Shane

"Sir?"

I looked across the table at Brittany and then up at the waiter who was standing next to my chair, both of whom were staring right at me. "Oh, sorry. I'll have the eight ounce tenderloin."

"How would you like that done, sir?"

"Rare, please."

"Very good, I'll be back with your drinks."

"Thanks … thank you very much," I stammered as I handed the waiter my menu. I felt like a rug had been pulled out from underneath me. Seeing Maggie after all this time had left me completely flustered. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't wondered if she was still living on the island. This was her home and had been her family's home for generations. I knew exactly how important this island was to her. I just hadn't planned on seeing her so soon.

I'd thought I'd look her up after the deal went through and I got settled in. I'd pictured it more than once, actually. Taking her out to lunch, then maybe down to the cove where we could watch the sunset and see the night sky fill with stars. But all of that was ridiculous. Especially since Brittany was here with me now.

"Are you okay?" Brittany asked after taking a sip of her lemon water. "You seem strange."

"I'm fine. I think I'm just really hungry. It's getting kind of late."

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting all those people to keep stopping you. I guess they don't just gawk here, like in LA. They actually want you to stop and talk to them," she said as she glanced around the restaurant.

"Well, I know some of these people. They haven't seen me for years and they're curious."

"Just be careful, Shane. You're too trusting. I know people, and they all want something. Especially from the movie star who's come back home. From what I've seen so far, you're the most exciting thing that has happened on this island in a decade."

"They're nice people, Brittany."

"They can't all be nice."

"Well, maybe not, but …" I was going to say something else, but I let myself drift off. I couldn't get my mind off Maggie, and how amazing it was to see her. She looked spectacular. Her dazzling blue eyes set off by beautiful olive skin just about shut my brain down completely. I was surprised I got a single intelligible word out from the moment I saw her. And I didn't know if I was imagining it, but when she looked up at me I could have sworn that she was blushing.

I wanted to say so much more to her, but my stupid Shane Holloway public persona took over and I practically became a used car salesman. At least that's what I always sound like to myself. My manager says it's fine, that it helps with the public's perception of me. It keeps me at a distance and doesn't reveal anything too personal. But it isn't me at all, that act I put on. It's just something that I've learned to do ever since I got to Hollywood—a trick that helps me get through it all.

I played that moment over in my head, when Maggie's eyes slowly moved up my chest. Those thick lashes slowly rising up until her eyes finally met mine. Then that sweet look that flashed across them when she smiled.

"Is it? Shane? Hello?"

I was jolted out of my daydream with Brittany snapping her red nailed fingers in front of my face. "Sorry, babe. What did you say?"

"I asked how your steak is. I think I'm going to send mine back. It tastes like they ran down the street and bought it at the supermarket."

"Sure, do whatever you want."

"Jeeze, Shane, where are you? You've been on another planet ever since we landed."

"I don't know. Maybe it was the flight. I'm pretty beat."

"So, are you saying that this is it for tonight?"

"What do you mean? Did you want to do something else?"

"Well, I thought you were going to show me around. Take me out on the town. There is more to the town than this, isn't there?"

"Yeah … yeah, I mean, I'm sure there's a lot more since the last time I lived here. But maybe we can do that tomorrow. Explore a little … find a nice quiet coffee shop."

"Coffee shop? I was thinking something a little more … adult. Like a club?"

I looked at Brittany like she was speaking another language. Standing around in a club and trying to have a conversation over blaring music was just about the last thing I wanted in my life. I'd left LA to get away from all of that. I thought she understood. I thought she wanted the same thing.

"Why don't we talk about this later. After we get back to the house. I'm really beat."

"Okay." Brittany smiled, but it didn't seem very genuine. She had actually been pretty unhappy with just about everything since we landed. I was starting to get the feeling I shouldn't have agreed to have her move here with me. I didn't want to think that way so soon after arriving, especially since I was really wiped out from all the excitement, but she really seemed like a different person ever since we landed.

Back in LA, the very first time I mentioned the possibility of buying some property and moving back here, she was convinced that it would be the best thing for our relationship. We would both be able to settle down and relax, as she put it. I explained that it would all take a while—the real estate deal and building a house—but none of that seemed to concern her a bit.

Just before we left LA I was lucky enough to rent a gorgeous house that sat on the edge of a cliff and overlooked the land I was in the process of purchasing. From the images I saw online, it had full glass walls with a gorgeous view of the ocean as well as the thick forest and beaches on all three sides.

I told Brittany that we would probably be living there for a while. I still wasn't one-hundred-percent sure what I was going to do with the land. My dream was to build a house for myself and my family. I wanted to bring them back to the island where I grew up. I knew they loved it here and I wanted to provide my parents with a paradise where they could both retire and live out the rest of their lives.

I planned on hiring the right people for the job, though. I didn't want to disturb the land too much. I wanted every part of the process and everything that was done to the land to blend in with the surrounding area. I wanted it to stay as perfect as I remembered it—back in high school when I went there with Maggie.

It was such a strange coincidence, seeing her almost first thing when I got back to the island.

"I can't believe they haven't come back here to check if we need anything. I'm not even going to bother sending the steak back now. It's been almost fifteen minutes. Don't they know who you are?"

"What? What's that supposed to mean? I don't expect special treatment because of who I am. That's silly, Brittany."

"I don't think the waiter checking to see if we need anything, like another drink, is considered special treatment, but maybe it is on this special island."

"Come on, Brittany, just let it go. It's busy here, and I want to get back to the house and relax."

I motioned to the waiter for the check and he brought it right away.

"I hope everything was to your liking."

"Well, the steak wasn't exactly what I was expecting and we could have used more drinks, but—"

"Everything was fine, thank you."

I dropped my credit card on the tray and the waiter glanced at Brittany. "Is there anything else I can get for you, ma'am?"

"Not now. Thanks." I watched that smug, glued-on smile on Brittany's face fade as the waiter walked off. Her eyes met mine and she gave me a "what the fuck" look. "It's his job, Shane. He's supposed to take care of us. That's what he gets paid to do. Besides, I can't believe he called me ma'am."

"You don't have to be so nasty about it."

"You think that was nasty?"

"Never mind. Let's just go."

I signed the slip and put my card in my wallet, then stood and waited for Brittany to walk in front of me before leaving. I suddenly didn't want to look at her face anymore. If this was what she was like when she was tired or stressed out, all I could do was hope that being on this island would relax her like she said it would.