Page 24 of Fool Me

Behind him, a dozen well-tended mansions, their ocean fronts jutted with balconies and glass, formed a wall of conspicuous wealth that shielded the private hideaway from the roadway. Between that and the scary-looking private security guards stationed at each end of the beach, Grant saw little need for the ‘Keep Out. Private’ signs posted at regular intervals.

He’d heard whispers of a secret celebrity beach, but assumed they were just stories, because, legally, weren’t all of California’s beaches open to the public? The longer Grant lived in LA, the more he understood that rules apply differently to different people. Sadie wouldn’t likely have access to a place like Be-Seen either, but Ronny would. He must have suggested and arranged this place, a paparazzi paradise, for their last date.

Even on this sunny day, Grant’s thoughts clouded over.Their last date.

Would it signal the end of a six-year pipe dream or be the beginning of his life with the woman who captured his heart the moment he saw her?

The fact that Sadie had allowed Ronny to share the details of date number three with him in advance ignited the tiniest spark of hope. Perhaps their mud wrestling evening had thawed something between them after all? Or maybe Ronny had leaned on Sadie harder now that Ronny was Grant’s agent.

Hoping to calm his fraying nerves, he closed his eyes and tipped his head toward the sun. His mind stilled, and he heard Amrita’s words again: “Patience is the most beautiful prayer.”Yes.Love at first sight forhimdidn't mean that Sadie would automatically return those feelings. Patience remained his best plan, especially since there was no way to know where he stood until she arrived. Only then could try to get a read on her feelings toward him.

“There you are, Grantee,” Sadie said from his right. He opened his eyes, and his hopes of discerning her feelings plummeted. A Barbie doll would have lost the ‘Painted on Smile Award’ to Sadie. They were in public, so she was already in acting mode.

“You certainly look ready to be seen,” she said next. “Hoping to impress someone today?”

He felt the nakedness of his torso as she looked him up and down. He wasn’t big into the gym, but he loved running and watched what he ate.

“Only you,” he said, giving her a genuine smile. Taking in her outfit, he added, “And you look…very protected.” An oversized and completely shapeless army-green t-shirt dwarfed her torso, beneath which a long-sleeved, high-necked, and bright orange swimsuit covered her legs all the way to her knees. A faded and badly bent gray baseball cap with a frog embroidered on the front corralled her curls, and a thick white paste coated her button nose. “What’s that on your nose? SPF 6000?”

“Zinc cream.” She pulled on the stretchy material at her thigh and gave it a snap. “Unlike you, I can’t be too careful about wrinkles. Leading men develop character as they age, but leading ladies become character actors.”

“Well, no wrinkles are going to pierce your defenses today,” Grant said. He motioned toward the water. “Should we head to the beach?”

She nodded and they began making their way over the sand. He would have offered to carry her beach bag or chair, but she had only the towel slung over her arm. The Sadie of their college days had been the “mom” of her group of friends. Everyone counted on her to plan for whatever snacks or supplies they might need on a day trip or even a library study session. Either she was no longer that person, or she didn’t expect to be at the beach for long.

“This is quite a spot,” she said.

“No kidding. I thought it was apocryphal.”

“I’d never heard of it, and I’ve lived in LA my whole life.” She whistled as she looked around. “Oh, my. Just look at the all the beautiful women.”

“I think the guards only let good-looking people in,” Grant said.

“Good thing Ronny put my name on a list then,” Sadie said.

Grant laughed. “Even wearing enough UV protection to vacation on the sun, you’re the prettiest woman here—by a long shot.”

“You know,” Sadie said in a lowered voice, “the sounds of the waves and wind are probably loud enough that we don’t have to worry too much about people overhearing. We just need to keep up visual pretenses for the photographers. Smile, smile, smile.”

“Oh, okay, that’s probably true,” he replied. He forced himself to smile, but inside, his heart crumpled. So far, she didn’t seem to feel any differently toward him. She was still doing a job. But with his next breath, he forced those thoughts down. He couldn’t afford to let negativity ruin his chances. If this date wasn’t over, his dream wasn’t either. There had to be some way to strike up a real conversation. Oddly, she kept stealing glances at him as they walked. Maybe she was trying to come up with something to talk about too.

“So, did you manage to get all the mud off you?” he asked. “I swear I was still finding it in my ears three days later. That sure was fun though.”

“It all washed off,” she said flatly.

So much for that. Maybe he needed to stick to current topics.

Out of the blue, she pointed toward a large-chested woman in an apricot bikini playing frisbee. “Look at those double lattes. Bet you’d like to get coffee with her!”

Grant glanced at the woman, but only because Sadie had asked him too. “I wanted to thank you for giving me a heads up about this date. It was nice to know where we were going.”

“I figured if I didn’t, you’d show up in a tux.”

“Do I come off that stuffy to you?”

“You have been overdressed for everything we’ve done, and you enjoy polishing shoes.”

Grant wanted to object—it wasn’t his fault he’d been overdressed—but remembered again how Sadie always brought out the best in people. Had he come off as “stuffy” back in college too and missed her efforts to get him to relax? Did that explain at least part of her dislike for him? Once they were sitting down and feeling more comfortable, maybe he would ask. They walked on in silence as he wracked his brain for something neutral to say.

---