Chapter 17
Anger throbbed through Gavin as he strode down the sunny, palm-lined street. The bright day mocked his stormy fury. Why on earth had Tori agreed to do that interview? Was she just looking for attention? Need recognition for all she’d done? It wasn’t going to turn out well, he was certain. He strode into Coastal Coffee, the familiar scent of roasted coffee beans and yeasty cinnamon rolls temporarily soothing his frazzled nerves.
Miss Eleanor was sitting at a table at the far side of the room. Before he could turn around and sneak back out the door, she looked up and saw him. She waved him over with a brisk motion. And it was more of a command than an invitation. He threaded through the tables until he reached hers.
“Morning, Miss Eleanor.”
She folded her paper with an audible crinkling of pages and set it neatly to the side. “Good morning, Gavin. Have a seat.” Once again, more of a command.
He dropped heavily into the seat across from her. Beverly stopped by the table. “Coffee?”
“Yes, please. And—” He glanced at the chalkboard over the counter with the day’s offerings. “A cinnamon roll. No, make that two rolls.” He was pretty sure it would take a double load of cinnamon rolls to abate his annoyance.
Beverly poured steaming black coffee into the mug in front of him and headed off to get his order. Miss Eleanor peered intently at him over the rim of her glasses. “What’s wrong? Something going wrong with the restoration?”
“No, why do you ask?”
“Because you look like you want to throttle someone.” She pinned him with a look that he couldn’t avoid.
He exhaled deeply. “No, the renovations went well. Things are coming along for the grand opening.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“It’s just…” He shrugged. “Tori is talking to a reporter. And she wanted me to.”
“Ah… so that’s it.” She nodded. “But you can’t let what happened before cloud your judgment. It was just a… misunderstanding. And most people in town believe you now, don’t they?”
“Some,” he admitted grudgingly. “But that wasn’t the only time the media upended my life.”
Miss Eleanor double-tapped her fingers on the table. “So, are you going to tell me what happened the other time?”
He couldn’t believe he was even considering telling Miss Eleanor, of all people. She knew everything about everyone on the island. But this was one thing he wasn’t keen on sharing.
“Well?” she prodded, cocking her head, staring at him with a look he couldn’t ignore.
Taking a deep breath, he dove in. “It was when I was away from the island. I lived in Los Angeles.”
She nodded, her eyes softening slightly to encourage him to continue.
“I was… uh… romantically involved with this actress, Anna. Things were going great for us. Then a movie she was in hit it big at the box office. There was a whirlwind of parties and galas and interviews. And one of the tabloids started a baseless rumor that I was going to ask Anna to marry me.”
“And were you?”
“No.” He paused, collecting his thoughts. “Anna changed when she hit the big times. The woman I’d fallen for disappeared under all the glitz and glamour.”
He set his elbows on the table, leaning into the memory, then quickly snatched them back when he saw Miss Eleanor’s disapproving gaze shift to his elbows. “I came to realize I didn’t even really like her anymore. She became self-centered and demanding. Treated people horribly, like they were beneath her. She insisted I attend all these events with her. Dictated what I should wear. Kept acting like we were an item even though I’d told her that I didn’t feel like things were working out for us.”
“Anyway, it all blew up at a big party for her birthday. It was crowded with actors and producers and so many journalists milling about. It was like the who’s who of Hollywood had all turned out for this big gala. And then some reporter called out, asking if tonight was the night I was going to get down on one knee and ask Anna to marry me. The crowd went silent and everyone turned to stare at me. I was shocked. Stunned. Anna’s eyes lit up expectantly, and she had a… smug smile on her lips. And… well, it didn’t go well from there. Her smile faded as I stood there, not saying a word, and certainly not going down on one knee. She snatched a glass from a passing waiter and I ended up with a glass of champagne tossed in my face. She stomped off, embarrassed. I did feel a twinge of regret that she was embarrassed like that, but I couldn’t ask her to marry me just because the media thought I should.”
“No, you couldn’t.”
“It was like the media would just make up their own version of my world. That’s what they do.” He sighed wearily. “They twist their narrative to make a story.”
Miss Eleanor leaned forward and touched his hand. “Yes, sometimes the media can cause trouble. And I don’t blame you for wanting to avoid them. But… don’t you think that Tori is doing the interview to get some publicity for the theater? Not for herself?”
He frowned, considering her words. “I honestly don’t know. Maybe I did mix up my feelings about Anna and her always wanting media attention with Tori’s motivation.”
“Yes, I think you did. Tori doesn’t strike me as a woman who craves attention. She’s level-headed. And a hard worker. I peeked in the theater the other day while the workmen were there and it really has turned out nicely. She’s done a wonderful job. And I appreciate you overseeing it and making sure it was restored back to how it was.”
He nodded. It was true. Tori had poured her heart and soul into the theater. “To be honest, that was mostly Tori’s doing. She’s organized and demanded exceptional work from everyone involved in the restoration. She’s got things planned for the grand opening. It’s all her. All I did was help.”
Miss Eleanor eyed him for a moment, as if she could see right through him. “So you admire her?”
A crease formed on his forehead. “Yes.”
“And you have a fondness for her.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Sure, I like her.”
Her gaze didn’t waver. “And did you storm out of the theater like you came raging in here?”
A self-deprecating smile tugged at his lips. “I might have. It might have been a dramatic exit, fitting for a theater.”
Her eyes twinkled with amusement. “Then I presume you’re going to head back and apologize?”
He laughed, his anger starting to abate. “Yes, I do believe I’ll head back there and apologize. I’m afraid I let my past color my perception of the current situation.”