Chapter 2
JOSIE
“No way,” I say at my manager’s completely out-of-left-field name-drop of the celebrity.
“Yes, Josie,” she replies enthusiastically. “He’s here.”
“Are you sure? One of the Penmaynes?” I ask. “The actor?”
“The same one.”
Everyone’s heard of Victor Penmayne. Even me. I mean, you’d have to be living under a rock to have not heard of the famous movie star and the even-more-famous billionaire secretive family he hails from. They’re all actually from Crystal River - their fancy mansion sits on the edge of town imposingly separate from the rest of us plebeians. But ever since Victor left home for the shining lights of Hollywood, he’s barely been back to Crystal River. He never graces his hometown with his presence anymore - not that anyone really saw him before his sudden shoot to fame.
He’s been in some of the biggest blockbusters over the last few years. He’s a star on the rise and rise and rise. Look, the thing is I don’t watch that many movies, but even I know who the hell Victor Penmayne is.
And I also know he wouldn’t come to The Oak in a million years.
We’re just not that kind of place.
“And he’s here?” I ask my manager.
“Follow me,” Amanda says excitedly, gesturing me back inside the coffee shop.
She has no reason to lie.
Once back amongst the smell of coffee, we press our faces against the windows that look out onto the park.
Holy crap, there he is.
Victor Penmayne.
And he’s totally surrounded by people trying to talk to him or get a selfie. The famous movie star is being mobbed by an entire crowd just yards away from the front door of The Oak.
Victor Penmayne looks like an actor - he’s gorgeous and striking in a way that only otherworldly movie stars can be. He’s towering over six feet tall, with black crewcut hair and thick eyebrows to match. His jaw is square, and his cheekbones are sharp. He’s wearing some designer shirt with jeans, but even then, he looks classy as hell. I bet he has entire wardrobes full of casual rich-people attire. You can tell his body is broad and well-toned, even through the loose-fitting shirt.
Wow.
I have to admit I’m a little bit star-struck seeing him in the flesh.
He is pretty damn attractive.
“He doesn’t have a car with him,” I remark, scanning around the throng of fans surrounding the actor. “He must’ve walked here or something. Probably all the way from his family mansion...”
“Yeah, he might’ve.”
“What a dumb choice to make when it was guaranteed he’d be spotted and rushed by a crowd,” I say. “He is, like, the most famous man alive, right? No way could he walk through the center of Crystal River unmolested, and he should know that.”
“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” Amanda is practically frothing at the mouth. “He’s rich, and he’s talented...”
“And he’s currently stuck outside our coffee shop,” I quickly add, noticing how flustered the gorgeous man is getting with everyone crowding around him. His handsome face has transformed into an irritated frown and his movements have turned faster and sharper as he tries to politely navigate his way out of this predicament.
“Yep, he is.”
I catch my reflection in the mirror. I look silly in my dark blue barista uniform. My brown eyes stare back at me. My curly hair doesn’t look good after a long shift. I am the polar opposite to a glamorous movie star.
I need to go home and have a nice relaxing shower.
And I need to forget all about the heartbreak and the rejected loan...
We’ve had a few famous people come from our small town in the middle of nowhere. There are the Penmaynes, of course. You couldn’t avoid their presence if you grew up here, even if they really like to keep to themselves in their fancy mansion. And there is also the best-selling rock band Ravaged - four boys who are talented devils with music. From what I can tell, they’re actually good guys with big hearts and even bigger egos.
I remember a girl I went to high school with... Ava Matson. I’ve heard on the grapevine she is involved with Victor’s brother, Damon. A romantic fling that has turned serious. It’s no secret that he is a gangster, even though he runs a brewery on the outskirts of town. People in town love Damon for bringing jobs to Crystal River, but it is hard to swallow his criminal reputation. Ava and I weren’t too close back in high school, but I liked her. She was one of the popular girls in school – one of the queen bees. But she was always nice to me and to my friends. She seemed genuine, which can be rare in the cutthroat world of high school. I’ve actually seen her come in here to the coffee shop a few times. We’ve exchanged pleasantries. She seems happy with her life. Good for her. She’s the only real connection I have to the Penmaynes.
Amanda and I continue to stare at the famous actor outside. He is really getting trapped in now by all these people wanting a moment of his time. Nearly all our customers who were sitting in the shop have dashed outside for a photo with the man. The more he stands there, imprisoned, the more the crowd is growing. It’s a vicious, never-ending cycle.
“He’s really not moving,” Amanda remarks. “There’s an exponential growth of fans happening around him. He can’t even move a step.”
Yeah, he really can’t.
I roll my eyes at the pandemonium happening before our eyes.
I can’t stay here like this all shift. It’s too much.
I even feel sorry for the movie star.
“Oh, for god’s sake,” I say before I pull open the door to The Oak and storm out toward the famous man.