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But again, he confused her. Was this for show or something genuine? Surely everyone in the audience had their eyes on him.
Midge cleared her throat. “It’s a hard decision, but his unique culinary talent, not to mention his buns, gets my vote as well.”
“What do you think, Sophie? Want to convince us we’re mistaken?” Zane said.
She delighted in his question and appreciated his willingness to hear an argument if she had one. She thought about both burgers for a moment before shaking her head. “No. I’m with you.”
“Do we have a winner?” the emcee asked.
Sophie was given the honor of announcing their choice. Congratulations followed, then the stage crew quickly got to work preparing things for the next cooking demonstration.
Zane put a hand on the small of her back as she readied to leave. “Take a walk with me?” he said.
She didn’t answer right away. The only reason he’d want to be seen with someone like her was to improve his reputation, and she’d only agreed to the two screenings. Unless…unless he’d felt the same zing of pleasure she had when they’d talked about surfing.
This overthinking-every-situation thing had to stop. “Okay,” she said.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Live in the moment and try new things. And Zane was most definitely a new thing.
Whatever happened next, she’d think like Honor would. She admired her new friend’s chutzpah.
The moment they stepped down from the stage, fans bombarded Zane. Girls in bikinis, men with zinc oxide on their noses, kids with wide, adoring eyes. They all wanted to talk to him, get an autograph from him, take a picture with him.
Him.
A superstar in the surfing world. A man adored by millions worldwide.
Sophie faded into the background. Someone elbowed her in the back. By accident, she knew, but she’d been pushed to the side her whole life. Out of nowhere, her eyes stung and she found it hard to breathe. Memories from her youth came flooding back. She heard Zane call her name, but she was already a hundred feet away, on her way to somewhere else.
Anywhere else.
How silly she’d been to think for even a second that she’d stand a chance at his side.
She had two meetings later, so she headed back to her hotel to do some work—that’s what she did best. Several details still remained for the concert tomorrow night. She also needed to confirm a few things for the small dinner she’d arranged for Zane and members of the city council. And while the festival committee had the films and venues ready, she wanted to double-check on the slight change in the screening schedule.
You’re here to work, Sophie Birch.To prove yourself capable of handling large events on your own.There are no limits, her mom liked to tell her, even though Sophie saw tiny badges of disappointment behind the encouragement. Her mom had married at twenty-two, had Sophie at twenty-three. And so at the ripe old age of twenty-four, she knew her mom thought her a spinster. Even more so since she’d given up her academic job and, according to her mother, any chance of meeting a nice scientist or professor.
She breathed in the fresh air and looked up at the palm trees lining the street. They stretched beyond her line of vision. If she narrowed her eyes, she thought she might be able to see where they ended.
But she didn’t want to look there, instead steering her regard to the last of the booths. She didn’t want to find or be anywhere near an end. She had no plans to settle for just anything. Yes, she wanted to marry, but not before she’d established her new career. Had alife.Experiences. Flying here on her own and stepping out of her comfort zone was a new beginning, and she hoped that by the time the festival was over and she flew back to Montana, she’d be a changed person. Take some West Coast back to the home she loved.
…
She’d never set foot in the ocean before two days ago.
Zane couldn’t get that statement out of his head. He couldn’t getherout of his head. And she’d just run away while a crowd swallowed him.
“Zane, can you sign my program?”
“Zane, right here on my bikini please!”
“Zane, say cheese!”
“Zane, how about dinner tonight?”
Shiiiit. He should have taken Bryce up on his offer to help keep people at a distance today. But Zane appreciated every single one of his fans. They didn’t judge him or put him down. They idolized him and it felt damn good. This just happened to be the first time they’d come between him and something…someone…he didn’t quite understand.
Sophie kept surprising him. He liked listening to her talk, and for some reason he didn’t feel inadequate around her when that talk turned more serious. He’d done research and been coached on the science of surfing, so when she’d shared her thoughts, he knew what she was talking about. And he wondered what else, besides event planning, sat tucked away in that intelligent mind of hers.
