Page 49 of Last First Kiss
“I think they just want to scare the studio into not making this movie.” Joey said.
So far they’d had the brick through the window and now a bag of papers. There was a real threat, that wasn’t in question, but it wasn’t grave enough that she’d need backup. She could handle it. “So, we’ll head home after dinner, then.”
“Annie, as your older brother, I have to say, I don’t like this.” He said it softly. “He’s an actor. Whatever is happening between you two, remember that. You’ve seen how he treats women. He’s a player, a forever bachelor. You don’t want to be just another notch.”
“Is your concern over his safety or my virtue?”
“Annie, I’m just worried about you.”
“I appreciate that, Joey. I really do. But it’s really not your problem I’m a big girl, Joe. I got this.”
“Fine. But I don’t like it and I don’t trust him.”
“Noted,” she said, before hanging up. God, having older brothers sucked! It was also oddly sweet.
“So what happened?” Rocco asked, reaching to her plate to snag a piece of lasagna.
“Hey!” she yelled, stopping his fork. “I’m starving.”
“There’s no way you’re going to eat all that.”
“Wanna bet?” She began to eat, ravenous. “So,” she said with a mouthful. “There was nothing concerning in the bag. Just a bunch of propaganda about Mendoza. We can go back to your house.” It wasn’t that it was not concerning. A bag full of clippings left in the middle of a lobby, secretly, was never good. But if they’d wanted to hurt Rocco, they wouldn’t have filled that bag with papers.
“This isn’t the only movie that gets a lot of heat. Remember that Mel Gibson movie about Jesus? Or when Madonna was cast to play Evita Peron?”
“If you say so.” She shrugged and took another bite. “You’re the actor, not me.”
He had inhaled his food and was twirling the fork with his fingers. “There was more to that conversation. You guys were talking about me.”
She finished chewing and then swallowed as he looked at her, eager to hear the rest of it. “He said you’re an actor and I’m going to get hurt.”
“He thinks I’d lead you on? That I’m just . . . acting? Basically, that I’m faking my way into your pants?”
She stopped eating and leaned forward to squeeze his hand reassuringly. “He’s just worried, Rocco.” His jaw clenched and he cracked the knuckles of his forefinger and thumb, loudly. How he hadn’t broken a joint, she’d never know. “If you think I’d sleep with you—use you somehow—you don’t know me at all. I would never do that. Not to you or anyone else. I thought you’d knew me a little better than that.”
She let go of of her fork and it clanked loudly against her plate. “No. I know that. You asked me what he said, and I’m telling you. But I don’t think that at all. You’ve been nothing but truthful. It’s hard to ignore the things I’ve read about you in the media, but I’m trying.”
“If I have to deal with your job, you have to deal with mine. And mine entails a lot of bullshit lies from the press.”
“I understand.” She sighed, reached across the table, and placed her hand over his. “You’re right.”
He lifted her hand and kissed each finger in a completely sweet way that left her tingling.
He looked down at her empty plate. “I’m impressed. Do you want anything else? Dessert? Coffee?”
She sat back and patted her full belly. “No. I’m good.”
He signaled for the server to bring their check, and when she tried to take out money, he stopped her. “Come on, let’s go. I want to hear all your secrets.”
She groaned into his chest as he helped her out of the booth.
“Oh man, we don’t have a car.” They’d gone to the gala in a limo and then to ICS with Ben.
“Uber?” she suggested. “Or we can call one of the guys to take us.”
“No. Uber,” he said taking out his phone.
The ride was fast and she sat close to him, tucked under his shoulder. She kept fumbling with her hair and at one point he took her wrist and stopped her. “Stop. Relax,” he said, then he pulled her in closer and kissed the top of her head. The rest of the trip back was mostly silent, as her mind reeled with what Joey had said.
