Dropping The Ball - A New Year’s Billionaire Romance - Weston Parker Page 0,31
nor I had been able to find any references to her “missing years” at all. Everything out there was pure speculation or conjecture.
“I needed some time to take care of myself. I didn’t stop working completely. I just stuck behind the scenes as a consultant. Aren’t you going to ask me why I took the break?”
“Does it have any relevance to the threats against you?”
She frowned. “I don’t think so, but I also don’t see how being compared to other people is relevant to that.”
“It’s relevant because it informs us about the amount and types of fans you’ve acquired over the years. Some of them seem rather fanatic. There’s a lot of talk out there about how you just pulled a disappearing act on them, which is why I asked about where you’ve been. Have you had any contact with your fans via social media or anywhere else?”
“Not really. I’ve done some question and answer sessions on social media, but I’ve never answered any questions about why I was on a break. I didn’t mean to pull a disappearing act on anyone. Do you think that’s why I’ve gotten the threats?”
“It’s probably a part of it. People with such extreme fanatic tendencies sometimes believe that they have a right to you. To your time, your talents, or whatever else they want from you.”
“I’m starting to get that.” Her brow furrowed. “Do you think I’m making a mistake by going back?”
“Do you?” I angled my head down to look at her.
She took in a deep breath through her nose before sighing. “No, I don’t. I wonder about the timing, but I’ve always wanted to go back when the time was right. You were right when you said I always seemed to love my job. I really do. I didn’t start doing it to get famous. I just love singing and dancing. Getting paid for it is my dream job.”
“I know what that feels like,” I said honestly. “Working security might not seem like a dream job to a lot of people, but it’s always been the dream for me.”
“It takes all kinds, right? There are a lot of people who’d consider my dream as silly and not a real dream either.” We came to a stop outside a nondescript door with a small sign hanging above it. “We’re here. Do me a favor and tell Jules you’re not that worried about the threat level against me, okay?”
“As your manager, he has a direct line to Bart. He’s going to get all the updates anyway.”
Disappointment flashed in her eyes, but she pushed her hair behind her ears and nodded. “Yeah. Okay. I guess I already knew that. I just hate that he worries so much.”
“People tend to do that if they care about you.” I held the door open for her. “Let’s go introduce me to your manager, girlfriend. Does he have any scandalous stories about you I should know?”
She smacked me in the stomach and gave me a smile. “You’ll never know.”
I already knew what Jules looked like from the pictures in Rylee’s file and I immediately spotted him waiting for us at a table near the kitchen. He stood up when he saw us walking in, taking me in carefully as we approached.
“Well, aren’t you a tall drink of water?” he said to me after kissing Rylee’s cheek. “Perhaps I should’ve requested someone ugly for this assignment. Knowing you two are together twenty-four-seven is going to give me gray hair.”
“It’d make you look distinguished,” I said while I shook his hand with a firm grip.
He laughed. “Oh, I like you, and yes, I agree. I could do with some salt in all this pepper. There is a certain allure to it, don’t you think?”
“Chad loves you just the way you are,” Rylee said, sitting down in the chair I pulled out for her.
Jules noticed me doing it and gave me a small nod. “He does, but he can always grow to love me more. I wasn’t expecting you to be such a gentleman, Carter. Is this all part of the act, or are you going to make all my dreams for Rylee come true?”
She flushed and tried to hide it behind her hair, but I saw her peeking out at me between the strands. Well, this is interesting.
“Tell me more about these dreams, and I’ll see what I can do,” I said, settling in to get to know one of the most important people in Rylee’s life. It felt so