Literary Love (Lazy Love Book 2) (9 page)

“She seemed nice.”

“Oh, she is! I can’t wait for you to get to know her. We all love her.”

Tiffani was back then, and they placed their orders. When she’d walked off again, May smiled. “It’s kind of neat to be able to meet all the people from my favorite show this way. I mean, Bob was first in my life, of course, but I’m a big fan of the whole show.” She leaned forward. “What can you tell me about the plot for season five. What are they going to do with Bob now that Jo and Dylan are married?”

He eyed her skeptically. “So you can tell your Team Bob friends? I don’t think so!”

“I wouldn’t tell anyone!” She sat back with a pout, glaring at him. “I’m your wife. You’re supposed to trust me.”

“I trust you. Mostly.”

“
Really
?” She glared at him.

“They’re going to give him some time to cool off and stop being angry with Jo and Dylan. He’s going to go on a trip and come back with a whole new attitude.”

“What’s her name?”

“Whose name?”

“The girl who gives Bob a whole new attitude?”

He laughed. “He goes back East and finds his mother.”

She frowned. Bob had never had much of a backstory. “His mother?”

“Yeah, Bob was a runaway. His mom was abused, and he got hurt trying to stand up for her. They tell the whole thing in flashbacks.” It had actually been similar enough to his own story, that it had hit very close to home. He hadn’t run away, but he’d gotten hurt standing up for his mother. More times than he could count.

“That’s sad!”

He nodded. “They’re making Bob a lot more three-dimensional this season. I hope they bring in a feisty little romance writer who sets him on fire.”

She glared. “I hope they don’t. The idea of you doing a kissing scene with someone kind of bothers me.”

Bob sighed. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to get around that.” He hadn’t read the scripts for the entire season yet, because they were still being written, but he was pretty sure he wouldn’t make it through the whole year without a love interest.

May frowned. “I guess I’ll need to be understanding about that, won’t I?”

“I don’t really have a choice, unless I really do quit my job and teach high school.”

“Then I refuse to be jealous about it. Just remember to come home to me every night, and we’ll be good.”

He grinned, bringing her fingers to his lips. “Sounds like a very wise attitude to have.”

*****

By the time he went back to work on Monday morning, May felt a lot more comfortable around her new husband. Bob was everything she’d hoped he’d be and so much more. He was a good, kind, loving man. She still didn’t feel like she measured up to him, but she wanted to be good enough.

She’d fallen mostly into his schedule, taking some over the counter sleep aids to make it happen. She never went to bed at normal hours without something to help her do so. She hated taking them, so she just let her body sleep when it wanted to.

After he’d left for the set, she pulled her computer onto her lap and checked in. The author community she’d been a part of for years had gotten word of her marriage, and there were many congratulations and well-wishes.

Her Team Bob friends were the ones who really surprised her though. She went through message after message from the ladies, all of whom seemed to be genuinely happy for her. The selfie she’d taken in the car with Bob had been shared over five thousand times. One particular share that caught her eye was by Valerie Savoy.
Looking for an amazing read? Look no further than Jolene Gold, the amazing woman who just married @BobBodefeld. #TeamBob #LazyLove

Sure enough, when she checked her sales, she’d made twice as much for the past few days. It was crazy what a celebrity endorsement did for you, even when you were a romance writer.

As she made her way through her personal messages, she found a joint message from Valerie and Amber.
We want to get to know you better
, Valerie had written.
Would you come to the set and have lunch with us on Monday? At noon?

May wanted to go—badly. She quickly punched in Sara’s number to be sure everything had gone according to plan over the weekend before she’d answered. “Everything good?”

“Of course. It’s all handled. Is Bob as amazing as you thought he was?”

May sighed heavily. “Sara, I don’t know what I did to deserve him, but I’m falling a little more in love every day. He’s absolutely incredible.”

“I’m so glad. You deserve happiness, May.”

“I wasn’t
un
happy before.”

“No, I don’t think you were, but now, I can just hear you glowing right through the phone. I saw your wedding selfie, like the rest of the free world, and you looked like someone had just lit a fire inside you.”

May grinned. “Oh, he lit a fire in me all right.”

Sara laughed. “That’s not exactly what I meant, but I’m still glad to hear it. Take a couple more days if you can.”

May frowned. “I was planning on getting back to work as soon as he left this morning, but Valerie and Amber invited me to lunch.
My two favorite actresses want to have lunch with me today!
I wanted to make sure I didn’t have any major fires to put out before I accepted.”

“Go have lunch with them! I got this. If anything comes up, I’ll tell them you’re fangirling.”

May laughed. “You would too. Rudeness.”

“I’d do it with love!”

Chapter Nine

Lunch with Valerie and Amber ended up being a lot more fun than May had dreamed it would be. They ate in Valerie and Jesse’s trailer. “Are all the trailers this big?” May asked, surprised at the size.

“Nope. Jesse and I begged for something bigger since we’re sharing now,” Valerie responded, turning away from the counter. “I’m just making egg salad sandwiches and chips. We don’t have a lot of time, but we wanted to welcome you to our little
Lazy Love
family.”

May felt her eyes sting at the other woman’s sweetness. “I really appreciate it. I wasn’t sure how you guys would feel about him marrying me.”

Amber grinned. “We’re thrilled he married you. Valerie has been forcing your books on me all weekend. I love them!”

“Oh, thank you! I’m glad!” She reached into her bag, pulling out two books she’d signed earlier. She checked the inscription on the front of one, and gave them each a book. “I promised autographed books, and I brought them.”

Amber hugged the book to her. “Yay! I haven’t read this one yet.”

Valerie turned from the counter. “I mostly read on my iPad, so I only had a few in print. Amber doesn’t read on a device. I have no idea why.”

“I mostly just don’t read a whole lot.” Amber shrugged. “I’ll read these though. It’s so cool to have a great writer in the fold.”

“Well, I’m equally excited to meet you two,” May said. “I’m one of the founding members of Team Bob.”

Valerie grinned, putting sandwiches in front of them. “Bob told us, and I think that’s awesome.”

“The other Team Bob women are going a bit nuts.”

“I’m sure they are,” Amber said with a laugh. “You guys come up with the funniest stuff.”

May shook her head. “That’s all them. Every once in a while, I’ll come up with a funny caption one of them will use, but the fan art is not me. I’m graphically challenged!” Team Bob members were constantly making memes about the show, usually with Bob looking off into the sunset or looking fierce with something clever written beside it.

“You have other talents,” Valerie said as she sat down, taking a bite of her sandwich.

“Jesse didn’t mind not having lunch with you today?” May asked.

Valerie shook her head. “The guys are all hanging out in Bob’s trailer. I think they’re doing their tame version of a bachelor party.”

“But we’re already married!”

“That’s why it’s tame!” Amber said with a smile, reading the inscription on her book. “Thank you so much for the book!”

“Oh, anytime. I’m happy to do it.” May took a bite of the sandwich and smiled. “This is really good. Who’d have thought a famous actress could cook.”

Valerie laughed. “It’s only egg salad. I can cook though. I love to cook actually.”

“Really? I don’t mind cooking, but it takes so much time. I hate doing it for just one person.”

“Now there are two,” Valerie reminded her with a grin.

“Oh, yeah. It’s hard to get used to.”

“Bob won’t tell us how you met,” Amber complained. “Will you?”

May grinned. “Really? He hasn’t told you?”

Valerie shook her head. “We’re sure it’s got to be some fun story, but we have no idea what it could be.”

“We met on an airplane.” It was the simplest answer, and not untrue.

Valerie and Amber exchanged looks. “Well, that’s interesting, isn’t it?”

“Why do you say that?” May asked.

“Two weeks ago, when Bob was being all grumbly about having to go to New York to be on
The Night Show,
we tried to tell him he was going to meet the woman of his dreams on that trip.”

May laughed. “That was the trip. I went to see the taping of
The Night Show
, and then I met him the next day on the plane.”

“Awesome,” Amber said. “There’s hope for me yet.”

“You’re young and gorgeous. You’ll find someone with no problem. You just have to close your eyes and point,” May said realistically.

“Yeah, but I want something like what Jesse and Valerie have. Something like what you and Bob have. Bob is absolutely head over heels in love with you. None of us have ever seen him this way.”

“I’m not sure what to say to that. I—think you two may be over-exaggerating things a bit.”

Valerie shook her head. “We’re not, but you’ll see soon. Bob’s always so even. He never gets upset. Never yells. Never really seems any different from day to day, but you’ve got him tied up in knots. He doesn’t stop grinning. He walked into one of the trailers on his way to the set this morning, because he wasn’t watching where he was going.”

May laughed. “I’m sure he was thinking of something other than me.”

“I’m not,” Amber said. “You just don’t understand what a down-to-earth kind of guy Bob usually is. You met and married in less than a week! Bob would be the first to say that you should know someone for at least three years before contemplating marriage, because it takes that long to figure out what kind of evil secrets they’re hiding.”

“Bob’s a cynic?” May was shocked at the very idea. He’d always seemed like such a romantic to her.

“The worst!” Amber told her. “I’ve never met anyone like him! And now he’s walking around in lala land, because of some girl! It’s nuts!”

May smiled, looking down at her sandwich. She was sure it wasn’t love, but at least she could make him happy.

“Aww, look at her,” Amber said, nudging Valerie with her elbow. “She’s shy about him!”

May laughed. “Well, that’s just not nice, Amber.”

Amber shrugged. “I’m mostly nice. I like to tease though.”

“I can see we’re going to get along great!”

Valerie smiled. “Yes, we are. We’ll have to do lunches more often!”

“Just let me know in advance. I’m not usually awake this early in the day.”

Valerie laughed. “Bob said that about you. I’m not a morning person either, but I function after my second cup of coffee. I managed to hide that until after the wedding.”

“Very smart of you,” May said with a laugh. “I guess mine runs a little deeper than that, because he knew the day after he met me. Oh well, he married me anyway.”

*****

A week later, Bob came home from the set, a lot more tired than usual. “I got our flight reservations for next month,” he told her. “I figured we’d just stay in my apartment while we’re in LA.”

May looked at him, confusion filling her face. “Why are we going to LA?” Was that one of those things they’d talked about while she was working, and she’d totally zoned out on him on? It was happening more and more often, and she didn’t mean to hurt his feelings, but she knew she did.

“I’ve been nominated for an Emmy? Best supporting actor in a nighttime drama?” Bob shook his head. He knew he’d talked to her about it.

She had no idea what he was talking about, but she figured she’d better not let that show. “Oh yeah. What are the dates we’ll be in LA again?”

“You don’t remember the conversation at all, do you?” he asked, shaking his head.

“No clue what you’re talking about, but I’ll be there if you need me.”

He walked to her, sinking onto the sofa beside her, one arm going around her. “I do need you, if you really don’t mind. If I don’t take you, I’ll end up with Amber for a date again, and that woman makes me crazy.”

“She does? Why? I like her!”

“Oh, yeah, she’s sweet and all, but all of the guys are swarming her, because they know we’re just colleagues, and all of the women are swarming me for the same reason. I need my shield.”

“So now I’m a shield, huh?” There had been little media hoopla over their marriage, and she was thrilled. She didn’t want to have to deal with any of that nonsense. She didn’t live in the public eye the way he did, and she had no desire to do so.

He took her laptop from her, and set it on the floor. “Shall I show you how I like to wear my shields?”

She laughed, going willingly into his arms. “I miss you when you’re at work all day.”

He eyed her skeptically. “Really? How long have you been up?”

Her eyes were wide as they met his. “More than an
hour
! That’s too long without you!”

He rolled his eyes. “As least I got my morning lovin’ on before I left for work. All the guys are jealous of me these days.”

She blushed, laughing. “I hope you weren’t bragging about getting your morning lovin’ on.”

“Of course not! I would never be so crass!” Bob sighed contentedly. “But it sure is nice to get before bed lovin’, morning lovin’, and sometimes got home from work and miss my wife lovin’. I’m a fortunate man!”

“You’re a sex fiend is what you are!” She shook her head at him. “What are the dates for the LA trip?”

After he’d told her, she nodded. “I can make that work. Do I need to have one of those really fancy dresses?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.

“Yup. Amber and Valerie are going shopping for theirs on Friday afternoon. You could go with them, so you didn’t have to shop alone!”

May would rather have all of her teeth pulled one by one with no anesthesia. “All right. I’ll go.”

“There’s my girl.”

“You owe me.”

“The next time you’re up for some big writing award, I’ll go and be your arm ornament.”

She laughed. “You have no idea what that would be like. Have you ever been the lone man in a room full of romance-loving women? I feel sorry for the male cover models that go to those things!”

Bob took a deep breath, hating the picture she’d just painted in his head. “I’d do it for you.”

“I know you would. And I really appreciate that. I’ll let you know.” They were doing well together, but she still didn’t think their relationship would last for another year, and that’s how long it would be before she was up for anything.

He hadn’t noticed the smell of anything cooking when he walked in. “Did you start dinner?”

She shook her head. “We have three choices.”

“And those choices are?”

“Frozen pizza, microwaved burritos, or going out.”

He sighed. “We’re going out again, aren’t we?”

She frowned at him. “What would you be eating if you were in your trailer on the set?”

“The choices would be very similar.”

“So why are you complaining now?”

“Oh, I’d have been complaining then too. I just wish there were better options.”

May sighed. “I did warn you before you married me that I wouldn’t cook very often.”

“You did. You were very honest with me about everything, and I greatly appreciate it.” Bob winked at her. “We could have a little afternoon exercise to build up an appetite before we head to town.”

“Swimming sounds fine!”

He shook his head, standing up and dragging her toward the bedroom. “Swimming is for after dinner. I have a much better idea before.”

“You are absolutely insatiable.”

He nodded eagerly. “And you were worried I’d grow tired of you.”

*****

It was a little less than a month later when May was again sitting beside Bob on an airplane, this time heading to California. “I’m nervous about this.”

Bob shook his head. “All the people in show business who really matter to me are already your friends. It doesn’t matter what any of the people you meet think of you.”

She nodded, if only to appease him. Valerie was sitting across the aisle from her. “I’m nervous,” she whispered to Valerie.

Valerie nodded. “Me too!”

“You? Why are you nervous? You’ve done this before!”

“I have. But I’ve always done it with my ex-boyfriend at my side. This time I’ll be there with Jesse. And this time, I’m obviously pregnant.”

“I’d think being with Jesse would make it easier.” May knew the story of Valerie’s crazy ex-boyfriend, so she really didn’t understand the problem.

Valerie shrugged. “In some ways it does. But Jesse and I together have always drawn much bigger crowds than me with anyone else, or Jesse with anyone else. People are so interested in every little thing we do together. If he puts his hand on my back, people react. If I make a face because I’m feeling queasy, it ends up on the front of a magazine saying I’m already unhappy in my marriage.” She sighed. “I just hate going through that.”

“That makes sense to me. I just—I worry people will see Bob with me and wonder if he’s got eye trouble.”

“They won’t. People will see you together and see what I see. You two make so much more sense together than you realize. Bob needed a woman like you. One who’s beautiful on the outside, but whose inner beauty eclipses everything else. Trust me. You are Bob’s soul mate, in a way that I’ve rarely seen for anyone else.”

May smiled at that, feeling a bit more confident. “What did I do before I had you as a friend?”

Valerie shrugged. “You didn’t venture out of your house much from what I understand.” She winked at May with a grin.

May laughed. “No, I really didn’t.” She turned back to Bob, leaning her cheek against his shoulder. “I’m not going to embarrass you.”