Chapter 35

"Pearl, earth to Pearl" Rhys said but Pearl couldn't find words. "You look a little peaked. You ok?"

"Yes. I'm fine." She finally managed to get out. "You're looking for a house here? In this area?"

"Not too far from here, yes." He put his hands on her shoulders. "You don't look too happy about it. I guess I was expecting a different reaction maybe? Ah I get it. You enjoy the luxury suites when you come and see me. I can assure you, we can still do that." His usual upbeat demeanor took a turn downward. "No it's not that. I just...am surprised, You know?" Pearl was definitely that.

"I told you I was here to surprise you!" He joked. "Really though, Rhys" Pearl was just going to put it out there "what's wrong with you? There has to be something wrong with you. You're beautiful. Like, a Michelangelo statue type beautiful, you're a movie star, you're always positive...I seriously think you may have the best personality a human being has ever possessed. You're into me, you make me feel wanted and attractive. You could be dating models. Actresses. Kardashians. Royalty even, for fuck sake. Sometimes I have to look around because it doesn't seem real and I think I'm being Punk'd or something. The sex is...."

He bit his nails "It's good right?" He asked like a child showing off his first art project. "Yes. It's amazing." Pearl giggled a little. "So what is it? What's wrong with you?"

"There's a lot wrong with me. And I'm not this prize you think I am just because of how I look or what I do. I've made plenty of mistakes in my life. I've dated models and actresses. Didn't work out. What they do for a living doesn't make them any better than anyone else. Me? I'm far from perfect. But the day I met you, I felt you may be one of the right things coming my way and I don't want to miss that. Look, I'm just a small town Midwest boy that got lucky at the right place at the right time. I want to get to know you. Spend some time together. See where it goes. I have this feeling that it's going to be life changing. How we met. How we keep running into each other. It's serendipity. It's fate. And I don't think I want to defy that." Rhys was so convincing. "Ok. Question for you...If I hadn't started acting, chose a different path, and I worked at the bookshop here in town, if that's how you met me, would you feel the same?"

"Yes" Pearl said.

"That's all I need to know." Rhys smiled and give her a big hug.

"So what time should I pick you up tonight?" He asked as they got back the lobby of her office building. "730? 8?" She asked.

"7" he replied, grinning like he was the smartest man in the world. I'll be there at 7. What's your address?" God his smile was going to be the end of her.

She got back to her desk and started working. The unwanted attention she got from the entire floor of the building was a lot to handle. She could hear whispering "what was he doing here to see her?" "I mean, she's kinda pretty but her??" She tried not to think about it. She finished up her day and took the back stairs out to the parking garage, avoiding more attention. Her phone dinged as she got into her car. It was Rhys. "I miss you already. See you tonight"

No way this was real. Nope. Not going to believe it, she thought. Her thoughts went to David. Did he really take off work to avoid that scene? Or was she just over thinking. She had to park a few blocks from her apartment and walked past a newsstand on the corner. That's when she saw it. The cover of a gossip magazine. It was her. A picture of her a Rhys with his arm around her. It was the picture from the night at her show! The other girl was cropped out. "Holden Tomlinson having love affair with an unknown fan?" The headline read. She opened it and saw more pictures of her in the article. One where she was on the balcony of his hotel room smoking with him and one of him kissing her in the lounge at the restaurant! Oh my god! "Holden Tomlinson and his unknown lover sneak away for late night romps. Is she a call girl or is this a real love interest? Sources close to the actor reveal she even accompanied him to his Comic Con appearance in Seattle, hanging with the cast of Knights of Eden."

Shit.