LOOSE - a Bill Hader Novel

IX

Saturday morning, Emerald drank a cup of earl grey tea on her balcony and tried her best to loosen the knot in her stomach. She couldn't tell if the nerves were a product of the show, or a product of Bill, but she had a feeling it was a mixture of both.

When she walked through the front door of the studio into the hall, removing her leather jacket, she got a text. Emerald pulled out her phone to check who it was.

> From April Vaughn
Hey, I'm feeling a lot better today so will come into the studio around 6 to make sure you're all settled and everything runs smoothly.

She was replying a simple OK to the message and walking at the same time when she bumped right into someone - Bill. He was looking at his phone too, but whipped around to see Emerald. His light eyes skated up and down her body, so quickly she thought she must've imagined it.

"Sorry!" Emerald apologized. "I was looking at my stupid phone."

"Don't worry about it, so was I." Bill smiled.

They paused for a second. She glanced up at him, noticing his clean-shaven face, the fresh, intoxicating scent of his cologne. Just when Emerald thought he couldn't be any more attractive, today, he had on a pair of oversized square black glasses.

"Nice glasses," Emerald scratched the back of her neck.

Nice glasses? Good one, she thought.

"Thanks," Bill chuckled. His eyes were fixed on her. "Do, uh... Do you wear glasses?"

The tension in the air could be cut with a knife. There was no way she could have been imagining it... Was he into her too?

Emerald adjusted her grip on the leather jacket in her arms. His jaw rippled. It drove her crazy.

"No, I probably should, though. Sometimes street signs and stuff get a little... Fuzzy." she explained, wondering why the hell they were talking about eyesight and not just making out.

Emerald knew this was silly, there was no way he could actually be interested in dating her. But there was still this feeling in her chest, in her stomach, of warmth when he was around her.

"Ah," Bill nodded.

"Are you nervous for tonight?" Emerald asked breathily, trying to revive the conversation.

"You have no idea," Bill sighed. "I'm a wreck. Look, my hands are shaking."

He took his hand out of his jean pocket, showing Emerald. It was large and strong, and sure enough, tremored slightly.

"Oh, you poor thing," Emerald said. "I'm really nervous too, if it makes you feel better. But I typically don't shake until an hour or so before showtime."

"Really? I didn't even sleep last night."

"Me neither! I was up the whole night."

"Same," Bill laughed.

She tried not to think about him, in a hotel across town from her apartment, laying awake in bed at the same time as her, probably shirtless.

We could have done stuff other than lay awake if we had been together last night.

She quickly shook off her - er- inappropriate thoughts and smiled.

"Well, I'll see you later. If you're off the wall nervous and need help calming down, you know where to find me."

"Oh, you know, I actually don't know where to find you." Bill scratched his jaw.

"They have me in dressing room seven."