by Paige Tyler
“Um…I’m sorry for running into you,” I sputter, hurriedly grabbing a few of his books from where they’re scattered around on the floor and thrusting them at him.
He shrugs his broad shoulders before climbing to his feet. He sets his books down on a nearby table and then holds out his hand to help me back to my feet.
I slowly take it.
The moment his long fingers curl around my palm, electricity zips through me. I inhale sharply and butterflies materialize in my stomach, whirling around wildly. The sensation is so intense that I have to physically try to remember how to breathe. If he wasn’t still holding me up, I probably would’ve toppled right back to the floor.
I don’t know what’s going on with me, but my knees are quivering and I can hardly look up into his beautiful brown eyes.
I'm not used to being speechless around men—even ones as handsome as this particular Adonis—but his gaze is both warm and piercing and it feels as though he can see right through me to my soul.
But that isn’t the only reason I'm shocked by this man.
He’s looking at me with intrigue and interest—and without a hint of recognition.
This guy has no idea who I am.
It’s been years since I could walk down a street unrecognized, especially here in busy Los Angeles.
At least one G&G fan always recognizes me. If the girls and I go anywhere together, forget about it. We’ll spend way more time signing autographs and taking selfies than we would doing whatever we’d originally planned.
Don’t get me wrong, I adore my followers. I read every single one of the messages I get and I try to respond to as many comments as I can. Without them, G&G would literally be nowhere. Heck, it wouldn’t even exist. But there’s a lot of pressure on a woman when it comes to being a beauty and fashion influencer. When I step out of the house, my clothes and makeup have to be flawless because I never know when someone is going to take a photo and post it on social media. One wrong look and our whole brand could tank. It’s fun to be the “It” girl, but it’s downright torturous at times, too.
I have to be perfect or else I could lose everything that I’ve worked so hard for.
“Hey, are you all right?” he asks gently. “You’re spacing out on me. You didn’t hit your head, did you?”
He leans down a little closer so he can gaze into my eyes. His warm hand rests lightly on my shoulder, dragging me back to reality with a bolt of white-hot lightning that sears right through me.
Crap. I’m acting like a total weirdo. I need to pull myself together, just like I always do. Plastering on a practiced smile, I push back my shoulders and beam brightly up at him.
“I’m totally fine,” I said enthusiastically.
Maybe a little too enthusiastically if the slightly concerned look he gives me is anything to go by.
He appraises me before shrugging. “If you say so.”
But he doesn’t sound convinced.
The library’s air conditioning rattles as it comes to life and the heady scent of his cologne washes over me like an inviting, intriguing wave. The fragrance is woody and rich and as smooth as his outfit. He’s a pretty well-dressed guy. Actually, it looks like he probably has a big round of meetings to get to today as well, judging from his charcoal suit, light blue dress shirt and power tie. Damn, if he doesn’t make the ensemble look good.
“It seems like you had something on your mind is all,” he offers, his head tilting one way and then the other.
Why is he looking at me like that?
Is he suddenly realizing how familiar I look?
Is he thinking I might be crazy?
Am I crazy?
“Don’t we all?” I quip with a coy smile.
He chuckles. The sound is rumbling and deep and the hair on the back of my neck slowly lifts up on edge. A shiver runs up my spine, traveling vertebra by vertebra. When he looks at me, every inch of skin beneath his gaze tingles. The way I feel when I’m near him is strangely addicting—and I hardly even know him at all.
“Are you going to be lost in thought tonight?” he asks offhandedly. When I look at him in bewilderment, he adds, “I thought maybe you and I could meet up and do some…reading together.”
“Reading?” I echo.
Even as I’m trying to figure out what he’s talking about, my eyes lock on the clock across the library.
Oh, hell.
I’m late.
Really late.
For a girl as professional as I am, even a minute or two is devastating. Glossed & Glammed has a perfect record when it comes to meeting execs, sponsors, and collaborators, and I’ve just destroyed that all because some handsome guy batted beautiful brown eyes at me.
“Actually, let’s eat instead,” he suggests. “La Chanterelle has some mind-blowing souffle.”
My eyelashes flutter as I focus on him again. This tall, sexy, broad-shouldered guy is seriously asking me out right now. Not just to anywhere either. La Chanterelle is one of the fanciest, most expensive restaurants in the city. Their waitlist is a mile long and he thinks he can just waltz in there with me on his arm tonight? He probably doesn’t even know what he’s saying. Or maybe this is simply his favorite line. Either way, I’ve already got plans tonight—even though this guy really is tempting.
“Girls running into you must be your thing if you’re willing to take me to La Chanterelle afterward,” I tease.
He flashes me a devastating grin. “Maybe so. The name is Grayson Hill, by the way. I didn’t catch yours.”
This time it’s my turn to smile at him. “That’s because I haven’t mentioned it.”
Chuckling again, Grayson lightly bites his lower lip and eyes me. “So? How about it? You tell me your name and I’ll treat you to a nice evening out.”
In all honesty, I’m contemplating his offer, even if I can’t go out tonight. It’s been so long since a guy has interested me like this. And judging by the way he’s looking at me now, he’s interested in me, too.
Before I can consider Grayson’s interest for long, the sound of familiar giggling drifts over from the entrance of the library. My ears prick and my back goes rigid. I know it’s the girls who were eagerly chasing me before. Now, they’re closing in on me.
I’d better get a move on. If I don’t hightail it to my first meeting of the day, I’m going to blow our partnership with that boutique Liv has her heart set on. Besides, I already have so much on my plate, and Sutton and Liv are depending on me to keep our G&G ship afloat business-wise. This has been a fun little distraction, but now it’s time to focus on what’s really important.
My admirers are getting closer and closer. I can hear their subdued whispers and shrill laughter as they’re firmly asked to hush by the nearby librarian.
Just as I’m trying to figure out how to gracefully reject the best-looking man I’ve ever seen, the little boy from before dashes by the table and knocks over the stack of books. When my handsome rescuer turns to catch them before they fall on the floor, I take my cue to leave and quickly duck out the side door of the library. By the time he turns around, I’ll be long gone.
And by the time I get home, this will merely be something to giggle about with Sutton and Liv.
But if that’s true, why does every step away from Grayson feel like the hardest I’ve ever taken?
CHAPTER THREE
My windows all the way down, hot evening air whips my blond hair around my face as I drive back toward home, where Sutton and Liv will be wrapping up most of their work for the day. Next to me, I’ve got platters full of sushi from our favorite place, including veggie rolls for Liv.
Tonight, we’ve got big, big plans.
Not only are we going to celebrate reaching two million followers on Instagram, but I finally signed the contract between G&G and the cute LA boutique where Liv is going to launch our limited fashion line. It’s a small line, but then again, our YouTube channel was small once upon a time, too, and look at it now. Soon, all the trendy girls and gu
ys in LA will be rocking our styles.
Usually, on the ride home from the city, I’m dissecting every minute of my meetings and today I had tons, from the boutique to Fostering Tomorrow to some other sponsors, but tonight, there’s a certain tall, dark, and handsome man that’s haunting my thoughts.
Grayson.
What is he doing now?
Did he find some other cute girl to take to that fancy French place? Was he just flirting to flirt?
Ugh.
“This is what happens when you fall out of the dating game for so long, Kali,” I chide myself. “You start overthinking things way too much.”
It doesn’t help that I’m a total pro at overthinking everything. That habit of mine is part of what’s made Glossed & Glammed so successful. In a way, it’s a double-edged sword, I suppose. It’s made me a great businesswoman, but a not-so-great seductress.
I simply can’t help thinking about Grayson and whether or not I should have pulled the Cinderella-at-midnight act and disappeared.
I don’t like to live with regrets. I’ve been through enough in the past twenty-two years of my life to know that your time on this planet is short and you have to make every second count. But even so, I did the right thing. Didn't I? I mean, our brand is getting so big now and it needs my attention more than ever before.
Still, I guess I could’ve at least said goodbye to Grayson like a normal human being. Maybe even gotten a business card from him.
Too late now. What’s done is done.
As I pull around to the back of the house and into the garage, I can see George peering eagerly out through the window beside it. His sleek tail wags so fervently back and forth that it’s hardly more than a blur. He lets out a single, muffled bark to announce to everyone inside that I’m finally home.
Turning off the engine, I grab my purse and the trays of sushi.
“Georgie!” I call, throwing open the door to the house.
The moment he hears his name, George launches himself at me and I scoop him up with my free arm to hold him close. Soon, he’s going to grow into his huge paws and be far too big for this, so I try and make every cuddle count right now.
“Hey, babe!” Sutton says from where she’s perched in front of her laptop in the living room. She’s sitting on the soft pastel pink rug with Coco in her lap and her back resting against the couch. Her long, dark hair is piled in a bun on the top of her head and Coco occasionally bats at a few loose strands. “I'm just waiting for the video to finish uploading to YouTube now. I made some coffee if you want some.”
She gestures toward the steaming mug in front of her and I barely hide a wince. Some of Sutton’s famous bitter coffee? No thanks. Not if I want my taste buds intact for our celebration tonight anyway.
“I thought we were breaking out the nice champagne?” I ask, noticing Liv as she wanders down the hall with a little gray fluffball hopping at her heels.
Chanel, the bunny, follows Liv everywhere when she’s out of her castle-sized hutch. I still can’t believe Liv managed to hide Chanel in her freshman dorm all those years ago. Thinking of our sweet Liv being so roguish always makes me laugh, but she’d do anything for animals. She’s even been pushing Sutton and me to try her strict vegan diet.
“Hell, yeah!” Liv giggles.
Judging by the language and the rosy glow of her face, someone has already been tasting some booze tonight.
“Did you get the party started without me?” I ask, pretending to be put out, which earns me more laughter from Liv.
“I just had a glass of rosé,” she protests. I don’t doubt for a second that a single glass of alcohol has Liv pink-faced and giddy. She hooks her arm around me and drags me toward the kitchen, George at my heels. “We’ve been waiting on you to pop the good bubbly.”
On top of the granite island, the aged Dom Perignon champagne that we’d splurged on for our intimate celebration sits in a silver bucket of ice, waiting for us. Liv takes the trays of sushi from me and sets them down beside it while I wash my hands. Sutton pads barefoot into the kitchen, lacing her fingers together in front of her on the island and bobs on her toes, eager for a taste of the good stuff. Coco hops up onto a nearby counter and appraises all of us in the same manner a queen would her servants. Judging by her expectant kitty expression, Coco fully expects a glass herself.
“Pop it, pop it!” Liv and Sutton cry together.
Grinning at them, I grab the bottle and slowly twist the cork. It suddenly bursts forward, flying across the kitchen as all three of us squeal at once. Even George lets out an excited bark.
Before any of the luxurious brut champagne can spill on the floor, I pour it into three waiting flute glasses. Sutton, who’d begun filming us on her phone as soon as I picked up the champagne bottle, promptly starts snapping pictures for our socials. When she finally sets her phone aside, we lift our glasses and clink them together.
“To sisterhood,” I say earnestly.
Liv giggles. “To the next milestone!”
“And to fame!” Sutton eagerly adds.
We all laugh and take a long sip of the bubbly.
I close my eyes, savoring the decadent taste as little bubbles dance across my tongue.
“It’s so good,” Liv gushes as she bounces on the balls of her feet. “I wish we bought two bottles.”
“At a thousand bucks a pop, I think one will do,” I say, opening my eyes to find that Sutton has already begun refilling our flutes.
“So sensible,” Sutton teases with a wink. “We’re practically drowning in money and fame, but Kali has to keep us grounded.”
I playfully stick my tongue out at my two best friends and take another sip.
We all settle down together at the island in the center of our state-of-the-art sprawling kitchen where we have a small arrangement of sumptuous desserts and treats from the finer shops around LA in addition to the sushi I picked up earlier. We’d tossed around the idea of hosting some big gala to celebrate our latest milestone, but in the end, we decided that the best celebration of all would be to spend time together, just the three of us. Between all of our projects, we’re always so busy now that it’s rare for us to just hang out together and have a good time without it turning into a work discussion. Filming videos with my girls is great, but it’s still work, and as much as I love work, I love to play, too. We can’t exactly go many places without being recognized, either, so what better place is there than home?
“Okay, spill,” Liv suddenly demands, setting down her crystal champagne flute and flattening her palms on the countertop. The noise makes Chanel jump and the fuzzy lop bunny hops in circles around Liv’s ankles.
I blink. “What are you talking about?”
In an effort to escape Liv’s dark prying eyes, I scoop up George and cuddle him to my chest. The pup lays his paws over my shoulder and nestles against me, but he’s growing so big so fast that my arms are already getting tired. I’m going to have to book another one of those power yoga classes that Sutton won’t ever stop going on and on about.
On the other side of the island, Sutton sips her champagne and smirks at me. “It’s totally obvious there’s something going on in that pretty head of yours, Kali. Not even perfectly applied makeup can cover that, babe. Did something happen in LA?”
I gently set George down on the tile floor and pat his silky head. There’s just no hiding anything from my besties. They can always read me like a book.
“Well...” I begin slowly, trying to figure out exactly how many details I want to share. “I was running late to my meeting when I got recognized on the street.”
Liv and Sutton regard me over the rims of their flutes, waiting for me to continue. Getting recognized happens so much that it’s hardly something to report on.
“So, naturally, I ran into a library to hide,” I continue.
“As one does,” Sutton agrees flatly.
Next to her, Liv leans forward in her barstool, looking utterly entranced by my story.
; I clear my throat. “When I did, I bumped into someone—”
Liv’s eyes go wide “A guy, right? Tell me it was a guy!”
“A guy?” Sutton echoes.
Reluctantly, I nod my head. “A guy.”
Liv, ever captivated by potential romance of any form, squeals and claps her hands together. “So, is he coming around? Who is he? What does he do? Is he cute?”
I grin and nod. “The cutest.”
I open my mouth to tell the girls about how sure I am that Grayson didn’t recognize me, but I find myself hesitant to admit that, even to my best friends. We’re all so excited about how big our brand is getting that announcing a super-hot hunk didn’t recognize me feels like I’m turning my back on our fame. Like I don’t appreciate it. Which I do.
Instead, I forcefully change the subject, which comes a little easier thanks to the booze.
“Anyway, tonight isn’t about a boy,” I say, gesturing at our fine champagne and spread of seriously yummy looking food. “Tonight is about us, girls. It’s about Glossed & Glammed. Let’s celebrate!”
Liv and Sutton both cheer, but I find I have to work a little harder to put a smile on my face than I expected. All I can think about it are Grayson’s warm brown eyes and handsome smile.
There’s simply no way I’m going to be able to put him behind me, is there?
CHAPTER FOUR
Hushed whispers float around the big library.
The building is barely full this tranquil Friday afternoon, as most of the people who frequent this place are way more interested in whatever fun plans they’ve got to look forward to this weekend. For me and my girls, it’ll be just more work, work—oh, and more work.
I nudge my dark-tinted sunglasses a little lower on my upturned nose and carefully glance around. Several contracts that I’ve been reading—or at least pretending to read—are splayed around me on the desk where I’ve been “working” for the better part of two hours. Before that, I’d met with the Fostering Tomorrow charity to ensure everything was up and running for our big event coming up.
