He laughs. “That’s cool. Why’d you make that decision?”
“Gigi.”
His brow knits. “Is she vegan?”
“Oh god, no. But I just love animals so much I can’t eat them. It’s not a hardship either. Confession: I love salad madly. I swear it’s not the actress stereotype. I just seriously love salad so much I could marry it.”
He tips his wine glass to mine. “To the future Mrs. Arugula,” he says.
“You should know I’m going into a polyamorous relationship with kale, arugula, and spinach. Not radicchio, though. A gal’s got to have standards.”
“I’ll revise my earlier statement to exclude radicchio. I like everything but radicchio. That’s an unforgivable leaf.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
As he takes another bite, he tilts his head, a thoughtful look in his eyes. “Do you want me to eat vegan when we’re together?”
Wow. No one has ever asked me that before. “That’s very considerate to ask, but it’s a personal choice. Thank you, though.”
“Just let me know if you change your mind, Ellie,” he says.
Gabe’s an interesting mix of gentlemanly consideration outside the bedroom and caveman in it.
I do like this cocktail of Gabe.
“I’ll let you know.” I take another bite of the salad before I go fishing. “So, you told the driver you’re liking LA?”
He grins. “Even more in the last few hours,” he says.
I smile and happily tuck that compliment in my pocket. “Me too.”
We take a few more bites, then he says, “Tell me more about your show. When I looked you up, I read a little aboutThe Dating Games. Two best friends, a man and a woman. The guy’s gay, the woman’s straight. And they give each other dating challenges? How’d you come up with that concept?”
This is new. A guy who asks questions and wants to know the me behind the face he might have seen on-screen. “The thing I loved most about acting was inventing the backstories for characters, so while I was working onUnfinished Business,I started playing around with the concept forThe Dating Games. It comes from situations I saw around me—things my friends and I experienced. Dating these days is such a minefield,” I say.
“Sure is,” he seconds.
“I wanted to tell a fun, fresh, sometimes poignant story that reflected the highs and lows for these two friends. Both are coming off breakups and getting back into the dating world by giving each other bets and challenges.”
“It’s as much about friendship as it is about romance?”
“Yes! Exactly. At its heart, it’s about how we lean on our friends as we seek romance,” I say. “I know I wouldn’t be able to get through the crazy world of dating without my friends.”
“Will you miss them while you’re in LA?”
“So much.” I set a hand on my heart, feeling that pang of missing Veronica and Hazel even though they’re still here this week. “But I plan on making great new friendships in Los Angeles. It’s my top goal after work.”
He smiles. “Love that plan.” Then he clears his expression and takes another bite. When he’s done chewing, his gaze is intense and so is his tone. “No interest in dating?”
Well, I didn’t plan on it, but tonight was fun.
I don’t say that, though, since I can’t quite read why he’s asking with such…passion?
He clearly cares about the answer, so I mull over his question for a few seconds. Originally, I thought I might date when I first arrived. But I’ll be working relentless hours starting next week, building a new name for myself in the entertainment business.
Even though dating a sexy beast like Gabe might be fun, I’m here for one reason only, and I need to focus on my new work opportunity. “I wasn’t planning on it,” I say at last, feeling solid about that answer. “Work is going to be intense, and it’s a big change. So is setting up my life here. Making new friends,” I add with a knowing smile, bumping my shoulder to his. He’s been a friend of sorts. He could surely stay one beyond whatever tonight is.
“New friends,” he says, like he’s taking everything in. He blows out a long, relaxed breath. “Makes perfect sense. I’m all about football. That should be intense too. Always is but especially since this is my last season.”