Hidden Hollywood

“Lemme see,” Charlotte said.

Mad handed the phone over to Charlotte. “Dang is right,” Charlotte said. “I’d do him.”

Julia wiggled her fingers for the phone, and the women passed it around, murmuring in agreement over Charlotte’s assessment.

Hailey perked up. “You want a date, Charlotte? A personal trainer and a stunt double. Two very physical people. Could be a match!”

Charlotte shook her head. “Girl, you need to stop. I know you’re seeing wedding bells everywhere, but real life doesn’t work that way.”

“Chicken,” Hailey returned.

After that, Claire called for some takeout for everyone and shifted the conversation to what was going on in their lives. But some part of her was already imagining seeing Josh again. What she’d say as Jenny. She couldn’t help but wonder if he would make it difficult. If he would press for another passionate night.

She wasn’t sure she could resist him. She’d have to keep her distance, have a civil conversation, and say goodbye.

It was her own damn fault for playing at normal. Now she had to make things right, no matter how painful it was.

~ ~ ~

Jake tried not to think too hard about the fact that he was bailing on a party with multiple potential business contacts and scads of beautiful women just to jet back home in the hopes of finding Jenny. But he’d let himself into Josh’s apartment late Friday night, and now here he was on Saturday with Josh driving them in his convertible to the park in Eastman for the usual basketball game with the guys.

He hoped the game would get his pent-up frustration out. Josh had no more info on Jenny. He suspected Josh was dicking around, halfheartedly asking Hailey about Jenny while he teased her, getting her worked up for his own perverse pleasure.

Josh made the turn onto the road leading into the park. “Would you lighten up already? You’re like a black cloud in the car.”

Jake scrubbed a hand over his face. He couldn’t lighten up because he couldn’t stop thinking about her. “How can she have no digital footprint? I can’t find her online and you know I can find anybody.”

“I can’t believe you flew back home for a second date.”

“Which I don’t have.”

Josh jabbed a finger at him. “You’re like obsessed or something.”

“Sorry I can’t be like you and pretend I don’t care.”

Josh made the turn into the parking lot. “You fucked her, didn’t you?”

He clenched his jaw. “It wasn’t like that.”

Josh parked and gave him a skeptical look. “I told Hailey you wanted to see Jenny again, and that was a no-go.”

Jake’s mouth set in a grim line. “I need to see her face-to-face, none of this going through other people. I think if we saw each other again, talked, she’d remember how great it was.”

“Where exactly do you see this going? You can’t pretend to be me forever. Eventually you have to run your empire.”

“I don’t know. I just know I’m not done. We’re not done.”

Josh shook his head, snagged his water bottle, and got out of the car.

Jake grabbed his water and followed. “Where does the book club meet?”

Josh let out a loud breath of shut the fuck up.

The park was just like he remembered. A baseball field in the distance with bleachers, open grassy area, and the blacktopped area with painted lines for two basketball courts. It was a warm day, the first weekend of October, the trees still green with bits of yellow and red popping here and there. They approached the court where a bunch of the guys were doing layups, and a woman with light red hair in a high ponytail all in pink—pink headband, pink tank top, pink shorts, and pink high-tops—dribbled a ball in really high bounces.

“Who’s the girl?” Jake asked under his breath.

Josh went stock-still. “What is she doing here?”

They got to the edge of the blacktop, where Mad met up with them. “Hey, Jake! I didn’t know you came home again.” She socked him on the shoulder. He pulled her in for a one-armed hug and ruffled her hair.

“Hi, Josh! Hi, Jake!” the pink woman called, waving and heading straight for them. Hailey. The woman Jake supposedly took out to a top restaurant in the city. Josh had been tight-lipped about the whole thing, saying only they went their separate ways after dinner.

“Did you tell her?” Jake asked Josh under his breath.

“Tell her what?” Mad asked.

“No,” Josh said, shifting uneasily from foot to foot like he might make a break for it.

Mad leaned in and lowered her voice. “She wanted to play. She sucks, so go easy on her, okay?”