Page 28 of Fool Me

Sadie absorbed the compliment like a dry sponge takes in water. No one had said anything that nice to her since college graduation. “Right now, my talents lie in making egg sandwiches.”

“And I bet they’re delicious, but you just need your big break so the whole world will see what I’ve seen. I could always ask Ronny if he’d be your agent?”

She pulled her chin back in surprise. “Is he your agent now?”

“Yeah. These dates have raised my profile so much he offered to be my agent. Can you believe that?”

If she weren’t under the spell of this umbrella with its magical placating powers, Sadie knew this comment would have sent her through the roof—dude gets world’s leading agent just by existing, yada yada, film at eleven—but she had no indignance left to give. She was fresh out of caring. Besides, he’d offered to help her get taken on by Ronny too. “You’d ask him that for me?”

“Of course! Heck, you’re the reason my social media presence is what it is now. It’s nothing I did. I don’t know if he’ll agree right away, but I promise to keep at him till he caves, even if it’s just to stop me from bringing it up.”

Sadie sent him a warm, genuine smile, not only for the kind offer, but for not taking all the credit for the online success of the dates. “Thanks. I’d appreciate that.”

Grant picked up a tiny, delicate shell from the nearby sand and rotated it in his fingers. After a few seconds, he asked, “How did you end up in theater?”

“I’ve wanted to be an actress as long as I can remember. I worked so hard to get into Cal U, and then I almost changed careers my senior year of high school.”

“Why?”

“It’s kind of embarrassing.”

He chuckled. “You’re talking to the guy who fell off the stage in our final performance ofOedipus, remember?”

Sadie did. He’d been doing an admirable job, too, before getting carried away with his sword play. “We all thought you were going to skewer that guy in the front row,” she said, and laughed at the memory.

“’That guy was my father, so, ironically, it would have fit the piece perfectly.”

A laugh bubbled up from deep inside Sadie. “No!”

“Oh, yes. Fortunately, he’s also the person I get my quick reflexes from. But you still haven’t answered my question. Why did you almost deprive the world of your beauty and talent?”

She had laughed at his awkward stage moment, so it seemed only fair to share hers. And, anyway, why should she care if he knew? “The summer before my senior year, my boyfriend and I were playing opposite as Romeo and Juliet in a community theater group when he cheated on me with the girl playing Juliet’s nurse. I had to express my undying love for him night after night in front of her and sold-out audiences. It nearly soured me on the whole thing.”

“Ugh. It’s bad enough to be cheated on, but to have to keep acting with the jerk? At that age, I never would’ve wanted to see another script.”

“I didn’t, but my sisters convinced me to give the Cal U program a chance, and as soon as I sat in my first theater class, I was so glad they did.”

“Thank goodness for your sisters.”

They were silent for several minutes as they gazed out at the water. The waves had gradually picked up in size and strength as the day lengthened, and few people were venturing into the crashing surf. The sound lulled Sadie. She closed her eyes as she felt her exhaustion returning.

“Tired?” Grant said quietly.

“I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Why don’t you take a rest?”

She let out a sigh. “You don’t mind?”

“Of course not. What’s a warm, seaside afternoon for if not the perfect nap?”

She dipped her lids, and the darkness was so inviting. “Okay. I think I will. Not to nap, but just to rest.”

She turned over on her side, facing away from him and the sun, and lay down. As soon as she settled down, she felt him ever so gently placing pillows around her, making a Sadie-sized nest. He even handed her a super squishy cushion, which she pulled to her chest and hugged.

“Okay if we keep talking a bit longer?” he asked.

“Sure,” she said as she snuggled her head a little deeper into a blue velvet pillow. She was so, so tired, and the pillows were so, so comfy. A seagull flew near them, cawing loudly, but her awareness of her surroundings was already dulling at the edges.

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