A Case of Extreme Mistaken Identity

by Lieske, Victorine E.

  “What?” Dani said, taking a step back. “Professional football player?”

  He swallowed, unable to say anything. Dani stared at him, waiting for him to respond. He just needed to tell her the truth. It was a simple misunderstanding, that was all. It didn’t have to be a big deal. Right?

  But his lips wouldn’t move. He couldn’t think. All he could do was stare at the way Dani’s lips turned down, and the unspoken question in her eyes. The one that said, Did you lie to me?

  “Wait, you didn’t know who he was?” Claire’s voice broke in and Austin wanted to shove her away from them, but he couldn’t move. He couldn’t even breathe. All he could do was watch as Dani’s expression slowly changed from bewildered to hurt.

  “What do you mean?”

  Claire laughed, a cutting sound that made Austin flinch. He didn’t want to hear what was coming next. He wanted to sink into the Earth and let it swallow him up. But Claire’s words rang through the fog in his head. “He’s Austin Scott. The quarterback for the Los Angeles Demons. You didn’t know this?” She laughed again.

  Dani blinked and took a step back, like she’d been struck. Her face said it all. She’d trusted him, and he’d lied to her.

  Daggers stabbed at his chest. Words wouldn’t form. All he could do was stand there and watch Dani’s expression fall.

  And then she turned around and walked away.

  Chapter 16

  Dani had no idea where she was going. She just knew she had to get away. Claire’s laughter could still be heard as she jaunted down the stone steps that led to the parking lot. She turned down the sidewalk, the laughter echoing in her head.

  Austin wasn’t a maintenance man. And not only that, but he was a super famous football guy. Quarterback? Wasn’t that the most valuable player in the game? How could she have mistaken him for a maintenance man? How stupid was she?

  Heat rose to her face as she walked. She’d made an innocent mistake, but Austin was the one who hadn’t corrected her. Was he trying to hide his identity from her? Why hadn’t he told her the truth? It didn’t make sense.

  She rubbed her arms as the breeze from the ocean chilled her. It was a cloudy evening, no stars peeking through. She kept walking, her pace picking up in case Austin decided to go after her. She didn’t want to talk to him right now. He’d lied to her.

  What was his motive? Did it have something to do with him being so nice to her? She could only imagine that he had ulterior motives. What they were, she had no idea. Was he trying to get candid shots of her to sell to the tabloids?

  He didn’t seem to be the type. But, Rafael hadn’t seemed like the type either. He’d really gotten her good. She didn’t want to fall back into the same stupid trap.

  She slowed her steps, looking around at the restaurants around her. Where was she? Had she turned a corner without thinking? Unfamiliar surroundings gave her a shiver. Why had she not been paying attention to where she was going?

  Maybe she should turn back and head in the other direction. If she found the golf place, she could get herself back to the resort. She turned back, trying to remember which corner she’d accidentally taken.

  As she walked, the bright streetlights seemed to get farther and farther apart. Where was she? Surely she hadn’t gotten that far away from the resort. It had to be around here somewhere. She turned a corner and found herself on a dark residential street. There were brighter lights ahead, she could see them, but it made her nervous to walk down the darkened area. Still, she needed to get back to the resort and figure out what she was going to do.

  She’d be fine, right? There wasn’t anyone on the street that she could see. Just a few dark homes along the way. She just needed to walk past them and get to the resort. The place that was lit up had to be it.

  But after walking down the darkened street, she came to the bright lights only to find it wasn’t the resort wall. It was some kind of construction site, a chain link fence around the area. A couple of guys leaned up against the fence, staring at her.

  She quickly glanced around, trying to find out which direction she should go, but there wasn’t any street except back into the darkness where she’d come from. One of the men nodded at her. She gave him a quick nod and broke eye contact. His gaze made her feel uneasy.

  Since there was no way to go except back down the residential street, she turned and headed into the darkness. Footsteps sounded behind her, and she picked up speed. Were the men following her? She was too afraid to look. Fear chilled her as she tried to get past all the dark houses to the better lit part of the street.

  A pair of headlights shone on her, and the vehicle slowed and then stopped beside her. A shadowy figure stood and approached her. Was that one of the men? Were they going to grab her and put her in the car? She sprinted, wanting anything to get back to where people were walking casually down the street.

  A hand grabbed her arm and she screamed.

  “Dani.”

  Austin’s voice came from the darkness and relief coursed through her. She threw herself into his arms.

  “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Austin hugged her to his chest.

  She was so happy it was Austin and not one of the men from the construction site that tears stung her eyes. “I’m okay,” she choked out.

  “I tried to follow you, but you weren’t anywhere I could see. I got worried when I couldn’t find you, so I went back to the resort and grabbed the golf cart. What are you doing here?”

  She took in gulps of air, which made her sound like she was having a panic attack. Maybe she was. Her heart was beating so fast, she was dizzy. “I got lost.”

  “Come on. Let’s go back.” Austin helped her into the cart. She gripped the handle next to her seat. Austin drove forward in order to turn the cart around. The men were still at the fence, leaning up against it. She’d imagined the footsteps. Now she felt foolish.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? You look like you’re going to throw up.”

  “I’m fine.” She chewed on the inside of her cheek. She’d been stupid to run from him. But what else could she do? She’d been so upset. She wrung her hands together. “Where’s Claire?”

  “I don’t know. I left her at the golf place.”

  “Oh.” Man, Claire was going to be mad. Maybe they wouldn’t run into her again. Dani could only hope.

  “Listen, I’m sorry about earlier.” Austin cringed as he turned a corner. “I wasn’t sure how to tell you.”

  She stiffened at the mention of his deception. “You just say it,” she muttered.

  “The first time we met, I didn’t think I’d ever see you again. So it wasn’t a big deal to let you think I worked at the resort. But then, after we ran across each other again, it was awkward. I didn’t want you to feel bad about your mistake.”

  She jerked toward him. “You’re blaming me?”

  “No. Did it sound like that?”

  “Kind of.” Was she being too sensitive? She rubbed the space between her eyes, a headache beginning to form.

  “Well, if it did, I’m sorry. I just wasn’t sure how to tell you, and then it got to be too weird. But you’re right, it was my fault, not yours. I should have said something.”

  Yes, he should have. But Dani was tired of thinking about it. All she knew was that trusting him would be a mistake, and this just further proved it. Not that she had much choice in staying with him over the weekend, since everything was booked solid. But after the holiday was over, she would find another room and slowly back away from Austin.

  Chapter 17

  Austin could tell Dani was upset with him, from the way she pinched her lips together to the way she was giving him sideways glances when she thought he wasn’t looking. He’d really messed up. But now that it was out in the open, he was sure she’d have to forgive him. He hadn’t meant to hurt her.

  He parked the golf cart and Dani hopped out. She didn’t wait for him. Instead, she headed toward their room, her footsteps quick on the pavement. He rushed
to catch up to her.

  It wasn’t horribly late, but as soon as Dani entered their room, she grabbed her night things and locked herself into the bathroom. He sighed and sat down on the couch, grabbing the remote. Maybe she would cool down tomorrow and things wouldn’t be so strained.

  He turned on the television and began flipping through the channels when he landed on a football game. A tug of emotion stirred in his heart. How long was he going to have to watch football instead of play it? It was hard, not being on the field right now. He missed the cheer of the crowds, and the smell of the grass. He watched as the clocked ticked down. This game was almost over. Maybe there was another one just starting. He clicked on the remote as Dani came out of the bathroom wearing her pajamas.

  He must have pressed the wrong button on the remote because a picture of Dani in her housekeeping uniform flashed on the screen. She looked like she was in the middle of speaking, a strange expression on her face. He was too stunned to change the channel.

  Dani’s mouth dropped as she saw the image. “What the…”

  He came to his senses and tried to change the channel, but Dani grabbed the remote, her nostrils flaring. “Don’t.”

  A man’s voice came from the television. “Danica Jordan’s downward spiral continues as she was recently spotted at one of the most exclusive resorts on Grand Cayman, not as a guest, but working as a housekeeper.” The camera cut to a man behind a desk, who turned to his co-host. “I guess rehab didn’t take.”

  “It’s a shame, really. If she doesn’t get the help she needs, she can’t take the necessary steps to get clean.” The woman fiddled with a stack of papers.

  The man smirked. “Clean. I see what you did there.”

  She laughed. “Maybe scrubbing toilets will be just what Danica needs.”

  “I’d pay good money to see that.”

  The conversation turned to something else, and Dani tossed the remote back at him. She made a guttural noise and turned from him, putting her hand up to her head. Her shoulders rounded, pulling into herself.

  He flicked the television off and jumped up from the couch, closing the space between them. He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Dani…”

  She shrugged off his touch, then turned to him, her gaze fierce. It pinned him to the spot. “Did you get paid a lot for that photo? Or did you do it for some other reason?”

  “What?” He took a step back, unable to understand. She thought he’d taken that photo?

  “Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” Her voice broke, and he could see tears forming in her eyes. She blinked them back.

  He had no way to defend himself. He had no proof that he didn’t sell a picture of her. And, looking at it pragmatically, who else could it have been? But he hadn’t done it, and he wasn’t going to let her jump to conclusions. “I didn’t take that photo. I swear.”

  “How can I believe you?” Her gaze penetrated his, her dark brown eyes almost pleading with him to prove it to her.

  “Have you ever seen me taking photos of you? Have I ever once looked like I was going to film you? I know you don’t like cameras. I wouldn’t do that to you.” What could he say to make her believe him? He grabbed her arm and electricity from the touch shot through him. He let go.

  “I don’t know how I can trust you,” she said, her voice cracking. “You lied to me.”

  Her words sliced through him, and he staggered back. “I know. I’m sorry.” He wasn’t sure what else to say to make her believe him.

  Tears fell down her cheeks. “And now everyone knows how low my life has sunk.” She dissolved into sobs.

  He pulled her to him, unable to stand the sight of her crying. “It’s okay. It’s just a gossip channel. No one watches it anyway.” The feeling of her against him made his pulse quicken. He couldn’t deny it. He was immensely attracted to Dani, and holding her like that didn’t help one bit.

  “Another lie,” she murmured into his chest.

  He rubbed her back. He couldn’t think of anything else to do to comfort her. “No one that matters.”

  Worried that she was going to pull away from him, he hugged her tighter, but instead of stepping back she melted into him. He let her cry until she had no more tears. He simply held her, hoping that would show her how much he cared.

  He stroked her hair. It was soft, and smelled like cocoa butter. That same feeling of wanting to protect her rose in him. But what could he do?

  Finally, after she calmed down, he pulled back to look into her eyes. “Are you okay?”

  She shook her head, then bit her lower lip. “It’s not going to ever end, is it?”

  She looked so despondent that his heart broke for her. He reached up and touched the side of her face, brushing his fingers over her soft skin. It seemed almost too intimate, and guilt choked him. She had a boyfriend. He shouldn’t be thinking the kinds of things that were running through his mind at the moment. He wasn’t supposed to be enjoying her being so close. And he certainly shouldn’t be looking at her lips and wondering how she would react if he kissed her.

  He swallowed and cleared his throat. “People fade out of the limelight. It’s possible to live a normal life.”

  She searched his face, as if she were trying to figure out if he was once again lying to her. “I don’t see how.”

  “I know you don’t. You’ve been in the tabloids your whole life. You don’t know what it’s like to be anything else. But believe me, if you start living a normal life, people will get bored and move on to keeping tabs on someone else.”

  She lowered her gaze. “Why do people even care?”

  He wanted to tell her he didn’t know, that he couldn’t fathom why everyone was fascinated by Danica Jordan, but that would be another lie. He knew the truth. He cupped her cheek in hopes that would soothe his words. “Because…of what happened to your mother.”

  She balked, and he pulled her closer. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  “Why are you sorry?”

  “Because I don’t want to cause you pain.”

  She buried her face into his chest again. The feel of her soft pajamas against his skin, mixed with the warmth of her, caused his chest to constrict. She shook her head. “It’s not your fault. You’re right. My mother’s death put me in the limelight.”

  He hated that such an awful event caused the world’s fascination with Danica Jordan. He didn’t know what to say now that her mother was brought up. What could he say? Everyone knew the horrible circumstances. Would she even want to talk about it? He hesitated before quietly asking, “Do you remember her?”

  Dani pulled back from him and shook her head. “Not really.”

  “That must be hard for you.”

  She nodded, then wiped at her face, her cheeks reddening. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to blubber all over you.” She crossed the room and opened the refrigerator, taking out a water bottle. “Looks like I’ve embarrassed myself yet again.”

  Austin felt awkward standing there, his arms suddenly feeling empty, so he sat down on the couch. “No need to feel embarrassed.”

  She opened the bottle and took a long drink. After recapping it, she leaned against the small counter. “If it wasn’t you, who was it?” She turned her burning gaze on to him.

  “I don’t know.” He’d been trying to figure that out, but had no answers. “Maybe one of the other housekeepers? Or someone staying here?”

  She slowly nodded. “I guess it has to be.”

  “But really, it doesn’t matter if people know you’re working here. It’s respectable.”

  Dani tossed him a flat look, then crossed the room to join him on the couch. “Respectable? You must not run in the same circles I do.”

  “I just mean it’s honest work.” His fingers itched to touch her hand, to feel her warm skin, but he held back. He had to keep reminding himself he was not supposed to be falling for Dani.

  “I guess.” She fiddled with the water bottle, picking at the label. He hadn’t noticed before, but she�
�d trimmed her nails and taken off her fingernail polish. Somehow it made him like her even more.

  “Don’t worry so much about what people think. You can’t change their opinions. Let them think what they want. It will only make you unhappy to worry about it.”

  “Have you ever been on the receiving end of a scandal?” She looked up at him. He couldn’t find any accusation in her gaze, but he felt the weight of the question.

  “No.”

  “I figured.” She set her bottle on the coffee table.

  He cleared his throat, then grew bold and took her hand, even though he knew it probably wasn’t a good idea. “You’re right. I shouldn’t tell you how to respond. Not when you’ve been through this type of thing a million times, and I’ve never had to.”

  She dropped her gaze to his hand on hers. “It’s just harder to ignore than you’d think.”

  He removed his hand, silently chastising himself for allowing the contact. He needed to get a handle on himself or he would do something he would regret. Like press his lips to hers.

  He shook his head to clear it of that thought. “You’re probably right.”

  Chapter 18

  Dani woke to the sound of the shower running. She stretched, enjoying the soft feel of the mattress. Yes, she’d practically begged Austin to let her take turns sleeping on the couch, but she had to admit the bed was much better. She wasn’t looking forward to this evening and taking another turn on the hard sofa.

  A knock came on the door, and Dani scrambled out of bed. Who could be at the door? She glanced at the clock. Nine. It was her day off, so she’d slept in. Maybe it was housekeeping. “We don’t need anything,” she called out.

  “Delivery,” a man said on the other side of the door.

  Delivery? She crossed to the peephole and looked out. A young man held a bundle of helium balloons in bright colors. Her heart warmed. Had Austin ordered them? For her?