“You’re not just saying that?”
“You were impressive. And some of those answers, maybe they were a little over-the-top, but I’m sure people will enjoy them. That bit about second chances was a nice touch.”
“A nice touch?” he asked, his brows tugging together. “Owen, I really believe that.”
I could tell he meant it.
Although, maybe a part of it was just that I didn’t believe it for myself.
17
Keegan
Ihad been so nervous leading up to the interview. Despite all the work we’d put into getting ready, including me setting aside study time to read over the responses we had prepared, it was even worse than the stage fright I would get before performing in a play. It wasn’t just about memorizing lines. I basically had to remember possible lines depending on what she asked.
And then when the moment came, I’d been inspired, not to just go with what we’d all come up with, but answers that actually meant something. I was glad Owen, Bryan, and Frederick weren’t upset with me for improvising.
On our drive to the palace, where I was staying for the night before returning to Fever Falls the following evening, a knot twisted in my stomach, accompanied by a loud rumbling sound. Owen glanced over at me, a smile playing on his face.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“A little bit.” His right brow arched higher than the left. “Okay, maybe more than a little bit. I was so nervous, I forgot to eat lunch.”
He seemed bothered by what I’d said, though I couldn’t figure out why. “Keeg, you should have eaten. We’ll go ahead and grab something.”
“Sorry. This has just been a lot.”
“Yes, of course. You were anxious. That’s normal, and understandable, but you did great.” Owen pondered something. “There’s this really good pub near the river. It has an incredible view of the city if you want to swing by there.”
“You won’t be bothered by everybody watching us?”
I was still having a hard enough time adjusting to people coming up to me in Fever Falls. Considering how upset he’d been with me when he’d believed I was going to ruin one of the few days he could get out and just be himself, I more than understood why he would have preferred not to go out around town, especially with his new boyfriend he’d made headlines with.
“It’ll be annoying, but it wouldn’t be terrible if they saw us out and about together, would it? Kind of an important part of this whole fake-relationship bit.”
As he grinned, I couldn’t help but marvel at his face. There was something statuesque about it, as though he’d been carved from marble, those steel-blue irises set in place on a work of art rather than a real human being. It really wasn’t a stretch to believe that this man sitting beside me was royalty.
And with the recognition came the reminder that this was all fake, because of course it was. Regardless of what everyone else believed, a guy like Owen could only end up with someone like me in some contrived relationship bullshit.
I took him up on his offer, and his driver took us to the pub he’d mentioned. When we arrived, he escorted me to the bar, where we sat on the stools in front of it. Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” played overhead.
“Oh God,” I moaned.
“What is it?”
“Adele.” I put my finger in my mouth, pretending to make myself gag.
“You don’t like Adele? How am I just now finding this out?”
“I mean, she’s a good singer, but it’s like the moment I think I’m having a good day, she comes on, and suddenly I’m either angry as hell for spending all this time ‘chasing pavements’ or feeling like I’ll never ‘find someone like you.’ She hits my soul, bad. I’m liable to start crying right now.”
Owen laughed. “Now I wish I’d known this fact before our interview.”
The bartender, with a sleeve tat and a goatee, headed over, all smiles. “How’s it going, Prince Man?”
“No complaints today.”
“There’s a first,” he teased as he set napkins on the bar before us. “I’m Marty,” he said, and we shook hands before Owen told me, “He’s good people.”
