Chapter 16
ASPEN
I blinked at him.
“What?”
“I need a girlfriend.”
“I heard that,” I said. “Are you asking me to date exclusively or something?”
He shook his head. “No. Well, yes. I mean, I need you to be a girlfriend for me.”
He reached into his pocket, pulled out his cell and swiped at it. “Here.”
I took it and stared at the website header.
Can Derek Dashwood rehab his image? Beneath it, in bold, it said, Actor checked himself into rehab for mental health crisis.
Obviously, it was an online tabloid.
I glanced at Luke, then back at the article, which next showed a photo of Luke in a tuxedo standing beside a dark-haired woman. She had sleek black hair and more curves than a dangerous mountain road.
“This is you.”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“It says you’re in rehab. I don’t understand.”
“Do you recognize the woman in the photo?”
I took another peek. “No.”
“Of course, you don’t.” He sighed. “Right, well, that’s Lacey Anderson. I work with her. She’s an actress on NYC ER. She says we’re dating, which everyone believes, but we’re not.”
“The girls mentioned her last night.”
“Since I came here instead of being in LA right now, she told the tabloids I’m in rehab.”
“What? Why?”
“Because she doesn’t want to be rejected and this is juicy gossip, and it keeps her in the headlines.”
“By lying?”
“I’m sure the words supposedly and purported and sources say are in the article. That means they don’t have to be the least bit accurate because it’s not fact.”
I licked my dry lips and suddenly felt really nauseated, and not from the wine. “I don’t understand. Are you dating her?”
He shook his head. “No. NO,” he said, very clearly.
“On the show, we’ve slept together. The characters, Shep and Amy.
The scene when edited is racy looking but really, there are like thirty people hovering around the set while I’m in bed in shorts and Lacey’s wrapped in a sheet.
She’s got a strapless bikini-thing on beneath.
Sure, we kiss and roll around, but it’s fake. Really fake.”
“Like her boobs?” I asked.
That made him smile. “Exactly. The tabloids played up that maybe we were dating in real life because our characters in the show are. But it’s not true. I don’t even like her. She’s difficult on set, catty, annoying.”
“Then why are you photographed together?”
He pointed to his cell in my hand. “That was taken at an awards dinner last month. What you don’t see is the other members of the cast standing with us.
It was cropped. If you go to a different site that covered the event, you’ll probably find the full photo.
I’ve never been out with her one-on-one, or even worse, as a couple. ”
I ran a hand over my hair, pushed it out of my face.
“Can’t you just post a photo of yourself from Hunter Valley and say you’re not in rehab?”
He shrugged. “Yes, I could, but that doesn’t solve her saying we’re dating. Who knows what Lacey will counter with. I need a girlfriend to replace Lacey, not that she ever was my girlfriend.”
He actually shuddered.
“I need to share that I’m with someone new, someone special, to knock Lacey out of all this. The tabloids will have to let go of the rehab concept–and I only showed you one article out of many–and Lacey will have to find her fifteen minutes of fame with someone else.”
“Why now? You said you didn’t like all that insanity.”
“I don’t. But I told you about that movie part. They want me as the lead. I have a screen test next week. This is a big deal for me, and I can hopefully break out of the Shep Barnes persona.”
If the way Mallory behaved at yoga was any indication to how people acted around him, then I could see why he wanted to work on other projects.
“You don’t want to be Dr. Dark and Dangerous any longer?”
He grinned. “Been reading up on me?”
I shook my head. “Georgia called you that last night.”
“The producer of the movie isn’t interested in an actor in rehab. He had an issue with his last male lead and won’t go through that again.”
“You mean they won’t hire you because of what the tabloids are saying?”
“I’m not speaking up or clapping back on social media.
In fact, I’m pretty much hiding here in Hunter Valley.
Usually, I don’t care or pay it much attention, but my agent has been all over me about this one.
I want this role. I’ve earned the chance and if I have to deal with the tabloids to get it, I will. It’s not fair, but I’ll do it.”
“By having me as a girlfriend.”
“Right. I need someone now. Right away. To share with the world, I’ve been quiet because I’ve fallen for someone.
That it’s the real deal and not a fake LA thing.
By doing that, it’ll make it obvious I’m not in rehab but having fun on my vacation with a beautiful woman.
And that Lacey and I definitely aren’t an item. ”
I shook my head. “This was supposed to be casual, Luke. I don’t do relationships. I told you I have no expectations from you, and I don’t want you to have any from me.”
“Why? We’re good together.” He grinned a little wickedly.
“You’re a movie star. I’m a small town, single mother, yoga instructor.”
“I like all of that about you,” he admitted.
The fool was endearing. “I’m a realist. This isn’t going to work.”
He sighed. “Fine. Then be my fake girlfriend.”
“What?” Why on earth would Luke need fake anything? “Just find yourself a real girlfriend.”
“One, I’m not going to go find some other woman when you’re naked right now. I’m not an asshole.”
“How long is this supposed to last?”
“The screen test’s next week. I need to clear the rehab rumor and get Lacey out of the girlfriend role for good. Once I get the part, we can casually break up. Distance and all that. I know you don’t really want a relationship, so yeah.”
“Right.” I looked down at the cell. “I don’t really want to be in the media spotlight.
” I knew what that was like. My mother loved it.
But I knew what Luke was saying was true.
Mother required everything about herself, my father, me to be perfect because anything less would be a flaw.
An imperfection that the media would use as a weapon.
Mother’s senatorial campaign couldn’t handle any kind of weakness.
And an opponent? They’d use anything they could get.
The last thing I wanted to do was be like my mother and fake something for the media, but this was what Luke was asking me to do. This wasn’t about me; it was for him. Could I do the one thing I tried to avoid?
“I’m not perfect, Luke. I have–”
“I don’t expect you to be perfect.”
“What do I have to do?”
“Go to LA with me. Be my girlfriend.”
I shook my head. “I can’t go to California! I have Sierra.”
“She’s at camp.”
I sighed. “I have my studio. Classes to teach.”
“Can’t someone fill in? Have you ever closed for a few days for vacation?”
No, I hadn’t, but I didn’t like the way he was shooting down every possible excuse I had for not going.
Besides the obvious. Pretending to be his girlfriend?
While I didn’t know him all that well, I did like him.
The chemistry between us was insane and I wanted more with him, but I knew better.
He was a famous actor trying for a film role. A movie!
He had a larger-than-life life. He was fine with pretend? Of course, he was fine switching from real to fake girlfriend. It wasn’t like a guy like him would want a legit relationship or anything real with someone like me.
Single mom, barely making ends meet. Stupid enough to bury an expensive ring in the woods.
“This was supposed to be one night,” I reminded, protecting myself. Maybe him at the same time. “A fling. I mean, I pretty much picked you up at a bar. That can’t be good visibili–”
“I’ll pay you. Whatever Duncan’s ring is worth. I’ll pay you that.”