Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Myla smiles. “You seemed a bit intimidated by the menu, and Ripley stepped in to save the day. How did that make you feel?”
A lump settles in my throat as I recall the moment in question.
“I was a little intimidated by the menu,” I say. “When Ripley offered to order for me, I was initially shocked. But the shock wore off fast. It’s such a sexy thing—to have the confidence to read a situation, step in and handle it. And then to handle it with class? It’s very attractive.” I laugh. “He also ordered a perfect meal for me, so that’s a plus.”
I glance over my shoulder to ensure Ripley isn’t standing in the shadows to hear all this. While it’s true, I don’t want him to think I think he means any of it. That would be messy.
“How do you feel about a second date?” Myla asks.
“I’m very excited to see Ripley again. He checked off every box for me tonight, and I feel like there’s still so much to learn about him. It’s great to meet someone with whom you share an underlying nexus from the get-go. It’s the golden ticket.”
“Last, but not least, do you have any indication what your overlapping online searches might be?”
“Not porn, apparently.” I laugh, remembering the look on Ripley’s face. “You know, I’m not sure yet. We had a great conversation tonight, but things were pretty superficial. I know I didn’t tell him what my most searched-for terms are, and I don’t think he would’ve told me his yet. It’s such a personal thing that you do because no one is looking—only now, someone is looking.”
Myla touches the camera again. “That’s a wrap. And good job with the answers, by the way. They were the perfect responses for this first scene.”
“I’m glad.”
She takes my audio pack off my back and shoves it in a black bag at her feet. “That’s it for me. We’re done here.”
“Awesome. I’ll see you soon.”
“Have a good night, Georgia.”
I pace across the asphalt to my car, feeling Ripley’s gaze heavy on my back. I don’t turn to look at him because I’m not sure what that exchange should resemble. Are we still in character when the cameras aren’t rolling? Or are we back to normal?
And was Myla serious about our chemistry?
I snort. Maybe I am a good actress, after all.
It’s moments like these that I wish I could read Ripley better. He is so damn charming when he wants to be, and if I didn’t know him better, I’d think we had a connection. Sutton, you’re welcome.
But the truth is that I know not to trust him.
Still, I wonder what he thought of our “date.”
“What does it really matter, Georgia?” I ask, climbing into the driver’s seat. “That’s one fake date down and a few more to go. You’ve got this.”
I turn on the engine, put the car in drive, and leave the parking lot—and Ripley—behind.
Ripley
“Sorry about the delay,” Greg says, shoving his glasses up his long nose. “I gave Myla the good camera. This one glitches from time to time.”
“Not a problem, man. Don’t worry about it.”
I look over his shoulder, watching Georgia move across the parking lot to her car. There’s no one around her, and the area is well-lit. Still, I don’t take my eyes off her until she’s in her seat and the engine is running.
Satisfaction hangs over the evening events. I achieved my goal of doing just enough but not too much, so she thinks about me until she sees me again.
Her predictability makes me grin. Georgia performed exactly how I knew she would. She dressed like a knockout, flirted her ass off, and would’ve had any man in the building eating out of the palm of her soft, little hand.
Except me.
“Are you ready?” Greg asks as a red light glows on the camera.
“I am.”
“Great. First question is this—what was your first impression of Georgia as she entered the restaurant?”
Better keep this politically correct. I clear my throat. “Well, I don’t know how you notice anything before you notice how beautiful she is. It took me a moment to get my bearings. And then she smiled at me and … wow.”
“What kind of a first impression do you feel you made on Georgia?”
I laugh. “She seemed interested in what I had to say and asked a lot of questions. We seemed to share a lot in common, which I didn’t necessarily expect. I think she walked away from this evening thinking we have a potential connection.”
“Is that how you are walking away this evening—feeling a potential connection brewing?” Greg asks.
“Yes. Absolutely. I’m really looking forward to seeing her again. Sometimes you just click with someone on a different level, and Georgia and I were definitely clicking tonight.”
I grin, trying to hide it from the camera. We always click. It’s just usually more like the click of a gun than the click of a connection.