Chapter 10 #2
"Oh." Kayla blinked up at him. She had a slow blink, one that tangled her eyelashes together before it opened again.
Her eyelashes were thick and dark, too, like Elizabeth Taylor's, and Jordan had a sudden, wistful image of watching that sleepy slow blink and those dark-rimmed eyes greeting him in the mornings.
Fortunately Kayla spoke again before he could say anything idiotic.
"I was going to say, I'm going to have to call Carmen and ask her to send somebody to pick these up so they can be cleaned properly before shooting tomorrow.
If I can borrow a t-shirt and sweatpants, maybe? "
"Oh. Oh. Really? Yeah, of course. Of course!" God, he was suave. Every leading man in Hollywood needed to take lessons from him, he was that suave. Jordan took three quick steps toward the kitchen door, then froze and turned back with his still-oily hands lifted.
Kayla giggled and took a prudent step back from the sink, gesturing at it with her own oily hands. "Be my guest."
Jordan turned the water on much more carefully this time, and still managed to splash himself again. He swore and Kayla giggled, taking another exaggerated step back. "Maybe move the spoon?" she suggested delicately.
"You would think I was smart enough to do that in the first place," Jordan muttered. He finally did move it, got the hot water mix right, and washed his hands, then stepped back to dry them and gestured for Kayla to take his place. "I'll get you some dry clothes. Again, I'm so sorry."
"And here I was thinking you'd set it up to get me out of my clothes on the first date," Kayla said, deadpan.
Jordan spluttered. "I'm nowhere near that good of a player."
Her pealing laughter followed him as he went to find her some clothes to change into. He owned absolutely nothing that would fit her: she wasn't short, but he was six two, and had at least five inches of height on her. Obviously he hadn't thought this through. If he'd been prepared, he would have—
He would have what, he asked himself, several full outfits for women lying around?
He couldn't even begin to imagine explaining that.
So he grabbed one of his favorite t-shirts, a pair of sweats, and, as an afterthought, some extra socks, in case hers had gotten wet.
He went back to the kitchen, where Kayla was, in fact, barefoot with her socks in one hand and her phone in the other.
She shot him a sparkling smile as he put the clothes on the counter, mouthed, 'thank you,' and aloud said, "Thanks, Carmen.
I'm sorry I left in costume. I just wasn't thinking. "
After a moment of listening, she snickered and nodded.
"No, yeah, he was. But hopefully everything will be smoothed out tomorrow, and if it's not…
" Her voice firmed. "I've got a plan." Another pause, and she laughed again.
"Yes, a plan that involves needing the costume ready for filming again.
Okay. Great. Thank you. I'll see her in a bit.
" She hung up, tucked her phone in the back pocket of her jeans, then made a face and took it out again, putting it on the counter and picking Jordan's clothes up instead.
"I'm not going to want that in the jeans when I hand them over to costuming. Thanks. Where's the bathroom…?"
"Down the hall to the left."
"Thanks." Kayla left with his clothes, and Jordan about had the food ready to go in the oven when she returned, smiling down at the outfit she now wore.
Jordan's t-shirt came to the middle of her thighs, and what were short sleeves on him fell to her elbows.
She'd folded the sweats up so they were bulky around her ankles, and although he bet she'd pulled the waist cords as snugly as they'd go, he could tell from the bump the waistband made beneath the t-shirt that they were riding her hips.
She'd also put his socks on, and the toes were already flopping loose around the fronts of her feet.
She was the cutest thing he'd ever seen, and Jordan said so, right out loud: "Oh my God, you're adorable."
"I am, aren't I?" Kayla laughed and spun around in the too-big clothes. "I can't remember the last time I was this comfortable. All I need now is a giant hoodie and I'll disappear into a cloud of sheer coziness."
"There are a couple hoodies in the fourth drawer of my dresser, if you want one," Jordan said, amused, as he put the chicken in the oven. "But I can't be responsible for the star of the show actually disappearing into a puff of snuggly comfort."
"I may risk it," Kayla announced. "Maybe not until after dinner, though, because I have a feeling a nap would turn into a sleep. And I do have to stay awake to hand these over to Elaine."
"…I thought the costumer was Carmen?"
"Elaine's her assistant. The one who has to go out in the snow at one a.m. to fetch the perfect hat, while Carmen makes higher-level decisions."
"It's not one in the morning!"
"And these aren't a perfect hat," Kayla said, patting her wet clothes. "Okay, so, I wouldn't want to disrupt your evening plans, so what would you be doing if I wasn't here?"
"…I'd be watching some romcoms starring this actress I just discovered, her name is Kayla Walsh and she's kind of amazing."
Kayla clapped her hands over her cheeks, blushing, and laughed. "Oh God. Are you going to make me watch myself?"
Jordan heard himself say, "Someday, yes," as if a future with Kayla was assured.
Somehow he felt as if it might be, even though that was crazy.
"Someday I'm going to want to get the unfiltered actor's commentary on every movie you've ever been in.
But no," he said more softly, watching Kayla's smile brighten and deciding he hadn't blown it by suggesting a 'someday.
' "I'd really just like to hang out and get to know you better.
Or re-know you. Nah, to know you. We weren't really close in high school or anything.
Can I get you a drink, in the meantime?"
"Water, please? I'm a cheap date," Kayla said, looking amused. "A home-cooked meal and a glass of water, that's my jam."
"One glass of water coming up. Ice?"
"Nope, I'm good, thanks." Water glass in hand, Kayla led the way back to the living room and curled up in the armchair opposite of where she'd first sat with Barney. "All right, Jordan Rhodes. Let's get to know each other."