balled up the note taped to the champagne and handed him the bottle.
Charlie gawped at the label.No furniture and she bought Cristal?
“Bloody hell.This for a special occasion?” he asked, brandishing the bottle.
“I don’t think there could be a more special occasion than this.”
“Having me in your house, yeah, you’re right.”
Kate chuckled and Charlie smiled.She looked so different when she laughed, as though every worry had gone.He’d get the next one in, while she was still up.
“Can I stay the night?”
A few worries came back.
“I don’t have a spare bed.”
“I can sleep on the couch.” When she didn’t say anything, he added, “Or I could go.I’d need a lift.”
“I think,” Kate said, “I’d like it if you stayed.”
Charlie felt as though she’d put a soothing hand on his brow.He eased the cork out of the bottle with a gentle pop and poured.“What shall we drink to?”
“Me and you.”
“And a dog named Sue,” Charlie sang and chinked his glass against hers.
Kate rolled her eyes.
“She’s a lovely dog,” Charlie said.“Part Chihuahua part Doberman.The mother was the Chihuahua.Not an easy relationship.”
“So what are you?” Kate asked.“An unfunny comedian?”
He bristled.“I used to sing, now I act.”
“God.” She rolled her eyes.
He laughed.“Do you really not recognize me?”
Kate stared straight at him and Charlie saw the moment of recognition strike.
“Oh shit,” she said.
Chapter Five
Kate didn’t blink.How could she not have realized?Flustered, she reached for a pair of glasses she rarely wore and put them on before she turned to him.Impossible, incredible, inconceivable—as much like a teenage fantasy as it seemed, standing in front of her, in her apartment, was the bad boy of pop, Charlie Storm, with his long spiky eyelashes and mouthwatering good looks, if somewhat currently blotchy face.His records had sold millions.His life was lived publicly in the tabloids.He was a guy whose sudden departure from the music world had left his record company reeling and his fans screaming.
In my apartment!
Kate dipped into a deep curtsey.“Your Royal Highness.I’m so honored to have you in my humble home.How’s Camilla?”
Charlie grinned.“Very funny.” Then his face fell.He reached toward her glasses and pulled his hand back.“Jesus, no wonder you were all over the road in the car.You couldn’t fucking see where you were going!”
“I thought you were asleep.”
“I was too scared to open my eyes.Why didn’t you let me drive?”
“It’s only insured for me.”
“We could have been killed,” Charlie wailed and Kate grinned.
“My eyes aren’t that bad.” She tossed the glasses back on the counter and reset the microwave.Charlie sniffed and his stomach rumbled.The slightly sweet smell had made her hungry too.
“So how does it feel to have a celebrity round for dinner?” he asked.
“You mean you actually are famous?” She gaped at him.
“Ha ha.”
What would Lucy, Rachel and Dan say?Kate thought about it.No one would ever believe this.
“Why did you want to kill yourself?” he asked.
Kate sighed.“You think if you keep slipping it in, I won’t notice and just answer?”
He gave her a sheepish grin.“Yes.”
She bit back her smile.“How about you going first?”
“I was out for a swim,” he said.
“Then so was I.”
“You know you weren’t.”
Kate wondered how long they could play this game, tennis without balls.
“Who was that at the door?”
“Lucy.She lives downstairs.”
“And what happened yesterday to make them sorry and you devastated?”
Kate sighed.“You’ve got big ears, Charlie.” She took two plates from the cupboard and put them on the work surface.
“How come you didn’t recognize me?You’re not a fan, then?”
Kate’s mouth twitched.“You’ve never made me scream.” The moment that left her lips, she wished she hadn’t said it.Charlie looked as though he was going to
Charlie gawped at the label.No furniture and she bought Cristal?
“Bloody hell.This for a special occasion?” he asked, brandishing the bottle.
“I don’t think there could be a more special occasion than this.”
“Having me in your house, yeah, you’re right.”
Kate chuckled and Charlie smiled.She looked so different when she laughed, as though every worry had gone.He’d get the next one in, while she was still up.
“Can I stay the night?”
A few worries came back.
“I don’t have a spare bed.”
“I can sleep on the couch.” When she didn’t say anything, he added, “Or I could go.I’d need a lift.”
“I think,” Kate said, “I’d like it if you stayed.”
Charlie felt as though she’d put a soothing hand on his brow.He eased the cork out of the bottle with a gentle pop and poured.“What shall we drink to?”
“Me and you.”
“And a dog named Sue,” Charlie sang and chinked his glass against hers.
Kate rolled her eyes.
“She’s a lovely dog,” Charlie said.“Part Chihuahua part Doberman.The mother was the Chihuahua.Not an easy relationship.”
“So what are you?” Kate asked.“An unfunny comedian?”
He bristled.“I used to sing, now I act.”
“God.” She rolled her eyes.
He laughed.“Do you really not recognize me?”
Kate stared straight at him and Charlie saw the moment of recognition strike.
“Oh shit,” she said.
Chapter Five
Kate didn’t blink.How could she not have realized?Flustered, she reached for a pair of glasses she rarely wore and put them on before she turned to him.Impossible, incredible, inconceivable—as much like a teenage fantasy as it seemed, standing in front of her, in her apartment, was the bad boy of pop, Charlie Storm, with his long spiky eyelashes and mouthwatering good looks, if somewhat currently blotchy face.His records had sold millions.His life was lived publicly in the tabloids.He was a guy whose sudden departure from the music world had left his record company reeling and his fans screaming.
In my apartment!
Kate dipped into a deep curtsey.“Your Royal Highness.I’m so honored to have you in my humble home.How’s Camilla?”
Charlie grinned.“Very funny.” Then his face fell.He reached toward her glasses and pulled his hand back.“Jesus, no wonder you were all over the road in the car.You couldn’t fucking see where you were going!”
“I thought you were asleep.”
“I was too scared to open my eyes.Why didn’t you let me drive?”
“It’s only insured for me.”
“We could have been killed,” Charlie wailed and Kate grinned.
“My eyes aren’t that bad.” She tossed the glasses back on the counter and reset the microwave.Charlie sniffed and his stomach rumbled.The slightly sweet smell had made her hungry too.
“So how does it feel to have a celebrity round for dinner?” he asked.
“You mean you actually are famous?” She gaped at him.
“Ha ha.”
What would Lucy, Rachel and Dan say?Kate thought about it.No one would ever believe this.
“Why did you want to kill yourself?” he asked.
Kate sighed.“You think if you keep slipping it in, I won’t notice and just answer?”
He gave her a sheepish grin.“Yes.”
She bit back her smile.“How about you going first?”
“I was out for a swim,” he said.
“Then so was I.”
“You know you weren’t.”
Kate wondered how long they could play this game, tennis without balls.
“Who was that at the door?”
“Lucy.She lives downstairs.”
“And what happened yesterday to make them sorry and you devastated?”
Kate sighed.“You’ve got big ears, Charlie.” She took two plates from the cupboard and put them on the work surface.
“How come you didn’t recognize me?You’re not a fan, then?”
Kate’s mouth twitched.“You’ve never made me scream.” The moment that left her lips, she wished she hadn’t said it.Charlie looked as though he was going to
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