As Fate Would Have It Read Free

"What have you been up to these last few years?"
    A long pause followed before he shrugged. "Little of this, little of that. Nothing too exciting."
    Obviously the subtle approach didn't work . Guess I have to be more direct if I'm going to get any answers. "I see." She rubbed one finger around the rim of her glass before lowering the bomb. "Got a woman?"
    It was Rye's turn to choke. Sputtering a couple of times, he sucked in a deep breath. "Not at the moment." Picking up a glass of juice, he swallowed deeply before volleying the question back to her. "Got a man?"
    The flush returned quickly. "Not at the moment." A sudden memory sprang to the front of her mind. Considering the idea for a moment, she tossed the question out like a full count fast ball. "Aunt Flo mentioned you were an actor in the movies?"
    "Yeah." He took another bite of cereal.
    Gee, like talking to a mule . "What kind of movies? Action, drama, comedy?"
    "Porn." He answered in a flat tone, as if reciting the alphabet. Taking another bite of cereal, his eyes locked on her face.
    Brie couldn't help but stare. He said porn? Rye Taylor, porn star? No, way. Well, on second thought, with that body… way. Still, why hadn't she heard this tidbit of gossip from the family? Oh, he probably didn't want relatives checking out his… family jewels in the throes of passion. Wonder if… Nope. Better to not go there . "Do you have a favorite porn film?" The words emerged as a squeak.
    " Vegas Nights ."
    File that in the old memory bank. Or maybe not. Like she was going to sit down with a bowl of popcorn and a porn flick. "Okay. So, I take it you are no longer in movies?" At his nod, she prodded. "Why did you quit? Did you get too old? Were you any good at it?"
     
    * * * *
     
    Rye leaned back in his chair with a deep chuckle. She had always been nosy, since the day they met. In fact, she used to pester him with so many questions he threatened to tape her mouth shut, more than once. Guess some things never changed. "I decided that acting wasn't what I wanted to do with my life." That was certainly true. In all actuality, he was an opportunistic extra in a small action movie production a few years back. He had walked past the area and they were one man short for the scene where two high level spies met to exchange information. So, he sat at a table and pretended to converse with a beautiful woman and pocketed two hundred dollars for doing so. Of course, having her in his bed that night was a nice little bonus. Boy, that woman could scream, too.
    "Were you any good at it?" Brie persisted.
    Grinning to himself, he recalled that woman once more. Judging by her reaction, he was damn good. "Care to find out?"
    Rolling her eyes, Brie finished her milk. "I remember you went off to college. What was your major?"
    He sipped his juice before answering. "Criminal law." The abrupt subject change didn't go unnoticed by him.
    "So, you always wanted to be a cop?" Her eyes locked on his hand, following the movements as he replaced the glass back on the table.
    "Yeah, for the most part. Graduated college, hit the academy, and was on a beat within a year." Finishing the juice, he set the glass down, watching Brie's face. "How about you? Nursing school, right?"
    She nodded. "College, then nursing school. Working days at City Hospital at the moment." She remained mute for a second while he watched those sharp little front teeth nibble on her bottom lip. Such a small gesture, but one that made his belly slowly flip. "So, you had a buffer?" The words blurted out of her mouth. By the rising blush spreading across her face, he wagered she wished them back.
    One eyebrow shot up. "Buffer?"
    Nodding, she tried to clarify. "You know, someone who… ummm… got you ready… for the big scene?"
    "Oh, you mean a fluffer?" A wide grin covered his face. Who knew she had heard of such a term? Maybe the repressed little nurse wasn't so naïve after all. At her nod, he continued, "Well, all the stars have