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“Can you believe they’re filming a movie on our town?” I asked as I took a sip of my amaretto and Coke.
It was tradition every Friday night to meet up at the one and only bar in town, The Manhattan, for drinks. I don’t know why the bar was named Manhattan. We were smack dab in the middle of the country, surrounded by miles and miles of cornfields, in the middle of the great state of Iowa. The name of the bar made no sense, but it didn’t stop patrons from filing in seven days a week.
There was never much to do around here. The closest city with an ounce of entertainment and nightlife was a solid two hour drive from us, so most of the time we stayed local and made the best of it.
“I think it’s pretty cool,” my friend, Luke, said as he slipped his arms around my shoulders like I was his kid sister. “Not everyday something that exciting comes to Rock River.”
Luke and I had been best friends since we were in grade school, but the year I turned sixteen something changed. The annoying guy who used to chase me around with worms, the middle schooler who had a squeaky voice and a chin full of pimples, the guy who would roughhouse with me like I was one of the boys had suddenly turned into this strapping, gorgeous guy who made my heart flutter.
Almost overnight, the other girls took notice too and he became the most sought after boy in school, which I know didn’t mean much when you graduated with a class of fifty, but still. He was gorgeous, all 6’3’’ of him, and he was my best friend, which only made it that much harder to tell him how I felt.
A million times it was on the tip of my tongue and a million times, I clammed up. I couldn’t tell him how I felt, so instead I kept him close. We were practically inseparable, and all I could do was wait for him to someday love me back. So I ditched college and stayed in Rock River, never wanting to be too far from Luke.
It had been almost seven years since I first realized I loved Luke Summers. Over the years, I sat by as he dated and eventually dumped a handful of girlfriends, always hoping that I might be the next one, but it never happened. Through the sling of girls Luke had dated, I was always the one he came back to. I took comfort in that, even if it wasn’t in a romantic sense.
He’d worked for his dad since right after high school, and every year he’d buy a few acres and a few head of cattle as he tried to build up his own little farming empire. I loved that about him. He was so ambitious and hardworking. I just knew he was going to make an amazing husband someday. I couldn’t imagine spending my life with anyone but him. He was my first love, even if he didn’t love me back in that way. I never gave up hope.
“So who’s in this movie they’re filming?” my best girlfriend, Piper, asked.
“Um, you don’t know?” I said with a smirk. “Hudson Smith.”
His name rolled off my tongue like butter. He was only one of the hottest A-list actors in Hollywood. I may have lived a boring life of isolation in the middle of Iowa, but I never missed an issue of Us Weekly.
“Hudson Smith?” Piper said as a grin spread over her face. “We should totally go drive around town some night soon and try to find him.”
“I’m game,” I said with a mischievous smile. There were many things we did in our small town to keep ourselves entertained. Driving around and looking for people was one of them.
“Brynn used to be obsessed with him,” Luke teased as he nudged me.
“Like insanely obsessed,” Piper added. “Poster on the wall obsessed.”
“I was, like, fourteen, you guys,” I said.
“I’m getting another beer. You guys want anything?” Luke offered. It was rare that he’d offer. It seemed like someone was always waiting hand and foot on him, not the other way around.
I held my glass in front of Luke’s face. “Yes, please. And do I know you right now?”
“Take advantage of it while you can,” he said as he leaned over and pinched my arm. He smelled like sweet hay and musk from a day of working in the field.
The front door to the bar swung wide open, letting what was left of the daylight outside fill up our space for a brief moment. The men who entered were wearing mostly black. They definitely weren’t from Rock River. Every set of eyes in the bar honed in on the strangers as they made their way towards the bar and filled up every last available bar stool.
“Must be part of the film crew?” Luke mused.
“Duh,” Piper said as she turned around and quickly lost interest. “If it’s not anyone famous I could give two shits.”
“I don’t recognize anyone,” I said as I turned back away.
Within seconds, the front door swung open again and a single man stood in the doorway. I spun around to catch a glimpse and watched as this broad shouldered hunk of meat lingered. He peered around the room, probably waiting for his eyes to adjust, and bee lined it for the bar where the other men were perched.
“Is that who I think it is?” I said as I squinted to get a better look. I’d stared at pictures of Hudson Smith a million times in the pages of my magazines, but I’d always heard celebrities looked different in person.
“No fucking way,” Luke said as he cocked his head and tossed back the rest of his beer. “Well, Brynn, there you go. Go make your move.”
“You’re not seriously going to talk to him, are you?” Piper asked.
I hesitated as I locked eyes with Luke. Never in a million years did I stand a chance at hooking up with someone like Hudson Smith, but when was I ever going to run into him again?
“Yeah,” he said with an entertained grin. “Brynn, go talk to him. I dare you.”
I studied Luke’s face, hoping to find a hint of jealousy or hoping he’d talk me out of it. Sometimes I felt like he liked me but was just afraid to tell me. This would’ve been a great time to tell me not to go talk to some other guy, but Luke was practically pushing me towards Hudson, giving me away like some cheap token to be had.
“You think I should?” I asked, directing my question at Luke and only Luke. “He might sweep me off my feet and you guys’ll never see me again.”
He laughed and tossed his head back as if that scenario couldn’t have been more farfetched. He was probably right. “Do it. Go for it. See if he takes the bait.”
Piper watched me intently, almost in disbelief that I was even considering it. Ever since we were kids, I was always the shy one of the group. Luke was the charismatic, magnetic one. Piper was the chatty, extroverted one. And then there was quiet little me, always content to sit on the sidelines while everyone else had all the fun.
“So, are you going to go chat him up or what?” she asked.
I glanced across the room, and my heart began to flutter. The idea of hooking up with someone like him was so far-fetched and unrealistic. He was probably used to gobs and gobs of fans approaching him, hitting on him, asking for his autograph and everything else. I wasn’t sure if I could handle being ignored or rebuffed by someone like Hudson, but then again, it wasn’t any kind of embarrassment that a few drinks couldn’t numb.
I took a deep breath and tried to muster up an ounce of courage. My drink was finally working its way through my veins, and I could feel my buzz turning into a slightly drunken state.
I can do this, I told myself. He’s just a person like anyone else. I have nothing to lose but a tiny bit of dignity.
“Are you sure I should do this, Luke?” I asked him one last time. I secretly hoped he would tell me not to do it, but I had a feeling I was just annoying him at that point.
“Yeah,” he said with a drunk laugh. “Stop waffling. Go for it.”
The fact that Luke didn’t feel seem the least bit jaded by my approaching Hudson Smith tore away a little bit at me. There were times Luke would give me a certain look or make a certain comment, and I was sure it meant something. Apparently it had all been nothing but wishful thinking on my end.
Over the years I’d tried dating a few different guys, but nothing ever lasted. They were never right for me. They were never good enough. They weren’t Luke.
“Here, finish this,” Piper said as she handed me her half-empty drink. “You look nervous.”
“Um, I am nervous,” I said as I swiftly grabbed it from her, downed it, and slammed it on the table. “Give me a few minutes.”
“What are you going to say?” Piper asked. She was still very much amused by this entire thing.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I guess I hadn’t thought about it.”
“Just wing it,” Luke said. “He’ll probably ignore you anyway.”
“Thanks,” I said to him in a sarcastic tone. “Way to make me feel less nervous.”
Luke let out the most annoying cackle, and I could tell he was way past drunk. He tended to overdo it sometimes, but I was used to it.
My body started to warm over, and I was feeling a bit more confident thanks to downing the rest of Piper’s vodka soda.
“Okay, I’m doing this,” I said. I reached down into my purse and strategically pulled out a tube of red lipstick. I slicked it on, rubbed my lips together, and fluffed my hair. I glanced over at Luke one last time who was just grinning and standing there waiting for the show to start.
In my heart of hearts, I knew I didn’t stand a chance in hell with Hudson. In my mission to try to give Luke a chance to admit he had feelings for me, I’d backed myself into a corner. There was no turning back. I had to go through with it.
Each step I took across the bar brought me closer to the stool where Hudson’s beautiful ass was resting. Even from behind, he gave me goose bumps. The way he sat there with his broad shoulders slightly hunched over the counter, drink resting lightly in one hand, were enough to give me butterflies.
As I approached, one of the men dressed in black edged in closer to him. I didn’t know if it was intentional or what, but I began to panic a little until he fortunately moved out of the way again. I had my shot. I had to take it.
“Excuse me,” I yelled over the loud music that pumped out of the speakers in each corner of the bar. I waited. Nothing. “Excuse me.”
I didn’t know if he was ignoring me or if he just couldn’t hear me. One of the guys sitting next to him clearly heard me because he spun around, then tapped Hudson on the shoulder and pointed towards me.
As if in slow motion, Hudson spun around in his stool, clutching a short glass of amber colored whiskey in his hand, and I thought for a moment I was going to pass out. I’d never been weak in the knees until that moment.
I expected him to give me a once over, to look me up and down, but he didn’t. His intense, dark brown eyes locked into mine, and I couldn’t turn away. My lips wanted to move, to say something, but I couldn’t. I was mesmerized.
“Yes?” he said as he finally broke the silence. He leaned back with his elbows resting on the counter behind him. He was the epitome of confident.
“H-hi,” I stammered. I was off to a great start already. “I’m Brynn.”
“Hi, Brynn,” he said. The way my name rolled off his tongue sent my body reeling. I wondered if he knew he had that effect on people. “I’m Hudson.”
I smiled coyly as I searched for the right thing to say next.
“I just wanted to say welcome to Rock River,” I said. “I don’t know how long you’re in town for, but if you need anyone to show you around, I’m your girl.”
“Oh, yeah?” he replied. “I appreciate that. Thank you, Brynn.”
I so badly wanted the conversation to continue, but I realized I hadn’t left it very open-ended. I lingered for a few moments, awkwardly, as he stared deep into my eyes. It was almost like he was staring into my soul. It was intense. Almost paralyzing.
“I, um, just need to order another drink,” I said as I flagged down the bartender. “One amaretto and Coke.”
The bartender began mixing up my cocktail as I stood and waited. Hudson still hadn’t turned back around. He was still facing me, staring at me, in the same relaxed position. I casually spun my head around to see what Piper and Luke were up to, but they were standing at their table watching like a couple of pathetic idiots. They were too entertained by this.
The bartender sat my drink down, and as I reached over to give him my debit card, Hudson grabbed my hand. His grasp sent shivers down my spine. I was not expecting to be touched by him.
“It’s on me,” he said with a smile and a wink. He reached down and pulled his wallet from his pocket, slapping a twenty on the bar. “Keep the change.”
“Oh, thank you,” I said to him. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“You didn’t have to come over here and welcome me to your little town,” he said as he took a sip from his drink, his eyes never leaving mine. “But you did.”
I tried to study him, to take him all in. I was sure this would probably be the only time in my life I’d ever be within spitting distance of a bona fide celebrity, and he just happened to be one of the hottest men on the planet. Seriously. I think he was voted some magazine’s “Hottest Man of the Year” the previous year. His hair was dark, cut a little short, and slicked with some sort of brill cream. His five o’clock shadow suggested he’d probably last shaved earlier that morning. His skin was flawless, and his lips looked pillow soft.
“So have you lived here your entire life?” he asked. “Rock River?”
“Yep,” I said. “Born and raised.”
“When they told us we’d be filming some scenes in Iowa, I wasn’t sure what to expect,” he said. “But so far your little town is very, uh, quaint. The people are pretty nice. Everyone’s been really welcoming so far.”
“Great,” I said. “I’m glad to hear that. How long are you in town for?”
“Just another week I think,” he said. “Depends on how quickly we get these scenes shot.”
“It only takes a week to film a movie?” I asked, confused.
He laughed, revealing the most dazzling smile I’d ever seen. It was even better in person than it was on a movie screen or glossy page of a magazine.
“No,” he said. “It takes a lot longer than a week. We just shoot some key scenes here. Everything else is shot on a sound stage back in L.A.”
“Oh,” I said, laughing sheepishly. “That makes sense.”
I lingered a bit more as my feet felt cemented by his presence. I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to go back to Piper and Luke who would ask me fifty million questions and giggle and laugh and make a scene. Hudson was seriously cool, and he was talking to me, and I didn’t want him to think I was just some pathetic fan.
“I work at the Brown Bag Diner,” I said. “It’s just off the south side of the square on Main Street. If you ever get hungry, we have pretty good nightly specials.”
I couldn’t believe I’d just said that. It sounded so lame.
“Yeah, I think I drove past that last night,” he said. “You guys don’t have a lot of restaurants in this town. We were looking for a place to eat, but everything was closed.”
“Sorry,” I said as I bit my lip. “Everything closes around here by nine. It sucks.”
“Well, I’ll just have to make sure I eat dinner earlier,” he said. “Not a big deal.”
I wasn’t sure how much longer I could make small talk with him. I didn’t want to bore him or intrude any longer than necessary.
“Okay, well, it was really nice meeting you,” I said with a smile.
He sat up, as if he didn’t want me to leave, and his face fell a little.
“You have somewhere to be?” he asked with a cocky smirk as his eyes scanned around the room. I watched as his gaze fell upon Luke and Piper, and he realized they’d been watching us the entire time. “Those your friends?”
I turned around, embarrassed, and hung my head. I’d been caught red-handed.
“Sadly, yes,” I said.
“Is that guy your boyfriend?” he asked, drawing out his words. “How long have you been with him? Wait, let me guess, you’re high school sweethearts.”
“Nope,” I said. “Just a friend.”
He smiled a Cheshire grin and tossed back the rest of his drink. “I see.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I know they’ve been staring the whole time. They didn’t think I’d come and talk to you.”
“If I buy you another drink, will you talk to me a bit longer?” he asked. “I don’t know if I want to send you back there quite yet.”
It took everything I had not to let my jaw drop to the floor. I couldn’t believe Hudson Smith wanted to spend more time with me.
“Um, sure,” I said as I tried my hardest to play it cool.
“Another amaretto and Coke?” he asked.
I nodded as I bit my lip, and he turned towards the bartender to place the order.
“Hank, move your ass,” he said as he nudged the big guy next to him. “Let the lady have a seat.”
“Oh, yeah, yeah, here you go,” Hank said as he stood up and offered his bar stool.
“Thank you, Hank,” I said with my sweet little Iowan smile.
While Hudson had turned away, I flipped back quickly to look at Luke and Piper. Piper’s eyes were as round as saucers and Luke’s flippant, overly ambivalent attitude was clearly beginning to fade. He turned his back towards me, and I would’ve killed to see his face in that moment. Was he jealous?
“So,” Hudson said as he reached over and placed his hand on my knee and leaned in towards me. “What do you do for fun around here?”
I laughed. “It depends on your definition of fun.”
“Try me,” he said. “I like to think I have an open mind.”
The music pumped loudly in our ears, and I was beginning to grow annoyed by it. I wanted to have a real conversation with him. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and it was being destroyed by some bad eighties hairband music and the clinking of beer mugs and laughing of drunk people.
“It’s really loud in here,” he said as if he had just read my mind. “Do you want to go somewhere and talk?”
“Um, sure,” I said with a nervous grin. How could I say no to an invitation from Hudson Smith?
“I’m staying at the Wild River Lodge up the street,” he said.
“Yep, I know exactly where that is.” I stood up and grabbed my purse, clutching it under my arm. He downed the rest of his drink and sat the glass down gently on the bar. He raised his hand in the air as if to thank the bartender for his good service and then headed towards the door.
I spun around, waved at Luke and Piper, and walked out behind him. I couldn’t believe that was actually happening. It was all so surreal.
“I hope you don’t mind if we walk,” he said.
“Not at all. It’s just a couple of blocks.” I trailed behind him for several steps before he abruptly stopped and waited for me to catch up with him. Part of the walk was alongside a seldom-busy highway, but tonight there happened to be more traffic than usual. “Walk on this side of me.”
He walked on the side closest to the oncoming traffic, shielding me, and it was so unexpected. He didn’t even know me, I was a nobody compared to him, yet he was protecting me.
We walked mostly in silence, the gravel kicking beneath our every step, and within a few short minutes we’d arrived at the lobby of the Wild River Lodge. The look on the night clerk’s face when he saw me walk in with Hudson Smith was completely priceless. I expected rumors to be swirling around Rock River by noon the next day.
I followed him to the elevator where we kept a safe distance between us. In that small, confined space, I couldn’t help but notice the height he had on me. In person, he looked much taller than he did in the movies. He wasn’t nearly as tall as Luke, but he was still a good six feet tall. Then again, everyone was tall compared to my 5’4’’ stature.
“Just to your right,” he said as the elevator dinged and the doors parted. “Room 478.”
I headed towards his room, my heart thumping hard in my ears.