Fitzgerald, obviously. Nature. People. I love people-watching. And … I guess, the way people cope with hard times. I’m fascinated by that.’ Andie said the last bit hesitantly. She’d never really shared that part of herself with anyone before. For some reason she felt okay revealing it to James Hawthorn tonight, though. Maybe it was the fact that she was hiding behind this blonde persona.
James locked eyes with her. ‘So … what’s the hardest time you’ve ever had to cope with?’ He sounded friendly, but the way he said it implied he didn’t think she’d have anything much to offer in response.
Andie shook her head and smiled in what she hoped was a light-hearted, mysterious way. ‘I’m not about to unload my sad story on you before you’ve even bought me a drink,’ she said coyly.
‘Fair enough,’ said James, looking at her intensely. ‘I’m sorry to hear you have a sad story, though.’
‘Oh, we all do, don’t we?’ she said a little too brightly, feeling properly drunk now.
‘Ha. Didn’t you know? I’m Hollywood’s latest bad boy. That title brings with it a multitude of sad stories.’
Andie detected the slightest bitterness in his voice. ‘The life of the tortured artist, huh?’ she asked gently.
‘Something like that,’ he said, and smiled genuinely at Andie again. He took her hand in his. ‘Just … Please know that not everything you read about me is true.’
A tingle shot up Andie’s arm. It was as sharp as when Jess had plucked her eyebrows earlier that evening, but more pleasant. Way more pleasant, she thought.
‘I haven’t really read anything about you,’ she said honestly. She’d never needed to, with Marissa keeping her informed, but she decided not to mention that.
‘Not interested in movie stars?’
‘I don’t know any,’ she smiled. Cece popped into her head. Was she lying? Perhaps not. She didn’t really know her aunt at all.
‘Just fictional men then, like Nick Carraway?’
‘Touché. Something like that.’
They laughed, and something passed between them, although Andie couldn’t say exactly what it was.
‘I think I’m a bit in love with Nick Carraway,’ she said, thinking aloud.
‘Lucky Nick,’ said James, grinning at her.
‘You know it,’ she said sassily. She wondered who she was at that precise moment, and who James thought she was.
He ran his finger over the tattoo on her arm. ‘New beginnings? New start?’ he asked.
Andie nodded, stunned into silence at her body’s reaction to his touch.
‘From what?’ he asked.
Andie looked into his eyes. ‘From everything before,’ she said, without thinking.
It felt intense, the heat between them. She couldn’t hear anything around her. It was just her and him on the sofa.
‘You’re the most real person I’ve met in a long time,’ he said. ‘At least in this town.’
Andie smiled, but her stomach knotted. If only he knew how false she really was at this moment. The only real thing about her right now was the intense attraction she felt towards him.
‘I’m not like you think I am,’ she said, cursing the stupid dress and wig she was wearing.
‘Neither am I,’ he said, and leant forward. ‘Listen, do you want to leave – go somewhere and talk? I know it sounds like a line. I swear it’s not – I just feel like it’d be really nice to talk to someone who doesn’t think The Great Gatsby is just a movie with Leo DiCaprio.’
Andie paused. What would happen if she went? Would she reveal everything that was false about her? Would he think she was mad?
Dammit, she thought, why am I not myself tonight?
Because you don’t know who you are , said something inside her. Andie smiled at James. ‘Sure, let’s go,’ she said, faking nonchalance.
Andie had never left a bar with a guy before. There had only ever been Cameron.
She wondered if James was planning on trying to sleep with her, and if she’d say yes if he did. The aching in her body told her he was
James locked eyes with her. ‘So … what’s the hardest time you’ve ever had to cope with?’ He sounded friendly, but the way he said it implied he didn’t think she’d have anything much to offer in response.
Andie shook her head and smiled in what she hoped was a light-hearted, mysterious way. ‘I’m not about to unload my sad story on you before you’ve even bought me a drink,’ she said coyly.
‘Fair enough,’ said James, looking at her intensely. ‘I’m sorry to hear you have a sad story, though.’
‘Oh, we all do, don’t we?’ she said a little too brightly, feeling properly drunk now.
‘Ha. Didn’t you know? I’m Hollywood’s latest bad boy. That title brings with it a multitude of sad stories.’
Andie detected the slightest bitterness in his voice. ‘The life of the tortured artist, huh?’ she asked gently.
‘Something like that,’ he said, and smiled genuinely at Andie again. He took her hand in his. ‘Just … Please know that not everything you read about me is true.’
A tingle shot up Andie’s arm. It was as sharp as when Jess had plucked her eyebrows earlier that evening, but more pleasant. Way more pleasant, she thought.
‘I haven’t really read anything about you,’ she said honestly. She’d never needed to, with Marissa keeping her informed, but she decided not to mention that.
‘Not interested in movie stars?’
‘I don’t know any,’ she smiled. Cece popped into her head. Was she lying? Perhaps not. She didn’t really know her aunt at all.
‘Just fictional men then, like Nick Carraway?’
‘Touché. Something like that.’
They laughed, and something passed between them, although Andie couldn’t say exactly what it was.
‘I think I’m a bit in love with Nick Carraway,’ she said, thinking aloud.
‘Lucky Nick,’ said James, grinning at her.
‘You know it,’ she said sassily. She wondered who she was at that precise moment, and who James thought she was.
He ran his finger over the tattoo on her arm. ‘New beginnings? New start?’ he asked.
Andie nodded, stunned into silence at her body’s reaction to his touch.
‘From what?’ he asked.
Andie looked into his eyes. ‘From everything before,’ she said, without thinking.
It felt intense, the heat between them. She couldn’t hear anything around her. It was just her and him on the sofa.
‘You’re the most real person I’ve met in a long time,’ he said. ‘At least in this town.’
Andie smiled, but her stomach knotted. If only he knew how false she really was at this moment. The only real thing about her right now was the intense attraction she felt towards him.
‘I’m not like you think I am,’ she said, cursing the stupid dress and wig she was wearing.
‘Neither am I,’ he said, and leant forward. ‘Listen, do you want to leave – go somewhere and talk? I know it sounds like a line. I swear it’s not – I just feel like it’d be really nice to talk to someone who doesn’t think The Great Gatsby is just a movie with Leo DiCaprio.’
Andie paused. What would happen if she went? Would she reveal everything that was false about her? Would he think she was mad?
Dammit, she thought, why am I not myself tonight?
Because you don’t know who you are , said something inside her. Andie smiled at James. ‘Sure, let’s go,’ she said, faking nonchalance.
Andie had never left a bar with a guy before. There had only ever been Cameron.
She wondered if James was planning on trying to sleep with her, and if she’d say yes if he did. The aching in her body told her he was
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