“What do you like to do when you’re not giving your life to the law firm?” I asked, wiping my mouth with a napkin.
Letting out a breath, Bree replied, “Let’s see. I’ve recently gotten into reading, which I don’t really do unless I’m back in Boggy Creek or my case load is light. I love to run. I run at least three to five miles every other day.”
Damn, I’m good. “I enjoy running as well.”
“How did you get Regina Pizzeria to deliver in the middle of the night?”
I smirked. “I’m good friends with one of the owner’s sons. He owed me a favor, and I called it in.”
“Well, if this is your idea of a first date, you’re going to have to go pretty crazy with the second date to top this.”
My heart did a weird little jump in my chest at the idea of seeing Bree again. I truly wanted to get to know her better, and I could see us spending countless nights like this. At least, whenever I was able to get back to Boston.
“Are you okay with dating someone who lives across the country?”
Bree stopped chewing and looked horrified. “I…I don’t know why I said that, Luke. I don’t have any expectations of anything…” Her voice faded away.
“Hey, I want to see you again, Bree.”
She smiled and whispered, “Okay. I want to see you as well.”
“And me being clear across the country won’t bother you?” I asked.
She took her time thinking about her answer, and I liked that. She wasn’t one to jump the gun or go with her emotions in the moment. That said a lot about her.
“Do you want me to answer you honestly?”
That was another thing I liked about Bree. She wasn’t into bullshit games and spoke her mind. “Of course, I do.”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’ve never done any sort of long-distance thing before, so the only thing I can say is…I’d have to see. I wasn’t looking for a relationship, and you’ve sorta swept into my life and knocked me over with your talented tongue and dick.”
I nearly choked on my pizza. “Christ, are you trying to kill me?”
She winked. “You said you wanted honesty. That’s what I’m giving you.”
And I needed to be honest with her. “Bree, it might be complicated, dating me. With my career and all.”
Her eyes traveled over my bare chest, and she did a quick sweep of her lips with her tongue. “I think you’re worth the risk.”
I returned her perusal with one of my own. “I’m glad to hear it, and so are you, even if you are a workaholic.”
“What?” she asked with mock surprise.
“I saw you checking your work email and replying to something earlier. You do know it’s nearly four in the morning, and no one is going to read that email until Monday morning?”
“Ha, that’s where you’re wrong. I already got a reply from the other lawyer.”
I rolled my eyes. “Jesus, lawyers.”
She giggled and fell back on the bed. “I’m so full.”
Gathering up the pizza box and our paper plates, I tossed them into the trash, then crawled back onto the bed. “You clearly don’t make a habit of eating pizza in the middle of the night,” I said, pulling her body next to mine where we sat up against the headboard.
She shook her head. “I eat what I want, I just run my ass off every day and hit the gym.”
“I love food. All kinds of food.”
Bree faced me. “I know this amazing place for breakfast, if you want to go tomorrow.”
I crinkled up my face. “How in the hell can you even think about food? I’m so stuffed I can hardly move.”
Giggling, she sighed and leaned against me. “Want to watch a movie? I can’t go to sleep right after eating.”
I reached for the remote and turned on the TV. “What do you want to watch?”
“Can you go to Amazon Prime? I’ll give you my login.”
“Um, sure.” After logging into Amazon Prime, I asked, “What do you want?”
“Type in Singing in the Rain; I bought it.”
Letting out a chuckle, I pulled up the movie and hit play. As it played in the background, we talked about anything and everything. Bree told me about Boggy Creek and her folks’ bed and breakfast and what it was like growing up in a small town. She also talked about her best friend Willa and her new husband, Aiden. When she mentioned she’d someday like to move back to Boggy Creek, I let my imagination go wild. What would it be like to live a normal life with no paparazzi following my every damn move? To have friends who wanted to hang out with me simply to hang out and not because they wanted to be introduced to a director I worked with?
“Do you not like Boston?” I asked as Bree yawned and leaned closer to me.