I have something important to ask you.”
Now he had my attention. I couldn’t imagine where he was going with all of this. Wrapping a towel around me, I sat down on the edge of the tub. “Okay.”
There was a long pause. “It’ll probably surprise you to hear this, but I’m kind of shy.”
“That is a surprise. You’re always the life of the party.”
“Yeah. It’s a part of the job. It freaks people out when I say this, but the actor Colin is different than me. I know that doesn’t make any sense.”
“I get it. At least you don’t talk about yourself in the third person like some actors.”
He laughed at that. “Look, the truth is, usually my publicist sets me up on dates because I’m too much of a coward to ask a woman out. I’d rather be home reading a book or playing basketball with the guys. If it weren’t for my publicist shoving me out the door, I’d never go anywhere. The crowds, the small talk. All of it annoys the hell out of me.”
I had a second business—third if you counted being a Guardian—planning the kind of events he talked about, but I understood. His life was constantly under the microscope. It was too much for some folks, but it never bothered me. That is, unless I was trying to hide a dead dragon carcass.
“Anyway,” he continued. “Wait—I realize I just offended you. The event you did last month was great. Really.”
I snickered. “Colin, you don’t have to check yourself with me. I appreciate the honesty and no hard feelings on this side.”
Then I realized what this might be about. Oh my God. He’s about to ask me out. Not such a bad thing to date one of the hottest guys on the planet. Think young Gerard Butler and James McAvoy all in one hot bod. I meet these kinds of guys all the time, but Colin was special. He was also very high profile, which would solve my just-in-case problem with Ginjin. And poor Jake would be off the hook.
“Excellent. This is much harder than I’d thought it would be.”
I waited patiently.
“The thing is. I wondered if . . . if your sister Claire is dating anyone?”
The question took me so off guard I almost fell into the tub. Talk about bursting bubbles. “Uh. You know, I’m not sure.” I knew she was interested in the camera guy working on her tiger shark shoot, but I didn’t think anything ever happened with that.
“I saw her surfing in Fiji a few months ago, and then at the party you threw,” Colin continued. “I wanted to ask her to be my date for a movie premiere next week. I’ve got to come back to the States to promote it. I . . . uh . . .”
I couldn’t stand it any longer. “Would you like her phone number?” I offered. I had a feeling Claire wouldn’t mind. After waiting until he found a pen, I gave him the digits and hung up.
Then I laughed out loud. Talk about an ego check. Hot guy, wants to date my baby sister. I couldn’t wait to get the rundown on that one. They’d certainly make a pretty couple on the red carpet.
I texted Claire so she’d pick up when he called. Or maybe she wouldn’t. I never knew with her. When it came to men, she was more fickle than the rest of us put together. And Colin had his good looks working against him. Claire liked her men cerebral.
Me, I was more on the shallow end. I could do without a good conversation if the sex was hot.
Before I could throw on a robe the phone rang again. This time it was Penelope.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Baron had another bartender quit in Madrid. Do you want me to find out what’s going on there, or do you want to check it out yourself?” She sounded like she was running down the street.
“Where are you?”
“In New York. I felt bad for yelling at you earlier and decided to see if I could help out with the wedding dress shopping. Imagine my surprise when I found out you’d left.”
I giggled. “So let me guess; you’re running into the tenth store in five hours.”
“Yes. She loved both of the designers you suggested, by
Now he had my attention. I couldn’t imagine where he was going with all of this. Wrapping a towel around me, I sat down on the edge of the tub. “Okay.”
There was a long pause. “It’ll probably surprise you to hear this, but I’m kind of shy.”
“That is a surprise. You’re always the life of the party.”
“Yeah. It’s a part of the job. It freaks people out when I say this, but the actor Colin is different than me. I know that doesn’t make any sense.”
“I get it. At least you don’t talk about yourself in the third person like some actors.”
He laughed at that. “Look, the truth is, usually my publicist sets me up on dates because I’m too much of a coward to ask a woman out. I’d rather be home reading a book or playing basketball with the guys. If it weren’t for my publicist shoving me out the door, I’d never go anywhere. The crowds, the small talk. All of it annoys the hell out of me.”
I had a second business—third if you counted being a Guardian—planning the kind of events he talked about, but I understood. His life was constantly under the microscope. It was too much for some folks, but it never bothered me. That is, unless I was trying to hide a dead dragon carcass.
“Anyway,” he continued. “Wait—I realize I just offended you. The event you did last month was great. Really.”
I snickered. “Colin, you don’t have to check yourself with me. I appreciate the honesty and no hard feelings on this side.”
Then I realized what this might be about. Oh my God. He’s about to ask me out. Not such a bad thing to date one of the hottest guys on the planet. Think young Gerard Butler and James McAvoy all in one hot bod. I meet these kinds of guys all the time, but Colin was special. He was also very high profile, which would solve my just-in-case problem with Ginjin. And poor Jake would be off the hook.
“Excellent. This is much harder than I’d thought it would be.”
I waited patiently.
“The thing is. I wondered if . . . if your sister Claire is dating anyone?”
The question took me so off guard I almost fell into the tub. Talk about bursting bubbles. “Uh. You know, I’m not sure.” I knew she was interested in the camera guy working on her tiger shark shoot, but I didn’t think anything ever happened with that.
“I saw her surfing in Fiji a few months ago, and then at the party you threw,” Colin continued. “I wanted to ask her to be my date for a movie premiere next week. I’ve got to come back to the States to promote it. I . . . uh . . .”
I couldn’t stand it any longer. “Would you like her phone number?” I offered. I had a feeling Claire wouldn’t mind. After waiting until he found a pen, I gave him the digits and hung up.
Then I laughed out loud. Talk about an ego check. Hot guy, wants to date my baby sister. I couldn’t wait to get the rundown on that one. They’d certainly make a pretty couple on the red carpet.
I texted Claire so she’d pick up when he called. Or maybe she wouldn’t. I never knew with her. When it came to men, she was more fickle than the rest of us put together. And Colin had his good looks working against him. Claire liked her men cerebral.
Me, I was more on the shallow end. I could do without a good conversation if the sex was hot.
Before I could throw on a robe the phone rang again. This time it was Penelope.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Baron had another bartender quit in Madrid. Do you want me to find out what’s going on there, or do you want to check it out yourself?” She sounded like she was running down the street.
“Where are you?”
“In New York. I felt bad for yelling at you earlier and decided to see if I could help out with the wedding dress shopping. Imagine my surprise when I found out you’d left.”
I giggled. “So let me guess; you’re running into the tenth store in five hours.”
“Yes. She loved both of the designers you suggested, by
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