37 - Fan Club

Well, it finally happened. Owen had been sentenced for his crimes. He would be put away for a long time, and my divorce attorney called it great news for me. The divorce proceedings were finalized easily. I felt a smug sense of satisfaction at the recent turn of events.

Now that Owen was out of the picture, I was free. The next step was holding Max accountable for what he’d done. That wasn’t so easy. We needed to gather enough evidence to convince the police there was reasonable cause to arrest him, but he’d done a good job covering his tracks and shifting the blame to Owen.

I was at a loss, but at least I had nothing left to tie me to my ex-husband. Unfortunately, that meant everyone knew about my divorce and Owen’s public scandal. It was already all over every tabloid. This also meant that my suitors had become bolder.

This weekend, since we weren’t filming over the weekend, I chose to go out with Nadine, Emily, and Rachel to The Tap for some celebratory drinks. Since I was a free woman, there was nothing wrong with some harmless flirting, and I was ready to move on. Or I was at least ready to try.

There was just one problem: I wasn’t interested in harmless flirting. I was interested in both Luca and Alex, and choosing between the two of them was going to be difficult. So, I decided to do what I usually did: avoid the issue. That was why I was at the bar with my friends this evening.

“Are you happy to be a single woman again?” Nadine asked, and Emily and Rachel sipped their drinks as they waited for me to answer.

“Extremely,” I answered, taking a swig of my peachtini. “Although, it has caused some strain on my family and business. Stock prices have plummeted after the divorce and the scandal with the embezzlement.”

I hadn’t told them about what Max had done yet, how he’d drugged me and gotten me alone. That was another reason there was strain with my family. I hadn’t even confronted my father about not being my father by blood yet. It was a can of worms I had no intention of opening anytime soon. I didn’t want the answers. My heart wasn’t ready for them. Eventually, it was a conversation we would have to have, but it could wait.

“Does that mean you’re going to date again?” Emily prodded, waggling her eyebrows. “I know a few men if you’re interested.”

I laughed. “I bet between you and Nadine, you know plenty.” Then I sobered. “I think I am, but there are too many options,” I admitted.

Nadine eyed me. “As long as you don’t pick someone like Owen. But I imagine you can’t get any worse than him.”

I probably could, but I’d have to try really hard to find one. “No, Nadine. Don’t worry. The ones I have in mind aren’t anything like him.”

“Good. What about Luca?” She winked conspiratorially.

I smiled. “He’s one of them, yes.”

“That man is fiiiiine.”

I couldn’t deny that.

“You should text him and ask him out,” Nadine said.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea….” Nerves roiled in my gut. “It’s been so long since I dated. I’d probably say something awkward or embarrass myself.”

“That’s what you have me for! I’ve had a million first dates.” Before I could stop her, my best friend grabbed my phone off the table and started texting.

“Wait,” I protested, reaching for the phone.

“And sent,” she said, handing it back.

I looked down at my screen to see a text to Luca that read: “Come to The Tap and have drinks with me….” Plus a winky face and kissy emoji.

A second later, he sent, “You don’t have to tell me twice. I’m just down the road. See you soon.”

I groaned. “What have you gotten me into, Nadine?”

“Happiness,” she replied smugly.

Within five minutes, the door to The Tap opened, and Luca strode in. All our eyes turned to him in his expensive suit and fedora. He’d worn the hat often since I’d made the comment that he needed one, and I kind of liked it.

“Dang. Yep, so fine,” Nadine sighed.

“The man could be on a poster for men who will 100% break your heart, but you’d be willing to die letting them,” Rachel swooned.

“Let’s go, so she can be alone with him,” Emily said, downing her drink and leaving some cash on the counter for the bartender.

“We’ll see you later, Fay. Don’t have too much fun, and I want all the details as soon as you get home.” Nadine winked and exited with the other girls.

Luca reached me at the bar. “So, you finally want that second date?” he asked, smirking as he arched a brow. Then he sat in the seat with the graceful movements of a predator in sight of his prey, his posture relaxed but controlled, just like everything he did. I couldn’t help but admire the way he looked tonight.

There was no way I was telling him that I hadn’t been the one to ask him out, though. That would have just ended with me rambling incoherently as I tried to explain. So, I shrugged and decided to flirt. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think the first one counted. Maybe I needed another example of what it would be like to—willingly—date you.” I put emphasis on the willingly.

“Are you asking me out? I’m the one that’s supposed to do that.”

“I’m giving you an opening,” I replied.

“Then I’d be a fool to waste it,” he purred. “Fay Lush, will you go out with me?”

“You make that sound like a proposal.” I laughed.

“It is.” He placed a hand over his heart in mock offense. “I’m proposing that you date me.”

“What if I want to date Alex, too?” I asked. I said it in a joking tone, but I wasn’t kidding. Holding my breath, I waited for his answer.

“Then I treat this like Troy, and you’re Helen. We will fight for you and over you until you pick one of us. Wars have been fought over lesser women.”

He was serious.

“We just won’t be exclusive,” he continued. “Or, at least, you won’t. There’s only one woman I have any interest in.”

I blew out a breath. Wow. I hadn’t expected Luca to be okay with my conflicted emotions. But he had, in one breath, both told me he’d fight for me and told me he would give me the freedom of choice. How could I argue with him when he said things like that?

I knew the next step was talking to Alex when I saw him at work on Monday. If I was going to do this, I was going to be open with them. They needed to know how I felt about both of them, and they needed to be okay with the fact that they weren’t the only ones until I decided who my heart belonged to.

“Okay,” I said, glad we could agree.

“Then I will show you what it means to be mine. You will want for nothing. I will make sure you have everything you could want or need, and I will never stop kissing the ground you walk on until I take my last breath.” Luca kissed the back of my hand, and I was speechless at his declaration.

“I don’t know what to say,” I admitted after a long pause.

“You don’t have to say anything. Just let me love you,” he murmured. “And I do. Love you, that is.”

I still wasn’t sure who I was going to choose. Telling Luca that I felt the same seemed a little preemptive, especially since I might end up with Alex, anyway. So, instead of commenting on feelings I didn’t know enough about, I said, “I’m ready to try this with you.”

* * *

Luca and I spent the rest of the evening talking, then he drove me home because I was on my fourth peachtini. He walked me to my door and kissed me until I could barely stand. Then he left with the promise that he’d see me on Monday.

When Monday came, I was eager to see both of my men. I drove to the set, where I was surprised to see Luca and Alex talking. They stopped when I arrived, and Alex walked over to me, an easy grin on his face.

“There you are,” he said. “I hear I’m in a competition for your heart.”

“Luca told you, did he?” I narrowed my eyes at him from across the room. “What did he say?”

“Whoa, easy. Nothing bad. He just said we were going to both be trying to win you over. He did say he was going to win, but I don’t view you as something I can win. I know that whoever you pick will, you will choose them because you want them. I intend to be that person, but it is ultimately up to you.”

Surprised, I blinked. Luca was definitely the more cocky, forceful one, but Alex had his sweet side. His funny, laid-back nature never failed to make me smile. “I had wanted to speak to you about it first, but I guess Luca saved me the difficult conversation. I look forward to getting to know you better as more than friends.”

“I told you I’d wait for you, Fay. Now that your divorce is finalized, there’s a better chance for us to connect at a deeper level. I think we could be something real, and I want to see where this could go between us.”

“I do, too. Alex, I—”

Just then, Sky walked up. “Can I talk to you for a minute, Fay?” she asked.

Alex motioned for me to go with her. “It’s fine. We’ll talk later,” he said.”

Sky led me to the corner of the room, where there weren’t any people nearby to overhear. “Fay, I’ve been thinking a lot about something. I like you. A lot. You’re funny and smart, and you are such a successful producer. You’re an amazing woman and a loyal friend, but I think we could be more.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, although I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

“We make great friends, but imagine what we could be together,” she said.

“Sky,” I interrupted, “I like you but not in that way. At least, I don’t think I do.”

“We haven’t spent enough time together. I understand. But I know we have a connection, and you will see that, too. Will you give it a chance?” Sky’s eyes pleaded with me.

“I …”

“Just think about it, okay?”

“Okay,” I agreed.

Over the last few months, I had grown to enjoy her company, but I couldn’t imagine dating her. Not when every time I looked at her, I had to fight back images of her with Owen. It had been surprisingly easy to treat her fairly despite the memories of the past life, but there had to be a line somewhere.

But she wasn’t wrong. We’d gotten along well as friends, and she was hilarious. She’d gone undercover to get evidence on both Max and Owen. There was no denying that Sky was as loyal as she’d claimed I was. I just wasn’t sure if I could return her feelings. But as I promised, I would think about it.

“What was that about?” Luca asked as he walked up.

“Sky wants to be one of my many suitors,” I said, nonchalantly.

“Oh?” He raised his brows. “Another challenger, huh? Maybe I need to fight her, too? I’m not usually into fighting women.”

I laughed. “I’ve got too many people vying for my affections. Soon I’ll have to put all your faces on a T-shirt that says, ‘Fay Lush’s Fan Club.’”

“Hey, you could. But don’t forget that I’ll always be your biggest fan.” He winked.

“You're my biggest something, that’s for sure.”

“Now I’m offended.” He clutched his chest.

“If you have a heart attack every time I offend you, you’ll be dead by the end of the year,” I replied dryly.

“Then I would die a happy man.” He grinned. “Death by my favorite brand of torture: the cruel, cruel Fay.”

I couldn’t resist grinning back.