CHAPTER SEVEN

 

 

As we drive to the little burger place tucked away on the beach in my date’s cherry red BMW M4 sports car, the butterflies in my stomach churn wilder and wilder. At least George—who despite his growing size believes he’s no bigger than a teacup poodle—is a welcome distraction from my first-date jitters. My lab mix pup clambers across my lap to thrust his head out the half-open window. Snuffling and snorting, George greedily inhales the scent of palm trees passing by and frying burgers in the distance. His ears flap in the wind and he has to close his eyes so much that he probably can’t see a thing, but his tongue lolls joyfully out of his mouth anyway. His tail wags so fast that it whizzes through the air and I can hardly hear the tall, dark, and handsome man in the driver’s seat next to me laughing.

The date has hardly even started and I’m already having the time of my life. I think Georgie is too, judging by his goofy canine smile.

When Grayson arrived at my beach bungalow twenty minutes ago, George and I were the only ones around to welcome him. George was ecstatic for a new friend and could hardly contain himself, but Sutton and Liv and their respective fur babies were nowhere to be seen.

It was a rare—and almost certainly deliberate—choice for Sutton, who thrives off every ounce of attention she can get. I wish she could have come downstairs long enough to at least meet Grayson so she could give me her opinion later on how mind-blowingly cute he is, but I suppose she was too busy pouting over our argument. In retrospect, maybe that’s a good thing. Because some people don’t quite understand Sutton’s sassy snark before they get to really know her.

Liv, on the other hand, probably just wanted to make sure that my secret stayed safe. There’s no way to know if Grayson has ever seen any notable pics with Sutton or Liv in them. Our faces are plastered all over the internet, after all. It’s sheer luck that has kept my career a secret from Grayson so far. No doubt, he will curiously Google me at some point—if he hasn’t already—and the charade will be over. I’ll have to figure out a way to fill him in on the finer details of my professional life before then.

I cringe to think of him learning that he’s dating a famous beauty influencer from a meme online or something. It needs to be handled with more delicacy than that, especially since I’ve already made it seem like I’m simply a regular makeup artist.

George barks, sticking his head out a little bit more and I tighten my hold on him. When we first climbed into Grayson’s car, I tried to wrangle my spirited puppy into the backseat before we headed out to Franco’s, but George wasn’t having it. He quickly made it known that he’s a front seat pup only. Fortunately, Grayson had no problem with that.

Even now, Grayson reaches over occasionally to pat Georgie’s head—when it isn’t stuck out the window, that is—while he keeps his other hand on the wheel and his gaze on the road ahead. I find myself mesmerized by the way the passing streetlights illuminate his milk chocolate brown eyes.

This unbridled happiness I feel with wind whirling through the car, George in my lap, Grayson at my side, and a whole empty highway ahead of us is like nothing I’ve ever experienced.

I feel whole in a way I’m not sure I have before.

It’s like I’m only realizing now that I’ve been missing a piece of myself. I have my besties and my G&G fame and my money, but Grayson has opened my eyes to there being more to life than simply a booming career. Which is wild, especially since we only just met, but there it is.

As if sensing me staring at him, Grayson’s gaze shifts briefly away from the road. Our eyes lock for just a moment and lazy tendrils of heat spiral through my veins. Every time Grayson grins at me, I swear a hot air balloon inflates in my chest. I could happily float off into the atmosphere right now.

Grayson reluctantly turns his attention back to the road, but I can’t convince myself to look away from him just yet. Hands down, he’s the most gorgeous guy I’ve ever seen.

“Wow,” Grayson whistles as we turn the final corner between us and the burger shack. “Who knew Franco’s was such a hot spot?”

At his words, my heart sinks and I finally force myself to look away from Grayson. Ahead of us, Franco’s Burgers is absolutely alive with movement. The parking lot of the tiny restaurant is so full that we even have to pull onto the side of the beach to park instead.

There must be some sort of event happening tonight, which I hadn’t anticipated, because it’s buzzing like a beehive. People wander in and out onto the beach directly beyond the restaurant, carrying drinks and food. Music pulses in the air, punctuated only by the crash of waves on the shore and the occasional barks and howls of rambunctious dogs. Usually when I make the trip out here, it’s calm and quiet and George can play off-leash in the dunes, but it’s packed tonight.

“It looks like we picked a good night to come here,” Grayson remarks, leaning over to pat George’s head as he flashes one of his drop-dead gorgeous smiles at me.

I swallow hard and muster a grin of my own, even though I’m not nearly as pleased about the busy atmosphere as my date is. Still, I want him to think I’m excited about being with him tonight. There’s no way I’m going to put a damper on this date, and I can’t exactly suggest going somewhere quieter when he’s clearly enthused about this place.

“Totally!” I answer as cheerfully as possible.

I wish I’d thought to bring my floppy Panama hat along to hide my identity, but I did my hair and makeup during the G&G video shoot right before Grayson picked me up and I didn’t want to have to redo it. I’m thinking now that I should have dressed much more low-key at least. Lace-trimmed Daisy Dukes paired with a sunny yellow blouse and navy-blue duster cardigan aren’t exactly subtle, even if I know I do look damn good.

Grayson climbs out of the car and makes his way around the passenger side, where George and I are sharing a seat. I take a deep breath, telling myself to chill out and have fun. It’s nighttime and everyone is going to be focused on themselves. No one is going to notice me.

Tugging open my door, Grayson pretends to dramatically bow like a chauffeur. The happiness glinting in his eyes is enough to make me momentarily forget my worries and woes. For our first date, he’s opted to exchange his sexy suit and chosen instead to go with a pair of jeans that fit his toned legs so well he looks like he stepped out of the pages of GQ. He’s rolled the sleeves of his black button-down to show off his toned forearms, and the top button against his collarbone is tantalizingly undone. I have to remind myself not to stare too long. It’s only the first date, after all. There will be plenty of time to ogle him later.

Hopefully, anyway.

“Do you like what you see?” Grayson asks playfully when he notices my wandering gaze, though there’s a husky tone in his voice that makes a delicious shiver roll down my spine.

I wet my lips and eye him with feigned haughtiness. “I’m just surprised you ditched your suit for the night. Feels like a bold choice for a stuffy lawyer.”

He laughs, throwing his head back, before smirking at me. “Maybe there’s more to me than meets the eye.”

“I don’t doubt that,” I quip, blushing a little.

Grayson reaches into the car to help me and George out just as an oversized pickup truck abruptly barrels past us onto the beach. I don’t even have time to shriek, but Grayson manages to flatten himself against the side of the car to avoid being hit. I’m glad now that George is a handful to extract from the car.

“C’mon, dude!” Grayson shouts over his shoulder at the truck. “I’ve got precious cargo in here!”

He winks at me, making me blush even brighter, then checks the street again before finally helping me out onto the sand.

We walk side by side toward Franco’s while George trots eagerly a few steps in front of us on his leash. The sand is still warm from the balmy afternoon and every breath I take is flavored with French fries, saltwater, and Grayson’s alluring cologne. It’s an unusual combination, but an intoxicating one. I haven’t had a sip of alcohol tonight, but it feels like my head is already spinning.

Franco’s is as packed inside as it looked. I’m a little worried we won’t get a table, but the hostess manages to find us an outdoor one on the beach.

“Your house is really nice by the way,” Grayson says after we’ve put in an order for a shared plate of chili cheese fries, cheeseburgers, and chocolate shakes for us as well as a special doggy burger for George and a bowl of water.

Fairy lights are strung up all along the seating area, bathing the night in soft, twinkling colors, and music plays from the outside speakers. Nearby, people are laughing and dancing and eating dinner. It’s been forever since I was out at a crowded place like this without having some sort of VIP booth to sneak back to. Just like I’d hoped, however, everyone is too absorbed in their own fun to notice me. I need to relax and try to savor this special moment with this special man.

Smiling at him, I ruffle George’s furry head. My pup leans against my chair, his sweet chin resting on my knee so that he can gaze adoringly up at me and beg for both a taste of my food and more pats. The food hasn’t arrived yet, so all I can give him are the pats right now.

“Thanks,” I say, running my hand over George’s soft fur. “It’s basically my dream home, if I’m being honest about it.”

Grayson waited until the server placed our shakes on the table then left before answering. “And you live there with just two of your friends?”

His question gives me pause, even though I know he’s simply trying to make conversation and figure me out more. That’s what dating is supposed to be all about, right? But I’ve dug myself into a surreptitious hole I’m not sure when—or how—to climb out of.

“Yeah, we do pretty well for ourselves,” I answer cryptically, sipping my shake through the big, colorful straw. It’s thick and sweet and perfectly chocolatey.

He seems to suspect I’m trying to avoid a sensitive subject because his brows crinkle a little over his straight nose. Maybe that’s simply the lawyer in him. Maybe his gut tells him I’m being secretive. My heart picks up its pace, drumming against my ribs, but I keep smiling and take another sip of my drink.

I will tell him about G&G and my online fame. I definitely will. Just...not right now.

Not yet.

“Where do you live, Grayson?” I ask, again turning the conversation back to him.

He’s quiet for a moment, simply gazing at me, but before he can say whatever seems to be on his mind, the server appears at our table with our cheeseburgers and loaded fries, as well as George’s dinner. While his isn’t nearly as fancy as ours, my fur baby eagerly wags his tail and accepts a pat on the head from the woman before chowing down.

On the other side of the table, Grayson munches on a fry before answering. “I live by myself in an apartment in LA. It’s not too far from the library actually. I had roommates up until I made junior partner at my firm, then I decided to get a place of my own. It’s been fun.” He pauses, musing over his choice of words for a moment before chuckling softly as he poured ketchup on his burger. “Well, sometimes it’s stressful, but mostly, it’s fun. I’ve always been independent like that. In fact, I moved out of my family home the day I turned eighteen.”

I smile and take a bite of burger. Mmm, Franco’s truly does make the best. Big and juicy, they make my taste buds happy. “Sometimes I’m too independent for my own good. But my friends help keep me grounded. Come to think of it, stressful but fun might as well be my life’s motto.” I reach for a fry and nibble on it thoughtfully. “You don’t make it sound like your family was very supportive of you. Did they have something against you becoming a lawyer?”

Asking that question felt odd even as I said it. What parents wouldn’t support a son or daughter aspiring to become a lawyer?

“It’s not that my parents didn’t want me to be a lawyer.” Grayson frowns and pops another fry between his perfect lips. He chews it slowly as though he’s trying to stall answering, but eventually he has to swallow that morsel. Then he picks up his shake and takes a long sip. “It’s that they wanted to control my career. My father is a lawyer, and my grandfather was before him, and so on. They wanted me to join the family firm, but I don’t see eye to eye with them professionally. Different things matter to me than to them. I thought I was blazing my own path when I set out on my own, but they thought I was turning my back on them. That’s why I work so hard. I have to prove to them that I’m capable and talented enough to make it on my own. I wouldn’t even let them help me pay for college or law school. I handled tuition and rent and everything by myself.”

I pause, a dill pickle spear halfway to my mouth. “Wow. That must’ve been really hard for you.”

He shrugs. “It was.”

His gaze shifts downward, as do the corners of his lips, and my heart aches a little in my chest. It’s startling how much it hurts me to see Grayson’s pain. Without thinking twice about it, I reach out and gently grasp his hand.

Electricity seems to crackle in the air the moment our fingers touch. I inhale sharply, the butterflies that always seem to be ever present in my stomach when I’m near him fluttering around like they’re on a sugar high. I can hardly breathe.

Somehow, I manage to suck enough air into my lungs to find my voice.

“Family isn’t exactly something I know a lot about,” I admit softly. “My two best friends are as close to a family as I have, or have had since I was a child, but I do know that your parents will come around eventually. They’ll realize that you simply wanted to chase your own dreams, and that the thought of losing you is worse than their hurt feelings.”

Grayson slowly turns over his palm beneath mine and his thumb traces the back of my hand. “Thanks for saying that.” He offers me a small smile. “It’s strange, I don’t normally talk about this kind of thing with anyone. Being a lawyer has always been my dream, but I had no idea how hard it actually is to make it in the field. Your clients and your boss and your peers judge you constantly for the choices you make and even the choices your parents or family make. The scrutiny is never-ending. Sometimes, I feel like I have to work twice as hard as anyone else, especially because I’m new to the firm.”

Every word Grayson says almost makes me want to cry. It’s like he’s reading right from the diary of my own heart.

“My job is similar,” I say. “When it comes to the judgment and pressure involved, anyway. Do you think we’ll ever get to the point when that doesn’t matter, or at least doesn’t bother us?”

I’m hoping Grayson will have some insight that I don’t. Unfortunately, all he can do is shrug his shoulders. Still, knowing he’s in a similar boat is comforting all the same.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to your family?” he asks “Did you become estranged somehow too or…?”

His question makes me wince.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” he says quickly. “I didn't mean to hit a nerve. If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s cool.”

I shake my head. If there’s one thing I can be honest about tonight, it’s this.

“I don’t have family. Not blood family, anyway,” I confide softly. “I lost my mom to a drug overdose when I was little and my dad isn’t in the picture. Actually, I don’t even know who he is. When I met Sutton and Liv in college, it was only then that I realized what family truly means.”

His sensuous mouth curved. “And there’s something beautiful and special in that.”

His voice is warm and sincere as it washes over me.

“Yeah, there is,” I agree. “They’re always there for me no matter what.”

Underneath the twinkling lights of the burger shack, Grayson and I slowly smile at each other. He has a unique presence about him, and though we’re different people, there’s something about his heart and soul that resonates with me in a way that no other guy’s ever has. When he looks at me, I know he’s seeing the true me, not the mask that I’m sometimes forced to wear.

I bite the inside corner of my cheek hard as realization hits me.

I have to come clean with Grayson—sooner rather than later. Sutton was right when she said I was hiding a part of myself by not telling him about Glossed & Glammed. To really understand me, he has to know what I’ve been through and what mountains I’ve climbed. Sutton and Liv are an integral part of that, as is my thriving social media fame.

“Listen, Grayson...”

Suddenly, George lets out a sharp bark.

I stop to see what has him so excited. Across the beach, an adorable poodle with a pink bow on her head is making eyes at my pup. I barely grab for his leash before he scurries toward the poodle, eager to play with his cute new friend. The leash jerks out of my hand, sending me sprawling unceremoniously across the sand. Swift as a superhero, Grayson leaps out of his seat. He manages to snag the end of George’s leash at the same time he scoops an arm around me and pulls me into his chest.

We sit there, covered in sand, arms haphazardly wrapped around one another as George tugs at his leash, focused on the poodle. Grayson and I look at each other and laugh.

It’s the first time in a while that I’ve really, truly laughed from the bottom of my heart and it feels so good that I don’t want to stop. I laugh until tears prickle in the corners of my eyes and my sides ache.

This isn’t a painted, plastered smile. It’s real.

“Tonight has been amazing, Kali,” Grayson murmurs once he’s managed to catch his breath from laughing so much. He brushes some sand from my cheek and leaves my skin tingling, still grinning widely as we sit there on the beach together.

“It really has,” I answer truthfully.

I’d been so worried about it all going wrong, but every minute has been perfect. We lean in a little more toward each other, our lips mere inches apart. He’s so close I can already taste the kiss.

As if on cue, from across the bar, I hear a slew of hushed, excited whispers. At first, I can’t make out what’s being said or who’s saying it, but then I hear my name. An ice-cold chill immediately grips me. I pull back, my heart racing for an entirely different reason now.

We’ve got to go, or my Cinderella act will be over.

“How about we get out of here?” I suggest quickly even as the group of gawking girls is growing by the second and getting closer. More and more people at the shack are starting to realize that someone famous has slipped into their ranks.

This isn’t good.

Noticing my unease, Grayson glances over his shoulder. When he sees the crowd filming, confusion crosses his handsome face.

“Are they taking pictures of us?” he asks in disbelief. “Why would they do that?”

“Maybe they think George is adorable, which he is,” I sputter. My whole body is starting to shake with a desperate need to escape. This isn’t how I wanted Grayson to find out about me. “Come on. We need to go.”

As I jump to my feet, dragging Grayson and George along, the small crowd realizes that I’m trying to leave and starts descending on us.

“Do they know you?” Grayson asks, still sounding confused.

“Of course not!” I yelp as the group of girls start excitedly chanting my name.

Grayson stares at them, then at me, and all I can do is stare helplessly back.

This is it.

I’ve been caught in my lie and now I’ve got no choice but to deal with it.