Stars Over Alaska (Wild River #4) - Jennifer Snow Page 0,22
opened the door to the new sporting goods store and followed Selena inside. Chart-topping music played throughout the store and sales clerks restocked shelves and manned the dressing rooms, but she was relieved that the store was quiet, it being the off-season and almost closing time.
Selena nodded. “Is it...was it tough on him? Adjusting to life in the chair?”
Why the sudden interest in her family? “I’m sure it was. But he’s doing well.”
“He mentioned he’s a cop.”
She nodded. “He’s still working on the force, developing a drug awareness program.”
“That’s great.” She paused. “My father is in a wheelchair.”
Leslie frowned. “Mel Hudson?” The heartthrob actor from the eighties wasn’t injured as far as she knew, but she’d only met him and Selena’s mother the one time when she’d first taken over as Selena’s personal security detail.
“That’s my stepdad. My real father was in the US Army. A war vet, injured overseas. My management team didn’t think he fit my brand, so we don’t talk about him much and he doesn’t make any appearances with me or anything. The media thinks Mel is my father and he’s been the one raising me for so long...”
“I had no idea,” Leslie said, unsure how to feel about the star confiding something as personal as that, but there was definitely a hint of sympathy developing for Selena.
“Yeah. Anyway... Oh my God, that ski suit is amazing,” Selena said, hurrying toward the rack of overpriced, name-brand winter gear.
And just like that, any resemblance to a normal, caring human being was gone.
“You should get one too,” Selena said, combing through the rack for her size.
Leslie glanced at the price tag and winced. Three hundred dollars. No way. That ski suit could stay right where it was on the hanger. As it was, she’d be paying for whatever Selena bought.
An hour and six hundred dollars later, they exited the store with new clothing to get them through their time there—bras and underwear, workout clothes, jeans. Selena was in a ski suit that was too warm for that day’s weather and Leslie was in a pair of yoga pants and oversized sweatshirt from the sales rack.
“Where to next?” Selena asked, looking like she was ready to take on Main Street as if it were Rodeo Drive.
“I have to get a new cell phone,” Leslie said, heading toward the tech shop a block away.
“Me too,” Selena said.
“No. Not yet. Once it’s safe.” She glanced both ways before crossing on the walk.
“Why do you get one?”
“Because I need to check in at the office for updates and keep an eye on all the LA news sources.”
Selena stopped outside the Chocolate Shoppe and looked through the large storefront window, where the chocolatier was making chocolate-covered candy apples. “I haven’t had one of those in years.”
“No surprise there.” And at twelve dollars each, the star wasn’t breaking her sugar-free streak on Leslie’s dime either. She checked her watch. “The stores are closing in ten minutes. We have to hurry.”
Selena reluctantly continued along the sidewalk next to her and Leslie pushed through the doors of Techies R Us. Thank God she’d never gotten a new phone when she moved to LA. Though she refused to read much into the decision. Right now, having access to the provider where she’d set up her phone number was a blessing. She turned to the guy behind the counter. “Hi. I know you’ll be closing soon, but I need to get a new phone with this number as soon as possible.” She wrote her cell number on a piece of paper and handed it to him.
The young man smiled. “No problem. Do you want the same phone—the Android 8?”
“Yes, please. And can you add a ghost app?”
“Sure thing,” the guy said. “I’ll just need your ID to call up your account.”
“Everything on file attached to the number should be the same,” she said, reluctantly flashing her ID. Right now wasn’t a great time to update her account.
The guy shrugged. “Okay, just give me a few minutes.”
As she waited, Leslie scanned the row of cameras along the wall. She picked up the Nikon Z 7 and peered through the lens. She’d been saving for one, thinking the almost five-thousand-dollar price tag was a nice goal to shoot for by her thirtieth-fifth birthday in June, but this trip would definitely set that aspiration on hold.
“You like photography?” Selena asked.
“Just a hobby I used to have.” Still did, but she wasn’t eager to share any personal life details with the star.