Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 90598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Leila’s eyes grow wide when she sees my eyes. I cover her mouth immediately and gently pull her into the alcove to ensure there’s no one around.
“Please don’t freak out. I really don’t want anyone knowing I’m here.”
“You really are Spencer James,” she whispers. Despite her quiet tone, I still look around to make sure no one heard. We’re safe for now.
“Yeah, I really am.”
“Oh my God, my dog totally ruined your clothes and nearly knocked you over, and you’re a freaking celebrity!” All this is barely audible, and it makes me laugh.
“Don’t worry about it, Leila.”
“That explains why you wouldn’t tell me your name,” she mutters.
I shrug. “It was kind of nice chatting with someone who didn’t know me. Besides, I loved playing with Shiloh for a little bit. I’m too busy to have a dog of my own.”
“I’m sure you could afford dog walkers and sitters if you really wanted to.”
“True, but it wouldn’t be my dog if someone else took care of it all the time.”
Leila furrows her brow. “That’s very … down to Earth of you. Not what I expected after all the tabloids I’ve seen.”
I blow out a breath. “Those people extrapolate something from nothing.”
“So you’ve never thrown a punch in a crowded club?”
“Not when it wasn’t deserved.”
This makes Leila laugh, and my heart melts at the sound. Her dark, curly hair blows in the light breeze, sticking to her face no matter how many times she pushes it away. Those sweet, brown eyes look at me with wonder. So far, she’s not totally freaking out, which is nice. I might get to keep my secret walks through the park a secret for a while longer.
“I used to be a really big fan of yours,” Leila blurts out.
“Used to be? Ouch.” I cover my heart with my hands, feigning injury.
Leila laughs again. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just haven’t really seen you in anything recently. Except for the tabloids.”
“Don’t worry, no one has. I guess you could say my career has reached a slump. I only do crappy movies now, the ones that go straight to DVD. I’m lucky if a streaming service adds them to their library.”
“Well, according to those tabloids, you’re some big, bad boy now. That’s probably why no one wants to work with you.”
“You don’t pull any punches, do you?”
“Am I supposed to?”
“No, I prefer it this way. I’m just used to the people I meet asking for an autograph or for me to say a line from As We Grow.”
“Do you even remember any of your lines?”
I shake my head. “I usually prompt them to say one first, then repeat it the way I remember talking back then. I like to think my voice is a little deeper than it was when I was on the show. I mean, it ended when I was sixteen.”
“You’re right; you don’t sound anything like you did on TV. You don’t seem like the guy in the tabloids, either, but I guess we’re not drunk at a club, so I can’t really judge.”
“That’s just my reputation.”
“Is it a good one? I don’t really know how Hollywood works.”
I sigh. “Nope, you were right when you said my attitude is losing me jobs. At least, that’s what my agent keeps telling me every time he slaps another magazine against my chest. In my defense, those fights aren’t my fault. Like I said, I only throw a punch when the other person deserves it.”
“I’m not trying to judge you. I only know what I’ve seen or heard about you. It’s not like I really know you.”
“A lot of people would say that what they’ve seen or heard is enough to know me.”
“I guess I’m not a lot of people. Maybe I’ll learn. I’ve only been in California for six months, and you’re the first celebrity I’ve met.”
“Seriously? You didn’t go on a celebrity tour your first week?”
She laughs so hard she snorts. “Not even close! I’ve been too busy, anyway. I’m an interior designer, and this market is harder to break into than I expected.”
“I can imagine. Just like with Hollywood. It seems like everything is hard out here.”
“At least the weather is nice. I’m from Massachusetts where it rains and snows a lot. Days like this aren’t common over there.”
“Is that the only thing you like about Los Angeles so far?”
She bites her lip. “Will you judge me if I say it is?”
“Not at all. That just means you need to see that there are far greater things than the weather in Los Angeles.”
“Are you saying I should go on one of those celebrity tours?”
“Please, God, no. But if you like being out in nature, hiking around Griffith Park is a lot of fun.”
“Are pets allowed?”
“Yup. I think Shiloh would enjoy the more difficult terrain. You can tucker him right out.”