Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
JOSH
He leaned into the corner, watching shell-shocked attendees exit the theatre. A few people looked pale, but that could just as easily be the tail end of a cloudy winter as lingering fear. He was too far away to hear anything, but it didn’t matter. No one was talking.
Was that good? Or bad? Fuck.
The last of the last stragglers left the theatre. A grinning, teal-haired woman with dark roots and tatted arms supported a shaky blonde who looked seconds away from throwing up.
He repressed a smirk. Blondie had picked up on the film’s mood.
Josh turned his head back to his phone to scroll his messages. Replied with thumbs up to Stephen. Declined an invite to drinks that night. Left a few women on read.
Still hadn’t seen the message he was looking for. Whatever. He wasn’t expecting a response today.
The two women turned down the hallway to reveal a short woman studying the flimsy paper programme taped to the theatre entrance with her back turned to him.
Hello, fun size.
His eyes lingered on her thick thighs and round ass, before sweeping up over the boisterous chestnut curls that dusted the tops of her sloped shoulders. She rubbed her hands over her upper arms as she scanned the lobby like she could feel his eyes on her, and when she turned in his direction, he drew up from his calculated slouch.
Excitement flushed her cheeks, her chest rising and falling as she drew quick breaths, her clothes sliding over her curves like a caress. He wondered if those fantastic tits looked as good naked as they did under that shirt.
If he kept creeping in the dark like an asshole, he’d never find out.
Josh left the shadows to stand behind her. She looked even more touchable up close. One more step forward and her hair would tickle the underside of his chin. Too close. That would invade her space. He stepped back, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall beside her.
“Not a bad line up this year,” he said, and she spun to face him. Her hazel eyes widened slightly as her gaze wandered up to his face, taking a lingering path down his body and slowly back up.
Good. They were on the same page.
Her long, dark lashes fluttered as she cleared her throat. “It’s looking really good.”
A spark of goosebumps erupted over his arms. Well, shit. Her voice was as sweet as she looked. That mouth looked like it tasted just as sweet.
He nodded his head to the marquee, his mop of shaggy hair flopping into his eyes, and he shook it back with an irritated toss. “Just got out of Oblivion ?”
“What? Oh!” She blew out her breath in a rush, as if remembering she had just exited a film. “What a ride! Nothing happened, but everything happened? Watching them fall apart? I mean,” she waved her hand, “the costume design needed a stronger presence, but the claustrophobia? And everyone tried so hard to do the right thing, but it didn’t matter? I wanted to see a clear resolution for the ending, but watching it coming?” She shook herself with a light shiver. “Incredible.”
Whoa. She saw it. Themes, intent, everything. In one viewing. Josh twisted his mouth in a crooked line to stifle the smile threatening to break through. “I don’t know. There were continuity errors, bad lighting in the beginning.”
“Sure, and they could have cut a few minutes, but I know the novel the film was based on. The director nailed it,” she said, dismissing his arguments. “They distilled that rambling story into a cohesive narrative. I bet it’s one of those movies that just gets better every time you see it. I’d see it again right now, but my friend is never going to forgive me for making her see it just once. My palms are still sweaty.” She lowered her waving hands and shook her head with a sheepish grin. “I’m gushing. But wow. That director is going places.”
He ran his hands through his hair, as if he could shove away her praise. “He has some work to do,” he said.
“I didn’t say it was perfect.” Her smile spread even farther across her rosy cheeks, stirring a long dormant feeling somewhere in his torso.
“It’s an amateur film fest. Everyone has work to do. This director just needs a team. I like this one even more than …” she continued, rambling other films from this year’s lineup and last year’s, listing off their strengths and weaknesses. Some of which he agreed with. Others that were, in his opinion, blasphemous. But still, informed.
What the hell. His dick could wait. “What are you seeing next?”
“I’ve got a few on my list I’d like to see, but I’m open to suggestions. My friends should be?—”
“—right here.”
The friends were back. Blondie wedged herself between him and Fun Size, shooting her a look that asked do you want to talk to this guy, or do you need a rescue ?
Josh took half a step back. He didn’t need to get in the way of a friends’ night out, even if he wanted to take one of the friends back to his place and find out what that mouth could do.
Worst-case scenario, he could get her number and meet up with her another time. A few offers sat unread in his messages that he could turn his attention to for a hookup tonight.
None of them interested him, though.
“We were just about to decide on what to see next,” he said, and his target shot him a smile that lit up her face.
Sweet holy hell, she was cute. Cute, and still nameless. If tonight went well, he’d need to figure that out. Her number had to go in his phone under something.
A broad smile spread across the face of the tall woman with teal hair. “That is a fantastic idea. You two should have fun with that. Jill and I would love to join you but we were just saying we wanted to go back to the hotel for a SpongeBob marathon, weren’t we?”
Hotel? Friends from out of town? Or were they all? One more reason to make sure he spent time with her tonight.
“We are?” The friend named Jill blinked at her. “What about Cass?”
Ah. Fun Size had a name.
“Cass probably wants to see another thriller and you don’t look like you’re up for another one,” the friend replied, and Jill quailed.
Well, Oblivion wasn’t for everyone.
“Ted Lasso looks more your speed right now,” Cass suggested, giving her friends a side eye that Josh read as yes I want to talk to this guy and would you please stop cockblocking me ?
Tall and teal nodded, tugging at her friend’s arm. “Plus, you have a race in the morning. Don’t you need to eat pasta or something?”
If he could have given her a high-five, he would have.
“Oh. Oh! Right! Pasta and SpongeBob! My favourites,” Jill said, adding under her breath as the tall one dragged her away, “Turn on Find My Friends. Text me every hour. ”
This friend deserved a high-five, too. Partly for watching out for her friend’s safety, partly for getting out of the way and letting said friend get laid. Hopefully.
Jill let the third friend pull her away, tossing glances over her shoulder and a thumbs up for good measure.
“Yes, mom,” Cass called after them, and turned back to him. “One of my friends worked sound design on a dark comedy starting in half an hour. I’ve heard it’s completely miserable. Interested?”
He let his gaze wander over her body. “Extremely interested. I’m Josh, by the way.”
“I’m Cass … and you already know that.” She tilted her head up to smile at him, and he felt that foreign tug in his torso again.
Yeah. This was exactly what he wanted tonight. “Let’s laugh at people’s misery.”
A dollop of mayo squirted from the end of her hot dog and splattered the sidewalk an inch from her sneaker. The flat overcast sky did its best to grey the city, but the last of the cherry blossoms blushed a pink haze along every sidewalk and clogged the gutters. In the time they had entered and exited the film, the rain had tapered to a mizzle. Cass huddled next to him under the awning of a high-end clothing boutique with their half-eaten hot dogs in hand.
“I didn’t like it.” She pursed her lips in thought. “I need to tell Karl—he’s the sound designer—I couldn’t hear any dialogue over the street noise. That’s not like him. Great premise and the actors were perfect deadpan, but the marketing push and what was on the screen were a complete mismatch. All comedy, no dark, no resolution.”
“Disagree. I thought the ending was brilliant, but yeah, not enough misery to earn the dark. And you’re right on the sound.” It might as well have been filmed through a tin can. Not her friend’s fault, though. That theatre had shit speakers. “So, what do you do?”
“I—” Cass’s words died as a bus splashed a petal-saturated wave inches from her foot. Josh grabbed her waist, pulling her back at the last second.
“Careful, now,” he said, voice rustling the tendrils of hair by her ear. His hand splayed over her belly and down the curve of her hip. “Wouldn’t want you to get all wet.”
“I’m okay getting wet,” she said, then stammered, “I just mean, my hotel is close, and I could get changed if I needed to.”
So, she was from out of town, too. Disappointing, but one night with her would be better than nothing. Not to mention less complicated than adding someone to his rotation. And if he made her a little nervous, fine. She was cute as hell when she was nervous.
Her tongue darted out to the corner of her mouth and nodded down at his shirt. “So, are you a fan?” she squeaked out.
He glanced down at the tee he picked up at the concert his sister dragged him to when they’d been visiting family in Australia a decade ago. They’d gotten so high he’d made out with a stranger right beside his sister, who’d been too mesmerized by the light show to notice. While he never remembered to get the name of the concert hookup, he remembered every second of the show, and had seen him live half a dozen times since.
“I vibe,” he said noncommittally. “You?”
“Yes, but not deep into the catalogue. I just know just a little of his last album, but I prefer his second. Some of the older stuff is a little psychedelic for me, and did you hear he’s coming to Canada next year?” She stopped, cutting herself short with an awkward smile. “Sorry, I’m rambling,” she blurted out. “Um, what do you do?”
“Hit on beautiful women outside of movie theatres.” He swiped his thumb over her lip, clearing a small smear of mustard. A musical laugh erupted from her throat and warmth flooded his extremities. He had the sudden urge to be the funniest man in the city.
“That is a fantastic line,” she said when her laughter had subsided. “Does it work for you a lot?”
First time he tried it, but he filed it away for future reference. “How long are you in town?” he asked instead.
“I’m just here for the weekend. Blow off a little steam.” She finished her hot dog before pulling out her phone, and he snuck a glance at the text she sent to her friends from over her shoulder.
Not dead. He smells really good
Well, she smelled amazing, too, but if he had it his way, that body might kill him tonight. He swallowed his chuckle, along with the last bite of his hot dog.
She sheathed her phone, retrieving a pack of gum and offering him a piece. When he finally moved in to kiss her, fresh breath would be preferable. He held solid eye contact as he put the piece in his mouth, the spicy sweet bite of cinnamon flooding his mouth.
“What do you want to do now?” she asked in a breathy voice, her eyes still locked on his lips.
Right. Movies. She was in town for a film fest. And there were a few more he wanted to see. He wiped his fingers on a crumpled napkin and tossed it into the bin. “I had the last pick. Your turn.”
“Horror? I couldn’t get the girls to agree to another thriller.”
“Are you telling me you’re not like other girls?”
Whatever that could pass for an admonishing glare flashed across her cherubic features. “I’m exactly like other girls. Other girls are awesome. I like rosé and bubble baths and pampering. I just also happen to like horror movies and other ways of getting my heart rate up that don’t involve motocross.”
How could such a sweetheart put him in his place so decisively? It was like a superpower. Josh tipped his head back and laughed. “Fair,” he said. “Other girls are awesome, too.”
But this awesome girl—this awesome woman—was right in front of him. And after that little hint of other ways of getting her heart rate up, he was pretty sure she was steering the night in the same direction he wanted, too. But even if she was in town just for the night, they were having a different kind of fun right now. A kind of fun he hadn’t had with another woman in a long time.
If he was wrong and their night didn’t finish where he thought it would, he had backups.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and tugged her down the street. “Alright, beautiful. Let’s get thrilled.