I sat staring at my phone for twenty minutes.
How do I tell Mother I'm leaving for Africa while she's absorbed in wedding arrangements, especially since she knows I am not wholly enamored of Trevor?
The why was a more significant issue—Adele wouldn't buy me suddenly landing a role hundreds of experienced actresses would kill for.
***
"Why don't you look like someone who scored the role of a lifetime?" I glanced into Dean's eyes, the last person on earth I expected to start a conversation with little old me, and my stomach did a little flip.
"Is that seat taken?" He asked, and I shook my head as he settled beside me on the rustic bench under the grand old oak tree.
"My mom owns a restaurant in Boston." Why did I just blurt that out and why did I have the urge to confide in him?
Was I star-struck, or was it the memory of his lips on mine? My knees turned weak, and heat swirled through my abdomen.
The man can fake a kiss.
"Adele Benson, chef extraordinaire and tv personality. It has two Michelin stars and a six-month waiting list, and she opened another in LA."
A frown tugged at my brow.
How did this man know when no one else had figured it out?
Guys were not interested in the lives of girls like me. The conversation seemed unreal, something conjured by my mind, and not staring at him or drooling presented a challenge.
"Adele Benson is quite the chef and visionary. Harris enjoys eating there, although he didn't put two and two together until yesterday, Mirelly knew all along."
His knowledge of Harris was that of a friend, not just an acquaintance, and how had I underestimated Harris' secretary for so long?
"Kelsey followed in Mother's footsteps, but the restaurant business never interested me. Mom wasn't pleased and calls my job 'a little detour to self-discovery.'"
The unexpected bitterness caught me unawares.
When did that happen?
Although those lips pulled into a devastating smile, compassion darkened his gaze.
"Grandma's still waiting for me to get a 'real' job, too, while Mom and dad love to tease her over her 'old-fashioned' views."
His fondness of them warmed the heart.
How was life that unfair? He wasn't only even sexier in real life but a genuinely nice guy.
"While I resemble father's mother, Kelsey, and mother look like siblings. Gorgeous, temperamental, and smart. Not realizing they see me as incapable of tying my shoelaces because type 'A' personalities must control every situation, person, and detail."
More discontentment highlighted every word, and this Karen side of my personality was concerning. He quietly listened, watching my every move with those gorgeous azure eyes and making me feel I needed to fill the silence.
Babbling was not a good look on me.
"Mother had a meltdown Thursday morning, making me late when you and I filmed together." Not a sentence I ever thought to hear myself say. "Trevor forgot to have her ring adjusted, and it's three months before the wedding."
Why did I spill the beans so easily when confiding in people wasn't my normal setting?
"My sister does that, except I don't allow it. You found the path of least resistance that guaranteed peace until realizing it killed you inside. Kudos for stepping out of your comfort zone and asserting yourself."
YOU ARE READING
The Ugly Duckling (Excerpt)
Romance(Available on Amazon under Cristal Sieberhagen) I am Mercedes Benson, and if I must be honest with you, my life has been no great adventure. There have been ups and downs, but who doesn't have those? Do I have Mommy issues? Sure. Have I learned to "...
