“I don’t want to take anything away from that.” She looked at Trish. “And you’re not a regular person either. You guys are both superstars. I should be nervous. I’m just me. Rock girl.”
The driver opened the door for Jake, but he didn’t move. He held Fiona’s hand and her gaze.
“Rock girl. The hottest damn rock girl around.” A smile spread across his lips. “I called you that the first time I asked you out.”
“I remember.” She smiled, and he wondered if she was remembering when he’d given her the nickname, too. Fiona had been in the science lab looking at pieces of rock through a microscope, and Jake had tried to get her attention by asking a million questions. Fiona hadn’t lifted her eyes from the microscope until he’d said, So tell me, rock girl. What do you like to do on Friday nights? He later told her that he’d thought she didn’t like him, and only then did she admit that she had been afraid that if she looked at him she’d lose her nerve to speak.
Cameras flashed through the tinted glass, drawing all of their attention back to the moment.
“Trish, do you want to walk in with us?” Jake offered.
“No, thanks. I’ll be fine,” Trish said. “Come on, rock girl. We need to get this over with before you chicken out.”
Camera flashes blinded Jake as he helped Trish and Fiona from the car. He slipped his arm around Fiona’s waist and held her close.
“Jake, who’s your mystery date?” a tall man yelled.
Jake wondered if he’d been hiding beneath a rock, since their pictures had been plastered all over the Internet for days. He gazed into Fiona’s eyes as he answered.
“No mystery. The one and only Fiona Steele,” Jake said with pride as they smiled for the cameras and walked into the restaurant, trailed by camera flashes and unanswered questions.
“Fiona, over here!” a man yelled.
She turned as if she’d walked the runway her whole life and flashed an easy smile. Appreciation and pride swelled in Jake’s chest. He knew being the center of attention was nerve-racking for her, and yet there she was, carrying herself with poise and smiling as if she’d been walking the red carpet her whole life. He kissed her temple. Every step they took was met with dozens of camera flashes. Jake kept a tight grip on Fiona, and as they walked into the restaurant, he heard the paparazzi turning their attention to Trish.
“Trish Ryder!” a woman yelled, and cameras flashed behind them.
Spice, the upscale restaurant where the dinner was being hosted, was dimly lit and smelled like rich foods, expensive perfume, and money. Dark woods and plush seating occupied by men in Armani suits and women in designer dresses were regular sights at the upscale restaurant. The hostess had the rail-thin body of a runway model and moved gracefully through the restaurant in her long black skirt as she led them toward the private room in the back of the restaurant.
“You okay?” Jake whispered to Fiona.
“The one and only?” She raised her brows.
“You are, Fi. It just took me a long time to figure it out.” Jake felt a hand on his arm and turned to find two blond women who looked familiar rising from where they’d been sitting with a group of people.
“Jake,” one of them purred as she moved to kiss his cheek.
“Remember us?” the tall blonde said, eyeing Fiona. “We heard you were back in town.”
Jake tightened his grip around Fiona’s waist and felt her stiffen against his side. He noticed two actors rising from their seats, waving him over, a welcome distraction from the two women who were invading his personal space. He turned and spotted Trish and Zane heading in their direction. The space between tables was quickly filling with fans and other people in the industry. Jake pulled from the women’s grasp and took a step away.
“Ladies,” he said. “Nice to see you again.”
He guided Fiona away, mumbling an apology to her, as Brenda Marlow, another actress, rose from her seat and embraced Jake, tearing him from Fiona.
“So good to see you again.” She swooned.
Christ. He saw a sad look in Fiona’s eyes as Brad Parlor, an A-list actor, grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him away from Brenda and into a manly embrace. Thank God.
“Jake. Congrats, man.” Along with doing Brad’s stunts for his last five movies, Jake had done a fair amount of partying with Brad. “I hear your newest flick is going to be insane.”
“That’s the hope. They have a great cast.” Jake eyed the tables ahead of them, noting several celebrities he recognized and anticipating an onslaught of greetings. He had one goal in mind, to get back to Fiona and get her through this quickly. “Excuse us, Brad.”
When he turned, he was eye to eye with two actors from his last film. He greeted them, and a crowd quickly gathered. He shook hands and slapped the men’s backs congenially, laughing at their jokes. One of the men drew his date up to her feet, and she wrapped her arms around Jake’s neck in greeting. He didn’t even catch her name as he was spun in another direction and into the arms of another actress who pawed at him like he was there for her taking. He hoped Fiona wasn’t watching as he tried to fend her off, which proved far more difficult than he’d anticipated. She wrapped her fingers around the nape of his neck and whispered something about meeting her later.
People at neighboring tables stood to take photos, and being the practiced actor that he was, Jake smiled as if he were on a photo shoot, then used more force than he would have liked to pry himself from the hungry actress’s hands. Zane and Trish, trailed by more camera flashes, joined him a few minutes later, and as he turned again to try to locate Fiona, his stomach sank. She was nowhere in sight.
At six foot three, he could see over most of the other people who were milling about. They’d moved farther into the restaurant and were in the midst of the cast and crew, making their way into the private, and crowded, dining room.
Where are you, Fi? He grabbed Zane. “You see Fiona?”
Zane looked around. “No.”
“Goddamn it.” He heard Trish laughing and turned, hoping to see Fiona, but Trish was talking with Trace and Carla. He pushed through the crowd and finally spotted Fiona, bent over, holding on to the back of a chair and fiddling with her shoe.
He helped her right her high heel, then wrapped her in his arms.
“I’m sorry, Fi. Are you okay?”
“Someone jostled me and I lost my shoe. I’m fine.” She didn’t look at him.
“Who knocked into you?” Annoyance simmered in his gut, and suddenly he hated the damn function.
She shook her head, eyes serious. “How would I know?”
“Come on. Let’s get you to a seat.” He led her into the private room, which was just as crowded as the restaurant. Two weeks ago, Jake would have eaten up the mayhem and media attention. Now he wanted to wrap Fiona in his arms and whisk her away from the chaos.
One of the producers grabbed him and pulled him into a conversation with two other cast members. He felt Fiona’s fingers slip from his hand, and as he reached for her, Zane slipped an arm over her shoulder with a curt I’ve got her nod. Jake’s gut clenched. He knew Zane was being protective of her for him, but it didn’t lessen the impact of knowing Zane was doing what he should have been doing.
“I want to talk to you about doing Zane’s next movie in Sweetwater. In Upstate New York,” the producer said.
Jake shifted his attention back to him. “Great. Sounds good.”
“It’s at Sugar Lake. Small-town romantic suspense,” the producer said. “It’s gonna kick ass.”
Jake glanced back in the direction where Fiona and Zane had been, and he didn’t see them anywhere. He’d lost track of her again.
“Great. Sounds good. We’ll talk.” He excused himself from the group, feeling as though smoke were coming out his ears from sheer frustration. He went in search of Fiona again.
“Jake, so nice to see you.” Carla air-kissed his cheeks.
“Hi, Carla.” Carla wore a white minidress and stood nearly a foot taller th
an Trace, who was stunning in a black designer dress. Jake narrowed his eyes at Trace.
“Have you seen Fi?”
Trace went up on her toes, which Jake knew wouldn’t help. She was five three in heels, and as she strained to see around the massive shoulders in front of her, he knew she couldn’t find Fiona any quicker than he could.
Jake touched her arm and smiled. “It’s okay. I’ll find her.”
He moved through the crowd, looking over the heads of the others, and spotted Zane standing beside a tall, thin woman he didn’t recognize. He caught his attention and held his palm up in the air.
Zane shrugged and shook his head.
Damn it. Why had he thought he could count on Zane to really take care of Fiona? He never should have left her side. Jake scanned the room and found her sitting at the table. He pushed his way past a group of people who were laughing too loud and knelt beside Fiona.
“Fi, I’m so sorry. This is crazy.” He placed his hands on hers, and when she didn’t meet his gaze, his stomach lurched. “I’m sorry I lost track of you. I won’t let it happen again.”
“It’s okay. This is your job. I get it.” Her tone was clipped.
“I got snagged by one of the producers. They want me to do Zane’s next film.”
He rubbed an ache in the back of his neck as he settled into a chair beside her. He could tell by the way she was looking around the room, at the floor, anywhere other than at him, that she was annoyed.
“I’m really sorry, Fi. I got pulled in a hundred directions.”
“It’s okay.” She turned as Patch sat down beside her, and the two of them began talking.
Jake’s heart ached as he watched how easily she talked with Patch, with a friendly tone and a genuine smile. When one of the producers asked her about a geological study that had been done near one of their sets, she exuded impeccable manners talking about her work with confidence. He knew she was being careful about using layman’s terms, which was another thing Jake loved about her. Unlike most of the celebrities he was used to, who spoke of their work as if it were the most important work on the planet, Fiona was modest.
“Jake.” A heavy hand landed on his shoulder.
Jake rose to greet Steven Hileberg. Fiona smiled graciously, and although Jake noticed that it didn’t reach her eyes, he was fairly certain no one else would.
“Steven, you know my girlfriend, Fiona Steele.” Girlfriend. The word felt foreign, but it also felt right, though he had a feeling he hadn’t been a great boyfriend tonight by losing sight of her—even if it had been just a short period of time.
Steven was in his early sixties, with thick gray hair, wire-rimmed glasses, and piercing blue eyes. He took Fiona’s hand and kissed the back of it.
“Yes, of course. You made quite an impression on the cover of all the gossip magazines last week.”
Fiona blushed. “I guess that’s what happens when you date Jake Braden.”
“Or maybe,” Steven said with a warm tone, “it’s what happens when Jake Braden dates Fiona Steele.”
He paused, as if he were allowing the words to sink in, and Jake wasn’t sure who they were meant for. Him or Fiona. Or perhaps both.
“Jake, I wanted to let you know that we’re not shooting that scene tomorrow.” Steven patted him on the back. “So you two kids can enjoy a little time off.”
When Jake was filming, he typically craved the hectic schedule. He worked hard and played hard, filming all day and partying well into the night. That seemed like a world away from what he wanted now. He was thrilled to have a day off to spend with Fiona. He glanced at her. She was fidgeting with her napkin in her lap. He wanted more than anything to be alone with her so he could take away the disappointment in her eyes.
FIONA FOLLOWED TRISH into an enormous ladies’ room tiled floor to ceiling with marble, accented by bright lights and large mirrors and a sitting room furnished with luxurious couches and chairs. She felt like she’d walked into someone’s home instead of a bathroom. She sank down onto the sofa and sighed loudly.
“Please shoot me, Trish.” Fiona watched Trish eyeing her with concern.
“You mean because of the cold shoulder you’re giving the most handsome man out there?” Trish sat down beside her.
“Yes. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. He got caught up in all those people when we got here, and he didn’t even notice when I got pushed to the side. He didn’t even look for me. He just…went and did his thing.”
“Fi.” Concern had left the building. Trish had an are-you-serious look in her eyes.
“No, you don’t have to tell me. He’s in demand. I get it. I know that, which is why I’m asking you to just…” Fiona mocked a gun with her finger and thumb, aimed it at her temple, and pretended to pull the trigger.
Trish laughed. “If I shoot you, who will make sure I get to my meetings and have lunch and make the right set times?”
“Oh, please. You don’t need me, but I appreciate the way you are trying to make me feel like you do.”
“Nice subject change.” Trish leaned back and sighed. “Honey, what’s got you all tied in knots?”
Fiona got up and paced. “It’s me. I’m totally overreacting to Jake doing what he should be doing—playing it up for his adoring fans. I just can’t seem to snap out of it.”
“That means it’s more than that. I know you, Fi. You’re not a jealous girl who needs to be catered to, so spill it.”
Fiona turned away, trying to figure out what was really going on in her head.
“I wish I knew what it was.”
“Are you worried that Jake will forget about you, or he’ll be with someone else?” Trish asked.
“No. I don’t think that’s it. I trust him. I know how he feels about me. No one could fake what’s between us.”
“Then what is it?”
She fidgeted with the arm of the sofa. “Do you think this is what life would be like with Jake? I mean, if we stay together, do you think it would always be parties and fending off women? God…How do celebrities ever have normal lives?”
“Okay, see? That makes sense. No gun necessary to solve this one.” Trish rose to her feet and went to Fiona’s side. “Do you want heartbreaking honesty or best-friend bullshit?”
Fiona groaned. “Heartbreaking honesty.”
“Okay, pull up your big-girl panties, because I think it will be really, really hard, but doable. From what I’ve seen, I think it will take a concerted effort by Jake and a lot of compromise on your side.”
Fiona wanted desperately to believe it was possible, but tonight was an eye-opener, and it scared her. “I was standing out there tonight watching the craziness, and at first it was exciting, but it became really fake really fast. And that’s my own issue. I get that. But how do I manage it within the confines of our relationship?”
“How do you manage to put up with assholes when you’re out on assignments? How do you put up with the jerks who treat you like you’re a secondhand citizen because you’re on their dig site?” Trish’s tone softened. “Fiona, this is just a different crowd. They’re not the enemy. They’re just beautiful people who are full of themselves instead of nerds arguing over geological sites.”
Fiona felt a rush of relief. Trish had always been good at taking apart situations and putting them back in working order.
“Thanks, Trish.” She took Trish’s hand and led her over to the mirror. “You know what I see? Two beautiful women. A beautiful actress and a beautiful nerd.”
“I don’t think anyone out there thinks of you as a nerd. Did you see the way the second and third producers were eyeing you on your way to the bathroom?” Trish fluffed her hair and settled a hand on her hip.
“You’re crazy, but the point is, I think you’re right. With my work, I have perspective, and here…” She assessed herself in the mirror. She saw a strong, capable woman who had a stable career and a man she adored. Those women out there had nothing on her. They might be taller, thinner, and rich
er, but she had a full heart, and she wasn’t about to let insecurities ruin that for her.
“Here, I’ve put myself into a lesser category, and obviously that got the better of me. I think I’d better go apologize to my man.”
“That’s my girl,” Trish said as she gave her a friendly shove toward the door.
Fiona stepped out of the bathroom and was surprised to find Jake waiting for her.
“Sorry. I just wanted to catch you before you went back into the dining room. Trish, I made arrangements for the driver to take you home whenever you’re ready, but Fiona and I will be taking a separate car.” Jake reached for Fiona’s hand.
“Okay, thanks.” Trish hugged Fiona and whispered, “You can do this.”
Fiona smiled and watched her friend walk away.
“I’m sorry for cornering you,” Jake said.
“I’m glad you did.” She pressed her palms to his lapels. “I am so sorry for being a bitch tonight.”
“You weren’t a bitch.” He drew her in close.
“I was, and I’m sorry. This was harder than I thought it was going to be,” she admitted.
“Fi, it was my fault. I should have paid more attention to you.”
“No, Jake. You were doing exactly what you were supposed to do. This is your world. Fans expect certain things, and I understand that. I just lost track of myself for a little while.” She pressed a kiss to his lips.
“I’m proud of you, Jake, and I want to support your career and how hard you’ve worked. I know your job is in the limelight, and I think you’re incredible at what you do. So do your fans, and that’s important. I just needed to get my thoughts in line.”
“Thank you, but it’s a two-way street. My life is in the spotlight, but I want this to be our world, not just my world. I want you in it, Fi, and the only way that will work is if I make changes, too. Lots of them.”
She could tell by the seriousness in his eyes that he was talking about far more than just losing track of her in the restaurant. He was already making a lot of changes, which made Fiona realize she should be even more patient with him and had to learn to make more concessions for him.
Crashing Into Love Page 18