Текст книги "Seeing Stars"

Автор книги: J. Sterling

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Текущая страница: 4 (всего у книги 9 страниц)

I handed the valet the keys to my Jetta and silently hoped that Walker would already be waiting inside. The last thing I wanted was to be here before him, which was why I’d purposely arrived fifteen minutes late. If the swarm of paparazzi outside the brick building were any indication, Walker was already here.

One of the guys lugging a camera leaped toward me as I adjusted my skirt and blouse, but another camera-wielding life-ruiner touched his shoulder and said, “She’s no one,” as I moved to enter the restaurant. Nothing made you feel better than hearing a low-life paparazzi jerk-off call you a “no one.”

After weaving through the maze of outdoor seating, I followed the short pathway to the front doors. As I stepped inside, the hostess looked up from her podium with a fake, tight-lipped smile.

“Good evening. Do you have a reservation?” Written all over her Botox-injected face was the fact that she hoped I didn’t.

“I’m meeting Walker Rhodes for dinner. Do you know if he’s here already?”

Her expression soured as she took me in from head to toe before announcing, “Ah, yes, he is. You’re late. Right this way.”

I followed behind her perfectly sculpted ass and fought the urge to trip her just so I could watch her fall. All this hostility toward me lately was making me violent. I needed a drink. Heads turned and eyes watched me, tracing my path, obviously curious if I was the one meeting Walker in the back. He might have been in a more secluded section of the restaurant, but everyone still knew he was here. I suddenly wished I was better at faking it.

When the hostess waved her hand toward the booth where Walker was waiting, I flashed a closed-mouth smile and muttered thanks in my snarkiest voice.

“Problem already?” Walker joked and I noticed how relaxed he looked, leaning casually into the back of the booth with a beer in hand. The long sleeves of his unbuttoned flannel shirt covered up his tattoos and his well-sculpted arms.

Pity.

“She’s sort of a bitch. Sorry I’m late. Traffic,” I lied.

“No problem, I planned on waiting all night if I had to.” His hazel eyes met mine and I gave him a quick grin as I felt myself blush at his words.

“Come, sit.” He patted the seat cushion next to him in the semicircular booth and I scooted into it, leaving enough space for a person or two to fit between us. The configuration was awkward, and I wished we were sitting across from each other like normal people.

He leaned over and gave me a lopsided grin that made my heart flutter. “You can move closer. I don’t bite.”

I closed my eyes a second to keep from rolling them, then said, “I’m good. Plus, I don’t even know you. You might bite.”

Okay, I might have flirted back. I wanted to hate him or be annoyed by him, but it was really hard when he was this close. His stupid good looks disarmed me, even though I wasn’t normally the type to fall at a celebrity’s feet. I couldn’t in my line of work. But Walker was nothing if not charming, without even trying. It seemed like he was simply made that way. If you took one smidgeon of allure, mixed it with two dashes of handsome, tossed in a devilish grin and eyes that could stop world wars, you’d have Walker Rhodes. And that irritated me, which in turn reminded me that I was here against my will.

Thankful for the prompt service from our waitress, I turned my attention in her direction and away from Walker’s innate animal magnetism.

Rahr.

“Good evening, my name’s Rachel. Can I start you off with something to drink?”

“Yes!” I responded a little too enthusiastically and Walker chuckled into his fist. I shot him a glare before asking, “May I please get a whiskey sour?”

“Absolutely,” she said with a smile. “I’ll be right back.”

Rachel was a petite brunette with a flawless complexion and stunning makeup skills. She definitely fit the bill of the stereotypical stunning actress/waitress, if that was indeed what she was. She was also clearly used to waiting on celebrities, but even I could tell that Walker’s presence had her rattled. I had to commend her on her ability to remain professional, when I would bet a hundred bucks she’d be willing to service him under the table as well as over it. For a second I almost wished she would. At least that way I could end this charade.

“Whiskey, huh? Didn’t take you for a whiskey girl, Madison. Rough day?” His finger idly followed along the rim of his beer glass in a circular motion.

“You could say that.” I really hadn’t intended to be so cold, but I didn’t understand what he wanted with me in the first place. Sure, we shared a moment onstage, but big deal. Walker shared that kind of moment with a different girl every night. And honestly, this all felt like a colossal waste of my time.

“Are you irritated with me? Did I do something wrong? I mean, how is it possible I’ve screwed this date up already?” His head tilted and a smirk appeared.

Squeezing my eyes shut for a second, I sucked in a quick breath and decided to be brutally honest with him. “I’m sorry. I guess I just don’t understand what we’re doing here.”

Walker lifted his arm in a sweep to indicate the room. “I thought we were having dinner.”

I narrowed my gaze at him. “I know that. But why? What did I possibly do to intrigue you this much?”

“You ask a lot of questions.” He licked his lips before taking a sip of his beer. After placing it back on the table he leaned toward me, his eyes locked onto mine. “Why don’t you just try to enjoy yourself instead of trying to figure me out?”

A ragged heartbeat or two crept by before I shrugged my shoulders, clearly admitting defeat. He wasn’t going to let me out of this easily. “Fine.” My tone came out sounding bored and uninterested.

“Fine,” he mimicked with a good-natured grin as the waitress placed my drink in front of me and I hastily reached for it.

Taking a sip, I closed my eyes briefly as the liquid coated my insides in warmth. “Mmm. I needed that.”

Glancing over at Walker’s ridiculously handsome face, I placed the glass against my lips and tilted my head all the way back, draining the contents as the ice in the glass splashed against my upper lip. Grabbing the cloth napkin in my lap, I dabbed it against the wet parts of my face.

“Whoa. Slow down, Sparkles.”

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” I shot him a look of irritation and he laughed.

“What? The nickname? I like it. Plus it’s a hell of a lot funnier when you look like molten lava could shoot from your ears at any moment. Definitely no sparkle there.”

A million comebacks fired into my brain at once, but I chose not to engage the beast and instead lifted my empty glass meaningfully toward the oncoming waitress. She nodded before turning around to return to the bar.

Not a fan of drunk driving, I immediately started second-guessing my additional drink request. Sucking my bottom lip between my teeth, I bit down nervously as I weighed my options in my head. I could always take a cab home if I needed to. It would be a colossal pain in the ass, especially since most places didn’t allow you to leave your car parked in their lot overnight, but it was a much safer option than the alternative. I’d also bet that Walker would be all too willing to give me a ride home. Biting down a bit too hard at that thought, I gasped before releasing my lip and noticed that his eyes were trained directly on my mouth.

Our waitress appeared again, breaking his laser-beam focus, and I smiled before stirring the amber-colored liquid instead of drinking it. My head already felt heavy and the last thing I needed was to start seeing two Walkers instead of one. One was already more than I could handle.

“Do you two know what you’d like to order, or do you still need a few minutes?”

I remained silent, refusing to admit that I’d studied the menu before I came, and waited for Walker to answer first.

He shook his head. “I still need a couple minutes.”

“No problem,” she said with a kind smile before heading away with an extra swish in her backside.

“Do you know what you’re getting?” he asked.

I reached for my menu, which had remained unopened since I arrived. “Uh, nope. I’d better figure it out.”

“Pretty much everything they serve here is amazing, so you can’t go wrong with whatever you order.”

“Good to know.” I pretended to study the menu, taking my time reading each item slowly in order to avoid Walker’s mesmerizing eyes. I berated myself for acting like an idiot, making this situation far more complicated than it needed to be. Slamming my menu shut, I leaned back into the booth and looked right through him. Or at least I attempted to.

“You know what you’re getting?”

“Yep,” I answered confidently. “You?”

“I always get the same thing,” he confessed with a slight shrug.

“Shut up! You do not. Then how do you know if everything’s good or not?” I teased, my head swimming from a toxic mixture of alcohol and charm.

“Everything here is good. Trust me.”

“Trust you? Not a chance.” I gaped, shocked that I’d actually voiced those thoughts out loud, and slapped a hand across my mouth after the words escaped.

Walker didn’t even flinch. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and asked sarcastically, “Let me guess? You believe everything you read in the tabloids?”

Embarrassed, I glanced around the room, determined to look everywhere except his eyes. “Do I look like someone who believes everything she reads in the tabloids?”

“Five minutes ago I wouldn’t have thought so. But now, I’m not so sure.” He took a swig of his beer and swallowed deeply.

That was a definite insult.

He just insulted me.

Jerk.

I reached for my drink, but decided not to even go there until I had some food in my stomach, and grabbed my untouched water instead. After drinking half the glass, I countered, “Well, just for the record and not that it’s any of your business, but I’m not the kind of girl who believes everything she reads. But I do tend to believe the things I see. Over and over”—I paused for effect—“and over and over and over again.” I smirked.

He leaned in so close, I could smell him. His personal scent mixed with the beer he’d been drinking, and it swirled together in a blissful union before traveling up my senses and imprinting itself on me. “You shouldn’t believe everything you see either.”

I guffawed. “Typical!”

He leaned back, his expression incredulous. “What?”

“That’s just such a typical response. God, you’re such a guy.”

His eyes twinkled as he tipped up his lips into a smirk. “Glad you noticed.”

And there was the cockiness I’d heard so much about. I’d be damned if it wasn’t a complete and utter turn-on.

Our waitress returned, our conversation pausing as she took our order. I asked for a basket of their signature homemade bread while we waited for our main course, certain I’d be more than tipsy soon if I didn’t eat something.

Tipsy led to bad choices.

Bad choices led to Walker Rhodes.

I needed bread. Stat.

Still nursing the same beer he’d had since I arrived, Walker took another small sip before wiping at his lips with the back of his hand. His flannel sleeve slid up a bit with the movement and I caught a glimpse of one of his tattoos. I wasn’t normally a big fan of tattoos, but had to admit that they suited him.

A basket of warm bread appeared in front of me and I dug into it like a starving animal, grabbing a huge chunk from the partially sliced loaf. When I looked up at Walker, he was laughing.

“Oh my gosh,” I said through a mouthful of bread. “Don’t laugh at me. I’m starving.”

“I’m not laughing at you. You’re fucking adorable,” he said so nonchalantly that I almost choked. “And you eat carbs. It’s refreshing.”

“Your charms won’t work on me, so just save your breath,” I warned as I tried to convince myself those lies were true.

“Is that a fact?”

“Mm-hmm,” I mumbled, my mouth filled with warm, carby goodness. It was so damned tasty I was tempted to stand up in the middle of the restaurant and remind all the female patrons what they were missing. “Eat the bread! It’s delicious! Screw your diet!” I wanted to scream. What had happened to our generation anyway? Denying ourselves good food was just plain senseless. Oh well, I thought, more for me. And my ass.

“You keep making faces like that and I might have my way with you right here in this booth,” Walker whispered, his breath warm in my ear.

When had he moved that close?

I snorted. “In your dreams, pretty boy.”

“Pretty boy?” he choked out, hitting his chest with his palm.

I turned my head toward him and offered a tight-lipped smile. “Well, you are sort of pretty.”

And he was. Like many celebrities, he had a gorgeous tan, although up close his didn’t look artificial. And those eyes. I needed to stop looking at them. The longer I stared, the more they attempted to render me useless and stupid. He wanted me to be stupid.

“Thanks, I think.” He glanced away, shaking his head and moving his lips, but no sound came out. “No. Fuck that. I don’t want to be pretty. Pretty’s for chicks. I’m not a chick.”

“Trust me, I know you’re not a chick,” I said as I reached across him for another piece of bread, my hand brushing against his, causing a familiar spark from the concert to come to life and rush through me. Startled, I pulled back quickly, empty-handed.

“That’s good.” He sighed. “Didn’t want to have to show you just how much of a man I really am.”

“I’ve already read about it in all the tabloids anyway,” I said with a snicker.

Walker shot me a sidelong glance and said jokingly, “You’re a pain in my ass. Remind me why I wanted to see you again?”

I shrugged. “Hell if I know! That’s what I keep asking you.”

“You really don’t remember, do you?” His lips puckered and his eyes looked wistful as confusion clouded my brain.

“Remember what?”

He sucked in a breath before waving me off. “Nothing. Never mind.”

“Are you talking about the concert? Of course I remember the concert.”

He tapped his fingers against the table, and looked away. “Yeah. The concert.”

“You’re weird.” I stuffed another bite of bread into my mouth, already feeling much more in control of my senses and less affected by the alcohol from earlier. I finished off the rest of my water just to be safe, and left my second whiskey sour untouched.

“Yeah? Well, you’re the one at dinner with me.”

“Not by choice.” The words tumbled from my lips before I could stop them.

Shit.

The spoon he’d been fiddling with dropped to the tabletop and clanged against it, the sound cutting through my eardrums. “Wait. What did you just say?” Walker’s tone tightened instantly, no longer amused or flirtatious.

Anxious energy swirled in the pit of my belly as I thought about not answering at all. Shoot. I needed to fix this, but how?

“Madison. You said you weren’t here by choice. What does that mean?”

I met his eyes and answered honestly. “My boss made me come tonight.”

“He what? Why the fuck would he do that?”

The anger and hurt in his voice stirred up my sympathies, and I fought off the urge to wrap my arms around him and tell him I didn’t mean it.

“Because,” I said lamely, pausing as I tried to think up a good lie. I went with the easiest response. “I don’t know.”

He narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger at me. “Don’t lie to me. Don’t fucking lie to me, Madison.”

It was a demeaning and infuriating thing, to be pointed at. “Don’t point at me!” I snapped as he looked down at his finger before pulling it back, his face still hard.

I’d always prided myself on my personal integrity, but this was a new low for me. In this moment I was no better than my boss, or any of the other assholes in the entertainment industry who did shady things to get ahead.

“He wants you to sign with him, okay? He heard you were looking for an agent and he wants it to be him.” I looked away from him, instead focusing on the patterns in the grain of the wood tabletop.

“Is that why you’re here?” he bit out, his tone sounding angry and confused, and maybe a little bit betrayed.

“Yes,” I admitted with a huff, my involvement in this situation making me feel like a total dirtbag.

“Did you come here tonight for any other reason?”

“No,” I answered, my gaze still locked on the table.

“Tell me something then, Madison.” He practically sneered my name, as if saying it caused a bad taste to form in his mouth. I didn’t have to see him to imagine the disgusted look that must have been on his face. “If your boss hadn’t made you come here tonight, would you have come on your own?”

I didn’t know if it was because his pointing at me had pissed me off, or if the way he practically spat my name did, but my answer was brutal in its simplicity. “No.”

“Leave.”

My gaze raised slowly from the table to meet his face, his expression anything but disgusted and angry like I had imagined. He honestly looked hurt, which confused my heart and made it flip-flop inside my chest. This entire day had been filled with nothing but drama, and I hated drama. Which was ironic considering the business I was in.

“I said leave! Get out of here!” he shouted, and everyone in the restaurant turned to face our table. “And you can let your boss know that I wouldn’t sign with his company if it was the last agency on Earth.”

You could have heard a breath being sucked in, if anyone was breathing at all anymore, which I was certain they weren’t. Mortified, I grabbed my black clutch and scooted out of the booth, practically sprinting for the exit as I prayed I wouldn’t stumble in my three-inch heels. Heat flared in my entire body as dozens of eyes burned holes in the back of my head.

Only once I burst out of the restaurant doors and the cool evening air hit my face did I suck in a freeing breath.

I had a reprieve.

Little did I know how short that reprieve would prove to be.

Cameras flashed all around me as the paparazzi screamed my name and asked where Walker was. The fact that they knew my name eluded me in that instant as I struggled to see my own hand in front of my face, the bright flashes blinding me with each burst of unnatural light. I practically threw the valet my ticket, partly because I couldn’t see him, but also because I was so desperate to be anywhere but there.

How mortifying had this night been? Ugh. And all because my boss had threatened my job.

“Madison! Madison, wait!” Walker called out as he burst through the restaurant doors behind me. I turned to face him, but it was pointless. I couldn’t see a damn thing.

The paparazzi went nuts, shouting both Walker’s name and mine as flashes surrounded us.

“Just leave me alone, Walker,” I spat. “I’m sure you can find someone in there to take home tonight. Try the hostess. She looks easy.”

The men with the cameras all oohed and aahed at my comment before firing off their own questions and comments as Walker gritted his teeth.

“Aw, don’t be mad at him, honey.”

“Walker, what did you do to her?”

“Why are you fighting?”

“What did he do to you, sweet Madison, honey?”

“Madison Myers, look this way!”

“Did you meet her at your agent’s office?”

That particular question almost stopped me in my tracks. How did they possibly know exactly who I was and where I worked?

“She does work for your agent, right?”

“How long have you two been dating under the radar?”

“Does everyone in the office hate you, Madison?”

“I bet they’re all jealous!”

When the valet pulled my car up in front of the painted curb, I rushed toward the driver’s side as cameras continued to flash in my face. “Seriously?” I cried out. “I can’t see. Please.” I was practically begging, desperate to leave. This night couldn’t possibly get any worse.

“Leave her alone. Let her get in her fucking car!” Walker’s voice boomed at the group of celebrity stalkers, and the ones nearest me took a step back.

I slid into the driver’s seat and slammed the door just as my passenger door swung open and someone jumped inside. Glancing over, I saw Walker straightening his shirt as I tugged my seat belt around me.

“What the hell? Get out of my car!” I shouted.

“No. I’m not going anywhere,” he said stubbornly. “Now get us out of here and away from these cameras so I can talk to you.”

“I don’t want to talk to you.” I closed my eyes, willing his body to magically eject from my car.

“Why are you so goddamned difficult? I’m not the incredible asshole you seem to think I am. Just drive, please, so we can talk this out.” The sound of his seat belt clicking let me know he had no intention of leaving.

Opening my eyes, I looked directly into his and decided to stop fighting the internal battle that raged within me. “Fine. But where am I supposed to go?”

“We can go to your place.”

I breathed out a half laugh. “Are you high? I’m not bringing all this chaos to my door. Hurry, Walker. Tell me where to go.”

“My house is gated. They already know where I live. We can go there,” he offered with a small smile and I agreed, even though the last thing I wanted was to be alone with Walker Rhodes…in his house.

I think.

“Fine,” I said again, realizing that I’d said that word more times tonight than I’d ever said in my life.

“It’s in Malibu, though. I hope that’s okay.”

Malibu . Shit, that’s far.

“Wait? Are you okay to drive?” He placed his hand on my thigh and gave me a gentle squeeze as I lurched the car forward. When I tightened my leg muscle and looked down at his hand, he quickly removed it.

“I feel okay. I must have eaten a whole loaf of bread in there. If I feel the slightest bit off, I promise I’ll pull over and we can call a cab.”

“Sorry,” he said and stared out the passenger window, although I wasn’t entirely sure what he was apologizing for.

“Malibu’s kinda far, you know.” I had no intention of driving forty minutes to Malibu through the dark and winding roads of the Pacific Coast Highway, only to have to drive back home later. I glanced in the rearview mirror, taking note of cars racing to keep pace with us.

He glanced back at me. “How far is your place?”

I shook my head wildly. “It’s close. But I’m not taking them to my condo. I don’t have privacy gates. They’ll surround the place.”

He nodded, tossing a glance over his shoulder and out my rear window. “They will. Shit.”

“There’s gotta be a way we can lose them,” I said as I pounded on my steering wheel in frustration.

The fact that Walker was in my car and that he’d left his at the restaurant hit me at that exact moment like a ton of bricks. I was suddenly worried that I’d have to drive back to the restaurant so he could pick up his car at some point. The last thing I wanted was to act like his personal driver. Hell, I didn’t even want him in my car right now.

“How are you getting your car?” I asked. “You left it at the restaurant.”

He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. We need to figure out how to lose these guys.”

“You know that never works,” I said with a sigh. Our clients had recounted horror stories about how the paparazzi followed them relentlessly, almost causing accidents just to get a single picture that might or might not get sold. Their behavior was not only ridiculous, it was dangerous.

“Think, Walker!” I demanded. “Come on, you deal with this every day. I don’t. You have to be somewhat prepared.”

“They already know where I live,” he said with a shrug, “so I don’t try to lose them anymore. There’s no point. They usually follow me home and sit across the street until I go somewhere else.”

“We could go to my office!” I glanced over at him, thrilled that I’d thought of it. “It has pass-only underground parking. They won’t be able to get in.”

“No.” His voice was adamant. “I don’t want to go anywhere near your office, Madison.”

How could I have already forgotten what I admitted to him at dinner? Was it still considered dinner if you never actually got to the main course?

“Screw it,” I said before suddenly making the next right.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going home. It’s not like they can get inside my building, and my condo doesn’t face the street.”

His hand landed on my thigh again. I tensed immediately but he didn’t move it. “Are you sure?”

I sighed. “Let’s just go before I change my mind.”

Ten minutes later, I pulled my car into my designated parking space, then quickly shut off the engine and clicked off the lights. We both jumped out in a rush and headed toward the locked building entrance. Cars screeched to a stop behind mine, paparazzi jumping from their cars and snapping pictures in a frenzy as the tinted glass doors closed and locked behind us.

Feeling unable to breathe until I was safely away from prying eyes, I punched the elevator button repeatedly and waited, shifting from one foot to the other. I peeked over at Walker, worried he’d be annoyed it was taking so long. “The stairs are all the way on the opposite side of the building and we’re on the fourth floor. This is usually quicker. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Are you okay?” He shielded my body with his, making sure only his back was visible. It felt strangely intimate to be protected by him. And I liked it. But I didn’t want to.

The elevator made a sound that was a mixture of a ding and a broken doorbell before the door shuddered open. He hesitated and I smiled. “It’s just old. Come on.”

He stepped inside and the doors closed behind us, leaving us truly alone for the first time since we’d met. His body inched closer to mine, closing the space between us, and I struggled to catch my breath at his nearness.

“What are you—”

My question was cut off by the feel of his lips pressed against mine. Before I could get lost in his lips, I shoved at his body, breaking our contact. “What the hell?”

He rested his palms on the wall behind me, trapping me as his body pressed against mine. “I need to kiss you. Not want. Need. And I’m going to do it again, right now. So don’t stop me.”

His lips were back on mine and I lost the will to fight. All reason escaped me as I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him tightly against me. An overwhelming feeling of familiarity swept through my body and soul. The taste of beer still on his breath only served to fuel my arousal as his tongue teased my lips, begging for entry. I parted my mouth, allowing him in, and moaned as his tongue met mine for the first time.

Walker bent his body, his hands reaching down to cup my ass in my skirt, and I fought against the urge to hop into his arms and wrap my legs around his waist. I suddenly wished I were wearing jeans. His hands moved from my ass to my hair, but his mouth never left mine. His actions were deliberate, every flick of his tongue against mine a calculated act. And I loved every second of it.

No, no, no. I can’t do this with him.

I pushed him away as visions of his past conquests came trotting through my mind. “Stop,” I managed to say as the elevator also came to an abrupt halt.

“Madison.” He reached for my hand and gripped it tight. “Don’t be mad.”

“God, Walker. We don’t even know each other. You can’t just do whatever you want with me.” I attempted to formulate a reasonable argument without admitting just how much I liked the way he did whatever he wanted with me.

I didn’t want to be that girl, though. You know, the kind who fell for a celebrity simply because he was too hot to resist in real life. I was slowly becoming the type of girl I not only didn’t respect, but didn’t like. Walker Rhodes was ruining my life.

Turning left after I exited the elevator, I walked past three dark blue doors before reaching mine. I tried the handle before reaching for my house key. It was unlocked and I led him into the entryway.

Keri shouted from somewhere in the condo, “That better be you, Mads! I want to hear every fucking detail about your night with the hot—” She rounded the corner in her pajamas and her eyes went wide as she took in Walker’s tall frame standing in our living room.

“Shit.” Keri normally had a good poker face in uncomfortable social situations, but this one must have been too much for her because her face turned bright red. I couldn’t wait to tease her about it later. “Um, hi.” She extended her hand, practically drooling at the sight of him. “I’m Keri, Madison’s roommate.”

Walker shook her hand politely before releasing it. “I’m Walker. It’s nice to meet you.”

She gave me the stink-eye before leaning over and hissing in my ear, “Thanks for the warning. I could have changed, you know.”

“Sorry,” I whispered back.

She then stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. “What the hell are you two doing here?”

Walker shrugged and answered for both of us. “It’s a long story.”

“Well, I have all kinds of time,” Keri offered and I shot her a death glare. “Um, just kidding. You two kids probably want to have some time alone, so I’ll be in my room.” She turned to walk away, then looked back. “But Walker, will you hate me if I go all fan girl on you right now and ask you to take a picture with me?”

I groaned. “Keri!”

Walker visibly relaxed and laughed. “It’s fine.”

Keri practically shoved her phone at me and insisted I only take it from the “tits up” since she wasn’t properly dressed. After approving the picture, she tensed and made an odd face. “Can I ask you one more thing?” she said, directing her question at Walker.

“Uh-huh,” he responded, before giving me a quick glance.

“Will you please sign something for me?” She slapped her palms together so it looked like she was praying. “I’m sorry, Mads.”

“Where’s my roommate and when is she coming back?” I teased.

“I know! I swear I never act like this. And I meet celebrities all the time.” She slapped a palm against her forehead. “I’m such an idiot. Okay, I’m leaving you two alone. Promise.” And with that, she disappeared down the hall and closed her door.

“She’s funny,” Walker said with a smile once she was out of sight.

“I’ve literally never, and I mean ever, seen her act like that.”

“You’re going to give her shit for it, aren’t you?”

I let out a big grin. “Until the day I die.”