17. Between Them
BETWEEN THEM
“ I didn’t think you knew how to cook,” Warren said an hour later.
They were both showered, dressed, and in her kitchen.
“I can handle eggs like a champ,” she said. “It’s easy and has protein in it. I figured you’d like that.”
Which was why she bought a lot of them at the store on Wednesday. Along with fruits, vegetables, and meat.
She figured between the two of them they could handle it.
It wouldn’t be like his private chef, but it’d be for them.
Or between them.
She liked that too.
“I eat a lot of eggs,” he said. “How much toast do you want?”
“Two slices is good,” she said. She’d grabbed multi-grain. He’d eaten it, and she wasn’t bothered by that. She was scrambling about eight eggs in a pan. She was going to make the whole dozen, but he’d told her he didn’t eat that many at once.
He popped four slices in her toaster while she mixed the eggs and dropped cheese on them. She liked things gooey.
“Did you have anything you wanted to do this weekend or just hang out here?”
“You tell me,” she said. “I don’t mind going out if you want. But as you said earlier, not many know about us and we’ll be seen together.”
“I don’t care so much,” he said. “But if it gets out, I’m sure I’ll have to make some statement or my agent will want me to do it.”
“Yeah, I don’t have those issues with my agent. No one cares all that much about me other than my fans and readers and it’s not like you.”
“It is different,” he said. “You know, like millions seeing me half-dressed.”
She turned from the stove where she was making the eggs. “Can I admit I had a few moments of jealousy over that?”
“It will make my ego feel good,” he said. “Considering I had a few moments worrying that I wouldn’t be able to perform the way you write in your books.”
She snorted. “Don’t think that,” she said. “I told you before, it’s not like I’m out murdering people. It’s not much different.”
Though everyone in her family had been on her case for years for having high expectations of men.
Maybe she wanted the perfect hero in her mind. The one where he left her alone while she worked and then came back when she was ready.
That was wrong.
And because she had someone in her life, she was trying to not fall into that trap.
It’d never been this hard before.
But she was taking this slow because it was new and pretty soon he wouldn’t be available all that much.
It couldn’t be all about her and her world.
“Could be we are both feeling a little off with this,” he said.
She closed one eye at him. “I didn’t think you were the type to let anything stop you.”
“Nope,” he said. “I came back for you, don’t forget it.”
“I won’t,” she said.
Never.
No man had ever done that before.
“Can I ask what you had to go to California for? Or is that private?”
“I guess I can tell you,” she said. Since Roark got the final contract on Wednesday and she’d signed it Thursday before Warren showed up.
So many things in her life were lining up, and she was flying high professionally and stunned to feel as if her personal life was matching the pace.
“You guess?” he asked.
“I hope I can trust you to keep it quiet for now. But everything is signed, and we will move ahead. Of course, that means nothing.”
Funding could stop. Actors could drop out. Production could halt for all sorts of reasons beyond anyone’s control.
But they’d told her this would be ready for release in less than six months. They had casting lined up to start and were working on everything else.
“I know how to keep plenty of secrets,” he said.
“I’ve had a deal in the works with Netflix on one of my books.
I had to go to California and finalize some things with my agent.
My mother went with me. My brother, who represents me, received the contract.
He would have gone with me, but he had court.
I signed and sent it back before you got here yesterday. ”
He moved over to her quickly, picked her up in a hug, and spun her around. “Congratulations. That’s wonderful. I’m so proud of you.”
“You are?” she asked. Normally only her parents acted that way. Or other family members. “You’ve only been reading my books for a few weeks.”
“So?” he said. “I’m proud of you, not your books. But those are pretty awesome too. Which one is it, or can’t I know?”
“It’s actually one I self-published and not one for my publisher. They weren’t thrilled about that, but hey, my agent has been pitching a handful of my books for about a year to a few networks.”
Emma told him which book it was. “I haven’t read that one yet,” he said. “I’ll get it tonight and start when I’m back.”
“Awwww,” she said. “Do you know you’re the first guy I’ve dated that has read my books? I never expected it prior to dating me, but after, you’d think they’d be a little interested.”
“Their loss,” he said. “Which happens to be my gain.”
She reached for the plates to put their eggs on while he pulled the toast that had just popped out.
“I want peanut butter on mine,” she said. “Not butter.”
“I’ll have the same,” he said. “Where is it?”
She moved to a cabinet, opened it, and pulled it out. “Oh my God,” he said. “How many jars are in there?”
She pulled it open again. “Four,” she said. “That lasts about a month. I don’t go to the store often. I eat a lot of PB&J sandwiches.”
“No comment,” he said.
When their breakfast was done, they sat at her island and started to eat. She jumped back up to get her second cup of coffee. He’d only had one and was drinking water now.
“That’s my exciting news,” she said. “I’ll know more in a few weeks. I don’t foresee it being canceled for any reason, especially since they bought the rights to it, but it’s not like they are hurting for money.”
“Do you have options for more?” he asked.
“I do,” she said. “But we’ll see how this one goes. I’m not tying myself only to them and they know it. If another network or service provider reaches out to me for a mini-series, Netflix has the first option to match their price.”
She let Roark handle all those details, timelines, and loopholes for them both.
Hopefully, none of that would become an issue.
“Your family has to be so excited. It’s going to bring a lot of spotlight on you when it’s released,” he said. “Do you know when?”
“They said about six months if there are no delays.” If she and Warren were still together, it’d be football season and by then their relationship might be out. It could put some talk on or around him also.
She wanted nothing to distract him during that time.
“I can’t wait,” he said. “I’ll be marking my calendar when you tell me. We’ll have to watch it together. At least the first episode.”
“I’d love that,” she said.
There was no reason to stress about anything six months from now.
A lot could change.
But for once, she was hoping it didn’t.