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My phone rings for the fourth time since I entered this office. Even before I look at the screen, I know it’s Iris. I silence it and let the call go to voicemail, which is now full of messages that I don’t listen to. For fifteen days, I have been avoiding calls from my best friend, Lilly, the Jailbirds, and my mother, who threatens to come to Los Angeles if I don’t give her an explanation as soon as possible. The only call that never comes is Evan’s.
“Do you want to go out for lunch?” Aaron asks as he glances at the phone in my lap the exact moment another call from Iris lights it up.
I inhale deeply because I already know what he wants to talk about. “It’s only eleven o’clock.”
He gets up from his chair and puts on his jacket, smiles at me, and winks. “You’re the one telling me I have an afternoon full of appointments and won’t have time to eat later.”
I roll my eyes and get up. It’s pointless to argue with his know-it-all attitude. In this, the two brothers are the exact opposite. While Evan explains and guides you as you help him in his work, Aaron gives orders and doesn’t stop to give explanations.
“Sooner or later, someone’s going to slap you for your arrogance.”
Aaron laughs. “Probably, but if you don’t want to be fired, you shouldn’t be the one to do it.”
“Considering that I didn’t apply for this job, I might as well risk it.”
He laughs again as he opens the door and strides down the corridor. The people we meet react in one of two ways: they practically bow before His Majesty Aaron Steel or try to blend in with the wall to become invisible. I have noticed that very few people tell him what they actually think. Most people nod at his every request. And I also noticed how much this kiss-ass attitude annoys him, but he says nothing.
While I see the curious glances they throw at me, no one has yet dared to reach out and talk to me because I’m always glued to the big boss. Only Tracy, his assistant on the other side of the country for a few months, kept me on the phone for an hour, giving me advice about what Aaron is like and what he needs. She is such an efficient person that I’m not surprised Aaron chose her.
“Where are you taking me for lunch?” I ask as we pass by an intern who almost stumbles, hearing me ask the question.
Since starting to work here, I’ve never once seen Aaron have lunch with anyone. When it’s time to eat, he disappears alone for a while, then reappears later with a coffee. I don’t know if he meets someone related to work or a woman, since his private life is a mystery to many. He has a lot of pictures of himself on the red carpet, side by side with his flame of the moment, but the truth is no one has ever seen him with someone outside of official events.
“If I tell you where we’re going, do you know enough about Los Angeles to recognize the place?”
I raise a wary eyebrow. I’ll make a scene if he asks me to eat in one of those chains where everything is prepackaged. But I’m surprised when we arrive at a small place, not far from the studios, where you can enjoy the typical Los Angeles vibe. Fruit and vegetable smoothies, salads, and veggie burgers are all organic, low in calories, and colorful. With all the actors around here scrambling to get in shape, a place like this will always have business.
“I didn’t think you were vegetarian.”
“I’m not, but they have some great food here, and I like the ambiance.”
“You like the ambiance? It’s takeout with no tables.” I’m perplexed.
He winks at me. “Exactly.”
We order two sandwiches and two smoothies to go and wait on the sidewalk until our lunch is ready. I enjoy watching people look at him. Men with a mixture of envy and reverence, women with the desire to eat him alive.
“Why are you smiling?” he asks me.
“Because that girl just stumbled on the sidewalk trying to strip you with her eyes.”
He smiles but looks indifferent.
“Don’t make that face. I know you like it when they look at you.”
“Of course, I like it, but I’m not one to brag about it.”
“Because His Majesty Aaron Steel would never be caught with a mere peasant,” I tease him.
He casts an amused look at me. “No, because when a woman approaches me, I never know if she’s doing it because she’s interested in me or my fame. So I try to keep my dates discrete rather than give them the visibility they crave.”
I frown and study him. With this man’s money, fame, and power, it would be easy to find someone who wants to take advantage of him. Women included.
“Are you one of those people who eats hiding in a corner checking emails on your phone? Because that would make you super boring,” I say as we walk back to the office with our paper bags in hand.
Aaron laughs again. I swear, from how he seems on television, I would never have guessed he was a guy who can relax so easily. He’s always stiff and brooding. Not even Evan laughs this much after years of working together, and he’s actually starting to ease up.
“I told you I’m taking you to a place you don’t know. Trust me.”
