My eyes widened. “You mean … at all?”
He chuckled. “At all—for breakfast or dessert.”
“I don’t know if I can finish this brunch now that this information is in my possession.”
His smile didn’t fade. “Don’t hold it against me.” He held his coffee mug to his lips, keeping it there after he swallowed, his eyes really taking me in. “Tell me, what do you think of LA so far?”
“It’s nothing like Boston—that’s for sure. The Northeast moves at a fast pace, but everyone does their own thing. Here, the competition starts the moment you open your eyes in the morning—what you wear, how much money you make, what kind of job you have, the car you drive, where you live.” I glanced at my coffee. “I cut a Starbucks line, at least twenty people deep, by dropping my sister’s name. Bostonians would have let me cut for an emergency, not because I was related to a reality star.”
“Different worlds.”
“No,” I said, finally looking up. “Different planets.”
“But it’s one you need to get used to. With the path you’re on, you’re going to be here for a long time.”
I didn’t know why he had so much confidence in me. But something inside me didn’t want to disappoint him and Brett. I wanted to exceed every expectation they had set.
“We’ll see,” I responded. “I certainly have a lot to prove.”
“I was born out here, so I think I’m immune to all the bullshit.” He adjusted his hat, lowering the visor, and then leaned his arms on the table. “The best advice I can give you is, don’t listen to the noise. They’re going to try to one-up you in every category. Let them talk—they’re just words. Keep looking straight ahead. Focus on your goals, your passion. Kendall, it’s your heart that’s going to take you the farthest.”
“And they’re certainly going to see it,” I admitted, my chest pounding as I thought about the first day of filming. “I’ll essentially be baring my soul to the world.”
His fingers landed on my chin, his stare moving through me, each of his exhales sending me more hints of last night’s cologne and this morning’s toothpaste. “The screen is going to be kind to you. You’re going to mesmerize the viewers, and they’ll want more of your life, your face, your personality. That’s what social media will give them—a glimpse at what makes Kendall Roy so fascinating. You’ve witnessed the rise and success of your sister, but I assure you, she’s plateaued. Her fame is going to be short-lived. Not you. They’re going to be captivated by your gorgeousness, which stretches far beyond your looks and body.”
With the compliments pouring out of him, words were once again failing me. “Dominick …” I started, but his eyes were making it hard for me to even breathe. “Thank you.”
“No thanks needed. I’m just speaking the truth.”
“I feel your sincerity.” I swallowed, the emotion there—I just didn’t want him to see it. “And I appreciate it.”
His hand dropped, now resting on the table several inches from mine. He extended his fingers, gently grazing across my knuckles, the sensation lighting sparks through my body.
So many unanswered questions simmered in the silence between us.
How could he have this endless faith in me but so easily let me go?
How could he hold my face and hand, moments that weren’t sexual at all, but only want to fuck me?
How did he not yearn for more time, smiles, laughter, mornings where I woke up in his arms?
“Breakfast is served,” the waitress said, tearing me from my thoughts as she set our plates in front of us, the stack of pancakes so large that I’d never finish them. “Let me grab the coffee, and I’ll top off your mugs. Can I get you anything else?”
I didn’t want to release Dominick’s stare, but I forced myself to take a quick scan of the table, noticing the extra napkins she had brought and the full carafe of creamer and that we had plenty of butter and syrup.
“I think we’re good,” I told her.
“Great. Enjoy.”
I rested my fork on the side of my plate, watching Dominick cut into his first bite. “I have to witness this. My heart is telling me those pancakes are about to blow your mind.”
He chuckled. “Don’t get your hopes up. Like I told you, I wasn’t born with a sweet tooth.”
Underneath that armor of his, I was positive I could find something sweet that he would love even if it wasn’t pancakes. Just like I could show him what a relationship would look like, one that wouldn’t obliterate his heart, one that wouldn’t be anything like the marriages his parents had described over dinner.
A smile began to beat its way through me, eventually tugging at my lips. “I think I’m about to change that, Dominick.”