Her Red-Carpet Romance by Marie Ferrarella Read Free Book Online

question. I need total honesty from you,” Lukkas told her.
    She spoke before she could censor herself. “No one wants total honesty. They just want
their
version of total honesty.”
    The words surprised him and managed to catch him completely off guard. He scrutinized her for a long moment, as if trying to decide something. “How old are you, Hanna?” he finally asked.
    â€œThirty.”
    He noticed there wasn’t any hesitation before she volunteered the number. Most women over the age of twenty were coy when it came to the age question. She really was unique, he thought.
    â€œThirty, and already so cynical,” he commented.
    But Yohanna had a different opinion about her view. “Not cynical,” she contradicted. “Being completely honest a hundred percent of the time is really cold and unfeeling.”
    He leaned back in his chair, rocking slightly as he regarded her. “How do you figure that?”
    â€œFor instance, if a girlfriend asks you if what she has on makes her look fat, she really doesn’t want to know that she looks fat. What she really wants is to hear how flattering the outfit she’s wearing looks on her.”
    â€œBut if it really does make her look fat?” Lukkas asked, curious as to what her thought process was. “Aren’t you doing that friend a disservice by
not
telling her the truth?”
    Yohanna shook her head. “If it really does look bad on her, she’ll figure it out on her own. She wants to hear flattering words from you.”
    â€œYou can’t be serious,” he protested.
    â€œCompletely,” she insisted. “What your friend will come away with is that you cared more about her feelings than making some kind of point by being a champion of the truth.”
    â€œIn other words, you’re saying it’s all right to lie,” he surmised.
    â€œIf you can’t bring yourself to tell her a little white lie, say something nice about the color. Maybe it brings out her eyes, or makes her skin tones come alive.”
    â€œIn other words, say anything but the word
fat
,” he concluded.
    She nodded. The smile began in her eyes and worked its way to her lips in less than a second. He found himself being rather taken with that. “
Fat
only belongs in front of the word
paycheck
or
rain cloud
.”
    â€œThat’s two words,” Lukkas pointed out, not bothering to hide his amusement.
    Yohanna suddenly became aware that she had been going on and on. Her demeanor shifted abruptly. “Sorry, I talk too much.”
    â€œYou do,” he conceded. “But lucky for me, so far it’s been entertaining.” Lukkas grinned, then after a beat, asked, “How’s that?”
    She wasn’t sure what he was asking her about. “Excuse me?”
    â€œI just threw in the truth, but then said something to soften the blow. I was just asking how you thought I did, if I got the gist of your little theory.”
    For a moment, as her eyes met his, Yohanna didn’t say anything.
    Was he being sarcastic?
    Somehow, she didn’t think so, but that was just a gut reaction. After all, she didn’t really know the man, didn’t know anything about him other than the information she’d gleaned from a handful of interviews she’d looked up and read yesterday before she’d come in for the interview.
    Taking a chance that the producer was really being on the level, she smiled and said, “Very good,” commenting on his “behavior.”
    â€œI wasn’t trying to lecture you, you know,” she told him in case he’d gotten the wrong impression. “I was just putting my opinion out there.” And then she shrugged somewhat self-consciously. “My mother says I do that too much.”
    He instantly endeared himself to her by saying, “Your mother’s wrong.” She had to really concentrate to hear what he had to say after that.