Page 15 of Solid Foundation
It was my turn to raise my eyebrows. “Why?”
“Makes my job easier. Besides, telepathy comes with issues about consent.”
I tilted my head to the side.Interesting answer.Without another moment’s thought, I pushed the deck across the table toward Jake. “Your turn.”
He pulled a card and let out a soft little chuckle when he read it to himself. “Would you rather swim in a pool of chocolate sauce or a pool of maple syrup?”
“That sounds like a nightmare.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “Chocolate sauce, I guess. I’d imagine maple syrup is stickier, but it’s probably just my imagination.”
“Probably.”
“Okay, my turn. Beach or pool?”
Jake thought for a moment. “Pool. I’m not a fan of sand. Besides, nobody knows what the hell is lurking in the ocean. It could be anything.”
I suppressed a smile. “I’m with you. Give me a poolside cabana any day. Ooh, and a cabana boy. My turn. No food-related ones this time. Give me something good.”
He glanced at the card he drew and frowned. “Would you rather ask your ex for a favor or a complete stranger?”
“Oh, a stranger, hands down. My ex is a terrible person and we don’t talk about him.” He raised his eyebrow again, and I held up a hand to keep him from asking. “Garden variety cheater, but it was pretty crappy to walk in on him sleeping with someone elsein our bed. So yeah. Definitely the stranger. How about you? Ex or stranger?”
“I don’t have any exes,” he said quietly.
“None?”
“It’s been about fifteen years.”
“That’s one hell of a dry spell.”
Jake shrugged. “I don’t mind. Don’t miss what you never really had in the first place.” He took another sip of his beer and we just watched each other for a moment.
I didn’t want to press, so instead, I nodded. “Understood.”
We chatted for a while longer, going back and forth with the questions, and slowly Jake began to open up. I noticed his gaze dropping to my lips a few times, and when I caught him staring, his cheeks reddened in a blush that could only be described as “adorable.” Our hands brushed exchanging cards at one point, and my heart rate went crazy, pounding in my chest as if I’d been running a marathon. When it happened, he stammered out that he needed to use the restroom and darted away. The more time I spent with him, the more I liked him. I just needed to break through his tough exterior and get to what I knew was a softie inside, and I was going to do that even if it killed me.
By the time we wrapped the next Friday, I was drained. Someone from the construction crew—probably Jake—had negotiated weekends off, which I was glad for. I wanted to catch Jake before he left, but it seemed like anything and everything that could have held me up did just that. First, Brooks wanted me to review the day’s footage with him, then Micah pulled me aside to talk about the set design for the following week. Just when I thought I was free, Gideon stopped me to ask about getting some shots for B-roll. I was grateful that my group of friends had all landed jobs on set, but in that moment, I was ready to get the hell out of there.
I rubbed my temples with my fingertips. “We’ll figure it out Monday, okay?”
Gideon looked skeptical, one eyebrow raised, but he nodded anyway. “As long as you’re fine with waiting.”
“Yep.” My tone was clipped, and I cringed as soon as I heard myself. “Sorry. I’ve got a headache and it’s been a long week.”
He waved away my concern. “No worries. I get it. We’ve all had a long week. It’s totally fine.”
“Thanks.” I glanced around to see if Jake’s big pickup was around and spotted it pulling away from the curb. With a sigh, I turned back to Gideon. “Actually, I’ve got time. Let’s talk.”
A half hour later, I locked the production trailer behind me and headed to my car. I started the engine but didn’t put the car in gear immediately. Instead, my mind still on the letters, I picked up my phone and texted Jake.
Max: Hey, it’s Max. Sorry to bother you after hours. Do you have time to get together this weekend and chat about the show? I have some ideas I wanted to get your opinion on.
I waited a moment for a reply and just as I gave up and put the car in gear, my phone dinged. I slid it back into park and checked the message.
Jake: Sure. Come on by.
It was accompanied by his address.
My eyebrows shot up. It wasn’t what I’d expected but I wasn’t about to argue with him about where we could meet to discuss the letters and how I wanted to incorporate them into the show. I let him know I’d be there in ten minutes, and sure enough, I was pulling into a quaint neighborhood not long after. When I found his house, a sprawling rancher, I pulled into the driveway, nervousness zinging through me.Relax, I told myself.It’s just a work meeting.Even so, I had to take a deep, shaky breath to steady myself before getting out of the car and heading up the walk, a folder with my research and copies of the letters tucked under my arm.
