11. A Perfect Date
A Perfect Date
Bex
C onnor gives me butterflies in my stomach.
He is the big, silent type. He has that brooding vibe in common with Keene, but he lacks the rougher edges of our other roommate. I’m also beginning to suspect that the blond defenseman uses that forbidding demeanor as a shield. But once you get to know him, Connor is generous and friendly.
Everything about him is just so attractive that I have to remind myself to breathe.
Especially when he holds my hand on the soft tablecloth of the restaurant table.
His hands are huge compared to mine, his skin warm and a little rougher than mine.
His touch sends little sparks of excitement everywhere in my body, but it isn’t just his hotness and the obvious chemistry between us that cause my pulse to quicken.
What makes this date so special is the way he understands me on a deeper level.
As we chat while we wait for our food to arrive, I learn that Connor grew up with a parent who has a lot in common with my dad.
The biggest difference between his upbringing and mine is that his father craves the prestige and attention that come from playing in the NHL. Maybe because he misses his glory days, maybe as a way to get recognition for having passed his talent to a son he has tried to mold in his image.
What my dad ultimately wanted from me isn’t fame like I originally thought.
My father’s ulterior motive for pushing my social media career was mostly financial.
He stopped viewing me as his daughter a long time ago; to him, I was a cash cow, and money was a stepping stone to make his business a powerhouse.
Whatever their motives, we both grew up with controlling parents. Connor understands the constant pressure you live under and how you keep caving; obeying and meeting your parent’s expectations is the only way to get their love. A love that is totally conditional and used as a bargaining tool.
Now that I’m out of my father’s control, and that I know that his love for me was never real, I want to live my life pursuing what really matters. And for me, that’s the kind of unconditional love I’ve only ever received from Luke so far.
It would be nice to find romantic love just like that. Endless, deep, and boundless.
Another thing I want is to focus on my art.
“I didn’t realize how much I missed art until I got here.” I admit.
I’m about to tell Connor how Professor Cantucci promised to look at my work for a possible showcase at a local art gallery if I can put together a few pieces beyond the photos of my old portfolio I showed her at the interview.
But I stop in my tracks when I get the feeling of being watched.
A young girl clears her throat. She’s watching me and Connor from a few steps away, her hands clasped in front of her as she nervously twists her fingers.
“Can we help you?” Connor’s tone is kind, his smile open and friendly.
The girl’s face turns redder than a tomato, and I totally get it.
Connor is hot on any given day, but when he smiles? He’s devastatingly handsome.
“I… I’m sorry to bother you,” she stutters, turning her attention to me. “But I was wondering if you are Rebecca Shine.”
Oh.
A part of me wants to tell her that she’s mistaken, but I can’t do it.
I left that life behind, so technically I am, but I’m also not. Besides, Rebecca is a brand and, as such, a property of Pure Shine . The recent attacks on social media were my father’s way of reminding me of that fact.
“Yes. But I’m…” I don’t know what to tell her.
“Rebecca is on an extended vacation,” Connor comes to my aid. “And she would like to protect her privacy.”
The girl’s face turns a few shades redder. “I’m sorry. I was just hoping I could get your autograph. I’m a big fan.”
Things like this were the norm whenever I attended parties and influencer events. “Sure.” I smile. “Is there anything in particular you would like me to sign?”
The girl torments the strap of a small pink bag she’s wearing across her chest. “I take dance classes, and my mom bought me the shoes you sponsored. They came with a photo of you and I love it, so I take it with me everywhere. It reminds me that I need to work hard if I want to be like you when I grow up. Can you sign that?”
A part of me feels like a fraud because I’m no longer the girl who told her millions of followers that Famous Dance Shoes were the best dance shoes on the market.
“Who do I make it to?” I ask, forcing a smile on my face.
“To Madison, please.”
I make quick work of signing the back of the photo. When I give it back to Madison, however, she doesn’t go back to the table where her parents are waiting for her.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Would you take a selfie with me?”
Again, taking selfies with my fans has become second nature over the years. “Sure.” I beam. “Come closer and smile.”
“Thank you so much.” Madison squeals, tapping on her phone screen. “You’re so pretty, I’m not even going to use a filter to show my sister that you didn’t get fat and ugly. I knew those were all lies.”
Madison is no longer looking at me, her focus now totally on her phone as she keeps tapping on the screen.
“There. My sister will have to say she was wrong.”
I don’t really care about what Madison’s sister thinks. I’ve always known that social media popularity is the very definition of fleeting.
“What are you doing?” Connor asks, craning his neck to look at Madison’s phone. “Did you just text that picture to someone?”
The girl rolls her eyes. “Duh, of course. And I also posted it, so Jayla and all her friends will have to admit that you’re still beautiful and they were wrong to unfollow you.”
“Delete it.” Connor’s tone loses all the kindness of a few seconds ago. “Now.”
Madison takes a step back, tightening her grip on her phone when Connor attempts to take it from her.
“Hey!” she squeals. “What’s wrong with you?”
He stands up. “Look,” he lowers his voice when several people at the tables around us turn their heads to look in our direction.
“Bex appreciates your support. But if you’ve heard those horrible things from your sister and her friends, you know that there were a lot of people saying very bad things about Bex.
If you post, those people won’t stop going after her.
Please, Madison, if you care about Bex, delete that post and that photo. ”
“Oh.” The girl’s smile fades away. “I’m so sorry. Done. But my sister has already reposted it. And it has been reposted five more times from her post.”
Connor’s jaw ticks as he returns to his chair. “Fuck. That isn’t good. Bex has been harassed lately, and that post might make things worse.”
His tone is more worried than angry.
“It’s ok, Con. I’m just going to ignore it. In fact, I was thinking about deleting all my social media anyway.”
He shakes his head. “Wait before you do that. I want to make sure Ares knows, and that he doesn’t need your accounts to find out who attacked you.”
“Someone attacked you?” Madison gasps. “I swear I didn’t know. People were being mean to you, and I love you, and I wanted to help.”
Tears start streaming down Madison’s face, and if anything, that’s what makes me feel worse.
“Hey Madison,” Connor gets up again, offering the girl a tissue. “You didn’t know. It’s not your fault. Bex will be ok. She has me to protect her and lots of fans who love her, like yourself. Please don’t cry.”
The kindness in his tone as he comforts the girl makes me like Connor even more than I already did.
We both had parents who failed us, but I think one day some kids are going to be very lucky to have him as a father.
Girls are a tough nut to crack, though, especially at Madison’s age. Rather than soothing her like he intended, Connor’s words made things worse.
Madison sobs uncontrollably, her skinny shoulders shaking as she weeps.
“What the fuck did you say to my daughter?” An angry woman in an expensive-looking sheath dress rushes to Madison’s side, followed by a man in a suit.
“Maddie, is this man bothering you?” the man asks.
Madison shakes her head, rubbing her eyes as sob after sob makes her tremble from head to toe.
“Is this how you and your boyfriend treat your fans?” the woman glares at me. “It’s not surprising you’re losing all your followers.”
Her harsh tone causes Connor’s reaction.
“I would be very careful about how you talk to my girlfriend… ma’am .” The last word comes out as hard as a check against the boards. “Your daughter posted a photo of Bex without her permission.”
“So what?” the woman scoffs. “It comes with the territory when you’re a public figure. It’s because of fans like my daughter that your girlfriend can buy you dinner at a place like this one.”
Connor clenches his fists to the point that his knuckles turn white. “So fucking rude. You don’t know where I can and can’t buy dinner. But I can see clearly where your daughter got her manners.”
The man, who had walked his daughter back to their table in an effort to get her to calm down, returns in that moment.
“Do you have a problem with my wife and daughter, asshole?” he says, taking a menacing step closer.
The corners of Connor’s lips tip up in a hard smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. He has about four inches and forty pounds of pure muscle on the guy. “Hit me. I fucking dare you.”
Madison’s dad pales. It doesn’t take a genius to see that he would be no match for Connor in a physical fight.
“You don’t know who the fuck you’re speaking to.” The man spits out. “I’m Bruce Morelli, and my cousin owns this place. Where the fuck is the manager?” he yells.
The restaurant manager arrives with two burly security guards in tow.
We’re asked to leave before our food even makes its appearance at our table.
Connor
“I’m so sorry, Bex.” I look at her for a second right before I merge from the restaurant parking lot onto the main road that wraps around downtown Star Cove. “I don’t know what the fuck happened in there.”