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Authors: Lizzie Shane
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sank into the passenger seat with an exhausted sigh. “My last class doesn’t get out until six on Wednesdays and I couldn’t afford to take two days off. I’m already missing a lab today.”
He’d thought of how this could derail his career, but he hadn’t really considered how much their little addition was already derailing hers. “I’m sorry you had to make the trip. I would have come to you, if I’d known.”
“I know.” She grimaced. “I just couldn’t seem to get past the wall of people protecting you.”
He put the car into gear and pulled out of the parking space, waving to the security guards who were keeping his fans from getting close enough to throw themselves in front of a moving vehicle.
Trina eyed them dubiously. “I know you said you were on television, but I never realized celebrity contractors were such rock stars.”
“I think it’s more the Romancing Miss Right effect than the contractor thing.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. A man who can fix stuff is hot. I saw one of your shows,” she said, with the air of a sinful confession. “I can see why all the girls go wild. You’re capable—which is sexy as hell. Then you add in how patient you are with the homeowners and how goofy you are with their kids…”
And there it was. The elephant in the car. How was he going to be with his own kid? “I’ve always liked kids. I relate to their immaturity,” he joked, but she didn’t reward his efforts with a laugh. He got on the main road, pointed south. “The fame stuff does take some getting used to.”
“Marty said you had some television appearances tomorrow?”
“The usual morning shows.” He’d done them too many times to get excited about them—first as part of the Romancing Miss Right family and later as the Addition Magician. “We’re putting out a line of power tools as part of my brand and I need to pimp them to the masses—and get my face out there as we’re trying to get primetime placement so the network knows I’m working for it.”
“Your life is so different from mine. I’m worried about passing my exams and you’re worried about impressing network executives.” She released a breathy, uncomfortable laugh. “I’m surprised you still fly commercial.”
“Private planes are a waste of money. Sometimes we’ll charter a flight, but most times I just leave my travel arrangements up to Melissa—she handles all that. I’m not big enough that I get mobbed in airports, though I do get recognized now and then.”
“Just now and then?” she asked dryly, glancing behind them where the mall had disappeared in the rearview.
“Today was different. When I have a public appearance the fans come out in force—and because they specifically came to see me, they feel like they have the right to my time. Which they do. But when I’m going through airport security or chatting with the guy sitting next to me on a flight, usually it’s just Hey, you’re the Addition Magician – love your show and then we’re done. It’s not always this crazy.”
“It’s still a surreal world,” she commented, the last word lost on a yawn.
“You can take a nap if you want,” he offered. “We have a few hours.”
“No,” she insisted, straightening. “We should talk.”
And there it was again. The elephant in the car again.
“I guess we should.” He concentrated on the road—because it was good driving, damn it. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was suddenly afraid to look at her. “Are you planning to…” Keep it suddenly felt like the wrong thing to say but he couldn’t think of any other words. He cleared his throat. “What do you want to do?”
“It doesn’t have to be your problem,” she said, suddenly brittle. “We agreed on no strings. Whether I keep it or not, you don’t have to be involved. I thought you deserved to know and now you know. If that’s as far as this goes, that’s fine.”
Fine sounded like a four letter word.
He’d thought of how this could derail his career, but he hadn’t really considered how much their little addition was already derailing hers. “I’m sorry you had to make the trip. I would have come to you, if I’d known.”
“I know.” She grimaced. “I just couldn’t seem to get past the wall of people protecting you.”
He put the car into gear and pulled out of the parking space, waving to the security guards who were keeping his fans from getting close enough to throw themselves in front of a moving vehicle.
Trina eyed them dubiously. “I know you said you were on television, but I never realized celebrity contractors were such rock stars.”
“I think it’s more the Romancing Miss Right effect than the contractor thing.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. A man who can fix stuff is hot. I saw one of your shows,” she said, with the air of a sinful confession. “I can see why all the girls go wild. You’re capable—which is sexy as hell. Then you add in how patient you are with the homeowners and how goofy you are with their kids…”
And there it was. The elephant in the car. How was he going to be with his own kid? “I’ve always liked kids. I relate to their immaturity,” he joked, but she didn’t reward his efforts with a laugh. He got on the main road, pointed south. “The fame stuff does take some getting used to.”
“Marty said you had some television appearances tomorrow?”
“The usual morning shows.” He’d done them too many times to get excited about them—first as part of the Romancing Miss Right family and later as the Addition Magician. “We’re putting out a line of power tools as part of my brand and I need to pimp them to the masses—and get my face out there as we’re trying to get primetime placement so the network knows I’m working for it.”
“Your life is so different from mine. I’m worried about passing my exams and you’re worried about impressing network executives.” She released a breathy, uncomfortable laugh. “I’m surprised you still fly commercial.”
“Private planes are a waste of money. Sometimes we’ll charter a flight, but most times I just leave my travel arrangements up to Melissa—she handles all that. I’m not big enough that I get mobbed in airports, though I do get recognized now and then.”
“Just now and then?” she asked dryly, glancing behind them where the mall had disappeared in the rearview.
“Today was different. When I have a public appearance the fans come out in force—and because they specifically came to see me, they feel like they have the right to my time. Which they do. But when I’m going through airport security or chatting with the guy sitting next to me on a flight, usually it’s just Hey, you’re the Addition Magician – love your show and then we’re done. It’s not always this crazy.”
“It’s still a surreal world,” she commented, the last word lost on a yawn.
“You can take a nap if you want,” he offered. “We have a few hours.”
“No,” she insisted, straightening. “We should talk.”
And there it was again. The elephant in the car again.
“I guess we should.” He concentrated on the road—because it was good driving, damn it. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was suddenly afraid to look at her. “Are you planning to…” Keep it suddenly felt like the wrong thing to say but he couldn’t think of any other words. He cleared his throat. “What do you want to do?”
“It doesn’t have to be your problem,” she said, suddenly brittle. “We agreed on no strings. Whether I keep it or not, you don’t have to be involved. I thought you deserved to know and now you know. If that’s as far as this goes, that’s fine.”
Fine sounded like a four letter word.
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