Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Derek
“Normally I’m one to trust your judgment, Derek, but this feels like a bad idea.”
Ignoring Hunter’s comment, I tug my hat lower and keep walking. True, there are a lot more people wandering the streets of Moab than I anticipated, but no one has a reason to expect me to be in Utah. I’m hoping that means I can enjoy a night out without being swarmed.
Just one night.
“I’m with Hunter on this one,” Janie mutters behind us.
I glance back at my assistant, wincing when I catch the anxiety in her eyes.
She usually only comes to work meetings or filming locations, and she’s looking pretty overwhelmed.
Funny, considering she’s spent her whole life in Los Angeles.
A small town in Utah should be a walk in the park.
Though, I wish she had worn something less…
LA. Her short skirt and heels might draw some attention among the cargo shorts and tennis shoes surrounding us.
“We’ll be fine,” I assure both of them.
I’d believe that more if Hunter had let me come out on my own.
He’s wearing his own hat, our sad attempts at trying to be incognito, but the two of us together aren’t exactly inconspicuous.
He goes with me everywhere, and I’ve been discovered more than once by someone recognizing my bodyguard first. But it’s hard enough for him to let me go to my friends’ houses by myself, let alone out in public.
I don’t think I could have set foot outside the hotel without Hunter strong-arming me back into the room.
I would say he’s overprotective, but the longer I spend in Hollywood, the happier I am that I hired him.
People can get…bold.
“Ten o’clock,” Hunter says, shifting closer to me as we walk.
I look where he directed, across the street and ahead a bit, and catch sight of a group of women who look to be in their twenties and are heading in our direction.
My worst nightmare. Wincing, I tilt my head down and turn away from the group.
They’re probably lovely women, but I’m not willing to take my chances.
I just want some food. Is that so much to ask?
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I glance at my watch to see who’s calling. Cole must have sensed my frustration from two states away. “Hey,” I say when I grab my phone and answer the call.
“Uh, when were you going to tell me about this mess with Shannon?”
It’s been almost two weeks since the disaster date, and I’m surprised it took him this long to ask about it.
Granted, his rugby team has been on a winning streak and on their way to the championships, and with his wife only days away from her due date, he’s been preoccupied.
He wasn’t at brunch earlier this week, or he would have gotten the whole story.
“When it felt necessary to share,” I mutter, glancing across the street to make sure the women haven’t noticed me. We’re walking in opposite directions, which means they have a chance of seeing my face but will hopefully pass without looking over.
Still, this town is busier than I was expecting, so I need to keep on my guard.
“Where are you?” Cole asks.
“Researching.”
“That didn’t answer the question.”
“I know.” I hate keeping secrets from him—he’s been my friend longer than anyone—but I’ve learned it’s easier to compartmentalize which information I share beyond those who absolutely need to know. None of my friends would ever give away my location, but on the off chance something goes wrong…
Cole sighs extra dramatically, and I pull my phone away from my ear to make a face at it, as if he’ll be able to see my distaste for his newfound emotion.
He was like this when we met, which is one of the reasons I learned to trust him, but after he went through a few hard years and retreated into himself, I started getting used to him being the stoic one.
Carissa has been a good influence on him, even if it means I have to adjust.
“Derek, we’re worried about you.”
If I hang up, what are the chances he calls back right away? Pretty high. “Who’s ‘we’?”
“Everyone.”
“You don’t have to worry.”
Hunter coughs next to me, and I glare at him before ducking my head again. I think I’m safe from the group of women, who are behind us now, but there are still a lot of people around. People who might recognize me and blow my cover.
I should have stuck with the restaurant attached to my hotel, but I was feeling restless.
Not that that’s anything new.
“You say that,” Cole says, “but that doesn’t make it true.”
“I’m fine.”
Janie scoffs behind me.
Instead of turning a soft glare on her—she doesn’t deserve that—I put all my limited energy into my voice, keeping it steady and light even though Cole’s too smart to believe my facade.
“Seriously, Cole. I’m working on something for a movie.
It hasn’t been announced yet, so there’s only so much I can say. ”
That part’s true, at least. I’m under contract, but there’s a chance this movie will fall through before filming ever starts.
There’s always more of a risk with indie films, but lately I’ve been enjoying them more than the blockbuster hits that are guaranteed to be a success simply because of the studios behind them and the A-list casts they can afford.
Conceited as it sounds, I’m hoping that this movie will do well if I’m in it, so I can’t jeopardize anything.
Cole is silent, something that never bodes well, so I try to change the subject. “How’s Carissa feeling?”
“She’s ready to get to the baby part of all of this. Derek, are you sure you’re okay? You’re not alone, are you?”
I glance at my bodyguard next to me. If not Hunter, Janie’s almost always within hearing distance, or I’m in a meeting with my agent or talking to directors or my publicist or one of my friends.
I’m never alone. Even when I want to be.
“Nah, Hunter’s stuck doing this research with me,” I say, managing a smile when Hunter wrinkles his nose. He really doesn’t want to do this whitewater thing, but he wouldn’t let me come on my own. “And Janie will have my phone for a few days while I’m doing my research.”
“You won’t have your phone?” Cole asks. “Why not?” He sounds horrified, which makes me laugh. Leave it to the grumpiest of my friends to cheer me up.
“Would you relax? I’m going to be out of service anyway, so I figured it’s better to leave it with her.”
“Are…” Cole’s voice drops low, like he’s worried someone might overhear our conversation. “Are you sure you can trust Janie? Things with Hot Scoop have gotten worse since you hired her.”
I nearly drop my phone. It takes a lot to surprise me, so Cole’s unexpected question hits me like a truck.
“Of course I can,” I murmur. Like Hunter, Janie’s one of the best decisions I’ve made lately.
Okay, so there was a time when she was a bit too friendly with me, but we got past that.
She knows I’m not interested, and her flirty nature is just part of her personality. My life would fall apart without her.
But what if…
Silently cursing, I switch my phone to the other hand and pull my hat from my head, running my fingers through my hair as I say, “Are you the only one who thinks that?”
“No,” Cole says. So matter-of-factly.
Just how many of my friends have been questioning the trustworthiness of my assistant?
For how long? And why? Janie hasn’t done anything suspicious, even when she’s had access to my phone.
Did I say or do something to make my friends think she’s a problem?
I must have, and I need to fix it so they can stop worrying.
In my agitation, I nearly walk right into a woman, and I stumble to a halt before we collide. My apology dies on my tongue when I catch sight of her wide eyes as she stares at my face. My very visible face.
“Derek Riley,” she whispers in awe, and I can see her excitement building as she processes what she’s seeing.
My curse isn’t silent this time. “I’ve been spotted,” I tell Cole and hang up, looking around for some sort of escape as the woman grabs the arm of the man next to her and says my name again.
Hunter grabs my arm and tugs me into the nearest shop.
As soon as Janie is inside, he pulls the door closed and locks it, keeping his hands on the door and his eyes on the street outside as a few people hurry over and try pushing the door open.
My pounding heart has already started to calm because Hunter will fix this. He always does.
“Uh, excuse me? You can’t do that.”
I don’t bother turning to the timid man who spoke from behind the front counter. Janie is already approaching him, using her sweetest voice as she explains that we need a place to hide for a few minutes.
It’s going to be longer than a few minutes. This shop is tiny, and I’m pretty sure our one way out is the door currently standing as the only barrier between me and a few dozen rabid fans.
“Okay,” the man says, “but I can’t lock the door during business hours. Fire code and all that.”
“Trust me,” Janie says. “You’re not going to want to let anyone inside.”
“What about letting anyone out?” a different voice asks.
I look up from a display of clay magnets shaped like rock arches, meeting the gaze of a woman whose arms are folded across her chest as she glares at Janie.
Aside from who I’m guessing is the shop owner, she’s the only other person in here, which is a blessing.
Or maybe a curse, given she looks like she’s ready to fight Hunter for a chance to escape.
Something about her almost makes me think she could win.
“Do you have a back door?” I ask, pulling my eyes from the woman to finally look at the guy behind the counter.
He rolls his eyes, scowling at me. “Yeah, but I can’t just let you…” His eyes go wide, and I brace myself. “You’re Derek Riley!”