Forward

Chapter Two

Over at the lifts, I feel a little relieved that she followed me. I mean, after all we have only just met.

Ding

The doors of the lift opens and a large group of people begin to step out; walking straight through the middle of us and forcing us to stand apart.

I look over at Jo and can see she is watching me too, as we wait for the crammed lift to empty.

I lift my arm up high enough so that she can see it and I pretend to tap my invisible watch before looking back at her and then staring at all the people and shrugging whilst shaking my head.

Even over all the voices, I can hear her laughing.

Mission accomplished.

I look down at my feet, finding myself automatically laughing a little, too.

Usually, it takes me days if not weeks to decide if I like someone as a person, but I can tell already that I like her.

I realise that I love her laugh too and will stop at nothing now to hear it.

"After you." I waggle my eyebrows and gesture to the lift, hoping she caught my attempted pun.

"Oh, After? Very good." She laughs.

"I try." I smile, stepping into the lift and keying in a code.

"What are you doing?" She frowns at me with a small but curious smile.

"I'm entering the special code?" I reply, as if it's perfectly obvious.

"Special code?" She repeats.

"Yes, the special code. Only special people have it." I say a little sarcastically.

"Hmm.." She smiles and looks down at her feet, clearly wanting to make a joke but thinking better off it.

"What?" I laugh. "You have one too, right?" I raise an eyebrow.

"No, actually. Or maybe.. I don't know." She shrugs.

"How do you not know?" I laugh and frown a little myself.

"Well, all the information I needed for my room and stuff? That's in my suitcase.." She looks up at me, her expression now serious.

My smile soon fell. I felt a sudden and instant overwhelming urge to protect her from whoever may potentially have her case along with all her personal and private details.

What if they attempt to exploit her in some way?

"But you knew to come here?" I say frowning and gesturing around us; despite being in a lift.

"Yeah? Me and Anna FaceTimed a lot and she was always mentioning this place, you know?" She smiles at me before continuing.

"Like oh, I can't wait to meet you at the Broadwalk.. And, Oh my gosh Josie!-"

"Josie?" I interrupt with a scoff.

"Josie, I can't wait until you come to L.A.." She continues her rather hilarious impression of Anna.

I laughed more than what I probably should have. Not in a malicious way towards Anna at all.. Just mere amusement.

From what I can tell, aside from being an amazing author, Anna is one of the nicest women I have had the pleasure of both meeting and working with.

So hearing Jo mimic her like this, I can't help it, I just feel like.. I can laugh freely around her already which is pretty crazy in itself, considering I have only just met her.

My thoughts still on Anna, I find myself regretting not taking up her previous suggestion that Jo and I should FaceTime to get to know each other.

I recall her words "You are going to love her, Hero! She's just like you in so many ways.. Trust me, you're so alike..."

"So anyway, I figured how many 'Broadwalks' in L.A could there be, right?" She says, re-capturing my attention.

"Right." I smile and turn to face her. "But we do really need to get that case back, Jo."

She sighs and covers her make-up free face with both hands. "Argh, I know."

"I thought you were a chilled person? I thought you didn't show emotion?" I tease, raising an eyebrow.

"I know, don't. I don't know what's wrong with me.. I'm just gonna blame you." She laughs.

"Hey!" I say, instantly smiling again. "That's not very nice. Especially when I'm about to lend you my clothes."

"Your clothes?" She frowns.

I fold my arms, still smiling.

"Almost there.." I say looking at the numbers on the panel.

"I was gonna say! Like, how many more levels?! Jeez.." She giggles, earning an instant laugh from me in response.

"Top floor, baby. High end!" I smile.

"You got the high part right!" She smiles back at me.

"Well that's what the special code is for." I explain.

"Oh?.." She tilts her head in thought.

"Yep, with our codes, we have access to the upper suites whereas without the code, you don't." I grin.

"That makes sense.." She nods her heads.

"It gives us a little bit more privacy.." I shrug.

Ding

"Not that we need it... Yet." She adds.

I laugh. "Yeah, who knows how the public will react to the film. It could blow up or.. It could go bust." I step out of the lift.

"Definitely not." Jo argues and struggles to walk alongside me. I slow down a little, remembering her legs are a lot shorter than mine.

"No?" I smile, glancing at her briefly.

"Wait." She puts her hand on me and I instantly freeze. "Have you even read the book?"

"No." I lie. Of course I've read it. I think the storyline is brilliant.. The plots, the twists, the way the characters are depicted.. I love it.

"Wait, wait.." She smiles and looks down at my arm.

"Are those.. Goosebumps?" She frowns and tilts her head up at me.

I look down at my arm and automatically try to pull the sleeves of my black and white Fred Perry jumper down.

"No.." Again, I lie.

"Oh so it's not just me who's cold then." She laughs.

I smile and begin to walk away.

I'm not cold, I was merely caught off guard by her touch.