A Little Less than Famous (10 page)

We met up at a Starbucks. Jake showed up incredibly incognito, basketball shorts and a t-shirt, sunglasses on. He kept his head down while he ordered coffee. I watched from my seat by the window, as he dumped a ton of creamer into his coffee, two and a half packets of Splenda and then made his way over to me. I couldn’t help but notice a few heads turning as he walked by. It might have been because he had sunglasses on inside, but that probably wasn’t it. The guy was gorgeous. He had that super dark hair falling into his face, in that p
erfect styled way, perfect blue
eyes (though you couldn’t see them now). He obviously worked out; he had to look fit to play a badass cop on television. But it was more than that. It was the way he carried himself, so sure and confident, making his way through the room like he owned it.

He came and stood next to me for a moment, a small smile curling up on his lips. God, those stupid lips. “So is there room for me?”

I looked at the fairly big loveseat that I was sitting on. I was taking up most of the room, though there was definitely room for two. I pointed to the armchair directly across from me. “Right there.”

He shrugged, good-
naturedly, like he didn’t care either way.

“So, why did you meet up with my anyway?” Jake said, glancing around the café. “You seemed pretty pissed the other night.”

“I wasn’t pissed,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I was tired.”

“Yeah, tired wasn’t exactly the emotion I was getting from you after that kiss.”

I held my hand up. “Uh, no. No kiss. No talk of the kiss.”

“Fine, fine,” Jake said, sounding bored. “Its easily forgettable.”

I rolled my eyes, ignoring the stab. Especially since I knew, as much as he did, that it had been a great kiss. “
What about you
? Why are you hanging out with me? Besides the obvious.”

“Oh, the obvious? What could you mean by that?” Jake said, mockingly, a grin on his face.

“You are ridiculous,” I answered, shaking my head.

His nonchalance, his acting as if he didn’t care where this was going was driving me insane. A few days ago, he’d acted like someone trying very hard to make an impression on me. Now, he seemed to be acting more like a person who wanted to get in my pants, who wanted to get in the pants of all the girls he met.

“How many girls have you slept with?” I blurted out before I could think of what I was saying. I immediately took a sip of coffee, trying to cover up my ridiculous word vomit. 

Jake paused before taking a swig from his own drink and looked over at me. I wish I could see his eyes; it was so hard to read what he was thinking or feeling. “Do you really want me to answer that question?”

“I don’t know,” I said, coyly, raising my eyebrows at him. “Do I?”

“And what about you, McKinley?” He took his sunglasses off and I suddenly wished he hadn’t. There was so
mething about those stupid blue
eyes. “What’s your number?”

I laughed, looking away from him. “Oh, we are so not going there.”

“All right,” Jake said, laughing a little himself. “I bet you have a lit
tle notebook with allll the names
of guys in there.”

“I don’t have a list,” I said, avoiding the plural assumption. The fact was, he wasn’t far from the truth.

“I’m sure,” Jake smirked. “I’m sure you could get any guy in the room.”

“Maybe,” I answered, gripping my cup tighter in my hands. I was good at playing games; I was the master at playing games. I had become an expert on the give and the take. I knew how to enter a room, and I knew how to exit the room, either with someone or without someone. I knew what to say, what to wear, what to do and who to do. I knew how to be in control and I thrived when I was in control. I wasn’t used to someone using a game back at me. “And what about you, Jake? You’re so famous, I bet all the girls
just line up for a shot to be in
your bed.”

“You’re not wrong,” he said, his eyes meeting mine, a playful smirk on his face.

“And you are damn cocky,” I shot back.

“It comes with the business,” he shrugged, leaning back in the chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him. I looked away, avoiding looking at his stomach or arms or
anything
. I noticed the barista behind the counter eyeing Jake. Now that he had taken his sunglasses off, he was way more obvious. Los Angeles was known for being a little more celebrity friendly, but this was Brea, and this was Orange County.
People tended to get a little bit
star struck
.

“Prove it,” I said, turning back to Jake. I nodded my head in the direction of the groupie, who was looking way too excited behind the counter. “You have a nice, probably barely legal girl over there who looks eager.”

Jake didn’t even look in her direction. “I don’t have to go over there.”

“Oh really now?”

“She’ll come to me,” Jake said, and I felt a stab of annoyance at his cockiness. I wondered for a moment if I saw myself a little bit in it. I had noticed the guy in the corner with the laptop as soon as I walked in, mostly because I knew he had noticed me. I shook away those thoughts. I wasn’t Jake. If I wanted something from that guy, I would go up to him. I wouldn’t do what Jake was doing now, waiting for that girl.

“Hi, you’re Jake Kennedy, right?”

I don’t know why I was surprised for even a moment that the girl had come over. I felt a larger stab of annoyance.

Jake turned to her and smiled. “Maybe. And you are?”

“Mackenzie,” the girl said, tossing her hair just so. Of course.

Jake threw a glance my way, and this
time,
I could read all of the amusement. Mackenzie glanced my way, her excited look switching to disgust very quickly. “Ah. Mackenzie, this is my friend, McKinley.”

I smiled thinly, looking over at Laptop Boy, who was looking more hopeful over the top of his computer. I felt a sudden desire to cross the room to join him. This was ridiculous. Why had I even texted him that stupid ‘yes’? Why had I even told him to prove it? Prove what?

I turned back to Jake and Mackenzie. She had taken a seat on the armrest of Jake’s chair and her hand was resting on Jake’s very impressive bicep. Jake was grinning up at her, his fingers playing with the ends of her ponytail. He reached up and laid a palm on her thigh.

That was enough for me. I stood up, smiling at both of them and started making my way over to Laptop Boy. Halfway there, I looked over my shoulder and saw Jake’s eyes following me, that stupid little smirk on his face. I turned back around, angry, focusing on my prey. I could get that kind of attention just as fast and just as easily.

I was in big trouble.

Chapter Four

Days had passed since the disastrous coffee meet up, because I refused to call it a date. I spent another twenty minutes or so in that Starbucks talking to Laptop Boy before I busted a move out of there.

I would like to say that I never talked to Jake again. That after seeing him acting just as I figured a hot young celebrity would, I could give up on that challenge and forget about that extremely hot gas station kiss. It was just a challenge. That’s it. And it was one challenge that I didn’t have to text back.

“McKinley, can you hand me a napkin? I just spilled orange juice on myself,” Amanda said, sounding irritated.

Tom says he misses you because you’re not a bitch like Andrea.

I smirked and texted back,
Tell Tom I miss him too.

“McKinley? McKinley? McKinley!”

“What?” I snapped, looking up from my phone.

Amanda glared at me. “God, who are you texting?”

“No body,” I answered.

Amanda put her pen down and looked at me. “What is with you lately? You’re always on your phone. You hardly listen to me. You’re on a whole other planet.”

I stared at h
er, hating how perceptive she
always was. “I’m fine, Amanda.”

She stared at me for a moment. “Did you meet someone new?”

I hesitated. “Sort of.”

“Have you broken up with Gabriel?” she asked, returning back to her magazine. I shook my head. “Well then.”

“Well then indeed,” I answered. My phone buzzed and I automatically reached for it.

You free tonight?

At that, there was a knock on the door. I hopped off the stool and went to open it. Gabriel stood there waiting for me.

“Hi,” I said.

“Hey.” He leaned over and kissed me lightly. “You ready to go?”

“Yeah,” I said, grabbing my jacket. “I’m leaving, Amanda. Lock up when you leave.”

She nodded.

Sorry, date night.

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“So how’d it go?”

I cradled my phone between my ear and shoulder so I could type at the same time and sighed. “About as well as I thought. He acted like he didn’t give a shit
and
left me with the check.”

“Ouch,” Amanda said. I heard water running in the background and knew that she was probably washing dishes. “So now what? Are you going to hit up mystery boy?”

“Okay, there is no mystery boy, for one thing. And I just want to stay away from boys at this point.”

“Until a boy catches enough of your interest. You don’t stay single for long.”

“Amanda,” I said, pausing in the middle of typing. “You make me sound like a slut.” There was silence on the end. “Amanda!”

“You know, I’m just kidding with you,” Amanda said, laughing, “ and stop scowling. I can practically hear it over the phone.”

I laughed; I had, in fact, been scowling. My phone vibrated and I held it out so I could read the message.

Come outside.

I stared at it for a moment. “Oh, sorry, Amanda, dropped my phone.” I shut my laptop and went to my door. I crept past Luke’s room, downstairs into the diner and to the backdoor. I flipped the backlight and was both surprised and unsurprised to find Jake standing there. “Um, Amanda, I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow.” I hung up and slid my phone in the pocket of my hoodie. “What are you doing here?” I asked, stepping outside into the cold. My arms immediately wrapped around myself.

“Had a long day on set,” Jake said, hands in his pocket.

“Bad day?” I asked, taking a step closer.

“Yeah, you could say that,” he answered. “I started driving and eventually realized I was driving here. I wanted to see you.” He looked up at me. “Hope that’s okay.”

I nodded. “Yeah, its okay.”

A corner of Jake’s mouth turned up. “Thanks, McKinley.” I nodded, smiling. “How was your date?”

I sighed. “Jake…”

“What? I can’t ask a question?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his face.

I shook my head. “Lets just say there won’t be any more dates with Gabriel.” There was a long pause and I looked up to see Jake barely concealing a smile on his face. “God, Jake, you are a terrible actor.”