She’d lifted a wet hand to swipe back a stray hair, and left a streak of water on her forehead. Her eyes were the sweetest blue I’d ever seen, made bigger by the thick lenses of her glasses. The beauty of her smile stopped my breath.
That was the first moment I knew I wanted her. That I was going to try my best to charm her, and to win her.
Back then, I had no idea my feelings would grow so big they all but consumed me. How could I have known I’d spend entire days and weeks thinking about Nat, wondering what she was doing at any given moment? I wanted to hear her laugh, to see her ponytail swing, to cook her something so delicious she’d moan with pleasure as she ate it.
If I’d known how Nat would embed herself so deeply in my heart, maybe I would have walked away. Or maybe after that first smile, it had already been too late. Maybe that was the moment I became hers, and thinking I had any say in the matter had just been an illusion.
The doorbell rang. My agent Billy was picking me up so we could head to the studio together for a meeting with my production team. It was our first meeting with the entire team to discuss the upcoming show, but when Billy and I walked into the meeting, I could immediately tell something was wrong.
Sitting at the big table with my producer were the show’s lead writer, the head of the studio, and a woman I didn’t know. They were murmuring together in low voices and when they saw us, they jumped up with enthusiastic handshakes and smiles that were a little too large.
“Super excited about the new season,” said my producer, Emily, as we all sat down. She was a whip-smart power-house who had an uncanny ability to hone in on what audiences really wanted, and give it to them every time. “Before we get started, we thought we’d have a quick talk with Jenny, our media liaison.” She inclined her head toward the woman I hadn’t met before.
I gave her most charming smile. “Hey Jenny. It’s nice to meet you, but I’ve said all I’m going to about that photo.”
No need to be more specific. They all knew which photo I meant.
Billy shot me a sideways glance. “I’m with them on this one, Kade. We have to come up with a story. You’ve stayed quiet for over a week, and it’s not going away.”
Emily tapped her tablet, then turned the screen to face me. “You have to admit, it looks bad.”
I glanced at the photograph, then looked away. Over the last week, that damn photo had been everywhere. All I wanted was to forget about Nat kissing another man, but how could I when I’d had to see it so often?
“The photo is good publicity for the show, but there’s been a lot of conflicting press all at once, and we need to control the narrative. That’s why I’ve brought Jenny in. Together we can maximize the benefits, and make sure Kade comes out as the hero.”
Jenny nodded enthusiastically. “You weren’t engaged for long before your fiancé was photographed cheating. This is a publicist’s dream. You’re the wronged man every woman wants to comfort.”
“She didn’t do anything wrong.” It was an effort to keep my smile in place. “No matter how many times I tell reporters Nat and I have always just been friends, they won’t print it. When I tell them we weren’t really engaged, they write stories about how I’m lying to protect her. Nat doesn’t deserve any more bad press.”
“But Kade, this is a golden opportunity to—”
“No.” I barked the word, and they all looked shocked. Maybe they didn’t think I could be anything but a charming Mr Nice-Guy, but this was too important to let slide. Besides, lately I’d been feeling the opposite of nice.
Dropping my smile completely, I narrowed my eyes at them. “The only version of the story I want anyone to tell is the truth. I asked her to pretend to be my fiancée. She was doing me a favor, and it backfired.”
Emily winced. “That’s not going to help your career.”
“I don’t care.”
She leaned forward. “If the situation was reversed, would she do the same thing for you?”
“She wouldn’t think twice.” I answered so quickly, I surprised myself. But I knew without doubt it was true.
I’d been unfair comparing Nat to Mom. She was nothing like my mother. Even if Nat had reservations and second thoughts about her feelings for me, she’d never turn on me.
Mom had made me so wary, I’d always been expecting Nat to leave. And when she had, I’d overreacted.
Emily sighed, then sat back in her chair and shook her head at Jenny. “Then that’s that. We won’t need you, Jenny. Unfortunately, I don’t think we can change Kade’s mind.”
When the publicist had left, Emily turned back to me. “Let’s move on to the most important question. What are your ideas for a theme for this season and what kind of recipes will you make?”
I reached into the bag I’d put by my chair and took out Mack’s folder. “These recipes were created by the chef who taught me to cook. For more than four decades, he refined and perfected these dishes.”
Emily raised her eyebrows. “Go on.”
“This season, the show will have a strong nostalgic angle. I’ll talk about how I learned to cook, and feature the recipes Mack taught me. His dishes are tasty and nourishing. They’ll remind viewers of the ones their grandparents used to make.”
Emily didn’t smile often, but
