by Olivia Brynn
"I'm really glad you chose Buster's tonight. We've got some great specials. We've got a fifteen-ounce house steak…"
Jade couldn't concentrate on the specials. She was too enthralled by watching the hostess. She'd bent over just enough to give Adam a view of her cleavage. Subtlety was a lost art. Jade laughed, she couldn't help it. Maybe he was used to the treatment, being the way-too-adorable man he was. She watched him carefully, to see how he would handle it.
He gave the girl a smile, thanked her, and then dismissed her by leaning across the table and speaking to Jade with a grin. "I hope you're hungry. I hear they've got a great cheesecake."
It was a little rude, but the hostess, without having a reason to stay, walked away with a long backward glance.
"I think you have an admirer." Jade leaned over the table.
"So it seems." Adam looked around the restaurant. His eyes stopped at each tableful of customers. The restaurant was filled to about half-capacity, but no one seemed to notice the newest customers in the corner booth.
"Do you get that kind of attention wherever you go?" she teased, hoping to draw him back out of the pensive mood he now seemed to be in. He didn't answer her, but he did lift his dark eyebrows and relax just a bit. He even leaned against the wall, and bent one leg, propping a foot on the booth. His body language said casual, but his eyes remained busy. Maybe he was studying the veritable flea market nailed to every exposed surface. Wasn't The Beatles' White Album cover too precious to be affixed to a restaurant wall? Jade shrugged. What did she know?
She shifted in order to match his position on her bench. "So…Adam. I don't even know your last name."
That got his attention. His eyes snapped to hers, and he smiled. "I don't think I got yours either."
Before she could respond, a server approached the table. "Hello, I'm Tina." She also looked long and hard at Adam, and barely swept her eyes over Jade. "Can I start you off with an appetizer?"
"Jade?" Adam asked.
"Not tonight, thank you Tina."
At least Tina was able to rein in her hormones enough to do her job, Jade smirked. After ordering a glass of water and a chardonnay, Jade opened her menu.
The code! She checked her phone, and after Tina took their order, Jade excused herself. She wended her way through the tables and into the bathroom to type in a quick text message to Dean.
"Buster's on Huntington. 1, 10, don't u dare."
Chapter Three
"Where are you?" Adam hissed.
"Nash, calm down." Tyrell's amusement came through the phone. "You looked right at me in the parking lot. I followed you in—"
"Whatever. Did you see the hostess?"
"Yes, I talked to her. She's going to be busy in the kitchen from now on, but only because I promised her an autographed copy of your new CD. She showed me her tattoo in your honor, and she even has "Taking it Easy" as her ringtone. Give her a break, she can't help a few jitters."
Adam ran his free hand down his face. "She almost blew it."
"Big deal. Your woman's gonna figure it out sooner or later. You can't live some double life." He chuckled. "You're making it worse by acting like a damn fool. No wonder she took off to the bathroom like she did. She's probably calling someone to come rescue her."
Damn. The only one acting suspicious was him. The other patrons were playing their parts well. He didn't catch even one of them glancing his way.
"I hate it when you're right." Even though Adam knew that Tyrell was in the restaurant somewhere—hell, he must be fairly close in order to see the way Adam had been acting—he still couldn't find him. Not at any table, not behind plants. Damn, what if Jade caught a glimpse of Tyrell and recognized his weird behavior at the flower shop? "Where are you?"
"Would you fucking relax, Nash? I'm here. Now, she just left the bathroom. If you're lucky she'll come back to the table."
Adam didn't bother with a goodbye, he just shoved his phone back in his pocket before she caught him. He took a long drink of his beer, and pretended to watch the baseball game.
"Dodgers fan?" She slid back into the booth, and propped her back against the wall like he had, so they were both facing the television.
She came back to the table. Don't screw it up. "Not unless they'd stayed in Brooklyn." He winked at her. "I'm a New York fan deep down and always."
"Is that right? Mets or Yankees?"
"You like baseball?"
"Not so much on television, but I love to watch one from the park." She took a dainty sip of her water.
Her mouth fascinated him, especially the drop of water that clung to her lower lip. When her pink tongue darted out to whisk it away, he could practically feel it against his own mouth.
Baseball, Adam.
"That goes without saying. I think I'd rather watch small-town tee-ball in person than Dodgers on ESPN."
She stretched both legs out on the booth, and crossed her ankles, leaving the top one to wag playfully as she watched some unknown batter strike out. He was pleased to see she was comfortable with him. The only other time Adam had dated a woman who wasn't in The Industry, she had been so nervous, she'd all but spilled her drink from shaking. He'd gotten so irritated, he had thrown a handful of bills on the table and walked away from her right where she sat. He remembered Tyrell shaking his head for hours after. Well, not this woman. She looked like she considered herself one of the guys. A friend.
"What brings you to California, if you're such a New Yorker?" She drew a pattern in the condensation on her water glass.
"Work." He hoped a vague answer would satisfy her, but he didn't hold his breath.
"Oh? What do you do?"
"I'm in the entertainment industry." He kept his voice passive, and even watched a wild pitch get by the catcher. Her giggle brought his attention back to her.
"I think ninety percent of the population in L.A. is either in the entertainment industry or aspires to be."
He took another drink from his beer bottle. "That's so true."
"So what exactly do you do? Are you in front of the camera, or a behind the scenes kind of guy?"
He wasn't about to tell her. He'd thought up some great things to say when she asked, because he knew the subject would come up. His heart raced even as he smiled, albeit stiffly. "Think you can guess?"
She studied him, even pursing those soft-looking lips in thought. "You direct documentaries about the plight of northern Hawaiian chimpanzees?"
Oh, she was good. Now she put him at ease! He laughed, and she joined him. A sexy giggle that he tried to commit to memory for a visit later.
The smart thing to do would be to explain everything right now. Get it over with. He even took a deep breath to speak the words, but stopped before they formed.
Adam Nash, you're a pussy. What do you plan to do? Lie to her? He chose his words wisely. For some reason, flat out lying to this woman wasn't an option.
"I've directed a few things, but no documentaries." That was the truth. He got the chance to try his hand at directing on his last video. As much fun as it was, he wouldn't do it again. The entire video production process had been more stressful, and to this day, he couldn't look at that video without picking it apart.
He could also use his music video experience to truthfully say he was an actor. Being here with her like this was almost like playing a role. In this noisy family restaurant surrounded by paid extras.
She thought another minute, then slapped the table with her epiphany. "Stunt man."
"Nope. Blood makes me queazy."
Tina and another server brought out their meals, and broke his focus on Jade. He couldn't have asked for better timing.
Jade unwrapped the napkin from around her cutlery, and laid it on her lap. Her hands were slender and delicate, her fingernails trimmed and buffed to a shine. Not professionally manicured and polished. She put the spoon on the left side of her plate, and the knife on the right. She picked up the fork and speared a piece of broccoli before he even realized he
was staring.
"What about you? Are you one of the ninety percent?"
She waved her hand and almost choked on a bite. "Oh God no. I pity anyone in the spotlight like that."
"You do?"
She nodded, and touched her lips with a napkin. "I know a lot of people around here crave attention like that, but there isn't any way I could live like that. I value my privacy too much. I even boycott tabloids and talk shows. I figure I'll do my part and be one less crazed fan out there."
Adam drained his bottle of beer.
"I wouldn't even be in California if it weren't for my mentor Alfred." She chewed a dainty bite, then swallowed. Adam's mouth went dry just from watching hers. That didn't last, because just the thought of tasting her made him drool like a cartoon wolf. She laid her fork down, then dabbed the napkin against her lips again before continuing. "He passed away six months ago. He left Dean and me a house here." She smiled with the memory. "We followed Alfred around for years, learning everything we could about botany from him. He was a genius about plant science, but he refused to understand why Dean and I weren't going to settle down together and have children."
She took another bite. Adam watched the fork disappear into her mouth, and reappear from between her closed lips. He was going to kiss her tonight. Now to figure out when. "Didn't Alfred know that Dean is gay?"
"We told him on a daily basis at least. I guess Alfred just thought it was some phase that Dean would grow out of if he and I got married." She shook her head in exasperation. "He left us the house and Earth Scents with the condition that we live here together for a year before we could do whatever we wanted with them." She cut another piece of chicken, and Adam realized he hadn't even touched his meal.
He dug into his own meal with far less precision than she.
"I was a little surprised he didn't leave a wedding dress in the closet for me. He was just an adorably romantic old man." Her voice dropped. "I miss him terribly."
"I suppose he's up there right now cursing me for taking you out tonight." Adam winked, then took another bite of his sloppy burger.
"If that's so, he had to be confused about Dean's latest fling." She explained how Dean had recently dated two men simultaneously, and attempted to get them both to agree to an open relationship.
The way she talked about Dean, it was obvious she cared a great deal for the guy. How many men were scared off by her relationship with her roommate? He hated to admit it, but as confident and sometimes arrogant as he was, even Adam recognized the threat the hazy boundaries of Jade and Dean's friendship had. As she continued with stories of Dean, Adam realized all he had to do was think of Dean as this woman's best friend, not her male roommate.
When she pushed her plate away, Tina offered Jade another glass of wine, along with another bottle of beer for him. Jade agreed, and he smothered a grin, glad to see she wasn't in any hurry to end their date. His gaze followed the waitress back up to the bar, and only then did he see Tyrell sitting there, partially hidden behind a dark wooden column. A huge plate of wings sat in front of him, half were now bones picked clean. He wore his napkin like a bib, tucked into his collar.
Adam could barely contain his mirth.
"Dessert tonight?" Tina reappeared with their drinks and a dessert menu.
At his questioning gaze, Jade shook her head, and gestured towards her wine glass. "This will be enough for me."
Tina laid down the ticket, thanked them for their visit, then her eyes swept over Adam once more before attending her other tables.
"I didn't realize how hungry I was until I'd started eating. I guess I forgot to eat lunch today." She resumed her position against the wall, the hand with her wine glass hovering near her mouth as she spoke.
"Then I'm glad I called when I did. I wouldn't want you to drop."
She looked at him, her eyes shining. Either his words pleased her, or the wine had gone to her head. "I'm glad too."
"Maybe you should give me your cell phone number," he winked, "so I can call you tomorrow and remind you to eat lunch."
She wrinkled her nose when she smiled. Damn, that's cute.
"I'll give you my phone number as soon as you give me your last name." She briefly covered his hand on the table with hers. The same short-lived caress she'd graced him with that first day across the counter of Earth Scents. Why the hell that was sexier than a pair of tits rubbing suggestively against his arm in a night club, he didn't know. His gaze drifted to her chest. This woman probably never rubbed those against a man in a dark corner. They certainly didn't have an ounce of silicone in them. She was a different breed, for sure.
He tore his eyes away. For some reason he felt like a pervert when he ogled her. This woman wouldn't appreciate his pawing. He mentally slapped himself, and faced her again.
"I'll give you my last name as soon as you give me yours." He grinned.
"Jade Colleen Graham." She announced, challenging him.
Damn. Adam stiffened. He had one last out. If she took it. "Would you like my professional name, or the one I used growing up?"
"You have a professional name?" She set her wineglass down to give him another curious look.
"Sure. It's kind of like a rite of passage in this business you know."
"Well, what does your mother call you?"
Thank God. She took it. His heart lurched, even as he took his first deep breath in an hour. "Adam Joseph Herlihey. Especially when I'm in trouble."
"Irish?" She stuck a hand out.
"Damn proud." He took her hand, and held on longer than polite, but she didn't pull back either.
Finally, she narrowed her eyes. "I can always do an internet search on your name and find out all kinds of dirt."
"That's true. Just hold off for a few days."
"Why?"
He rubbed his thumb across the inside of her wrist. Her skin was soft and cool like a soothing balm on his thirsty skin. "Because I want to take you out again before you read all those horrible things about me."
"That bad, huh?"
He clasped her hand in both of his, and gave her a direct look. "Just don't believe everything you read."
She laughed. She thought he was kidding. If only she knew. The last story he'd seen on the tabloids was about his secret love child with that movie star's wife. Henry, his manager, wanted to blast them and force a retraction. Adam knew the more attention he gave these stories, the more interest they would generate. In fact, he couldn't really remember if he'd slept with that woman. There were some weeks where he couldn't remember a damn thing. He liked to think that he was careful, but accidents could always happen. Since he hadn't heard from the woman, he was pretty confident that it was all trash. Still, if he went public to denounce one rumor, there would be ten new ones the next day. He didn't have time for that kind of clean up, and he refused to live like that.
Jade was different. She wasn't afraid to look him in the eye. She didn't gush or simper, or talk endlessly about herself, or her powerful friends and industry contacts. Yes, she was most definitely a cool drink of water. Adam couldn't stop himself from bringing her hands to his lips, where they rested against the soft skin of her knuckles as he inhaled.
The noise from the restaurant faded into the background. Even the Dodger fans seemed to go quiet. Adam couldn't look away from her, and she seemed to be equally hypnotized by their clasped hands against his mouth. She added her free hand to cover his. When she maintained eye contact, Adam felt like an electric current looped through them, and sparked the distance between their eyes.
The tip of her pink tongue swiped along her lower lip, in a gesture that was so innocent, it was erotic as hell. His cock surged behind his fly, intensely enough to send a jerk through his body. He imagined those lips at various places along his body, and now kissing her wasn't the only thing he wanted to do with that succulent mouth.
"So…" she cleared her throat. "Are you going to tell me your professional name?"
"No."
She blin
ked a few times, her jaw going slack. When he felt her attempt to pull her hands away, he gripped them tighter and continued. "Not yet. You should be flattered, I usually don't give people my real name." That seemed to work, especially when he smiled. "Just call me Adam."
She seemed to be avoiding his gaze, but stared at his thumb as it moved across her hands. Adam considered that a win.
"You aren't really in the porn industry are you?"
"No." He winked.
"But you won't tell me what you do for a living?"
Okay. That did make him sound like a creep. "I told you I'm in the entertainment industry. I can't tell you all my secrets at once; what would make you want to go out with me again?"
"Oh, the mysterious approach, I get it."
"Is it working?"
She cocked her head to one side and gave him a long look. That was dangerous. He wasn't ready to be found out. Not yet. He wanted more time as Adam "Joe Schmoe" Herlihey. He knew she'd start acting differently around him once his true identity was revealed. Hell, with the type of woman he thought she was, he wouldn't be surprised if she had nothing to do with him. Not after learning about his playboy lifestyle.
Would he blame her?
They watched the Dodgers win their game. Well, she did. Adam just stared at her for twenty minutes, and asked her questions about her career as a florist. Before she could turn the conversation back to him, he finished his second beer, and tossed his napkin on the table.
"Ready to go?" He slid out of the booth, pulled some cash from his wallet, and tossed it on the table, before again offering her his hand. Her eyes bounced from the currency back to him. Either she was going to tell him it was too much, or offer to pay her own way. He didn't wait for whatever she had to say, he just reached for her hand and pulled her from the booth. On the way out, he slid his hand down her back, guiding her to the exit.
