This thought brought to mind the way I’d gone off about money. The memory of it made me groan aloud and pull the comforter up over my head. What had come over me? What was I thinking? Yet another reason why it was difficult to believe he’d really want to see me again.

I was in danger of drifting off, so I forced myself to get up and throw on some sweats before the girls got there. I padded into the kitchen for some juice, then sat in a half-asleep daze until they arrived. They’d picked up Taylor on the way over and paraded into the condo, then simultaneously assaulted me with questions and tore my kitchen apart to make me pancakes.

“Cooking spray?”

“Pantry, second shelf.”

“Was the movie any good?”

“I liked it, yeah. It’s really cute.”

“Who did you meet?”

“Where’s the flipper?”

“Flipper?”

“You know, to flip the pancakes with.”

I laughed and pointed. “That drawer. And I met pretty much everyone who was in the movie, and a bunch of the crew. I can’t remember all their names. Some critics, too.”

“Alexis Giovanni?”

“Yep.”

“Madison Grey?”

“Yep.”

“What are they like?”

“Beautiful, nosy, and loose-lipped.”

They laughed. “How so?”

“They all thought we were dating and kept making comments.”

“Yikes, sounds awkward.”

It was.

“Whisk?”

“Isn’t it in with the flipper?”

“Oh yeah, you’re right.”

“Okay, give us a play-by-play, starting the moment he picked you up.”

“Oh my, let’s see … well, first off, if I do say so myself, I looked good.”

Missy smacked her forehead. “Oh yeah, we know! We forgot to tell you: we saw you on TV!”

I blinked. “What?”

“It was on the news. They showed part of the premiere, when people were arriving and stuff, and they interviewed Jack. I taped it—where’s the tape, you guys?”

“Must still be in the car.” Missy tossed Taylor her keys, and Taylor ran out the door and was back in what seemed like mere seconds.

“Sheesh. You’re fast when you’re excited.” I gave her a wry grin. She shoved the tape into the VCR, and all pancake production halted while we gathered in the living room to watch. She fast-forwarded to the end of the weather segment that came on before the entertainment report.

“ … and we should see an end to the rain by Tuesday.”

“Thanks Mike. Well, despite the rain the stars were out tonight for the premiere of Destiny Awaits, a new romantic comedy starring Jack Harrington and Alexis Giovanni. Our Melissa Thomas was there.”