Landon & Shay: Part Two (L&S Duet #2)(66)

I ended up staying a few nights at Mima’s place.

I was left with such a feeling of unease with people knowing who I was and thinking they had the right to access me whenever they pleased.

That was why I always thought I’d want to go into screenwriting over acting. There seemed to be a bit of mystery that came with being a writer. You were in the shadows instead of the limelight, and I truly loved that idea. It turned out that I wasn’t made for the limelight, and the small fifteen minutes of fame I’d been getting couldn’t have passed any sooner.

I had three job interviews under my belt, and I was feeling pretty hopeless going into the fourth one that week. Each position brought up the fact that I’d been an internet meme and concluded that it wouldn’t be a good fit. They couldn’t work with unstable employees. One employer even went as far to say that I should’ve had more pride than to be fighting over Landon Pace. “He sleeps with everyone, sweetheart. Not worth losing a job.”

Last time I checked, I was applying for a job, not to be scolded for fake news.

As I sat in the fourth interview at a cute coffee shop called, Beans & Things, I was pretty relieved when fifteen minutes had passed during the interview, and the manager hadn’t brought up my dramatic claim to fame.

“It looks like you have quite a few years in the barista career,” Matt exclaimed, scanning my resume. “Is this a passion of yours?”

Serving coffee to people? No. Not a passion. But paying my rent was a passion, so I did what most people did during interviews—I lied. “Oh, yes. I love interacting with individuals on a daily basis. Plus, I know that people are much happier with a great cup of joe in their hands, and I like being able to give them that joy. Nothing feels better than seeing a smile on their face as they walk away with their order made perfectly. Plus, I’m fast, too. I can make drinks in my sleep, and I can memorize your specialties in a heartbeat. This would be an amazing opportunity to work for your business.”

Matt smiled, pleased by my answer. “Good, good. I’m glad to hear it. Now, there’s just one last thing. A test, if you will.”

I nodded. “Sure, okay.”

He looked up to the counter where an employee was standing, and he called him over.

The employee walked over with a smirk on his face and an iced latte in his hand.

Oh, no.

He sat it down on the table, and Matt turned to look my way. “So, let’s say a customer walks into the store, and you’re having a bad day. Say there’s an iced latte in front of you. What do you do with said iced latte?”

My stomach dropped and my face heated up as Matt and the employee both began laughing at me. I felt tears burning at the back of my eyes as they laughed straight in my face, as if I weren’t a human anymore, yet just a stupid meme that was giving them a kick that afternoon.

I gathered my things, and stood to my feet, without offering them another word. When I made it to my car, I sat inside and drove away.

As I drove, I let the tears began to fall.

At least there was no paparazzi around to capture my pain this time around.

Landon was in town for a few more days, and when I texted him to see if I could come over to forget about my so-called-life for a while, he’d invited me over. In the past, when I felt any form of anxiety, I’d go for a run to help me relax. Yet, there was nothing better than having Landon undress me, and roam his hands all over my body. Each time he thrusted into me my mind went elsewhere, far away from my current problems. I lost myself in him, the same way he’d used to lose himself in me when we were younger.

An eye for an eye.

Weeks passed with our arrangement. He’d find himself in the neighborhood much more than he should’ve, but I didn’t argue it. If he was going to fly into town for a random fling, then I was all about it.

Each kiss felt like comfort, each orgasm rocked my world, and each day I kept reminding myself that it was strictly physical. I wouldn’t become attached to him again like I used to be.

It was purely sex.

It was really great, mind-blowing, make you curl your toes, kind of sex. But still, just sex.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Even if that small corner of my na?ve heart wanted it to be something more.





26





Shay





“Do you think we can take a break from talking about character arcs to talk about something different, Shay?” Karla asked, breaking me away from our current lesson plan. We’d been going on and on about what makes a character stand out in a manuscript, and ways to make each character realistic. A few of Karla’s characters were a little too perfect, so we were working to break them down.

Even heroes had their own set of flaws.

“Of course. What’s on your mind?”

“Well.” Her cheeks heated up and she shrugged her shoulders. “It’s kind about boys.”

“Ohh.” I swooned. “Tell me more.”

“There’s this boy at school named Brian. He’s so hot. Like, so hot. He used to be my best friend, but after the accident, we’d stopped talking for a while. Recently he started talking to me again, and I want to tell him I like him, but I don’t know how to do it. Plus, I doubt he’ll like me back in that way. He’s pretty popular still, and I’m…well…not.”