I stay and enjoy the sea breeze a bit more and try not to remember how safe I felt at Kade's side.
Chapter 10
Kade
I'm getting ready for dinner, and I can still feel Lin's hand in mine from this morning. I can still feel her body pressed to my side and my arm around her waist.
I wanted to punch that Travis character in the face, but it would defeat the whole reason for being here. But for Lin, I know I'd do it if needed. She is sweet and genuinely nice, and for an asshole to treat her like he did, well, it would be worth the negative press.
I head down to the lobby and find Lin at the desk on the computer. She doesn't look up as I make my way over.
"Everything okay?" I ask.
"Yeah, people have heard of the bridge and want to know if they will be able to keep reservations. These people must think we are some back road people. I just got an email from a couple who have reservations six months from now, wanting to know if the bridge will be fixed by then." She just shakes her head.
"Come on, you need to eat. The email will still be there later."
She nods. "You're right. Let's go."
As we walk side by side toward Sunset, my hand itches to reach out and take her hand again. I don't want to think about her leaving me and going to eat with Brynn tonight, so I know I have to suck it up.
"Have dinner with me. I will tell you why I'm here," I offer her.
She looks over at me and studies me for a minute.
"Sure. Let me tell Brynn, and I'll be right over," she says once we are in the door.
I go to my private table and sit down, suddenly nervous. This isn't a date, but it feels like one.
When she rounds the corner with a wide smile on her face, my nerves calm as I stand to pull her chair out for her. She looks at me with a bit of confusion, almost like she didn't expect me to be polite.
The server comes over, and Lin smiles up at him.
"Hey, Ken, please save us a piece of Martha's peach pie. Brynn told me she brought some in today," she says.
"Oh, she sure did, and it's been going fast, but Brynn already demanded a slice be put away for each of you and one for Mr. Blue." Ken winks at her with a smile and takes our drink orders.
"Who is Mr. Blue?" I ask.
"You." She laughs.
"Me? How did you get Blue from me?" I ask.
"The color of your car. It's too fancy for this area and stands out like a sore thumb." She laughs.
I shake my head. After we place our food order, she finally looks at me.
"I think it's time you hold up your end of the story, Mr. Blue." She smiles.
"If you were looking me up online, I'm sure you saw the recent photographs with Cassie and me," I say.
She nods. "Yeah, your last conquest. Wasn't she married?" she asks.
"She is married, but I didn't sleep with her. She is my costar's wife. He left her at the club, and she got so drunk a guy was taking advantage of her right out in the open. So, I took her home, laid her on the couch, fully dressed, shoes still on, and left. I didn't touch her, but of course, the media doesn't care. Her husband admitted to Wren he knows we didn't sleep together but says the damage is done. The studio doesn't want to work with me anymore. So Wren suggested I come here and stay out of the media while he tries to talk to the studio."
"Why don't they just release a statement that nothing happened and thank you for saving her?" she asks.
"Wren thinks they are going to use this as the catalyst for the divorce. He pays her off to make it look like she cheated, and they have a reason to split quietly." I shake my head.