Page 35 of Love: Take Two

"It's OK, I guess. Why? You don't like it?"

I roll my eyes.

"It's fine, but that's the problem. It's just fine.Finedoesn't get people excited to see a movie. It doesn't stick in people's heads in the six to nine months between the first trailer and release."

She moves to the seat in front of my desk, her expression serious for the first time since she walked in.

"Is that really what's got you brooding in your office like a storm cloud, or is it maybe something else?"

I sigh. I feel like I should disclose what's going on with Awa. Maybe not to the other partners, but Camila's less than a month from being family. Surely she can keep a secret for her brother?

"In addition to the leads butting heads," I start, feeling heat creeping up the back of my neck, "there's some…personal stuff that's making the set of 'Forced Proximity'—" I pause, "or whatever it's going to be called—even more tense than it already is."

She leans forward, and now there's a shrewd gleam in her eyes. No wonder she decided to become a lawyer after years as my brother's paralegal—two seconds in my office, and I'm ready to tell her everything.

"Go on," she prompts when I remain silent.

I take a deep breath.

"Awa and I know each other," I admit. "From college."

Her face remains blank.

"And?" she asks. "Rory told me you guys have been at each other's throats. It's gotta be more than just 'knowing her from college'."

"We…" I hesitate, then walk to close my office door. We certainly don't needthisgetting out.

"We, like,knoweach other." I lift my eyebrows to emphasize my meaning, and a mischievous grin spreads across Camila's face. I immediately regret saying anything.

"Oooooh!" she draws the word out. "So Noah bagged himself a baddie back in the day?"

I smirk at her antics.

"I wouldn't say Ibaggedher," I correct. "We were friends. Study partners, mostly. Until we weren't." I sigh again. "It's complicated."

"It's complicated?" she teases. "How very Facebook of you."

"In the case of Awa and me, it reallywascomplicated. Things escalated one night after weeks of staying squarely in the friend zone. And then we just, kinda, petered out."

It's not the whole truth, but given the eagerness practically radiating off of Camila right now, a half-truth seems safer for all parties involved. The last thing I need is for this to get back to Rory. She slumps against her seat.

"Well, that's no fun!" Camila pouts. "I wanted the juicy deets."

"There are no 'juicy deets'," I lie through my teeth.

Because the 'deets' are juicy as fuck. So juicy that it took years to finally stop fantasizing about her, even with all the female company I enjoyed.

One glance from those brown eyes, so deep I could fall into them, and that hard-earned peace of mind was shattered. It's junior year all over again; I'm sneaking glances at her cleavage every few seconds and getting an inappropriate thrill any time she's forced to address me directly.It's maddening!

"Well…" she considers briefly, "if it's no big deal, then can you maybe introduce us?"

If I were drinking coffee, I would've done a spit take.

"Why on earth would I introduce you? She's making my life hell at the moment. You know that, right?"

"Yeah," Camila agrees, "but that's because she's so amazing at her job. No offense, but I've wanted to be Awa Faye ever since I saw her feature inDeadline Hollywood. She's fierce about her clients. It's probably why Tabitha Styles has her on set instead of her agent."

I bristle at the wistful sound of her voice.