Authors: Andrew Hess
The voice inside Evan’s head begged for him to say he would take Sara home, but knew it wouldn’t sit right with Sara’s friend. Would it look like he was trying too hard or that he was coming on too strong? He reached out to take her by the hand, but Sara’s friend was already pulling her back inside the bar. The moment the door closed, he knew there would be no way of finding her.
Chapter 4
-Evan
The next morning came quicker than Evan expected. At first he liked the idea of being in front of a crowd filled with people that were there to see him. His thoughts turned on him.
What if no one showed up to either event?
He was so wrapped up this potentially being the major turning point in his career that he never considered the possibility of no one showing. The first signing was only a couple of hours away; there was no turning back.
Evan crawled out of bed, feeling the lingering effects of drinking tequila the night before. A hand cupped the side of his head. He tried to think about the previous night, and how he let go of the nervousness before talking to the girl at the bar. Something came over him, something that made him buy her a drink. He was different. He was confident. He was everything he wanted to be and then some.
Who says I can’t be that guy?
Evan looked at the suit hanging up in the closet. It was made for the man he wanted to be. He shook his head, deciding at that moment that was the man he was going to be.
An hour and a half later, the elevator doors slowly opened. Evan stepped out in his Hugo Boss suit, feeling the confidence he had the night before. Rounding the corner, Evan saw Chris Waters and Kat waiting for him.
“Well-well-well,” Mr. Waters said. He turned to Kat. “You were right. The kid cleans up really well.”
Kat’s eyes focused on Evan, as if she could tell there was something different about him, something that wasn’t there when she took him on the shopping spree. She strutted up to him and stood nose to nose with him. Evan remained focused, refusing to flinch despite being close enough to make a move on her. “Looks like someone got a little confidence boost.” She leaned in and whispered in his ear. “So tell me; who was she?”
Evan stepped back, unsure of how Kat knew about his night on the town. “Just a girl I met at a bar last night.”
“Good for you.” Kat seemed genuinely happy for him. Whatever happened between him and the girl from the bar brought out a side of him that hid beneath the surface. “Now, let’s help you take over New Jersey.”
Chris Waters checked his watch and tapped his expensive shoes on the tiled floor. “Okay people; let’s go. We’ve got books to sign and money to make.” He led the way to the small six passenger limo parked in front of the hotel. Evan entered and sat on the side while Kat and Mr. Waters took their seats at the back of the car. Neon lights lit up the ceiling.
Kat reached over and pulled a long stemmed glass from the rack and retrieved the bottle of wine that was stashed in the cooler filled with ice. She sipped the wine as Mr. Waters whispered in her ear. She flinched and laughed, but the sips from her drink became gulps in seconds.
Evan noticed the change in Kat’s demeanor, but didn’t want to mention it in front of his agent. He waited until they pulled up to the store before ultimately deciding to swallow down the desire to ask what was bothering her.
They pulled up in front of a long beige building with light brown trim around the windows and doors. He was intrigued and couldn’t wait to go inside. He calmly followed Mr. Waters through the door, finding an opening to a café situated to his right.
“Are we here for lunch,” Evan asked.
“No, the owner wanted a way to get customers to stick around the store a little longer. He set up the café to keep them here in hopes they would consider purchasing more from them.” Mr. Waters walked ahead, greeting the owner and motioned for Evan to join them. “Adam, I’d like you to meet Evan Taylor. Evan, this is Adam Wilkerson, the owner of Anthem Books and Café.”
“Nice to meet you Mr. Wilkerson.” Evan shook his hand firmly, wanting show the confidence his new persona. “Thank you for allowing us to hold the book signing here.”
“It’s my pleasure to help up and coming authors connect with their fans and hopefully create some new fans as well.”
Translation, I’ll do anything to draw in customers and take their money
, at least that’s what Evan thought.
Adam ignored the distant look in Evan’s eyes. “Why don’t you follow me to the back while my staff gets everything set up?”
They followed him to the back and passed by the rows of books and rounded a corner. The orange shelving stood out against the yellow wall until they located the door marked “Employees Only.” They entered the cluttered back room. A single circular table was cleaned for them with three plastic multi-colored chairs sat idly by. This wasn’t the rock star treatment Evan thought his book signing would turn out to be. It definitely didn’t live up to Chris and Kat’s expectations. Mr. Waters grimaced at the thought of sitting in a plastic chair while they waited.
They waited for twenty minutes before Adam returned. “Good news Evan. The line is already down the block.” He let his words sink in for a moment. “We have your table all set up and ready to go. Whenever you’re ready, we can open the doors and let your fans in.”
Evan sucked in a deep breath and nodded. He was ready for this. The door opened and he exited the break room. Adam led the way to a table set up along the back wall. He was able to look down the center of the aisles and see the crowd building around the door. He took his seat and watched as the crowd broke the threshold and filed into a line, stopping at the first row of shelves in front of him.
The first person stepped up to get his copy of the book signed. Evan greeted him, used a thick black magic marker to sign the cover, and smiled for a picture with his fan. He repeated this process for everyone on line. He wanted to savor every exhilarating moment of the signing, but couldn’t tell one person from the next. After the first couple, their faces seemed to blend together.
Adam held a hand up to the next person on line and told them to hold for a moment. He hurried over to the desk where Evan sat. “Hey can I get you guys anything?”
“Just some water,” Evan said. The momentary distraction allowed him to check his phone. He didn’t expect a call, not that anyone would. He was mostly curious about the time. His eyes were alarmed to see forty minutes had past. He motioned to his agent to lean closer. “How long is the signing?”
“I only booked us for an hour and a half, but if this keeps up, I’m sure Adam will want you to stay a little longer.”
“What time is the next signing?”
“We don’t have to be there until four.”
Seeing the line was still quite long, Evan wondered when he would find the time to eat. He skipped breakfast out of fear it would increase his nausea, and the time for lunch had past. Adam returned with the bottle of water and had one of his employees wave the next person over to the table.
Evan stared blankly as a woman with long dark brown hair draped around her shoulders approached clutching a copy of his book. She stopped in front of the table and smiled. It was the same infectious smile she had when Evan met her the night before.
“H-hi,” Evan said with an air of awkwardness in his voice. The woman’s name edged its way to the forefront of his mind. “Um…Sara; right?”
Her grip tightened on the book as she placed it on the table. She slid it across to him while her cheeks had a bubble gum pink tinge to them. “Can you sign it, ‘To my biggest fan?”
Evan knew there was something different about this woman. Several questions ripped through his mind, all of which piqued his curiosity. But all he could focus on was the passionate kiss they shared outside the bar. Instead of signing the front cover like he did with the other books, he picked up a pen from the table and inscribed a special message on the front page for Sara to find.
“Miss, do you want your picture taken with Mr. Taylor.”
She hurried to the other side of the table and leaned in close to him. Evan hooked his arm around her waist and felt her hips touch his. He turned his head and whispered to her. “Go out with me tonight.” He turned back in time for the cameraman to take their picture. It captured the surprise on Sara’s face and the amusement on Evan’s.
“Did you just…”
“I had a lot of fun last night. And besides…I’d love to get to know my biggest fan a little more.” He took his seat and readied himself for the next person.
“Yes,” Sara replied.
Evan did his best to keep his excitement to a minimum. His lips curled into a half smile as he handed the book to Sara. “Then I think you’ll need this.” She flipped open to the first page. “Call me later and we’ll set something up.”
Sara stumbled past the table as she walked off looking over her shoulder at Evan. Her mouth remained half open as she disappeared behind aisles of books.
Kat placed a hand on Evan’s shoulder. “Who are you and what did you do with that shy kid I met the other day?”
“You told me to start being the man I wanted to be. Well, I’m done waiting. It’s time to go after what I want.”
Kat patted his shoulder while looking at the empty space Sara occupied before walking towards the front of the store. “Nicely done.”
“Can we focus,” Mr. Waters replied. Evan could tell his agent was caught between being unhappy over the store’s accommodations and making enough money to make this trip worth his time.
Evan returned his attention to his fans. He smiled and signed books for another hour and a half before the line cleared. He enjoyed every minute of the attention, but couldn’t help but think about Sara and wonder if he would see her again.
After the last fan had their book signed, Kat snuck behind Evan and placed her hands on his shoulders, squeezing them tightly. “Okay Loverboy,” hearing the nickname caused Mr. Waters to snap his head toward their general direction. “We have just a few loose ends to tie up and then we’re done here.”
The pains of a stomach craving food as if it had been denied it for several days caused Evan to wrap an arm around his body and hunch over. He forced himself upright and glanced at Kat. “Can we get some food? I’m starving.” Kat nodded and escorted Evan toward Mr. Waters and the store owner.
Adam saw Evan approach and shook his hand enthusiastically. “Mr. Taylor, thank you for coming. You really know how to pack them in.” He glanced back at Mr. Waters with an approving nod. “I’ve already worked out everything with your agent and hope to see you back here soon.”
Mr. Waters closed in on Evan and escorted him away from the store owner. “Yes, well…we’ll be in touch.” He hurried Evan and Kat outside to the limo. Evan took his spot against the side as Waters sat in the back.
“What’s wrong,” Kat asked. “I thought the signing went well.”
Waters gave Kat a stern look that said I’m not discussing this in front of a client. He thought about it for a moment before huddling together and whispered his frustrations in her ear.
Evan tried to listen in as he felt a vibration against his leg. He plunged his hand inside his pants pocket to retrieve his phone, only to find a message from an unknown number.
Hey it’s Sara.
The open invitation for dinner sat in Sara’s hands. It was sprung on her just as Evan took the picture with her. It was an impulsive decision, one that didn’t allow enough time or privacy for Sara to give an answer to. Instead she was floored by the question as her shocked expression was captured on film. Before Sara could reply, she was escorted from the table, handed her book and picture, and was sent on her way. Stumbling down the aisle towards the front of the store, Sara checked the inscription in her book, finding it addressed to his biggest fan. As she read the brief note, she found a number, his number.
Panic swept through her. He was interested in her. The offer for dinner was real, and she had a decision to make. Not wanting to disturb him or the signing, Sara exited the book store, headed towards her car, and called her best friend.
“Julie, you’ll never guess what just happened.” The excitement in Sara’s voice couldn’t be contained any longer.
“By the sound of it, it’s something real good. So out with it girl.”
“You know that guy from the club last night?”
“Uh huh,” Julie replied with distrust hanging on every word.
“I ran into him today at a book signing.”
“What? How the hell did that happen?”
“Well…he was the author that was doing the signing. In fact, he’s one of my recent favorites.” There was silence on the other end. “Are you gonna say something?”
Julie broke her silence with an accusatory question. “Did you know who he was last night when you guys hooked up?”
Red heat engulfed Sara’s body as she thought about the kiss. “Yes, but I didn’t know he was doing a book signing today until I walked by the store.”
“You friggin bitch. You lied to us. You told me he was just some guy that was hitting on you.”
“Who cares if I knew him or not? We had a few drinks, danced and had fun. What’s so wrong with that?” Sara struggled to keep her phone pressed against her ear as she opened her car door. “Besides, nothing happened last night.”
“Except for you making out with him.”
The thought of Evan’s lips on her own quickened Sara’s heartbeat. The mere mention of what they shared had her begging for more. “Yeah, thanks for cock-blocking me.”
The sarcasm in Sara’s voice was ignored. “Hey, what’s the first rule when going out to the bar to meet up with guys?”
“I never said I was going home with him.”
“Guys only want one thing and that’s sex.”
“He’s different. He’s not some man-whore looking to add another notch to his belt. He’s sweet, and he asked me out to dinner tonight.”
“Wait, he did what?”
“He asked me out during the book signing and put his phone number in my autographed book.”
“You can’t be serious. You realize he’s doing this to just get in your pants, right? I mean he’s an author. He’s probably slept his way through every town with some groupie throughout his book tour.”
Sara took her friend’s argument to heart. It was as if she couldn’t be trusted to make any relationship or potential relationship decisions on her own. “For your information, he’s never been on a book tour before.”
“How would you know? You just met the man.”
“I checked him out and Googled him. There’s nothing on his Facebook page about a book tour. He just had a few book signings in Jersey this weekend.”
Julie’s brief silence told Sara she won this battle, and hoped there would be no war to follow. “So what are you gonna do?”
“I don’t know. Should I call him?”
“Girl, you can’t call him. Give it some time and text him. Keep it brief, and don’t let him know you like him.”
“How long should I wait?”
“I wouldn’t do it now if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Okay, thanks for the heads up.”
“No problem. Just don’t get your hopes up with this guy. I don’t want to see you get your heart broken.”
“I’ll be fine.” Sara ended the call and slumped in her seat. She stared in the rear-view mirror, focusing on the bookstore, wondering when Evan would walk through the door. She waited twenty minutes before starting her car and heading home.
Questions swirled through her mind the moment she entered her apartment. Her feet carried her quickly up the stairs to the second floor and pushed open the door.
What am I gonna wear tonight?
The closet doors were flung open as her hands ripped through the victimized clothes that were thrown across the room. She searched for the perfect dress, one that would highlight her best features. There were two to choose from. One was a floor length dress with a slit up the left side just above her knee. The other was one that had become her party dress. A short black number that dropped to her mid-thigh with sparkles covering the entire dress.
Wait, what kind of restaurant is he taking me too?
Sara dug through the pile of clothes on the floor searching for the right pair of jeans and shirt to wear in case Evan wanted to keep things casual. The minutes ticked away without notice. It wasn’t until she found an outfit for every scenario that Sara glanced at the clock. “Shit, I forgot to text him.” She scrambled for her purse to retrieve her phone. She wanted to sound clever and confident in her message, not needy and hopeful.
S:
Hey, it’s Sara.
E:
Hey, perfect timing. Just got done with the book signing.
S:
Awesome. How’d it go?
E:
Pretty good I think. We stayed a bit extra to make sure everyone that showed up got their book signed and their picture taken.
S:
That’s good. What’s next on the agenda?
Sara knew she shouldn’t have asked. It was none of her business. Part of her regretted sending the message, but she needed to know where she stood with the date.
E:
We’re on our way to get lunch now. I have another signing at four and hopefully dinner with you later.
Sara’s grin was ear to ear as she saw his reply. Her fingers quickly typed her response on the phone.
S:
What did you have in mind?
E:
I was thinking, you and me at a nice Italian restaurant.
S:
Where?
E:
Hoped you could help me with that. I don’t come to Jersey enough to know where to find good food.
S:
I might know a place or two we could go.
E:
Sounds good to me. Text me your address and I’ll pick you up after my next signing.
Sara didn’t know if she should trust him enough to give him her address, but thought it was sweet he wanted to pick her up from her house. Against her better judgement, she decided to take the risk and sent Evan her address.
E:
Perfect, pick you up around seven-thirty.