it and took a sip. “Mmm, peachy,” she said. “All right, now tell me. What was he like?”
Annalise hesitated. Where to start? “I don’t know if you’ll believe me,” she admitted.
“Why not? Was he weird?” Janette frowned. “I gave you the get-out-of-jail-free card and you didn’t take it. And then you said you guys were going to Catalina?”
“Yeah, we did,” Annalise said.
“I’m surprised you went for that,” Janette said. “That’s a four-hour round trip on the ferry. Sounds like more of a fifth-date excursion, if you ask me.”
“Yeah, but we didn’t take the ferry,” Annalise said. “He had a yacht.”
“He had a yacht? All right, Mr. Moneybags,” Janette said. “How was that?”
“It was good,” Annalise shook her head. “I’m telling this story all wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know how I told you the pictures on his dating profile weren’t very clear? That I couldn’t see what he looked like?”
“Yeah,” Janette said. “Oh, was he ugly?”
“No, the opposite of that,” Annalise said. “He was Curt Slade.”
“He looked like Curt Slade?”
“No, Janette,” Annalise said. “He was Curt Slade.”
“What?” Janette sat forward so quickly that the drink in her hand was jolted, and some of it sloshed over onto the table that was between her and Annalise. “You went on a date with Curt Slade?”
“Oh my God, Janette.” Annalise grabbed a handful of tissues and began to wipe up the spilled drink.
“Don’t act like it’s not a big deal, Annalise,” Janette said. “Was it really him? You’re sure?”
“It was definitely him,” Annalise said. “I’ve seen his movies enough times.”
“But Curt Slade is dating Jenna Valencia!”
“No, he isn’t,” Annalise said. “I asked him about that. It’s just tabloid gossip. The two of them aren’t together.”
“But they were seen together at that Korean restaurant!” Janette protested. “And everyone knows Korean food is Curt’s favorite.”
“Does everyone know that?” Annalise raised her eyebrows. “I don’t think Curt does. He told me his favorite restaurant was a crab place on Catalina.”
For a moment, Janette seemed not to know what to say. She gaped at her sister.
“You can’t be that surprised that the tabloids got it wrong,” Annalise said gently. “They never actually talk to celebrities, do they? They just follow them around and spy on them and try to put pictures of their lives together that way.”
“I guess,” Janette admitted. “This is just… so hard to take in. You know I love my gossip magazines.”
“I know you do,” Annalise said, grinning.
“They make me feel like I know the stars,” Janette said. “I felt like I knew who Curt Slade was! I’m having to adjust my whole frame of mind now. So he’s not involved with Jenna Valencia?”
“Apparently he doesn’t even like her that much,” Annalise said.
“You’re kidding! But they have such great chemistry in Four Nights Adrift!”
“Do they? I haven’t seen that movie yet.”
“You haven’t?”
“No,” Annalise said. “It looked kind of cheesy, so I was probably going to skip it. Of course, now that I’ve been out with Curt Slade, I guess I’ll watch it.”
“You have to,” Janette said, getting to her feet. “Come on down to the family room. We can stream it down there.”
“Right now?” Annalise asked.
“Of course right now!” Janette said. “Annalise, you went out on a date with Curt Slade today. I know you’re not as interested in celebrities as I am, but you can’t act like that’s normal. You have to take it seriously!”
Annalise laughed. “I don’t have to take it seriously,” she said, stooping to pick up the tray of mocktails before following her sister toward the stairs that led down to the basement. “It wasn’t a serious thing. It was just one date.”
“You mean you’re not going to see him again?” Janette sounded scandalized.
“I’d probably go out with him again if he asked,” Annalise said.
“Probably?”
“But I don’t think he’s going to ask me out again,” Annalise said. “I don’t think that’s what this was. It was more like… we both just wanted to put ourselves out there a little, experience a nice date.”
“No,” Janette said firmly. “That’s not what this was at all.”
“How do you know?” Annalise laughed.
“Because I looked at your profile on LoveFindr.”
“You what?” Annalise stared. “How could you have done that?”
“Easy. I made an account so I could search for you.” She took the tray of drinks from Annalise and set it on the basement coffee table. “Don’t look at me like that. I had to. You didn’t send me your completed profile.”
“Oh my God. You could have just asked me, you know.”
“Well, anyway,” Janette said, not looking