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Authors: Juliet Madison

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BOOK: Starstruck In Seattle
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Karl. He'd made her feel like a princess when they were together. Special. Important.

Charlie. He made her feel like. . .herself. The
best version
of herself.

Oh my God.

As a glorious sunrise of realization dawned inside, the musician's sweet voice permeated the air with his next song. The same song she'd woken up singing. The same song Charlie had been singing, and the same song they'd danced to that night in the park.

Anna laughed and Karl offered a curious glance.

This was no coincidence.

This was sweet, serendipitous certainty.

Fate was giving her a big fat shove in the right direction. She'd been blinded by lust, star struck by success, when the right man was already in her life.

“Anna? Are you okay?”

“I'm sorry, Karl. I've just realized something.” She picked up her handbag from under the table. “Thanks for the drink.” She slid a few coins across the table toward him. He pushed them back but she slid them toward him again. “I really appreciate your offer,
both
your offers, but I don't think we're right for each other. And I'm not going to stay in Seattle after all.”

“You don't? You're not? Why?” Karl looked genuinely disappointed and equally dumbfounded.

“It's time for me to go after what I want.” She smiled and turned toward the door. Coffee Woman had finished her ear-rubbing and sat grinning behind her mug. Anna waved, but paused as she went to pull open the door.

Your psychic was right. Your soulmate's name does begin with the letter K.

She turned back briefly at Karl, frozen in the expression she'd left him in, then looked out onto the street and thought of Charlie; his glowing smile and infectious laugh, his puppy-dog eyes, his warm chocolaty skin, even his chicken dancing. She took a deep breath and yanked the door open.

Stuff the psychic, I'm following my heart!

Anna squared her shoulders, raised her chin, and stepped out onto the pavement. A cute white puppy sat obediently nearby, tied to a pole. It seemed to be smiling at her. Anna gave it a ruffled pat on the head, then plucked her phone from her bag and typed a text message to Charlie:

Are you free today? Can we meet in Westlake Park near the fountain?

His reply came right away:

I'm already there! See you soon :)

Already there? Fate sure was moving quickly!

“Excuse me, aren't you that nurse on
New Lives
?” A young woman peered at Anna's face as she looked up from her phone.

“Yes, I am.” She smiled subtly, while inside she glowed. The woman held out a pen and paper and Anna signed her autograph. Luckily she'd been practicing it since she was a teenager.

“I can't wait for the series final. Any hints about what's going to happen?”

Anna chuckled. “I can't say much, but it'll be worth the wait.”

“Thanks, it was so nice to meet you,” the woman replied. And before she walked away, Anna touched her arm.

“If you wait here a little longer, you might just catch one of the lead cast members.” Anna pointed through the glass door to where Karl sat.

“Ohmigod! Karl Drake? Oh, thank you so much!!” The young woman jumped up and down.

Anna waved goodbye to her and walked past Louis Vuitton, then turned the corner into 4
th
Avenue. She selected Jean from her phone contacts and after two rings her agent answered.

“Anna, I'm so glad you returned my call. Do I have an offer for you!”

* * *

Lulu tucked into the remaining muffin crumbs and wiped her hands and mouth on a napkin. She paid her bill (angel-tax deductible of course), and as she passed the musician in the corner she tucked a one hundred dollar bill into his shirt pocket. “Thanks, darlin',” she said with a wink.

“Spark! My good little boy,” Lulu said after exiting the cafe. She bent down, ruffling the dog's fluffy fur as he panted happily. “Our work here is done.” She untied his leash and picked him up for a cuddle. “And that intervention didn't even require any special abilities. Amazing what a hundred bucks can do in this city.” Spark licked Lulu's face with gusto and she leaned back in laughter. “C'mon, little guy, time to walk home.” She plonked him gently on the ground and hooked her hand through the leash. “Oh, wait. One more thing.” Lulu checked no one was watching and discreetly twirled her fingers toward the gray clouds, gathering the trickling drops of moisture into a ball, then blew air across her hand in its direction. “There, that should reach them at just the right time.”

She nodded her satisfaction and took her aPhone (
angel phone
– yes, angels have technology too, you know) out of her bag and opened a new email message to New Angel HQ.

Ooh, I've been looking forward to doing this!

With a smile on her face, she typed:

Mission Accomplished.

* * *

Beaming, Anna entered the park, walking as quickly as possible toward the fountain. The same fountain she'd cried near, when hope seemed lost.

But now she'd found it.

Found
him
.

And she giggled at the sight of him chasing stray pages of his newspaper as the wind flapped them around the park. “Need a hand there?”

“Oh, hi.” He looked up, then grasped the remaining two pages as they settled near an oversized pot. “The weirdest thing, I bought the Saturday paper and was walking home, when the wind picked up and blew half the pages into the park. I was chasing them when I got your text.” He folded the paper one extra time and tucked it under his arm. “So, what brings you here today?”

Anna looked up at the gray clouds and released a breath. “I wanted to apologize for messing you around lately. I've been such a star struck fool.” She shook her head.

“Hey, it's okay. And Karl's been the fool, not you.”

She smiled. “I also wanted to ask if you'd like some company on your move to L.A.? I'll need a flight buddy to help calm my nerves on the plane. Unless you want to catch a bus, but you know I hate sitting still for hours just as much as I hate flying.”

Charlie's eyes opened wide.

“I'm moving to L.A. too!” She stretched an excited smile across her face and grasped his hands.

“When did you decide this?” Charlie's pleasure at hearing this news was obvious in his voice.

“This morning. Quite suddenly actually, and I spoke to my agent and what she said only confirmed I'd made the right choice.”

“What did she say?” Charlie urged.

“She got me an audition for a leading role in a romantic comedy film! They were looking for someone of my. . .fair complexion, and wanted a new face. Someone with a little experience but who isn't that well known. Looks like the gaps in my CV are going to be an advantage for this one!”

“Oh, Anna, I'm so happy for you!” Charlie wrapped her in a warm hug. “Mwah!” His lips planted their congratulations on her cheek.

“It's not guaranteed, but it's a chance. And if I don't get the lead they might have another role for me.” Anna shrugged. “Either way, it's time for a change of scenery, as you said. Time to take a risk.”

“You're going to blitz this audition, I know it.” He returned his newspaper to under his arm. “Have you told Rachel yet?”

“No, I only just decided! But I will. I'm not going to let my problems with my sister affect my life anymore. It's time to move forward. I can be as good an actress as her, I just need a challenge to bring out my best.” She gave a single, confident nod.

“Well, if you need someone to practice your lines with, let me know,” Charlie said.

Anna nodded, as a few drops of water cooled her scalp. The drops multiplied and Charlie fiddled with his newspaper. “What are you doing?”

He ignored her question, simply folded sheets of newspaper into a triangular arrangement.

“What's that, a boat?” She giggled. “Somehow I don't think that's going to be big enough for the two of us.”

“It's not a boat,” he chuckled, placing the arrangement on her head. “It's a hat.”

She touched the ‘hat' gently and they walked away from the unexpected downpour toward the cover of a store overhang. The hat flopped and tilted sideways. “It's getting soggy.”

“Here.” He took it off her head and put it on his. “Does it suit me?” The hat stayed upright for only a second before collapsing into a soggy heap.

Anna laughed and plucked it from his head. “I've always loved your playful nature, you know.”

“Aw, shucks.” He feigned embarrassment. “Yeah, everyone these days is searching for their inner child. Mine never left.” He grinned. “Gave my mother grief growing up; always getting up to mischief.”

“I can imagine.”

“She used to call me ‘Cheeky Charlie'. That's how I got my name; she said my middle name was better suited to me.”

“Wait. Charlie's not your first name?”

“No, but the name stuck so I've always used it. Haven't I ever told you this?”

A lump formed in Anna's throat and she gulped it down. “So, what's your legal name?” Her heart pounded in anticipation.

“Kane,” he replied. “Kane Charlie Saunders.”

Anna's heart beat faster and an unstoppable smile arched into her cheeks. So the psychic
and
Lulu had been right after all. If she hadn't stayed open to
all
possibilities she might never have discovered this.

“Does my name please you that much?” Charlie asked, clearly amused by her goofy grin.

“It does actually.” She took the soggy newspaper from under his arm and tossed it onto the nearest park bench. “It's a beautiful name.” She took his hands and entwined her fingers with his.

A cute smile graced his face. “So, now that you're a soon-to-be household name, do you think you can get me an audition for the leading male role in this movie?”

Anna pouted. “Unfortunately the role's been filled. They won't tell me who yet. But. . .” She twisted her lips to one corner. “I do know of
another
opportunity for a leading man.”

“Oh yeah? In what?”

Anna leaned in and placed her mouth near his ear. “In my life.”

His smile deepened and he slid his arms around her waist. “Can I get an audition?”

She threaded her arms under his and spread her palms against his muscular back. “No need. The job's all yours.”

Charlie tickled her nose with his, then tilted his head and pressed his lips against hers. Softly, they explored each other, the lightning bolt of bliss she'd felt with Karl a mere flicker compared to the colorful explosion of fireworks going off right now in her belly. Sparks of passion shot through every cell, every nerve tingling with potential, and she knew without a doubt that this was a sign of things to come, a beautiful beginning to her new life – to their
New Lives
.

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BOOK: Starstruck In Seattle
3.04Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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