by E V Darcy
She quickly stamped on her inner teenage-self that was screaming it was so much more than that. She didn’t like Marc Matthews; he was a total—
Tyler tugged at Marc’s jacket to get his attention. Papa, we have to get Ellie some Lucky Charms.
Marc glanced up at her, the smile had turned into a perplexed frown. ‘Why does he keep saying you need to have Lucky Charms?’
—fantastic father, who loved his son so much he’d do anything to keep him safe and well. She sighed.
Frank laughed, Sonya looked up from her typing for a moment and the two other men turned to look at her in confusion.
‘Oh.’ Ellie felt the pink of her cheeks turn to a bright red at all the eyes on her again. She quickly explained their conversation on the stage.
Marc shook his head and tried to hide his exasperated grin. ‘It took us ages to get him to count without the ahh-ahh-ahhs after every number.’ Ellie smiled at the idea of Tyler trying to count to ten in such a way.
Tyler frowned and tapped his dad’s hands. ‘Papa, being rude. Sign as well.’
‘Sorry son,’ Marc said, as he also signed his apology. ‘You’re right.’
A round of applause and some whistling filtered through the door behind Ellie and reminded her she wasn’t part of this little group, this cosy family dynamic. She was part of what was going on back there, part of the loud, rambunctious fans asking question after question in their quest to know every little thing about their favourite stars. A heavy feeling settled into her chest as she realised she’d gobbled up as much as she could on the cast, had discussed with her friends what she’d most like to know about them…
‘Well, I’m just going to…’ Ellie pointed to the doors on the other side of the room, as she tried to hold down the contents of her stomach. ‘I should go and find out where I am next.’
Marc looked like he wanted to say something as she stepped towards them, but after a moment he merely nodded, stepping aside to allow her to exit.
Bye, Tyler. She waved and received a pout in return. She forced a laugh and ruffled his hair before slipping out into the corridor, with a sigh.
Whether that was in relief or disappointment, she wasn’t sure.
CHAPTER TEN
‘O.M.G!’ Marie exclaimed as the three met up again in the line for their Luc and Marc photo. Unfortunately, Mallory and Marie had been put into a different VIP Meet and Greet group than Ellie so hadn’t had a chance to talk after the breakfast panel. ‘I can’t believe you were up on stage with them all! You so have to put that on Tumblr later. You’ll get so many notes!’
Ellie looked to the heavens; unlike her, Marie had no qualms with being the centre of attention, in fact, she basked in it. However, while Ellie would admit she did enjoy a little bit of on-line recognition, she would not be sharing anything from this weekend with the rest of the world. Anonymous or not. What was that rule about the city…? What happened in Vegas, stayed in Vegas? And if that was the rule, who was she to argue with it? No, there’d be nothing posted about this weekend on her blog. Not that there would be a blog for much longer anyway.
You’re looking a little better, Mal, she told her friend, who, according to Marie, had high-tailed it to the toilet part way through their breakfast. Ellie was starting to wonder if there was something else at play as this was the second day she had been ill and she’d barely drunk the night before.
Yeah, I think the eggs might have been bad.
Really? Mine were fine, Ellie replied, although her stomach had turned for a different reason. Marie agreed with Ellie. Maybe you should go see a doctor?
God, no, Mallory returned. And don’t say anything to Trent, he’ll make me go and you know how I feel about them. After the accident that left her without hearing, and spending months stuck in a hospital bed, Mallory had resisted ever going to any medical practitioner if she could get away with it.
‘—To get Luc to propose and Marc to look jealous,’ a girl in front of them squeaked to her friend.
Lame. Marie snorted. Marc will probably just look unimpressed in every photo anyway. The girls laughed because it was true. They’d been watching the photo ops taking place since their part of the line had finally squeezed in through the op room door, and in every picture, Marc had worn the same “I am not amused” expression. There were going to be a lot of disappointed fans when they picked up their prints later.
You guys are still coming tonight? Mallory asked after she checked her phone. Trent wants to double-check the numbers. The two girls nodded.
‘—Luc will definitely do that, but I don’t think Marc’s doing hugs or anything,’ a girl behind them said mournfully. ‘I don’t get it. If he doesn’t want to be here, why did he come along?’
‘Maybe he was forced?’
‘I heard he needs the money,’ another fan piped up a few people behind them. That comment caused a rush of murmurings throughout the back of the line. The trio groaned. Ellie was really not going to miss this part of the fandom at all.
A guilty twinge pulled at her mind that these were probably the silly fangirls Marc had really been referring to. She peeked around the line, down to where Marc stood off to one side while the current fan had her single photo taken with Luc. The taller star had his arms wrapped around the girl in a big squishy hug, and for the first time, Ellie considered how she’d feel having to hug a few hundred strangers and look as if each and every one of them was wanted. What if someone hadn’t washed? She wrinkled her nose at the thought and admired Luc even more for his acting ability.
The girl moved on and the next one stepped up; she asked Luc to do something and he nodded, taking the prop she held out. Suddenly the girl was dipped backwards as if they were dancing the tango and Luc had a rose between his teeth.
‘For fuck’s sake,’ she muttered as the girl stood back up. ‘They’re not bloody puppets!’
‘Says you, who asked him last year to kill you with your prop sword.’ Marie raised her brow in a challenge and Ellie bit her lip and cringed in embarrassment. Okay, so she had played puppet master herself, but…
She sighed. She hadn’t known. Maybe Marc was right, maybe they were all a bunch of silly fan girls…
~ ~ ~ ~
Marc folded his arms across his chest as he watched Luc perform another stupid act for the camera. How the hell did his co-star keep the smile up for so long? More to the point, how the hell did he make it look so genuine?
Marc stepped up to join them for the joint photo the VIPs were entitled to; he carefully put his arm around the girl’s back, over Luc’s so he wasn’t actually touching her and tried to force a smile for the camera. When Luc stepped away, the girl stayed where she was for her photo with him.
‘—Marc is happy to stand next to you with his arm around you, but no hugs, no poses, no props. Do not ask to be lifted, bent or kissed. Luc says hugs are fine, he’ll tell you if he doesn’t want to do a pose or use a prop—be polite and quick when you ask for your pose—but there are no lifts or kisses, so don’t ask.’ The room manager instructed the line again as he walked up and down.
Well, at least his friend had some boundaries, he mused as he looked at the camera a second before it flashed. The moment the flash popped, Marc dropped his arm and stepped away from the fan instantly gushing her thanks.
‘Papa!’
Marc wanted to go and kiss his little boy in gratitude for the distraction away from the enthusiastic young lady when he heard Tyler call from behind the photographer. Marc had placed him there so he could keep an eye on him, as Sonya was rather distracted by her work (‘I am trying to negotiate a major deal with Universal for Edward Basford, thank you very much!’) and Frank had nipped out to get Tyler a drink that was not filled with sugar (‘You didn’t tell me the kid couldn’t have it!’).
What’s the matter? he asked as another fan stepped up to the mark on the floor.
You’re not smiling for the pictures! his son admonished.
Marc heard someone titter and g
lanced up to see it was Marie, dressed in her usual vintage style, standing waiting for him. She wore a smile as big as a Cheshire Cat’s. He began to sign, but the blonde merely shook her head.
‘I don’t know ASL,’ she commented, ‘so I wouldn’t bother.’
‘Then what do you find so amusing?’
‘Umm, I do have two friends who speak it.’ She motioned toward her companions still stood in the queue. He frowned for a moment before turning his attention back to the blonde next to him.
‘How come you don’t know it?’ he said as he took his own mark and carefully draped his arm around her back.
‘Because I don’t need to; I translate for a British Lord why would I need to know American sign?’
‘What if he’s speaking to an American?’ The camera flashed just as Marie burst out laughing. ‘What?’
‘I’d still sign in BSL, numpty!’ She patted his chest as Luc stepped up for their joint photo. ‘Would I sign in Greek when the Greek ambassador comes for tea?’ Marc raised his brows at the idea of an ambassador just popping by for a chat. What social circles did the girls actually move in?
‘No, no, we have to do a do-over,’ the photographer proclaimed dramatically as he shooed Luc away. He shoved the camera back at them to show the image which had captured Marie’s unexpected burst of laughter perfectly, but Marc… Marc had been caught off guard by her outburst and was glaring down at her.
‘Nope, I want that one,’ she said with a firm nod. ‘That’s perfect.’
‘Papa, smile!’ Tyler shouted across the room, which caused the line of fans to coo and aww.
Marc ground his teeth as he plastered on a smile for the joint photo with Luc to appease his son—and to stop him from calling out every two minutes and drawing attention to himself. Tyler was already gaining far more attention from attendees than Marc had ever wanted his son to have. Every single one gave the four-year-old a little wave or pointed him out to their friends as they stood waiting in line. When the camera’s flash fired again, Marc stepped aside for Marie to have her solo picture with Luc, but this time, he purposefully put himself at the front of the line. And Ellie.
‘Hello,’ she said flatly, in that husky voice that had titillated Marc’s dreams the night prior. He’d tossed and turned all night as he had worried of loose lips, but every time he had drifted off, she sprung to life in his mind, calling in that sultry melody unique to her. In some she’d been panting under him, over him, next to him; in others she had simply been with him, talking and laughing as they participated in the mundane things of daily life. Both types of dreams left him wide awake and longing for something; he wasn’t sure which was worse—his aching cock begging for the release he avidly denied, or the empty hollow in his chest at the idea of never sharing his life with… someone.
‘Hi, again,’ he returned, his own voice thick at the idea of that someone sharing his life having beautiful steel-blue eyes, a pretty face and a plush kissable mouth that was more than willing to call him on his bullshit when needed.
‘Next!’ the photographer called; Ellie took a side-step, jarring him from his thoughts as he realised he’d been gawking at her.
He watched her as she stood next to Luc and asked him what pose he’d like. Ha! That was just asking for a boring shot. Marc smirked as Luc told her to just look at the camera as he wrapped his arm about her waist. However, when the photographer counted down from three to one, Marc’s mouth dropped open and he took a step forward without thinking, as Luc planted a kiss onto Ellie’s cheek. Ellie gasped in surprise and turned to face the star, wide-eyed. The room fell silent.
‘What was that for?’ a firm voice demanded. Ellie and Luc looked across at Marc; he realised he had been the one to ask the question. Luc raised his brow at his friend, intrigued.
‘A little thank you for her help with Tyler yesterday,’ he said with a shrug. ‘And thanks to you, she missed my panel yesterday; I hope this makes up for it?’
‘Oh, definitely,’ Ellie readily agreed as she bounced a little on the balls of her feet, her hand touching her cheek gently where the star’s lips had brushed.
Marc wanted to scrub the spot clean and glared at his friend as Luc called down the line, ‘And she’s the only one!’ It was met with a chorus of disappointed groans.
‘Now get in here, Marc, we’ve a lot to get through. Let’s do a hug,’ Luc suggested as he gathered Ellie in his arms and squished her to his chest in a bear hug. Marc stepped up behind her, standing awkwardly, feeling like a third wheel. Luc looked at his friend pointedly, before grabbing Marc’s arms and yanking him into the shot. ‘Sandwich her!’ He pulled Marc’s arms to sit around her waist on both sides. Marc felt his face warm up as his lower body pressed right up against her backside—her pert, round, firm backside…
‘I’m sorry,’ he muttered into her hair as he faced the camera and prayed he wouldn’t look flustered on the picture.
‘No, I’m sorry,’ she said as she turned around when Luc stepped away. ‘For last night,’ she clarified when he looked down at her, his arms still about her waist. She dipped her own head as she spoke, clearly embarrassed by her admission. ‘I shouldn’t have shouted at you the way I did. I’m not fully aware of the life you live, of what you may have gone through to give you those ideas of us fans, and I shouldn’t have just kicked off.’
She was all kinds of adorable. Marc reached out and gently lifted her chin upwards so that she would meet his eyes. ‘Apology accepted.’ He smiled down at her. ‘I should probably have listened to you too—you’re not all bad. I mean there’s you.’ He cringed internally at his words. Fucking smooth. He felt his cheeks warm up and wanted to kick himself. How old was he again? Because he wasn’t acting thirty-six, more like sixteen with his first crush. ‘I mean—’
‘That’s the best picture so far!’ the photographer gushed as he stepped over to them. ‘Look at that pose. I know you’re an actor, but my God, I haven’t seen couples I shoot at weddings look this smitten!’
The pair turned to the man and blinked as they tried to make sense of what he was saying and why he was even there in the first place, interrupting their— Oh, wait.
Marc dropped his arms and stepped away from Ellie as she stared down, dazed, at the back of the camera once again being shoved in their faces. But Marc was more interested in her reaction; her whole face softened into something wistful as she looked at the tiny screen.
Her hair fell forwards, hiding her from him and without thinking he reached down and tucked it behind her ear. His hand cupped her face, his thumb brushing her cheek gently, coaxing her to look at him. She gazed up through lowered lashes; her cheeks rosy and her lips parted in surprise at the intimacy in their picture. He wanted to sup at those lips, nibble them, breathe in her gasps and moans. He groaned and lowered his head as she stepped towards him, lifting her face slightly—
‘Papa! That Lady!’
Ellie and Marc froze as they realised what they’d been about to do in such a forum. The room had grown still at their interaction; the photographer stared with wide eyes, his camera now dangling against his chest, forgotten after bearing witness to…
What? What exactly had Marc been about to do? Kiss her? More like devour her.
Fuck.
Marc ran his hands through his hair as he turned away and internally swore again when he saw the line of people watching them intently. More than one person had their phone out, regardless of the fact that they were meant to be prohibited from this room.
‘Papa…’ Tyler tugged at his jacket sleeve.
‘What, Tyler?’ He snapped and then took a breath to steady himself. His son was not at fault here and also he couldn’t hear him. What son?
Can I have a picture with Ellie as well? Seriously, was anything going to go as expected this weekend?
You’ll have to ask her.
Marc watched as his son politely asked his new friend to pose with him, and, for the first time in his son’s life, he wondered had he done Tyl
er a disservice by cutting women from his life—not that he had been lacking in female role models. Jamie, Jen, and even Sonya had been good strong female influences, but they hadn’t been his mother.
The flash popped a few times as Ellie crouched down next to Tyler. When he asked to be lifted up, Marc wondered what Ellie might be like in the role. He quickly dismissed that idea. For one, he’d only just met the woman and knew nothing about her. And two, even if he did, she lived on the other side of the world; there was no way it would ever work.
‘Papa, come get your picture with us!’ Tyler waved his father over, and Marc—who could refuse his son nothing—went.
‘Sorry,’ he muttered to Ellie as he stood next to her and let the photographer take a few shots.
‘It’s okay.’ Her smile over Tyler’s head told him she meant it. ‘I’d like copies of these, though,’ she said as the photographer came over and showed the images. They looked like a perfect little family—and it wasn’t only because of their similar colourings.
Fuck it, Marc decided. That was why planes were invented and if you didn’t spend time with someone you would never get to know them.
He took a deep breath as he decided that not only was he throwing the rule book out of the window, he was setting it on fire as he did so.
‘Have lunch with us.’
CHAPTER ELEVEN
‘…And you’re having lunch with him?’ Marie asked incredulously, as the trio met up after their second session of Meet and Greets. They’d been ushered away into their groups immediately after their photos, as the VIPs were all running late after the breakfast panel. Ellie wouldn’t have wanted to tell the pair there and then, anyway, not with all the people around them—she’d already given everyone enough in the op’ room.
And the day before in the panel.
And then in the aftermath of the lift fiasco…
