“Howdy, stranger,” she said, nudging him with her shoulder.

Micah Preston looked up at her with his famous Hollywood grin. “Hey, Heather.” He put his phone in his pocket and gave her an obligatory hug.

It felt strange hugging her former costar. Awkward. Not because they weren’t friendly with each other, but because they had, on occasion, been extra friendly. They’d known each other for quite a while before they’d worked together on the Colorado movie. They’d slept together a handful of times over the course of their acquaintance. But after he turned down her last hook-up proposal, things between them got weird. Hence the awkward.

An uncomfortable silence spread between them, their grins pasted on their faces. “You look good,” Heather said finally.

Micah shifted. “Um, thanks.”

“Don’t freak out. I’m not hitting on you.” She looked him over trying to remember what it was she’d seen in him. Convenience. That was it. He didn’t attract her now at all. He wasn’t…Seth. “You aren’t my type anyway.”

“Not your type?” Micah’s eyes widened. “How can you say that after, you know?”

Heather laughed. “So which is it? Do you want me hitting on you or not?”

“Not.” He smiled guiltily. “But you could still acknowledge all my awesomeness.”

“What the heck was I thinking? Of course. You are totally overflowing with awesomeness.”

“Now that’s more like it.”

She smiled. Had it really only been three months since she’d last seen Micah? It felt like years separated her from the person she’d been then. The awkwardness between them wasn’t just that they’d seen each other naked. It was her. She was different. Was she forever tattooed by Seth now? Completely unable to relate to the life she’d had before him?

“But now I’m all curious,” Micah said, interrupting her reverie. “Am I really not your type?”

“Yeah, you’re really not. But it isn’t you.” She chuckled over her it’s not you, it’s me innuendo. “I guess I’m more aware now of what I need than I used to be.”

“Well, good for you.” He raised a brow. “Wait, didn’t I hear you were seeing someone?” He snapped as he tried to remember. “A producer or something?”

“A Production Designer.” God, she’d expected questions from the press, but not her fellow actors. She had to get a story together. A story that would likely require Seth’s input.

For now, she diverted the attention off her. “You’re with that camera girl, right?” Micah had been a perma-bachelor until recently when he’d fallen for the camera assistant on the movie they’d done together.

He beamed at the mention of his girlfriend. “Maddie. Yeah. She’s here, actually.” His eyes swept the lobby. “There,” he nodded when he’d spotted Maddie. “She’s one of the directors.”

“That’s your girlfriend? Oh f**k, she’s my director.” Heather hadn’t connected the name when she’d gotten her assignment. “That means it doesn’t matter that I’m not hitting on you—if I don’t stop talking to you right now I seriously fear for what she’s going to make me do on stage.”

Micah rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” Then he thought better of it. “I mean, Maddie will probably make you do something insane, but you can handle it.”

Yeah, she probably could. She could handle a lot more than she used to think she could. Maybe that was why she’d been looking for Seth—because seeing him would be the ultimate test to her strength. She wanted to know if she could handle that.

The lights flashed in the lobby, indicating it was time for everyone to convene on the stage for introductions. Heather waved goodbye to Lexie, then followed Micah and the rest of the crowd inside, noting that there was still no sign of Seth.

Heather’s intro was first. She did her regular spiel and then showed her prop. She had brought her fur-lined handcuffs from L.A., intending to use them since she hadn’t gotten to last time. Then at the last minute, she’d stopped in the hotel gift shop and bought a hat with the Statue of Liberty on it. The handcuffs stayed in her purse.

The rest of the intro session dragged on. Usually, this was Heather’s favorite part of the plays process, but she couldn’t seem to stay focused. Was he backstage working already? Was he avoiding her? Had he decided not to do the plays after all? Was it because of her?

Finally, the meeting was over and everyone was dismissed for the night. Heather headed out to the lobby to look for Lexie. When she didn’t find her, Heather pulled out her phone and called her.

“We’re done. You can come get me.” Heather wondered if her voice sounded as heavy as it felt.

“Oh, okay.” Lexie sounded surprised. “Um, so, did you see him?”

“No,” Heather snapped. She didn’t want to talk about it. She was having a hell of a time figuring out why she felt disappointed about Seth’s absence. She certainly didn’t need to try to analyze it over the phone.

“Okay.” Lexie’s voice seemed puzzled. “Where are you anyway?”

“At the theater. Where else would I be?” Heather’s head was starting to pound. She needed to get back to the hotel where she could commence her nightly routine of curling up in a ball and crying.

“Are you still on the stage?”

“No. Jesus, Lexie, is this twenty questions? Just come and get me already.”

“Go back to the stage. I’ll meet you there. On the stage. In, um, soon.”

Heather hung up and let out a sound of frustration as she stuffed her phone in her purse. She wasn’t in the mood for cryptic Lexie. She also wasn’t in the mood for waiting in the lobby where the floor to ceiling windows had attracted a small crowd of fans eager to see which star would walk out next.

Waiting on the stage was a good idea.

Heather walked down the back hallway to the stage door. She stepped into the now empty theater and headed toward the skirt of the stage.

Except the theater wasn’t empty after all. The circle of chairs that had been set up for the cast introductions remained.

And sitting in one of the chairs was Seth.

Her heart dropped into her stomach and her hands got sweaty. Maybe she wasn’t strong enough to see him.

But when he stood from his chair and pinned his eyes on her, a wave of euphoria washed over her, calling goose bumps to the surface of her skin. Then she knew she could handle seeing him. She could handle it just fine.