All the Way (Romancing Manhattan 1)

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“Oh, I think I’m better than okay. I might be bordering on fabulous.”

He smiles and kisses my forehead. “You make me lose myself, London. It’s new.”

I think I lost myself that first morning on the beach.

Could it have been then? I’ve never believed in love at first sight, but since I met Finn, I’ve hardly been able to see much of anything else.

“You get washed up, and then come tell me all about your meeting.”

He steps out of the shower, reaches for a towel, and disappears into the bedroom. It doesn’t take me long to freshen up and join him.

“So, what happened?”

“First, we sang. I’m happy to report that my voice is as strong as ever.”

“Of course it is,” he says, and pulls a T-shirt over his head.

“Then we ran some lines, and Gerald even did some directing. The chemistry with Jeffrey is still there in spades.” Finn’s eyes narrow. “Finn, he’s gay. And a good friend.”

“He’s a red-blooded man, London.”

“A gay one. He’s more interested sexually in you than he is me.”

His eyes widen now, and I just laugh and walk to him so I can hug him hard.

“And then what happened?”

“We talked. The job is mine, if I want it. Of course I’ll have my agent look at the contract and the terms, but if it’s all agreeable, it’s mine.”

“You look hesitant.”

I sigh and walk over to the sliding glass door to look out at the city.

“Part of me is hesitant.”

“London, you’re an amazing actress.”

“I know.” I turn back to him and smile. “That’s not it. I know I’m good, and I know I can do this. A few months ago I wouldn’t have been so sure, but I am now.”

“What is it, then?”

“I’m an East Coast girl,” I begin. “I don’t know if I want to spend so much time in California.”

“It’s just for a few months, right?”

“Probably three to four months with rehearsals, recordings, and filming.”

“Okay.” He frowns. “That’s not really that long.”

“It’s a long time to be without you,” I blurt out, and then feel my cheeks flush. “This thing between us is still new, and I don’t know that I want to be away from you for months.”

His eyes soften as he watches me from across the room. “Sweetheart, I can come to L.A. Probably not full-time, but at least half of the week. And I know they’ll give you some days off. You can always come to New York.”

“You’d do that?”

“Well, I don’t love the thought of being without you for months either. And as quickly as three months can pass, it’s just too long to go without being with you. So, I don’t really see an alternative.”

“That’s a lot to ask,” I reply, and shake my head.

“London,” he says, interrupting me. “It’s just what people who love each other do, right?”

“I—” I stare at him, not entirely sure I just heard him right. “Yeah, I suppose so.”

“Okay, then. We’ll make it work. I’m not worried about that part at all. It’s an amazing opportunity for you, and you should go for it.”

“It’s going to be unlike anything I’ve ever done before. I know live theater inside out, but I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“You’re a smart woman. I have no doubt you’ll do great.”

He walks to me and lowers his lips to mine. How did this man come to be in my life?

Chapter Twelve

~London~

“Girl, you killed it,” Sasha says as we leave our first class of the day. It was a contemporary dance class, and it put us through the paces. “Your leg seems to be doing well.”

“It’s good,” I reply, and wipe the sweat off my face. “It’s twingy today, but not achy, which is a huge improvement.”

“Are you sure you should do the next class?”

“Yeah, I can modify it if I need to, but I think I just need to stretch it out a bit.” I drop my gym bag and water bottle to the floor and lift my leg against the wall to stretch it out. There’s a bit of a pull, but no pain. The pull is to be expected because I’m still getting back into dancing shape. “I had no idea it was this hard to get back into shape.”

“Did you think it just happened overnight?”

“I’ve danced since I was little,” I remind her. “So I’ve never not been in shape.”

“You’re the kind of girl the rest of us hate.” She takes a drink of water and wipes off her own face. “I wish I was naturally athletic. If I don’t go to class every day, I’m doughy in no time. And then it takes twice as long to not look like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.”

“That’s not what you look like.”

“Yeah, because I go to class every day and I eat celery at every meal,” she replies. “Seriously, though, I love how healthy you look.”