she quickly spoke again. “Not those ideas,” she warned him, even though she was starting to have a few ideas of her own.
“You should watch a movie here with me some time,” he said. “It’s great to just lie down and chill out and have the screen right there.”
She was sure he was about to lie down on his bed and demonstrate it for her, so was surprised when he tugged at her hand again.
“Let me show you the balcony. The view is amazing.” He pulled her across his bedroom and past the bed to the double French doors that led outside.
She stepped past the doors, breathless as she looked over the balcony railing. From here, she could see the skyline of L.A., along with rooftop pools of Hollywood hotels, the W Hotel sign, and the Roosevelt Hotel. She probably could have seen as far out as to where the city met the ocean if it had been a clear day. Looking out over the city had always been at the very top of her list of things that made her feel completely happy and alive. She dreamed of one day owning a place in the Hollywood Hills.
“Pretty amazing, huh?” Cory asked.
“Not too shabby,” she agreed.
“You should see it lit up at night. It looks like the city is sparkling. That’s what sold me on this place.”
He took her hand again, leading her back inside. They walked downstairs to the kitchen where Cory started dinner. She sat down on a counter stool, watching him open the fridge door and rummage through one of the shelves.
“Do you need me to do anything?” she asked.
“Yes,” he answered. “I need you to sit right there and finish that glass of wine while I cook.” He pulled a glass dish of chicken breasts out of the fridge and set it on the counter.
“And?” She watched him open a cupboard and pull out a container of breadcrumbs.
“And to sit back and relax. Maybe smile at me once in awhile.”
“How are you single?” She shook her head in amazement.
He poured some of the breadcrumbs onto a sheet of wax paper before answering. “I guess I just hadn’t met the right girl.”
She noticed he’d said “hadn’t” in the past tense. She couldn’t help the elated twinge she felt, or the smile that tugged at her lips.
After dinner, they snuggled together on the sofa while Cory flipped through the program guide on the TV. “Action, adventure, romance, comedy, or drama?” he asked her. “It looks like we have them all.”
“Comedy,” she answered. “Or action. No drama.”
“Nice. Good taste.”
“I’m here, right?” she joked.
“I think that’s my good taste.” He pressed a button on the TV remote. “Want to watch The Hangover?”
She nodded. He turned up the volume on the TV and then reached for a blanket that was folded across the back of the sofa. “Come here,” he said, stretching out.
She laid down beside him. His hand found hers and he squeezed her fingers.
This felt good, she thought, like they were definitely a couple. It had been only a few weeks that they’d been spending time together, she knew, but she wondered if he felt the same way. She wanted to ask him but was afraid to ruin the moment. Instead, she kept her fingers intertwined with his and pretended to watch the TV. She felt her eyelids begin to droop and decided to rest them for a moment. When she opened her eyes again, the closing credits of the movie were rolling on the screen.
“Sleepy girl,” Cory said.
She blinked a couple of times. “How long was I out for?” she asked, sitting up and stretching out her arms.
“About an hour.”
“Mmm, sorry.” She covered her mouth to stifle a yawn.
“Don’t be. Now that you’re awake, though, there’s something I want to ask you about.”
“Yeah?” She leaned back against the sofa cushions.
“I have an awards show I’m presenting at next week,” he said. “It’s a kids’ choice thing. I was wondering if you’d like to come with me?”
“That sounds fun,” she replied. “Anything I need to know before we go? Awards show etiquette, maybe?”
“Nope. There will be a red carpet, where we might get a couple of questions from some reporters. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay with that.”
“Yeah.” She smiled. “I’m slowly getting used to this. Well, kind of.”
He moved his hand to her shoulder and twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. “It takes awhile. I’m used to it now, since it’s better for