Page 14 of Dumbstruck
I tilt my head. “Is your name that bad?”
He chuckles and drops his hand, shaking his head. “You are determined to keep me humble, aren’t you?”
“Someone should.”
Grinning, he takes a step back, which is not what I expected. Then another. “You know what? I think I’ll wait. Make you earn my name.”
Disappointment floods through me. Wait,disappointment? I don’t care what his name is. I don’t even care about getting a rain check on today’s lunch. So why does my heart ache a little bit more with each step he takes? “Didn’t I just do that by rescuing you?”
He shakes his head. “Technically, yes. But something tells me I can leverage this information.”
“What do you want?” And why am I even entertaining the idea of giving him whatever he asks for?
“Ice cream,” Jonah says, still walking backward as he heads toward the other golf cart, where Richie is waiting for him. “An ice cream date Monday night after we’re done shooting.”
Does he plan on renting out the ice cream parlor as well? The Laketownians might riot; they love their ice cream. “What if I’m busy?” I ask.
“Your store closes at seven, so you have no excuses.”
He knows my store hours? While that’s adorable, I refuse to let him know he’s getting past my defenses every time I see him. Narrowing my eyes, I pretend to consider his offer like I did before. “I don’t know…”
Jonah grins and shakes his head. “Nah, that’s not going to work, Harper. You agreed to give me a chance, so I know you’re interested. Monday at eight. I’ll be the one with a dozen roses and a charming smile.”
“You think highly of yourself, don’t you, Jonah James?”
He doesn’t answer, instead hopping into the cart and letting Richie drive him away.
Dang, if he isn’t as charming as he seems to think. What gets me is the fact that he doesn’t come across as cocky in the slightest. It’s just confidence. And there is nothing sexier than confidence.
But there’s no way I can let him know that.
“I can take you back,” Dexter says from the other golf cart.
I make my way to the cart but pause before sitting down, gazing at the key in my hand. It’s extra shiny, like it was just made. Handing it to Dexter, I slide onto the seat and frown at the trailer. “Why would someone lock Jonah in a props trailer? Why was he in there in the first place?”
Shrugging, Dexter looks down at Jonah’s phone, which he still has. “Looks like Myrna texted him and asked him to grab something for the next scene because she forgot it.”
“Would Myrna have set him up?” And what purpose would that serve outside of being a mean prank?
“Nah, shelovesJonah. Everyone does.”
I scoff. “There’s no wayeveryoneloves Jonah.”
But Dexter shrugs again, a smile lighting up his face as he turns on the golf cart. “If there’s anyone who doesn’t like him, I haven’t met them. I’ve worked for a few different celebs, and none of them come close to Jonah. He’s good about making everyone around him feel valued and important. And if it makes a difference, I’ve never seen him act the way he acts around you. I think he really likes you.”
“He doesn’t know me,” I mutter as we head back to town. But maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if I changed that fact.
Chapter Six
Jonah
OnDexter’srecommendation,Idid not pay the ice cream parlor to have the place to myself, and I am regretting that with every passing second. Richie is just as bothered by the many stares I’m getting, and when Richie is nervous, I get nervous. And when I get nervous, I get sweaty. A first date is not a time to be sweaty.
“Maybe she’s not coming,” I mutter, tapping my fingers on the table in front of me. Honestly, I’m surprised June agreed in the first place after I missed our first date attempt. Okay, technically she didn’t agree. But she also didn’t say no. Because I didn’t give her the chance. I doubt I made a great impression when she got the trailer door open and found me lying face down on the floor.
I’d stupidly forgotten my phone in my personal trailer in my haste to get back to town, and Richie is notoriously bad at letting his battery die. Which, honestly, is something we should fix. But as soon as I realized we were stuck inside the props trailer, panic set in, and I thought for sure I would be trapped there for hours.
Someone from set would have heard us eventually, and Dexter is good at keeping tabs on me, even when I don’t want him to. But it’s hard to think logically when you’re trapped in a few square feet of space.
