Page 17 of Seeking Stars
"No! No, no. No." Tension gripped her stomach even as she chuckled. "That's never gonna happen. I'm not there to seduce him, but to get to know him. I'm making a documentary about who this mega-star is in real life and what he's going through at this moment of his career. I definitely, most absolutely, will not risk how good this could be for me by appearing unprofessional because I couldn't keep it in my pants. A fling isn't worth what this could mean for me, Ely. We can go back to thirsting after the premiere. Deal?"
Chapter 5 - Changes
Ely dropped Ana off at the small Central Illinois Regional Airport on Friday, pretending to cry in envy at Ana's amazing circumstances. With a final hug, she'd asked Ana to please behave like Ely would, were she ever to be given such an opportunity. Ana made no promises.
One of TCA's drivers picked her up at LAX in the early evening, and drove her to the address Liam had texted her the night before. Tall walls surrounded the face to his property, partially covered by greenery; a solid gate obscured the view. Once inside the front yard, she studied the modern one storey building, with its large wooden door and floor-to-ceiling tinted windows.
Nerves took hold of her stomach. She got out of the car just as Liam opened the door to his house; the driver stayed in the car, while Liam and Ana met next to the now-open trunk.
"Hey," Ana greeted him, struck again by his presence. His very real, still unexpected, solid presence. "Thanks for having me."
He gave her a sideways glance, standing still next to the back of the vehicle, not quite reaching for the bags. His eyes didn't stay on her. "Hey. Of course. If we're doing this, we might as well."
He wore black jeans and a black t-shirt. He had a light stubble going again, shadowing his face. He stared at her bags, frowning, and the corner of his mouth crimped in a tense angle.
"Honestly, if you'd rather I go somewhere else…" she offered.
He reached for her two bags and held both on one hand, reaching to close the trunk with the other. "No need. It was my idea to invite you here."
Liam signaled the driver he was free to leave. She stared at the closing gate for a moment, before turning back to Liam.
He finally faced her. He pointed to the door behind him with a small jerk of his head. "C'mon in. I'll show you to your room."
The lights in the house were a warm yellow, highlighting the many wooden details crafted among the stark, cool concrete. Colorful art hung on several of the walls; they seemed to be a couple distinct styles, as if he liked two very specific artists. All across the far side, a glass wall opened to a patio. A small pool broke the space as a center feature. More greenery around the patio provided privacy, except on the long edge: a view of the city below and the infinite ocean to its side.
"Your house is beautiful," she said.
He led her through a hallway. "Thanks. I spend a lot of time here so I made sure I loved it."
"Makes sense."
He opened the door to a bedroom.
"You can stay here." He entered the room and left her bags on the bed. Her stomach flipped. "There's a bathroom over there and, well. All the typical stuff."
She glanced around the room, the sweep ending on him. He put his hands in his pockets, as if he didn't know what to do with them now that he didn't carry her bags.
"This is perfect, thanks," she replied. They stood facing each other.
"How was the flight?"
"Fine. Packed tight."
He smiled. "Did they feed you?"
"Of course not."
He chuckled. "Okay, then I'm glad I ordered food. Take some time to freshen up, if that's still something you're supposed to say to a guest. I'll be in the kitchen or living room somewhere."
"Thank you."
He nodded. In the short, awkward silence that followed, they gave each other a small smile.
"Okay, then. Let me know if you need anything."
He closed the door on his way out. Making herself move, she opened her bags and took a couple of things out; not much, since they were leaving for the road in less than 48 hours. She put her toiletry bag in the bathroom and washed her face. She stared at herself in the mirror, completely out of place. What did anyone mean by freshening up? How long did that take?
And, shit, had there been a hint of tension between them? Hopefully she was overthinking it, because she needed them to be comfortable with each other if she hoped to pull this off.
