Not in the Script by Amy Finnegan

Kimmi.
    â€œOkay, so he’s stupid. No shocker,” Rachel says. “But he wasn’t a jerk to
you
, right?”
    â€œNo. But it doesn’t matter.”
    â€œOf course it matters, because you already know you’ll eventually date him. How could you not? So you’ve gotta make it clear, right from the start, that you won’t put up with the same crap your other boyfriends gave you.”
    I almost laugh. As if
telling
a guy not to break your heart—or embarrass you in front of the entire world—would actually make him think twice about it. “Brett doesn’t date his costars, anyway,” I reply. “He straight out told me that today.”
    â€œBut, Emma,” Rachel says, her tone sweeter now, “if anyone canchange his mind, it’s you. And Brett’s gotta be interested if he followed you around. So I
honestly
think if you just turn on your charm, he’ll become whoever you want him to be.”
    She reads too many trashy romance novels. “Thanks for your vote of confidence, my friend, but I’m not interested in a makeover project.”
    Rachel sighs. “Fine. Then just promise that you’ll find another date for when I come out for the premiere. Don’t you think it would be so much fun to double?”
    â€œTo …
what
?”
    â€œDouble date, of course!” she says. “ ’Cause you’ve gotta set me up with The Bod, right? Please, please, please! You have to!” I am dead silent, but Rachel doesn’t wait for my answer before she continues. “I mean, it doesn’t have to be a date to the premiere—I don’t want him to feel weird about introducing me on the red carpet and stuff. But sometime that weekend would be perfect!” She squeals. “Oh my gosh! What if we, like, totally fall in love?”
    Yeah, seriously. What if …
    â€œUm, don’t be mad at me, okay?” I finally reply. “But I just barely met Jake, so I should probably get to know him a little better before I ask him if he’ll take you out.”
    Rachel is the one who’s quiet now. Then, “Please don’t put it
that
way. Say something more like, ‘My best friend is coming out for the premiere and I
know
you’ll love her.’ ”
    â€œBut he could have a girlfriend. I have no idea.” Maybe he does. Jake sort of dropped a hint that he was interested in me, but … now that I think of it, he could’ve been curious about dating
any
castmate, not me in particular. “Or worse, maybe he’s a player,” I tell Rachel. “Don’t you want me to figure that out first?”
    â€œHe didn’t say he has a girlfriend, did he?” There’s panic in hervoice. “And you said that he’s way cool, so why would you think he’s a player?”
    There’s no possible way to talk her out of this. “Just give me enough time to scratch ‘serial killer’ off the list, okay?”
    Rachel laughs … kind of. It’s the nervous giggle she does when something isn’t quite right. “I guess so. Just don’t get to know Jake
too
well,” she says. “You’ve always had that wicked little way of stealing a guy’s attention from me.”
    â€œOh, ha-ha-ha.” A rock grows in my throat and drops to the pit of my stomach. “That hasn’t happened since junior high.”
    â€œMaybe,” she replies. “But only because we haven’t hung out with the same guys since then. And remember, The Bod is all mine, so don’t you dare forget it.”
    I couldn’t if I wanted to.

Jake

    â€œWell, that was quick,” the manager of Sabino Haven says as he hands over the key to my new condo. He probably thinks I’m leasing it on a whim, but I’ve already checked out plenty of other options, so this was an easy decision. “I don’t get a lot of young kids looking for two-bedroom,