Sugar and Spice_ An L.A. Candy Novel - Lauren Conrad [71]
“Love to, but I’ve gotta go into the office,” Jane said apologetically. “I know, I know, it’s a Sunday . . . but I’m meeting with Hannah to go over some stuff for Vegas.”
Jane’s cell buzzed almost immediately. She already knew what it was going to say:
JANE, WHAT MEETING WITH HANNAH? SHE’S OUT OF TOWN. SAY YES!!!!!!
Jane knew Hannah was in San Diego, visiting with Oliver’s parents. She felt bad lying to Caleb. But she’d had a lot of Caleb time lately. She could use a day off.
Caleb grinned. “I wish Principal Enemark could see you now. If you’d worked half this hard in high school, you would’ve gotten straight As instead of—”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Jane cut in, laughing.
The rest of the evening was fine, mostly talking about whether or not Caleb would return to Yale in the fall. He seemed as though he was leaning toward it, in part because his parents were putting pressure on him to finish his education . . . and much to Jane’s surprise, she didn’t feel bothered by it. But shouldn’t she feel something? When he left for Yale the first time, to start his freshman year, she had missed him so much, so achingly. They had called and texted several times a day (at least for a while, until he stopped being quite so attentive). She had put photos of him on all her screensavers and never taken off the silver heart necklace he had given her for graduation.
So what happened to that crazy, lovesick girl?
Jane’s cell rang as she drove down Hollywood Boulevard. She and Caleb had decided to spend the night at their own apartments since Jane had to “work” in the morning.
She glanced at her phone, figuring it would be Dana or maybe yet another reporter wanting a quote about Jesse and Sophia . . . and was surprised to see BRADEN CALLING pop up.
She felt breathless. She hadn’t spoken to him since he left for Banff a month ago. She tapped on her Bluetooth. “Hello?”
“Hey.” Braden sounded relieved that she had picked up. “Is this a bad time?”
“No, not at all! How are you?” Jane couldn’t believe he was calling. She also couldn’t believe how happy it made her.
“Good. Tired. We’ve been shooting, like, twelve hours a day every day. A lot of the scenes are outdoors, in the snow and wind.”
“Sounds intense.”
“Yeah, it is, but it’s going really well. My part’s awesome. I can’t wait to take you to see the final cut.”
“Yeah, I can’t wait, either.”
“So . . . how’s my favorite reality-TV star? Any good gossip?”
Jane giggled. “Oh, yes. I have so much to tell you!”
“Yeah? A couple of the girls I’m shooting with love your show. They’re obsessed with that Caleb guy. I didn’t even know you had a boyfriend again.”
Jane was speechless for a second. She hadn’t expected this. “He’s a good friend,” she said defensively. Which wasn’t exactly the truth. Why was she acting like this, like she was cheating on Braden with Caleb and had to lie to Braden about it? She and Braden weren’t together—far from it.
“Oh.”
Silence.
“So what are you up to tonight?” Jane said, hoping to change the subject.
“Uh . . . well, I’m going to a bar called the Hibernating Bear to meet some people.”
“Sounds fun.”
“Yeah. You’d like it; it’s really low-key, and they make the best burgers.”
“Is it better than Big Wangs?”
“Wow. Big Wangs is a hard one to beat. Especially since that’s where you and I met.”
Jane blinked. This was the closest Braden had ever come to saying something heartfelt to her.
Braden coughed a little. “Anyway . . . I think the film’s gonna be wrapping in the next couple of weeks. We’re actually ahead of schedule.”
“That’s awesome!”
“Maybe we can hang out when I get back?”
“Sure. Can’t wait,” Jane said, meaning it.
They continued talking as Jane drove home, parked her car, and went up to her apartment, where she ran into Scar watching TV in the living room, alone (on a Saturday night—where was Liam?). By the time she and Braden said their good-byes, well after midnight, she realized that she was finally feeling what she should have been feeling with Caleb earlier.
Only she wasn’t feeling it