Page 214 of Charming Like Us
JACK HIGHLAND
Oscar shakesout a bag of Nagaraya original cracker nuts, his current favorite Filipino snack. Last week it was sour cream & onion Piattos, a lighter-style chip.
“You sure this won’t mess with the sound quality?” he asks as he strides over, dipping beneath one of the softboxes that I set up in my living room. “Because I can ditch the snacks, if I need to.”
I laugh. “You’re serious?”
“I might complain about it, but I’ll do it.” His eyes sink into mine, and I’m lost in the deep browns for a solid moment. We’re filming the first interview forSuddenly Famoustoday, our docuseries. Closed set. Only us. And I know this is a big deal. A first step to sharing our lives with the world. He gave me this.
Theone.
I’m the creator of a show—a show about us, and my soul is already rooted in the film before the camera has rolled.
He shakes his bowl. “So verdict?”
“Keep your nuts.”
He grins at the slight innuendo, and I dig a hand into the bowl. “This is about showing the real us. Plus, I have the best sound equipment that money can buy.”
“Legitimately impressed that I married a billionaire.” He touches his chest.
I slip him a smile.
“But you might want to spend some of that trust fund on a bigger apartment, Highland. Youstilldon’t fit in this one.”
I laugh as I readjust one of the boom arms. “I’m surprised you never asked why I live in this apartment, since you know I have the trust fund.”
He sinks down onto the couch, bowl on his lap. “I didn’t need to ask. I figured out why.”
My brows shoot up. “Really?”
“Really, Long Beach, you might surprise me a lot, but you are my husband. You’re not that big of a secret anymore.” His smooth confidence draws me in. Curly strands of hair touch his forehead, and he brushes them back. “You work so much. Most the time you’re either at the WAC offices or on a shoot. In your head, there probably wasn’t a big reason to upgrade from a shoebox when you’re just here to shower and pass out.”
My smile hurts my face. It’s not just that Oscar knows me, but it’s the certainty behind it. Like there’s no doubt in his head that he could be wrong.
“But I have been thinking about upgrading the apartment.” I slip behind one of the cameras and adjust the focus. I’ve got three different cameras positioned around the living room to give me varying shots.
His eyes widen. “Finally worried that the ceiling fan is going to knock you out? Because I’ve been eyeing that thing since the first time I stepped foot in here.”
I let out a soft laugh, still standing and working on the boom. “No, I just figured we’re married, dude.”
Humor drains from his face replaced by that serious side that I’ve come to love. He sets aside the snack bowl and wraps an arm around the couch like his whole attention is mine.
“Explain, Long Beach.”
“We’re married.” I open my hands.
“You said that already. I’m waiting for the description.”
“Hold on,” I say and purposefully glance down at the camera’s screen to drag this out. He makes a noise while I take my sweet time focusing, adjusting, and making sure that his beautiful face is perfectly framed.
“Arizona, if you don’t get your ass over here.”
I break into a bigger grin. No lie, whenever he calls me Arizona, it feels like he’s packaging the state and giving me a gift.
“I’m coming, just not too fast,” I tell him. Feeling his grin behind me as I lock in the settings, click record, and sink down on the couch next to him.
Our knees knock together, turned into one another, and we both have an arm atop the couch.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193
- Page 194
- Page 195
- Page 196
- Page 197
- Page 198
- Page 199
- Page 200
- Page 201
- Page 202
- Page 203
- Page 204
- Page 205
- Page 206
- Page 207
- Page 208
- Page 209
- Page 210
- Page 211
- Page 212
- Page 213
- Page 214 (reading here)
- Page 215