Love in the Afternoon

by Alison Packard

  That got his attention. He swung his gaze back to hers. “Are you?”

  Rachel’s eyes narrowed. “Do you think I have that much power?”

  “I don’t know. Do you?”

  “If I did I wouldn’t tell you.” Rachel shot back with a toss of her head. “I’m sure you can’t be pleased to be paired with Kayla Maxwell.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Because she’s as phony as a three dollar bill.” Rachel’s tone was cold, just like her eyes. “She’s not as sweet as she pretends to be. It’s all an act.”

  Any other time Sean would tell her where to stick it. Rachel had just reminded him why he gave her a wide berth at the studio. She’d also reminded him that he didn’t know Kayla all that well. Was she a phony as Rachel claimed? It wasn’t like he hadn’t been duped before.

  Across the room, he spied Chris Winters, the actor who played his friend on the show. “Excuse me. I need to talk to Chris.” Without waiting for her reply, Sean brushed past her and headed for Chris. He surveyed the room but still didn’t see Kayla. Marcus hadn’t left, so either Kayla’s plan had backfired or something else was going on. And he was damn curious as to what it was.

  Fifteen minutes later, just as the emcee of the day’s event was getting ready to introduce the cast members, Kayla joined him at the double doors that led into the main ballroom.

  “Where have you been?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

  Kayla’s dark eyes met his. “Taking care of business.”

  “Did you get Marcus to sign their autograph books?”

  “No.” Her smile was luminous. “Better than that.”

  He stared at her but she didn’t elaborate.

  “Sean, you’re up.” Chris came up behind him. “Will you guys save me a seat at your table?” Chris asked. “I don’t want to get stuck at Marcus’s table again.”

  “Of course we will,” Kayla said.

  Chris let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks. I owe you.”

  Sean watched as Kayla peeked inside the ballroom. “This is so fun.” Her face was lit with excitement. “He’s introducing you,” she said. “Get ready, Sean.”

  “Get ready for what?” he asked and then heard the emcee start the introduction.

  “You’ll see,” she said and then put her hand on his back. She gave him a push just as his name was announced.

  The second he stepped into the room, the fans erupted with applause and whistles. The continuous flashes from the cameras almost blinded him as he made his way from the back of the room toward the front where round tables covered in white linen tablecloths were reserved for the cast members. Amazed, he saw that the fans were out of their chairs, clapping and yelling.

  For him.

  Astounded by the crowd’s reception, he shook several outstretched hands and then found himself at the front of the room. He turned to his left to go to the table he’d been told to sit at and was surprised to see Donna and Stephanie there, clapping and cheering with the rest of the crowd. Not sure what the protocol was, he turned and gave a wave to the crowd and then moved next to Donna and sat down when everyone else did.

  “Thank you.” Donna put her hand on his arm as the crowd quieted.

  “For what?”

  Had the two fans crashed the luncheon?

  “For getting us in.” Stephanie craned her neck to look at him. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

  He shook his head. “No. It wasn’t me.”

  “But…” Stephanie’s mouth gaped.

  Donna looked from Stephanie to him, her eyes wide. “It had to be Kayla.”

  At that moment, the emcee announced Kayla’s name. Sean turned from Donna and Stephanie. The crowd didn’t go as crazy for her as they had for him, but there were loud whistles and a good round of applause. As she glided gracefully toward him, waving to the crowd and shaking hands with several fans along the way, Sean’s eardrum was pierced by the sound of a loud penetrating whistle. He turned to find Donna and Stephanie on their feet, clapping wildly, happiness etched on their faces.

  Getting to his feet, Sean joined the applause and watched Kayla walk toward the front of the room. Her smile was radiant, her dark eyes bright and shining. When she reached the table she rounded it, and instead of sitting by him she walked toward Stephanie, who threw her arms around her. Kayla returned the Stephanie’s bear hug and met his eyes. When she winked at him, Sean knew one thing for sure.

  Kayla Maxwell was no phony.

  Chapter Eight

  Jared: As weddings go, that wasn’t so bad.

  Shay: Sorry about running out like that. Who knew morning sickness could last all day?

  Jared: That’s okay. At least you came back.

  After she’d finished her lunch, Kayla thanked the waiter when he set a sinfully delicious French apple tart in front of her. It wasn’t often she indulged in rich desserts but it wasn’t because she didn’t care for them. It was because what she’d told Lance earlier was true. The camera added at least ten pounds.

  “If you don’t want that I’ll take it off your hands.”

  Kayla picked up her small fork and looked at Chris Winters, who sat to her left and was eying the tart like he hadn’t just practically inhaled his own dessert. “Back off,” she warned and then gave him a quick smile. “I love dessert. If you want another one, ask the waiter.”

  Chris regarded her with a look of surprise. “Wow. An actress who actually eats dessert. Color me shocked.”

  “I’ll run it off tomorrow.”

  “Where do you run?” Sean asked. He was seated next to Stephanie’s friend, Donna.

  Meeting his gaze, her body tingled with awareness. In fact, it had been tingling ever since she’d found him standing by her car in the parking lot looking like he’d come straight from a GQ photo shoot. The man was seriously hot. And judging by the number of woman in the room who’d been staring at him, she wasn’t the only one who thought so.

  “On work days I run near my house and on my days off I usually go over to Griffith Park.”

  “Have you ever done any surfing?” Sean asked.

  “No. My parents used to take my sister and me to Santa Cruz when we were kids. I could handle a boogie board pretty well, if I do say so myself.”

  “Lightweight,” he said with a good-humored grin.

  “Surfing is hard,” Donna said, looking from Sean to Kayla. “My boyfriend loves it. He tried to get me to learn but I got knocked in the head with the board.”

  Stephanie picked up her glass. “And she hasn’t been back to the beach since,” she said, casting an amused glance toward Donna.

  Donna nodded. “I told him he can have the surf. I’ll stick to the turf.”

  Kayla laughed at the wry expression on Donna’s round face and then took a bite of her tart. The two women appeared to be very close. Over lunch, Kayla had learned more about them. They met, and became friends, while working for the phone company. Stephanie was married to her high school sweetheart, and Donna had been with her boyfriend for several years. When the economy took a downturn, they’d both been laid off and were still trying to find jobs.

  As Donna pointed to one of their cast members at another table and then whispered something to Stephanie, Sean sought Kayla’s eyes. “Surfing isn’t that hard,” he said, pushing his plate to the side. “It just takes a little practice.”

  “Do you guys know what’s going to happen between Jared and Shay?” Stephanie asked. “Are they going to fall in love?”

  “I bet they will,” Donna said, picking up her water glass. “Once Shay realizes she isn’t in love with Stefan.”

  “Why do you think they’re going to fall in love?” Kayla asked.

  “Because Jared’s going to help Shay, and that means they’ll start spending a lot of time together,” Donna said. “If you’ve watched soaps at all you know what that means.” Donna paused and met her gaze. “I have to be honest. When Shay first showed up I didn’t like her.”

  Kayla did
n’t take offense. “You aren’t the only one who felt that way.”

  “I don’t now,” Donna clarified. “Shay was duped by Stefan. He made her believe he cared about her when it was obvious he’d never gotten over Cassie.”

  “And Shay believed him,” Stephanie added. “After all, he was legally separated from Cassie.”

  Kayla gave Sean a cursory glance. He was listening intently.

  Donna grimaced. “You guys probably think we’re nuts. Going on about your characters like they’re real people.”

  “Oh, I don’t think that at all,” Kayla said. “My mom has watched the show for practically forever. Now that I’m on it she calls me all the time for spoilers. I used to watch the show when I was in high school so I know what it’s like to get so involved with the characters.”

  “You watched it?” Donna’s eyes lit up. “Did you have a favorite character?”

  Kayla forced herself not to look at Sean. Talk about being put on the spot. She searched her mind for a character that was on back then but couldn’t come up with one to save her life.

  “There were a few I liked,” she said, knowing it was a lame answer. But what could she say? That she had a huge crush on Sean? Or that she rewound his scenes over and over again just to watch him? Hell no, she wasn’t going to admit that.

  “Who’s your favorite character?” Chris directed his question to both Donna and Stephanie. Kayla let out a breath of relief, glad the spotlight was off her. She shot a glance toward Sean. His eyes flickered with amusement, and she wondered if he somehow knew he was the sole reason she had watched the show. But how could he? It wasn’t like he was a mind reader.

  “Jared.” Both Stephanie and Donna said at the same time and then looked at each other and laughed.

  Donna sipped her water and then looked at Sean. “Do you like working with Kayla?”

  Taken aback by the question, Kayla glanced at Sean and found his eyes on her. “Very much,” he said, turning his attention back to Donna. “We’re lucky to have an actress of her caliber on the show.”

  A hot blush crept over her face as Donna and Stephanie beamed at her. “Thank you,” she said, her stomach fluttering. “I paid him to say that,” she joked and then tore her gaze from his before she drowned in those dazzling eyes of his.

  Donna and Stephanie laughed, but it was Stephanie who spoke. “Sean’s right, A New Dawn is lucky to have you, Kayla…” she paused, “…and I’m not just saying that because you somehow finagled a way to get us into the luncheon.” The blonde’s eyes were filled with sincerity. “Don’t bother to deny it, Sean already fessed up that it wasn’t him.”

  Kayla shrugged. “I just checked to see if they had a couple of extra spots open,” she said, picking up her iced tea, “and as luck would have it, they did.”

  Stephanie opened her mouth to say something but then the emcee’s voice boomed over the speakers announcing the Q&A portion of the event. Kayla sipped her tea, grateful for the interruption. Getting them into the event wasn’t a big deal. She was lucky to be employed.

  It was obvious Stephanie and Donna weren’t looking for a handout. They were just two loyal fans who, for the first time in years, were going to miss the fan club luncheon due to a financial hardship not of their own making. But they weren’t bitter about it. Instead, they’d waited outside the hotel in hopes of getting glimpse of their favorite soap stars. Anyone would have done the same thing she did.

  As the emcee explained the Q&A segment, Kayla let her gaze wander over the packed ballroom. Everyone was laughing and smiling, enjoying the event. Everyone except Rachel and Marcus. They were sitting next to each other at a table just across the aisle. Marcus looked bored to tears, and Rachel had such a petulant look on her face that Kayla wondered why she had even bothered to attend the event. Rachel must have sensed someone watching her. She turned her head and their eyes met. Immediately, her mouth tightened and her eyes glittered with a sharpness that could cut glass.

  Looking away, Kayla amended her earlier thought. Anyone with a heart would have done the same thing.

  * * *

  Holding the award he’d received for best actor, Sean walked beside Kayla, Donna and Stephanie as they crossed the Hilton’s expansive lobby. The majority of his cast mates had left the hotel the moment the awards presentation was finished. Chris had hung out for a while, and then left, citing plans with his girlfriend. Chris’s departure could have been Sean’s cue to leave as well, but instead he’d stayed. And while he could say it was because he wanted to mingle with the fans, the bottom line was he stayed because of Kayla.

  Although Donna and Stephanie sat between them at the table, Sean was aware of Kayla’s alluring presence all afternoon. He couldn’t seem to help but notice everything about her. From the soft sheen of her dark hair to the red polish she wore on her fingernails. She’d laughed often and with ease, and had engaged everyone at their table in conversation. Especially Donna and Stephanie. She treated them like friends, and he was pretty sure he heard Stephanie ask her if she could start a fan club for her.

  As they reached the double glass doors, Sean quickened his pace to hold the door open for the women. Kayla caught his eye and smiled as she brushed past him and out into the late afternoon sunshine. He followed closely behind the three of them as they strolled to the parking lot. Letting his gaze roam over Kayla’s hot body, he appreciated the way she moved—with fluid grace despite the four-inch heels she wore. Her ponytail swung back and forth, brushing her shoulders. He had a sudden urge to pull the band from her hair and run his fingers through it.

  Feeling a tug in his groin, he jerked his gaze from her and forced himself to think about baseball.

  Did the Dodgers win? Do I give a shit?

  Right now, no. And that pretty much told him that Kayla Maxwell was affecting him much more than he cared to admit.

  He stopped short as Stephanie halted and turned toward Kayla. “Our car is that way,” she said, pointing in the opposite end of the parking lot from where he and Kayla were parked. Stephanie smiled as she reached out and gave Kayla’s arm a brief squeeze. “Thank you again for getting us into the luncheon.”

  “And for letting us sit with you,” Donna added. “We had a blast.”

  Kayla smiled at them both. It was a genuine, not practiced like Rachel’s. “You’re welcome,” she said. “I had fun too.” She gave them each a quick hug, and then turned her attention to Stephanie. “Email me your ideas on the fan club. I’ll let you know what I think.”

  “Come on, Steph,” Donna said and then turned to Sean. “Bye, Sean. It was great to meet you.”

  “Same here,” he said and meant it. The women who had been just random fans to him earlier in the day had turned out to be two of the nicest people he’d ever met.

  “Congrats on your award.” Stephanie grinned at him. “We voted for you.”

  “I appreciate it,” he said, glancing at the clear Lucite award with his name engraved on it.

  “See you,” Stephanie said before she and Donna headed in the opposite direction.

  He stared after them a moment and then turned to find Kayla’s dark eyes on him. “What?” he asked not missing the gleam of amusement in them.

  “Admit it,” she said with a wide smile. “You had fun today.”

  He held up his award. “I got an award. What’s not to like?”

  “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. I won’t tell Lisa you enjoyed yourself,” she said as they began heading in the direction of their cars.

  “Thanks. She might try to sign me up for more of these things.”

  “Well, there is a fan event in a couple of weeks. Chris and I are going. You’re welcome to join us.”

  “Fan event? Is it another luncheon?”

  Kayla opened her purse and pulled out her keys. “No. From what Chris told me, it’s more of a meet and greet type of thing. He’s real big on events. Lisa’s his publicist too.”

  “She must love him,” Sean said as they appr
oached her Mustang.

  “She does. She says he’s the perfect client.”

  “Unlike me,” Sean said and then grimaced.

  “Totally unlike you.” Kayla let out a soft laugh.

  “Lisa’s…different…but I like her,” he said, and then put his hand on her arm. Her skin was as soft as silk and he found he wanted to find out if every inch of her was that soft. She turned and met his gaze, her eyes questioning. “What you did today was pretty amazing,” he said, still impressed with her selfless gesture.

  Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink, making her even more beautiful. “It was nothing.”

  “Yes, it was.” He squeezed her arm gently. “You paid for Donna and Stephanie to attend the luncheon, didn’t you?”

  She bit her lower lip. “Yes.”

  “That was very generous of you.”

  “Let’s consider it my good deed for the year.”

  “Was it another to be the last cast member to stay and talk to the fans?”

  She gave him a sly smile. “But I wasn’t the last cast member to stay. You stayed too.”

  He opened his mouth but then quickly snapped it shut. She had him there. But he’d only stayed because of her, not because he wanted to talk to the fans. And while his motive to stay hadn’t been altruistic, he was glad he did. He normally steered clear of events like the luncheon. Not because he didn’t care about the fans, but because he couldn’t fathom why they would want to talk to him. He was just an actor doing his job. Nothing more, nothing less. But today he found talking to them very rewarding. And that was something he hadn’t expected.

  Just like Kayla Maxwell.

  “You’re not at all like I thought you’d be,” he said, noticing the gold flecks in her dark eyes. Their eyes met and the air around them suddenly turned electric.

  “What did you think I’d be like?” she asked, her voice low, husky and sexy as hell.

  “Like most of the actresses in this town.” He paused. “But you’re not.”