Page 22 of Country Road Romance

Jared nodded his head, because basically that was the only thing he could do.

“How soon do we leave?”

“Right now,” she said.

“I guess I’d better get going then,” he said, getting to his feet.

“You know, you don’t have to look like you’re going to your own execution,” Rebecca said. “You never know. This might be good for you. You’re always saying you need an adventure. And besides,” and here her eyes twinkled mischievously, “maybe you’ll find out what it’s like to sleep with a celebrity. Or at least get some over the pants action.”

“You are the absolute worst, do you know that?”

“You just say that because you know that I’m right.”

He made a rude noise as he headed to the door.

“Oh, and Jared?”

He turned to look back at her.

“Would you do me a favor and be sure to look like I’ve just spent the last fifteen minutes tearing you a new one? I want everyone in the office to think that I’m actually doing my job rather than taking it easy on you.”

He frowned at her but still nodded his head.

“Yeah, for sure, I guess that’s the least I can do.”

“You’re damn right it is,” she said, and then he was back out in the main office.

There was no mistaking the smug look on his office-mates’ faces.

This is going to be a very long weekend,he thought.

And so itwas that Jared found himself, again, parked outside of Charlie Garrett’s hotel. This time, though, they’d agreed that he would come out the service entrance, so as to avoid the even larger crowd that was clustered around the front.

Charlie looked a little tired and harried, and Jared even felt a little twinge of pity for him. For the first time, he really thought about what it would be like to be a star, someone whose every slip-up was covered by the news. Even though Charlie wasn’t exactly an A-lister–not yet, anyway–he was still someone with his own devoted fans who expected certain things from him. It must be a lot to deal with for a kid from the middle-of-nowhere, West Virginia.

Careful, Jared, or you’re going to end up going soft,he reminded himself.

It was getting harder and harder to hold onto his resentment, particularly when Charlie flashed him that winning smile and got into the truck, throwing a duffle back into the backseat.

“That’s all you’re bringing with you?” Jared asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Sure,” Charlie said nonchalantly. “We’re just going away for a weekend, right? It’s not like I have to have a whole wardrobe.”

“I just thought someone like you wouldn’t dream of going anywhere without a whole bunch of suitcases.”

“I mean, isn’t the whole point of this exercise for me to go off-radar for a while? I don’t think that lugging a whole bunch of suitcases behind me is the best way to accomplish that, do you?”

Jared had to admit that he had a point and, for the umpteenth time in twenty four hours, he had to adjust his ideas of what and who Charlie Garrett was. And, while he would never quite admit it to himself, he was a little resentful of Charlie that he wasn’t acting like he was supposed to.

“I guess…I guess we should get going. There’s no time like the present and all that.”

What the hell is wrong with me?He thought.Why did I just say that?

“No offense,” Charlie said, “but do you know that sometimes you sound just like an old lady?”

Jared laughed despite himself. “You’re not the first person to tell me that. I’ll try to sound more like a geriatric millennial from now on.”

Charlie shook his head. “Don’t change on my account. I actually think it’s cute.”

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