Page 121 of You're The One
The look on his face gives me pause.
“Perfect,” he says, a little too quickly. “Here’s how we play it. Finish the date, walk her back to the hotel, and somewhere along the way, pull her aside. We won’t follow. Then we’ll cut it to look like you snuck away for a romantic moment. Leaves the audience guessing.”
I’m shaking my head before he finishes. “Absolutely not. What happens when my future kids see the episode and think I was a cheating bastard?”
Bodhi’s brows shoot up, and he clearly fights back a laugh. “Wait, what? You don’t even have kids. You just skipped, like ten steps ahead.”
“The point still holds.”
“I’m not totally convinced it does,” he mutters, flipping through his paperwork. “Fine.”
His eyes scan the room. “You can sneak away in here somewhere. It’s public enough that your ‘future children’ won’t think you’re a dick. But you’re not sending her home?—”
“Yet.”
“Yet,” he agrees with a sigh.
I nod. It’s the best-case scenario, isn’t it? Emma doesn’t have to feel embarrassed, I don’t have a boom mic in my face, and we can end things with some dignity.
Perfect.
In theory.
Once it’s settled, we head back. Bodhi gets behind the camera, and I head to the bar. Emma offers a small smile as I slide onto my stool.
“Everything okay?” Her voice is light, but her eyes search mine.
“It’s great.” I hope I’m not lying.
My palms sweat as we ease into casual conversation and sip our drinks, hers a glass of red, mine a mocktail. When she excuses herself to the bathroom, I watch her disappear down a hallway tucked behind a wall of books. This is my shot.
I find an empty chair just off the path she’ll take on her way back. It’s tucked far enough from the bar to feel private, mostly out of view. Bodhi must have told the crew not to follow. Just like we agreed.
I sit, wiping my palms on my jeans. I wasn’t lying to Mia. I’ve never had to end something before. Not really. Most of my relationships, if you can even call them that, never made it pasta night or two. Short, easy, nothing that needed a conversation like this.
My knee bounces as I run through the words in my head.
Emma, I think you’re great.
No, too vague. Too much room for misinterpretation.
Emma, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you.
Better. True.
But my heart’s with someone else.
Also true. But does it sound like I’ve been watching too many rom-coms?
Emma—
“Hey, what’re you doing?” the woman herself asks, pulling me out of my head.
I look up, startled. “Oh, hey. I—uh—I wanted to talk to you.Alone.”
Her eyes brighten in a way that immediately sets off alarms. Instead of confusion or concern, I’m met with a hopeful smile. She looks… pleased. Like this is exactly the moment she’s been waiting for.
“Oh,” she says, a little breathless. “I’ve been wanting time alone with you, too.”
