“Oh really? You thought I was flirting with you?” I pretended to be offended. “It must be hard to navigate life with such little self-awareness and such a giant ego.”
He ignored my insult. “I’m not saying I didn’t like the flirting, I just think we should talk more about where this relationship is going.”
I reopened my book, pretending to dismiss him. “It was nice seeing you again, Nolan. Have a nice stay in Serenity.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t be like that.” He tugged the book away. “Don’t deny this thing that’s happening between us.”
“Annoyance?” I nodded. “I won’t deny that.”
“Please. You’re enjoying this salty banter as much as I am. You totally want me right now.”
“I want you?” This time my incredulous tone was not fake. “You missed a couple of words. I want you to leave.”
“You can stop, okay?” He shook his head. “Playing hard to get… Denying your feelings…Those are tactics directly from the pages of my own book.”
“I don’t read books of fantasy.”
“Well played.” He chuckled loudly. “You’re a witty woman, Jordyn.”
“I have my moments.” My coffee was almost gone and the grocery store had been open for fifteen minutes, but I wasn’t in a hurry to leave. “So you never answered my question last night. What are you doing in Serenity?”
“Vacation.” His face became serious. It was rare to see him without a smile and I studied him closely. He hadn’t bothered shaving and his hair stuck out in messy tufts beneath his hat, but with his defined jaw and sharp nose, he could give any model a run for their money.
I remembered that I hadn’t even bothered brushing my hair before leaving the apartment. Hopefully, the messy beach-hair look was still trendy. “How long are you staying?”
“This trip is open-ended.” He tugged at the brim of his cap. “What about you? Have you lived here long?”
“A couple of months.”
“Where did you leave before that?”
“Elsewhere.”
His smile returned. “Are you always this difficult?”
“I’ve been told that I am.” I noticed that he was slowly rotating his left shoulder, wincing almost imperceptible. “Old sports injury?”
He looked at me in surprise. “Why do you ask?”
“You need to work on your poker face.”
He looked at me, still slightly confused. “You’re very perceptive.”
“I like to study people. Figure out their secrets.”
“Really? So what else have you learned about me?”
I tapped my chin thoughtfully. “You used to be an athlete. You’re tall, but lanky. Not football. I would guess baseball. You have enough money that you were able to pick up and move to Serenity for an indeterminate amount of time. And you are used to getting unwanted attention which is why you haven’t shaved or gotten a haircut recently, not to mention that hat. You’re trying to keep people from approaching you.”
“That’s pretty good.”
“You should know it won’t work.”
“Why’s that?” He tilted his head curiously.
“Your smile. It’s too memorable. One glimpse of that smile and they won’t be able to look away.” At this, his smile grew even wider. Something warm began to build in my chest and warning flags started to fly. I reached for my bag. “I really need to get going.”
Nolan’s face fell. “Of course. Thanks for letting me join you.”
“It was nice to see you again.” A little too nice, actually. He looked like he was about to ask me something, probably the very thing I longed for him to ask, but I didn’t give him a chance. “See ya around.”
I skipped out of the coffee shop without looking back. My bike was still waiting for me, and as I pedaled away, I told myself that I had done the right thing. If Nolan had asked for my number, or tried to make plans for us to see each other again, I would’ve said yes. But when I made the decision to move to Serenity, I had made a deal with myself that I wouldn’t make any more rash decision. I wouldn’t let myself leap before looking. More importantly, I swore that I wouldn’t let the innocent people in my life become victims of my past.
Kennedy disagreed vehemently when I told her an abbreviated version of events later at the beach.
“You just walked away? Are you crazy?” She sat up in her lounger. “Do you know how rare it is for a decent guy to wash up on these shores?”
“We don’t know anything about him. He could be a serial killer.”
“If he wanted to kill you, he would have done it in the ocean last night. Your body would’ve washed away and no one would’ve been able to connect him to the crime.”
“Wow, you came up with that murder scene awfully fast. Should I be worried?” I pushed my sunglasses up my nose and settled back in my chair.
“Why don’t you want to see him again?”
“Because I’m not interested in dating anyone right now.”
“You haven’t gone a single date since I’ve known you. It’s like you want to be a nun.”
“I’m not Catholic.”
“So?” Kennedy took a loud sip from her drink.
“Go back to your magazine,” I advised. While shopping for groceries, I had also stocked up on Kennedy’s favorite trashy magazines. They made excellent beach reading material.
She happily reached for the next one in the stack and thumbed through the pages. I closed my eyes as she filled me in on celebrity news.
“It’s such a shame,” she said with a sigh.
“What is?” I asked automatically.
“Kiki Lawson broke up with her gorgeous boyfriend. He was, like, this star pitcher in baseball and then he got hurt.” She let out another even more dramatic sigh. “She says it was too much stress on their relationship, but I would’ve had no problem nursing him back to health.”
I took the magazine with no intention of getting sucked in. But that was before I saw a picture of the ex-boyfriend. “This is him?” I asked, just to be sure.
“I know. He’s gorgeous.” Kennedy smiled knowingly.
She was right. He was striking- dark hair, piercing eyes, and a stunning smile. A smile that I had gotten to know quite well in the last sixteen hours or so. But only one pictured showed him smiling- the before picture. The rest of the pictures showed a much darker side of the baseball player. Glaring, drinking, and flipping off cameramen. In those pictures he had no trace of a smile. “You don’t happen to know his name, do you?”
“Yeah, let me think for a sec.” Kennedy snapped her fingers. “Something Meyers. I think it starts with an S? No, wait. Nolan! His name is Nolan Meyers.”
Nolan. My Nolan. The same Nolan that I’d had coffee with just hours ago. The same one that had held my hand and walked me to the car last night. The same Nolan whose smile could light up a room, but who also had guarded, impenetrable eyes.
“I know him,” I said, more to myself than to Kennedy.
“You know Nolan Meyers, the most sought after bachelor in America?” she asked dubiously.
“No,” I shook my head furious. I didn’t know that man at all. “I know Nolan. I had coffee with him this morning and hung out with him at the party last night.”
“Nolan Meyers is your mystery man? The guy that helped put me in Brian’s car was Nolan Meyers?” Kennedy’s voice hit a pitch that was nearly painful. “You ran away from him this morning? What’s wrong with you? How do you run away from that?” She slapped a hand over a picture of Nolan.
“I didn’t run away,” I said, dropping the magazine. I didn’t like this version of him. “And it’s not like he told me about his identity.”
“He probably assumed you knew! I’m pretty sure you are the only 21-year-old female on the continent that doesn’t know Nolan Meyers when he’s right in front of your face. He stars in all of those commercials. He was Kiki’s date for the Grammys.”
Then I remembered the strange look he had given me w
hen I asked about his shoulder injury. It wasn’t until that moment that he realized I didn’t know who he really was. That explained why he had almost seemed relieved after that. He didn’t have to explain himself around me because I didn’t know anything about his past. That was something I could understand.
“So what’s he like? Tell me more about him.” Kennedy was literally on the edge of her seat.
“He’s fine.” For some reason, I didn’t feel like sharing details about Nolan with Kennedy. It felt like a violation of his privacy. “He’s a nice guy.”
“A nice guy? Fine? I’m going to need more details than that.” Kennedy lowered her shades and peered at me over the top of them.
Our lounge chairs were just outside of the Seabag so Danny barely had to raise his voice when he called my last name, “Lewis! There’s someone here to see you.”
Kennedy was already sitting up straight and her jaw dropped open when she turned toward the restaurant. “Holy hotness.”
I sat up and turned, not sure what to expect. Even after I saw him, I was still in disbelief that Nolan was standing less than ten feet away. “Interesting,” I muttered.
He waved shyly when he saw me and made his way over. Kennedy was practically hyperventilating. “This is so not real.”
“Hey,” I said, my lame attempt at a greeting.
“Lewis?” he asked with a question in his voice.
“My last name,” I explained. “Jordyn Lewis.”
He nodded. “Nice name.”
I saw his eyes dart down to the sand where his face stared back at us from the magazine. “I just learned your full name as well, Nolan Meyers.”
“Yeah…” He didn’t seem very happy about my discovery. “I guess you were bound to figure it out sooner or later.”
Kennedy was swooning. “Why don’t you sit down, Nolan? We’d love to have you join us, wouldn’t we, Jordyn?”
“Sure.” I pulled in my legs, making room for him on the lounger.
“What brings you by the Seabag?” Kennedy asked as he took a seat.
It was hard to say for certain with the sun shining so brightly, but it looked like he was blushing when he said, “I came to see Jordyn, actually.”
“That’s so adorable.” Kennedy was grinning from ear to ear. “Jordyn was just talking about you.”
I shot her a look of detest and reminded myself to pay her back later. “Kennedy’s a big fan,” I explained.
“And you’re not?” Nolan pretended to be offended.
“Honestly, I don’t watch a lot of baseball.” I added, “But I’m sure you’re quite talented.”
“I do have a lot of talents.” Nolan grinned at me and I thought Kennedy might faint on the spot.
“So why did you come all the way down to the beach to see our little Jordyn?” Kennedy wasn’t even trying to hide her giddiness.
“Well, I’m glad you asked.” He turned away from me and focused on Kennedy. “I’d like to take your friend on a date this evening, if you think she would be interested.”
My heart thudded.
Kennedy pretended to think it over. “That sounds like something she would enjoy. What were you planning to do on this date?”
“I don’t know much about this town. Perhaps dinner and a movie? I hear that’s something kids like to do these days.” Nolan was enjoying their game.
“Jordyn does like to eat. A lot. Too much sometimes.”
“Hi. Sitting right here.” I waved a hand. “And I’m sorry to disappoint you both, but I already have plans tonight.”
“Plans!” Kennedy glared at me. “Sitting on your couch watching television does not count as plans.”
I returned her glare. “Tonight is the town carnival. We promised Brian we would go with him, remember?”
“Oh, right. Brian.” Kennedy pouted. “He probably wouldn’t care if you canceled.”
“I’m not going to cancel on him.”
“I’m feeling left out. Who’s Brian? Another male suitor?” Nolan looked back and forth between us.
“Brian is the guy that picked us up at the party last night. He’s a friend.”
“He’s a total nerd,” Kennedy explained. “He gets really into these weird town events. Parades, farmers’ markets, the carnival- if it’s cheesy and wholesome, he’s there.”
“Well, you can’t cancel on a friend,” Nolan agreed. “Perhaps we could all go together?”
Kennedy clapped her hands. “What a great idea!”
“Does that work for you?” he asked, finally acknowledging me.
I pretended to give it serious thought. “I suppose that would work.”
“You know,” Kennedy began, her grin mischievous, “Brian and I live close so we’ll probably ride together. Maybe you could pick Jordyn up and meet us there?”
“I think I could do that,” Nolan said. “I’ll need her address though. And it would probably be a good idea to get her number so I can let her know when I’m on my way.”
“That’s an excellent plan, Nolan Meyers.” Kennedy held out her hand. “Give me your phone and I’ll put in her number.”
Nolan looked to me for approval and I threw up my hands. “Fine. You two plan this date. Just let me know when I need to be ready.”
“Will do.” Kennedy finished entering my number and handed it back to Nolan. “I’m also picking out your outfit.”
“Swell.”
She said to Nolan, “The carnival starts just before dark. We should plan to meet up around eight.”
“Sounds good.” Nolan stood up. “I need to run, but I’ll be by to pick you up at 7:45.”
“Wonderful,” I said sarcastically, but I smiled so he would know I wasn’t actually annoyed.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Kennedy.”
“The pleasure was definitely all mine.” Kennedy winked at me. “Jordyn was pleased to see you again, too.”
“That’s good to know.” Nolan smiled at me. “I look forward to our date. See you tonight.”
“Tonight.”
I don’t think I took a single breath while he was sitting with us. As he walked away, I sucked in several deep breaths.
“He’s wonderful,” Kennedy gasped. “If you don’t want him, I’ll gladly take him.”
“Don’t be so dramatic.” The more time I spent around Nolan, the more I saw his appeal. He was more than just a little charming. “So what am I wearing tonight?”
“Oh!” Kennedy bounced in her chair. “I’m thinking miniskirt. No, leather!”
“You’re the worst friend ever.”
Kennedy smirked. “You know you love me. How do you feel about fishnets?”
CHAPTER THREE
It turned out that Kennedy wasn’t completely serious about her outfit choice for me. She pushed hard for a miniskirt, but we reached an agreement by settling on a short, white sundress from her closet.
“He’s already seen me on multiple occasions,” I’d reminded her as she fussed about my hair. “He knows I’m not a supermodel like you and Kiki.”
“Please. I haven’t reached supermodel status yet,” she had joked. “Besides, Kiki is a singer, not a model.”
So at seven o’clock, I scrubbed myself clean in the shower and then contemplated my reflection in the mirror. Should I listen to Kennedy and spend an hour putting on make-up and fixing my hair? Nolan had seen me today looking like a mess and that hadn’t scared him away. I settled for blow-drying my hair straight and putting on a light coat of mascara. The result would not impress Kennedy, but I was satisfied.
The dress was shorter than I remembered, and I almost changed at the last minute, but I knew Kennedy would flip if I showed up in anything from my own closet. When Nolan knocked on the door at exactly 7:45, I was wearing the dress and a forced smile.
“You look great,” he said, his eyes lingering on my legs, which looked long and tan against the short, ivory fabric. “Kennedy knows fashion.”
“No, Kennedy knows men,” I corrected. “No hat
tonight?”
He ran a self-conscious hand through his hair. “I know when to clean up.”
“You clean up good,” I assured him. He was freshly shaven, too, and had dressed in a pair of jeans and a baby blue t-shirt. I couldn’t deny it- he looked damn good. “Shall we?”
Nolan stepped aside and gestured for me to lead the way. His hand grazed the small of my back and a shiver went up my spine. “Nice car,” I said, hoping my voice didn’t betray me.
“It’s a rental.” Nolan sounded sheepish. I got the feeling he was embarrassed by the absurd wealth resulting from his baseball career.
“Nothing wrong with a pretty convertible,” I said, hoping to make him feel more comfortable.
He held the door open for me, passing the first test of the night. I wasn’t old fashioned when it came to dating, but it was always nice to have someone treat you well. He turned on the engine and looked at me with his hand on the radio controls.
“Do you have any requests?”
“I trust your taste.”
“That’s your first mistake of the night.” His grin made my heart jump in my chest.
After finding a decent station, he pulled the car onto the road. My house was on Ocean Drive, aptly named since it wrapped all the way around Serenity along the ocean.
“It really is beautiful here,” Nolan said, somewhat wistfully. “I could see why people choose to live here.”
“It’s a little less exciting than Hollywood though,” I said.
“Hollywood is fake. There’s no real beauty there.” Nolan accelerated and the breeze whipped through my hair. “How did you end up here?”
“We already covered this ground at the coffee shop,” I reminded him.
“Yeah, but you never answered the question.”
“We both kept secrets from each other.” I didn’t plan to answer his question now, either, but then more words fell out of mouth. “I needed to get away, be some place that allowed me to breathe.”
Nolan said, “I can understand that.”
“You need to turn left up ahead,” I said.
The carnival was downtown, and it looked like everyone in town was putting in an appearance. We had a hard time finding parking but the convertible was little and we found a spot to squeeze into.
Finding Serenity (Serenity Beach) Page 3