Page 3 of No Reservations

“We’ll keep that in mind, cutie,” one said. They turned and swam off, muscled arms and shoulders churning through the glassy blue water.

I tipped off my float and started swimming back to shore. “You’re shameless,” I called. Still grinning, I waded out of the water, rolled up the float, tucked it in the rack with the others, slipped on my flip-flops that waited where I left them, and headed back to the cabin. I had to find something interesting to do to get my mind off…

An image of the dark-haired man on the phone swam through my brain. Even from the distance, I could tell he was handsome and well-built. There were a lot of guys like that at the inn, though. The two in the water had been hot and obviously willing to have some fun. Why then was Cole Gilliam, or whoever that man was, stuck in my head?

I groaned and picked up the pace. The sooner I got back to the cabin, the sooner I could find something to distract me. Relaxing gave me too much time to think.

Chapter 2

Cole

Something about the cabin the Halcyon Inn folks gave me made it hard to maintain my sour mood. Tucked away behind a thick stand of pines for privacy, it still had a glorious view of the lake out of the wide sitting room window. The golden yellow accent wall seemed to reflect pure sunlight, even though the real thing was hidden behind the trees.

It was bright, but not obnoxiously so. The Goldfinch Cabin moniker was cute, but other than the muted watercolor of a bird over the couch, the place wasn’t filled with related accents. I didn’t think I could stay in a bright gold birdcage for a couple of weeks. My life was enough of a cage as it was. I huffed and shook my head. Could I get any more dramatic?

Everywhere I looked, there was another carefully chosen element that breathed comfort and happiness into the room. Clean, modern, yet cozy. Warm wood tones and splashes of bright but not overbearing yellow. A tall pitcher stuffed with daisies sat in the middle of the table. It was exactly the type of place I needed to relax for a while. That was why I had booked the spot in the first place. Actually unwinding was another thing entirely.

I heaved another deep breath and rolled my shoulders again. No matter what I did, the steel band of tension down my neck and back wouldn’t loosen up. My phone rang again, and whatever progress I had made toward relaxation disappeared.

“What?” I snapped.

Brooke, my long-term PR liaison and closest friend, sighed into the phone. “It’s not going to help you any if you alienate me by being an asshole.”

I slumped onto the plush couch and grabbed one of the sunburst pillows. My arm wrapped around it, and I dropped my head down onto its fluffy edge. “I know. I’m sorry. Thad called again about twenty minutes ago.”

A string of inventive curses flowed from the speaker. Brooke could turn on the charm big-time in public, but I got to experience the full force of her personality. It was something I loved about her.

“Block him, turn off your phone… No, don’t. Then I couldn’t get through. Block him, lay low, have some fun, for fuck’s sake. Get laid.”

A laugh tore out of my throat. “I could do it in public. That might quiet the rumors.”

Brooke sighed. “It wouldn’t hurt you to be a little less private about things sometimes, Cole. I mean, go out on a few dates or something. Hit up a club.”

“I did and look what happened.” I spun around and kicked my feet up. The cream pillow with the yellow floral pattern cushioned my head nicely when I laid down on the couch.

The last person I took on a date bolted like a scared rabbit the moment Thad got a hold of him. I couldn’t blame the man. No one wanted a gossip monger breathing down their neck. Well, some people did. Some people craved the limelight a lot more than they ever wanted me. He had been a sweet guy, though. A bit too skinny for my tastes, but I was in no position to be picky. Not if I wanted to find a real relationship someday.

Brooke said something, and I snapped back to the conversation. “What was that?”

“You’re not even paying attention to me now? Shit, Cole. Listen, you know you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. You’re an attractive, rich, famous, intelligent man in deep with the hottest pop band around. Your sexuality is no one’s business but your own and whoever you get naked with. No one can touch you.”

“No one’s going to want to touch me with Thad following me around.”

She was silent for a moment. “Did you see him there? If he shows up—”

“No, no.” I groaned and rolled onto my side, tucking my knees up in perfect little spoon position. I hadn’t had the opportunity in a long while, and I missed it. With a head shake and another groan, I shoved the nagging loneliness back down to the depths of my mind. “He’s not going to show up here. And if he does, one of the owners is a beast. I mean, this guy could bench press Ronald.”

Brooke snorted. Her husband, Ronald, looked like a pro linebacker who discovered the joys of cake after retirement. “Keep me in the loop, and I’ll do the same for you. Otherwise, just relax. You have a month before the boys need you again.”

We said our goodbyes, and I set my phone on the side table next to the lamp. A small wooden tray held the remote and the card that explained how to order room service.

I swung my feet onto the floor, settled the pillow in my lap, and scanned the QR code for the inn’s app. If I was going to relax there for the next couple of weeks, I’d need that information. Who knows what would happen if I showed up in the restaurant every evening for dinner, especially if any of the guests recognized me and believed what Thad wrote in his post every week.

Maybe Brooke was right. Maybe I should just start dating any guy I could find, hit the clubs like I had in my twenties, and let myself get photographed making out with multiple men in public. It wouldn’t be hard to find someone who wanted to be with me for the fame or my ability to treat them to whatever their little hearts desired.

The thought twisted darkly through my mind. Getting used for my money or my position didn’t sound like a good time to me. I knew that from experience. Why couldn’t Thad and his followers just leave me alone and let me live my life? I laid back down on the comfortable couch and closed my eyes.

***

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