Maybe seeing my nerves on my face, Kellan discreetly handed me something. It was a pale pink rose petal. My mind instantly rewound to the red and white petal–strewn bed he’d laid out for me. As I stroked the silky petal, I smiled at the words written with a fine-tipped Sharpie. Well, not words exactly. Very carefully, he’d drawn a picture of an eye, the symbol for a heart, and a drawing of an animal that I could only assume was a female sheep—I love you. Laughing a little as I peeked up at his amused face, I tucked the petal in my purse. It never failed; Kellan always found a way to ease my anxieties.
Twenty minutes later we were walking into a restaurant that I could tell was way out of my price range just by the entrance. A valet swept Sienna’s car away as another man in a full suit held the door open for us. He greeted Sienna by name and smiled so widely at me that I could almost count all of his teeth. I felt like I wouldn’t have been greeted nearly so cordially if I’d walked in there alone.
Sienna thanked the doorman and waited for Kellan and me to catch up to her. When Kellan was level with her, she wrapped her arms around his elbow. “Ready? I’m starving.” She leaned around him to speak to me. “You’re going to love this place. The food is to die for.”
I tried to ignore how much of her body was pressed against Kellan’s. And how much thigh was showing on her mini mini-skirt. And that her top was loose and billowy in the front, but almost backless, with a deep V that nearly reached to her skirt; it screamed to the world that she wasn’t wearing a bra, and I figured clothes like these were exactly why she sunbathed with her top unfastened.
As Kellan politely escorted her toward the open restaurant door, I saw flashes of light behind us. Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed men with cameras snapping picture after picture, until Thing 1 stepped in front of them and firmly asked them to leave.
Did I just have my photo taken by the paparazzi? Really? God, I hoped not.
The restaurant was just as opulent on the inside, and I suddenly felt a little underdressed. The refined hostess took one look at Sienna and instantly started leading us to a secluded table in the back of the restaurant. Sienna confidently followed the waitress; the pop star’s walk had a slight swagger to it that was impressive, considering the size of her heels. Kellan followed after her with a hand on the small of my back.
A white linen tablecloth was draped over an intimate round table with four place settings. The waitress deftly removed one setting, sweeping the silver cutlery into her pocket as she indicated the three remaining places. Looking around, I saw that Sienna’s bodyguard hadn’t come into the restaurant with us. Guess he figured she was safe enough in here. I noticed some other guests stealing a peek here and there, but no one gave any indication that they were going to bother us. When your meal cost as much as a week’s worth of groceries, you probably want to savor it, even if a celebrity is sitting a few tables away.
Not long after we ordered, our cocktails appeared, and we sipped on them while we waited for our food to arrive. This was the first time I’d really had a chance to talk to Sienna one on one. She was surprisingly warm, pleasant, and friendly—down-to-earth in a way I wouldn’t expect someone in her position to be. She was even remarkably funny. It was easy to see why the world was so in love with her.
When our calorie-laden food arrived, she put a hand on her stomach and moaned, “My trainer is going to kill me for this.” Lifting a perfect brow, she added, “Being scrutinized as much as I am, I try to stay fit. The last thing I want to see is my rippled ass on the cover of some tabloid.” Lifting her fork, she purred, “So basically I’ve been starving for a freaking decade.” The pasta-coated fork slid into her mouth, and she made a noise that was almost too erotic for the dinner table.
Kellan chuckled at her and gave my plate a suggestive glance, like he wanted me to one-up her satisfaction. Rolling my eyes at him, I told Sienna, “That must be difficult, having complete strangers pick you apart all of the time.”
She smiled as she ate. “You have no idea.” Shifting her eyes to Kellan, she bumped his shoulder with hers. “Men have it so easy. You just have to have an amazing smile and you’re golden.” She gave him a dazzling grin as she studied his features.
I cleared my throat while Kellan asked her, “What was it like, growing up in this business?”
She paused between bites, then lowered her fork. “Not easy. I had the domineering, stage-mom type parents. Not a lot of sympathy if I wasn’t perfect. That sort of expectation is . . . challenging . . . to say the least.” She looked down. “There were many nights I just wanted normal, loving parents who didn’t care if I flubbed a line or missed the high note.” She looked back up and her eyes were glossy. “It just would’ve been nice to feel loved, no matter what.”
Kellan was staring at his glass, his expression thoughtful. After a moment, he whispered, “I know just what you mean.”