Chapter Seven #2
“Sounds like you’re not too fond of them,” Tilly commented mildly as she took the paper back and started typing out the email.
“It’s not that. I . . .” He paused, not sure what he could say without giving away how closely he was connected with people in Hollywood.
“I lived in LA for a while. I ran into a lot of wannabe actors and actresses. There are a few places where you see them, even when you’re not trying to look for them. ”
He thought what he’d said was truthful, but also didn’t give anything away.
“Makes sense. Okay, so everyone on the list gets an email. It’s going to take a while, but it needs to be done and needs to be done now.”
“All you have to do is type it once and then copy and paste it into new emails.” Wanting to get off the topic of famous people, Zach clutched at a random subject. “Is Tilly short for something?”
Tilly’s fingers stilled over the top of the keyboard. Was this a topic she didn’t want to talk about?
“It is.”
“Matilda?”
“What?” A little line appeared between her brows.
“Is your name short for Matilda?”
“Oh. Um, no.”
Okay, this was like pulling teeth, and he should probably let it go. Heck, the reason he was looking for a change of topic was that there were things he didn’t want to talk about.
What he should do was respect her wishes, but he really wanted to know.
“It’s Tulip,” she said quietly.
“As in the flower?”
“Yes, as in the flower.”
“It’s a pretty name,” he said, and wished he could kick himself because he sounded anything but sincere. One thing he’d been eternally grateful for was that his mother hadn’t gone the unusual route with his name.
It wasn’t as if his father had any influence over naming him, or anything in his life.
Zach had never met his father. He was the product of a one-night stand.
Kathryn had played the struggling single mother to perfection, according to the comments he’d overheard from her friends as he was growing up.
They never knew he’d heard them, and he hadn’t said anything to his mom.
Also, because of how his mom had been treated, he never knew if they were true or just malicious comments.
Many times his mother had remarked that Zach must have inherited more of his father’s genes than hers, especially his aversion to the limelight.
His mom may have been okay with him not wanting to go into acting, but she fully expected him to take up an occupation that would put him front and center in people’s minds.
Like being a model. Or a sports star. Instead, he’d chosen a field he’d thought would be as far from the limelight as possible, only in the end, his quick thinking had saved lives and catapulted him into the media’s spotlight.
Initially, he thought maybe something good would come out of it all.
That, as much as he hated being there, he could persuade his mom to use her influence to raise fire safety awareness.
But that didn’t fit his mom’s agenda, so she’d ignored him and exploited him in a way that went against everything he wanted.
“For a flower, it’s a pretty name,” Tilly said. “For a girl. Not so much. But at least it’s not as bad as my oldest sister. Her name is Chrysanthemum, and then there’s Sunflower, my other older sister.”
Perhaps strange names weren’t only a Hollywood trend. “Your parents must love flowers a lot.”
A soft smile played across Tilly’s face and her beauty struck him deep in the chest. “You could say that. They started a flower farm.”
And then it hit him. “Bloom. Your last name is Bloom.”
“Yep.”
“Tulip Bloom.”
“Again, yes.”
“Now it makes sense,” he murmured. “I mean, why you shortened your name to Tilly.”
“We all did that. It was easier in school.”
“I bet.” A wave of fatigue washed over him. Unexpected, considering he’d been feeling vibrant and alert not too long ago.
“You should go. It’s late and you’ve already done so much. I work from home and can set my own hours. I’ll finish all these emails. You don’t need to be here for that.”
Zach couldn’t deny that he was starting to fade rapidly. “Are you sure?”
They hadn’t really done much in terms of planning and finding out what permits they would need. There was still a lot to do in such a short amount of time.
“Yes. This is my idea and my responsibility. I appreciate all you’ve done so far and the support I know you’ll give, but most of this is on me.”
Zach was impressed with the way she was taking ownership of it all, even if she’d lied about having locked in a celebrity when she hadn’t. “I can come back tomorrow and help.”
“Only if you feel up to it.”
“As much as you say this is your responsibility, I’ve been given the task to help you and that’s what I’ll do.”
“Even if you really don’t want to,” she teased.
“Even if I don’t want to.” He reached across the space between them and took hold of her hand again.
He was really starting to like having physical contact with her.
“When I say I’m going to do something, I commit one hundred percent.
I’ll be here tomorrow. How about I text you when I’m leaving home? ”
Tilly squeezed his hand briefly before letting it go. “Sounds good. Come on, I’ll see you out.”
Together they walked to her door, and when she opened it, a draft of cold air swept in. Zach shivered as he pulled his jacket on. “Thanks again for dinner. It was just what I needed.”
“You’re welcome, and it’s the least I can do for you.”
They stood in the doorway, staring at each other. The breeze caused a tendril of Tilly’s blonde hair to feather across her face, and he automatically reached out and curled it around her ear, the back of his knuckles brushing her cheek. Her eyes widened and her lips parted.
The temptation to taste them swelled. A little touch and he would know if they were as soft as they looked. As if she could read his mind, Tilly moved toward him a fraction as her fingers gripped the door a little tighter.
Should he?
Could he?
Not wise.
He stepped back, putting distance between them. “Night, Tilly.”
Zach turned and strode down the path to his car.