To Love Jason Thorn (Page 24)

“Sorry to hear that about Lily, but I’m not considering leaving. I like living with you guys.”

“Oh.” She looked genuinely confused. “The way you’ve been acting around Marcus lately, I thought you were uncomfortable here.”

“Marcus was my friend for a year before we started our relationship; we’ve been living together for almost three years now. I’m not uncomfortable around him, Char, we just don’t hang out together as much as we used to. Other than that, I have no problems with him. He is the one acting weird after this book deal happened.”

“I understand.” She avoided my eyes.

“Well,” I started, edging off the counter to get down. “I’m glad we did this.”

“Are you angry at me?”

“No. Is there a reason I should be?”

“No. Then can I ask you something else?”

I settled back again. “Sure. About?”

I pulled the short straw into my mouth and sighed a happy sigh when the cold apple juice hit my tongue.

“Jason Thorn.”

Intrigued, I gestured for her to go ahead. Charlotte didn’t ask many questions. She watched. She listened. She was shy to the point that it was painful to watch sometimes.

“When you saw that video of Jason in that alley…”

My face fell. Why was she even asking me about that?

“Were you upset?”

Do birds shit?

What the hell?

Letting go of the straw, I raised an eyebrow. “Where are you going with this, Char?”

“Nowhere.” Avoiding my eyes, she played with the coffee machine I had bought with Lucy the day I got my first payment from Amazon. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt. He is a movie star, Liv. I saw you two together that day—when he was dropping you off—”

“You left as soon as you met him Char.”

“I know. I know. But I see how excited you get every time you’re talking about him.”

“So?”

“Marcus thinks you’re—”

“I don’t care what Marcus thinks, Char. And to answer your initial question, yes, I was upset to see it, but not because I was jealous or anything like that. I don’t have a say in his life. Hell, I’m nothing more than a friend or an old friend’s sister to him right now.” I shrugged. “I’m not stupid enough to think otherwise. So what if I enjoy hanging out with him, wouldn’t you? It’s not news that he, um, enjoys having sex, for lack of a better word. Did all those people who bashed him on TV and online think that he was a virgin or something?”

She nodded thoughtfully. “I heard that after the video was released, he was booted out from a few movie projects, and there were rumors that he was actually losing his role in your movie, too.”

“Obviously, he didn’t.” I hopped down from the counter and tossed the now empty juice box into the garbage can.

“Well, still. It seems like he is a ticking bomb. I just hope that he won’t ruin your movie, too.”

The apartment door opened, and Marcus and Lucy walked in.

I focused on Char. “He is a damn good actor, Char. He can have any role he wants. They’ll forget about the video in a few weeks when some other celebrity cheats on his wife with the nanny, then everyone will focus on them instead. What’s gotten into you today?” I asked, frowning at her.

“What do you mean?” she mumbled, not looking at me.

“Hi, Liv,” Marcus greeted me on his way to the fridge and oh-so-casually brushed a kiss on my hair.

Startled, I turned to him as he took a water bottle from the fridge and walked right out. “What was that?” I asked to his back, pulling myself together.

He glanced back over his shoulder. “I said hi. Or is that banned, too?”

Lucy bugged her eyes at me from the doorway.

“Something is wrong in this apartment today,” I announced.

My phone pinged.

Thank god!

“My Uber is here. I’m leaving.”

“But I just got here!” Lucy whined. “You didn’t even hear what Jameson did to me today.” She widened her eyes at me. “In an empty classroom!”

“He rocked your world?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She gave me a wolfish grin. “That he did.”

“See, I’m all caught up now. Text me when we’re leaving for karaoke night, and I’ll get back here to get ready.”

I grabbed my purse and walked out the door, not meeting Marcus’ eyes.

***

Finally reaching the building where the auditions were being held, I got out of my Uber and stood there to stare at the building for a moment. Was I excited because I was about to see my characters come to life? Or was I excited because I’d get to spend some time with Jason again?

“Olive!”

I turned around to see Jason getting out of his car. The way he stepped out and closed the door of that ridiculously sexy car of his…then, as if in slow motion, put his Ray-Bans on…

Damn…

Mini orgasm attack.

Then he got closer and closer, and I got an even better look at my dimple—mine, because I was staking my claim on that damn thing. After all, I’d seen it before all of his loving fans. First come, first served, right?

“Hi,” I managed to sputter when he reached me.

“Hi to you too.”

We just stood there and stared at each other for a moment, his smile getting goofier.

Should I hug him? Could I hug him? Was that even allowed? Why was I so weird?

Finally, he laughed and said, “Come here.” He gave me a sideways hug and looked down at me. “I might have missed you a bit more than you missed me, little one. It’s good to see you.”

Not the best thing he could’ve said, but then again I’d take anything that came out of his mouth when he was hugging me.

With my head tilted back, I looked up at him. Reaching up, I lifted his sunglasses and finally looked into his eyes.

“Nice to see you, too, Mr. Jason Thorn.”

Laughing, he kissed my temple. Had his lips lingered for more than two seconds, or was it just me? Did those two extra seconds mean something? Why go for the forehead and not the cheek? Did it have a different meaning?

Different meaning or not, my heart gave a happy sigh and the butterflies pretty much fainted from all the excitement Jason was giving them. I closed my eyes and savored the moment.

After we reached the floor where the casting crew was situated, he took his time to introduce me to everyone. The whole setup had a relaxed vibe, nothing scary at all. The casting director, Bryan, his assistant, and a cameraman to tape the auditions were the only ones left behind, and Jason seemed to know them all.

“I’m not late, am I?” Jason asked after shaking hands with everyone.

His eyes on the papers in front of him, the casting director waved his hand over his head. “Just on time, as always. Have you looked through the script we have ready?”

The script is ready?!

Jason nodded at Bryan and took the papers the assistant handed him. “I got them this morning.” After turning a few pages, he asked, “Which scene do you want to go over for this?”

“We’ll try the first time he finds his way back to Genevieve.”

“Ok. Great.” Glancing at the corner where I was sitting, Jason looked at me and winked.

I gave him a lame thumbs up and smiled.

Clearly amused, he shook his head and turned back to the director.