Surrounded (Unsettled Series Book 2) (5 page)

“Thank you.” I pulled my glass towards me and took a sip. “What about you? How long will you be in Seattle?”

“I’m not sure, just a couple of days I think,” she said as she swirled the strawberry garnish around the rim of her glass.  “What’s new with you?”

“Work. What about you? Any new film projects coming up?”

“In a few weeks I’m going to start shooting
Ashen Willows
in Virginia. I’m here for a casting of
Shattered
, but I’m pretty sure I’ll nail this role. Other than that, it’s just another day.”

I felt like we were struggling for conversation. The last time I’d seen her we didn’t do much talking either. The alcohol did the talking for us. That’s how we ended up in bed together. The next morning I was the one that slipped out, using the excuse that I had a conference call. She seemed to want to hang out, but I knew then, just like I knew now, that night was nothing more than a night that needed to be tossed into the sea of forgetfulness.

I was about to ask about her interest in my foundation when she said, “So how is your girlfriend?” Her question immediately brought a smile to my face.

“Brooklyn is good. How about you? Are you dating anyone?”

She laughed lightly, “Nobody special in my life right now.” She brushed her hair behind her ear again and broke eye contact. 

We both drank from our cocktails—me faster than usual because I was ready to get up to my room. She sipped and swirled hers around her glass.

“So the foundation,” I started.

“Yes, tell me more!”

For the next fifteen minutes, I filled her in on the foundation, the people we helped with the money, how much any help she offered would be appreciated. In fact, I was grateful to have something to talk about. Otherwise we’d have had to resort to the weather for conversation filler, and I didn’t want to have to stoop to that level.

“Sounds like you’re really passionate about it. I’ll put some thought into your offer to help out.” She swallowed the last of her Daiquiri.

“Great. I’ll put you in touch with the foundation director when you decide for sure.” I drained the last of my vodka and stood. “I need to get on up to my room now.” I’m sure she interpreted that to mean I had pressing business to deal with, when actuality, I really just wanted to chill out in my boxers while I talked to Brooklyn about anything other than work.

“Yeah, I should probably get going too. I need to go over my lines before tomorrow as well. You know how this business is—you can go from A-list to D-list in a matter of days. All it takes is one bad performance.”

I could hear the self-doubt in her voice. “I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.
Perception
was a good movie” I offered, trying to reassure her.

“You watched it?” she asked, her eyes lighting up.

Great, I’d talked myself into a corner. “No, but don’t take it personally. With my schedule, I don’t have much time for movies.” I smiled apologetically. “But my assistant is a fan, and she said it was great.” Elizabeth’s films weren’t really my thing.

I grabbed my jacket off the bench and waited for her to rise from her seat. We walked around the chaos taking place at the bar counter. Everyone was crowded around watching the Mariners vs. Phillies game. Even though they weren’t my favorite teams, I would have much rather spent the last thirty minutes watching the game rather than passing time with Elizabeth. We just didn’t have anything in common, and aside from the topic of the foundation, the conversation had been a struggle. As I begrudgingly left the game and the low cheering behind and followed Elizabeth out of the bar into the lobby, a man called Elizabeth’s name.

“Ms. Drexel!”

Elizabeth groaned under her breath as I turned around to see the dude from the bar standing behind us holding a camera. Ugh
... Paparazzi. Just the mere sight of the guy reminded me why I was so glad that Brooklyn was not in the spotlight.

Elizabeth looked up at the man with the camera in his hand, and morphed into the starlet everyone around the country knew her as. “Hi! How are you?” she asked cheerily.

“I’m well, Ms. Drexel. What brings you to Seattle?” he said, as he began to raise his camera.

“Just here for work. Please excuse me, I have to get going.” We turned back around and headed into the lobby of the hotel.

The pitter patter of footsteps behind us told me that he wasn’t going to give up that easy. One second he was behind us, the very next he was standing in front of us. “No problem. Just give me one picture. Please?” he asked, waving the camera in our direction with a slimy grin on his face. “And who do we have here?” He directed his question at Elizabeth. “Boyfriend?”

“No” I said, piping up. There didn’t need to be any confusion about who we were to one another. “Just acquaintances.”

“He is a friend.” She answered, looking up at me. “Just a good friend.” She turned her attention back to the guy.

“Friend or boyfriend?” he probed again.

“Logan is just a friend” Elizabeth repeated for a second time with more force.

“Would you and Logan take a picture for me? Just one?”

Elizabeth looked at me, “Can we just do one? He won’t go away otherwise” she whispered. 

I prepared to say no, but her pleading eyes told me she just wanted him away from her. I understood that.  “Okay, one.”

She leaned into me and wrapped her arm around my waist.

“Smile” the creep instructed, and just like that the guy started off on a flurry of shutter clicks that blinded us both. After my eyes adjusted and I realized the idiot was going to completely take advantage of the situation, I pulled away from Elizabeth’s grasp. When he saw I wasn’t playing along anymore, he stopped snapping and placed the cap over his lens.

“Have a great trip, Ms. Drexel. See you soon” were his last words before hotel security swarmed in, hot on his tail, presumably to escort him out.

“That was awkward” I said, running my fingers through my hair. “It was nice seeing you again. Have a safe trip wherever you are headed.”

“You too. Let’s keep in touch.” Elizabeth was fiddling with her bracelet again, “It was really nice seeing you. Your girlfriend is really lucky” she whispered. It took me a minute to decipher what she said under her breath. To my surprise, she leaned in and gave me a swift peck on the cheek and pulled me in for another hug.

“Uh, yeah. Have a good night.” I answered awkwardly, pulling away. I turned and headed towards the elevators. I punched the button and waited for it to arrive, leaving Elizabeth standing in the middle of the hotel lobby.

I let myself into my hotel suite dismissing the opulence of the mini apartment. I wished that Brooklyn was waiting for me rather than warmly painted walls and empty sheets. After I slipped off my shoes and loosened my tie, I fell into the down comforter and pulled my phone out of my pants.

Facetime in five.

I sat up in bed and unzipped the bags that lay by my feet, pulling out a white tee and basketball shorts—my favorite out
fit when I wasn’t traveling or in public. I pulled my laptop open and clicked on the wifi to start my call with Brooklyn. When we finally connected, Brooklyn lay in front of me in one of my old college t-shirts and shorts. I loved the way she adopted my clothes…the way she wanted to be surrounded by me even if I wasn’t there.

“Hey, beautiful” I said.

“Hey, you. How was your flight?” She sounded tired, but the smile on her face told me she was happy to see me. It was nice to hear her voice and see her face. It made me want to be back in DC more than anything. These were the moments with Brooklyn I didn’t take for granted. When I was with Ashley, she never made much effort to keep in contact while I was away. She just made plans with her girlfriends to pass the time. I was glad now that I knew there was actually someone waiting for me—someone as excited about hearing from me as I was to hear from her.

“Can’t complain,” I offered, settling in against the headboard. “What are you up to?”

“Just got into my bed. Wait, scratch, that. I just got into your bed” she said shifting the pillow behind her head. “Having a late night snack, and then it’s time to hit the hay.”

“I should be there.” I adjusted my laptop screen so I could see her better. No matter what she wore, it never ceased to amaze me how beautiful she was. She didn’t need all that other shit most girls wore. When she snuggled against my neck, I didn’t have to worry about a makeup trail, which was great.

“Hold on, let me prop my phone up.” The screen shifted and then she was back in focus, lying on her side and opening a package of Starburst.

“Didn’t know you liked those. And are you really eating in my bed?”

“Not allowed?” she asked, with false alarm. I laughed. Even if I said it wasn’t allowed, I suspected she was going to do it anyway.

“I guess for you I can bend the rules” I said with a smirk. I didn’t care that she ate in bed, as long as it was
my
bed.

The corners of her mouth turned up, “Okay, thanks for letting me break the rules” she mocked. The way she swirled the candy around her mouth made me want to kiss her lips and run my tongue up her neck.

Her voice brought me back from my thoughts. “They’re my favorite. When I was little, every now and then my dad would bring them home for me after work.”

“Seems like you and your dad have a good relationship.” I found myself trying to think back on when my relationship was good with my own
dad. Throwing balls around in the backyard were my best memories.
Damn.
It was so long ago I could barely remember. Things had never been the same since the accident.

“
We have a great relationship. He’s the best dad I could’ve asked for,” she said as she unwrapped another candy. I wished I could’ve said the same thing about my own dad, but that ship had sailed. A small yawn escaped her mouth, “Excuse me. I had a long day at work and it’s catching up to me. I just hope I can sleep well. Sometimes it’s hard for me to sleep in unfamiliar places.” For the briefest of moments I second guessed my suggestion for her to stay at my place. Then I thought about dipshit Damon, and knew I’d made the right call.

“Don’t worry babe, you’ll be fine.”

“I know…that’s not what’s really bothering me.”

“What’s up then?”

“This was supposed to be a girl’s getaway, but somehow Jay has weaseled his way over here too. I told him he had to go before curfew though. I hope you don’t mind that he’s at your place too.” I could hear the remorse in her voice.

“Don’t worry about it. They’re both welcome. Tell Alex I said that no matter how much she may want to, she absolutely
cannot
move in.” Brooklyn laughed and I grinned back at her, glad that I could make her smile.

“Yeah, she was sold the minute she saw the soaking tub in the guest bath.”

“What are you thinking about?” I asked, as the spark in her eyes dimmed.

“I miss you…like really miss you—which is weird.”

“What do you miss?”

“Well…I miss your kisses and all the other stuff we do. It’s hard that you’re 3,000 miles away. That’s all.” My heart soared at her words. There was something about knowing she was missing me and wanting me as badly as I wanted her right that moment. Even more than this morning, I couldn’t wait to head back home.

“Well I won’t be gone long, babe. If you want I can text Alex so she can run you ragged shopping again. Just let me know.” I was rewarded with her happy laugh and an infectious smile.

“No, please don’t do me any favors” she said, still laughing.

I traced my finger over her smile on my screen. “I better hurry up and get back before someone else steals that smile away from me.”

“Nobody’s stealing me away, Logan. You don’t need to worry about that” she said, leaning her head to the side. She brushed back the piece of hair that escaped her bun. “I even brought Herman with me.”

I laughed, thinking of the starfish I’d bought her during our trip to the aquarium. “So Herman is taking his act on the road?” I asked. “Herman, the traveling starfish…nice ring to it.”

“Don’t laugh! Gaah! I shouldn’t have told you.”

“No, I’m not laughing at you” I said, trying to show some restraint. “I’m glad you brought him. It’s nice to know you liked my present.” It was very nice to know that she appreciated something so small.