When she doesn’t immediately continue, I urge her on. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
Nora blows out a breath and pushes up from the swing. “I’ve been thinking a lot about it, and I think this premiere is my opportunity to make several statements. I’ve been away from the spotlight for a few weeks now. There are already rumors spreading about where I am and what I’m doing after my breakup and after I fired my manager.”
“This is your chance to show the world who you are,” I say.
“Exactly! I can show up in a dress I want to wear, with a handsome guy on my arm—”
“You think I’m handsome?”
She nudges my arm playfully. “You know you are.”
I like hearing you say it. “So, basically, you want me to be your arm candy?”
“Yes! Wait, no. Not like that,” she says, laughing. “Quit putting words in my mouth.”
“Sorry, keep going.”
“Just…” She sits back on the swing and angles her body toward me. “Will you do it? Will you be my date to the premiere?”
I pretend to think about it for a second, already having an idea of what my answer is going to be. “When is it?”
“The weekend after Jack’s birthday.”
“I’ll have to find someone to watch the kids.”
“Oh, right.” Nora slumps against the swing. “I can’t believe I didn’t think about that. How inconsiderate of me. Don’t worry about it—”
“Nora,” I say. “It’s not a deal breaker.”
“It’s not?”
“No. I haven’t left my kids since I’ve had full custody, and the thought of some adult time away is appealing, but I can’t be gone for too long—because of work, and I’ll miss the little booger-pickers.”
She smiles. “The premiere is on a Friday night, so I was thinking we would leave on Friday morning, go to the premiere that night, and come back sometime on Saturday. I really need to meet with my new manager while I’m in the city, but if anything, she can come sit with me while I’m getting my makeup done.”
For some reason, I don’t like the idea of Nora wearing gobs of makeup. She’s beautiful just the way she is. “Can I think about it and get back to you?”
“Absolutely.”
“Are you sure, Mom? I hate to make you drive all the way here two weekends in a row.”
I called my mom as soon as Nora retreated back to the loft.
Mom and Dad already had plans to make the trip here for Jack’s birthday party, and now I’m asking her to drive down the following weekend too to watch them while I go to the premiere with Nora.
It’s not a terribly long drive—only four hours, five if you drive the speed limit.
“I’m sure,” she says. “They’re my grandbabies, and I don’t get to see them enough. I still wish you’d consider moving closer so I could help you with them more often.”
“You’re the one who moved away from us.”
“I know.” She sighs. “One of these days, if your dad ever retires, we’re going to move back. I want to be closer to you and Duke.”
“I hope you do. So you’ll drive up and spend the night here with them?”
“Yep, but if I’m making the four-hour trek there, I’d prefer to stay more than one night. Why don’t you just make it a weekend getaway and come back on Sunday?”
That might not be a bad idea… We wouldn’t have to rush home, and Nora could schedule the sit-down with her manager like she talked about. “I’ll talk to Nora.”