Back to December (Ward Sisters Book 1) (3 page)

Rob pulled her behind him at a run. “I'm not really wearing the right shoes for winning the 200 meter,” Emily huffed, trying to sound like she was joking, but she was serious. She rarely wore stilettos, only for special occasions, but despite her more practical, thick heel, the shoes were still a good three inches tall and not meant for more than a casual stroll.

He looked back and whatever he saw – or didn't see, Emily couldn't be sure just then – made him relax, because he stopped and put his hands on his hips. She was annoyed to find that he wasn't breathing as heavily as she was, but at least it seemed to take a little effort for him to get a really deep breath into his lungs. He held it for a moment before he tilted back his head and let it out, signaling a great relief.

“What was that all about?” She was breathless.

“I'm so sorry about that. It usually takes them a couple days to realize I'm home, especially if I come at an unusual time. I guess word spread after the airport mob and they tracked me down sooner than I had hoped.”

Emily scrunched her face in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“The photographer back there. You didn't see him?” Rob sounded worried that he had hallucinated.

Em raised her eyebrows. “Um, yeah, sure, I saw a guy with a camera, but why would you think he was taking
your
picture? Are you that embarrassed to be seen with me?”

Rob looked baffled. “You really don't know who I am, do you?”

She thought they'd been over this before, but she figured she would humor him again.

“You're the guy who slammed into me on the sidewalk outside the toy store. I assume you have a lot of money, since you ride around in a limo, and the toy store owner was willing to stay open late for you, not to mention hold a much-coveted toy at Christmas. But as to where you got that money or why a photographer would care about taking your picture, no, sorry, I have no idea who you are. That doesn't say much about
me
, does it? Considering that I just ran down an alley with you, I mean.” Emily laughed at that. Despite the realization, she felt safe with Rob, whoever he was.

“My name is Rob
Deacon
,” he said with a look of expectation, as though it should ring a bell for her.

She smiled. “Okay. Well, my name is Emily
Ward
.” She offered her hand for him to shake.

It was his turn to laugh. “Nice to meet you. So this isn't a game. You really have no clue who I am?”

“Not the tiniest inkling. So if you could maybe give me some better clues, perhaps I can figure it out?”

“I won't make you guess.” He shook his head. “If you don't know who I am by my real name, anything else I might say makes me sound like I've got an overinflated ego.”

“Real name? So that means your name isn't Rob Deacon?”

“No, my
real
name is Robert Patrick Deacon and my friends and family call me Rob.”

She chuckled.“Okay, then, what do people call you if they
aren't
your friend or family?”

“The rest of the world knows me as Deac Roberts.”

It was said with a smirk and a tilt of his head. After a few seconds, he finally got the reaction he'd been expecting all along.

“Really?” Her face scrunched with disbelief.

He smiled and chuckled. “Yes, really.”

“You were in that big war epic a few years ago, right?”

He laughed heartily at that. “Yeah, that's me. It was more than a few years ago, though. That was about eight years ago when it was released and about ten years ago when we filmed it.”

Emily blushed. Fortunately, her cheeks were probably a little red from running, so she hoped he didn't notice. “Sorry, I don't watch that many movies these days.”

“Not a movie fan?” His look said he hoped he was wrong.

“No. I mean, yes, I like movies, but I haven't watched many in the past few years. During grad school, I didn't have a lot of time. And my boyfriend didn't really like the stuff I like, so we hardly ever went on movie dates. Or, any real dates, actually.”

Rob – or should she call him Deac, she wondered – grabbed her hand and started to walk again. “Sounds like a lame boyfriend. Is that why you broke up?” He seemed hopeful.

She thought that was funny and smiled. You would think someone like him wouldn't need to be hopeful with a girl like her. She played along.

“Are you asking if I'm single?”

“Is it okay if I hope you'll say yes?”

He's flirting!
Oh, yes. It was definitely okay. It was okay before she knew who he was, and now that she recalled how sexy he was shirtless in that movie, she certainly wasn't going to tell him no. Despite his explanation that the movie was filmed a decade ago, his profession and the fact that he had no trouble filling out his clothes promised he still looked as good or better than he did then.

“Yes and yes,” she said with a grin.

Rob smiled. “Is that yes it's okay and yes you
are
single?”

“Most definitely it's okay – but not because you're famous. I liked you before you explained who you are.” He smiled wide at that. She could tell he believed her. Hell, after her clueless performance earlier, how could he not?

“And we're taking a break – well, he probably thinks of it that way. I don't anticipate a reunion when I get home. I think I've been putting off the inevitable for a long time now. The lack of real dates since the first year we were together is the least of our problems.” She just then realized that herself.

He squeezed her hand.“Good. I mean, I'm glad that you're single and that you don't mind me being interested in you. I'm sorry if you were in a bad relationship.”

“Thanks, but it really wasn't a horrible relationship. I just don't think it was meant to last. We're two very different people, and I think if he was honest with himself, he'd see that, too.”

“So, what made
you
realize that?”

Emily explained how she had reacted when her sister, Charlie, got engaged, how that eventually led to a fight the night before she left for Minnesota.

“I know Josh was upset. Part of why I hadn't said anything before was that I care about him and didn't
want
to upset him. But the truth is, I hate what we'd become. I wasn't happy and I don't think he was either. But he's so laid back, he'd never hurt me, and I think he'd probably just live with what we had so he could keep life on an even keel.”

“You don't think he still loves you?” Rob asked as he steered her down the next block with the slightest pressure from his hand on her lower back. Despite the fact that he wore gloves and she was wearing a wool coat, her skin burned where his hand touched her.

Trying not to let him notice how it affected her, Emily said, as steady as she could, “I think he
thinks
he still loves me. But he'll realize sooner or later that he could be a lot happier if he was with someone who liked more of the things he does, or at least tolerated them better. But enough about me. What about you? I guess I should know if you're single already, right?” She elbowed him gently in the ribs.

Rob laughed. “Don't worry, I won't expect you to know all the gossip if you didn't know my name. Not that any of it's true, but at least I know you won't wonder if I'm really dating my last co-star like they say in the tabloids.”

“Well, are you? Dating anyone, that is. I suppose it doesn't matter to me where you met them, just whether or not there is someone.”

“No. Honestly, I don't date much. There are constant rumors, but I haven't had that many girlfriends. I've hardly dated since high school.”

“No time for a real relationship?”

They had arrived at a club without a line, which Emily had always thought meant it was a dead place. Rob grabbed her hand.

“Hold that thought.”

He went up to the bouncer at the door – the guy wasn't even outside, but in a vestibule that was apparently locked. He saw Rob and immediately opened the door. The guy was huge, around 6'6" and stacked. He just nodded his head once at Rob and let them inside.

As they walked away, Emily heard someone knock on the glass door behind them, and it made her turn and look. It was a couple that, for all intents and purposes, appeared the same as her and Rob. She heard the bouncer say in a booming voice that they were full. But when she got inside, she knew it had been a lie. Apparently, that couple hadn't been anyone special.

Em looked at Rob. “Come here often?” She thought maybe the bouncer knew him.

“Usually when I'm in town, which hasn't been much the past couple years.” With his hand on her back again, he led them to a private booth area, which was roped off like it had been reserved ahead. She thought their decision to go out together had been spontaneous, but she wondered.

“Were you planning to come here tonight?”

Rob gestured for her to have a seat on the plush, indigo sofa. Soft lighting – some of it uplights, some of it black lights – was strategically located in the space. The music was loud – a thumping dance beat with bone-vibrating bass – but not intrusive. She noticed a stage off to the right, in front of the dance floor. On the stage, a DJ mixed dance beats and grooved with a couple of women dressed to kill.

He sat down close to her. “No, I had hoped to be able to go a few other places, but like I said, they figured out I was in town sooner than I anticipated. This is The Glass Door. It's pretty exclusive, so there's a lot more privacy here. I usually don't come down here until I know for sure I need to stay away from everywhere else. The management stays on top of all the social media and they generally know I'm in town before I even realize the paparazzi have found me, so they make sure my booth is ready and waiting.”

Emily was floored. She'd never hung out with anyone that high profile, not even for work. The famous people she had met were more famous in the art world than in the public at large.

“Is it like that everywhere?” she wondered aloud.

He grinned. “Are you asking about the paparazzi or the clubs?” When she said both, he replied, “Yes and yes. Here it's a little different. I'm a local celebrity and so they maybe give me VIP treatment that I might not get other places. I know that and so I don't take advantage any more than what's necessary. I'm also not so full of myself as to think that I can get away with what happened tonight wherever I go. Don't get me wrong, it's great to know you've got a decent, safe place to hang out away from home and still have a little privacy. But in this town, if I didn't have a place like The Glass Door available at a moment's notice, I'd have a camera in my face anywhere I went.”

Emily didn't know what to say. She couldn't imagine that kind of life, never having peace or privacy without being secluded. Em walked down the street only concerned with her destination. If she ran into someone she knew, she might stop and say hello, but otherwise, she just traveled from point A to point B. She instinctively squeezed his hand.

“I'm so sorry.”

He squeezed her hand back and didn't let go. “Don't be. It's one of the things you sign up for when you choose this life.”

He took a breath and said, “I believe you asked me a question when we arrived. I wasn't dodging the answer, I just wanted to get inside before anyone caught up to us. The paparazzi know I come here and they also know they aren't welcome anywhere within a few blocks, but that doesn't mean some of them don't still try.”

“So why haven't you had many relationships? Are you
difficult
?”

“Truthfully? You'd have to ask the women I've dated if I'm difficult. I don't think I am, but maybe I'm wrong. But it's tough in this business to date. If you meet someone at work, it's often another actor and there are all sorts of reasons why those relationships fail. And as you've seen, even when you've found someone to see regularly and it's going well, there's the outside world that thinks they should have a piece of you every chance they get. It makes for a tough go of things.”

“Have you ever gotten serious about someone?”

Emily wondered if he'd been in a situation like hers with Josh – live-in, long-term girlfriend – but she didn't want to ask that directly.