“You just signed an NDA without reading it?” Jen practically shouted at her the moment she recounted that portion of her trip to the set. Jen pounced on her the minute she walked in and wanted to know everything.

“What’s the big deal?” Alex said, shrugging before walking to her room.

“I’m not even a lawyer yet and I know that’s a big deal. Did you at least read it?”

“Not really,” she said, shrugging.

“Have I taught you nothing?” Jen exclaimed.

“I wanted to see what all of the hustle and bustle was about. It was so fun.”

“You get to do all of the cool stuff!” Jen cried dramatically, throwing herself onto the couch.

“Like work at the restaurant by myself for eight hours a day with Ben as my only company for most of the time? Yes, I’m living the life,” Alex said, walking into her bedroom. She opened her drawers and pulled out pajamas.

“So, other than that totally boneheaded NDA thing, what else happened? I need to live vicariously through you,” Jen called out from the living room.

Alex changed into her pajamas and joined Jen on the couch.

“We hung out in his trailer and ate junk food. I met his co-star Lesley. She was super sweet is already demanding pancakes. Apparently, word travels fast,” Alex said.

“Mmmm pancakes,” Jen said, doing her best Homer impersonation.

“Nope! Not happening. I’m too tired.”

“You’re no fun! The frozen ones are never as good as when you make them fresh.”

“Anyway, then I went to the set with them and watched them film a couple of scenes. It was interesting to see how it all worked and to realize just how slow it all moves. They did the same scene so many times from so many different angles, and the whole thing was probably less than three minutes of screen time. Gabe said that it might end up getting cut out of the final thing.”

“That sounds crazy. I can’t imagine doing that much work when no one will even see it,” Jen said, closing her eyes.

“I know. And there was one other interesting thing that happened,” she said.

“Hmmm,” Jen said as she started to drift off.

“Gabe invited me to come with him to LA when he goes back next week.”

“What?” Jen shouted, jumping up so quickly that she knocked Alex off the couch and onto the floor.

“Jeez, Jen,” she said, rubbing her butt as she got up off the floor. “Overreact much?”

“You think this is overreacting?” Jen said, hitting her with one of the couch pillows with each word. “So, are you going to go?” she asked, kneeling on the couch.

“I don’t know yet,” Alex said, biting her bottom lip. “I’m nervous. That’s a big step. Heading to LA with him? That’s not going for a weekend trip somewhere. That’s a couple of months in LA before school starts. It feels like that time my mom left to follow Guy in the Band around the country for the summer and left me home alone with a hundred dollars.”

“Alex, don’t even go there with that crap. You’re nothing like that woman. I don’t know how many times I need to say that. You’re young, you don’t have a child—you can be reckless and have a little fun, even with a guy. Do it now, so you won’t regret not going later.”

“But what if it doesn’t work out?”

“So, what? It doesn’t work out, you had some fun for once. I say go,” Jen pronounced, sitting back on the couch, picking up her ever-present sketch pad and pencil.

“What do you mean go? How can I just pick up and go? What about Ben and the restaurant? What about you? And the apartment?”

She started to pace back and forth across the apartment.

“Don’t use me as an excuse. I told you from the beginning that my dad will pay for my rent if I’m studying for the LSAT. You’re the one who insisted on paying for half. And yes, you can pick up and go. Ben’s closing the restaurant once their production leaves town. So that crosses me, Ben, and the apartment off the worrywart list. What else?”

“We just met. I don’t know him very well. I don’t know him at all!”

“But you slept with him,” Jen said with a smirk.

“How the hell did you know that?” Alex sputtered.

“I didn’t, but now I do,” Jen teased. “How was it?”

“I can’t believe I fell for that!” Alex slapped her forehead, closing her eyes.

“Back to not knowing him well,” Jen said, raising her eyebrows up and down. “It’s not that big of a deal. You go, you hang out and have fun. Go! If you find out he bites his toenails or snores in his sleep, you get to have a cool vacation and then you come back early.”

“I can’t believe you’re seriously pushing for this.”

“I told you I’m living vicariously through you. I’m going to be stuck studying for the LSAT for the next few months, then heading to law school next fall. That’s three more years of nose-in-books type work. And once all that is finished, what do I get to do? Work eighty-hour weeks for a few years until I burn out or make partner. I need you to do this for me.” Jen sighed.

“Jen, if that’s how you feel about going to law school, then why are you doing it?”

“Daddy issues are a real bitch. He always wanted a boy to follow in his footsteps, so here I am doing everything in my power to make daddy proud,” she said with a sad smile. “So, I need you to do this because I know you’re not a risk-taker and I know you’ll get your computer science degree, go work for some company, and never see the light of day again. You’ll regret it if you don’t go.”

She stared at Jen and mentally went through all the reasons why this was a crazy thing to even entertain. She didn’t know Gabe that well. He might be a psycho. What if there was an earthquake? But she kept coming back to how much fun she had with him. How he made her laugh and how he made her feel. Those butterflies that were always fluttering whenever he was in the same room. Her phone vibrated on the counter. Picking it up, the butterflies were back in full force.

G: Finally finished for the day. Completely wiped. Glad you came to set today and got to meet everyone. I know it’s way too early to say this, but I miss you.

Her heart skipped. She missed him too. This was crazy. She was crazy. Was this what it was like for her mom? Was this why she always picked guys over Alex? That sobered her up. She liked him, but could she let herself fall for him like this? Jen’s words came back to her—this didn’t make her like her mom. She was having an adventure and there was nothing wrong with that.

How had Gabe managed to work his way into her heart in such a short amount of time? How would she feel when he left? Was he really going to want to be with her for anything more than a couple of weeks? A month tops? A tinge of panic struck her and made her question if she was getting in too deep too fast.

Then she pushed back at that little voice. She was young and single, without a little girl to take care of at home. Taking a chance with him was nothing like what happened with her mom, she reasoned. She had never let herself fall for a guy before. Why shouldn’t she go to LA and spend a bit more time with him? Her mind made up, she smiled down at her phone, fingers flying across the screen as she typed out her response.

A: I missed you too. And if the offer is still open, I would love to go to LA with you.