Page 57 of Prime Time Romance

“Thank you,” I tell her, swallowing down the sudden swell of emotion that catches in my throat.

She looks up, a little surprised, as if she’s picked up on it. “I’ve got your back, Josh Bishop.” She smiles. “You can repay me with undying devotion and a free beer.”

“Done.”

I loved everything that happened tonight. If I could copy this night a thousand times and repeat it day after day, I probably would.

I pull open the fridge, grab two chilled bottles, and hold out my other hand to her. “If you can stay on your feet for another two minutes, I’ll show you something cool. It will be worth it. I promise.”

Brynn groans but takes my hand. I pull her to her feet and lead her up the stairs to Fletch’s room.

She stalls in the doorway, “Uh, Josh…That cool thing you were going to show me, it isn’t…” Her eyes drift to the bed.

I cross the room to the window. “No, it’s out here.”

I lift the window and step out onto the fire escape. But instead of climbing down to street level, I head up, waiting for her at the top, watching her face as she climbs onto the roof and discovers what I found earlier this afternoon.

“Holy smokes. Look at this place.”

Her reaction is the same one I had when I found it. It’s a run-of-the-mill roof for the most part. It has a simple concrete floor and a three-foot-high brick railing that runs around the perimeter. There are a few air vents and what looks like an HVAC system. But the view is incredible. You can see the entire length of Main Street and the twinkling lights of the beach houses in the distance. Then, if you look up, there’s a sky full of stars above.

“So, was this my discovery?” I ask her. “Or are you about to tell me about some episode of Carson’s Cove that happened up here?”

She shakes her head. “I’ve never seen this place before. Wow, you can see the entire town.” She braces her arms on the ledge and leans forward. “And right into Doc Martin’s apartment. Wow…I guess he and Mrs. Chuang are definitely together, and nope—” She takes a quick step back. “Definitely didn’t want to see that.” She whips around to face me, not realizing I’d followed her to the edge. Our sudden proximity makes her teeter, and her arms brace against my chest.

She doesn’t step away or remove her hands, and I swear that I can feel the beat of her heart through her fingertips.

“So tonight was good?” Her voice is unusually high.

“It was.”

“We work well together.”

“We do.”

I feel a jolt of something: a crackling between my ribs.

Brynn’s mouth falls open in surprise, like she’s felt it too, and it’s as if something changes. Like the air shifts between us.

I can’t read her.

I can’t tell if what I’m feeling is entirely in my head or if she’s right there with me.

To be honest, I don’t even know exactly what I want to happen.

Her eyes meet mine, and she inhales as if she’s about to say something. And I find myself also holding my breath.

“I kissed Spencer.” Her confession comes out in a rush.

Okay, that was definitely not what I wanted to happen.

“Earlier, at the observatory,” she continues. “We were looking at the stars, and I kissed him. Or maybe he kissed me. Either way, kissing definitely happened.”

Any confusion from a moment ago becomes painstakingly clear. She’s here for Spencer. Her leading man. I am just the bartender, making everything complicated.

“Well, that’s good, right? That’s what you wanted?”

She finally steps away, removing her hands and leaving the place where she touched me suddenly cold.