Page 23 of Fool Me

Sadie’s rubber band muscles loosened a little, but not all the way. “But, I mean, I don’t want to do anything that could hurtSurf Summer.”

Julia waved her concern away. “Surf Summerwill be a hit because Julia Menlo is starring in it. But, tell me, was it something he did in college?”

Sadie’s sip of water went down the wrong tube, and she started coughing.She knows we were in college together too?“Sorry?” she croaked. She stared at Julia, her face damp from the coughing fit.

“Oh, don’t look so surprised that I know how to use the internet. I’m not that much older than you. So…what has earned Farm Boy so much venom from Sweet Sadie? Did he cheat on you? Take advantage of you? Cheat in his classes? Not invite you to his frat parties?”

Sadie picked at a bit of fluff on the upholstery of her second-hand chair, stalling for time, but there was no point in hiding it now. Julia already knew pretty much everything. “He dated and dumped all three of my roommates one by one. Then he switched majors to theater, and I had to be around him constantly.”

“Ah, so it’s revenge for your roommates, eh?” She winked at Sadie, but her eyes had a dark fire in them. “I do love a stone-cold revenge.”

“Mostly, yes. Plus, men like him get everything they want in life without hardly trying, you know?”

“Honey, I’ve been in the business a while. I know.” Julia hunched forward in her chair. “So, what’s the plan for date number three? Throw him off a cliff? Parasailing accident?”

Sadie laughed. “Nothing that drastic. I only wanted him to look a little bit bad in the press and on social media. But I’ve ended up improving his image, and I can’t think what to do for the last date anyway, so it’s fine with me if we?—”

“He sounds like a womanizer.”

Sadie sat back at the interruption, her mind returning to images of her college roommates in tears. “He’s definitely a womanizer. Women melt into puddles around him.”

“Hmmm,” Julia said, rubbing her chin with one hand. “So, for starters, you need a place with lots of beautiful women…” Her expression glazed over for several seconds before she snapped her fingers in triumph. “I’ve got it! Be-Seen Beach.”

Sadie tilted her head. “Be what beach?”

Julia smiled at her coquettishly. “You’ve heard of clubs where the bouncers only let beautiful people in, haven’t you?” Sadie nodded. “Be-Seen is the waterfront equivalent. It’s a secluded spot, and the wealthy owners of all the homes along the shore got together a couple of decades ago to keep…” She lowered her voice even though they were alone in the apartment. “…regular people out. It’s called Be-Seen Beach because?—”

“It’s the place to be seen,” Sadie said.

Julia lifted a graceful finger in the air. “Not just seen—discovered.”

“But how does that help? We’ve already got dedicated photographers.”

“You don’t understand. The most beautiful women in all of California are there on a Saturday afternoon, showing off their wares in thong bikinis. I mean, that’s the entire reason they’re there. No man with a roving eye can resist, and some of the ladies go a little…shall we say…overboard? You just need the photographers to catch you looking upset when Mr. Mudpuppy’s attention is decidedly elsewhere. Maybe you could even storm off in a huff when that happens.”

“I can definitely do that,” Sadie said, nodding enthusiastically. This would be so easy, why not do the third date after all? It wouldn't even take that long for him to get distracted. She could be home again in no time. “How could Grant and I get in?”

Julia fiddled absently with her impressive diamond tennis bracelet. “You’re both pretty enough, but to be certain, have Ronny put you on the list. He’s friends with all the owners. We’re even filming parts ofSurf Summerthere.”

“I see.” Sadie nodded. “I guess this could work.”

“Oh, it will work,” Julia said, rising from her chair. “Believe me, it will accomplish everything we need it to do.” She stood, pulled her scarf from her pocket, and began retying it around her hair. “Keep this little visit between us though, eh? And if Grant asks, tell him Ronny suggested the location. Can’t let my next leading man know I was in on the ego dousing.”

Sadie stood too. “Of course, of course.”

“And get your beach gear ready. In fact, wear your frumpiest swimsuit and a figure-hiding coverall over that. We can’t have his eye roving over you.”

“Oh, good plan, yes,” Sadie said, making a mental note. “I’ve got just the thing. Thank you so much.”

Julia moved toward the door and Sadie followed. “Tell Ronny you want to meet Grant at the south entrance to Be-Seen at one o’clock. This time it’s okay for Grant to know where you’re going—we want him to feel comfortable enough to take in thescenery.” With her hand on the doorknob, Julia leaned into Sadie and sniffed. “And maybe fry up a couple dozen eggs before you go. That’ll keep him ten feet from you at all times.”

Sadie watched from her front window, nose pressed to the glass, as Julia breezed down the exterior stairs of her apartment building. Her posture reminded Sadie of the times Monique had made them all walk around the house with books balanced on her heads. Julia could have balanced an entire library up there. When she reached the last step, a limo pulled up, and she vanished into it.

Still in a daze, Sadie gathered the glasses from the coffee table and headed to the kitchen. The lip of Julia’s glass held a dark red lipstick print. Should she wash it or keep it? She set it on the counter to decide later. Right now, she needed to prepare for the beach.

15

Grant leaned against a boulder near the south entrance to Be-Seen Beach. Before him lay a ribbon of pristine sand dotted with palm trees. Fifty or so people relaxed on tropical-themed towels or splashed in the medium-sized waves. Every now and then, a monster wave rose up from nowhere, crashing into anything in its path. The few ocean goers seemed to be sticking to the shallows. This was good, because getting much deeper with waves like that could quickly get an inexperienced swimmer into trouble.

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