Page 42 of My UnTrue Love
Bill looked down at his shirt and lifted a “this, I guess?” kind of shoulder.
“No, you’renotwearing that.” Clementine informed him, because he was absolutelynotwearing that. “There’s a hole in the sleeve.”
Bill shifted his arm to examine the tear and nodded thoughtfully, still chewing his too-sweet cereal.
“You can’t wear a shirt with a hole in the sleeve to your performance, Bill. Do you own any blue shirts?”
“Nope.”
“That’s too bad.” She sighed, looking him over. “You’d look amazing in blue, because of how vivid your eyes are.”
Vivid blue eyes snapped up to meet hers. “I’ll buy a blue shirt.”
“You will? Really? You wouldn’t mind?”
“Don’t mind a bit. I’ll get it right after breakfast.”
“Thank you!” She laid a hand over her heart. “Ireallywant to be a good manager for you, and I might be getting a little nervous about screwing it up. You can tell me if you feel suffocated by my hyper-attention.”
“I like your hyper-attention, just so it’s all fixed on me.”
“Oh, it is! I want tonight to go perfectly for my one-and-only client. You deserve that. But keeping you calm isalsomy job, so I will do better. I promise.” She poured a cup of morning tea. “Have some relaxing chamomile.”
“I’d rather have coffee.”
“Coffee is bad for your vocal cords.”
“I don’t sing.”
“Youhum.” She slid the mug of tea his way. “I’ve heard it. Humming is like the singing that happens before theactualsinging. I have hopes we can build on it.”
His mouth curved and he drank the tea.
Bill actuallydidlike attention. No matter how smothering she got in the throes of her managerial-angst, Bill never ran out of the room screaming. All weekend, he seemed bemused and content, as she took over his apartment and obsessed over his life. It left her with the distinct impression that Bill enjoyed having her around.
She watched him, feeling a warm, excited feeling in her chest. Only Bill made her feel that way. They didn’t have to do anything special for their time together to be special.
Bill’s phone rang.
Clementine had never heard Bill’s phone ring before. No one ever called him except her and when she called, she didn’t hear the phone ring, because she was the one on the other end.
Clem was far too evolved to eavesdrop on any conversation he might have with another person. She realized that Bill still viewed them as strictly friends. Just because she was certain they had a future together didn’t give her the right to pry into his private affairs.
Oh shit, what if he was having an affair?
Bill could be engaged in an epic romance with a thin, brilliant, beauty queen. And they had to keep it a secret, because the mysterious titian-haired seductress was incredibly wealthy and relentlessly followed by the paparazzi. And so they were planning to run off to Neverland for a whirlwind marriage on the beach, where they’d make love in the sand, while fireworksexploded overhead, and then Bill would forget Clem even existed.
Clementine’s mind raced.
Other women had to be chasing Bill, too. Theymustbe. He was so amazing! Thoughtful, funny, handsome, generous, loyal… He didn’t even complain when she played her decorating shows on the living room TV, although his sparse apartment made it clear that he understood very little about home decor.
Johnny had hated everything Clem watched. The only TV program he cared about wasHome on the Range. Johnny enjoyed complaining how he was never invited on the star-making variety show, even though he was “much more talented” than all the featured musicians. Literally every single act sucked, according to him. It was exhausting to talk him down, every Thursday.
Bill didn’t care about the unfairness of the television casting process, though. He was perfectly content to sit right beside Clem and watch shows about the house-flipping market in Oz. He’d simply settled in and rested his arm along the top of the sofa behind her. He’d even offered to let her lean against his body, if she’d be more comfortable.
Which she was. Obviously. Because Bill was very comfortable to lean against.
He didn’t mind her using him as a pillow, either. He’d just let her cuddle closer, toying with her hair and nodding gravely, while she explained that the too-zealous munchkin couple hadcompletelyoverpaid for a neighborhood so close to those poppy fields. He really seemed to enjoy learning about real estate.
