Page 66 of You and Me, For Real
I nod, unable to formulate a response.
Satisfied, he sits next to the coffee table, this time with his back resting against the couch near my legs. His nearness doesn’t make me uncomfortable in the slightest. If anything, his subtle cedar scent makes me want to inch closer.
I’m afraid to question that too deeply.
Caution is my friend. I need to keep it close. It doesn’t matter how weak his relationship with Scarlet appears; he’s taken. I certainly don’t want to makethatmistake twice.
My loyal companion has abandoned me to snooze next to Roxy’s bed. The two puppies already ate their dinner while we waited for our food to be delivered and had played for a few minutes in the backyard before coming back inside to rest. Griffin ordered a portable playpen for the puppies that arrived before our dinner, giving him enough time to set it up for the dogs. I can hear their contented, soft snores from across the living room.
“Where’s Luke? Did you tell him we ordered food? Won’t he want some too?” I look toward the kitchen, where he always seems to appear.
Griffin wipes his fingers on a napkin. “The guest house has its own kitchen. He tends to prefer cooking for himself rather than eating out. I also try not to bother him too much. You know, give him his own space and whatnot.” He sips from his water. “I texted him about dinner, but he said he’s tucked in for the night.”
“Not much of a night owl, I guess?”
“Nope. Military trained that out of him.”
“He was in the military? What branch?”
“Army. Served for ten years before being honorably discharged.”
“Wow.”
“He doesn’t talk about it much. It wasn’t so much of his thing as it was his dad’s. His dad retired from the military after a thirty-year career.”
“What’s Luke hoping to do next?”
“Don’t know yet. I think he’s still figuring that out.”
“So, he decided to come to live with you for a while?”
“When he returned stateside, I offered him the job. I knew being a personal assistant wasn’t his dream job by any means, but it’ll allow him to earn some money until he decides what he really wants to do. Plus, I like having him here. He’s like a brother.” Griffin pushes his empty plate further onto the coffee table. “He could have returned to his family’s ranch in Texas but decided against it.”
I rest my fork on my plate. “I get that.”
“All done?”
“Yes, I’m stuffed. Thank you.”
He takes my plate and places it on top of his.
“What about you, did you always want a career in acting?”
He pauses for a moment. “I think so?”
“Is that a question or a statement?” I huff a laugh.
“It’s kind of hard to tell. It was so long ago. I started acting in elementary school at a community theater. My dad enrolled me. He’d done a few acting gigs here and there. I guess he wanted me to follow his footsteps. Once I showed some skill, he became more invested in me. Both my parents did.” He walks into the kitchen and puts the plates in the sink and starts rinsing them.
“What about your mom? Where’s she?”
“My parents divorced just before my twelfth birthday. My dad wasn’t very devoted to their marriage.”
“As in, he didn’t spend much time with her?”
“That. And he preferred the company of other women. They did therapy and I thought things were good for a while. Theyboth came to all my plays and the commercials I started doing. It was nice—something to bring them together. But just after I was cast forThe Clubhouse, Mom left.”
“Like she moved out?”
