Oughta Be a Movie: a Sugar-&-Spice romantic comedy by Susan Hammond Read Free Book Online Page A

C-y-n?
    “Ali?”
    He wouldn’t let this go. “They got married at the zoo, and I thought it sounded fun.”
    He chuckled. “I can see how that might not have fit Bree’s script.”
    “I told you it was silly.”
    “It’s a good dream. And it’s got cool animals in it and some pretty great people, too.”
    That was a strange remark. “Seeing what went into this wedding, right at this moment an Elvis chapel in Vegas sounds—wait. That was a quote.”
    With a half smile, Ben just nodded.
    “Cool animals. Cool animals, great people, good dream…oh, shoot.”
    He glanced at his watch. “Better come up with it. You’ve already got a big forfeit to pay tonight. You don’t want to be adding on.”
    Butterflies went into free fall in her belly at his reference to their bet. “You’re trying to distract me.”
    “No. But I’m liking the fact that it does.”
    The butterflies gathered into formation and signaled her girl parts. “Ben! And I’m not losing that bet. Cool animals, great people, a dream. Animals. A shelter? A safari? A zoo—I know! We Bought a Zoo ! Matt Damon as, as, as…Dylan!
    “Right movie, right actor, wrong character. Ten seconds.”
    “Uh, uh, Duncan!”
    He shook his head.
    “Oh, what was that guy’s name? He was the dad, right?” Ben nodded. She closed her eyes to think because his smirk was distracting. As Ben made a buzzing sound, she blurted out, “It’s Benjamin.”
    “In the nick of time. And so you know, one of the screenwriters was Ali McKenna.”
    “Really?”
    “Actually Aline McKenna, but close enough.” He crooked his elbow around her neck. “You couldn’t remember ‘Benjamin’? I’ll try not to take that personally.”
    “I was under pressure.”
    He pulled her closer and in a growly voice whispered, “Good. I like you that way.”
    Holy hotness. The butterflies roared on take-off.

Chapter 6
     
    “I need flowers and condoms.”
    The older lady behind the counter blinked at him a couple of times, but her customer-service smile never wavered. “We have a few floral arrangements.” She pointed to the cold case. “Only because it’s Valentine’s Day. We don’t usually carry flowers in the hotel, but I can help you arrange a delivery for tomorrow.”
    The sad assortment shared space with root beer, turkey sandwiches, and strawberry yogurt. A teddy bear container with pink and red carnations, some kind of misshapen gold vase with one scary -looking purple flower, a red crystal stiletto with black roses. Black? “Any possibility of getting someone to deliver tonight?”
    The woman glanced at her watch with a hint of disapproval sneaking into her set smile. “Most Valentine’s deliveries were arranged in advance. The florists may still be working, but not one will take a call this late.”
    He looked around the gift shop. “You do carry condoms?”
    “Certainly.” She reached to her left and set a tray on the counter. Three-packs, six-packs, a box of twenty-four, tubes of lube. He reached for a six-pack but grabbed the box of twenty-four instead and handed it to her, pretty sure she muttered “Good luck with that” as she was ringing up his purchase. But by the time he got to the door, she must have decided to take pity on him. Or maybe she was standing in solidarity with women everywhere, hoping to save at least one sister from a Valentine’s date that arrived with a box of condoms and no gift.
    “Sir? The boutique two doors down is staying open later tonight. To your left as you step outside. They won’t have flowers, but you might find something there.”
    The shop was closing in twenty minutes, but it didn’t take long to reject a red silk scarf—too friend-zone. Except. An image of Ali’s wrists tied to his bedpost, the ends of the scarf brushing her… Don’t go there . A table to his left held an assortment of Valentine’s gifts. He picked up a miniscule triangle of black lace with trails of red satin ribbons. Supposedly panties. At least