“Not really.” She shakes her head and grins at me, locking in our gaze together in my memory. Although I’m afraid of these feelings for her because they’re getting stronger by the fucking second, I still have Crystal on my brain, too?which makes me feel even more confused. And a bit like a dick.
“I know a great brunch place,” I offer. “Come on.” I take Molly’s hand and move her to the front door.
“Um, I mean I love to see you shirtless and all, and as much as I’m sure the restaurant patrons will side with me, the owners might not,” she teases me and points to my bare chest.
“Oh, right.” I grin and facepalm myself as if I’m actually forgetting to clothe myself.
“You sure love your body, don’t you?” she laughs.
“How can I not?” I joke and flex my muscles.
Molly whistles and claps her hands together.
“Thank you, sir, that will be a perfect ten,” she announces.
I take a little bow while she giggles. I pull a polo shirt over my head and look at her. “What?” I ask.
“Nothing.” She gives me a funny look. “It’s just that your hair is now tousled from throwing your shirt over your head and you look fucking adorable.”
“Oh,” I say and instinctively place my hand on top of my hair.
“Here, let me help you, she says and stands on her tip toes to straighten out my hair. Her fingers are soft and make me feel warm and relaxed. I like the intimacy of the gesture a lot. More than I should.
“There, much better.” She smiles, that fucking gorgeous smile that just does me in.
“Good. Ready to go?” I bounce on my heels, not sure what to do with this weird nervous energy she stirs up in me.
“Yep.”
I give Molly a thumbs up and we head out downstairs together.
It’s a beautiful day for a slow stroll in the park. The birds are singing, the grass is green, and the sky is blue. No, I’m not making any of this shit up! The universe is as happy as I am right now in this moment.
We approach a place right on the water and Molly glances up to read its title. “Bread and Butter?”
She eyes me quizzically.
“Yep.” I beam.
“Well, how fucking cute is that?” she says, relishing in the name.
We walk inside and request that the hostess lead us to an outside table so we can enjoy brunch in the warm day.
“Thank you again for last night,” Molly says a few minutes later once our food arrives at the table.
I take a fork and knife and cut into my eggs, taking a delicate and delicious bite.
“Thank you for agreeing to come as my date,” I tell her and take a sip of my mimosa.
“I’m super proud of you,” she admits and wipes her mouth with a napkin. “You really deserve all the attention you’re getting for your films.”
“I’m only half the reason for it.” I wave a hand dismissively. “Did you get to meet my best friend last night? Victor Evans?”
For the first time in my entire life, I want to focus the attention away from me, and I have no idea why Molly has this effect on me.
She nods her head. “Yeah, he seems like a really nice guy.”
“He’s amazing,” I admit. “He directs all my movies. I would be nothing without his eye for detail.”