Saw you with your dad. He left, you didn’t, so here I am.”

“You could have joined us, eaten with us,” she said, her pique with her father’s behavior fleeing in the pleasure she found being with Logan Beckett.

“I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“I don’t think you would have,” she murmured. “Just provided a bigger audience.”

“What?”

Sighing gently, she shook her head in perplexity.

“Honestly, he asked me to lunch, then spent the entire time complaining about his work, about how he’s not getting the young hero parts like he used to, how he didn’t like working with the director on the film. He never once asked about me or what I was doing.”

“Sounds normal from what you said once before,” Logan said easily.

He flagged down a waitress and ordered a cup of coffee. The young woman refilled Emma’s cup when she brought Logan’s.

Emma wanted to talk to Lily. Was this normal behavior for their father? She thought about her stepfather’s interest in all his children, including her. The entire family gathered for dinner and everyone shared their day. Now that she’d moved out on her own, the ritual hadn’t changed much. Anytime she visited, hewas interested in what she’d been doing and her thoughts. He cared for her.

Maybe she’d been the lucky one growing up. There was more to life than having fancy cars and traveling to Europe. She wouldn’t trade the love of her family for anything.

Looking up, Emma saw Logan studying her.

“Do I have something on my face?” she asked, wondering why he stared so hard.

“No.” Logan smiled and looked away. “What are your plans for the afternoon?”

“I plan to drive around. The weather is beautiful and I want to see as much as I can—” Oops, another faux pas. “I mean, with the top down and all. Did you catch up on rest from your trip?”

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