Page 54 of The Kissing Part
“Oh, that’s nice. How’re they doing?”
“Great. Still active, enjoying retirement. Only person who couldn’t make it is my uncle Rich. That’s Mom’s brother. He’s busy with a soccer tournament for his son in Chicago.”
“I just love your family.”
He glances over at me with a smile. “Sometimes I think you only want me for them.”
“Your family is just a bonus.”
“I’m still not sure why I’m here,” Olivia pipes up from the backseat.
I nearly forgot she was there. I’ve been so focused on Owen, and she’s been busy on her phone.
“You’re here because the party will be fun,” I say. “You work too much, and it’s not like you know anyone in town.”
“And Mom is someone good to know in the industry,” Owen says. “When you’re running your own studio, her production company should be at the top of your list for women-forward movies and TV shows. It’s all who you know, right?”
“Yes. That’s why I’m really here,” Olivia says, like Owen just reminded her. “Shayla, you know I don’t enjoy nonproductive time. Nothing will derail me from my goals, not vacation time, not men, and definitely not parties. This job is a stepping stone. No offense. I’m here for you one hundred percent while we work together.”
I fight a smile. How can someone so young sound so old?
“Understood,” I say. “You’ll like Claire. Don’t go straight to shop talk. She’s a really interesting person. Did you know she belongs to a romance book club, the Happy Endings Book Club? She even bought the rights to a few romance novels to make into movies. Like the Fierce trilogy and the movie I’m currently working on.”
“Oh, now, that’s interesting,” Olivia says. “Scoping out intellectual property in a ready-made focus group. How do I get into this club?”
“Just ask and you’re in,” Owen says.
I perk up at that. “Really? Then I’ll ask to join too. I’ve been wanting to read more.” I turn toward Olivia. “Have you ever read a romance?”
“I read voraciously. Of course, I’m always thinking about how it might play as a movie.”
“But do you read romance?”
“Yes,” she admits, blushing.
My eyes widen. I’ve never seen no-nonsense Olivia blush. “Well, you’ll have to tell me which authors to try.”
“I could tell you,” Owen says.
My head swivels toward him in surprise. “You read romance too?”
“Absolutely. Mom’s got a full library of books. Every man should give romance a try. Sure didn’t hurt me to better understand women, and I mean that in the dirtiest way possible.” He gives me a smoldering look.
Now I’m blushing. Owen read his mom’s romance novels and tried that stuff on me?
“Smart man,” Olivia says.
“Thank you,” Owen says smugly.
* * *
Now that Olivia and I are officially in the Happy Endings Book Club, we’ve joined Claire and friends in lounge chairs by the pool. We’re following an intense discussion of their latest read,Fiery Embrace. Olivia takes notes on her phone.
“All I’m saying is, if they’re going to start with a bang, it’s disappointing not to see hot sex on the page at the end too,” Madison says, leaning forward in her V-neck T-shirt to reveal a small hawk tattoo on her chest right over her heart. I want to ask her about it, but worry it’s too personal.
Claire’s here with her sisters-in-law Madison, Hailey, and a few other women who seem to be either sisters-in-law or honorary sisters-in-law married to Jake’s honorary brothers. Claire introduced everyone as sisters.
Hailey pushes her white-framed sunglasses to perch on top of her strawberry-blonde hair. “We don’t need to see sex on the page to know it happened. It was implied when they held hands on the way to her place. I thought this was an interesting take on romance, starting with a hookup and ending with holding hands. Like a romance in reverse.”
