“Yeah, it was definitely that,” I said casually, like it’d been no big deal.
“You handled it well, though,” he said, grinning. “You’re a natural.”
“Bullshit,” I said with a laugh. “I’m pretty sure I was in a full body sweat and all bug-eyed. Just wait until you see a picture from tonight; guarantee I look like a ghoul.”
“I love ghouls,” he teased.
“Yeah, I’m sure. How do you deal with that all the time?” I asked, genuinely curious.
“I’m kind of getting used to it, but sometimes when I walk into a place like that, my brain starts serving up all the things I could do to completely destroy everything.”
“Please explain,” I said, turning a little in my seat, intrigued.
“Like…kissing a cameraman on the forehead, jumping on top of a table and tap-dancing, proposing marriage to the old woman at the table next to us; the possibilities are truly endless.”
“Okay, I wish you would’ve told me that before we went because that could’ve made things a lot less stressful,” I said with a laugh. “I knew I should’ve proposed to the old lady.”
That made him laugh and God, I really liked his laugh. He had one of those wide-open, throw-your-head-back laughs, like he was soaking in every bit of happiness out of that particular moment.
He drummed his thumb on the steering wheel, his eyes slightly narrowed in thought, and then he said, “Listen. It’s stillpretty early and I know that was a lot, but do you want to go home already?”
I opened my mouth to blurtyep, because I couldn’t handle any more scrutiny and photographers, but I was also having areallygood time with Connor. I had no idea how it was possible to feel so at ease with him when we’d just met and he was a beautiful famous dude, but a huge part of me was bummed the night was about to end, because I actually liked him.
“Because I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink after all that. There’s a dive bar around the corner that’s got cheap drinks and no witnesses, if you’re interested.”
So tempting.
“I think people will still recognize you at a dive bar,” I said, trying to say no but unable to actually spit out the words.
“No, I’m talkingdivedive bar,” he said. “There’s one I go to now and then where no one ever recognizes me. It’s dark and smells like greasy food.”
“You’re delusional if you think no one there knows you,” I said. “Impossible.”
“I also put on a hat before I go in,” he said, as if that changed everything.
“Oh yeah, surely that’s the thing that would make all the difference in the world. Everyone knows that when you put on a hat, you become an entirely different person.”
“Do not doubt me, wiseass,” he said. “It’s the kind of hat that makes the difference.”
“Is that so?” I asked with a snort. “A difference-making hat?”
“Watch this.” He pulled up to a stoplight and put the car inpark, leaned across me to reach into the glove box, then dug out the most ridiculous hat I’d ever seen. It was like the hunting hat Elmer Fudd wore in Bugs Bunny cartoons, with furry felt ear covers. He held up a finger before reaching into the back seat and pulling out a plaid winter coat, the kind of barn jacket that looked like someone who lived out in the country would wear. He put it on and zipped it all the way up, and then he grabbed a pair of wire-rimmed glasses from the center console and put them on his face.
And holyshit—he actually didn’t look at all like himself anymore.
He was somehow still hot, but nerdy with an I-might-hunt-people-for-sport vibe.
“That is quite the disguise—you look like a sociopath,” I said, giggling in spite of everything.
“Right?” He looked boyish, positively mischievous, as he raised his eyebrows and started driving again. “And don’t you think since I went to all the trouble to show you this, you should go to the dive bar with me?”
“I’m missing a heel, though.”
“The heel’s not a problem if you’re in,” he said, his eyes looking big and hopeful behind his fake glasses. “I can fix it.”
I didn’t know what that meant; all I knew was that I wanted desperately to have a little more time with Connor. “Fine, but only one drink. And maybe some fries.”
There was just something about him that was hard to deny, and I strongly suspected it was the simple fact that he wasfun.