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“My headache is gone, but my eye is swollen shut.” Her stomach rumbled.
He grinned. “Hungry, are you?”
She looked sheepish. “I’m starving.”
“Let’s see what Sara can do for us.” His gaze slanted over his shoulder, beckoning to the flight attendant.
Sara came up the aisle. “Is there something I can get for you? You must be hungry.”
“How did you know?”
She laughed. “A wild guess,” she replied as she walked away.
Reece turned back to Nicole. “Sara’s nice, isn’t she?”
“Yes, she is. I had no idea she brought me a blanket. That was very sweet of her.”
He traced his finger over the letters on the laptop lid. “It’s her job to be virtually invisible.” He frowned. “I wish I could be.”
“You want to be invisible?” Why would he want that?
“Yeah, I’m not looking forward to when we land,” he said, still frowning.
“I don’t understand.”
He glanced up. “The reason you’re sporting such a disfiguring blemish is because the paparazzi were waiting for me when I arrived. As much as I tried to avoid them, they followed me through the airport. Luckily, they can’t pass the security checkpoint, but by then, the damage was done. The public picked up where the photographers left off.”
“Ah, the paparazzi,” she said in realization. “They’re as thick as fleas and just as troublesome.”
“Exactly. They’re the reason I sometimes wake up and don’t want to be an actor anymore. I know it’s their job, but do they have to steal every private moment I have away from me? The world doesn’t own me, you know?”
Sara reappeared with their food trays, departing as quickly as she came. “Call me if you need anything at all.”
Nicole fiddled with her food tray, laying her napkin across her lap. “Yeah, I can understand that. I’ll never be a household face like you, but if my books do become published and I build a fan base, I’ll be recognized as well. I think that’s the part of all this I’m not looking forward to.”
“Being recognized?”
“Yeah. Writers tend to be introverts. They feel awkward in public situations, or at least I do.” She took a bite of her ham sandwich. “How did the press know to expect you at the airport?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you said they were waiting for you. How did they know you were catching a flight?”
Reece grimaced. “I think my brother had something to do with it. He’s my manager and likes to control every aspect of my life. When I don’t conform to his wishes, he gets his revenge one way or another.”
“Nice guy,” she mumbled under her breath.
He snorted. “You have no idea.”
Nicole wiped her hands on her napkin. “So, the press knew you were coming and will probably be at Heathrow when we land, and you want to avoid them.”
“You’ve caught the gist of it—yes.”
“Have you ever considered hiding in plain sight?”
Reece shook his head. “I’ll be recognized.”
“Not if you’re disguised. I mean, you’re an actor. This should be a piece of cake for you.”
