Backstage Romance: An Austen-Inspired Romantic Comedy Box Set by Gigi Blume (ebook reader with highlighter txt) 📕

“But your house is right on the beach.”

I sighed at his simplistic reasoning. “Jax surfs a little bit. Maybe he’ll teach you some basics.”

Good luck not freezing your butt off.

I looked out the window the rest of the way, tuning out anything else he might have said. I gazed longingly at the Surfliner train speeding merrily along the coast. It was a bright and crisp February day, and the sea water glistened in the sun, stretching out vast and far along the horizon. Maybe once we settled in our rooms, I’d find a patch of sand to dig my toes in and watch the waves—but just for a quiet minute. I didn’t want to miss any of the bridesmaid activities. This weekend would be epic. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize just how epic it would be.

13

All About Tan Lines

Emma

The hotel was perfect. The bridal suite had a balcony overlooking the ocean view. Far down the hall, most of the bridesmaids shared rooms with one another, but mine was a single. Elton insisted on helping with my bag (which was tiny enough for a child to carry) and told me his room number in case I needed anything. I forgot it as soon as he walked away.

The girls had plans to get massages and pedicures in the spa and then lay out by the pool. We were to all meet downstairs in thirty minutes. This was kind of exciting. I’d only ever gone to the same posh salon on Melrose that catered to the Hollywood elite. Boring.

Before I could leave my room, however, Elton came back with a pharmacy bag.

“What’s this for?”

He brushed past me with commanding steps and emptied the contents on the table. Bottles and boxes of various sizes spilled out of the bag. Everything I’d need to start my own drugstore in my hotel room.

“Is this our side hustle now?” I quipped. He didn’t get it.

“Did you call Harriet yet?” he asked in a demanding tone.

“No, not yet—”

“Then how are we supposed to know if she’s contagious?”

He opened one of the packages that claimed immune support. “Start with this one.”

“You sound like my mother.”

“Emma, I am not going to leave this room until you take something to protect yourself. We can’t have you sick.”

I was certain whatever Harriet had didn’t pass on to me all the way in San Diego. I’d hardly even seen her in the past week. Still, it wouldn’t do to get sick right before the studio execs came to green light the project. (And right before I practiced the waltz scene with Jax.) It was a good thing I had these wise gentlemen in my life to watch out for me. Mum must have said something to Jaxson. I took the cotton out of the bottle and downed a capsule with the complimentary hotel water.

“Satisfied?”

He raked his eyes over my features and righted a rogue hair away from my face. “I’ll be satisfied once I know you’re okay.”

Jaxson did that sort of thing to me all the time: tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, overbearing me with his brotherly protection. It was perfectly natural with him. But something in the way Elton made the same gestures didn’t sit right with me. I wasn’t a child and could only put up with one man in my life to baby me. I casually recoiled from him, gathering my key card and wallet. He took the hint and reminded me again to call if I needed him. He’d be in the gym but promised his mobile phone wouldn’t be far from his reach. For that reason, and that alone, I decided to leave mine in my room.

Elton’s little visit made me five minutes late to meet the ladies. They had already taken up the available massage chairs in the front spa room. A few women I didn’t recognize had the other spots, most likely random hotel guests. Annie called me over to her when she saw me lurking in the doorway.

“I reserved a private room for you. I want you to relax and not have to sign autographs or take selfies with wild fans.”

I noticed one of the spa attendants coming my way.

“That’s not necessary, Annie. I don’t see any wild fans here.”

It was pointless to protest, though. The attendant escorted me to my private room, and I chose a moderate package. I didn’t want my treatment to last longer than Annie’s. The masseuse put on the soft sounds of pan flutes and nature sounds that was supposed to make me feel Zen but kinda weirded me out like I was in a New Age horror movie in which my chakra was getting bludgeoned with a rain stick. Not to mention the walls were so thin I could hear the giggling and idle chatter coming from the front room. Those girls were having such a fun time with Annie, probably exchanging recipes or sharing stories about terrible dates. I neither cooked nor went out on dates, so I wouldn’t have been able to contribute much to the conversation anyway. But maybe these ladies could be my new friends, and I could find them spectacular matches. Then they’d all be thanking me and inviting me to their weddings.

When I finally emerged from my private incense temple, the bridal party had departed, leaving me a note to meet them at the pool. I decided to grab myself a big floppy hat in the gift shop; the last thing I needed was a nose tan while filming a period drama. Who even knew if Annie would be available to do my makeup for Field of Hearts? That thought made me sad.

As I was leaving the gift shop, Elton almost ran right into me. “We’ll have to stop meeting like this,” he quipped.

“Oh. Hi again.”

He pointed at my new purchase. “Headed to the beach?”

“The pool actually.”

He laughed boisterously. “Me too. Great minds think alike.”

Sure thing, Captain Cliché.

“I guess we can walk there together,” I offered. The guy