Sweet Starlight
Page 4
“So, you’re both entrepreneurs.” Rick stretched out his legs, and they bumped hers under the table. “Oops, sorry.” He swung his legs to the side.
She liked the way he called them entrepreneurs. It sounded more… fancy. But since when had she not been proud of all that Will and she’d accomplished? They might not be actors, or doctors, or politicians, but they had both come a very long way from their upbringing.
The waiter delivered their meal, interrupting her torturously meandering thoughts. They ate their meal while their conversation turned to Indigo Bay. That was a safe topic for her, too.
They finished off their meal by splitting the most delicious chocolate something-or-other-French-named dessert that she’d ever tasted.
The maitre d’ came over when they’d finished and leaned over to speak quietly to Rick. He answered, and the man hurried away. Rick frowned and took out his cell phone. With a few taps, his frown grew deeper. “Ah, I’m sorry, Whitney. Looks like we’ve been discovered.”
He held out his phone, and she took it, looking at the photo. It was a photo of them with the young woman who had stopped them in front of the restaurant. Complete with the hashtags #RickNichols #newloveinterest #whoisshe #whereisShawnaJacobson?
Her heart plummeted at seeing the Shawna Jacobson hashtag. Was Rick dating Shawna? So why had he asked her, a simple shop owner, out?
To thank her, not for a real date.
She looked at the photo again. She was on Rick’s arm with a startled expression on her face. Not a very flattering photo, not that it really mattered.
“The maitre d’ said there are photographers waiting outside. They didn’t let them in, of course. But it looks like we’ll have to make a run through them when we leave.”
“How did this happen?” She stared at the photo. “And so quickly?”
“It’s the hashtags. Some photographers skim social media, looking for hashtags, hoping for a chance to catch photos of celebrities. I’m sorry you got dragged into this.” He stood up.
“Let’s go. They’re bringing my car around. We might as well get this part over with.”
She sat in her chair, unable to move, unable to process her thoughts.
“Whitney?” He held out a hand.
She slowly got to her feet. She let him tuck her hand on his elbow and lead her to the front door. As soon as the doorman opened the door, flashes went off, blinding her as she clung to his arm and he opened the car door for her. She slipped inside, dazed by the number of people outside and the constant bursts of lights.
Rick slid into the driver’s seat and pulled away from the curb, the flashes of light still popping behind them as they sped away.
Rick glanced over at Whitney, sitting rigidly in the passenger seat of the car. She stared out her side window and said nothing to him. He drove on and let her sit with her thoughts, wishing she’d talk to him but knowing this date hadn’t turned out quite like he’d hoped. Not that it was a date. It was a simple thank you. He’d gotten a little too comfortable with rarely being recognized in Indigo Bay that he hadn’t expected the media attention in Charleston.
Finally, the silence got to him. “You okay?”
She turned to look at him. “I was just… surprised. I had no idea your life was like that. Photographers and fans, always snapping your photos.”
“I’m sorry to put you through that. I should have been smarter about it. Gone somewhere less well-known. At least worn my sunglasses and cap.”
“Yes, sunglasses at night would have been so subtle.” She gave him a small smile. “Is it always like that for you?”
“Quite often.”
“I couldn’t stand the lack of privacy. People knowing my business and taking photos all the time.”
“I guess you just get used to it in my field.” He sighed. “But I admit it would be nice to escape it sometimes.”
“I bet.” She turned and looked out the window again.
When he got to Indigo Bay, he pulled into the drive in front of her cottage. A warm, welcoming light spilled through the front door and gently illuminated the porch. He climbed out of the car and came around to open the door for her. She slid out and started walking to her door but lost her balance on the crushed shells. He reached and quickly caught her as she fell against him. He wrapped his arm protectively around her, liking the feeling of her next to him.
“You okay?” He looked at her.
She laughed. “Yes, I’m just not used to walking in heels. Much less walking in them on a surface like crushed shells. Now you know my little secret.”
He led her up the steps, carefully keeping hold of her arm so she wouldn’t trip again, not just because he didn’t want to lose his contact with her. As soon as she got to the porch, she reached down and slipped off her shoes.
“My other secret? These things have been killing my feet all evening. I’m much more a flip-flop girl.”
He grinned at her. “Nothing wrong with flip-flops.”
She opened the door and turned toward him. He could see a flash of indecision in her eyes. She looked down at her bare feet, wiggled her toes, then looked back up at him. “Um, do you want to come inside for a few minutes?”
“I’d like that.” He followed her into the cottage, pleased she’d decided to ask him in.
She dropped her shoes in the corner and led the way to her kitchen. “I can fix you a drink. Beer? Wine? Soda?”
“A beer sounds great, but I better stick with soda. I kind of have this strict rule about drinking and driving. One drink only.”
“If you don’t mind leaving your car until tomorrow, you could walk back to The Pink Ladies.”
He paused, eyeing the open fridge. “That sounds like a deal. I’ll have a beer.”
She reached in, grabbed a bottle, and handed it to him. “Here, you wrestle the cap off. I’m going to get a glass of wine for myself.”
They took their drinks out onto her deck overlooking the ocean. The moonlit sky tossed silvery beams of light on the gently rolling waves. She sat down on an Adirondack chair and he took the one beside her.
“I love sitting out here in the evenings. I swear this deck is the best part of the cottage.”
“It is nice and peaceful.” Especially after the chaos of leaving the restaurant.
“I love having coffee out here in the mornings, too. Watching the sun rise up out of the horizon and throw colors across the sky. You should see the photos on my cell phone. I’m forever taking sunrise photos. There is something magical about that time of day.”
He watched as she relaxed in her chair and sipped her wine. She pushed a wisp of hair away from her face and turned to catch him staring at her. She smiled. “What are you looking at?”
“Just… you. Glad to see you relax after all that mess at Bistro Fifty.”
“I was just startled. I guess I didn’t handle it well, I’m sorry. I know I was quiet on the car ride home. My mind was racing with thoughts and… I know none of it was your fault.” She looked into his eyes. “I did have a good time with you though. The food was wonderful. Especially that chocolate dessert.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” At least that part of the evening had turned out well. And this part was turning out pretty nicely, too.
“So, what’s next on your to-do list for the big gala?” She settled back in her chair.
“I’m talking with the caterer to finalize all that. Reconfirming the band. It’s a small four-piece group. They play a mix of oldies and some new music. They know a lot of classics from my grandmother’s era. I think they’ll be perfect.”
“That does sound nice.”
“I want to make sure everything is settled before my family starts coming to town this weekend. Christina and my two nieces will arrive on Saturday. My grandmother on Monday. My brother and the rest of the family comes in after that.” He was going to make darn sure that everything was in place before his sister got here, so there would be no way she could second-guess his every decisio
n. Or maybe she still would, but the decisions will have already been made.
“How old are your nieces?”
“Six. They’re twins and I adore them. They have me wrapped around their little fingers.” Ah, his adorable nieces. They were full of boundless energy and endless questions. He enjoyed seeing them when he could get away, though that did mean he had to put up with his sister. He wished he and his siblings could get along better, but he was almost certain that unless he gave up acting and became something like a rocket scientist, they’d never think he’d amounted to anything. He tried hard not to let that bother him. It didn’t bother him.
Mostly.
“I can’t imagine a large family like yours. What’s it like?”
“Well, it’s noisy.” He grinned. “Especially when all the kids come. My grandmother tries to get us all together at least once a year. Aunts, uncles, cousins. Usually a holiday party sometime in December. I don’t catch it very often anymore.”
“I always dreamed of growing up in a family like that. Lots of brothers and sisters and cousins. You’re very lucky.”
He couldn’t miss the wistful look in her eyes. He’d never really thought much about coming from such a large family. It was just a part of him. He wondered what it would be like to only have a brother and a father for family. Maybe her family didn’t even interfere in her life with millions of conflicting opinions of what she was doing wrong with her life…
“I guess I am lucky to have such a big family.” Though, sometimes it sure didn’t feel like it. Whitney made him feel like he should appreciate it more. She had a way of looking at the bright side of things, a habit he wished she’d teach him.
Right then he made up his mind to change his thinking. Instead of dreading his family coming to town, he was going to look forward to it. It was going to be a fabulous week of family togetherness. How was that for positive thinking?
Chapter 6
Whitney rolled over and glanced at the clock. Who in the world was calling her this early? She snatched her cell phone from the bed table.
“Hey, sis.”
“Willie, why are you calling me this early? Is everything all right?”
“You tell me.”
She pulled the covers up and closed her eyes as she talked. “Um… you’re the one who called me, remember?”
“I saw your photo in the news.”
“What photo?”
“You and the actor. You know, what’s-his-name, Rick Nichols.”
She sat up straight in bed, the covers slipping down to her waist. “What? Where did you see that?”
“Pretty much everywhere. There was a big article about who is this mystery woman with Rick.”
“Did any of the posts have my name?” She frowned.
“Not so far. So you’re dating this actor guy and you didn’t bother to tell your own brother?”
“No, I’m not dating him. He took me out to dinner as a thank you for helping him with a party he’s planning for his grandmother.”
“Hey, you realize his grandmother is Viola Lemmons, right?”
“Since when do you keep up with celebrities?”
“Ashley told me.”
So her brother’s girlfriend had seen it, too. Whitney scrubbed a hand over her face, trying to clear her foggy, just-woke-up mind. “I’m sure it will blow over soon. No one will figure out it was me. I’m a nobody.”
“Whit, I’m pretty sure they’ll dig around and find out who you are.”
“Maybe not?”
“Maybe so. Look on the bright side, it might be good publicity for Coastal Creations.”
She let out a long sigh. “This isn’t what I planned. I do love that the shop is doing so well, but I don’t like being in the spotlight. Not when Shawna Jacobson did that viral post. Not now.”
“Well, I think you should be prepared. I’m pretty sure you’re going to be in the limelight again.”
“Well, Rick can just tell them he’s not dating me.” There, that was simple enough. Rick could deal with it. She climbed out of bed and headed to the kitchen in search of coffee. If she was going to be up this early, at least she could sip on coffee. The automatic coffee maker had done its thing. She reached for a mug and poured a steaming cup.
“Well, he can tell them you’re not dating, but they might not listen.”
“I’m sure it will all blow over soon. He’s probably dating someone important or famous in Hollywood.”
“There are rumors about him and Shawna Jacobson.”
She took a sip of coffee. “And since when do you keep up with celebrity gossip?”
“You think I didn’t check the guy out as soon as Ashley showed me the photo this morning?”
She smiled in spite of herself. Her big brother was always going to be overprotective. “Willie, don’t worry about me. I’m sure it will all be over. Maybe no one will even figure out who I am.”
“Hold on to that dream, sis. Gotta run. Call me if you need me.”
She set the phone down on the counter and walked out onto the deck. A gentle sea breeze drifted in from the ocean. She turned her face to the sun, bathing in its warmth. Maybe this whole thing would just be a non-starter. It wasn’t like it had been an actual date. Movie stars didn’t date people like her.
Merry pushed through the door of Coastal Creations minutes after Whitney opened the shop. “Whit, did you see all the photos of you online?”
Whitney sighed and sat on a stool behind the counter. “I did. Willie so kindly woke me up at the crack of dawn to inform me.”
“Good thing I brought coffee.” Merry handed her a cup.
Whitney figured she could use another cup after the morning she’d had. “Thanks.”
“So, I was reading online, and they’re all trying to figure out who you are. Won’t be long before someone tells them.”
“Maybe not?” She kept holding on to that hope, slim that it might be.
Merry tilted her head and scrunched up her face. “I could barely keep you sane when you got all that publicity from Shawna Jacobson about your shop, even though it turned out to be a very good thing for you. This might help the shop again, you know?”
“I’m not going to use my friendship with Rick to help the shop.”
The bell over the door rang and Lucille Sanderson popped into the shop carrying her dog, Princess, in her arms. “Whitney Layton, you went out with a movie star,” she said in a tone of total disbelief.
Which annoyed Whitney. “I went to dinner with Rick Nichols, yes.” Did everyone in town see the photos?
“Well, that’s just… amazing.”
“Why is it so amazing? Whit is a talented, beautiful woman.” Merry sprang to her defense.
“Oh, of course, she is, dear. It’s not often that one of our own dates someone famous.” Lucille petted Princess as she spoke, her perfectly manicured fingers threading through the dog’s fur.
“It wasn’t a date.” Whitney wondered how many times she’d have to repeat that statement and to how many people.
“You went out to dinner with him. That’s a date in my book.” Lucille nodded emphatically. “Did you have a good time? The article I saw said you went to that new trendy restaurant, Bistro Fifty.”
“The restaurant was nice.” She did not want to discuss her non-date with Lucille—or with anyone. “But it was a one-time thing.”
“If you say so, dear. But if it wasn’t a serious date, maybe we could fix him up with my grandniece, Maggie?” Lucille looked hopeful.
“I think he’s going to be busy with family stuff. He’s in town throwing a birthday gala for his grandmother.” Now, why had she given her any more information than absolutely necessary? She knew better than that. The whole town would know Rick’s business by this afternoon, if not before.
“Well, you might mention her to him. She is such a lovely girl.” Lucille turned to leave but glanced back over her shoulder. “Though, I still think your night out with him might be considered a date.”
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She rolled her eyes as Lucille slipped out of the shop.
Merry grinned at her. “Lucille will be stopping to talk to everyone she sees today to make sure they know about those online photos of you.”
“Don’t I know it. And I was hoping it would all just blow over.”
“Don’t count on it, Whit.”
Rick slowly scrolled through his social media accounts on his computer. Photos of him and Whitney were plastered everywhere on various social media and news sites. He ran his fingers through his hair, then shut the laptop with a resounding click. He’d forgotten how things like this could get so out of hand. The media had him paired up and serious with Whitney after just one night.
As if she’d even want to speak to him again, much less be seen with him. He couldn’t blame her. The media attention was his cross to bear, not hers. So far, he’d read no inkling that anyone had found out her name or anything about her. That much was good.
His phone rang. He glanced at it and saw a photo of his grandmother flash on the screen. He snatched the cell phone off the table. “Grandmere, how are you?”
“I’m fine, Richard. Are you enjoying your time in Indigo Bay?”
“I am. You’re right, it’s a charming little town. Things are coming along great for your big birthday party.”
“I told you not to make a fuss about it.”
Empty words. Rick knew darn well that his grandmother loved to have people fuss over her. “We want to do this for you.”
“Well, you’re sweet to go early and get things all set up. I have no doubt everything will be perfect. Besides, I know you needed a bit of a vacation. Now, do you like The Pink Ladies?”
“They are… pink. And huge. I’m staying in Pink Lady One.”
“Did you get the turret room? It’s so nice. I don’t pick that room anymore to stay in, though I love it. I don’t like climbing all those stairs anymore.”
“I did choose that room. I have the big master suite on the main floor all set up for you.”