by Vivian Wood
He offered her his hand as he opened the door and helped her out of the car, pulling her firmly to his side and keeping his arm almost protectively around her shoulders. The flashing was insane. Even though it was daytime, she was blinded by the cameras.
“Rhys, who is this?” “Rhys, is it true the band has broken up?” “Rhys, Rhys, Rhys...” was all she could hear. These people were crazy for him. He didn't say anything though, keeping her safely tucked under his arm and simply smiling as they finally made it through the doors to the restaurant.
“You okay?” he asked as he pulled out a chair for her at a table clearly visible through the windows where the paparazzi were clamoring for their picture. He bent down to kiss the top of her head before taking his seat across from her.
He reached for her hand across the table as soon as he sat down, and she didn't hesitate before placing it in his. Cue those invisible sparks she'd really hoped would've gone away by now. This man didn't want sparks, just pictures. And yet, the sparks were definitely there. For her, anyway.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for keeping me close. Not sure I would’ve made it inside if you hadn’t, those flashes are intense!”
He gave her hand a squeeze. Wait, that couldn't be for the benefit of the paparazzi, could it? Yep, king of mixed messages.
“Wish I could tell you it’ll get better. But it doesn’t, you just sort of get used to not being able to see properly.”
A waitress came over to them, carrying a bottle of ice cold sparkling water. She went to set it on the table but nearly missed due to the way she was staring at Rhys.
She had to be used to serving famous people working in a place like this, but you couldn't tell from the way her wide eyes were popping out of her skull. She was pretty, but to his credit, he barely glanced at her as she set the bottle down. His focus was entirely on Serena.
She almost felt bad for the waitress. Almost, but not quite. Rhys was her man, after all. Her fake man, sure, but it's not like the waitress knew that. Plus it wasn't polite to stare at someone else's man, however impossible it might be not to stare at this particular one.
She followed his example though, and kept her focus on him.
“Thanks,” he said as she poured them each a glass.
“No problem. I'm not supposed to do this Mr. Grant, but I'm such a huge fan of Misery! I...” she didn't finish her thought, however, as the manager seemed to be approaching.
Instead, she assumed some semblance of professionalism. “Can I get you anything else to drink, Mr. Grant?”
“I'd like a coffee, please. Princess, what would you like?” Princess. Again. Really? He was selling this hard. Still, her heart skipped a beat at hearing him say it. Someone really should tell her heart he didn't mean it.
“Coffee for me too, please.”
“Sure. I’ll have that right over. Will you be dining with us this morning?”
“Yes. We’re brunching,” he answered, seeming quite proud of himself for some unknown reason. Menus appeared like magic, and the waitress left to get their coffee.
Rhys was still holding her hand, but was now studying the menu instead of her.
“Want to share a platter of sushi?”
“For brunch? Pizza for breakfast, and sushi for brunch. Did nobody ever tell you what appropriate morning foods are?”
His eyes darkened, so fleetingly that she thought she must have imagined it, before he was all meaningful smiles again.
“It was a breakfast pizza. It’s right there in the name. And there are more letters that represent lunch in the word ‘brunch’ than breakfast, so it’s anybody’s choice. So, sushi?”
“Can’t argue with that logic, so yeah. Sushi it is.”
The waitress brought over their coffees and took their order from Rhys. She still looked like she wanted to ask him something, but she kept her mouth shut.
The sushi was delicious, although she thought it had better be, considering what a place like this must cost. She was actually having fun talking to Rhys again.
He was still just as easy to talk to – much to her chagrin, given that a part of her was still pissed – and their little charade meant that he was paying rapt attention to her. She almost forgot about the cameras. Almost. But not quite.
How many pictures could they possibly snap of two people sitting still?
She managed to eat without making a complete idiot of herself. She didn't drop anything or get soy sauce on her dress, so she chalked it up as a win.
There was only one piece of salmon left, and Rhys deftly picked it up with his chopsticks. He'd had most of the sushi, but Serena hadn't minded one bit. Years of conditioning under her mother meant that she never ate a lot in a single sitting. To her surprise, though, he guided his chopsticks to her lips instead of his and said softly, “You get the last piece, for luck.”
She acted almost mechanically, opening her mouth and delicately accepting the salmon. She briefly considered that she probably could have tried to be more seductive about it, but she most likely would have poked an eye out on a chopstick.
“Luck?” she asked when she finished chewing. “What do I need luck for?”
“The rest of the day. Now that we’re fortified, we’re going shopping. I’m taking my girlfriend shopping just like the meek, in love lapdog boyfriend that I am.”
Her heart skipped another beat. Maybe she was developing a heart condition. She made a mental note to find out if there were any hereditary heart conditions in her family if and when she started speaking to her mom again.
“Trust me, there is not ever going to be anything meek about you, nor do you even slightly resemble a lapdog,” she said as he signed the check. True to his habit of constantly surprising her, he signed the napkin as well and handed it to their waitress, who was waiting nearby.
“Thanks for taking such good care of us,” he said, giving her a small smile that clearly had her swooning. He slid his sunglasses over his eyes and pulled Serena into his side once more. Back into the lion's den we go, she thought.
“Ready for some shopping, princess?” he breathed into her ear. He had called her princess again, and this time there had been no one else around to hear it.
Her heart skipped a beat yet again. She really needed to phone her mother and find out about heart conditions in the family.
“Are you kidding, I was born ready for shopping!”
She gave him a huge smile that he returned before pressing a kiss unexpectedly to her lips just as they exited the restaurant. She thought a few cameras might have actually exploded at that. She couldn't say for sure, though, as all rational thought had fled from her body at the moment his lips found hers and reduced her to a needy, shivering mess. He broke off the kiss, lingering for just a second before pulling her toward the car.
Everywhere they went, the paparazzi followed, the size of the crowd following them constantly growing larger.
Rhys kept her close, touching her body at all times. Whether it was his arm around her shoulders, simply holding her hand, keeping his hand protectively splayed on her lower back or the occasional well-timed kiss, they were always touching, and the cameras didn't stop capturing it for one single second.
As long as she kept her focus on Rhys, she was fine. She couldn't let herself even start thinking of the fact that very soon, these pictures were going to be broadcast around the world, if the first ones weren't already doing just that. She definitely didn't want to think of her mom's reaction, or Katie's or Mary's... and definitely not Josh's. Crap, she should have told them.
She still hadn't told Katie and Mary who the “someone” she had met at the party had been. She hadn't been sure what was permissible given the terms of the non-disclosure agreement she had signed.
Well, the cat was well and properly out of the bag now. She'd have to call them as soon as she got back to the house.
They spent a few hours shopping. If it were possible to have a fashiongasm, she would have. He made all kinds of her impossi
ble dreams come true by the clothes he insisted on buying for her. If she were being honest, she was unable to resist the clothes any more than she could resist him.
True to his earlier promise they stopped for ice cream, holding hands as they waited for their orders and all the way to their table at the cute, but small ice cream parlor. They were still visible to the paparazzi through the windows, but Rhys chose a table with slightly more privacy this time, located near the back of the shop. He licked at his pistachio ice cream and she nearly melted along with her mint chocolate chip while she stared at his ministrations. He caught her watching him and gave his cone a deliberately long lick, a self-satisfied smirk in place.
“You were great today, Serena,” he said once they were back in the Aston Martin and headed to his house.
“So were you. Do you think they bought it?”
“The way my phone has been buzzing in my pocket for the last few hours, yeah, I think they bought it all the way to fucking Timbuktu.” He smiled triumphantly.
She realized then that she hadn't seen him look at his phone once today. All of his attention had been completely on her at all times. He really was too good at this.
“Feels like I have a vibrator in my pants,” he said nonchalantly.
Must. Not. Think. Of. A. Vibrator. In. His. Pants. Too late, again, she was only human after all and he was just too damn sexy. The spot between her legs ached at the thought of ”in his pants,” an ache that had gone unsatisfied for far too long.
She must have flushed a little, because he asked, “Hey, you okay?” as they edged through the crowd of paparazzi camped outside of his gate.
“Fine, yeah. I’m fine. Just spaced out for a second. It’s been a long day.”
Once they were inside, he hung his keys up in their rightful place and headed to the kitchen. He returned shortly, chugging a glass of water.
“You got any plans for tonight?”
“Uh, no? I just have to call my sister and my best friend before their heads explode at finding out I’ve been keeping their favorite rock star being my boyfriend from them.” She may have had some other plans for satisfying the dull ache that was still present between her legs, but she definitely wasn't letting him on that.
He laughed a little. God, that laugh. “No, we wouldn't want any heads exploding. Wanna watch a movie when you're done? I'll fix us something to eat.”
His house had a screening room, because that was something famous people apparently needed. Couldn't just watch movies on a normal television like mere mortals, of course.
“Sure, I’ll catch up with you when I’m done.”
She headed up to her room, resigned to the roasting she was about to receive from her sister and best friend for keeping this from them, while Rhys headed toward the bar and pulled out a bottle of bourbon.
12
“The guy you met is RHYS FUCKING GRANT and you didn't tell me?” Katie screeched by way of answer when Serena called her a few minutes later.
“I love that guy and I didn’t even think you knew who he was and now you’re the one doing him? How is life fair!” she lamented. Before Serena could reply, Katie continued.
“Wait, are you doing him? What’s he like? I bet he’s great! He has to be great! Those hands must be… Tell me it’s most amazing sex ever!” She continued her rant without Serena even having said one word so far.
Shit. She should've thought of this. Of course people would assume they were having sex. Rhys was a well-known player, after all. Her face burned at the thought. She should have talked to him about how to answer these questions. She couldn't just make a decision about the intimate details of his sex life!
Instead, she made a noncommittal sound in the back of her throat when Katie finally let up, and she got a chance to speak.
“Yeah, the guy is Rhys Grant. His middle name is Jason, though, not fucking.” She was proud of herself for remembering that little bit of information from her initial light stalking all those days ago. A real girlfriend would know those things.
Of course, the non-disclosure agreement prevented her from telling her sister that she wasn't his real girlfriend, so there was that... Feeling like she was lying to her sister, she answered more of her questions. The safe ones, anyway.
Yes, he’s a great guy. Yes, he treats me really well. No, he hasn’t pushed me in to anything. Yes, I am at his house. Yes, the house is a palace. Yes, I have met the other guys. Yes, they are great, too. No, they don’t just act like they’re close for the cameras, they really are like brothers. And on and on.
About half an hour later, she realized she would have to cut this conversation short if she had any hope of getting off the phone before midnight.
“Katie, I really have to go. He’s waiting for me, and I still have to give Mary a call.”
“Better not keep your rock star waiting big sister, I hear they don’t stand still too long.” She had no idea what that meant, but she wasn't going to get into it now.
“Thanks Katie, I love you. We’ll talk soon, okay?”
“Okay, love you, bye bye!” She chirped her usual farewell and then she was gone.
She went through pretty much the same conversation with Mary, only she seemed concerned when Serena told her she had to go.
“Just say it, Mary, whatever you’re holding back. I really do have to go.”
“It’s just, it’s been like five minutes since you broke off your engagement to Bryan and now you’re shacking up with one of the biggest rock stars in the world. I’m just worried about you. I don’t want you to get hurt again. I might not know the guy, but I know he has a reputation and it’s not one of monogamy. I don’t want you to get your heart broken again.”
“I know, Mare. Thanks for caring, but I’m really okay. I know what I’m doing here.” At least she thought she did, but she didn't want Mary worrying, so she didn't hesitate to reassure her.
“And I’m not shacking up with him, we’re just having fun spending some time together. He’s a great guy,” she assured her.
“If you say so, Es. I’m glad you’re having fun. Just be safe, okay? And I do mean that in all respects,” she said sternly, and Serena's ears burned at her insinuation.
“I will Mare, I love you. We’ll talk soon, okay?” She made the same promise she had made to her sister, and seconds later her ears were ringing from the sudden silence.
It had been about an hour since she had come upstairs, and she found Rhys in his living room, sitting on the single couch that looked the most worn and had a great view of the shining lights of LA beyond the floor to ceiling windows, but he wasn't looking at the view.
Instead, his eyes were closed, shoulders hunched, and he was softly strumming an unfamiliar melody on a red guitar he held gently, almost reverently. His fingers flitted across the fretboard with no hesitation at all.
He didn't seem to notice she was here yet, so she took the moment to take him in – empty tumbler on the coffee table next to him and the half-empty bottle of bourbon beside it included. The guy drinks way too much of the stuff, she thought as she sat down quietly on the nearest couch, still not wanting to disturb him.
“You going to just sit there and watch me forever?” he asked, eyes still closed. Apparently, he was aware of her presence.
He played a last chord and opened his eyes. “How’d it go on the phone?”
“Lots of screaming. But I survived.”
“Good, would’ve been a pity if you hadn’t. Heads still intact, I presume? No explosions?” He looked amused as he referred to her earlier analogy.
“Nah. Well, maybe a few little explosions. But they survived, too.”
“Good. Ready to watch a movie?”
“In a second. I want to ask you something first”. She paused before she carried on, her face burning at what she wanted to talk to him about.
“Shoot, ask me anything. I’m an open book,” he joked.
“Uh, it’s just, we never talked about it. But, uh, my sister and my be
st friend just assumed that we are… you know… uh…”
“Fucking?” he said, not timid or shy at all. Like it was just a normal word to him.
“Uhm, yeah… that.” Relief at not having to be the one to say it coursed through her. “I didn’t tell them anything, but I thought we should talk about what to say, I didn’t just want to insert you into my imaginary sex life without talking to you about it first.” Her cheeks burned.
“I’d like to hear more about this imaginary sex life sometime,” he said, and his eyes glinted. “Don’t worry about it. People are going to think what they want to. Besides, I have no problem with people thinking we’re fucking. I knew they were going to. That’s why you had to be hot,” he said easily with a little smirk, still no shame.
She hadn’t considered the fact that he must have thought about this when he had made the decision to get a fake girlfriend in the first place.
“It’s an honor to be fake fucking you, Serena. If you do say something, just mention that I’m great, okay?” His eyes twinkled, and he hesitated for just a second. “That it? Ready for the movie?” He was already halfway down the stairs that descended into the screening room by the time she found her voice.
“You say the most romantic things to me.”
“If it's hearts and flowers you wanted, you should have been fake dating a guy in a boy band.”
“Well, drat. I’ll have to get the fake dating agency right on that little mistake.” His laughter boomed all the way up the stairs.
She couldn't believe how easy being with him was. It was like she could finally be the person she didn't even know she really was until she met him. He had been doing it so effortlessly that she hadn't even realized until now how he'd been helping her find herself. Helping her become assertive, saying whatever she was thinking instead of swallowing it down and saying whatever was more appropriate.
She felt a stab of gratitude toward him as she followed him down the stairs. Gratitude mixed with something else, something unfamiliar she suspected would hurt once the charade had played itself out. Hurt really badly.
