He hated to ask this, but—

“What does Simon think?”

She looked up at him with a wry smile on her face.

“I know you and Simon didn’t—exactly—click, but he’s my fiercest advocate, you know.”

Ben sighed.

“I know. That’s why I asked. I figured if there was something to worry about, Simon would know.”

She leaned back against him and pulled him down until they were both lying back on the couch.

“He says we’re doing all the right things—he never bullshits me, so I know it’s true. But I think he’s also worried.” She put her hand in his, and he squeezed. “He gave me a pep talk today, said I’m doing a great job, just keep doing what I’m doing, and we’ll know more in a few weeks.” She laughed softly. “That made me feel better, it always does when he gives me a pep talk, but this time I didn’t even ask for one, so he could obviously also tell something was up.”

He lifted their hands and kissed hers.

“Okay. Do we have plans tonight?”

Anna shook her head.

“No, everything is tomorrow and Sunday. Tomorrow night we’re going to a play and then dinner. Sunday is just a paparazzi-bait trip to the grocery store.”

He kissed the side of her head.

“Perfect. Then how about we stay right here, on this more-comfortable-than-it-has-a right-to-be couch, until your heart stops beating like you just ran a marathon? And then maybe we can go outside and get in that pool of yours I have yet to experience. Or we can do whatever the hell else will take your mind off of all that other stuff.”

Anna propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at him.

“I have a better idea.” She reached for his belt.

He smiled at her and pushed up her dress.

“Mmm, is this where I get to take off these perversely sexy underwear of yours?”

She laughed as he peeled them down.

“Perversely sexy? My Spanx? You must be kidding.”

He shook his head.

“Absolutely not. Thongs are great, I love them, sexy as hell, don’t get me wrong. But these things feel like the kind of thing you don’t usually let men see you in.”

He could see her think about that.

“No. You’re right, I don’t. Almost never, actually.”

He smiled and slipped them all the way off.

“That’s what I thought. That’s what makes them sexy.”

She pulled him up and kissed him.

“You are a constant surprise to me,” she said. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

So was he.

 

* * *

 

—

Anna was awake, barely, but not ready to actually wake up. She was still in bed, curled up against a sound-asleep Ben. She liked this time of the morning, when she could just lie here with him and breathe in and out; feel him breathing in his sleep, feel his hand on her hip and his chest against her back. His breathing and his touch made it so she couldn’t worry about anything.

Well. So she couldn’t worry as much, anyway.

Her phone rang, and she reached for it to turn off the sound before it woke Ben up. She glanced at the screen: Penny. What was she calling for this early in the morning?

Anna slid out of bed carefully and grabbed her robe on the way out of the room.

“Hello? Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong, why are you whispering?” Penny asked. “Oooh, because the maaaan is there. Ooh, this makes this even better.”

Anna padded into the kitchen to pour herself coffee.

“Makes what even better?”

“I’m going to be in L.A. today!” Penny said.

Anna pulled off the scarf from around her hair.

“What? Without telling me?”

“What do you think I’m calling for right now? It was a last-minute thing—can we meet up? Can I meet HIM? A restaurant is doing a whole big dinner tonight with our wines and at the last minute asked me to come so I can do the whole winemaker song and dance. I’ll be heading that way in a few hours with a bunch of cases of wine in my trunk. I have to get there super early to set up—want to bring HIM to meet me there? I’d come over after the dinner but I have to drive back to Paso Robles tonight.”

Penny was one of the few people she’d change any plans for.

“Why don’t you spend the night here tonight? That way you don’t have to drive back home in the dark and all full of wine.”

Penny laughed.

“I won’t be full of wine—I can’t drink much at these things; I have to keep my wits about me. And I have to be at the winery bright and early tomorrow for a meeting with my interns.”

Anna heard a step in the hallway and turned to see Ben amble into the kitchen. She grabbed a second mug out of the cabinet for him and poured coffee into it. He took the oat milk out of the fridge and handed it to her, and took the sugar out of the cabinet for himself.

“Okay, then. I can—” She looked over at Ben, sleepily blowing on his coffee like he did every time. “We can meet you at the restaurant. What time?” He looked up at her and raised his eyebrows. She grinned at him. He smiled slowly at her and opened the sliding glass doors to her backyard.

“I love the sound of that ‘we,’ ” Penny said. “How about three? I’ll be there by two thirty at the latest, but they’ll be finishing up lunch then, so it’s probably better if you get there after they’re all closed. Just text me when you park and I’ll let you in. Make sure HE knows how excited I am to meet him.”

Anna looked in Ben’s direction. His back was to her, and she was pretty sure he was out of earshot, but she lowered her voice, just in case.

“He has a name, you know. Ben. Please be nice. Simon wasn’t . . . excellent, and I don’t want him to think everyone in my life is going to hold his feet to the fire.”

Not that it really mattered, she reminded herself. They only had this weekend and then the premiere left to go.

Penny chuckled.

“Oh God, why did you make the poor man meet Simon? I know he’s exactly what you need as your manager, but . . . ouch. Don’t worry, I’ll be great! It’s just me!”

“Mmm, yes, I know, that’s why I said something,” Anna said.

Penny just laughed and hung up.

Anna followed Ben outside.