Ness. Unless you can outrun Nessie, you’re no Scot.”
“I think I’ll stick with the shallow end of a heated pool.”
“Weak.” Garrett glanced at the clear sparking waters. “There’s no danger there to make you stronger.”
“Whatever. Tell me more about Scotland.”
Garrett went on about mountains and lochs and mythical beasts in increasingly wild stories. When the food was done, we sat at the small table by the pool and he grew quiet. He took one bite and groaned. “Brilliant.”
I smiled. “It’s the marinade.”
He looked at me with shining light green eyes and finished his steak in the time it took me to eat half of mine. I was full though so I reached for his plate. “Next time, I’ll make you one and a half and we’ll come out less wasteful.”
“You’re not going to eat that?” He sounded surprised. “It’s sublime. If the Gods, old and new, came down from heaven and demanded a meal—”
I put my plate in front of him and he went to work on it, the same way my brothers leapt on candy. Two bites in, his cell phone went off. He seemed torn as he glanced between the phone and his plate. After another quick bite, he hit the answer key. “Aye?” He listened a moment. “We’re round back.” He clicked off and not a minute later two guys jumped the fence: a lean guy with spiky dark hair, and Max from the studio. Both were good-looking but in totally different bad boy ways.
Garrett leaned back and gestured with his fork toward the drive. “Did you ditch your bodyguards again?”
The spiky-haired guy made the motion of a dunk shot. “You know it. We’ll have to hope my crazed stalker fans took the night off.”
Max grunted.
“We’ll try to keep your adoring hordes off you,” Garrett said.
I passed the new arrivals, carrying my plate and the salad bowl. The spiky-haired guy grabbed my arm, bringing me to a halt. I tried to pull free, but without dropping something or jerking backwards into the pool, I had nowhere to go.
Up close, I recognized him immediately. Sax Grayson. His number one hits had showed up on Billboard charts for the last two years. Love for him ruled the junior high and intermediate school. Anytime I picked up my little brothers, I heard his hits over and over again. Sax’s grip tightened, and I was too pissed at the gesture to be awed by the teen rock sensation. “Let go.” I tilted my head back and stared at him so he’d know I wasn’t impressed. This close, I could see his electric blue eyes were contacts. “Seriously. Let go, One Direction.” That wasn’t his band, but I liked them and could sing lines from their songs if I needed to annoy him further. I began a low hum of one of the more memorable intros, one that had the power to stick inside your head for hours.
Max laughed.
Sax threw his head back and laughed too, his eyes glinting with a wild light. “You coming out with us tonight?”
The rock star didn’t appear offended by the boy band reference, which made some of my annoyance drop away. “Nope.” Yesterday I would have said yes . Party with a movie star, a rock star, and an action star—let’s go. But today, I had too much to lose. By having this summer job, I was able to stay in LA and work with my idol Sara Sims. Even after I got kicked off, I could still help out as a kitchen-hand. I wasn’t screwing that up by saying or doing the wrong thing and getting fired. No one was messing with my plan, even me.
“Hands off my chef,” Garrett said and forked another bite of steak into his mouth.
Max looked me over, more threat assessment than bra-size check . He could pass for a body guard. “I’m Max.”
“Hi. I saw you at the studio the other day. I’m Marissa.”
“I’m Sax,” the guy holding me said.
I backed up a step, which took me too close to the pool for my liking, but I didn’t want the spoiled musician to gain the upper hand while I tried to shake him off.
Sax said, “Man, you’re seriously hot. You should
“I think I’ll stick with the shallow end of a heated pool.”
“Weak.” Garrett glanced at the clear sparking waters. “There’s no danger there to make you stronger.”
“Whatever. Tell me more about Scotland.”
Garrett went on about mountains and lochs and mythical beasts in increasingly wild stories. When the food was done, we sat at the small table by the pool and he grew quiet. He took one bite and groaned. “Brilliant.”
I smiled. “It’s the marinade.”
He looked at me with shining light green eyes and finished his steak in the time it took me to eat half of mine. I was full though so I reached for his plate. “Next time, I’ll make you one and a half and we’ll come out less wasteful.”
“You’re not going to eat that?” He sounded surprised. “It’s sublime. If the Gods, old and new, came down from heaven and demanded a meal—”
I put my plate in front of him and he went to work on it, the same way my brothers leapt on candy. Two bites in, his cell phone went off. He seemed torn as he glanced between the phone and his plate. After another quick bite, he hit the answer key. “Aye?” He listened a moment. “We’re round back.” He clicked off and not a minute later two guys jumped the fence: a lean guy with spiky dark hair, and Max from the studio. Both were good-looking but in totally different bad boy ways.
Garrett leaned back and gestured with his fork toward the drive. “Did you ditch your bodyguards again?”
The spiky-haired guy made the motion of a dunk shot. “You know it. We’ll have to hope my crazed stalker fans took the night off.”
Max grunted.
“We’ll try to keep your adoring hordes off you,” Garrett said.
I passed the new arrivals, carrying my plate and the salad bowl. The spiky-haired guy grabbed my arm, bringing me to a halt. I tried to pull free, but without dropping something or jerking backwards into the pool, I had nowhere to go.
Up close, I recognized him immediately. Sax Grayson. His number one hits had showed up on Billboard charts for the last two years. Love for him ruled the junior high and intermediate school. Anytime I picked up my little brothers, I heard his hits over and over again. Sax’s grip tightened, and I was too pissed at the gesture to be awed by the teen rock sensation. “Let go.” I tilted my head back and stared at him so he’d know I wasn’t impressed. This close, I could see his electric blue eyes were contacts. “Seriously. Let go, One Direction.” That wasn’t his band, but I liked them and could sing lines from their songs if I needed to annoy him further. I began a low hum of one of the more memorable intros, one that had the power to stick inside your head for hours.
Max laughed.
Sax threw his head back and laughed too, his eyes glinting with a wild light. “You coming out with us tonight?”
The rock star didn’t appear offended by the boy band reference, which made some of my annoyance drop away. “Nope.” Yesterday I would have said yes . Party with a movie star, a rock star, and an action star—let’s go. But today, I had too much to lose. By having this summer job, I was able to stay in LA and work with my idol Sara Sims. Even after I got kicked off, I could still help out as a kitchen-hand. I wasn’t screwing that up by saying or doing the wrong thing and getting fired. No one was messing with my plan, even me.
“Hands off my chef,” Garrett said and forked another bite of steak into his mouth.
Max looked me over, more threat assessment than bra-size check . He could pass for a body guard. “I’m Max.”
“Hi. I saw you at the studio the other day. I’m Marissa.”
“I’m Sax,” the guy holding me said.
I backed up a step, which took me too close to the pool for my liking, but I didn’t want the spoiled musician to gain the upper hand while I tried to shake him off.
Sax said, “Man, you’re seriously hot. You should
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