Planning on Prince Charming

by Lizzie Shane

  After he’d learned his contract was being extended and Olga had landed a part in an upcoming made-for-TV movie, the two of them had agreed that while they would still technically be “together” if anyone asked, that they would dial back their public appearances. He hadn’t seen her in weeks and had no plans to see her in the future—but what Sidney didn’t know could save them both a lot of heartache.

  He couldn’t get involved with a former Suitorette.

  No matter how she kissed.

  Josh put the convertible in gear and pulled out of the lot.

  *

  Sidney leaned against the inside of the door until she heard Josh pull out, part of her hoping he would change his mind and follow her inside. Which was wrong. He was with Olga the Gorgeous.

  “Sidney?”

  She pushed herself away from the door, moving to meet Victoria at the base of the stairs. “Hey.” She jerked her chin toward the upstairs window that looked over the back lot—Lorelei’s window. “Nice timing. Lore?”

  “Apparently she was spying on you and fell off her dresser.” At Sidney’s expression of concern, Victoria assured her, “She’s fine, but I thought I’d come down to make sure you were.” Tori looked toward the closed back door. “Was that Josh?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Ah.” Tori nodded without judgment, waiting for Sidney to say more.

  “He’s still with Olga.”

  “Ah.” Another nod.

  Sidney grimaced. “Apparently that stupid show got me in the habit of making out with guys who are dating other women. Because that’s a healthy mindset.”

  “So you made out.”

  “Didn’t Lore see?”

  “It was dark. I think she missed most of the good stuff. All she knew is that you were down there with someone.”

  “He kissed me. Or I kissed him. I never seem to know how it happens. One second he’s telling me that he’ll lose his job if he dates a Suitorette and the next my brain has evaporated into pure lust.”

  “Wait, he’ll lose his job? You aren’t even a Suitorette anymore.”

  “Apparently there are morality clauses and former Suitorettes count.”

  “Damn.”

  “Yeah,” she sighed in agreement. Because Josh Pendleton was definitely sigh worthy. Even if he was dating a Russian dancer.

  Except part of her didn’t believe they were really together.

  And how delusional was that? She was so hung up on him she was convincing herself he didn’t really love the woman he was with. Just because she’d seen some photos of them together online.

  She’d sought out the pictures, expecting them to help her get some distance from her stupid crush back when she first found out he was dating Olga the Gorgeous. She’d thought seeing proof of exactly how out of her league he was would be the straw that would break the back of her enduring infatuation.

  But all she’d seen when she looked at the pictures was Host Josh smiling for the cameras. Real Josh was nowhere in sight. There was nothing wryly self-deprecating about his smile. No glint of mischief or cynicism in his eyes. And no connection with the woman at his side. She might as well have been a prop. A gorgeous size zero prop, but inanimate for all the connection between them.

  But it didn’t matter. Whether he was or wasn’t with Olga, he’d made it very clear that he couldn’t be with her. Regardless of what either of them wanted.

  “We’re friends,” she told Victoria, who looked on skeptically. “We’re working together to plan the wedding that’s going to put Once Upon a Bride on the Veil list. I’m far too busy to think about anything else right now anyway.”

  “If you say so.”

  “I do. Josh Pendleton is just a friend. End of story.”

  Victoria hesitated, but she’d never been one to hold her tongue. “Sid, you know I love you, and I just want you to be happy, but this thing with Josh Pendleton has already gotten in the way of what you wanted out of Marrying Mister Perfect. I just don’t want to see him get in the way of what we want for Once Upon a Bride too. If you need me to step in on Caitlyn’s wedding, or if we should ask the show for a different liaison—”

  “No. I’m good. I’ve got this.”

  “You said he was a distraction—”

  “He isn’t in my head,” Sidney insisted. “The kissing thing tonight was an aberration, but we’ve been working well together. Things went really well with Caitlyn and Will today. They’re going to go great tomorrow—and as soon as I find us a fabulous venue that isn’t already booked, we’ll be home free. Nothing is going to stand in the way of us hitting that list. I promise.”

  *

  Sidney knew better than to make promises when it came to weddings. The Matrimonial Gods were always listening, and they loved to laugh in the faces of mere mortals.

  So she shouldn’t have been surprised to come downstairs the next morning to find her car battery deader than dirt. She’d gotten cocky and the Marriage Gods had found it necessary to smite her.

  Or she’d left the car door slightly ajar and the stupid dome light had been on all night, which she hadn’t even noticed because she was too stupidly wrapped up in Josh Pendleton and his stupid distracting kisses.

  Either way, she was due at the first catering tasting in twenty minutes.

  Victoria was thirty minutes away having brunch with her mother and Lorelei. Even if the timing hadn’t been an issue, she wasn’t about to call Tori for an I-told-you-so about how Josh screwed with her focus. Caitlyn and Will’s rental car only fit two. Which left one option. The devil himself.

  He picked up on the second ring. She heard the whip of wind and road noise in the background and knew he must be using his Bluetooth with the top down. It was a classically gorgeous morning. “Hello.”

  “Josh? It’s Sidney. Would you mind swinging by to pick me up? My car won’t start.” She refrained from mentioning why.

  He agreed without question and ten minutes later the silver convertible pulled into the lot, Josh in the driver’s seat looking like a BMW commercial with his mirrored sunglasses and sharp white teeth bared in a smile. He really was too good looking for his own good.

  He pulled into the empty space beside where she stood, grinning at her. “Did someone call for a knight in shining armor?”

  She tossed her attaché case into the back and opened the door to slide into the passenger seat. “Thank you for coming. I owe you.”

  “Be careful throwing around IOUs like that. I’ll hold you to them and you’ll find yourself forced to help me move my couch. Or worse, house hunt.” He pulled out of the lot as soon as she clicked her seat belt, charting a course for the first caterer they were auditioning this morning with Caitlyn and Will. “What’s wrong with your car? Or was this all an elaborate ploy to spend more time with me?”

  “The battery died,” she said, ignoring his over-the-top teasing—just another ploy from his playbook to put distance between them. “I must have left the door cracked and the dome light ran it out.”

  “Then it’s as much my fault as yours. I should have noticed it was on when I left last night.” He frowned, eyes on the road as he turned up the Pacific Coast Highway. “Doesn’t it automatically shut off after a certain amount of time?”

  Her hair began to fly wildly in the wind and she reached up to contain it in her fist, kicking herself for failing to bring a hair tie. “I’m sure automatic shut off is standard in shiny new BMW convertibles, but my lovely little SUV has the double whammy of being old and cheap.”

  “You take good care of it. It still looks new.”

  Unsure what to say to the small talk, she changed the subject. “Why are you house-hunting? Time to upgrade your palace?”

  “Actually, Marissa got the palace in the divorce. Or at least she got the beach house in Malibu. I’ve been living in the world’s most depressing bachelor apartment in Studio City, but I’ve decided it’s time to get out of there. Divorce Guy lives there and since I’m not going to be Divorce Guy anymore I
need a new place to live. Thought I’d talk to a real estate agent tomorrow. Get the ball rolling.”

  “Good for you.”

  “Don’t worry,” he said, flashing white teeth in a grin as the GPS murmured directions and he took the turn toward the first caterer. “I won’t really make you house hunt with me. I’m not that cruel.”

  She shouldn’t be disappointed by that, but something about house hunting with Josh was all too appealing.

  As friends, she reminded herself. Just as friends.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The house was magnificent. A sprawling estate looking out over the Pacific Ocean, it was everything a newly single celebrity could wish for. And with an asking price of seventeen point eight million dollars, it was also seventeen million over his budget, but his new realtor had taken one look at his famous name and taken him straight to a mansion right out of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, completely ignoring the fact that even before the divorce Josh had never had that kind of money to throw around.

  He couldn’t blame the guy for trying. The commission on this place would support a family of five for years. And it was incredible. If he ever had an unlimited budget, this was exactly the kind of place he’d be buying. It reeked of luxury, but still had a beachy warmth that made it feel almost cozy—if a fifteen acre estate looking out over the ocean could be cozy.

  It was the kind of place Marrying Mister Perfect would rent out to shoot—

  Josh went still, an idea crystallizing in his mind. Fifteen minutes and a conversation with the realtor later, he was standing poolside at the lavish estate, his cell phone pressed to his ear as he waited impatiently for Sidney to pick up.

  It was a Wednesday afternoon. She couldn’t be at a wedding. “Come on,” he muttered into the phone, impatient with the need to share his brilliance with her.

  It was getting to the point where he expected voicemail to kick in when she picked up with a breathless, “Hello?”

  “I have solved our venue problems,” he announced, triumphant.

  Her groan was not appropriately appreciative of his genius. “Tell me you didn’t get the names of the couples with the Memorial Day bookings at Paradise.”

  “Actually, I did,” he admitted, “but wait until you hear—”

  “Oh God. Tell me you didn’t bribe them.”

  “I didn’t,” he obliged. “Though it turns out the bride with the Saturday slot is a huge fan of the show.”

  “You’re kidding. Don’t tell me they agreed to change their dates just because they like you.”

  “Tell you, don’t tell you. You’re awfully bossy today.”

  “Josh.”

  “She laughed in my face.”

  Sidney laughed as well, the sound breathy and appealing.

  “But she loves the show,” he reiterated, in case she had missed the part where he was beloved by one and all.

  “So we’re back to square one.” Sidney groaned.

  “Weren’t you listening when I said I have solved all our venue woes?”

  “I tend to zone out when you speak,” she teased. “Force of habit from all those years tuning you out on the show.”

  “Cute.” Though he was relieved she was giving him shit. He hated when she tip-toed around him like she did whenever he screwed up and kissed her. “But trust me, you’re going to want to see this. How soon can you get here?”

  *

  Forty minutes later, Sidney climbed out of her SUV, dubiously eyeing the for sale sign at the edge of the driveway. “Buying a replacement palace?” she asked as she approached.

  Josh waited on the wide stone steps leading up to the double doors that could admit a guest riding on a elephant. “I wish. I can’t even afford the gate house on a place like this, but my realtor was fixated on my name and forgot to take my budgetary limitations into account. Which may have been a stroke of luck.”

  Said realtor was inside, locked in a conference call with the production team of Marrying Mister Perfect and the seller’s agent, hammering out terms.

  “How so?”

  “Turns out there’s a limited market for seventeen million dollar estates and they can linger on the market for months or even years before finding the right buyer. Real estate agents are always looking for creative ways to raise the profile of their high-end listings. Ways like a television special about the wedding of the year being held here.”

  “You were serious? You really have found us a venue?”

  “Wait until you see the view from the back.” He grinned and reached for the massive front door to hold it for her. “Trust me. This is the place.”

  *

  It was heaven.

  From the giant stone patio for the reception to the small private beach for the ceremony, every detail was flawless. The only downside was that it didn’t come with a small army of event staff, but she could bring in her own people to set up. Or Marrying Mister Perfect would provide a battalion of interns to do her bidding.

  After a quick video call with Caitlyn and Will, Sidney had given Josh the thumbs up and he was now deep in discussion with the realtor, working out all the details. They’d already established that they would book the estate for the week prior to the wedding and host all the various wedding events on site. There were fifteen bedrooms—enough for the wedding party and most of the in-laws to stay here for the duration.

  They’d have to work out parking alternatives and the restrooms would be tight, but she could make it work.

  There was even a fence around the perimeter and a security gate at the front—which would make keeping out uninvited press a lot easier on Max, since her brother had already agreed to provide extra security.

  Everything was falling into place. All thanks to Josh.

  He shook the realtor’s hand, wrapping up their conversation, and strolled over to where Sidney waited, his hands thrust deep into his pockets in a casual habit that she realized he only employed when he wasn’t on camera. “Does it pass muster?” he asked, nodding toward the water view.

  “It’s exquisite,” she said. “You found me the perfect venue. Now I really owe you.”

  “Remember that when I ask you to help me move my couch.”

  She knew he wasn’t serious. Josh Pendleton wasn’t the sort of man who moved his own furniture. And she was beginning to realize he was a hard man to thank. He teased and deflected whenever she tried to even the scales between them—which only made her want to pay him back more, because he never expected it.

  Recalling what he’d said at Mama’s, her next words were an impulse. “Let me make you dinner tonight. As a thank you.”

  “Is that a reward or a punishment?” he teased.

  Her smile matched his. “You’ll have to show up to find out.”

  *

  Sidney felt good about issuing the challenge that Josh join her for dinner until she got home and panic set in. Thirty minutes of frantic cleaning and a light-speed trip to the grocery later, she had all the makings for homemade spaghetti carbonara—and was still on the verge of hyperventilating at the thought of Josh Pendleton here. In her space. Touching her things.

  Yes, she’d gotten comfortable with him over the last couple weeks, but that had been on neutral territory. This was different. This was home.

  But it was more than that. It was the undeniable date-ness of cooking a man dinner. Alone. Where no one would chaperone them.

  She had genuinely meant it as a gesture of goodwill when she invited him, but now she was in her kitchen, staring down a bottle of red wine and trying to decide if opening it so it had time to breathe before he got here sent the wrong message.

  Or the right message.

  She wanted him. She’d wanted him from the second she met him.

  Of course there was still Olga, but not fifteen minutes ago at the supermarket she’d seen a magazine cover with a small corner picture of Olga cuddling up to one of her American Dance Star costars with the caption “Are Josh and Olga on the outs?”


  Even if they were, and Josh was available, he still wasn’t available to her. Especially not if she wanted to continue to work with him on the MMP Wedding Special.

  So no funny business. None. Dinner as friends. That’s all this was.

  Except…

  No one would see them. No one would know.

  She could have her cake and eat it too… as long as no one found out about it.

  She’d never thought of herself as the kind of woman who had torrid secret affairs, but maybe it was high time she stopped worrying about what she should be doing and did what she wanted for a change.

  She needed to take a run, clear her head, but there wasn’t time before he was due to come over.

  She reached for the bottle of wine… and her hand changed route of its own accord, grabbing her cell phone instead. She dialed Parvati—which was as good as admitting she was going to sleep with him tonight. If she’d wanted sense talked into her, she would have called Victoria. Parvati had a much looser moral compass.

  “Yo, Sid!”

  “Would you still respect me if I had a torrid secret affair?” she asked without preamble.

  Parvati hesitated far too long for her peace of mind before asking for clarification. “You mean like with a married man?”

  “No. Of course not.”

  “They why is it secret? Is he ashamed of you? Because any guy who won’t man up and be the boyfriend isn’t good enough for you.”

  “It’s not that. Let’s just say for reasons I can’t go into right now, we can’t officially be together.”

  Parv groaned into the phone. “It’s not Daniel, is it? Because I gotta say, Sid, he turned out to be kind of a douche in the end.”

  “It’s not Daniel.”

  “But you can’t be seen together in public.”

  “Exactly.”

  This time the pause lasted only a fraction of a second. “Holy crap! You’re having a steamy secret affair with Josh Pendleton! I want all the details! Is he as good as I think he is?”

  “I’m not having an affair with Josh Pendleton.” She propped the phone against her shoulder and reached for the wine and the corkscrew. “Yet.”