very well hover over Susan like a bodyguard. Besides, she told herself, the Noah encounter was exactly the kind of thing she’d come to California for. Sort of.
“So you’re okay?” she asked her sister.
Susan waved her off. “I’m fine.”
“You two go bare your souls to each other,” Cammie said with a grin. “I’ll take really good care of your sister.”
That’s what Anna was afraid of.
Elegant Toes
T he decor of Noah’s bungalow was American Indian chic, with colorful Navajo rugs dotting the hardwood floor. Facing the big-screen TV was a plush sofa covered in copper, brown, and eggshell carved, totem-printed fabric. An ornate framed Indian headdress hung over it.
“Kick off your shoes, make yourself comfortable,” Noah called as he headed into the kitchen. “What can I get you?”
“A Coke is fine, thanks,” Anna called back. She considered whether she should sit on the couch or on the chair kitty-corner to it. But the chair wasn’t really facing the TV Besides, she was afraid he’d tease her about it, as if she was afraid to even sit on the couch with him.
Noah came back with two bottles of Coke and handed one to Anna. He sat a comfortable distance from Anna, picked up the remote, and clicked on the TV. The usual FBI warnings filled the giant screen, followed by a night skyline of Manhattan. “Alex and I wrote the first draft while we were still at Yale,” Noah explained as the credits rolled.
Anna sipped her Coke. This was sort of fantastic, actually. She’d never before sat with an award-winning screenwriter, watching his movie. And Noah seemed like a nice guy. Not particularly “Hollywood,” which Anna liked.
On-screen, the camera panned from the skyline to the streets and night morphed to day, the streets filling up with people in overdrive. “Wouldn’t you be more comfortable if you put your feet up?” Noah suggested.
“No thanks, I’m fine,” Anna said.
The camera followed a multiply-pierced girl with green hair into the Astor Place barbershop. She walked into the back and put her ratty backpack into a locker.
“That’s Piper,” Noah explained. “Hey, listen, I give the world’s best foot massages. Put ’em up here.”
Anna considered. Nothing wrong with a foot massage. She swiveled a little and lifted her legs into Noah’s lap. It seemed innocent enough. He reached into a small drawer in the side table and brought out some jojoba oil. On-screen, Piper was explaining to the salon owner why she was late. In the bungalow, Noah Monahan was massaging Anna’s right foot.
“God, your feet are perfect,” Noah said.
Anna had never thought about it before. She had high arches—good for dancing. And they got her from point A to point B. “Thanks.”
“Your toes are so elegant,” Noah went on.
Elegant toes? Was this weird? Anna couldn’t quite decide. Maybe she was overreacting. It wasn’t like Noah had made a move on her. He was just massaging her foot. And doing a damned good job of it, too.
On the screen, Piper was getting a basin of soapy water to give a customer a pedicure. “Would you like that?” Noah asked Anna.
“Like what?”
“I could paint your toenails for you,” he offered, his voice getting breathy.
Okay, that was
definitely
getting weird.
“That’s nice of you, but no thanks.” She tried to lower her legs, but Noah caught her right ankle and held it tight.
“Your feet are such a turn-on. Has anyone ever licked your toes?”
That was enough. Anna swung her legs back down and pushed into her sandals. “I have to go.”
“Hey, listen, we don’t have to—”
“Sorry, but I just remembered someplace I need to be.” Anna got up and reached for her purse.
She babbled something or other by way of thanks, and she was out of there. Her heart was pounding as she headed back to the pool. Wait till she told Cyn. Back at the pool, Anna found Susan and Cammie deep in conversation. Fortunately, Alex was gone. Dee was in the pool,
“So you’re okay?” she asked her sister.
Susan waved her off. “I’m fine.”
“You two go bare your souls to each other,” Cammie said with a grin. “I’ll take really good care of your sister.”
That’s what Anna was afraid of.
Elegant Toes
T he decor of Noah’s bungalow was American Indian chic, with colorful Navajo rugs dotting the hardwood floor. Facing the big-screen TV was a plush sofa covered in copper, brown, and eggshell carved, totem-printed fabric. An ornate framed Indian headdress hung over it.
“Kick off your shoes, make yourself comfortable,” Noah called as he headed into the kitchen. “What can I get you?”
“A Coke is fine, thanks,” Anna called back. She considered whether she should sit on the couch or on the chair kitty-corner to it. But the chair wasn’t really facing the TV Besides, she was afraid he’d tease her about it, as if she was afraid to even sit on the couch with him.
Noah came back with two bottles of Coke and handed one to Anna. He sat a comfortable distance from Anna, picked up the remote, and clicked on the TV. The usual FBI warnings filled the giant screen, followed by a night skyline of Manhattan. “Alex and I wrote the first draft while we were still at Yale,” Noah explained as the credits rolled.
Anna sipped her Coke. This was sort of fantastic, actually. She’d never before sat with an award-winning screenwriter, watching his movie. And Noah seemed like a nice guy. Not particularly “Hollywood,” which Anna liked.
On-screen, the camera panned from the skyline to the streets and night morphed to day, the streets filling up with people in overdrive. “Wouldn’t you be more comfortable if you put your feet up?” Noah suggested.
“No thanks, I’m fine,” Anna said.
The camera followed a multiply-pierced girl with green hair into the Astor Place barbershop. She walked into the back and put her ratty backpack into a locker.
“That’s Piper,” Noah explained. “Hey, listen, I give the world’s best foot massages. Put ’em up here.”
Anna considered. Nothing wrong with a foot massage. She swiveled a little and lifted her legs into Noah’s lap. It seemed innocent enough. He reached into a small drawer in the side table and brought out some jojoba oil. On-screen, Piper was explaining to the salon owner why she was late. In the bungalow, Noah Monahan was massaging Anna’s right foot.
“God, your feet are perfect,” Noah said.
Anna had never thought about it before. She had high arches—good for dancing. And they got her from point A to point B. “Thanks.”
“Your toes are so elegant,” Noah went on.
Elegant toes? Was this weird? Anna couldn’t quite decide. Maybe she was overreacting. It wasn’t like Noah had made a move on her. He was just massaging her foot. And doing a damned good job of it, too.
On the screen, Piper was getting a basin of soapy water to give a customer a pedicure. “Would you like that?” Noah asked Anna.
“Like what?”
“I could paint your toenails for you,” he offered, his voice getting breathy.
Okay, that was
definitely
getting weird.
“That’s nice of you, but no thanks.” She tried to lower her legs, but Noah caught her right ankle and held it tight.
“Your feet are such a turn-on. Has anyone ever licked your toes?”
That was enough. Anna swung her legs back down and pushed into her sandals. “I have to go.”
“Hey, listen, we don’t have to—”
“Sorry, but I just remembered someplace I need to be.” Anna got up and reached for her purse.
She babbled something or other by way of thanks, and she was out of there. Her heart was pounding as she headed back to the pool. Wait till she told Cyn. Back at the pool, Anna found Susan and Cammie deep in conversation. Fortunately, Alex was gone. Dee was in the pool,
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