Read Online Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood by Abby McDonald - Free Book Online
Authors: Abby McDonald
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decide?” Theo asked. “Get both!”
“I’m never eating again!” Grace groaned three hours later, when they clambered off the bus and headed up the street toward her house. It was after midnight, and the street was silent; bright with the glow from condo windows and the streetlamps that they passed. “I’m serious, just lay me down and roll me home.”
Theo put both hands on her shoulders and pushed her from behind, step-by-step. “But it was worth it. Those chocolates . . .”
Grace moaned at the memory. “Now I get why you rich people are always throwing parties. You just want the food!”
“We give good catering,” Theo agreed. He was toting two bags with their leftovers, boxed up neatly with foil swan twists alongside. “I call dibs on the salmon.”
“No!” Grace wailed in protest. “The salmon and I have a connection. We’re destined to be together!”
Theo laughed, pushing her in a meandering path up the middle of the street. Grace let him, the feel of his hands solid against her shoulders even through her padded jacket. For a moment she wished it were warmer, that she didn’t have a jacket on at all, that his hands were touching her —
Grace caught herself. She’d never been drunk, but she wondered if this was what it felt like: loose-limbed and easy, like her careful voice of consequence and self-control was dozing in a corner somewhere. Grace wasn’t used to feeling so relaxed, so reckless. If she wasn’t careful . . .
“We leave Monday,” she said instead. Monday. That was just three days until her life would change completely.
Theo dropped his hands to fall into step beside her. “How do you feel about it?”
“How am I supposed to feel?”
“That wasn’t an answer.”
“Maybe it wasn’t supposed to be,” Grace shot back.
Theo looked at her sideways with a curious kind of smile. “You’re a tough girl to read, Grace Weston.”
“Well, you’ll just have to try harder, Theodore Coates.” Grace giggled. They were outside Grace’s house at the top of the hill now, the city spread behind them in a blanket of lights. She stopped, turning to stare. She could pick out streets, and the winding passage of traffic; the far glow of the Golden Gate Bridge. “I’m going to miss this view.”
Theo pulled out his phone. He held it up to take a photo, then scrolled through his contacts list. “Now you can take it with you.” He smiled at her. A second later, Grace felt her phone buzz in her pocket with the text.
“Can I get one with you?” Grace asked, suddenly feeling bold. She wanted something to take with her; a reminder of him, here, like this.
Theo gestured for her to join him, and she scrunched in close; backs to the city. He held up the phone. “Say ‘chocolate truffles’!’ ”
Grace laughed. He clicked to take the shot, then showed it to her. “No, wait, I look like I’m possessed.” Grace laughed.
“You look fine!”
“For a demon. Take another,” Grace insisted.
“Girls.” Theo sighed. He put an arm around her shoulder to pull Grace in closer, then held up his phone. “Three, two, one . . .”
The flash went.
“Let’s see,” Grace demanded. Theo scrolled to the photo. “You weren’t looking!” Grace cried. She was smiling at the camera, caught midlaugh, but Theo’s head was turned toward her.
“I was.” He shrugged. “I was just looking at you.”
Their eyes met, and suddenly Grace felt just how close he was: his arm, still around her shoulder, his face, just inches away. His eyes were dark in the shadow of the streetlight, but something in them made Grace’s pulse skip.
“I, umm, should . . .” Grace blinked, but she didn’t leave.
“Right,” Theo agreed. But he didn’t step away either.
The city hummed below them. Somewhere in the distance, Grace could hear the grind of a garbage truck — brakes squealing — but to her, it seemed like she and Theo were the only people in the world.
She could kiss him.
The thought
“I’m never eating again!” Grace groaned three hours later, when they clambered off the bus and headed up the street toward her house. It was after midnight, and the street was silent; bright with the glow from condo windows and the streetlamps that they passed. “I’m serious, just lay me down and roll me home.”
Theo put both hands on her shoulders and pushed her from behind, step-by-step. “But it was worth it. Those chocolates . . .”
Grace moaned at the memory. “Now I get why you rich people are always throwing parties. You just want the food!”
“We give good catering,” Theo agreed. He was toting two bags with their leftovers, boxed up neatly with foil swan twists alongside. “I call dibs on the salmon.”
“No!” Grace wailed in protest. “The salmon and I have a connection. We’re destined to be together!”
Theo laughed, pushing her in a meandering path up the middle of the street. Grace let him, the feel of his hands solid against her shoulders even through her padded jacket. For a moment she wished it were warmer, that she didn’t have a jacket on at all, that his hands were touching her —
Grace caught herself. She’d never been drunk, but she wondered if this was what it felt like: loose-limbed and easy, like her careful voice of consequence and self-control was dozing in a corner somewhere. Grace wasn’t used to feeling so relaxed, so reckless. If she wasn’t careful . . .
“We leave Monday,” she said instead. Monday. That was just three days until her life would change completely.
Theo dropped his hands to fall into step beside her. “How do you feel about it?”
“How am I supposed to feel?”
“That wasn’t an answer.”
“Maybe it wasn’t supposed to be,” Grace shot back.
Theo looked at her sideways with a curious kind of smile. “You’re a tough girl to read, Grace Weston.”
“Well, you’ll just have to try harder, Theodore Coates.” Grace giggled. They were outside Grace’s house at the top of the hill now, the city spread behind them in a blanket of lights. She stopped, turning to stare. She could pick out streets, and the winding passage of traffic; the far glow of the Golden Gate Bridge. “I’m going to miss this view.”
Theo pulled out his phone. He held it up to take a photo, then scrolled through his contacts list. “Now you can take it with you.” He smiled at her. A second later, Grace felt her phone buzz in her pocket with the text.
“Can I get one with you?” Grace asked, suddenly feeling bold. She wanted something to take with her; a reminder of him, here, like this.
Theo gestured for her to join him, and she scrunched in close; backs to the city. He held up the phone. “Say ‘chocolate truffles’!’ ”
Grace laughed. He clicked to take the shot, then showed it to her. “No, wait, I look like I’m possessed.” Grace laughed.
“You look fine!”
“For a demon. Take another,” Grace insisted.
“Girls.” Theo sighed. He put an arm around her shoulder to pull Grace in closer, then held up his phone. “Three, two, one . . .”
The flash went.
“Let’s see,” Grace demanded. Theo scrolled to the photo. “You weren’t looking!” Grace cried. She was smiling at the camera, caught midlaugh, but Theo’s head was turned toward her.
“I was.” He shrugged. “I was just looking at you.”
Their eyes met, and suddenly Grace felt just how close he was: his arm, still around her shoulder, his face, just inches away. His eyes were dark in the shadow of the streetlight, but something in them made Grace’s pulse skip.
“I, umm, should . . .” Grace blinked, but she didn’t leave.
“Right,” Theo agreed. But he didn’t step away either.
The city hummed below them. Somewhere in the distance, Grace could hear the grind of a garbage truck — brakes squealing — but to her, it seemed like she and Theo were the only people in the world.
She could kiss him.
The thought
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