CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Chase woke me around noon by kissing the back of my neck, getting me all hot and bothered before I’d even regained consciousness. “Stop that.” I swatted at him, and he laughed and nipped the spot he’d just kissed before he released me and got out of bed. I heard a zipping sound that I guessed was his suitcase.
The mattress tugged to one side when he sat. “I got you a present.”
“Last night was the best present ever,” I told him, stretching like a sunned and well-rested cat. His eyes roved over me and then snapped up to my face. Getting to be with him all night, having him say he loved me . . . what could be better?
As if he could read my thoughts, he said with a smile, “I promise you someday I’ll show you the best present ever.” As I flushed, he handed me a wrapped package. “But for now, there’s this.”
It was a heavy, wrapped rectangle. The words Debauve & Gallais were printed on royal blue-and-gold wrapping paper. I pulled off the paper and found a leather-bound book inside. It was the same royal-blue color with gold embossing around the edges and an elaborate design in the middle. I started to thank him for the book, but when I opened it, I realized it wasn’t an actual book. It was a box of expensive-looking chocolates.
“I heard the way to a woman’s heart is with chocolate.”
Excited, I gobbled up one of the truffles, and it melted in my mouth with a smoothness that American chocolate seemed to lack. “Mmm. This is so rich it should have its own trophy wife.”
“You shouldn’t make sounds like that. When you do, I want to finish what we started.” He kissed me, tasting the chocolate on my lips and mouth, leaving me dizzy. “But we have a lot to do today.”
“I’ve been so focused on school for the past couple of weeks that I honestly forgot about the party and premiere. I don’t have anything to wear.” I assumed one did not show up to a Hollywood movie premiere in a dress she had bought from Walmart.
“Don’t worry about it. One-F is sending over a stylist and people to do hair and makeup. I can just buy whatever dresses you choose.”
“I can buy my own dresses,” I told him. I ate chocolate between sentences. “Or buy one and wear it to both events.”
“You should probably let me pick up the tab on this,” he said. “Your picture will be taken, and you’ll want to be in the same kind of expensive clothes as everybody else.”
I paused, a piece of chocolate hovering in front of my mouth. “Are we going to take pictures together?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “We can if you want, but I’d prefer not to, just because I want you to keep your privacy for as long as possible. And don’t fight me on this dress thing. Just let me do it.”
“Fine. But you should know I’m financially independent. I make over four figures a year.”
Chase grinned. “So what you’re saying is, I’ll be a kept man.”
“I’ll keep you for as long as you’ll let me.”
His blue eyes danced just before he kissed me, and his kiss was better than any French chocolate.
“I have a phone meeting scheduled with my agent in half an hour. I’m going to take a shower, and then we can have lunch and get ready for my mom’s fund-raiser. And before you say anything, I know, standard introvert rules apply. You don’t have to talk to anyone but me. I just don’t want to be there without you.”
“Okay. I guess I can go because I love you. I’ll even take a shower so I don’t stink.”
“Awfully considerate of you.” He kissed me quickly and then headed into his bathroom. He paused. “Were you planning on taking one now? Or did you want to join me?”
I hoped he couldn’t see my cheeks flush from there. “I thought I’d wait until you’re done and use yours.” I didn’t want to get out of his bed and stop eating my delicious chocolates until I absolutely had to.
His hand gripped the door frame. “You should probably use the guest room to shower and change. Because I can’t be held responsible for my actions if you wander around my room in nothing but a towel.”
Gulping, I nodded and skittered off the bed. I grabbed my clothes from the previous night and went to a different bathroom. Where I refused to let my imagination run wild and instead just focused on what we had to do that day.
And how I could hardly wait for his mom’s fund-raiser to be over so I could end up right back here, in his arms.
When we had both showered and dressed, he defrosted a lasagna Sofia had made and entertained me with stories from his press tour. Most of them involved Amelia acting like a moron, and I felt silly that I’d ever thought him capable of cheating with her.
An hour later the stylist and her beauty team showed up with boxes of makeup and hair products, a rack of dresses, and loads of shoes in a variety of sizes and styles. Lexi would freak. No wonder she wanted to work in Hollywood so badly.
I ended up gravitating toward a royal-blue cocktail dress for the party, which reminded me of the box of chocolates Chase had given me, and a red formal-length one for the premiere, which I chose only because of how it made Chase’s eyes light up when he saw me in it. It was a little bold for my taste, with a high leg slit and a neckline a tad lower than I’d normally wear, but he’d made me feel beautiful in it. There were no price tags, which concerned me, because I had learned that meant “more than a normal person can afford.” But I’d said I wouldn’t fight him, so I just smiled and thanked him instead.
Chase got a phone call and excused himself as they started getting me ready. He didn’t come back into the room, and I heard him go upstairs to get ready. He came down in a gorgeous, perfectly fitted dark suit. My heart did a tiny flip when I saw he had chosen a metallic royal-blue tie that matched my dress.
But something was off. He seemed frustrated and was uncharacteristically quiet. “What’s wrong?”
“That movie? Spectrum? It’s falling apart. I invested some of my own money in it. It’s a mess. But I don’t want to think about it. Let’s just go and have a good time.” He kissed the back of my hand and forced a smile.
When we arrived at the venue, Chase directed the driver to drop me off at a back entrance. His mother would expect him to walk the red carpet and have his picture taken for publicity. “I’d much prefer to sneak in with you, but my mom is miserable when she doesn’t get her own way.”
While waiting for the security guard to look up my name, I heard someone call out, “Zoe!” I turned to see One-F walking toward me. It was funny. I hadn’t seen him in person since I’d dropped a bowling ball on his foot, but given how often we’d corresponded via e-mail, I felt like I’d just talked to him.
“One-F! How’s the foot?”
He held it out in front of him. “Much better. How’s the boyfriend?”
“Amazing.” It was such a relief to be able to talk to someone who knew Chase and I were together.
It’s your fault that nobody else does, that voice whispered. I knew that. Which was why I had already planned to sit Lexi down tomorrow and confess.
One-F presented his arm. “Will you allow me to escort you inside? My boss would not be happy if I let anything happen to his favorite person.”
His favorite person. I let those words light me up like the massive Christmas tree in Marabella’s main square.
The guard found both of our names, and I slipped my arm through One-F’s. “I’m glad your foot is better. Sorry about that again, by the way.”
“You know, I think it might have been worth sacrificing a foot to see Chase so happy.”
The benefit was being held at a club on the beach that was constructed almost entirely out of glass. I could see Chase on the red carpet, smiling and waving, turning and posing. I couldn’t believe someone so wonderful and beautiful could actually be mine. I noticed his publicist behind him, urging him on every few feet. The one Lexi had flirted with to meet Chase. What was his name? Oh. Right. Aaron.
“Can the people outside see us?” I asked.
“No, it’s reflective glass. We can see out, but nobody can see in.”
Which meant Chase and I didn’t have to pretend we weren’t together once he came in.
One-F offered to grab us something to eat and drink, and I told him I was fine. He said he’d be back, leaving me to watch Chase. He was so good at what he did. Every reporter he talked to wore a huge smile after he finished speaking to them.
Chase finally made it inside, and I saw his face flatten into a look of exhaustion for a second before we made eye contact. Then the sparkle was back in his eye. “Good. You’re still here. I was worried you’d meet somebody else and run off with him.”
“There’s nobody here who compares to you.”
“Not even James Cruz?”
I blinked. “Who?”
That made him grin, pull me toward him, and kiss me so thoroughly that I forgot we were in a room full of people. He finally stopped, remembering himself, but he kept his arm around my waist, holding me close.
Many people came up to say hello to us. Well, to Chase. People looked at me curiously, but Chase didn’t introduce me, and I didn’t offer any explanation. It was nobody else’s business.
“Mom! I want you to meet my girlfriend, Zoe.”
Chase’s mother had to be in her early sixties, but she looked twenty years younger. She wore a champagne-colored dress and a delicate floral scent. She had the same bright blonde hair as Chase, the same blue eyes.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you!” I held out my hand, and she took it gingerly. She nodded to me but focused all her attention on her son.
“I wanted to let you know that Richard and I are getting divorced. It’s going to be announced in a press release tomorrow. My publicist has hopes of getting some morning talk shows as well.”
“Did you cheat on him?” Chase’s words were measured, angry.
“It’s nothing to concern yourself with.” She kissed Chase’s cheek, leaving a lip print behind. “I shouldn’t neglect my guests.”
She walked away, and I reached up to rub off her lipstick. His jaw was tight, and the veins in his neck were popping. I’d never seen him mad like this before.
“She uses my fame to get those talk shows. She thinks if she gives me a heads-up that everything is fine, and it doesn’t matter that she uses my name to get herself on television. That she exploits every divorce as a way to grab more publicity. She acts like we have the best relationship in the world when she barely even speaks to me. Unless she wants something.”
I hugged him, not sure what to say or do. A second later I felt his arms circle around me.
“My mother makes me want to drink.”
“But you won’t.”
“I won’t,” he agreed in a gruff voice. “But I really want to.”
A glass broke behind him, and I peered over his shoulder to see a waiter trying to pick up the large shards. Chase released me, and I turned around. My stomach sank, and sweat broke out along my hairline when I saw who was standing in front of us.
It was Stephanie. Hair done, makeup on, wearing a sophisticated little black dress.
Please don’t let her say anything stupid, I begged. Please.
But apparently no one heard my plea.
Hoping I could get her away from Chase and explain the situation to her, I said, “Stephanie! I didn’t know you’d be here. Have you tried the dessert bar yet? It’s supposed to be amazing.”
She ignored the last part. “The SSLF was kind enough to invite several heads of ocean-related charities to the event. It’s been an excellent way to network.”
When she said that, I knew I was done for.
“Mr. Covington? I’m so glad to meet you. I’m Stephanie Barber. I’m Zoe’s boss.” She offered him her hand, and not realizing what was about to happen, he shook it enthusiastically. I felt like an extra in a zombie movie. Where the zombie was slowly shuffling toward me, but instead of running away, I just stood there in dread, waiting for my life to be over. “I heard about your relationship with our Zoe, and I’m so hopeful you’ll be able to attend the Ocean Life Foundation fund-raiser next month. I’m sure she’s told you all about it.”
My mouth dropped, and my insides constricted. Heard about our relationship? How? No one knew.
And I most definitely had not told him anything about the fund-raiser.
“Zoe?” Chase asked, looking confused.
“Chase, it’s not—”
Stephanie interrupted me before I could explain. “We’re having a bit of a competition at our organization to see which intern can land the biggest celebrity. And I think Zoe might win that, don’t you?” She had a laugh that reminded me of a hyena mixed with a donkey, but all I could think about was how she was destroying everything, given the way Chase’s face had fallen. “I mean, who’s a bigger star than you? I told Zoe we could assure her a place at the Foundation after graduation if she could help us nab a big name. And here you two are.”
“It’s not like that,” I tried to tell him. She’d made it sound like I’d been scheming and plotting and using him.
Stephanie handed him her business card and said, “I’ll have Zoe give you all the details, but please don’t hesitate to call me anytime if you have any questions.”
As if she didn’t care about the nuclear bomb she’d just lobbed into my life, she walked away blissfully unaware, stalking her next victim.
“Is it true?” Chase asked, his face cold and impassive.
“No! I mean, yes, the things she said were true, but that is not why I—”
“Chase, you need to see what just popped up in my alerts.” Aaron approached with his phone out and showed it to Chase. Aaron shot me a dirty look, which bewildered me. What had I ever done to him? “I thought One-F had her sign an NDA. I warned you about dating someone we hadn’t thoroughly vetted.”
What now?
Before I could ask what was going on, Chase turned the phone toward me. “Care to explain?”