Bella mostly listened as the other three told stories that had them all laughing. Nick and Andrea were obviously great friends as well as cousins, and Marco was so full of energy and funny. They were entertaining, and Bella was surprised at how fast the hours flew by as they laughed and talked and had a few drinks. She was envious of the three of them, that this was just a typical night and they could do this whenever they wanted.

Finally, a little after ten, Marco yawned and a moment later Nick did, too. Andrea saw it and laughed.

“I think that might be a sign that it’s time to call it a night.”

“Yeah, I have the early shift tomorrow,” Marco added.

“I’m in early as well to do our weekly orders,” Nick said.

“This was a lot of fun. Thanks for cooking, Nick,” Bella said.

He smiled the big slow smile that lit up his whole face.

“Anytime. I’ll walk you back when you’re ready.”

She was about to protest and say she could go herself, but then she looked outside. It was dark, and she knew he’d insist anyway.

“Thanks. I’m ready.”

They all said their goodbyes and Nick walked Bella back to the hotel. They walked slowly, chatting all the while.

When there was a lull in the conversation, Bella impulsively asked what had been on her mind more than once since she’d met Nick. “Nick, you’re a great guy. How is it that you’re still single?”

He laughed. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in a serious relationship. It’s hard sometimes with my job and the hours, all the nights that I work. Mary, the girl I was serious about, had a normal nine-to-five job and she just got sick of it eventually. Since then, I’ve kept it light and just dated here and there.”

“If it was the right person, that wouldn’t be an issue,” Bella said.

“You really think so?” He sounded surprised.

She nodded. “I do. You could find a way to make it work, somehow. It’s similar with me, maybe even worse as I’m often gone for weeks or months at a time on location. That means a long-distance relationship at times and that can be challenging.”

“Yeah, I’d miss you if we were together and then you left for a few months,” Nick admitted.

“It’s not ideal, I know. There’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot, though, since I’ve been here. I’ve had a lot of time to think. And I may be looking to put my own production company together. To build a team and make the kind of movies I want to see. And that would give me some flexibility on where things are shot and with scheduling.”

“That sounds awesome. But wouldn’t you have to be in L.A. for that?”