Chapter Eight
Claire showed up as Jenny, cap pulled low over her shaded eyes, at the appointed meeting place, a quiet park in Clover Park. Hailey had arranged everything for Sunday when Claire had the day off. From the park, it was a quick trip to Hailey’s apartment for a debriefing (most likely Claire sharing and Hailey caring) and then back to the city. Aside from a few preschoolers playing on the nearby playground, no one seemed to notice Claire sitting on a bench under an oak tree. She remembered a time in her life when she would’ve given anything for someone to notice her, to make her feel like somebody, and when she finally achieved that, how gratifying it was, how exhilarating. Now here she was right back to square one by choice. Funny how priorities changed.
She saw Josh approaching in a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, looking down to earth and real. She’d almost started to think she’d dreamed him up. Nothing glossy about him, but that was part of his appeal. He carried a bouquet of bright yellow flowers. She stood, her heart racing. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed seeing him. A week of replaying their day and night together had brought her to this moment, nearly trembling with excitement.
He stopped in front of her and grinned. “These are for you.”
She took the flowers—daisies, tulips, and carnations—and breathed them in. “Thank you.” Then she remembered the purpose of this meeting. “You want to have a seat?” She gestured to the bench.
He gazed at her warmly, dipping his head to look under her cap. “It’s so good to see you again.”
“You too,” she breathed.
He smiled and crinkles formed in the corners of his eyes. “I have something planned. Somewhere I want to take you.”
“Oh. But I—”
“My lady,” he said, crooking his arm for her to take. She stared at his arm, tan and solid. The gentleman manners again. She never got that from anyone.
She took his arm, the rightness of the gesture surprising her. “Where are we going?”
He headed back toward the parking lot. “A tour on the Hudson river. I borrowed a boat from a friend. We can see the city, go around the Statue of Liberty too.”
That sounded amazing. But—
“Josh, I really need to tell you something.”
“We’ll talk after the boat ride. I just want to show you a good time. Have you ever seen the city from the water?”
She hadn’t. By car, helicopter, and plane, but not by boat. She shook her head.
“It’s a blast,” he said. “You’ll love it.”
She dropped her hold on his arm. “We should talk—”
“Later. Okay?” He stopped and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I do want to talk, but first I want to have fun.”
She met his warm brown eyes, already melting, but she still needed to do the right thing. “I’m just not sure if we should go on another date. I’m not ready for a relationship.”
“Just give me a chance. One boat ride. You can do that, can’t you?” He leaned down and peered at her under her cap. “Do you have somewhere you need to jet off to?”
She laughed. “No.” Jenny probably didn’t jet off anywhere.
“Then it’s settled.”
She caved. Mostly because she longed to be Jenny with Josh one last time. And he was so set on taking her on a boat trip. Besides, he’d already borrowed the boat. It wasn’t like they’d be hooking up.
He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Lucky for you, I’m an expert boat guy. Captain, I mean. You can call me Captain.”
She laughed. “I remember how modest you are. You’re also an amazing big brother—”
“The best. And expert paddleboarder.” He grinned unrepentantly.
“Okay, but if I get wet, you’re going to be called something much worse than foxy.”
“Don’t you dare call me cute.” He raised his lip in a snarl. “Kiss of death.”
“I just might.” She pulled out her cell, smiling. “Hold on.” She quickly texted Hailey where she’d be and then she fell into the joy of being Jenny.
The boat ride was amazing or maybe that was the company. The boat was a light speedy craft made for six people at most. But it was just them. Josh was at the wheel and she stood next to him, enjoying the view, the sunshine, and fresh air. He had sunscreen, snacks, and drinks on the boat. She was glad she’d worn a cap to keep her wig in place and the sun off her face. They waved to the Statue of Liberty and to a few other passing boats. They ate trail mix and drank lemonade. She felt drunk with happiness. The exhilarating freedom out on the water, finally being with Josh again. He didn’t kiss her or touch her more than a hand squeeze. It was just pure fun with no heavy expectations.
Of course, eventually they had to go back to shore and face reality. But for the next three hours, she was Jenny and it was glorious. Finally Josh pulled back to the dock and tied up the boat.
He helped her off like the gentleman he was. “I was starting to think I was never going to see you again. I’m glad you came today.”
“Me too.”
“You hungry? There’s this great Irish pub. We could grab a drink and some dinner and talk.”
“Perfect.”
The pub was near the waterfront and crowded. Josh got a big welcome from the bartender, who came out from behind the bar to give Josh one of those guy handshake hugs. She gave the man a shy Jenny hello, careful to keep her head down, tilted away from the crowd. They were shown to a back booth away from the noisy bar. The lighting was dim and made it feel cozy. Within a few minutes they had two beers and a basket of chips.
They talked easily, picking up right where they’d left off. Josh was warm and funny, giving her the whole hilarious story of Hailey playing basketball. By the time they finished their meal, she was dreading goodbye. She didn’t want the day to end. And she still needed to explain that they couldn’t see each other again.
As if he sensed her darkening thoughts, he reached across the table and took her hand. “I want your number.” He squeezed her hand gently. “I want to see you again.”
She never gave out her number. Only a select few had it—her family, a few work people, Hailey, and Julia. She took a deep breath, knowing she finally had to end things.
“Josh, I had a really fun time today. And I just want to be clear…” She swallowed over the lump in her throat. She really hated hurting him. “Hailey told me you don’t usually have a second date. And I really enjoyed it, but—”
“I really like you.” He searched her eyes. “I know it’s not one-sided. I can see it in your eyes, hear it in your voice, feel it—”
“No. I’m sorry.” Her eyes stung with unshed tears. He was just so damn wonderful, but the person he wanted didn’t exist. He wanted a sweet small-town girl. She wasn’t sweet and hadn’t been small town in a very long time.
She gently extricated her hand from his grasp. “I just don’t feel the same way. It’s not you. You’re wonderful. I really mean that.”
“Bull.”
She sputtered at the harshness in his tone. “I’m sorry?”
His eyes were hard and direct. “Don’t feed me a line. Tell me the truth. Why do you want to ignore what we have between us? Two kick-ass dates, one crazy-good night, and then goodbye? If I have to say goodbye, I want the truth.”
She licked her lips nervously. It was hard to fake this when every part of her wanted to reach out, grab hold of him, and never let go. She took a deep breath. “I’m just not ready for a relationship.”
“Bull.”
“What do you want me to say?” she cried, struggling to keep it together. “I’m trying to be nice.”
“Fuck nice.”
She blinked back tears. Josh was reacting just as she’d feared. A spurned and angry ex could damage the Claire Jordan image in devastating ways. She didn’t want to lie anymore, pretending to be someone she wasn’t, but it was clear she couldn’t risk telling him the truth.
She closed her eyes, pulling herself back into character. She met his hard stare and said in an even tone, “I’m sorry. We can’t see each other anymore.”
He clenched his jaw, looking extremely pissed off, but said nothing.
She stood, took one step toward the door, and stopped next to him. “Goodbye,” she said softly.
He didn’t respond.
She bit her quivering lower lip, told herself to move, but she only managed one step when his hand shot out, wrapping around her wrist, holding her there. His hold was warm and firm, sending her pulse thrumming through her, all of her senses heightened, alert and aware, suddenly craving more of his heat, his touch, his—dammit. She couldn’t believe she could get turned on by a wrist hold from the man she was trying to say goodbye to.
She risked a look at him. His expression was unreadable, hard and devoid of emotion.
“Please let go,” she said softly, though some part of her wished he’d never let her go.
“Goodbye, whoever you are,” he said and let her go.
She bolted, her heart racing. He knew she was faking. She burst through the door and walked briskly uptown toward her hotel. After a block, she glanced back. He wasn’t following her. She was both relieved and disappointed. He didn’t know who she was, she was pretty sure, but he suspected something was off. He should suspect. Obviously she couldn’t pretend anymore. She was screwing it up, her performance permanently flawed by her longing for him.
She pulled out her cell and called her driver to pick her up at one of her favorite boutiques. Then she continued on, sticking to the crowd, hoping she’d blend in. So no one would notice the fake woman crying real tears.
~ ~ ~
Jake was pissed off. They’d had a great day together for the second time and now Jenny, or whoever she was, had given him some bullshit excuse. He was starting to suspect she wasn’t who she said she was. Things didn’t add up. Why she had no digital footprint for starters. He hadn’t imagined the very real tenderness in her expression when he gave her the gentleman treatment, or the easy way they were together, or the lust in her eyes whenever they got close. Why couldn’t she just be straight with him? Was she a fugitive? Witness protection program? What?
He couldn’t shake his foul mood the whole way back from the city. He didn’t even consider flying back home. He needed to talk to Josh.
As soon as he reached Josh’s place, he took one step inside, and Josh called from the sofa, “That bad, huh?”
Jake flopped down next to him. “She dumped me.”
Josh turned the volume down on the game. “Sorry.”
Jake grunted.
“Did you tell her who you were?”
“No.”
“Maybe it would make a difference. Tell her what you can offer her. Ya know, the jet, the yacht, the villa in France. Candy to a baby.”
Jake blew out a breath. “I don’t want her to want me for that. I want her to want me for me.”
Josh raised a brow in unspoken twin speak. She doesn’t.
Jake shoved a hand through his hair. “Something’s weird about her. I can’t put my finger on it.”
Josh went to the kitchen. “You want something?”
“Nah.” He grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.
Josh returned a few minutes later with a plate of reheated meatloaf and mashed potatoes. He ate pretty good from takeout at Garner’s. They watched the game in silence until a commercial came on and Josh nudged him. “Hey, I got something that’ll get your mind off weird Jenny.”
“I didn’t say she was weird. Just something weird about her.”
Josh shoved some meatloaf in his mouth and chewed before saying, “Ty told me he’s doing motorcycle stunts in the movie Fierce Longing. He’s stoked. The other guy got injured and they called him in last minute. Anyway, they’re filming not far from here. You know the Fierce trilogy? Mad’s really into it.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard some women talking about it.”
“Guess who’s in it.”
Jake let out a breath. “I don’t know. Just tell me.” He didn’t keep up with celebrity gossip.
“Claire Jordan.” Josh slowly shook his head, a goofy smile on his face. “She is smoking. Did you see her in Neighborly Attraction or Pleasant Town?”
“Sound like chick flicks.” He stared at his brother. “You watch that shit?”
“Blue Haze?”
His mind flashed to a killer bod streaked with dirt. “That spiked bikini? Hell. That was hot.” It was a post-apocalyptic movie and she’d played a reckless gang leader in a steamy desertlike future where everyone wore rags and metal. That bikini was something. He didn’t remember a single thing she said in the movie. It was all about the way she moved.
“Ty invited me for lunch on Tuesday,” Josh said. “It’s a closed set, but we can meet him at craft services. You want to go? Maybe you’ll get to meet Claire Jordan and be like Jenny who?”
Yeah. He wished he could forget Jenny that easily. But what else was he going to do? Mope around, pining for Jenny. “Sure.”
Josh finished his dinner and texted Ty, who got them on the security list.
That gave Jake the whole next day to work remotely and try not to think about Jenny. He was dealing with the latest crisis with their proprietary technology on the black market in Tanzania, which should’ve kept him focused, but his mind kept drifting to the puzzle of Jenny. He started thinking maybe she was married. Maybe she had a different last name. Maybe she used to be a man. All kinds of crazy shit came to him. But he knew she was all woman. It had been dark, but everything had been in the right place, and her responses were pure feminine bliss. Dammit. She was driving him nuts.
The next day they showed up at noon and were shown to an outdoor eating area with a couple of long tables tucked under some white tents. A palatial stone mansion sat in the distance, surrounded by acres of manicured lawn. A marble fountain in the center of a circular driveway added to the old European feel. Cool place to film.
Ty met them as soon as they cleared the security gate, striding toward them in a black leather jacket and jeans. “You made it!” Ty exclaimed, giving them both a hug with a lot of pounding on the back. “Not easy to find this place in the sticks.”
Josh grinned. “I’ve got an internal GPS. Anything good for lunch?”
“Yeah, we got sandwiches and meatball subs,” Ty said. “Come on.”
They headed to the tents where the crew was eating. He and Josh helped themselves to meatball sandwiches. They always preferred hot food to cold.
They settled at the table with Ty, who introduced them to some of the crew—camera guys, lighting, sound, and a couple of people from wardrobe.
Josh leaned across the table to Ty and whispered, “Will we meet Claire Jordan? Or Blake?”
Ty shook his head. “Nah. They don’t eat at this craft services. They have gourmet meals brought in for the upper level. We’re second tier.”
Jake raised a brow. Sounded snooty. Too big to eat with the little people.
They were halfway through lunch when a hush fell over the group.
Ty whispered, “Claire Jordan.”
Jake looked up to see the Claire Jordan standing at the other end of the table, talking to some of the crew. A large man hovered nearby, probably a bodyguard. She was smoking hot in a white leather jacket, navy skirt, and matching heels. Dark brown hair fell to her shoulders. She was made up, but not overly so, her skin flawless and glowing. Probably her costume for the movie. He’d read a little about the movie on the way here. She played a librarian that tangled with a billionaire tycoon in a dangerous game of corporate espionage. He knew he was staring, but he couldn’t help it. There was something about her, something so familiar. He’d only seen her in that bikini movie and his focus hadn’t been on her face. She looked completely different as a librarian. Her gaze caught on his briefly, and all of his senses heightened, goose bumps on top of goose bumps, a visceral response to the flash of recognition that shot through his brain. He did know her. He knew those eyes, the cheekbones, the straight nose, those full sweet lips. This was Jenny. His Jenny. It had to be. Or Jenny had an identical twin. Shit. Twins switching with twins? Unlikely. It had to be her.
She turned back to the camera guys, speaking quietly. He rubbed the goose bumps on his arms. He couldn’t tear his gaze away, his pulse pounding in his ears. The camera guys were very respectful, listening and nodding to whatever she was saying. He couldn’t hear her from this far away, especially with Ty and Josh trash-talking about the last basketball game.
Claire shifted, crossing toward the center of the group and addressing everyone with a small smile. “How’re you all doing? Enjoying this beautiful day?”
His pulse spiked with adrenaline. He knew that throaty, husky voice. The coloring was different—brown hair, hazel eyes—but that face, that body, that voice. How could this be? Why would Hailey set up Josh with the famous Claire Jordan? What did Claire Jordan want with a bartender? This was why she couldn’t see him anymore. She wasn’t a fugitive or married or a man. It was much worse than any of that (maybe not the man thing)—she was too big a star for a lowly bartender.
He stared at her, willing her to make eye contact, needing to see recognition in her eyes. She finally did and froze, jaw agape, looking first from him and then to Josh sitting next to him. He hadn’t told her one of his brothers was his identical twin. She quickly turned away. She definitely recognized him, though he wasn’t sure she knew which one was Josh and which was him. Not many people could tell them apart on first meeting.
“Claire!” Ty called. “My brothers wanted to meet you.”
She turned back, her expression composed into a smile that seemed forced. “Of course.” She came over and stood next to Ty.
“This is Josh and Jake. Identical, obviously. You can tell them apart, though. Josh smiles more and dresses like a slob.” Ty pointed at Josh.
Josh grinned.
Jake couldn’t speak, still in shock. He couldn’t believe he’d been so hung up on a person that didn’t exist. Was any of what they had real?
“Nice to meet you both,” Claire said with a cheery wave, already backing away. She whirled and strode back to the mansion.
Jake bided his time, waiting for everyone to finish lunch and head back to work. Then he pulled Josh aside. Ty followed them; he wasn’t needed on set for another hour. “Claire is Jenny,” Jake said in a low tone.
“Be serious,” Josh said.
Jake gave him the silent twin look.
Josh’s eyes widened. “Holy shit! Why would she want Hailey to set her up on a blind date?”
“I don’t know why she did it, but it was her.” He did a quick rewind through his time with Jenny. How they’d made love in the dark, how she’d told him not to mark her neck or touch her hair. Probably because she couldn’t play a shy librarian with a love bite on her neck. And that red hair must’ve been a wig. Fucking A. He felt like an idiot. He’d wanted her so bad he hadn’t even questioned her requests. The moment she said he could do anything he wanted besides biting or hair touching, he dove in. And he didn’t even get to do everything he wanted. Now he never would. She was so far out of his league.
Ty stared, disbelieving. “This Claire? The sexiest woman alive? You did not go out with Claire Jordan.”
“He slept with her,” Josh said.
They both gave him impressed looks.
“I can’t believe I didn’t put it together right away,” Jake said. “Her hair and eye color were different when I was with her, red hair and the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen.” He smacked his forehead. Contacts. How could he not have realized it? He stared at the mansion, where pseudo Jenny was filming the biggest movie of the year.
He rubbed the back of his neck. Where did this leave him? He thought back to their easy conversation, the chemistry, the passion. That couldn’t be faked. Even if Jenny wasn’t real, and even though he wasn’t Josh, the connection was real. He had a momentary worry over the sexiest-woman-alive label, but then he remembered he was the sexiest bachelor in Silicon Valley. That should count for something! His natural confidence returned. Hell, she said he was awesome in bed. Of course, she thought he was Josh at the time but whatever. He was awesome in bed and he could be more awesome given the chance.
He turned to Ty. “Can you pass along a message for me?”
“To Claire Jordan?” Ty croaked.
“Yeah.”
“Come on,” Ty moaned. “She’s my boss. Not just lead actress. This is under her production company. If I piss her off, she’s going to fire me. This is a big movie. I’m only here on her good graces as a last minute substitute.”
“I’ll owe you,” Jake said. “Whatever you want.”
Ty considered that. He knew Jake could come through with some pretty spectacular stuff.
Jake went on. “Just tell her Josh knows who went on that date.”
Ty’s brows slammed together. “Josh? I thought you went out with her.”
“We switched places for the night,” Jake said. “Josh wanted to mess with this other girl.”
Ty shook his head at the two of them. “You guys are fucked up. I can’t believe you’re still pulling this twin shit.”
“Just pass along the message,” Jake barked. “I’ll straighten out the Josh thing once I talk to her again.”
“Fine.” Ty jabbed a finger at him. “But you owe me big time, and I will call it in.”
“Anything,” Jake said and meant it.
Ty grinned. “I could use a new Ducati. There’s this sweet honey of a bike.” That was a top-of-the-line motorcycle. At least that was probably what Ty wanted. The best.
“Done.”
Josh piped up. “So what do I get for making this all possible?”
“You get to tweak Hailey’s nose,” Jake replied. “It’s what you live for, isn’t it?”
Josh shoved Jake’s shoulder. Hard. He shoved him back.
“Later,” Ty said and jogged back to work.
“Tell me how it goes,” Jake called.
Ty raised a hand in acknowledgment and kept going.
Josh turned to him. “You really think you have a shot with Claire Jordan?”
She was so far out of his league it wasn’t even funny. But he did have hope because she obviously wanted a taste of something different than the usual Hollywood elite. And he could hold his own with the rich and famous. “Yeah, I do.”
Josh shook his head. “Damn, I wish I’d gone on that date.”
Jake palmed Josh’s face and shoved. “With this face?”
Josh slapped his hand away. “What was I thinking?” he said with a laugh.
“Besides, then you would’ve missed the chance to go out with Hailey.”
“I go out with her all the time.” He put on a bored expression that didn’t fool Jake for a minute. “Wedding after wedding after wedding. I wouldn’t go if she didn’t pay me.”
“Sure, sure.”
“Shut up.”
They headed toward the access road where Josh had parked.
“Don’t forget your business dinner with the lovely lady,” Jake said just to razz him. “Not just weddings.”
“I’m not into her,” Josh insisted. “I tolerate her. That’s all.”
Jake shot him a skeptical look.
Josh smirked. “Damn, I can’t believe you got Claire Jordan for a blind date. All I ever get is the walking wounded.”
“Your own fault.”
“You gonna stick around a while?”
“Hell yeah. I’m just getting started.”
Josh rubbed his hands together. “This is gonna be good.”