famous sound so resigned to yet bitter about the name that made them famous. “I can assure you, starting off from scratch, without any help, isn’t fun.”
“But you know you’ve earned it.”
But what happens if I fail? She gave a slight shiver.
“Are you cold?” He held the elevator door open for her as they left.
Observant man. “No, I’m fine. You’re pretty popular for your own career. What made you settle on soaps instead of big-budget films?”
“It was fun. And I knew it would piss my grandfather off.”
She gave him a sideways glance. “So you’re rebellious too.”
Dev gave a half laugh. “I suppose so.”
They exited into the parking garage. Their footfalls echoed. Jia fiddled with her purse strap. “Do you want to take your car or mine?”
“I got car service here. I wasn’t sure about parking.”
“You’re learning about this city. Excellent, we can take mine.”
He slowed when she pressed the key fob for her car and it chirped. “That’s your vehicle?”
She smiled proudly at the yellow Beetle. “Yup.”
“Ah, what are the things on its headlights?”
“Eyelashes!” She patted the hood fondly. “Isn’t it cute? I always wanted one of these, but when I lived at home, my parents insisted I drive a sensible car. I love Buggy.”
“Interesting.” Jia was confused for a second when Dev slipped in front of her, but then she realized he was getting her door for her. Gosh. It had been a long time since she’d met a man who opened a door for her.
Charmed, she slipped inside the car and waited for him to round the hood. When he tried to get inside, she understood why he’d sounded hesitant about her car. He shoved his seat back all the way, then folded his body in. His legs were still crammed uncomfortably, and his head was suspiciously close to the roof.
She bit her cheek to control her laugh. It wasn’t nice to laugh at him. But he did look funny. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think of how small this might be for you.”
“No worries.” He shifted, and his elbow bumped hers.
She pulled it back, but not because she didn’t like it. Oh no, she liked it a little too much. She imagined her mom frowning at her, and that helped kill some of her liking.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“I know a restaurant that’s really quiet and tucked away.”
He put his seat belt on. “How quiet? Everyone has a phone on them nowadays.”
And he was a hot property, as they’d discovered. She gave him a mischievous smile. For all the stress and upset she’d been under for the last week, it was nice to feel vaguely relaxed. “Don’t worry about it.”
They lapsed into a companionable silence as they drove to the place, interrupted occasionally by Dev asking her about things they passed. When they got to the restaurant, a small, inconspicuous spot on a quiet side street in Highland Park, she pulled around back instead of parking at one of the meters.
He trailed behind her as she went to the back kitchen door and knocked lightly. The door opened and a young man with a thick mustache stuck his head out. “There you are, Jia!”
“Hey, Antony.” She walked inside and gestured to Dev. “This is my friend, um . . . Bob.”
Antony winked. He wore a standard white chef’s jacket, pristine despite the sweat that had plastered his hair to his head, declaring a busy dinner service. “Bob, eh?” He shook Dev’s hand. “Pleasure. Come on, let’s get you guys a seat. The crowd’s died down, I had them clear out the back corner for you. No one will bother you.” Antony led them through the kitchen to a private booth. True to his word, no one was there. “Menus are on the table, waiter will be with you soon. I suggest the gnocchi tonight, but everything’s good, of course.”
“Thanks, Antony.”
The chef left and Dev raised an eyebrow. “You must be a regular here.”
“I did a series about six months ago about mom-and-pop restaurants in different parts of L.A. It took off pretty nicely, though I’m not exactly a food blogger. This was one of the restaurants I went to and they got a nice little lift in business.” She wrinkled her nose. “He tried to repay me in free food, but I don’t feel comfortable being one of those kinds of influencers. I’m willing to accept his gratitude in this manner, though.” She gestured to the almost completely private dining.
“It’s not bad. I used to pay top