Most people are usually so thrilled to meet Katie Lawrence, the movie star, that they never actually see me. This guy seems to have no interest in Katie Lawrence at all, but he is trying to see me—the real me—and that scares the hell out of me.
“Hunter Wilde.”
“As opposed to Hunter Tame.” I give a nervous laugh, but Hunter doesn’t even crack a smile. “It was supposed to be a joke.”
“I’d stick to dramatic roles if I were you.”
He looks around the enormous room but doesn’t comment. He doesn’t seem to be much of a talker, but I can tell there’s a lot going on behind his chocolate brown eyes.
“I know it’s a bit ostentatious,” I say, but mostly because I’m nervous, and I’m not sure what else to say. It’s been a long time since anyone has made me nervous. Usually I’m the one making other people nervous. Or at least Katie Lawrence the movie star does.
“So where are you from?” I ask, although I’m not sure why. This guy does not look at all interested in having a conversation with me or anyone else.
“Here.”
“The hotel?” I laugh.
He frowns. “No, Old Town.”
I drove through the center of Old Town on my way to the resort. It’s quite literally an old town, not at all unlike Phillipsburg where I grew up. Old Town is quaint, with a cute town square and charming little stores. The kind of stores I would have loved to shop in before I became movie star. Now I’m expected to only be seen shopping at the trendiest and most expensive stores in Beverly Hills.
“I’m from Phillipsburg,” I admit.
“You’re from P-Burg?” He’s staring at me like he doesn’t believe me.
“Yes, I’m from P-Burg.”
He lets out a single laugh. “You do not look like you’re from P-Burg.”
I’m not sure if his statement is good or bad. I’m really not sure how to take this guy at all. And I’m not really sure why I care so much. I guess when you get used to people immediately liking you, or the idea of you anyway, it’s unsettling when someone doesn’t.
I put my hands on my hips. “And just what do people from Phillipsburg look like?”
He looks me up and down again. But not the way most guys do. Like they want to undress me. This guy seems to be judging me.
“Not like you.”
“I think we’ve already established that.”
When Elsie clears her throat I remember she's standing right next to me. I got so wrapped up in talking to Hunter, I forgot she was there.
“You've got to get ready for the rehearsal dinner,” Else reminds me.
I have no desire to get dressed up, and I definitely don’t want to be back in the spotlight. For the first time in a long time I was actually starting to feel like Kat again, and I liked it.
I wonder if it has something to do with Hunter. He's just so normal and down-to-Earth. He reminds me of the guys I went to high school with. The guys who drove pickup trucks and listened to country music. The only time people in Hollywood pretend to listen to country music is when it's time for the Country Music Awards.
I give Hunter a weak smile. It's about all I can muster. “I'll be right back.”
He nods, and I turn and head back into the bathroom. “Will you bring me that little black dress we talked about? And the black pumps.”
Elsie heads for the closet to grab the items.
I take in a deep breath, and try to psyche myself up for the occasion. Even though we're supposed to be celebrating his brother's wedding I know Devon will somehow try to turn it into a publicity opp for his new reality show. He turns everything into an opportunity for publicity. That's how he became a brand, and one of the highest paid athletes in the country. He's a publicity whore. Everything is about his brand.
I do my best to make myself look like Katie Lawrence again, whatever that means. It seems like my image is constantly changing. Yesterday they wanted me to be the cool girl next door. Today they want me to add more sex appeal. Who knows what they’ll ask me to do tomorrow. I’m constantly acting even when I’m not in front of the camera.
Just as I’m about to put on my eye makeup there’s a knock on the door. I let Elsie in and she hands me my dress and shoes.
“Are you sure about those heels?” She eyes the stilettos.
I heave a sigh. “You know if it was up to me I’d be wearing jeans and sneakers.”
Elsie gives me a warm smile.
“You know there will be all kind of paparazzi there. They’ll all expect to see Katie Lawrence. And I don’t want to piss Devon off. He’s not pleasant to be around when he’s angry.”
“And he’s angry like ninety percent of the time.” She shakes her head. “I don’t know why you’re still with that guy.”
“I told him I’d stay with him at least until his new show starts. He doesn’t want any negative publicity. He’s trying to improve his image a little bit since the hot tub incident.”
The last time we broke up was because I caught Devon in a hot tub with not one but three naked strippers. And they weren’t just soaking together.
“I wouldn’t put up with that crap.”
“I know he can be a jerk, but he says he loves me.”
“You can do a lot better.”
I know she’s right. Devon thinks monogamy is optional. But we’ve been together for four years. I’d love to have a real relationship with someone but I don’t have time to meet anyone other than actors. And most of them are no better than Devon.
At this point how would I even know if someone wanted to be with me or just with Katie Lawrence the movie star? At least I met Devon before I became super famous.
I think the only reason we’re still together, though, is because I became super famous, and it makes him look good.
“Well, how do I look?” I glance in the mirror and then back at Elsie.
“You look like a movie star,” Elsie jokes.
“Just the words I wanted to hear.”
Three
Hunter
I’ve known her for less than an hour and Katie Lawrence has already given me whiplash. Just when I think I’ve got her figured out she throws me a total curve ball.
She initially comes across as a real princess. Someone you’d expect to find shopping at only the most expensive places—like Neiman Marcus or Saks—places where my Wall Street banker brother, Cooper, and his fiancé, Riley shop.
But then she says she grew up in Phillipsburg. Phillipsburg definitely doesn’t have a Neiman Marcus or Saks. It’s so small they’re lucky they have a Walmart.
It’s hard for me to wrap my head around her being from a small town just like me. But then when I saw her standing there in her T-shirt and yoga pants, she looked so normal. Not like a movie star at all.
Now, as we head into the ballroom, she’s like a completely different person again. She’s back to being Katie Lawrence, the movie star.
“Are you just going to follow us around the entire night?” Katie’s assistant asks.
Her assistant is about the same age as Katie, but far less attractive. She’s got very curly brown hair, close-set brown eyes and kind of a pointy, bird nose. And she’s about twenty pounds or so overweight. I don’t like the way she looks at me. It’s like I’m a nuisance bug that she wants to swat away.
“Yup,” I reply. I give her the slightest obnoxious half smile.
She gives me one of her own in return.
“Don’t feel like you have to stay at the party all night, Elsie,” Katie says. “I know you’re not into that kind of thing.”
“I just want to make sure everything is okay with Devon before I leave.”
I wonder what she means by that. I know Devon Black is supposed to be her boyfriend, but Katie doesn’t really act like someone who’s attached. And from what I hear the guy is a real piece of work. He has a reputation as being quite a lady’s man. I can’t imagine someone like Katie putting up with that kind of crap. She could do a lot better.
&n
bsp; Not that I don’t know other girls who stay with guys when they shouldn’t. My oldest brother, Jake, sleeps with practically every girl who walks into our bar and he’s got a gorgeous girl who’s completely and totally in love with him.
I have no idea why.
But maybe that’s why I’m still single. I haven’t been able to figure women out yet.
I do a quick scan of the ballroom. There’s no doubt the place cost a fortune to decorate, from the giant ice sculptures to the champagne fountains, it’s a display of wealth like I’ve never seen before. And this is only the rehearsal dinner. I wonder what they’ve got in store for the actual wedding ceremony.
My brother, Cooper, and his fiancée, Riley, will be getting married at the resort in a few months. Call it a hunch but I don’t think their reception will be this elaborate.
The place is packed with the most attractive people I’ve ever seen in my life. And they’re all dressed to the nines. I feel underdressed in my security uniform: black chinos and black fitted polo.
It’s obvious the room is filled with the rich and famous. If I gave a shit about popular culture I might actually know who some of these people are.
As soon as people start to realize that Katie has entered the room she’s inundated with photographers snapping her picture. Other people who look like celebrities stop by to give her fake little kisses on the cheek, and tell her how lovely she looks, and how much they just love her new movie. I’ve never heard so many people drag out the word love so it’s two syllables.
I don’t see any signs of Devon Black. I’ve seen him on television a few times hawking some kind of soda. I can’t remember the brand. I guess his commercials are popular, but I don’t watch that much television.
I notice Elsie is also scanning the room and I wonder if she’s looking for Devon too.
“See him anywhere?” I ask.
She looks up at me and frowns. “How did you know?”
“I’m perceptive. It comes with the job.”
She puts her hand to her face like she’s getting ready to tell me a secret. I’m not really sure I want to know any of this girl’s secrets, but I listen anyway.
“He’s probably with one of the bridesmaids.” The way she says it makes it sounds like he’s doing more than talking with another woman.
As if on cue Elsie and I turn and happen to catch sight of Devon strolling in from a side entrance. He combs his fingers through disheveled hair then tries to straighten his tie and shirt as he enters. It’s a little routine I’m very familiar with. My brother, Jake, performs it several times a night at Haymakers right after he’s had a quickie in the backroom with the flavor of the moment.
My suspicions are confirmed when I see a stunning blonde enter from the same corridor a few seconds later. The blonde has it going on, there’s no doubt about that. If she’s not a model, she should be. She’s not quite as disheveled as Devon, but she’s still trying to straighten her extremely short skirt and tuck in her blouse.
I can’t help but look over at Katie. I notice right away that her eyes are narrowed as the blonde walks by her. It’s almost as if the blonde is rubbing it in her face. Just as the blonde passes I notice that she gives Katie a smug smile, and flips her long, thick mane as she walks by.
Katie looks like someone has just slapped her, and I can see that she’s blinking back tears.
“Hey, Babe,” Devon says as he approaches Katie. She flinches as he slings his arm over her shoulder.
The guy is just a little taller than Katie, maybe five feet six inches, and he’s thin. His signature long brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail. It would probably only take me one good punch to knock him halfway across the room.
But I’m not a fighter unless I’ve got a really good reason to be.
I’m not sure if Devon is drunk or high, but he’s definitely been using something. His eyes are glassy and he’s got a weird smile plastered on his face. He’s also having trouble standing up straight.
“What’s the matter, Babe?” I guess he’s not getting the reaction he expected from Katie. Her body is so tense she looks like she can’t wait to make an escape.
“You smell like Chanel No. 5 perfume. Isn’t that the scent Irina Tarasov is wearing?”
When Katie takes a step away from Devon he almost falls over.
“Come on,” he pleads. “You know it’s not like that.”
Katie puts her hands on her hips. “I know exactly what it’s like. I’m not blind, Devon.”
“Whatever. You need to chill, and I need a beer.”
Devon turns and stumbles away. The last thing the guy needs is a beer, but I’m not his babysitter. I was given one assignment, and that’s to watch Katie Lawrence. I guess I didn’t realize that it was going to include guarding her from her own boyfriend.
“He’s an ass,” Elsie says as she places a hand on Katie’s shoulder.
“You’d think he could keep his pants up for just one night.” Katie is obviously angry, but behind the anger I can see she’s really hurting.
“Are you finally ready to end this thing?” Elsie asks.
Katie doesn’t respond. She just glances over at me. There’s not too much I can say or do. Unless the guy decides to get violent, relationship problems are outside of my scope of duty as a security guard.
“I need a drink,” she declares.
“Are you sure?” Elsie looks surprised. Maybe Katie isn’t much of a drinker.
“Very.” Katie is already heading toward the closest bar.
“Make it a double,” I hear Katie say to one of the bartenders, although I missed what she was getting a double of.
It takes me a few seconds to realize that I know the bartenders. Mazzy and Suzie are twins who used to work at Haymakers. That is until they got a better deal at the resort.
Mazzy looks puzzled. “People don’t usually order a double when they order wine.”
“I always wanted to say that. It’s sounds so cool in the movies.”
“Just pour two glasses of wine into one glass,” I suggest.
Recognition crosses Mazzy’s face. “Hunter Wilde. Look at you!” She elbows her sister. “Suzie, would you take a look at Hunter?”
It takes a few seconds before Suzie realizes it’s me. “You’ve been working out. A lot. You’re huge.”
“Thanks, I think.”
“Oh, it definitely is a compliment.” She gives me a seductive little smile. The twins are both attractive, there’s no doubt about that. But they’re not my type. They’re a little too much of—well—everything. There is nothing quiet or refined about either of them.
Katie clears her throat to get Mazzy’s attention.
“Oh, yeah. Right. You wanted wine. A double.” She pours Katie a huge glass of wine. “Hey, aren’t you the girl who starred in that movie?” She elbows Suzie again. “What was the movie that you loved? You know. The one that won all those awards.”
“Chasing Summer,” Suzie reminds her.
“That’s it! You starred in Chasing Summer, didn’t you?”
Katie nods and gives Mazzy a small smile. Now that’s refined. She could be a textbook example. When she looks up at me and our eyes meet there’s a little exchange of energy between us that wasn’t there before. We both look away just as quickly.
“That’s a lot of wine.” Elsie points to the glass.
“That’s what I’d always serve our customers when they looked like they wanted a little more than the average glass of wine,” I say. “I called it a double just for fun.”
Elsie eyes me suspiciously. There’s doesn’t seem to be much I can say or do that pleases her. “Were you a bartender too?”
“My family owns the bar in Old Town. Haymakers. I’ve worked there since I was old enough to work.”
She still doesn’t look satisfied. “A security guard and a bartender. When do you have time for anything else?”
“I’m also a cop.”
Now both girls are staring at me with eyes a
s wide as pie plates. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything about my day job. Elsie just knows how to push my buttons.
“I’m old enough to drink,” Katie says as if I’m suddenly going to arrest her. Not only has she not done anything illegal, I’m off-duty.
“I’m not worried about it,” I assure her.
“I’m twenty-three,” she adds.
That actually makes me smile. “Good to know.”
I’ve always had a thing for older women even though she only has a year on me.
Mazzy hands Katie the glass that’s almost overflowing with white wine. It looks more like she may have poured a triple.
Elsie’s expression is horrified. “Are you sure you’re going to be able to drink all of that?”
“Positive.”
I think Katie is going to take a small sip of her beverage, but to my surprise she downs half of the glass. She stops only to take in a breath then downs the other half.
Elsie’s jaw is just about on the floor as she watches Katie. She looks even more surprised than I am.
Katie pushes the empty glass back on the bar, but doesn’t quite push it far enough. The thing is teetering and luckily Suzie is quick on her feet because she just grabs it before the thing falls to the floor.
“Good save,” I say.
Suzie gives me another flirtatious smile. Funny that she never gave me the time of day when she and her sister worked at Haymakers. Of course, I was about forty pounds lighter and a lot less muscular back then.
“Maybe I’ll have another.” Katie is already slurring her words slightly, and she’s having a little trouble modulating the volume of her voice. The alcohol is hitting her a lot harder and quicker than I thought it would.
“I don’t think you need any more wine,” Elsie says.
“But I like it.” Katie pouts like a little girl.
“Do you like food?” I suggest. “Maybe some bread?”
Katie shakes her head. “Haven’t you heard? I’m considered overweight for an actress. My manager wants me to lose ten pounds before my next job. No bread. No carbs. I’ll be living on carrot sticks and celery.”
There’s not one part of Katie’s body that looks overweight to me. She’s actually got a hot little body. And thinking about it is making my dick twitch, which is definitely not part of my job description.
A Wilde Night (Old Town Country Romance Book 3) Page 2