Keep To The Script (Complete)

~ Chapter 4 ~

Judith glanced from him to the car and back again, a question in her eyes that he found funny, she guessed, because he chuckled. With a deep breath, and a thought that again, this wasn't good, she climbed into the seat and waited for him to close the door. Well, even if he was a baby, it was obvious he had manners. She eyed the inside of the car and could admit that Hollywood had been good to him it seemed.

"So, where to?" he asked as he climbed into the driver's seat and started the beauty up. It rumbled below her, and she smiled, rather enjoying that feeling.

"Oh, uh," she glanced at him as she rattled off the address and he nodded.

"Good, you don't live too far away from me." She wanted to question him, but let it slide for the moment as he checked his surroundings and then backed out and pulled into the LA traffic. "So, you don't have a car to get around the town in?"

"No," she told him, looking out the passenger window. "When I came out, it was either rent a place or get a car. I figured until I got more money rolling in, a place was more important than a car. Usually, I get a taxi, or take the bus."

"Well, neither one of those is very safe. I can give you a lift in if you want?"

"Really, Angel, I'm not some young thing, I can take care of myself." He tossed her a glance that she felt caressed her body in ways that it shouldn't and caused her to blush. Again, he was a young pup, he didn't need to be looking at her that way or making her feel anything like that. And she didn't need to be a bitch, which she mentally scolded herself over. He was being nice, there wasn't anything wrong with that, was there?

"I didn't mean to suggest that you couldn't, JD. But I grew up in this town, I know the ugliness outside the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, and I would hate to see something happen to you." That caused her to raise a brow in question. What could he possibly know about her to claim that? And even still, he made it sound like she didn't know about things herself. She had years on him in this life, something she was sure he was forgetting.

"I figured as much. I'm sorry Angel, I don't want to seem ungrateful for the help or the concern, but I have quite a bit of life experience." He kept his gaze on the road as they pulled up to a stoplight and she twisted her lip, thinking maybe those words had offended him. Because even though she thought it was crazy that any attraction between them was possible, he still showed concern and she knew she shouldn't be so rude about it. "I'm sorry." He tossed her a glance, a smile on his face, and he shook his head.

"No need to be, JD. I can assume you think I'm young and don't understand, but that is really not the case at all." Judith ducked her head, realizing that she may have made it seem that way. She knew how ugly LA was, so if he lived here, she had no doubt he had his own fair share of problems. And who was she to discount his concern or worry, especially when he knew more than she did? Her small-town back home was just that a small town. Drugs, gangs, and major violence weren't the stuff she saw there; they had other problems though.

"I probably sound like a real bitch, huh?" He laughed as he made a right turn and shook his head.

"No, you don't. But you are making it seem like you know more than I do just because you got some age on me. However, just because you're older doesn't mean your life experiences outweigh mine. I know where you hail from, it's a lot different there than here." Yeah, she was probably going to have to agree with him there.

"I'm not really like this, you know?" He pulled into her parking lot and grabbed a space before turning to look at her.

"What? Slightly uptight and concerned about having a friend in a lonely city like this?" She wanted to deny that, but she couldn't. A young pup he might be, but he sure read her right.