Fast Lane | ✔️

28

Ch28

Brooks Kennedy took in the scene around him. As stressful as the past couple of weeks had been, it was nice to finally see some of his friends together again, laughing and talking like they'd done before things had all gone to hell. Being back in Oliver's home brought about feelings of nostalgia, taking him back to a time when they'd all been much younger and less jaded. When Hollywood still seemed a dream instead of the nightmare it actually was.

His eyes surveyed the familiar house, finally landing on someone he hadn't thought of in ages. Is that Natalie McGee? Time has not been very kind to you, has it? She's almost unrecognizable. Her features were sharper, more pointed, than he'd remembered, eyes small, face frighteningly narrow, hair a duller shade of red. It was unfortunate. He'd never considered her to be a great beauty, she'd always seemed a bit out of place, but now . . . she was even more so. 

The last time he'd seen her had been on the final day of filming, when she had awkwardly asked him out after the day had wrapped up. He'd felt bad turning her down, but he just wasn't interested. Not only was her father Oliver McGee, and dating the bosses daughter was a huge no-no, he just hadn't been attracted to her. There was something off about her, but he'd never quite been able to put his finger on what it was. For some reason she had made him uncomfortable during their years working together on set, she just seemed . . . unsettled.

He could tell now his instincts had been correct. He watched as her dark eyes shifted nervously around the room, occasionally landing on him before darting off quickly in the opposite direction. What was she thinking? Why did she seem so out of sorts?

Maybe I should say 'hi', he wondered. That way I can prove I don't feel weird about how things ended. Maybe she'll even loosen up a bit. Casually, he walked over and was standing right in front her of before she even noticed.

A bright shade of red decorated Natalie's cheeks once she realized he was there, and Brooks watched her swallow nervously before stepping back. "Hey, Natalie," he offered as easily as he could. "It's been a long tome. You're looking well." He gave her a smile hoping to ease her tension, which seemed to be building by the second.

"Hel-hello," she stammered, her eyes dropping to the floor. "It's good to see you, too, Brooks." She shifted her weight back and forth between each leg, and nervously lifted one hand to the side of her face, brushing invisible strands of hair away from her cheek.

"So . . . This meeting came out of the blue, eh? I'm anxious to hear what your dad has to say," he said, running a hand through his tousled hair in a way he knew was appealing. Briefly, their eyes met and he tried to dazzle her with a smile before continuing. "I can't even begin to imagine what he wants to discuss."

Natalie gave a slight shrug and smiled back weakly, clutching the bag at her side protectively. "I'm sure we'll find out soon."

Brooks' attention was diverted to the entrance of the room when one more familiar face joined the group. "Um, please excuse me," Brooks said to Natalie, but his eyes were locked firmly on the newcomer. He made his way across the room until finally he was standing next to Anna.

"Hey," he said, the grin on his face growing wider. "I didn't realize you were coming."

Anna gathered the wet hair that clung to her neck and gently pushed it behind her shoulders. "I wasn't expecting to be here, but Claire asked if I would come." She gave him a smile that lit up the darkened room, and Brooks' wondered again if he had ever seen anyone look so pretty.

"Can I get you something to drink," he asked as he helped her out of her wet jacket.

"No, I'm good for now. Thank you." Carefully, Brooks positioned her hoodie across the back of a chair, and a small puddle of droplets began to collect on top the hardwood floor.