Page 24 of How to Kiss a Movie Star
“It pains me to say this,” Olivia says, “but you’re Flint Hawthorne. Doesn’t that make you everyone’s type?” She bounces her daughter on her knee.
“Not hers,” I say. “She didn’t even know who I was the first time we met.” And she hasn’t been impressed with meanyof the times we’ve interacted.
“Well, that sounds perfect,” Mom says. “You don’t want someone who’s only interested in you for your celebrity. Maybe you’ve finally found the one woman on the planet who isn’t.”
I love the idea of a woman not into my fame, but no matter how I shake it, my fameisa part of the package. I’m working on making my private life more private, but the acting, the need to perform, the way I thrive in the spotlight—those characteristics are a part of what makes meme.And it seems in direct contrast to what might make a serious wildlife biologist interested in a relationship.
I move toward the patio door. “Please don’t make this a thing. It’s not a thing. She’s here for the squirrels. Period.”
I push outside and slide my sunglasses onto my face. I should have expected the matchmaking, especially from Mom. Audrey has a pulse, and she doesn’t live in California—as far as Mom is concerned, that’s all she needs to qualify.
I study Audrey as I approach, water bottle in hand. She’s back in her camp chair now, leaning over her notebook, her pen flying across the page. Her hair is pulled back into a simple ponytail, and her expression is serious. Focused.
She’s nothing like the women I’ve dated in the past, but she’s pretty in a simple, natural way that I appreciate. I once had a girlfriend explain to me that lookingeffortlessactually requires quite a bit of effort. Wearing just enough makeup, but not too much. Having hair that’s polished but still totally natural. But that’s not what’s happening with Audrey. I think her beauty reallyiseffortless—in a way that probably makes women who work a lot harder to get similar results feel irritated.
“Are you thirsty?” I say when I’m a few feet away.
Audrey looks up, and it takes a moment for her eyes to focus. “Oh,” she finally says. “Thank you. That’d be nice.”
I twist the top off the water bottle and hand it to her. My eyes trace her slender fingers, smudged with dirt and ink, as she wraps them around the bottle and takes a long drink. The only thing more distracting is the long curve of her neck as she swallows.
I clear my throat and look away. I havegotto get a hold of myself. “How’s the data collecting?” I ask, my voice a little too loud.
Audrey’s expression brightens. “Amazing. Incredible. I’ve identified a female and three younger squirrels I believe are her offspring and they’re—” Her words stop short, and she holds up her free hand. “Sorry. My sisters are always telling me hownot interestingmy research is. But things are good. Thanks again for letting me be here.” She looks over her shoulder and bites her lip. “Especially during a party.”
“It’s just my family,” I say. “Nothing fancy.”
“All these people are your family?”
I turn and look over the collection of people hanging out around the pool, then drop onto the grass beside her, extending my legs out in front of me and crossing my ankles. “The guy on the diving board, that’s my brother, Brody. He teaches chemistry over at the high school. And whitewater kayaking on the Green River during the summer.” I lift a hand and point to Kate who is lounging under an umbrella with their daughter, River. “That’s his wife, Kate, and their baby, River.” I look at Audrey and lift an eyebrow. “Yes, they did name their baby after the river, and no, none of us were surprised.”
She smiles, and the sight tugs at something deep in my gut. I was right. Her smileisgoing to be the end of me.
“The guy coming through the door—that’s Perry. He’s the oldest. He and my little sister, Olivia, she’s the youngest of all of us, run Stonebrook Farm together.”
She nods. “I’ve heard of the farm. Apples, right?”
“Mostly. And strawberries. They grow a little bit of everything. And host events. Weddings, reunions. That kind of thing.” I point at Lennox and Tatum, who are standing by the grill. “That’s Lennox, and his wife, Tatum. They’re both chefs. They’ve got a baby now too, but I don’t know where she is. Oh—right over there with my dad. Her name is Hannah, after my mom. And there’s Olivia and her two kids, Asher and Maggie, right there, getting in the water. Her husband is out of town, so he’s the only one not here, and that’s my mom sitting by the door.”
“Wow.” Audrey’s eyes are wide. “I hope you aren’t going to quiz me later because I’m not going to remember anyone’s names.”
“There will absolutely be a quiz,” I say. “If you want to study the squirrels, I expect first names, last names, ages, occupations. All of it.”
She nudges my shoulder with her knee. “Shut up.”
I look up and grin. “No quizzes, I promise.”
“Do they all live in Silver Creek?” she asks.
“Believe it or not. It’s the biggest reason why I moved back. Couldn’t stand the thought of them all being together without me.”
“I can’t imagine,” Audrey says. “I live with my two younger sisters, and sometimes even just they feel like too much. This is…”
“A lot,” I finish for her. “For sure. But most of the time, they’re worth it.”
“I guess you don’t really need friends when you have a family like this.”
“No, I guess not,” I say, but as I survey the scene, it’s not lost on me that Idoneed something else. In a family where everyone has someone, I’m the only one still alone.
