Page 16 of Something New

Chapter Seven

Anna barely slept Sunday night, despite the soothing sounds of the ocean. She hated the silence of sleeping alone. It made her feel even more isolated and lonely than she already was and, in the middle of the night, well, loneliness came calling stronger than at any other time, along with regrets and recriminations.

By the time the sun had peeked over the horizon, Anna gave up on sleep and rolled out of bed, deciding to go for a run. If they were going to eat the way they ate last night, well, Anna would need extra workouts to maintain her figure. She had always had a little extra padding in spots. Curvy and sexy were the taglines her agent used, although Yvonne cautioned her on not going over to voluptuous. Film stars were not voluptuous at her age, so Anna followed a strict exercise regimen designed to keep her figure as best she could, to fool people into thinking she was younger than her age. Not that she was old at twenty-eight, but she was already being compared to the early twenty-somethings who were up and coming, the fresh, young faces who were eyed for roles over her. Exercise also allowed her to work out her frustrations.

She stretched on the lawn and hit the beach just as the sun had fully risen, hanging low in the sky, casting rays of light over the water. She sat on the sand for several minutes, enjoying the peace and silence. She wrapped her arms around her legs and propped her chin on her knees and slowed her breathing, meditating like her yoga instructor had taught her. Clearing her mind proved more difficult than she had expected, especially when every thought turned to Wyatt.

Damn, that man invaded her dreams after only one day. If she was this hot and bothered after one night, how would she be by the wedding? She could swear she could even smell his unique scent, male and sexy. She sighed. It really had been too long since she’d had sex if she was imagining a male scent on the wind.

“I didn’t expect to see you out here this early. Don’t actresses party all night and sleep all day?” Wyatt’s voice spoke from a few feet behind her, startling Anna.

She twisted around on the sand to see Wyatt standing in athletic shorts and a white cotton t-shirt, obviously having the same goal in mind. A run on the beach. Whitby Island was not big enough for the two of them.

“You’re thinking about vampires. I have early filming calls, so I’m often up and on the road well before now. I rarely stay out late because of early calls.” Anna swung her legs around to get up, and Wyatt held out a hand. She studied it for a long second, then took it and let him help her to her feet. She casually brushed the sand off her legs, avoiding his stare. When she finally looked up at him, unnerved by his prolonged silence, he wore a puzzled expression.

“So, how do you have the time to go to all of those nightclubs, dancing half the night away, and party with all of those people?”

She grinned, genuinely amused. “I guess my PR campaign is working. My agent will be so happy. Most of those situations are setups, publicity stunts to garner the most attention for the actors and for the places where we’re seen. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

“Arranged parties and stunts?”

She kept smiling, enjoying his confusion. “Not exactly. It can be quite fun, but it’s tiring after a while. I mean, the media is out there looking for you to make a mistake or trying to find a situation where you can look your worst. By setting stuff up, we control what they get and, if we set up a few risqué things, then the media thinks they’re getting a scoop.”

This time, he looked outraged. “So, you’re manipulating them?”

“I guess, but it lets me have some privacy at other times. If we assure them access, they won’t have to chase us down at other times. It was my agent’s idea, a way to coordinate the publicity so we could control the message. Obviously, it worked. You believed it.”

He shook his head, brow furrowed. “I can’t believe you let your agent pimp you out like this. It’s dishonest.”

She laughed. “Seriously? You don’t think professional athletes don’t do this too? You don’t think you would have had to do this once you became a starter, especially if you had a public relations issue?”

She walked toward the water, staying just shy of the hard-packed sand so her running shoes wouldn’t get wet by the rushing waves. “You’re being naïve, Wyatt. The media is everywhere, no matter where you go. Hell, they could be lurking right over the sand dune.”

She stretched out her sore calves, having lost all the benefits of her earlier stretching while she meditated on the sand. Wyatt joined her, saying nothing until they had finished. He quirked a brow down the private beach that circled around the island toward town. “Want to run together?”

She glanced down the length of the shoreline, biting her lower lip. Heading toward town could be risky. If anyone knew she was here, she could meet fans or, worse, media and people who were looking to make a buck with pictures of Anna. The other direction was more isolated, a slightly rougher beach path but more private.

“I think I’ll go this way.”

He quirked a grin. “Afraid to run with me? Or something else? I’m not stylish enough to be seen with you?” His sardonic gaze traveled down her Upside leggings and top, the floral print adding a touch of feminine to her workout gear. “Are you running or trying to walk a runway?”

She struck a pose as if he were a cameraman. “I’ll have you know this is the top-of-line exercise clothing many actresses are wearing right now.”

“How much did they pay you to wear that?”

She flushed as his words hit home. She might not have been paid to wear this line, but she had worn other clothes for paid advertising. A walking billboard.

He leaned forward and spoke quietly, an intimate tone. “I remember when Nikes were enough for you. But they’re not a big enough brand for you anymore, not good enough?”

She lifted her foot and planted it in his stomach, pushing him back. “My Nikes work just fine, thank you very much.”

And she took off down the beach, the sound of his laughter echoing behind her.

* * *

Wyatt jogged down the shoreline, using the pounding of feet on the hard-packed sand to drive all thoughts and feelings out of his body until he was an empty vessel, calm and relaxed. Exercise had been the only thing keeping his sanity since his injuries—especially in those tense months after his injury and when he tried to find a place somewhere in professional football. But his knee was too unstable for him to be consistent in the pocket, and most teams didn’t want to take the risk.

The beach gave way from private to public and he met more people walking the beach, staking out their spot for the day. Wyatt nodded in greeting and kept pace. Shortly after that, he reached the cove in the small town on Whitby and took a detour to the coffee shop for some breakfast. After grabbing a cup of coffee and an egg sandwich, he glanced around for a place to sit and saw a familiar figure sitting on a bench, also in running clothes. Delaney Winters strode away while Ethan watched her intently. Wyatt shook his head. Looked like another former couple had not gotten quite past their issues, either.

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