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Chapter Seven
Brady
When my alarm goes off at 4:45 the next morning, I groan, wishing I could hit snooze and go back to sleep. But I’m acting as bodyguard and guide for the beautiful celebrity staying at the inn, so I push myself out of bed and into the shower.
The lobby’s empty at our designated 5 AM meeting time. I smirk—guess I could have gotten a few more z’s. Wonder when Miss Taylor will be gracing me with her presence?
Last evening, I did some internet searching of Alexis Taylor’s movies. Her film and TV resume is impressive. I was shocked that she was the child actress who starred in that blockbuster movie about the kids who befriend an alien and help him get back home. Even though it was a remake of an old 80’s movie, it made millions. She’s also played the lead in several romantic comedies, none of which I’ve seen. In her most recent hit, she acted with People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive, as his sidekick in a murder mystery thriller. That one I have seen, and it also made millions.
Just as I’m about to give up on her, since she’s almost ten minutes late, Lexi rushes into the lobby. Her hair is flying in all directions and her usual “put together” style is not looking so “put together” at this time of the morning.
“Sorry I’m late,” she says in a breathless voice. “I couldn’t find my walking shoes and then I wasn’t sure whether to wear a blouse or a sweater and if these black pants were. . .” Her rushed explanation trails off as she stares at me while nervously adjusting her ponytail into some semblance of order.
She sees my amused look and adds, “Ugh! I guess it really doesn’t matter what I’m wearing to a bakery at five in the morning, does it?”
“Not really. And I don’t expect any paparazzi to be lurking around at this time of the day.” When my eye catches hers, I add, “For what it’s worth, you always look gorgeous.”
She giggles. “Well, thank you. But I’m always paranoid because of the awful stuff that’s been written about some of my clothing choices.”
Looking at my well-worn blue jeans and Baylor University T-shirt, I wonder what the tabloids would say if they caught a photo of Lexi with me? There’s probably no end to the snarky comments that would be written if they saw the actress with the inn’s maintenance man.
I motion for her to follow, and we exit the lobby onto the cobblestone walking path that we'll be taking into town. The cold air slaps me in the face. Lexi huddles inside her parka, adjusting the scarf over her nose. “What terrible things have they written about you?” I ask, making conversation as snow crunches under our feet. With her beauty, I honestly can’t imagine any negative comments being directed at how she looks.
She blows out a loud breath which forms a white cloud in the chilly air. “Well, one Saturday I went to the grocery store in a pair of slouchy sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt. Unbeknownst to me, someone snapped a photo while I was inside the store and posted it on their social media. Of course, I looked twenty pounds heavier and very unattractive in the picture.” Glancing over at me, she says, “It wasn’t the unsightly photo that bothered me as much as the hateful, snide remarks.”
My brows scrunch together as I wonder why people would comment as to how she looks when she’s at a grocery store. “Okay, you can’t leave me hanging. What were some of the comments?”
My question opens the floodgates and Lexi rattles off one horrible comment after another.
“She looks like a fat cow. Moo. Notice the gallon of milk in her hand.”
“Baggy clothes—Is she trying to hide a baby bump?”
“My grandmother looks better in sweatpants than Alexis Taylor.”
I hold up my hand to halt the flow. “Ouch. But didn’t it blow over in a day or two when another celebrity was captured wearing something worse than that?”
“No! To add insult to injury, that photo appeared on the cover of a cheesy celebrity tabloid. You know the one that they sell at the checkout line at the grocery store?”
I produce a sympathetic chuckle. “I’m thankful that I’m not in the public eye.”
“They even enlarged the grainy image to the full size of the magazine, so I was caught in pixelated ugliness for eternity.” Lexi smirks. “I always wanted to know how much money that person made by snapping a photo of me while shopping.”
I shake my head. No wonder she brought ten suitcases with her.
A noise catches our attention, then Lexi squeals and leaps into my arms. “It’s a bear!” she screams.
Oof! The surprise impact of her body into mine almost knocks me off my feet. But I manage to keep my balance as I catch her and revel in the feel of her small form so close to mine.
“He’s harmless. It’s just Zeus the inn’s adopted dog,” I assure her as she clutches her arms around my neck and gazes at me with frightened eyes. The chemistry between us causes electrical jolts to zap up my body, but I try to ignore them. After what seems like minutes but is only seconds later, I gently deposit her back on her feet, steadying her as she sways slightly, while Zeus smells our shoes. He’s a massive canine of unknown origin, but he wouldn’t hurt a fly.
Lexi tentatively holds out her palm and Zeus sniffs it, his pink nose twitching back and forth as he takes in her scent. She carefully pats his giant head. “Nice doggie.”
After Zeus has his fill of Lexi’s attention, we continue our trek to the bakery, the big dog happily trailing at our heels. His overzealous antics of smelling every lamppost and then peeing on it makes both of us laugh. “Have you ever had a pet?”
“No. I’ve never been in one place long enough to have a pet,” she replies with a little sadness in her voice.
The more I get to know Alexis Taylor, the more she blows away my initial impression of her being a spoiled, entitled Hollywood star.
When we arrive at the bakery, I pull the door open for her and she gives me a shy smile. I’m slowly falling under her spell, and I don’t know what to do about it.
