Page 34 of Chance of Romance
James Lyon finally appeared, striding on set, tapping his desk for some reason, and then heading toward the audience. He was in his thirties, his black hair slicked back, tall and lanky, with a ready smile. They weren’t filming yet, the crew standing by for their cue. James waved to the studio audience before detouring to where she stood off camera, taking her hand in both of his and smiling. “So nice to meet you, Sabrina.”
“You too. I’m happy to be here.”
He gave her hand a squeeze before releasing it. “Your Happy Endings Book Club sounded interesting. Any other kind of happy endings going on there?” He winked and made an obscene gesture with his hand.
She didn’t bother to keep the irritation from her voice. “No. And I don’t like the way you’re speaking to me.”
“Touchy.”
“I’m a professional, and I expect you to be too, on and off camera.”
He adjusted his collar, pulling it away from his neck. “Yeesh, do I need to get my lawyer in on this?” His tone was jovial.
Sabrina was not amused. “Do I need to get mine?”
He grinned. “Feisty.”
She stared at him.
“Come on, lighten up. Just having some fun with you. We’re going to have a good show.” He strode onto the set, taking his seat at the big desk.
She took a deep breath, hoping for the best, unsure what she was going to get from this guy. She didn’t mind joking around, but she was a professional and wanted her work to be taken seriously. She was here to help people, not be the butt of a joke.
The show began. She waited for her cue before striding on stage, smiling at him before taking her seat.
“Sabrina Clarke, Hollywood Love Guru, everyone!” James gestured for the audience to applaud. They did, clapping and whistling. “Okay, okay.” He gestured for them to quiet down and turned to her. “Great to see you here, Sabrina.”
“Happy to be here.”
“Any tips for a guy like me? How do I get a woman to commit?”
The audience roared with laughter.
She smiled good-naturedly. “Actually, both men and women can fear commitment. Sometimes it’s an issue from their childhood that causes a lack of stability in their relationships.” Her mind flashed to Logan, and his mom leaving his family. Her theory had been wrong in his case. He didn’t have a problem with commitment. His brothers and sister were in committed relationships. His older brother, Josh, and his dad weren’t. Commitment was a deliberate choice. But what made some people take that leap of faith and others not, given the same circumstances?
“Sabrina?” James waved a hand in front of her face. “Still with us?”
She blinked. “Sorry. Commitment comes with trust, something that builds gradually over time as two people get to know each other. It requires going beyond the surface to what’s really meaningful to you.”
James grinned. “I find a lot of meaning in beer.”
The audience laughed.
Sabrina pasted on a smile, convinced Claire had agreed to the wrong show. Frat boy came to mind.
James got serious, saying with real sincerity, “I’d like to find love.”
The audience quieted.
Maybe she’d been hasty in her judgment. Maybe he hid real vulnerability behind his jovial manner.
“Sabrina, you think a guy like me could find love through your romance book club?”
She took the question at face value, hoping he didn’t make any happy endings jokes because she just might smack him. “I think reading romance novels would be a great start. They celebrate everything important in life—love, happiness, working through whatever obstacles separate two people, and joining them together.”
“Like the Fierce trilogy.” He shook his fingers in the air and blew on them. “Hot.”
She inclined her head. Everyone brought up the Fierce trilogy whenever romance came up, but those stories, based heavily on sexual dominance, were so much more than that. “I agree they’re very hot stories, but they also have deeper themes of redemption and forgiveness. Romance novels have a lot to teach us, and I think more men should read them.”
