“The damn bastards are quick,” I said after reading the article they had on us. I put the tablet on the table, next to my empty lunch plate. “The thing is, I have no idea who these onlookers are who watched yesterday. The way they are describing things…the only true thing on there is that I only left her side once. The rest is complete bullshit. We barely said a word to each other the entire meal.” I shook my head and reached for the French fries on Tom’s plate.
“The way they are telling the story works for you so I’d say stop complaining.”
Licking the salt on my thumb, I kept silent. I had made a fool of myself in front of Olive the night before. I’d thought I would breach the subject while we were having dinner, but for some reason it seemed wrong to ask Olive to marry me as if we were out on a business meeting. In the end I’d still fucked it all up, but at least we’d been alone when it happened. It wasn’t like it would have made a difference if I’d gotten down on one knee and asked her to marry me to save my career. There was no good way to ask someone to marry you so they could help you get out of the grave you’d dug yourself into.
Speaking of that, I still hadn’t heard back from Olive.
“She hasn’t answered yet. Don’t get too excited.”
“It’ll be a huge boost to her writing career. She’d be a fool not to say yes. It’ll change her life more than it’ll change yours,” Tom interjected.
“She is not like all these women you know,” I said, gesturing around the café.
“All these women?”
“You know, the women in this industry, or the models you seem to enjoy every now and then.”
He raised his eyebrows. “And can I ask what makes her so different?”
I shrugged. “She is Olive. I know her. If she accepts—and that is a big if—it’ll most likely be because she wants to help me. I think she is also half in love with my house, so that’s definitely a plus on my side.”
Tom snickered and shook his head. “You’re a blind son of a bitch.”
Frowning, I asked, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
He sighed and held his hand up. “Nothing. Don’t get all worked up on me, but I have to say, you’re also a lucky son of a bitch.”
“I’ll ask again, what do you mean?”
“I mean your Olive is not exactly hard on the eyes, is she? Even when you are screwed you luck out.”
“Yeah.” I cleared my throat. “She is beautiful.” And she was all grown up, too, which was a dangerous combination for me.
“So far the only thing Megan has leaked to the media is that you were childhood friends and you’re playing in the movie adaptation of her book. Everyone is running with their own version of the story. If Olive says yes, you’ll have to be seen together a few more times and start playing the happy couple in front of the cameras. Then we’ll leak the news of the marriage after it’s all done.”
“Are you my publicist or my agent?”
“I seem to be doing everything for your sorry ass these days.”
“Yeah, well hopefully they won’t be talking about me for much longer. I’m tired of reading my name and seeing my face in the tabloids.”
Our waiter came by and picked up our empty plates.
“Is there anything else I can get you?”
“I’m good, thank you.” I looked at Tom. “You?”
“I’ll have an espresso,” Tom said.
“Were you able to get in touch with Jackson Merritt?” I asked when Tom was sipping his espresso.
“You know you lost another contract after the interview with the Canadian girl. Your next year is wide open right now. Maybe we should consider the offers you’re currently getting instead of going after the directors and movies you want to be a part of. They are not bad offers.”
“Nothing happened with the damn Canadian girl. How many times do I have to repeat myself?” I growled, getting the attention of people close to our table.
“Keep it down.”
“I worked hard to get where I am, Tom,” I said, lowering my voice. “Just because I messed up in my personal life doesn’t mean I’ll lay down and let everyone pull me to pieces. I’m damn good at my job. I’m getting married and keeping a low profile, aren’t I? If it’s not going to help my situation, why am I doing it?” I reclined in my seat and looked right into Tom’s eyes. “Since my schedule is open, I want to be in Jackson’s movie. Just a few months back, they were after me for the lead role and we had to decline because it was clashing with my schedule. Now it’s not. I want that part. Make it happen.”
“Easy there,” he said, pushing back his espresso as he leaned toward me. “We still have time before we go after it with all we have. Let’s just see how everything settles down in a month or two. If they don’t come on their own, then we’ll go after them. You used to trust me, Jason. That’s why we work well together. I won’t come to you with a role that won’t take you a step ahead of all the others, but you have to let me do my job.” His eyes hardened on me. “We can’t let others see how all this crap is affecting your career and you. Just keep it in your pants, get Olive to marry you, and we’ll get you back on track.”
Tired of my own damn life, I rubbed my forehead and decided to listen to Tom.
My eyes fell to my phone when it started vibrating on the table, Olive’s name flashing across the screen.
“It’s Olive,” I muttered to Tom, my eyes briefly meeting his.
“O-kay. Why are you not answering?”
“What?” I looked up at him with a frown on my face.
“The phone. Aren’t you gonna answer it?”
“I will,” I replied, but made no move to answer it. Instead, I picked up the phone and glanced at Tom again. “What’s happening right now?”
He looked just as confused as I felt. “You tell me, buddy.”
I thought about it for a second or two, then laughed. “Fuck me, but I think I’m actually afraid to hear her say no. I’m not sure I’ll go through with this genius marriage plan of Megan’s and yours if Olive isn’t in.”
The phone stopped vibrating in my hand.
When Tom laughed, it was a big, ‘hey people, look at me, I’m having the time of my life’ laugh. The bastard!
“You like her, don’t you? You actually like, like her.”
He was starting to get on my nerves. “Of course I like her. She’s always been important to me.”
He lifted both his hands up, his laugh dying down to a chuckle. “I should’ve known… You didn’t even put up a fight when her name came up, not like you did with all those other girls. You son of a bitch. Oh, this is going to be fun to watch.”
“Shut up,” I snarled at him.
Rising from my seat, I walked away from our table and dialed Olive’s number when I was standing in the little garden that served as the café’s backyard for smokers.
“Jason!” she answered in a terrified voice.
My entire body locked. “What’s wrong?”
“Jason, I…I’m stuck here. There are people outside the café.”
“Calm down, Olive. What do you mean there are people outside?”
“I mean there are ten or maybe more people camped right outside of the café. I’m mortified, Jason.”
“Okay, sweetheart. Take a deep breath, and start from the beginning.”
She did as I said, took a deep breath, and seemed to calm at least a bit. “Okay, sorry. I’m at a café called Dreamers, it’s near campus. I was supposed to meet with Lucy and Char for lunch between their classes, so I brought my laptop and came here early, hoping to get in a few words while I was waiting. I’m sorry I’m rambling.”
“It’s okay. Tell me who is waiting outside.”
“Well, Lucy and Char couldn’t make it, so I decided to head back home since I couldn’t get into my story, but the paparazzi is here, Jason. I didn’t even notice them before I walked outside, but one of them yelled my name and started snapping pictures and asking questions. I’m back in the café right now, but they are still out there.”
“Fuck,” I muttered, turning to head back to the table. “Did you see the news about us?”
“If you mean the stories where they describe what we ate last night, then yes, Lucy shoved them in my face this morning. What does that have to do with this?”
“Give me a second,” I said to Olive once I reached Tom. Then I told Tom, “I need to leave. Paps are camped outside the café she is in, and she can’t leave.”
“Do you need me?” Tom asked, his business face back on.
“No, I’ll handle it. I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Fine,” he nodded. “But don’t forget to call Megan after you have your answer from Olive. She has to handle all this and start spinning.”
I grunted, grabbed my car key, and left the café as quickly as possible.
“I’m on my way, Olive.”
“Thank you. How did they even know I was here?”
“Someone must’ve recognized you and tipped them off. There is already a hashtag on Twitter going on for us.”
“Perfect.” She sighed. “I don’t have a car, Jason. I walked down here. It’s a ten-minute walk, but I can’t just walk with them trailing me.”
“No. You stay put, I’m coming to get you. I’m sorry Olive, I should’ve known this would happen. Text me your exact address. Now.”
Ending the call, I got into my car and floored it.
***
I entered the café in a big commotion. Olive was wrong. There were at least twenty paps waiting outside and I knew more than anyone how relentless they were. When they saw me coming in for the save, they knew they had struck gold.
Looking around the interior of the café, it only took me a few seconds to spot Olive almost cowering behind her laptop in the corner.
I rushed to her side.
She noticed me and jumped up to her feet, her face as white as a sheet. “Thank you for coming so quick,” she said in a low voice, her eyes darting around.
“Are you okay?” My hands acting on their own, I cupped her face and gazed into her dazed eyes.
Her hands landed on top of mine for a brief moment as if she wanted to assure herself that I was there with her. Then just as quickly, she dropped them down. “I’m fine. I just didn’t know what to do, what to say to them. They were all yelling at once, and the owner of the café isn’t happy about this.” She discreetly motioned to her right with her head. “They already asked me to leave once.”
My eyes darted around and I saw a stern woman standing behind the counter, staring at us.
I turned back to Olive. “We’ll leave in a minute. My car is parked just around the corner.”
“Jason, I look like crap.” She looked down at herself and touched her hair, which was in a messy bun on top of her head. To me she looked just as beautiful as she had the night before. “I just came here to have lunch with the girls. Call me vain, but I don’t want to see myself plastered everywhere like this.” She gestured to me, and added, “Especially next to you, not when you look like that.”
“Jason Thorn? Are you really Jason Thorn?” someone asked. I turned around to see who was talking to me.
“Oh, you are. You really are. Can I take a selfie with you? I just have to show this to my friends, they will never believe me if I don’t have proof.”
I forced a smile on my face and nodded. “Of course.”
I never turned down a fan who was asking for an autograph or a picture. It wasn’t my thing, but at that moment, I wished it was. I took the damn selfie with her face inches away from mine as she hugged me as if we’d known each other not merely for seconds but for months.
As soon as she left, five other people found the courage to approach me and asked for autographs and pictures.
When I turned back, Olive had sat down and was looking down at her closed laptop. I knew we needed to have a quick talk before more people swarmed us. At this rate, we were bound to have trouble leaving the place if everyone started posting that I was here.
I took Olive’s hand in mine and pulled her up.
“Where is the bathroom in this place?” I asked as I grabbed her laptop with my free hand.
“There,” she pointed to a narrow hallway in the back.
I dragged her behind me and made sure to lock the door to the tiny bathroom once we were inside.
“If we stay longer, more people will hear that I’m here and we’ll have a real problem on our hands. We need to leave right now.”
She nodded.
“But before we go out there, I have to ask you… I’m sorry, I don’t want to pressure you, Olive, but I need to know so I can either—”
“Yes,” she interrupted me in a rushed but clear tone. “If you are talking about the…thing you asked yesterday. It’s yes.”
My heart sighed. Smiling at her, I relaxed. Her hand was still in mine so I squeezed it. “Yes?”
She nibbled on her bottom lip and my attention shifted from her bright eyes to her full pink lips. “Yes,” she repeated a little softer.
I cleared my throat and forced my gaze away from the danger that was her inviting lips. “So we are doing this?”
She smiled and nodded. “I think we are.”
My eyes still on her, I reached back, unlocked the door, and was about to step out when she pulled me back. “Wait, give me the laptop.” I had completely forgotten about it. I handed it over to her and she pushed it into her huge handbag. I went for her hand again, but she drew back.
“Just wait.”
We were gonna get stuck in the damn bathroom.
Reaching up, she took a small clip out of her hair and it all came tumbling down around her face. Pushing her fingers through it, she gave it a few good shakes, and then looked up at me with a pretty flush on her face.
I groaned. Damn it, now all I could think was how it would feel to have her vibrant hair wrapped around my hand. Damn it all again—now with her sexy bed hair, she looked like she had just been fucked. By me. Which was the exact exclusion the paparazzi would come to.
“You shouldn’t have done that, little one.”
She glanced at the mirror. “Do I look worse? This is all I got. I’m sorry.”
“All you got would probably kill me, so I’d say this is more than enough. Come on, we need to leave.”
This time she was the one reaching for my hand.
“We are not saying one word. Don’t look directly into the cameras, just follow my lead and we’ll let my publicist handle the rest.”
She nodded and we stepped out of the bathroom. There were a few people waiting for us to get out, but for the first time in my career, I apologized and turned all of them down.
The moment I stepped out of the café with Olive clinging to my hand, the paparazzi were ready for round two. Every single one of them were shouting random questions at us, snapping pictures nonstop.
Olive was looking at the ground and her steps were hurried, but I still had to slow down a little so she could keep up with my long strides. Suddenly she lifted her gaze and our eyes met. We both smiled at each other. Before I could enjoy the moment myself, every pap around us saw the quick exchange between us and went into a frenzy, yelling our names louder.
Even though the paparazzi were in our way, we finally made it to my Spyder in one piece and I opened the passenger side door to help Olive in.
As I finally drove away from the madness, I knew exactly which shot they would use the next day.
