Sunrise: Movie Star, Fake Relationship Romance (Chasing The Sun Duet Book 1)

by Kaci Rose

  "Okay, wear the sexy black lace underwear," she says.

  "What? No way! I'm not sleeping with him, Brynn!" I almost shout.

  "Well, never say never, but if you are feeling sexy, it will boost your confidence, and you need all the help you can get tonight. I know you, and you are already thinking of all the things that go wrong," she says and tosses me the black lace bra and underwear before leaving the bathroom to let me get dressed.

  I'm just slipping my top on when she walks back in and grabs my hands and sits me in front of my mom's vanity. It’s one of the few things I brought from the house after they died. I loved sitting here and using her makeup to get ready for any event, and I still do. All my makeup and hair things are here.

  I sit down and try not to think of them. The last thing I need is to go on this date with puffy eyes. Brynn does a good job of distracting me by telling me about some of the gossip she heard in town earlier.

  There are two new pregnancies, a new divorce, and a possible wedding in the future. The talk was mostly about Brynn's chef quitting and speculation of when the bridge would be fixed. The town is split on if they want it sooner or later. Some of us like that it isolates us and keeps the rest of the world away, for now anyway. The other half doesn't like not having access to the mainland.

  Once Brynn is finished with my hair and makeup, I swear I don't look like myself. I actually look like someone who belongs on Kade's arm.

  "This is crazy. Maybe I should back out," I say.

  "Nope, you are ready to go out. You are going out. Do this for us. You and me, but mostly you." She winks and starts packing up her stuff.

  With one more look in the mirror, I get ready to meet my date in the lobby.

  Chapter 14

  Kade

  I am pacing in the lobby, waiting for Lin. The day has seemed to drag on since we parted ways this morning. I know she had work today, but all I wanted to do was spend time with her. I know it has more to do with being bored and not able to leave the grounds of the inn than it does with anything else, but it still left me with some free time.

  Free time.

  What do people do in their free time? Thankfully, the phone service seemed to be back to normal by lunch because I actually searched it online. “What to do in your free time" turned up everything from exercising and reading a book to sitting quietly and journaling.

  I chose to read. What started as reading a book turned to reading blogs and then all the gossip sites about anything that was said about me recently. Let me save you the details. It wasn't good. I need tonight to go well.

  That thought alone started stressing me out. There is so much that could go wrong, starting with Lin changing her mind. Even right now, as I pace in the lobby, I am sending up silent prayers that she doesn't change her mind. Not just for my reputation, but because I want to get out of the inn for a while.

  When I turn to start pacing again, that's when I see her. She’s standing a bit unsure in the entry to the hall leading to her office and her room off the side of the lobby.

  My heart races, and my hands get sweaty. I've never had a reaction to seeing a woman dressed up for me before, but for some reason, seeing Lin in her black and dark red top almost means more than the others, and I'm not sure why or how I even feel about it.

  I take a deep breath and make my way over to her as my eyes keep taking her in. She seems to be looking me over too in my dark jeans and a button-up shirt.

  The closer I get, I can see the small details, like the way she did her hair and makeup, and she just takes my breath away. I'm in so much trouble.

  "You look stunning," I manage to say.

  "Thanks. You look good too," she says, barely above a whisper.

  I hold out my hand to her, and she looks at it for a moment before she hesitantly puts her hand in mine.

  "You know we need to be a bit more comfortable with each other to pull this off," I say as I pull her closer to me. The closer she is, the calmer I start to feel.

  "Well, I guess it's a good thing this is our first date. They are supposed to be weird and awkward, aren't they?"

  I smile as I lead her out to my car and help her in. She guides me to the best place to park, and we take our time walking hand in hand down the street to the restaurant. Giving as many people as possible a chance to see us.

  When we walk into the restaurant, it's clear the plan worked. The place is packed, and every seat at the bar is taken with several people standing. I can feel a slight shift in Lin as she pastes on a smile and leads us to the hostess stand while I take the place in.

  It's very classy, with lots of windows and natural light. Classic brown tables and black leather chairs and booths take advantage of the beach theme with lots of blue hanging glass buoys in what looks like thick fishing nets. Over the bar are hundreds of silver and blue fish hanging in a wave-like pattern to make it look like a large school of fish is swimming above the bar. This place would be a hit in Hollywood and totally not what I expected to find in such a small town.

  "Hey, Jackie. I called earlier for a reservation," Lin says to the girl at the hostess stand, but I don't think she hears her because her eyes are large and looking right at me.

  Lin gives a small laugh before turning to me. "This happen a lot?"

  "More than I want,” I admit.

  Then I lean forward and look Jackie in the eye.

  "Hey, sweetheart. Can you check on our reservation for us?" I ask in my sweet smooth voice.

  She just nods, her eyes still wide. She looks over at Lin, then down at the paper in front of her. She looks between me and the paper several times like she expects me to just vanish. After a moment, she grabs the menus, opens her mouth to say something, but nothing comes out.

  I chuckle as Lin and I follow her to our table. Every set of eyes in the place follows us, and the room is so quiet you could hear a pin drop. No one dares to talk in case they miss a single word from us. This might be worse than walking the red carpet. At least then they get their photos of you and move on to the next guest. Here we are the appetizer, main course, and dessert for the night.

  Thankfully, we are off in a corner of the room with a bit of space between us at the closest table, so if we whisper, we won't be heard. I pull out Lin's chair, and once we are both seated, I try to break the tension and forget about our audience, but she beats me to it.

  “For the record, that is your Mr. Hollywood persona you just used on Jackie," Lin whispers.

  I just nod. I knew it was and turned it on for a reason.

  “It's like a shield from fans. I guess it's so natural now. This is the first time I used it on purpose." Then I try to change the subject. "So, tell me what happened between Brynn and Jasper?"

  "Ah, that's her story to tell, but long story short, we all had plans—Brynn, Jasper, me, and Travis—and when our parents died, the plans changed. They went on to fulfill those plans while we stayed here and took over the inns much sooner than we ever expected." She shrugs.

  "What Travis did wasn't okay. You know that, right? A real man would have been by your side to help you navigate your new life. And if you were the one, then he would have rearranged his plans."

  I couldn't imagine dumping a girl at her parents' funeral. Even if she wasn't the girl I planned to marry, I'd still be there to help her through it. I can only imagine what they had to go through with the funeral to settle the estates and then take over the inns. And all before their twenty-first birthday.

  "I know that now, but then it just was another thing piled on. I don't think I dealt with it right away. Jasper and Brynn were different. They did the long distance for a bit, but you have to ask her for the details."

  The waiter comes over and takes our order, and she finally starts to relax. There is a soft buzz in the room as people have started talking again, but a quick glance shows they all have one eye on us. Every so often, someone holds up a phone, so I'm sure there will be plenty of pictures.

  "Don't look, but I think ou
r plan is working. Should we give them something to talk about?" I whisper.

  She smiles and leans in a little closer. "What did you have in mind?"

  I slowly reach across the table and take her hand in mine. She watches the whole thing like she can't believe it's her hand I'm taking. I can't take my eyes away from her small, soft hand because it's a perfect fit for mine. She's tiny and delicate to my large and hard, but it's a perfect fit. Everyplace her skin touches mine is filled with tingling sparks that promise more than just the comfortable friendship we have had.

  The spell’s broken as soon as someone approaches the table.

  "Really, of all the places to eat in town you picked here?" The man who looks to have come from the kitchen says.

  Lin sighs. "Kade meet Jasper. Nice to see you too, Jasper," Lin says, barely looking at him.

  "Wish I could say the same," he says in a sarcastic tone, and I know this is where I step in.

  "Hey, there is no need to be rude here. I suggested the place, and when Lin told me the story of you and Brynn, I didn't think it would be a big deal. My mistake," I say, trying to shift his focus to me.

  "I don't care who you are, Kade Markson. Lin is the reason for Brynn and I breaking up. She has no reason to be here," he says, taking a step toward Lin, who backs up almost instinctively.

  I stand and pull his attention back to me as I lower my voice.

  "Is this really the place to do this? We have quite a crowd tonight. Despite everything that went on, these girls still thought to bring you the attention that comes with being my date tonight. Is this how you want the place portrayed online?" I ask, shooting my eyes behind him.

  When he takes a step back and looks around, I insert myself between him and Lin before he looks back at us.

  "Enjoy your meal," he sneers, knowing I'm right.

  He storms off toward the kitchen. I watch him go, and before I get a chance to sit down, a cop in uniform walks up to me.

  Great, just what I need—to get in trouble for causing a scene. But he surprises me and sticks his hand out.

  "Thanks for that. Brynn and Lin have been through enough, and no matter what Jasper thinks, it was not Lin's fault," he says and shakes my head.

  "Thanks, Nate," Lin says from behind me.

  When I turn to look at her, she explains. "Nate went to school with Brynn and me, and he's a good friend. Helped us out more than once."

  I smile at him. "No problem, I don't even know the whole story, and I know Lin isn't involved. That just isn't her."

  "He's had a chip on his shoulder ever since he got back, and I don't think the kiwi in the face helped much." Nate tries to hold back his smile and fails. "Not that I approve." His voice goes stern as he looks at Lin. "Anyway, welcome to town. Lin can call me if you need anything. With the bridge out, it should stay pretty quiet."

  We say our goodbyes, and I sit back down. I look around, and everyone has their eyes on us again. I clear my throat, and it seems to break the trance as they all go back to enjoying their meals.

  We fall into an easy conversation about the things you talk about on a first date, family, friends, childhood, future plans. When our dinner comes, Lin looks it over with wary eyes.

  "What's wrong?" I ask her.

  "I'm almost scared to eat it if Jasper is as angry as he is," she whispers.

  Our server, who hasn't left yet, chimes in. "Oh, Jasper left. As soon as he walked in the kitchen, he grabbed his stuff and went out the back way."

  "Oh, thank god." She sighs and digs in.

  The food is delicious, and it almost makes me hate the guy a bit more because he knows what he's doing, and you can't hate him for that even if I'm not happy with how he treated Lin.

  "Want to get dessert?" I ask.

  "Actually, yes, but not here. There is a bakery down the way that would be perfect. We can grab something, then go sit on the pier and watch the night fishermen. It was one of my favorite things to do with my dad growing up." Her smile is a bit wobbly, but she keeps it together.

  "You sure?" I whisper, and she nods, so I settle the check, leaving a big tip for the server, and we stand to leave.

  Everyone's eyes shoot back to us as I take Lin's hand and lead us back out of the restaurant. Nate nods at me, and I nod back. It's nice to know I've earned one person's respect in this town. That means a lot to me. I hope I can win a few more over during my time here.

  As the cool salt air hits my face, I take a deep breath.

  Freedom.

  Chapter 15

  Linly

  Freedom. We are away from the watchful eyes of half the town. Everyone was there—all the church ladies and of course Dorothy, Ginger, Holly, and Becca. They had the best seat in the house for the entire thing.

  I was shocked to see Nate there, but since he was in uniform, my guess is, he figured he should try to keep the peace and keep Kade from being mobbed. I'm glad everyone left him alone. Though I’m sure starting tomorrow, he's fair game for people to get autographs and photos with him.

  Hand in hand, we make our way slowly down toward the bakery. And I just start to laugh.

  "I reckon that's how a zoo animal feels, huh?" I ask, remembering what my mom said it felt like after my father proposed and everyone was watching her everywhere she went and reporting on every little wedding detail.

  "I would say so. At least back in LA, they don't make it so obvious they’re watching you." Kade smiles.

  "Oh, Seaview has no shame whatsoever. They want you to know they know," I say and check out the store windows as we walk by.

  "At least I'm sure we accomplished what we set out to. Everyone was there and many people I didn't expect. Poor Nate was there for crowd control. Thank goodness we didn't need it." I shake my head.

  "Hey, I could think of worse ways to spend an evening shift than at a nice restaurant," Kade says. Then he lowers his voice. "We don't have to go to the pier, Lin. I want you to be comfortable."

  I smile. "Thanks, but the pier is still someplace I like to go. Lots of good memories, and it's the closest I get to the water nowadays."

  "What do you mean?"

  I take a deep breath and make my confession. "I haven't been back in the water since my parents died."

  Kade stops and looks at me. "You haven't been swimming in five years?"

  "Oh, I go in the pool and swim all the time. It's the best way to cool off in the summer. The Sunset has a nice one that Sunrise guests get to use, but I haven't been back into the ocean. Something about the same water that killed my parents. I know how the ocean cycles and all, but my mind says it's the same water that touched my parents' dead bodies, and I can't move past that," I admit. Brynn agrees with me, but most people don't understand.

  "I get that. Everyone's fears are caused by some chain event, so it's only natural," he says.

  "Oh, Mr. Hollywood, what are your fears?" I ask him.

  He smiles. "Chainsaws. The sound of them, I hate it. In that horror movie I did, they had to get right up near my face, and all I could think was one small misstep and a chainsaw was slicing off my face. I also fear stalkers. Thankfully, I've never had any super crazy ones, but I've seen a few other guys have them. The girls really get psycho ones. For that reason, I've always had high security for my parents and me from the beginning."