Page 21 of (Not So) Famous in Paradise

I know Zach has muscles. I’ve seen the evidence. But today, I felt it too. He picked me up like I’m a skinny little thing. And I am not that. I’ve never wanted to be, and I’m not ashamed of my weight. I’m healthy, curvy, and happy to be both.

But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t surprised that Zach could still carry me around like nothing. Or that I didn’t enjoy feeling his biceps and forearms pressed around my thighs and back. In fact, that’s what made me uncomfortable about the whole thing—how much I enjoyed it.

And that’s written all over my face in the series of pics Stella took.

Obviously, it’s been way too long since I’ve been in a relationship, if something Zach’s done a million times before has me looking that hot and bothered.Embarrassing.

Which makes me think I need to take a closer look at the other pics Stella posted. So I scroll again and grow even more uncomfortable. Stella’s not wrong about the interaction between Zach and me. She’s captured more chemical reactions than Zach and I ever made happen in actual high school chemistry. If I didn’t know we were friends, I’d think we were more. We really do love each other, and it shows.

It’s just weird that a picture makes it so hard to distinguish betweenlovelove and friend love.

I keep scrolling, trying to determine if I’m reading too much into them. That’s entirely possible. Maybe no one else will see what I think I see.

A knock at the door startles me, and I toss my phone aside to answer it. Rowdy’s there with my food in hand, a beautiful blonde at his side.

“There’s the famous movie star!” he says.

“Definitely no movies in my future,” I laugh.

“Never say never, but it’s great to see your face in real life instead of on a screen.” He hands me my bag full of food, then wags his head toward the blonde. “This is Tessa, my fiancée.”

“So nice to meet you. I hear you’re from Los Angeles. I live there now, too.” The smell of the fries wafts out of the bag, and my stomach growls loud enough to embarrass us all. “Do you want to come in for a bit?” I ask to try to cover the growl that follows the first.

“No, but thanks,” Rowdy says. “Eat your dinner and get some rest. I talked to Zach. Sounds like it was a pretty grueling day.”

“That’s one way to put it,” I sigh.

“I’d love to get together some other time, when you’re not starving.” Tessa grins, and I like her already. “We can talk LA stuff.”

“Sounds amazing!” I wave good-bye, then close the door and dig into the fries.

I should sit at the kitchen table, but I go back to the couch and turn on the TV. I tell myself I’m going to watch something that doesn’t have anything to do with home renovations or design, but after ten minutes of flipping through channels, I end up on HGTV.

Watching TV feels like a waste of time when there’s so much to do. So I make it work. I can check out the competition and maybe get some ideas for my show.

Ten minutes intoThe Property Brothersand my dinner, my phone buzzes with a text. I open the message to see a picture of Evie with a ring on her finger. I scream, and before I can tell Siri to call her, my phone rings and Evie’s picture pops up.

“You’re engaged!” I yell into the phone.

“Yes!” She squeals back. “And also deaf now.”

“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” I lower my voice but not my enthusiasm. “I’m so happy for you!”

Evie has been my best friend since we were roommates at Savannah College of Art and Design, and Adam has been one of my closest friends since…I don’t know. Birth? I knew they’d be perfect for each other before they even met. Which is part of the reason I hired Evie to be in charge of the renovation of this house.

But mostly I hired her because I know how talented she is.

Thanks to Evie, Grandma Rose’s turned out even better than I’d imagined, and I’ve got my own show. I couldn’t be any more thrilled about that, but now that she and Adam are engaged? That’s the icing on the cake—the wedding cake (cue rim shot).

“Tell me all about it.” I set my tray of fries on the glass-topped coffee table with antlers for legs. Evie designed it, and it’s my favorite thing in the house.

“It was perfect,” she sighs. “He showed up at Pedro’s Tacos, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him. I didn’t even know he was coming to New York. Did you?”

“I did.” I laugh. “I also told him he had to smile when he asked you. Did he?”

Before she can answer, I hear Adam’s voice in the background. “Yes, I smiled!”

“He came close,” Evie amends. “But he definitely smiled after I said yes. In fact, he’s still smiling.”

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