Flirting With First Read online

  “Really?” Roger’s face lit so completely Trista almost laughed at his happiness. “Well, then shall we move into my office?”

  “I’ll go get the ice cream,” Ryker offered. And Mallory stood to go with him.

  Trista hardly heard. She followed Mr. Stone back down another hallway and into what looked like a classroom. He’d added a white board that covered one wall, and a huge desk sat in front of it. Though the desk was far enough back he could walk the length of his wall at will. A sliding ladder allowed him to reach to the ceiling if he desired. And the whole thing made Trista’s heart beat happily. It was covered in equations. She stepped over to one side, trying to follow what he’d done.

  “That is something different. Just some ramblings really. Sometimes I do parts of equations to help me think.”

  “What!” Trista had never heard of another person doing such a thing. “So do I.”

  “Well how about that!” He turned to tell someone, probably his wife, but she hadn’t come in yet.

  “Yes, it started with Sudoku, but those weren’t challenging enough. And they require a different kind of thinking. The equations just sort of soothe me.” She didn’t know how else to explain it.

  He waved her over and opened up a large legal notebook. “Here’s where it all started. I’ll show you the first page and see if you can figure out where I go with this.”

  As soon as her eyes caught the page, she was lost. She followed his thoughts, his ideas. The numbers flowed and made sense to her. She flipped to the next page and the next, lost in the story.

  Time and place were lost to her until Ryker cleared his throat. He stepped up beside her. She was working through Roger’s equations about ten pages in. Mallory and Roger sat in chairs opposite them, eating ice cream. Roger had a huge smile on his face.

  Ryker offered her a bowl. “Chocolate?”

  She flushed. “You know it.” Then she placed the notebook on Roger’s desk reluctantly.

  “It was melting.”

  “I’m sorry.” How rude of her. How long had they let her read through Mr. Stone’s notes? She knew her cheeks were warm. But she just shrugged a took a bite, a part of her wanting to read more where the equations would take her in his notebook.

  “Not at all. Ryker, stop teasing her.” Roger motioned for them to come sit. Then he leaned forward. “So tell me. What do you make of it?”

  “Well, I’m not sure, but I think I know where you’re heading.” She asked him several pointed questions. She wanted to grill him for an hour or more, but she held back, knowing this was her chance to make a first impression with his parents, not an opportunity to geek out over math. But she was never with anyone who even liked math, let alone studied it enough to be able to discuss things with her. Her mind hungered for this kind of interaction. And she hadn’t realized how much until now.

  Then she made a guess at what he’d discovered.

  “Almost!” Roger shook his head in amazement. He looked to Mallory. “Do you know, she almost got it.”

  Mallory smiled, more appreciation in her eyes than when they’d met. “You’ve made a couple conquests in the Stone family already.”

  “Bree too. Wait until you see her, Mom. We had a spa day.”

  “I thought your hair looked lighter.” Mallory laughed.

  “Well, and Bree looks… well, she looks amazing. She’s at the park right now with some kid named Paxton. Do we know him?”

  “Oh yes, he’s a wonderful boy. His parents are dear friends.”

  “Good, ‘cause I think you might be seeing more of him.”

  Trista loved to watch them talk. She loved everything about what he called a simple home. To her, every small detail was fascinating. And not just because his father was a brilliant mathematician. His mother seemed very intelligent. “Mallory, do you teach at the university as well?”

  “Oh no.” She smiled at Roger. “I leave all those whiny students to Roger here. I volunteer, run our local book club, help Bree navigate Junior year, those kinds of things.”

  “She volunteers.” Roger shook his head. “This woman runs our town. And she heads up the Head Start program for early readers in children.”

  Trista loved her confidence, the surety of her life’s choices. If only Trista could feel that same assurance that she was pursuing the right course for her life. She knew most people would think she was crazy to doubt her movie star path. But she did.

  If she’d come from such parents, maybe she’d have the same surety. She loved her mother, her father, but they were just so distant. She was the last of four children and they just weren’t connected to her life. Did they even come to all her performances? She didn’t think so. Her Mom talked a lot about the grandkids, and visited Trista’s other siblings quite a bit. Her dad was working towards retirement. She often felt like an afterthought, and maybe she was. She’d been more five years later than the youngest. She decided she loved Ryker’s family, almost as much as she loved Ryker. And she could see how he had been raised to be such a great human being. “So, tell me how Ryker got into baseball.”

  Mallory laughed, and her whole face changed. Love beamed out of every surface. “Baseball chose him.”

  Trista smiled.

  “He was in preschool. And they did a mini introduction to all the sports during their recess time outside. He picked up that plastic bat and started hitting balls off the t-ball stand, and then when no one would set it up for him, he started tossing them in the air and hitting them himself. And then he begged the other kids to hit the balls so he could catch them. I’ve never seen a kid take to a sport so quickly.”

  “They tried to get me to play soccer.”

  “We did. Roger played soccer.” She shook her head in pretend sorrow.

  Trista laughed. “Were you not any good?”

  “Oh. He was incredible.” Roger pulled out a book of photos. “We documented every single goal.”

  Ryker groaned. “We are not bringing out the soccer book.” He frowned, but Trista could tell this was all some big joke for them. She leaned forward. Roger really did hold a photo album of young Ryker kicking a soccer ball.

  “He was by far the best in any sport he tried. But baseball was number one. Nothing compared. And once someone put him at first base, that stuck too.” Mallory shook her head. “We were so grateful for his experience at Belltown.”

  “She loves Grizz best.”

  Mallory pretended indignation. “I do not.” She leaned forward. “He did look good in that magazine spread though.”

  “Alright, Mom.”

  She waved her hand. “I’m just teasing. But anyway, enough about us. Tell me what you do, Trista.”

  She waited for the joke, but when she was sure Mallory was serious, she thought about her answer. “Well, I’m…” What did she want to tell this woman? The thought that rose fastest to the surface? She wished she could say she was a mathematician. “Actually, I’m an actress.”

  Mallory’s eyebrows rose higher on her forehead than previously. “Oh? And have I seen you in anything?”

  Obviously not. She looked to Ryker for some help. But he sat back, enjoying his mom’s cluelessness.

  “I just finished a movie and will begin rehearsing for another any day.”

  “How exciting. So you feel successful in it?”

  She nodded.

  “That’s excellent. If you’re going to dedicate your life to something, I always say, enjoy it and be successful.”

  Trista thought that excellent advice.

  Ryker finally spoke up. “She’s one of the very best in her field. People try to hire her all the time, and she can be picky about which movies she agrees to do.”

  They nodded, polite, but were obviously not at all enamored with the movie industry. How refreshingly odd. “I also do a bit of modelling, and I will be performing on Broadway next year.” She didn’t know why she threw that in, but something in her wanted to impress them.

  “Oh we love a good show,” Mal
lory said. “We always drive up to see the new ones when they come out.”

  Roger nodded. “Do let us know when, and we’ll be sure to see that night.”

  Trista had never been around anyone she wanted to impress more, without any means to do so. Suddenly, everything she’d worked so hard for felt lacking.

  Chapter 12

  Ryker and Trista left his parent’s house hand in hand. A comfortable calm had settled over them, and Ryker dreaded getting back to the real world. His parents’ house was always devoid of local news, free from the trending social media gossip, and blissfully focused and happy. Maybe because of his parents’ influence, he recognized how little the social media addicts really mattered in the world. Perhaps he cared less about all the gossip because of his parents’ influence.

  Seeing Trista sitting in his front room with his parents was equal parts disconcerting and comforting. In so many ways, she fit right in. The whole interaction with his father had fascinated him. Who knew Trista was so brilliant. Without studying past a college-level math class, she was catching up to his father’s research. And then in her career, for someone to be able to perform like she did, she had some genius in her. But math. His dad would be talking about Trista for a long time. Ryker wouldn’t be surprised if he got a phone call tomorrow about it.

  Trista leaned her head up against his arm in their limo. “I don’t want to face whatever tomorrow will bring.”

  “What? Tomorrow’s gonna be great!” He had a very early practice, and nothing special, but after time with Trista, every day felt better.

  “I mean, all the talk, the press. I can’t imagine what they’re saying.”

  “I probably won’t even read it.”

  “If only I could be so lucky.” Trista sighed.

  “What? No, you love it.”

  “I don’t love it.”

  “Of course you do. Why go into acting if you don’t want people talking about you?”

  She shook her head. “I keep having to explain this. Everyone thinks the same thing. Your sister even. When I’m acting, I’m alone in my head. People are watching me, but it’s different than you think. They’re looking for a specific tilt of a head, the perfect clip, Once I’m done, people will watch me in the film, but I won’t be there.”

  “You’re right. You did explain this. Twice now.” His forehead wrinkled. “I just don’t understand it.” He toyed with her fingers. “I’m sorry for all the stuff you might have to deal with. Hopefully it will be positive and help your career like your agent hopes?” He chuckled, and in the meantime, can we talk about how you are a math genius!”

  She laughed. “Well, I love math.”

  “I get that, but according to my dad, you’re also incredibly gifted at math.

  “Well, what do you do when you’re stressed?”

  “Usually I play baseball.”

  “Well, I do math.” She shrugged. “It calms me down, gets my brain back where it needs to be. Maybe I’ve just had a lot of practice at it.”

  “I prefer to think of you as gifted.”

  They pulled up in front of her hotel and she placed a hand at his chest to stop him. “Don’t get out,” Trista said. “Who knows who is out there to see.”

  “I don’t care. I’m walking you to your hotel room.” He wiggled his eyebrows, and a jolt of expectation zinged her awake.

  “But unfortunately, I can’t stay even if I was so lucky as to be invited in for a bit. I have practice early tomorrow.”

  “And I have to fly back to New York.”

  They walked down the hallway to her room in a companionable quiet. Trista swung their hands gently, and he smiled at the innocent way in which she accepted him into her life. In many ways, she didn’t seem as experienced as he would expect. But in other ways she was much more socially savvy than he could ever hope to be. When she stopped in front of her door and turned to him, he ached with the pain of missing her and the need to say goodbye. “And now I don’t want to leave.”

  “I don’t want you to go.”

  He pulled her into a hug. “Thanks for coming to my game.”

  “I loved it. Thanks for sharing your family.”

  “That was really special. I loved to see you with them. Oh and Bree. Thank you for all you did for Bree today.”

  “She didn’t really need any of it.”

  “No, but every woman wants to know what’s possible. She needed to know she’s valued for what’s inside, but if she wants, she can slay with her beauty.”

  Trista laughed. “I like that.”

  “Do you? ‘Cause you definitely slay.”

  “What does my beauty slay?”

  He tipped his head, catching all her lovely features. “Well, me for one. You have another conquest in the Stone family.”

  She laughed at his reference to his mom’s comment. “If you’re slain, then so am I, and where does that put us?”

  “I don’t know, but I like it.”

  “Me too.” She stood on tiptoes.

  He dipped his head to get closer.

  When their lips met, he picked her up and pulled her close. His body hummed with desire. And he knew this kiss would have to be a short one. He teased her bottom lip, catching it between his teeth, pressing again and again, her softness welcoming more until he groaned. He created a bit of space between them. “Slay.”

  She laughed. “Slay.”

  He backed up a few steps. “Good night, Trista.”

  “Goodnight.”

  He knew she watched him walk down the hall. When he was about to turn the corner, he turned back to wave.

  She stood, leaning up against her door, looking too kissable. He stared for a moment, committing the image to memory. Then he turned the corner, knowing it would be way too long until he saw her again.

  Chapter 13

  Trista flew into La Guardia airport, feeling like she’d left a part of herself in Baltimore. But a part of her was relieved to be back in Manhattan, the city had so many people that it was easier to blend in. She bustled along with hundreds of other people, filing through the airport to the where her limo waited on the curb.

  Her phone dinged. Bree.

  Trista! Have you landed?

  Trista texted back, Yes. Hi Bree!

  Hey, I need you.

  Sure what’s up?

  Well first. Squeeee! Paxton kissed me!

  I knew it. Was he a gentleman?

  Oh yes it was the cutest thing ever. But now I need your help.

  Ok,

  He wants to take things further.

  What? It’s been like a day.

  I know. He didn’t say right now, but that’s just what he does. Usually. He wanted to know if I’m okay with that.

  What did you tell him?

  I said no.

  Great.

  But now he’s not talking to me very much.

  Trista groaned. So this jerk kissed her and already wanted to know how far he could get with her. And now he was trying to dump her slowly? She shook her head. This guy has a lot of nerve.

  What?

  He’s a jerk.

  Oh no. is he? I like him.

  Yes. You can do better.

  Can I call you sometime to talk about things?

  Any time. If I’m on set I can’t answer. Otherwise I’m all yours.

  Thank you!

  You got it, girl.

  Her car pulled up in front of her apartment building on the Upper West Side. She loved her place.

  The doorman, Eddie, greeted her at the door. “Hey, Miss McKinney. It’s good to have you home.” Eddie also ran security detail, and acted as all-round father of the apartment complex. He was in his fifties, strong, broad shouldered, and friendly. And he was the closest thing to a normal family or friend that Trista had in New York City. Thinking of her time with Ryker’s family, Roger’s warm smile made her grin. The difference between her sparse life in New York and the last couple days enhanced her loneliness. “Hey, Eddie.” She paused. “How ha
ve you been?”

  “Just fine, ma’am, just fine. We had a quite a stir outside the door yesterday, folks looking for you, if I’m not mistaken.”

  “Oh dear. I apologize for the trouble.” She looked over her shoulder at the glass entry doors. “Do you think they’ll come back?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. We kept them outside where they belong, but you might want to get some of that security back that you had last year when this started to happen.”

  Whenever she was in the middle of a new movie launch, the press coverage picked up. She nodded. Ryker had said the same thing. “I think I will.” She smiled at the friendly doorman. “Thank you for always being here, Eddie.”

  “Well now, you’re welcome. You take care of yourself.”

  She headed for the elevator. Time to get back to her real life, starting with a plan for the agent meeting tomorrow.

  Her apartment sat on the top floor. She had floor-to-ceiling windows and a lovely view of the park. The only way she could handle New York was this view of the park. She loved the busy, crazy, fast-paced city, but she needed a bit of green. A quiet, beautiful view, and nature. So even though this place took a large chunk of her budget, it was worth it to her. She had not walked two steps into her space when her phone rang. Quinn.

  “Hello.”

  “Welcome back, Trista!”

  “Hey, thanks. I’m getting ready for our meeting tomorrow.”

  “I’ve got Trevor and Bryan lined up.”

  “Awesome. Hey, listen. I’m trying not to be a diva about this, but I’m gonna start to care about how my private life is portrayed.”

  “You can care about whatever you want. That’s what I’m here for. And trust me, I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’ve got your public image taken care of.”

  But that was just it. She was starting to have opinions about her public image because it was affecting her private life. She smiled. Now that she had a private life, these things mattered. She smiled, thinking about Ryker. And then frowned. No way was he going to be discussed by the press any more than they could avoid.