Page 29 of That Friendzone Feeling

Hedefinitely has his head screwed on.

“Sorry,” he says. “Iinterrupted.DegreeatUCLA.Goon.”

“AfterschoolIgot a job on the corporate side of a big aerospace company just outside the city.ButIhated that too.”

“Howdid you end up at an aerospace company?IrealizeIbarely know you, but that doesn’t seem like a good fit.”

Ilook down at my clasped hands in my lap. “Mydad’s an aircraft engineer.IguessIfigured ifIwent into a similar field, he might like it.”

“Anddid he?”

Ishrug.Thefact is he barely even indicated he’d noticedI’dfollowed him into the same industry as him.

Ineed to whiz through the backstory and get us to the present moment as quickly as possible so we can move on.

“Idecided to quit that job and go get anMBA.Thegoal was always to start my own business and never have to work for anyone ever again.MetWalkerthe first week atNorthwestern, and he felt exactly the same way.Aboutnot wanting to work for anyone else,Imean.”Asmile creeps across my face at the memory. “Neitherof us knew what business we wanted to go into, though.Untilone night a fortune cookie told me the beer he was constantly brewing in his kitchen could be our future.”

Ispread my arms. “Andnow hereIam.You’reup to date.”

Itake another sip of the finest wine known to humanity.Timeto get the conversation away from me.Famouspeople like to talk about themselves, right? “Howaboutyou?Howdoes one go about becoming the darling ofHollywood?”

“Alittle bit of talent and a lot of luck.”

Thisman is ceaselessly modest.

“Butlet’s just rewind, though.”Hemakes circles with his finger. “Afortune cookietold you to start a brewery?”

“That’sa long story.”

“Okay,I’llget that one out of you another time.Howabout siblings?Doyou have any?”

Oh, great.Herewe go. “Justone.Asister.”

“Andwhat does she do?”

Ilook at him in silence for a second.Enjoyingthe last moment he’ll see me as my own person—albeit a person who can’t pack a power cord—before he sees me as just my sister’s sister.

“She’sSaraLombardo.”

Hetilts his head. “Thepianist?”

“Yup.”

Hiseyes scan my face. “Nowyou say that,Ido see the resemblance.”

“Butminus the talent, glamour, and star power?”Shit.Toomuch?Backto him.Theconversation needs to get back to him. “Here’sa question for you.”Twosips of wine and a presentationless presentation have apparently emboldened me. “Howdo you escape all the tabloid stuff?Whyare there never pictures of you draped with starlets all over the place?”

“That’seasy.I’mnever draped with starlets.Oranyone else for that matter.”

“It’svery unusual for someone in your position.”

“Don’tget me wrong.Idid get around, when things first took off for me.But, well,Idon’t know.”Heturns his gaze to the fire and falls silent for a second as he watchesthe flames. “IfItell you, it would sound silly,” he says softly.

“I’msure it wouldn’t.Notto someone with a love life as disastrous as mine, anyway.”

“Oh, you must have your pick of men.”Hesmiles as his gaze drifts from the fire to me.

“Thepick of the assholes, maybe.Tellme, though.Whathappened?”