Page 29 of Total Creative Control

“What?”

He wrinkled his nose. “Can we not talk about it in front of Aaron just yet?”

Toni looked confused. “What? But that’s why he’s here, isn’t it? Besides, you talk about everything in front of Aaron.”

“I know. It’s just he’s not going to like it and—” He let out a long breath, struggling to articulate the weird sense of disloyalty he felt at entertaining an idea Aaron so vociferously opposed.

“Oh right, I get it,” Toni said, her tone sympathetic. “You don’t want him to talk you out of it before you’ve talked yourself in, is that it?”

“Something like that. I just need to turn it over in my own mind a bit more, you know?”

“I get it,” Toni said. “Anyway, we’ve got plenty of other stuff to talk about, especially since I missed the meeting yesterday. How did it go with Ryan?”

Lewis sighed, and Toni’s brows went up. “Not well?”

He made a face. “He’s a good writer.”

“But…”

Lewis opened his mouth to answer, but the car had begun to slow again, and he realised they’d already reached the coffee shop.

“I’ll pop in and see if Aaron needs a hand,” Lewis said. “Back in a mo’.”

There was a queue of customers waiting at the counter inside, at the head of which stood Aaron, giving his order. He was laughing at something the tattooed barista was saying, and the guy was grinning back. The barista was young, maybe early twenties. Jobbing actor, probably; Lewis could spot them a mile off. He looked like he’d had his teeth recently bleached because they were a bit too white, on the edge of ridiculous really, but he was so hot that he kind of carried it off.

Lewis felt a bolt of irritation.

What was the guy grinning about anyway?

He stomped past the waiting queue, stopping at Aaron’s shoulder.

“Hey,” he said to Aaron, even as he eyed the barista suspiciously. The guy was wearing a nametag that said, somewhat confusingly, “Tag”.

Aaron whirled around. “Oh! It’s you,” he said. “You made me jump.” He tucked his company credit card back in his wallet. Technically, he wasn’t eligible for a credit card, but Lewis had insisted he be given one because he needed to pay for stuff for Lewis all the time.

“Of course it’s me,” Lewis said tightly. “Who else would it be?”

Had Aaron forgotten he existed? The thought made him scowl.

The scowl only seemed to amuse Aaron, so Lewis directed it at Tag instead. Annoyingly, Tag didn’t notice. He was too busy scribbling something on a piece of paper which he handed to Aaron. A receipt.

“My number’s on the back,” Tag said, winking. “I better get back to serving now. Your order will be at the end of the counter in a couple of minutes, okay?”

Aaron smiled and shook his head in a sort ofDon’t you ever give up?way. “Thanks, and like I said, I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all I ask,” Tag said cheerfully as they moved away towards the other side of the shop. “You know where I am.”

“Think about what?” Lewis hissed, while Aaron grabbed sachets of sugar, salt, and sauces from the station at the end of the counter.

“What? Oh, he asked me to go for a drink with him.”

Lewis frowned. “Do you know him?”

“Not really, just to say hello. He’s auditioned a couple of times for RPP projects, and Colin and I used to come in here sometimes.”

“So, what, Tag’s been hanging around all this time waiting for his chance with you?” Lewis demanded. He was vaguely aware that he sounded outraged on Colin’s behalf.

Aaron plainly thought that was as weird as Lewis did. His brow scrunched up in confusion. “I doubt it, but apparently, Colin was in here the other day with—Well, with someone else.”