Page 30 of Sunrise

Chapter 14

Kade

I am pacing in the lobby, waiting for Lin. The day has seemed to drag on since we parted ways this morning. I know she had work today, but all I wanted to do was spend time with her. I know it has more to do with being bored and not able to leave the grounds of the inn than it does with anything else, but it still left me with some free time.

Free time.

What do people do in their free time? Thankfully, the phone service seemed to be back to normal by lunch because I actually searched it online. “What to do in your free time" turned up everything from exercising and reading a book to sitting quietly and journaling.

I chose to read. What started as reading a book turned to reading blogs and then all the gossip sites about anything that was said about me recently. Let me save you the details. It wasn't good. I need tonight to go well.

That thought alone started stressing me out. There is so much that could go wrong, starting with Lin changing her mind. Even right now, as I pace in the lobby, I am sending up silent prayers that she doesn't change her mind. Not just for my reputation, but because I want to get out of the inn for a while.

When I turn to start pacing again, that's when I see her. She’s standing a bit unsure in the entry to the hall leading to her office and her room off the side of the lobby.

My heart races, and my hands get sweaty. I've never had a reaction to seeing a woman dressed up for me before, but for some reason, seeing Lin in her black and dark red top almost means more than the others, and I'm not sure why or how I even feel about it.

I take a deep breath and make my way over to her as my eyes keep taking her in. She seems to be looking me over too in my dark jeans and a button-up shirt.

The closer I get, I can see the small details, like the way she did her hair and makeup, and she just takes my breath away. I'm in so much trouble.

"You look stunning," I manage to say.

"Thanks. You look good too," she says, barely above a whisper.

I hold out my hand to her, and she looks at it for a moment before she hesitantly puts her hand in mine.

"You know we need to be a bit more comfortable with each other to pull this off," I say as I pull her closer to me. The closer she is, the calmer I start to feel.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing this is our first date. They are supposed to be weird and awkward, aren't they?"

I smile as I lead her out to my car and help her in. She guides me to the best place to park, and we take our time walking hand in hand down the street to the restaurant. Giving as many people as possible a chance to see us.

When we walk into the restaurant, it's clear the plan worked. The place is packed, and every seat at the bar is taken with several people standing. I can feel a slight shift in Lin as she pastes on a smile and leads us to the hostess stand while I take the place in.

It's very classy, with lots of windows and natural light. Classic brown tables and black leather chairs and booths take advantage of the beach theme with lots of blue hanging glass buoys in what looks like thick fishing nets. Over the bar are hundreds of silver and blue fish hanging in a wave-like pattern to make it look like a large school of fish is swimming above the bar. This place would be a hit in Hollywood and totally not what I expected to find in such a small town.

"Hey, Jackie. I called earlier for a reservation," Lin says to the girl at the hostess stand, but I don't think she hears her because her eyes are large and looking right at me.

Lin gives a small laugh before turning to me. "This happen a lot?"

"More than I want,” I admit.

Then I lean forward and look Jackie in the eye.

"Hey, sweetheart. Can you check on our reservation for us?" I ask in my sweet smooth voice.

She just nods, her eyes still wide. She looks over at Lin, then down at the paper in front of her. She looks between me and the paper several times like she expects me to just vanish. After a moment, she grabs the menus, opens her mouth to say something, but nothing comes out.

I chuckle as Lin and I follow her to our table. Every set of eyes in the place follows us, and the room is so quiet you could hear a pin drop. No one dares to talk in case they miss a single word from us. This might be worse than walking the red carpet. At least then they get their photos of you and move on to the next guest. Here we are the appetizer, main course, and dessert for the night.

Thankfully, we are off in a corner of the room with a bit of space between us at the closest table, so if we whisper, we won't be heard. I pull out Lin's chair, and once we are both seated, I try to break the tension and forget about our audience, but she beats me to it.

“For the record, that is your Mr. Hollywood persona you just used on Jackie," Lin whispers.

I just nod. I knew it was and turned it on for a reason.

“It's like a shield from fans. I guess it's so natural now. This is the first time I used it on purpose." Then I try to change the subject. "So, tell me what happened between Brynn and Jasper?"