CUTTING ROOM -THE- Read Free Page A

better. And that they would’ve had a better result: more people at a premiere, a better photo from a better model, whatever. But accounting, you know, is predictable. It always works out, if you do it right. And if you
really
do it right, you can make people very happy. Numbers don’t lie and they don’t care what other people think of them.’
    â€˜Interesting …’
    Gabby had never had to explain why she liked accounting to a guy before. She wondered if she’d given the ‘right’ answer. No matter how you phrased it, accounting never sounded thrilling. ‘What do you do, Reid?’ she asked.
    â€˜I’m a filmmaker.’
    Gabby’s heartbeat sped up a bit. Filmmaker was up there with surgeon in both the excitement and good-catch departments. ‘That’s really cool,’ she said.
    â€˜Well, I’m working at it. It’s not an easy profession to crack. Lots of competition. You have to be real original to stand out.’
    â€˜What kind of films do you make?’
    â€˜Okay, now don’t get too excited, because you’re not talking up the next James Cameron. I, well … I make documentaries.’
    â€˜I still think that’s exciting.’
    He smiled. ‘I do, too. I think real life is much more interesting than make-believe, actually. Real people having real reactions, expressing real emotions. It’s capturing those moments on film that can be difficult. But … well, it doesn’t bring in much money, unless your name’s Michael Moore.’
    â€˜I still think it’s exciting. Money isn’t everything, you know.’
    â€˜Hmmm … didn’t you say you were an accountant?’
    Gabby laughed. ‘I’ve done taxes for a lot of people that make a lot of money, but their lives are still a mess and they’re not happy. No, money isn’t everything.’
    â€˜I agree. There’s a lot more to life.’
    Gabby gestured to her ear. It was getting really loud.
    Reid leaned in closer, placed his hand firmly on her back and whispered in her ear. She felt his warm breath on her neck and it gave her a shiver, as his strong hand massaged her lower spine. ‘So tell me more about yourself, Gabriella. I wanna know more about you.’
    She smiled coquettishly. To think she had almost walked out and gone home all alone again to her cat and a bad movie on Lifetime. Her luck was definitely changing; she could feel it. And so over two lemon-drop martinis, as he stroked her back and played with the ends of her hair, she told him everything he wanted to know.

3
    God, she liked the way he said her name.
Gabriella.
And she liked that after a few drinks, a lot of meaningless conversation and, perhaps most importantly, after a few more short-skirted, long-legged stiletto packs had wandered by en route to the Ladies’ room, that he still remembered it.
    Reid moved a strand of hair off her face and leaned in close. ‘Listen,’ he whispered, his mouth on her ear. ‘I don’t normally ask girls back to my place. I don’t, but …’
    She nodded. ‘Yes.’ The room was spinning.
    â€˜Yes?’
    â€˜Yes, I’d like to go home with you. You don’t normally ask, and I don’t normally say yes, but here we are. Yes.’
    He smiled. ‘Great. I don’t live too far.’
    â€˜Great.’ Gabby reached for her purse under the table and the world went belly-up. She put her hands on her head to get it to stop spinning. And she said a prayer that her stomach would settle back down. She definitely shouldn’t have had that fourth martini. That was what put her over the edge. And that’s why she was making such an impetuous, crazy-ass decision to go home with a total stranger. It was the alcohol; it had definitely made her horny and her overactive pheromones weren’t helping the decision-making process. What was worse was that she was still sober enough