Page 11 of And They Had a Great Fall

She continued, “I need to be as anonymous as possible. Mostly for Becca. If I’m identified, it inevitably leads to her. I keep imagining your fans approaching her on the street and that gives me the chills. I would never want anything we do to impact her safety.”

“Kat, oh God, of course,” he interjected, horrified at the thought.

“And the other reason I don’t want to be identified—or if I am, itmustbe just as acquaintances—is for my career. This is a bad time to look like I’m running around Copenhagen on vacation … with a celebrity no less. Iamhere because of the PVA launch, after all. A project that as of this morning, might not be going so smoothly.”

“Ahh.…” Jake said, giving her a knowing look. “That makes sense. Do they think you’re only here for work? Like, would you get in trouble if you’re inanyphotos with me? Because we’ll show up, at least on social media. It’s inevitable.”

“I did tell my boss I was going to visit a friend while I was here, so I didn’t lie. And I’m not here on the company dime, so a few friendly photos shouldn’t cause an issue. If this launch tanks and I appear distracted, itwillcause an issue. I will definitely lose the COO spot. I don’t think it’s inevitable that we will be photographed.” she said with defiance. “I believe if we follow a few simple rules, we’ll be okay.”

She is nothing if not a systematic thinker, he thought. “Rules?” Jake said, raising an eyebrow. “This should be interesting. Tell me your rules.” He tried not to smile as Kat began to speak in a serious tone.

“Rule number one: we shouldn’t touch in public. Don’t put your arm around me, grab my arm, etc. You are a touchy-feely person, but if you don’t touch me in public and there won’t be any photos that could be misconstrued. We don’t look like a couple, so there won’t be a problem.

“Rule number two: we need to be careful not to walk or stand super close. People don’t want me in the picture anyway. If we aren’t close, I won’t even show up. Problem solved, easy.

“Rule number three: we need to be careful going in and out of the apartment building. Whenever we can, we should try toseparate. Just to make it less obvious that I’m staying here. I don’t think anyone is going to stake out your apartment to see if I go in and out, but they will if we’re seen together repeatedly.” She finally paused to take a breath.

“Are you done?” he asked, “I mean, I was thinking I should be careful to not look directly at you, either. Kinda like a solar eclipse.” He was teasing, but he could feel his shoulders tighten as the stress crept into his body. He understood her reasons, but he didn’t like her rules. He didn’t want to live a stilted existence out in public. And as someone who had lived in the public eye for nearly ten years, he knew these rules wouldn’t work for long. He worried about what would happen when they were photographed together. Because they would be, and for someone who lived with emotions on the surface, it would be hard to pretend she was just a casual acquaintance. But he would try, for her.

Jake reached over and shook Kat’s hand as if it were a business transaction. “Deal,” he said. “We’ll hang out, but never be in the same space or look each other in the eye. Sounds like a blast.”

Kat went into the bedroom to put on some mascara and changed her outfit now that the apartment was in better shape. She wanted to be more presentable, knowing that there was a chance any of their interactions could be immortalized via social media. It made her uncomfortable, but she figured her rules—even the ones Jake mocked—would prevent too many photos from being taken, and most importantly, help them steer clear of any internet chatter that would involve her.

After she had pulled on a pair of jeans, T-shirt, sweater, and a pair of bright white trainers, she looked in the mirror. She wanted to look casual and put together without appearing as if she was trying too hard. Although, shewastrying … and this felt … hard. Looking at herself now, the woman that stared backat her looked more youthful than she felt. She always considered herself an old thirty-three-year-old. She already had a child and the big job. Her life had accelerated in a way that made her feel older than her years.

Pulling her hair into a top knot, she turned to see Jake walk out of the bathroom dressed in a pair of ripped jeans, a concert T-shirt, and a black hoodie. Jake looked like he didn’t try, but somehow, was also on the cutting edge of fashion. He had a distinct street style that looked both casual and put together at the same time. It registered in her mind how very young he appeared.

The actual age discrepancy between them was eight years, but if you didn’t know that fact, you would assume the age gap was even larger. If the roles had been reversed, and she were a man, it wouldn’t raise eyebrows. But, in this instance, looking physically like she was at least ten to twelve years older than him made her uncharacteristically self-conscious.

He was running his hands through his wet hair, fresh from the shower. It was all the grooming he needed to do to arrange his curls into a perfect, tousled mop. She shook her head at the unfairness. His hair was part of his look and one thing most people noticed first when they picked him out of a crowd. There was an entire fan-run Instagram devoted to his hair. Like two million other people, Kat followed it.

He picked up his wallet by the door and put it in his pocket. Kat tucked her phone in her back pocket and met him at the door.

“So, where do you want to go?” he asked, stepping into her personal space.

“It’s a surprise. Just you wait. I have a plan. You’ll see,” she said, reaching for the door handle.

She felt him take her hand and before she could react, he pushed her up against the door. His lips met hers in a soft and tentative kiss. It was a repeat of the earlier kiss: sweet, sensual,and lingering for just long enough. But instead of pulling away, he deepened the intensity of the kiss. They kissed until they were both out of breath, and she felt Jake’s body against hers. Kat shut off her mind and her body responded to him, running her fingers through his hair as her tongue met his.

When he pulled away and stepped backward, despite herself, she let out a small, almost imperceptible whimper. She wished she didn’t want him as much as she did, but that kiss nearly undid her.

He smirked and reached behind her to open the door. “Good,” he said, “I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page.”

Well, that certainly wasn’t her imagination.

chapter six

Jake pulled a ball cap out of his back pocket and pulled it on before they stepped out of the apartment building. He slipped on sunglasses despite the overcast day. While it was easier to move around Copenhagen than New York, he couldn’t always escape fans or the occasional paparazzi. He was used to it, but it made things a little more difficult.

He was taking extra precautions today, because he understood Kat’s reasons for distancing herself in public.As long as she doesn’t distance herself when we’re alone, he thought, his heart still racing from the kiss at the door. He didn’t know how their relationship would change as they navigated a public existence. In the shelter of the pandemic, they’d been quarantined together and could explore each other unencumbered by public scrutiny. He doubted Kat really understood the unwieldy nature of his life at the moment.

He clenched his jaw when he thought about the incessant public focus on his love life. It was hard enough to be taken seriously as a young actor without being linked to every woman in his presence. Every female under thirty he’d been photographed with in the past year had set off a flurry of dating rumors. He wished he got the same immediate reactions to new projects he signed, instead of the obsession over what he wore, where he dined, and who he dated.

He smiled to himself when he thought about being with Kat: they were a secret, kept from the whole world, including those close to them. In a world where everything he did was out in public, it felt special to have something that was just his. Being with her now, he realized how close he’d been to pushing her out of his life.

He thought about the text Kat had sent when he’d hastily left New York before she could arrive. He didn’t hear from her until the next day when she’d written:It’s fine. Just because we fuck around sometimes doesn’t mean I can have expectations of you. I get it. Enjoy your travels.At first, he’d read the text at face value because that was what they agreed to during a hushed discussion in the twilight hours before he’d left for a short film in Croatia. They’d made a pact:

Stay close.

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