The Secret (Single in Seattle 1)

“Excellent.”

Adam leads me inside, and the hostess escorts us to a table in the corner. I’m surprised that no one pays much attention to him as we pass by the tables.

“So, you got my number from your assistant?” I ask once we’re seated.

“I did,” he replies without any attempt at a lie or a coverup.

I respect that.

“And if you’d told me to fuck off, I would have,” he assures me.

“I probably wouldn’t have said it like that.” I sip my ice water, contemplating. “I might have said: ‘No means no.’”

“Ouch.” Adam winces. “Fair point. But there’s no harm in trying, right?”

“That’s true. How long are you in Seattle?”

“Just until tomorrow,” he says. “I arrived yesterday for meetings and your fitting today. I go back to LA in the morning.”

“Quick trip.”

“Story of my life,” he says with a shrug. “I’m never in one place for long. I bounce from movie sets all over the place to LA, to wherever else I’m needed, really. I don’t know why I bought a house. I’m never there.”

“Real estate is never a bad investment.”

His eyes narrow on me as he pops a chip and salsa into his mouth, and then he grins. “I suppose you’re right. And I’m not complaining. I like my job.”

“I get it. I like having my home base. I’m a homebody when I’m not in the office.”

“Do you spend much time in LA?”

“Never been,” I reply honestly. My father is down there often, but I’ve never gone. It wasn’t allowed when I was a kid, and I haven’t had time as an adult. “It’s never been on my list of must-see places.”

“Well, if you want to come down, I can show you around anytime. You know, we can see the usual places. Spago. The Hollywood sign. Pink’s hotdog stand.”

“I sense a food theme here.”

“I’m a food fan,” he says with a grin. “Do you like sports?”

“Sure. Shopping is my favorite sport.”

Adam sits back as the waitress delivers his burrito, along with my carne asada, and his eyes laugh at me as the server makes sure we have everything we need. Once she’s gone, he tilts his head to the side. “Shopping is a sport?”

“Oh, hell yes. The way I do it, it is.”

I am my mother’s daughter, after all.

“Aside from that? Not really. You?”

“Yeah, I am. Maybe it’s a guy thing.”

“Maybe it’s a human thing. I have girls in my life who love sports. I do like football.”

“Do you have a favorite team?”

“Seattle, of course.”

“Right. You live here. Makes sense.”

“When your uncle is the most famous Seattle player ever, you kind of learn to love the game.”

“Who’s your uncle?”

Shit. I didn’t mean to let that slip. “Oh, it’s no big deal.”

Adam sits back and stares at me. “Maybe it is. Who’s your uncle?”

“Will Montgomery,” I say and sip my water.

Adam’s eyebrows climb into his hairline. “Wait. What? That means you’re…Luke’s daughter?”

“There are a lot of people in the family,” I begin, but then sigh in defeat. “Yeah. I’m Luke’s daughter.”

“But you said your last name was Conner when I arrived earlier today.”

“Yeah. I took my mother’s maiden name professionally. It’s just…easier. Less judgy. Less pressure.”

“And you’ve never been to LA?”

“No. My dad had interesting rules when we were small. Mostly, he tried to protect us.”

“He’s very private from what I understand,” Adam agrees. “I don’t know him well, but he’s incredibly well respected. I admire him very much.”

“I do, too.”

I like Adam. I don’t feel any kind of romantic spark here, but I enjoy his company a lot.

Dinner flies by, and before I know it, we’re back on the sidewalk.

“Thanks for dinner,” I say as he takes my hand once more. “I had a good time. It was nice to meet you.”

“Same here.” His smile is kind as he leans over and kisses my forehead. “I’d ask you out again, but I get the feeling that you’d turn me down.”

I sigh and cringe. “If I’m being honest, you’re probably right. But it’s not because you’re not charming and handsome and kind.”

“No spark,” he says with a nod. “I get it. But I do like you, even if we’re just friends.”

“Hey, there’s no just there. Finding friends, especially in this business, isn’t easy.”

“Yeah, I do like you.” He nods once more. “Fair point. Drive home safely, and I’ll see you in a couple of weeks. I hope we can stay in touch, even as friends.”

“Sounds good to me. Safe travels tomorrow.”

He sets off down the sidewalk, and I turn toward my car, parked in the opposite direction.

It’s kind of a bummer that there’s no sexual attraction there. Adam is kind, considerate, smart…all the good things. But he’s not the one for me.

And I wasn’t kidding about the friend thing. It’s not easy to make true friends when it comes to show business.

I think Adam and I will be good friends.