“Oh, I do everything for the folks in town, from plumbing to air conditioning, flooring, heat and cooling, roofing…”

I nodded in interest while slickly texting Kate back.

Steve Lund with lighter hair. Can’t talk. BRB.

“…kitchen and bath, remodeling, minor electrical issues, carpentry…”

I blinked. “Wow. You’re a busy guy.” Busy and sexy. But this was work, not play. “You mentioned you’ve lived in Pleasant Hollow your entire life. Are your parents still here too?” Proximity to extended family was big in the movies.

“Sure are. I built their new house.”

I pictured Garrett and Finn, both with bare chests, in a dueling house-building competition. Talk about a provocative movie scene. I cleared my head of the distracting image. “Both of them are still alive?”

“And well!”

“Have you ever been married?” More of a personal question, but also relevant. This was a character profile, and including Garrett’s relationship status would help flesh it out. The handyperson in the movies often had a partner or ex-partner.

“Not yet. Still searching for my person to meet at the Empire State Building at midnight.” He grinned like we shared a secret.

Except I wasn’t in on it.

“You know…Sleepless in Seattle. An Affair to Remember. Or maybe Katz’s Deli.” He called over to Lorraine, “I’ll have what she’s having,” and burst out laughing.

“Oh! Movies set in New York. Got it.”

“What’s dating like in the city?”

“How much time have you got?”

“Are you a Kat, Sutton, or Jane?”

I chuckled. My life was nothing like The Bold Type. “I’ve never thought about it. Jane, maybe? We’re both journalists.”

“Yes!” He slammed his palm on the table. “You’re the quintessential New York City career girl. Like Carrie Bradshaw.”

“That’s the dream, at least.” In an attempt to steer the conversation back to him, I asked, “Do you enjoy the freedom of working for yourself?”

“Can’t complain.” He leaned forward. “Is your boss more Miranda Priestly or Jacqueline Carlyle?”

There was no denying the man knew his Manhattan-based TV. It was too bad this article was about Pleasant Hollow. Ignoring his question, I asked another of my own. “What’s your favorite part of living in a small town?”

“It’s…hmm.” He pushed his lips together in thought. “What’s your favorite part of living in a big city?”

I would kill for a sesame bagel with cream cheese right now, but that wasn’t it. “My mom and best friend are there. Speaking of friends, who do you like to hang out with? People you went to school with, or your clients? Do you have weekly poker nights or…or…?” I chewed on a nail. What did friend groups in the small-town TV movies do for fun? “Do you go Christmas caroling every year?” I refrained from rolling my eyes at my own cheese, but every activity my mind pulled up was holiday-related.