Page 108 of Dream On

“Classy,” I say with a smile.

“What do you like?”

Images of glistening double cheeseburgers, oozing with grease and tangy dressing, dance across my mind, but then the preemptive mortification of devouring such a thing like a starved hyena in front of Lexington Hall overpowers the fantasy. “Just some french fries.”

“No.”

My nose wrinkles as I slouch back in the seat. “Why not?”

“You’re not one of those calorie-counting bikini models too embarrassed to eat a burger in front of me. You’re getting a combo meal.”

“I don’t want a—”

The dividing pane rolls down, and Adrian calls back to us over his shoulder. “What can I get you two?”

I quickly respond. “Just a small order of french—”

“Two combo meals with double cheeseburgers, fries, and milkshakes,” Lex interjects.

Grumbling, I fold my arms and slouch farther into the seat.

“Milkshake flavors?” Adrian prompts.

Lex glances at me.

Strawberry.

“Two strawberries.”

A few moments later, Adrian hands us a crumpled paper bag of food and a drink holder filled with two large shakes.

I reach inside the bag and pull out a floppy burger, half-wrapped in paper. My overthinking brain goes to war with my barren belly, and I pick delicately at a gooey tassel of cheese leaking from between the patties. “How did you know I liked strawberry?”

Lex unwraps his burger and takes a giant bite. “You always had that Nesquik powder in your cabinets. Strawberry flavored.”

I blink at him, shocked he’d remember such a thing. “Good memory.”

Swallowing down the bite, he inches across the curved seat to address his driver. “Griffith Park.”

“You got it,” Adrian replies, and the limo jolts into motion.

I nibble the edges of the bun like a neurotic squirrel sampling a fallen acorn. “Griffith Park?”

“Yeah.” Lex swipes his oily hands on a napkin and wipes his face. “It’s a pretty night.”

Pressing my tongue against my cheek, I glance out the window as the California sunset bathes the world in a blanket of magenta and coral. He’s not wrong. “Aren’t you worried about people recognizing us?”

A shrug. “Comes with the territory. Castle is in the SUV behind us. He’ll keep an eye on things.”

I nod and take a small bite of my burger before licking a dollop of sauce off my upper lip. Lex watches in my peripheral vision, then turns away the moment I look over at him.

When Adrian lets us out in front of the park, we snatch up our milkshakes and scooch out of the limo as I use my free hand to smooth down my pecan-brown sweater dress. We forgo the tourist attractions for the recreational areas and nature-draped backdrops, sauntering side by side, a gap between us, as the sun dips lower in the sky.

Autumn in Los Angeles is very different from the dramatic foliage changes in Chicago. I find myself missing crunchy red and golden leaves, puffy coats, and watching my breath paint marshmallow puffs on chilled currents.

Lex slurps from his straw, his highlighted hair shielded by a navy beanie and his eyes hidden behind a pair of Tom Ford sunglasses. “You did good today,” he says, breaking the silence.

Sipping my shake, I sneak a glance at him as the sweet slush swims down my throat like a glacier breaking away from the ice. “So did you.”