Page 117 of Finding New Dreams

But now that I was back in L.A., away from Tangled River, that homesickness had settled in again, like a dense fog. And this time, it was worse.

Rose. I thought of her as soon as I woke up in the morning, then as I went through my day, and as my last thought before sleep. And then I dreamed of her.

I’d been stalking her website, scrolling through her online merchandise, tempted to buy everything. But it wouldn’t give me her.

“Are you even listening to me?” Ozzy’s annoyed voice broke through like a foghorn.

I took a long sip of iced tea. “No.”

“Well, I’m going over the guest list of the biggest showcase of your career, so you might want to get your head in the game.”

Sighing, I glanced at my agent. He was sweating through his white V-neck and draining an equally sweaty mojito. He’d been going on and on about the showcase and who would be there, and who wouldn’t be there. I’d drifted off somewhere between his opinion on someone’s boob job and a lengthy complaint that the caterer he favored had dared to be booked by some “two-bit influencer” the evening of my showcase.

“What do you need from me now, Ozzy? I got here when you told me to. I schmoozed the client. I made appearances at every awful party you sent me to the last couple days.”

“I need you to act like this is a big deal. Because it is. This client is over the moon for your work. If this showcase goes really well, he could want more. All his rich friends could want more. And before you know it, I’m the agent with the shiniest star on the art scene.”

I grimaced. “Makes me sound like a golden goose.”

He shrugged. “Who wouldn’t want a golden goose? Or better yet, want to be one? It’s gold, man.”

“All that glitters,” I said wryly.

“So do I need to set aside any tickets for your”—his mustache twitched in distaste—“Tangled River friends?”

I set down my glass with a sharp clink. “No. My family is busy, and I told my friends not to worry about it.”

“Smart. It’s not their scene anyway.”

“Maybe it’s not my scene,” I grumbled.

Ozzy waggled his ringed fingers as if my feelings were nothing but a passing fly. “It is. Now, how about—”

My phone buzzed in my pocket. When I saw who was calling, I held up a finger to Ozzy. “Hang on. I’ll be right back.”

I left him demanding another mojito from the waitress as I walked from the patio to the sand to answer the call.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on your honeymoon?”

“We are,” Chloe said, “but we’re waiting for our train from Paris to Aix-en-Provence.”

“And you wanted to pass time with your big brother? Fine by me. How’s the trip so far? Outside stuff only, please.”

She laughed. “Like I’d dish on anything else, you weirdo. To answer your question, it’s been amazing. Beautiful. Romantic. I swear, we ate and drank things in Paris that must’ve come from food heaven.” She paused. “But that’s not why I called.”

Plopping down in the sand, I tossed my shoes aside and dug my toes into the warm grains. “Out with it, Chloe Bear.”

“Well, you helped me out a lot last year when we talked on the phone, and I figured I could do the same for you.”

“And what do I need help with?”

“Oh, Flynn, don’t play dumb. I happen to believe you’re actually a very smart person who occasionally makes very dumb decisions.”

I snorted. “Thanks, sis. Was there a pep talk in there somewhere?”

“It was a dumb decision to leave Tangled River. To leave Rose.”

I sat up straight. “It’s not like we were in a relationship, Chloe. And why do you even care about any of this? I thought you warned her away from me. You didn’t even want us to get together in any capacity.”

---