Wynn traded his salad and dessert plates and did the same. After his first bite, he murmured, “Good idea.”
Scarlett waved her fork in the air. “Some Europeans make salad their dessert. I’ve picked up that practice.”
Their entrees arrived and she pushed the cheesecake away. “I’ll come back to it,” she told Wynn, grinning. “Thank goodness Rhett springs for the good stuff and not the usual, boring chicken breast.”
As she attacked her surf and turf, Sarah came by to award packets of faux money for casino play. When she reached Scarlett, she gave her a bundle and then sat an extra one atop it.
“For helping me solve my little problem.” Sarah winked at her.
Wynn thanked Sarah by name when he accepted his money. Right away, his stock rose in Scarlett’s eyes. Her mom always stressed the importance of treating everyone from the president to the custodian with equal respect. The fact that Wynn had met Sarah earlier and not only remembered her name but used it made her like him even more.
That made her pause.
She was already wildly attracted to him physically. He seemed nice and showed a flash of humor. As a client, though, he would be off-limits. She would never mix her personal life with her professional one. Looking at Wynn’s profile, she almost blurted out for him to find another lawyer. Because she wanted him. Badly. Very badly.
She ordered herself to back off. The new Scarlett, as of this morning, wasn’t interested in casual affairs. Scarlett 2.0 wanted to remain an outstanding professional and find the right man to share her life with. One to give her children. Build a home that was their haven. Wynn Gallagher was an international superstar who could have any woman on the planet. He wouldn’t be interested in settling down with someone like her. Besides, she reminded herself, he was going to be a client. Lymon McGraw would be ecstatic if she brought someone of Wynn’s caliber and name recognition into the fold. She needed to separate business from pleasure.
Even if that pleasure might include foregoing hot sex at the end of tonight.
◆◆◆
Two things struck Wynn as dinner continued. The first surprised him. Conversation flowed easily at their table. Topics ranged from politics and economics to sports and the best cars on the road, with a few stories of kids and school mixed in. He realized how comfortable he was among this new group of acquaintances and how what they spoke of could be taking place anywhere at dining tables across the country. This was not the Hollywood Wynn knew.
He’d been greener than green beginning his first network series at twenty-three, the only unknown among a large cast. The other actors had been cliquish and arrogant, always angling for more lines and even more flattering close-ups. When Wynn became the breakout character and gained favorable publicity for his role, he’d become a pariah, frozen out by every actor on set. It remained that way throughout the run of the show. He went into his second series as the star but the cast behaved largely the same way as the first, only interested in themselves and what would make them look better on camera. They fought over lines and tried to steal scenes. Going to work became a grind, though he’d loved the surgeon he’d played and would have been happy to continue in the role until he was offered Carbon Man, the hero harder than diamond.
By the time he entered the Alpha Tharra Universe and transitioned into film, Wynn was used to the petty arguments, backstabbing, and general unfriendliness on set. Almost every actor proved self-absorbed, interested in how much publicity he or she could generate. The only exception was a newcomer who played Wynn’s lab assistant, who was friendly to everyone because he didn’t know any better. Wynn came to the set totally prepared, knowing his lines and everyone else’s. He was respectful to both cast and crew but spent any down time alone in his trailer. He knew better than to try to engage other actors in friendship.
Over the years, Wynn continued to retreat further within himself, whether working or at home. He had no friends, other than Del and Cady. He enjoyed several hobbies but found sitting here tonight, listening to and participating in stimulating, witty conversation, how lonely he’d become. The powerhouse couples at this table proved to be interesting and unselfish. He longed to make friends with them and become a part of something that had escaped him long ago.
More importantly, the second realization had him anticipating the rest of the night. Wynn had never experienced such a physical rush as he did sitting next to Scarlett Corrigan and breathing in her light, floral scent. The tall beauty fascinated him. Over the years, he’d quietly seen a few women but as his success mounted, he’d almost lost interest in the opposite sex. Or rather, they’d lost interest in him. No one wanted to know Wynn as a person. Every woman he tried to date seemed more interested in being seen with Wynn Gallagher, the superstar, and what that could do for them. As his salary and public profile rose, Wynn felt himself shrinking inside until he’d almost disappeared. For several years now, he’d looked at any woman who approached him with suspicion, wondering what ulterior motives she had.
Scarlett was very different. She was a highly paid professional in a competitive field. Comfortable in her own skin. She came from a world where she mingled with the rich and famous on a regular basis. The men at their table teased her as if she were their little sister. The women, from their conversation, were all friends that she saw frequently. She didn’t seem impressed sitting next to Carbon Man, much less cling to him or look as
