Frustration nips at my shoulders from not jumping in my truck and driving around town to look for them. I think I know the guys she’s talking about. I see them in here. Nice as pie to Rochelle, but as soon as Rochelle is out of sight, they carry on. But she’s right. They’d have no problem blowing my cover. Not only would they go straight to the media, making up some lies, no doubt, but if I’m found, it’ll ruin the entire concept of the surprise release I’m doing with Whiteman’s. The aim being that the launch coincides with me outing myself, creating the perfect media storm to promote the new whiskey. The one they’re already pulling together, with photoshoots happening next week and commercials being filmed not long after.
I grip the coffee cup so hard I’m amazed it doesn’t shatter in my hand. I won’t go looking for them, but if they step in my path, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop myself. I grew up in a single mom household and I saw the struggles she had. I don’t remember my dad, but for a while, there were different men who would come and go. I unfortunately saw my mom with bruises a few times. She always thought Sawyer and I were too young to remember. But I remember. I remember her trying to cover them with makeup. I remember seeing her cheek tinted blue just like Nikki’s.
I’m still seething as my cell vibrates, and I pull it out of my pocket. Bobby. His timing is fucking impeccable. I decide to answer him today, for no other reason than to try to get my mind on other things.
“Bobby,” I murmur quietly. There isn’t anyone around who can hear me. The locals who are here are all people I see frequently, who keep my secret and leave me be.
“Sutton! My man, how are you?” I hear him driving. No doubt with the roof of his convertible down, the LA sun beating down. The wind in the background gives it away.
“What’s up?” Taking a breath, I feel my shoulders lower slightly.
“Are you coming back soon? I have so many things lined up, it’s insane. I can have you scheduled well into next year. The dollars are adding up each and every day, my man!” I’m not his man, and I hate it when he calls me that. We’re not best friends at a frat house, sitting around a keg.
“Not for a while, Bobby.” I keep my guard up, knowing I can’t tell him anything. The minute he knows where I am, he’ll turn up on my doorstep. That little thought brings my mind to Griffin. The country's best builder, who works out of Whispers for the most part. Sawyer introduced me, and now we’re working on the plans for my new home.
It may be a snap decision, but I fell in love with this town the minute they kept my presence a secret. You can’t pay for that kind of loyalty. I know I’m on borrowed time, but the fact that I’ve been here for a while now and that hasn’t been leaked to the media is unheard of. Clooney has his mansion in Como, surrounded by the lake so no one can reach him. I’m building mine right here in Whispers because the town is my security. In fact, I’ll be right next door to Sawyer, because what are family for if you can’t live next door? And the only job I’ve had lately is being his babysitter. Kevin and Noah are my two best friends.
“What do you mean, man! You need to get back here. The studios are calling me every day. I have so many scripts on my desk, I can barely see it, and the international models all come in next week for the big lingerie show they do all year… if you know what I mean.”
Yeah, I know what he means. Once upon a time, I would be up for all that. Jumping from movie set to movie set, working my ass off, early mornings and long days before I would take off on my private jet for a week, sit on a beach somewhere, with a tall glamorous model with legs for days. They were all nice girls, but none of them were really my type. We were both there for a good time, not a long time, and our endgame was always the same. Be flirty on the beach together, paparazzi can get their shots as we became a hot topic for a few weeks, keeping our stars rising before the next movie started. It was great to increase my profile, but it left me feeling empty. It kept me busy but taught me that everyone’s after me for something, and that something wasn’t the real me.
“Not anytime soon. I’m enjoying the downtime.”
I hear him scoff before he collects himself.
“You wait too long, my man, and no one will want you when you come back.” His words are spoken with humor, but they’re meant to sting. And once upon a time, they would’ve. But I’m older now; I know better. I’ve been in this game a long time, too long probably. Now in my late thirties, I need something new, something fresh.
“Yeah, I’ll take my chances.” While I know any publicity is good publicity, I also know that a person or brand can become oversaturated. Me being away a little while has already sent the industry into a meltdown. When they find me, it’s going to explode.
“Why don’t you tell me where you are? I can come see you, talk to you, show you what’s on offer?”
I look up and spot Nikki by my side. I haven’t asked her to, but she delivers one of Rochelle’s delicious chicken pies, sliding it in front of me with a genuine smile, and I soak it up. I eat these almost every day. They’re delicious. The pie is steamy hot, smells amazing, as does Nikki. Her floral aroma fills my senses, making me feel like I’m on solid ground for the first time in a long time.
I notice she brushes her hair back around her ear, the thick, glossy tendrils falling again almost immediately before she retreats. I watch her go. Her looks are what captured me from the first moment I saw her, but our snippets of conversation are what keep me coming back. What I really need to do, though, is get my head out of my ass and start concentrating on things other than her. My life is crazy and trying to get to know someone and dragging them into my world is not fair to them.
“Sutton? Sutton? Are you there?” Bobby’s annoying voice jolts me from my daydreaming.
“Not just yet, Bobby. I’m not ready.” I end the call, throwing my cell on the table and grabbing my fork. Looking up, I spot Nikki again. She gives me her little smile, and Bobby becomes a distant memory.
The best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. And now I’m hungry, for more than just chicken pie.
7
Nikki
Sutton’s eyes have been on me for my entire shift. He was on his phone for a while, then accepted a delivery from the local drugstore, but has remained in his booth all afternoon.
It has me on edge. The two of us can’t be seen together. If he gets found out, I can’t get photographed as a bystander. While he’s well known, my face is one that would be familiar, too, and I don’t want my location to be revealed. I’m safe here for the time being; I know that. But both James and I have had our faces on the news for a time as the search for us continues.
Yet I would be lying if I said I wanted Sutton gone, because even though we barely know each other, I feel a connection. Maybe it’s because we’re both on the run, in hiding, and this town is our safety net. We have that in common.
It’s also been a long time since I took any interest in the opposite sex. While there were a few guys who asked me out in college, aside from quick flings that never lasted, I spent most of my downtime trying to get to James. Weekends when he was locked up in his room, Maribel at one function or another, my dad working or away. Someone had to ensure he was safe, away from Maribel’s hands that tried to make his life unbearable. Ironic, really, that in all that time I snuck back home, I never saw my dad. Not even once.
“More coffee?” I ask, approaching him.
“Why does coffee taste worse when it sits too long?”
“Oxidation. The acids break down, changing the pH balance, which makes it bitter.” My answer is too quick, out before I can shut my mouth.
