Page 23 of Love Scenes

He comes back with “You’d think you’d be grateful to have a fan.”

There he is. The asshole.

“A fan? Fuck you. I have fans. Plural. And they’re wonderful. A lot of them even go out of their way to support my foundation, which means a lot to me.”

“What’s your foundation?” he asks.

“It helps underfunded schools gain better access to music and the arts.”

“Glorious. I’ll support it.”

“You’re not serious.”

“I am.” He takes out his phone and starts typing. Manages to pull up my foundation website. Shows me the screen, then starts scrolling on his own. “Would ya look at this. A gala coming up. Can I go?”

“No.”

“But I’m about to donate ten thousand dollars. Surely that’s enough for an invite. It says there’s going to be a celebrity jam band led by Daniel Traverson, star ofThe Seeker.” He gives me a pleading look. “Sloane, I cannot live my life having never seen Detective Anthony Colfax lay down a guitar lick.”

The waiter brings our coffees and Joseph’s milkshake, light pink with whipped cream and a cherry on top. He asks if we’re ready to order, but my slack-jawed shock at Joseph’s pledge is enough to make him back away, muttering something about how he’ll give us another minute to look over the menu. Joseph takes the maraschino cherry off the top of the whipped cream and bites down, pulling until only the stem remains between his fingers.

“I really can’t tell if you’re joking,” I say. “It doesn’t mean anything to you, but that kind of money would make a real difference.”

“Watch this. I’m putting a little message into my phone to tell my accountant to move some funds around.” He swirls his milkshake with a straw, then takes a long sip. “This is good. Would ya like some?”

“Um, no.”

He takes another big slurp. Finishes typing his reminder, then leans back, arms sprawled out across the length of the booth.“These scenes with Haven and me are the biggest ones in the movie. And they’re shit. I know they are. Guy knows they are. Tyler. The PAs. Our costume designer. It’s very clear everyone knows what we’re shooting is utter shit. I can’t believe I did this, but I asked to go into overtime today so we could finish. They wouldn’t allow it.”

This movie really might be cursed. Joseph Donovan just pledged $10,000 to my foundation. I’ve ordered a coffee when I really need a shot of tequila. What the hell is happening?

“I know it’s my fault too,” Joseph continues. “I’m too in my head. It’s hard now, being sober. There are a lot of thoughts up here and not enough ways to quiet them.”

Now that he’s brought up sobriety, I can’t order a drink. Who knows if they even serve? The waiter returns, finding me once again in a place of utter shock.

“I’m good with only coffee,” I tell him.

“You said you were hungry,” Joseph challenges. “Starvingwas the word you used.”

“I... am...”

“What do you want to eat?”

“I don’t know.”

“She’ll have a grilled cheese,” he says.

If eyes could truly pop out of heads, mine would slingshot clear across the room. “Oh my god. Never again in your life try toorder for me.”

Joseph smiles at the waiter. “Give us a bit more time, would ya?” The man nods and slinks back behind the counter.

For the first time since we sat down, I take survey of the other people in the diner, knowing if I look at Joseph right now it’s possible I may crawl across the table to wring his neck.

There are three younger people in a booth along the adjacentwall. They look to be in their late teens or early twenties. My eyes lock with one of them for only a moment before she pretends to be looking out the window. Her friend nudges her shoulder and whispers in her ear. Then shows something on her phone, looking from the screen to me to the screen in a matter of seconds.

“Do you really hate me so much that you don’t want to break bread with me?” Joseph asks.

“It’s complicated,” I say quickly, trying to figure out if any of them are going to approach us. The one who was first staring seems the likeliest candidate, her fingers flying over the keyboard on her phone, typing furiously. “You were really fucking hard to be around when I first met you.”