Page 34 of A Summer of Stars

“Women who actively kick me.” I smiled.

She eyed me, dissatisfied.

“Fine. Honesty. Honesty is what I want,” I said.

She paused, surprised. “You’re serious.”

I nodded. “Is honesty a dislikable trait?”

“Not at all. Just not what I would’ve expected you to say.”

I refrained from asking what she did expect. “What about you—your type?”

“I…” She granted the table a thoughtful stare before admitting, “I’m not sure anymore, but… I think honesty is a good answer. I think I’d like some honesty in the person I love too.”

“I didn’t know we were talking about love,” I responded, searching her eyes.

Those cat eyes flashed. “I guess love is the only type of romance I have experience in.”

Suddenly, I was aware of how much ofherwas near me. We were so close that I could see every color that made up her irises.The smell of vanilla on her lips was intense. Anyone looking would probably assume we were about to kiss.

“Mierda.” Her heel landed in my foot again.

“Sorry, Iswearthat was an accident! These heels are new and stiff so they catch on nothing,” she yelped, but I hardly heard her, because her hand was on my knee out of instinct, burning holes in the shape of her fingertips across my leg. We both stared at the gesture until she pulled away, hand on metaphoric fire. (My knee wasalsoon metaphoric fire.)

She cleared her throat. “Are you Spanish?” she asked, shifting topics.

My heart hiccupped in my chest. “No.”

“You swear quite a bit in Spanish.”

“Old habit. I had to learn it for a job.”

“What movie did you learn it for?” she asked, looking at me with speculation.

“Are you saying that you’ve seen my movies?” I asked, also shifting the topic. If she admitted to seeing one of them, I would never stop talking about it. I’d mail her movie posters and mention it in every interview for the next year to torture her.

She rolled her eyes, looking away. “God, no.”

“I don’t believe you,” I spoke, narrowing my gaze.

“I have no interest in watching movies with bad acting.”

“And yet I still flew to South Carolina to watch you play like a—”

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out and flipped it open. “Yes.”

“Should I clear the room and get you a body bag?” Nari asked.

“Excuse me?”

“So you can kill her, since that’s exactly how you’re looking at her,” she clarified.

I rolled my eyes. “Nari—”

“Nope, I don’t want to hear it. You’re going to stop looking at each other like thatright now. Now get up.”

“What?”