Page 99 of Howl for Me
“Well, be sure because your complexion and this color…stunning.. ya hear me?” He tilts his head, folding the dress gently as he bags it.
“Thanks.” His compliments catch me off guard, but his energy is so contagious I smile anyway.
“I heard you ladies talking about grabbing lunch. I tried that diner about a block up,“ he pauses, eyes wide, “So good. I hurt myself on their club sandwich the other day. Y’all should check it.”
Lori leans against the counter. “What’s it called? I’m starving.”
“Bellamy’s. Now it’s nothing fancy, just some worn booths and plastic menus, but the food is so good. They even have a little jukebox. You ladies enjoy.” He hands me the bag and walks back to the scarves.
Bellamy’s is exactly what he promised, booths that have seen better days and the low hum of music from the jukebox. We’rehalfway into our club sandwiches and iced tea when I notice two men approaching our table.
Lori sees them first. She grins, standing. “There you are! Join us.”
They pull up chairs like it’s nothing, settling in like we are all friends.
Lori turns to me, excited. “Cass, this is Kent. He’s in production at Moonlight.”
I blink. I do recognize him. Not well, but enough. He’s been at the studio a few times when I’ve been there, usually behind a clipboard or barking orders.
“And this is Hugo,” she adds, nodding to the man beside him. “Set design, mostly.”
Hugo smiles at me, warm and easy. He’s got kind eyes and soft curls that flop over his forehead when he leans forward to shake my hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too,” I say, and mean it. He seems sweet. Lori leans in, nudging me slightly. “Kent’s my date to the party tomorrow.”
I lift a brow, surprised. “Didn’t realize it was a bring a date type of event.”
“Of course, it is,” she says with a wink.
I glance between them, then at Hugo. “For a studio that’s supposed to be underground, there sure seem to be a lot of people that work there.”
Kent nods, still chewing. “That’s the thing, Moonlight’s quiet on the outside, but there’s a lot going on behind the cameras.”
Lori swallows a sip of water. “The party tomorrow is how everyone gets to meet each other. It helps. You can’t shoot a scene if no one’s comfortable. It’s weird enough with cameras and lights and everything else.”
“That makes sense,” I murmur.
Hugo smiles at me again, this time a little more nervous, like he’s working up to something. “Well, if you’re not going with anyone tomorrow… we should go together.”
I freeze. Lori’s eyes shoot wide before she quickly lifts her glass and sips her water, like it might hide her reaction.
Kent’s already nodding, completely unfazed. “That’d be fun. All of us together again tomorrow night.”
I feel the edges of my thoughts start to blur. Technically, Johnny hasn’t asked me to go with him. There’s no rule that says I’m supposed to. My job is to make sure he’s on time, not to be his plus one. But what if he does have someone? What if I show up at his house tomorrow and some woman answers the door, already dressed, already claimed?
God. How stupid would I look, sitting in the backseat like the assistant I am while he sits up front with someone who’s everything I’m not?
No. I’ll call Johnny tomorrow. I’ll make sure he’s ready, on time, and then I’ll just meet him there. That’s still professional. That makes sense. Doesn’t it?
I look at Hugo and smile, small but sincere.
“Sure,” I say softly. “I’d like that.”
And I try not to think about the fact that my heart sinks just a little when I say it.
Chapter Nineteen
Johnny
