Chapter 19 #2
But Luke and I do. I’d run her out of here if I didn’t think it would give her more fodder.
You Oughta Know settles into her seat before jumping in. “So, coming back this season, what felt the most different for you compared to last season?”
Luke and I both let out a breath at the same time, like we’d forgotten how to breathe while waiting for her to start.
He looks at me. I look at him. That’s a decent start, but I doubt she’ll stay this docile.
River starts to answer, then glances at Bailey to see if she wants to take it. She gives him a small nod to go ahead.
“I think the biggest difference is the history we have now. In the beginning, we were still figuring out who these characters were and how they fit together. This season, there’s more weight behind everything—they’ve been through a lot, so even the quieter moments feel bigger.”
I glance at Luke, and he’s smiling, nodding slightly. And he should be. That was a good answer.
You Oughta Know thanks River, then moves right into her next question.
“Was it immediate stepping back into that dynamic or something that built as you started working together again?”
I look to Luke, a flicker of concern settling in. It sounds like a normal follow-up, but I have the distinct feeling she’s building toward something.
Bailey takes this one.
“I think there’s always a little adjustment period, but the foundation was already there. We’ve spent so much time with these characters that it comes back pretty quickly—you just build on what’s already there.”
Well done, Bailey. I smile, feeling like a proud parent.
Then You Oughta Know tilts her head slightly, and Luke nudges me with his shoulder.
“Do you think that foundation is coming from the characters? Or from the two of you having a better understanding of each other off camera?”
Oh, she’s sneaky, that one. I knew she was building up to something.
I’m about to give Bailey the signal when Luke nudges me with his elbow this time.
“Ouch,” I say.
“Sorry,” he whispers. “But let’s see how they handle it.” He tips his chin toward our clients.
Then he finds the spot on my arm he just elbowed and rubs it lightly with his thumb.
A rush of butterflies takes off in my stomach at the contact—warm, unexpected, and very much not helpful right now.
Focus, Claire.
“Want to take this one, Bales?” River asks, using the nickname he sometimes calls her.
“Sure. I think it’s mostly the characters,” Bailey says smoothly. “We’ve just spent so much time with them at this point that it feels more natural.”
“See,” Luke murmurs, leaning his head toward me before letting his hand drop from my arm. “That was perfect. She was hoping for pushback, and they didn’t give it to her.”
I nod, still watching Bailey. It was a good answer.
The rest of the interview goes quickly, and luckily, You Oughta Know doesn’t try any other tactics. I hope the video she makes gets zero views.
Luke stays by my side for the rest of the interviews. I think he’s heading back to his spot at one point, but instead he grabs his chair and sets it next to mine.
It goes by much faster this way, having him there making quiet commentary while we make sure our clients behave. Bailey and River don’t really need us, though. They do a great job, answering questions thoughtfully all the way through.
“We did it,” Luke says when the final interviewer is gone and we’re walking out of the building together.
“That was rough. I’m glad it’s over,” I tell him.
“It’s so weird that I feel exhausted when all I did was sit around.”
“I know. I’m beat,” I say, feeling the tiredness in my bones. And I’m supposed to meet up with Chris after this. Crap.
“I’m parked over there,” I say, pointing in the direction of my car.
“Okay,” Luke says, still walking with me.
I bite my lip, trying not to smile. I can’t help feeling hopeful that we’ll be okay. That I didn’t ruin everything last Friday.
When we get to my car, I unlock it, and Luke opens the door for me.
“See you tomorrow for our weekly meeting with Victoria?” he asks before I get in.
“Right,” I say. “I almost forgot about that.”
“Do you want to drive together?”
“Sure,” I say.
“Pick me up at eight, Archer,” he says, taking a few steps backward, a smirk on his face.
I shake my head. “Okay,” I say, smiling to myself as I slide into the driver’s seat.
As I pull out, I catch him in my rearview mirror, still standing there watching me as I leave.
I don’t go out with Chris. I send him a text asking for a rain check, then drive the ten minutes to my parents’ house.
When I get there, I find my mom and dad and Gigi sitting at the kitchen table eating dinner. My mom gives me a side hug and tells me to grab a plate, which I do not object to. She’s made chicken parmesan—my favorite.
I dish up a plate, listening to Gigi complain about a mockingbird who likes to hang out in the tree by her window and sing early in the morning.
“Could you get out there and hit him with something, Gregory?” she asks my dad.
“Mom,” my mom chides, “that’s a terrible thing to say.”
“And he’s a terrible bird for waking me up so early in the morning,” she says.
I smile to myself as I take a bite of chicken. This is exactly where I needed to be tonight.
After we finish, my mom clears the table, and Gigi and I stay in our seats.
“And how’s the dating life?” she asks me, right after telling me she tried to watch Kingdom of Flame and Moonlight and couldn’t get into it. “I don’t like men with pointy ears,” she said.
I knew she’d somehow bring the conversation back to dating, and here we are.
“Not much is happening,” I tell her. I did cancel a date to come here tonight, but she wouldn’t like that, so I keep it to myself.
“Well, get yourself out there,” she says. “You’re not getting any younger.”
“Thanks, Gigi,” I say, my tone flat.
I chew on my thumbnail, wondering how to bring up what I want to ask her.
“Gigi, what would you have done if Grampa walked away after you kissed him the first time?”
She gives me a curious look. “I don’t know. He didn’t walk away.”
I smile. That was such a Gigi answer. “I know that, but what if he did?”
“I would've been devastated,” she says simply. “But I still would've kissed him. Because I had to know.”
“Wouldn't it have been hard, though?”
"Of course it would've been hard. But if I didn't take that chance, how would I have known he was the one?"
“Right,” I say, contemplating her words.
“Are we talking about somebody in particular?”
I shake my head. “No. Just curious.”
I think about her words as I drive home. About taking a chance.
None of the other forty-nine kisses ever felt like risks. I was just trying to break the curse. Of course the rejection pinched, but it was never devastating. I’ve never cried myself to sleep over one.
But what if I take a risk and it doesn’t work and the rejection is more than I can handle?
I’m not sure I want to find out.