Page 25 of Her Rock Star's Dark Secret

“Sure!” Penny ran past him toward Alexis.

“New couch?” Lauren said, coming into the room. Penny climbed onto the couch and rubbed her hand over the velvet surface, similar to the way Alexis had done.

“I couldn’t sleep on the other one, so I went shopping,” Chase explained. “But Alexis has to understand this is my couch for every time I come to stay with her. We had to have a little talk about that. She thought I was trying to buy her a couch.” He gave a silly fake laugh. “Why would she even think such a thing?”

“I love it, Chase!” Penny said. She ran over to where Alexis kept a stack of blankets and grabbed one. She took it over to the couch and rearranged the throw pillows so they cushioned her head when she lay down. She stretched out and draped the blanket over her. “This is perfect for sleeping,” she declared. “Good buy, Chase.”

Lauren chuckled. “Penny must have heard me talking to Alexis. I tell her that when we find a good deal on stuff at the store.”

It was cute how Penny imitated her mom, and it warmed Chase’s heart.

Another knock sounded on the door. “I bet that’s Owen.”

“Owen?” Lauren asked.

But Chase didn’t take the time to explain. Lauren would understand as soon as he opened the door. Owen stood on the doorstep. Chase pulled him into a one-armed man-hug and said, “How’s it going, bro?”

“It’s fantastic to see you again. It’s been a while. Since the car show, right?” Owen followed him into the room.

“Has it really been that long?” Chase said. He and Owen had met up for an antique car show in California about a year ago. They’d both been so busy with their careers, they hadn’t had time to hang out since then. But Owen had been one of his closest friends since second grade, and whenever they saw each other again, it was like no time had passed at all.

Chase had helped Owen enter the industry when he heard about an audition opening and told a film executive at a party about his best friend’s raw talent to captivate an audience. Owen auditioned, and the film execs liked what they saw. The rest was history. Owen was now one of the hottest, best-paid actors in Hollywood.

“We really do need to hang out more,” Owen said.

“Well, what do you think we’re doing right now?” Chase asked.

“Lauren, you look exactly the same,” Owen said.

“Thanks, I think?” Lauren said.

“Is this your little one?” he asked, looking at Penny.

“Yep.”

“She looks just like you,” Owen said. “Kids are such a miracle. So cool to see your little girl.”

Owen’s eyes fell on Alexis, and he smiled, all calm and collected. “Hi, I don’t think we’ve met.” He reached his hand out to her. “I’m Owen.”

She stood, staring at him, transfixed. “I’m Alexis.”

Owen’s cheeks tinged with pink. “Oh. I feel so awkward. Of course, you are. I’m so sorry I didn’t recognize you.”

“It’s okay,” Alexis said. “It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened to me. In fact, it happens all the time when I bump into former classmates around town.”

When Alexis was in high school, she’d been battling her weight. She spent her time baking and ate most of what she created. She’d tried so hard to get the weight off, to no avail. She just kept baking and eating. When she hit her twenties, she studied nutrition and discovered portion control and running. Now she was fit, and her skin had cleared up thanks to a new face wash. She’d learned to do her hair, so it wasn’t frizzed out, and now it shone in the light of her small apartment. His younger sister was gorgeous, and he hadn’t warned his best friend. How did a guy tell his buddy, hey, by the way, my sister is hot now?

Alexis still ate her creations, but she only ate the smallest portions, enough to get an idea of how good it tasted. Chase had no idea how she had so much self-control. If he ran a bakery, he’d be eating everything in sight.

“I used to be overweight, and then I started running,” Alexis said in a matter of fact voice. “I still bake, but I don’t really eat as much.” Considering how starstruck she was acting before Owen arrived, Chase was surprised that Alexis was acting so normal and confident around him now.

“Is that bakery downstairs yours?” Owen asked.

“Yeah,” Alexis said. “It’s mine.”

“I’ll have to grab breakfast there tomorrow. It looks really good.”

“Thanks. Your first breakfast is on the house,” she said cheerily.

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