Page 170 of Two-Step
“Laurel Canyon. Is. A. Canyon,” I level. “With blind curves and hills and asshole drivers. You arenotriding a bike to and from work.”
He glares, looking unconvinced. I go for the kill.
“No more than I’m solo hiking the PCT like Cheryl Strayed fromWild.”
Beau’s glare vanishes. “I amnotriding a bike to Laurel Canyon,” he affirms with a hearty nod.
I grin. “Glad we settled that.”
He leans down and rubs the tip of his nose against mine. “You, Iris Miranda Adams, drive a hard bargain.”
“I never told you my middle name,” I say, arching a brow.
Beau blushes. “IMDB.”
“Oh.” I wrinkle my nose. “I hate my profile pic on IMDB.”
The corners of his mouth lift. “It’s cute.”
“I’m wearing a pointy witch’s hat.”
“You can pull it off.”
I roll my eyes, ready to change the subject. “What’s your middle name?”
His blush deepens. “Alexander.”
“What’s wrong with that? That’s a nice name.”
He says nothing, but he watches me expectantly.
“Wait. Where doesBeaucome from? I know it meanshandsome,but—”
Beau shakes his head.
“It doesn’t meanhandsome?”I ask, utterly confused.
He shrugs. “It does, and it’s a common enough nickname back home, but that’s not why I’m calledBeau.”
I squeeze him, feeling a little thrill knowing I’m about to find out more about him. “Go on,” I urge with wide-eyed eagerness.
He groans and hides his face in my pillow. It’s adorable. I laugh.
“Please tell me,” I beg through my laughter. I stroke a soothing hand down his back, and he manages to pick up his head.
“My full name is Beauchamp Alexander Landry,” he says with a heavy sigh. “Mom named me after Pierre Beauchamp, the eighteenth century dance master who arranged the five basic positions of the feet in classical ballet.”
I blink at him. “So, you’re named after the great-granddaddy of ballet.”
“Sssort of,” he hedges.
“What about Alexander?”
His sigh is mammoth. “That comes from Alexander Godunov, Mom’s ballet celebrity crush.”
I swear, Beau’s face is beet red.
I narrow my eyes at him. “Why does that name sound familiar?”
