Page 8 of She's the Star

“Oh…I didn’t mean to insinuate…” She trails off. “So, you’re stranded?”

“Yes,” I admit in defeat.

“I guess I could come and get you? I don’t have a car myself, but we’re still in L.A., and a service is waiting to take us to the airport. I think I could get them to bring me to you instead.” She pauses. “Although, it might take a while to get to wherever you are.”

“No. No. I don’t need you to come get me. I know you’re heading to the airport this afternoon. I just need you to check Slater’s phone and see if he has the number of anyone from my team.”

“Any thoughts on who I should look for? Brian?”

“Yes.” Does my oldest friend have my manager’s number?

Gosh, I hope so.

I glance over to where Maddy is still happily gnawing on the stranger’s knuckle. Who is this guy? And why is he being so nice?

Because I’m Amber Hope.

“Brian Geary?” Ellie asks.

“Yes.” The tension releases from my shoulders. “Can you send me the number?”

She’s silent for a second. “Done. Whose phone are you using?”

“Oh…uh…someone who stopped to help.”

“A stranger?” Her voice rises a bit. She’s probably thinking that while he might be a stranger to me, I’m likely not a stranger to him. “If you want to call me back after you talk to Brian, I’ll be here. Or, if you need anything, I can...” She trails off again.

She’s the sweetest thing, and I’m not just saying that because she has every one of my songs memorized. I’m saying it because she makes my best friend happy. I love Slater like a brother, and she accepts my relationship with him without jealousy—even knowing we dated in high school.

Also, she doesn’t hold it against me that I begged Slater to pretend to be Maddy’s father. I was a mess, and she could have judged me.

“I think I’ll be fine. I’m going to call Brian and he’ll send someone to get me right away.”

“Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Thanks, Ellie,” I say before hanging up. I make eye contact with—I still don’t know his name. “I’m going to call my manager.”

He nods, like waiting for me to get my shit together is no big deal.

I have a quick conversation with Brian, where he promises to get me and Maddy as soon as possible. Afterwards, I shore up my courage and say, “It seems like you already know who I am.”

His eyebrows raise slightly. “The whole world knows who you are.”

He’s not wrong, but I appreciate him not being weird about it, so I force a laugh. “I really appreciate your help. My…uh…manager and security team are on their way. When they get here, my manager is probably going to ask you to sign a confidentiality agreement. He’s protective of me, and it’s important that Maddy’s shielded as much as possible from the public eye. I don’t want her to be news more than she already is…and, uh…this whole morning has been embarrassing, and?—”

“Ms. Hope,” he interrupts. “I’m not going to sell you out. I’ll sign whatever you need me to sign, and you can even hang onto my phone until someone gets here to pick you up.”

I blink at him in astonishment. It isn’t like I’m not aware that there are decent people in the world, but I’ve come to expect that everyone wants a piece of me. Why isn’t he asking me for something in return for his silence?

“Thank you, Mr…” I still don’t know his name.

“Nolan Byrne.”

“Mr. Byrne,” I repeat. And then I just stand there, because I have no idea what to say next.

I interact with strangers all the time. Meet and greets. Fundraisers. Special events. Fans. I’m known for being approachable and friendly. And yet, standing next to Nolan Byrne while my daughter chews on his knuckle is somehow outside of my comfort zone.

Maybe it’s because this morning has been such a disaster. Or maybe I’ve forgotten how to engage in small talk with anyone who isn’t paying money to chat with me. Double sigh.

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