The Superhero Celebrity: A Sweet Celebrity Romance (Crystal Springs Celebrities Book 1) Page 2

  The con helpers now clearly ushered her off, trying to keep the line moving for fans. Jack knew he had no choice, and wistfully watched her walk away, hair swishing as she bent her head towards Robbie’s as the boy excitedly gestured with his hands. Even as another six or seven dozen people came through the line, all he could think about was that bright smile and pink hair. He was thrilled when his last photo session for the day was finally over.

  “Thanks so much, Mr. Bennett,” the worker said. “You’re good to go.”

  Relieved, Jack thanked him and managed to get out of the room without being seen. He returned to the green room the staff had blocked off for him, grabbing a bottled water and flopping onto the cheap suede couch. He sat there for a few minutes, breathing deep as he centered himself. These events were part of the job; he’d known that when he signed the studio’s extensive contract, but it did nothing to help with his anxiety. The crowds, the shrieks, the grabby fans – he’d never get used to it, the mania that came with superstardom.

  His shoulders relaxed as his nerves settled and he wondered what to do with the rest of his time at the con. His assistant hadn’t arrived yet and he still had at least an hour to kill before their next move. His costume, the one he hid behind earlier, hung on a nearby stand. Rose gold hair shimmered in the back of his mind, and a smile flickered on his lips.

  Jack slipped his soldier costume back on and braved the crowds to find the young woman named Rosie Tanner.

  Robbie couldn’t stop raving over the photo with Jack Bennett. Rosie had to chuckle at the looks on their faces; as siblings, she and Robbie shared many similarities, but the enormous smiles on their faces in the photo left little doubt they were related.

  “Is this what it means to be starstruck?” Robbie suddenly asked, making her laugh a little.

  “Pretty sure,” she teased. “But don’t worry, I think I’m a little starstruck, too.”

  “Only because you think he’s hot.” Robbie snorted, rolling his eyes.

  “Well that, but he was also genuinely nice,” Rosie replied, guiding him around a small throng of people in the hallway. “He seems like he’d make a good friend, and you’d laugh a lot together.”

  “Wouldn’t it awesome to be friends with General Justice?” Robbie asked, brightening at the thought.

  Her phone buzzed and she saw a text from Courtney, her best friend and coworker. Did you squeeze his muscles?

  Rosie laughed. Courtney adored Jack Bennett and had been beyond jealous when she learned Rosie would get a photo with him. She was out of town for a conference, or she’d have been right there with them. Rosie snapped a photo of the celebrity photo and sent it over to her.

  No squeezes, but it was fun to meet him!

  Courtney replied within seconds. How is he even better looking out of that uniform?!

  No clue, but he was so nice.

  Who cares about nice, he is H-O-T-T, came her response.

  “Rosie, right? I heard your brother say your name when we bumped into each other earlier.”

  She started at the question, looking up to see the uniformed stranger from earlier. She grinned, somehow glad to see him despite not knowing him at all.

  “That’s me,” she said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “Hi again.”

  “Hi.” Another beat passed, like he debated something behind that helmet of his. “So, did you get to meet him?”

  Robbie perked up at that question. “Yes, and he’s awesome!”

  “Excellent.” The masked man turned to Rosie. “What did you think?”

  She shrugged, not wanting to seem obsessed. “He was as nice as I hoped he’d be.”

  She wasn’t sure, but it seemed as though he relaxed a touch at her answer. He popped the bottom half of the mask up so she could see his face from nose to chin. Rosie couldn’t put her finger on it, but he seemed more familiar now. Something about his chin, maybe?

  “Without sounding creepy, I was hoping I’d see you again.” Without the mask to block his face, his voice was clear and deep, and sent a pleasant little shiver down her back.

  She quirked a brow at him. “Oh?”

  “Would you like to have dinner with me?”

  Rosie burst into laughter. “You’re not serious.”

  The masked man started, as if surprised she hadn’t immediately said yes. “Why not?”

  “Because I haven’t even seen your face after all this time talking,” she exclaimed. “We hardly know each other.”

  “That’s what a date is for,” he said, a roguish grin flashing across his face. Or at least, what she could see based on the bottom half of his mask. He had bright, straight teeth, and Rosie’s heart fluttered at his smile. At least his chin is handsome.

  “I don’t even know your real name.”

  “JB,” he said without hesitation.

  “JB,” she repeated. Something niggled at her brain, but before she could figure it out, her brother tugged on her arm.

  “You should go out with him, Rosie,” Robbie said. “When’s the last time you had a date?”

  JB glanced away, probably to hide a smile, while Rosie glared at her little brother. He wasn’t wrong, exactly; the last date she’d had was at least five months ago, with one of her father’s friend’s sons. He’d been a snooze and a half – a nice one, at least, but still not for her.

  She shot another glance at the mysterious JB, hiding behind his costume. Nerd or serial killer? Perhaps it was her brother pointing out her dry spell, but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t intrigued by this man standing before her.

  “I suppose I could meet you for dinner.”

  There was that brilliant smile again. “Great! Can I call you later, when I figure out where to take you?”

  Rosie paused, wondering if she should really give her number out to a total stranger. Before she could say no, however, her brother jumped in.

  “Yeah, here’s her number,” Robbie said, quickly spilling her digits. She shot him an annoyed look that he ignored. All the while, JB grinned.

  “Thanks, buddy.” He must’ve seen the look on Rosie’s face, because he put a hand palm up. “I swear to only call you about where to meet tonight. You can block me after that if you want.”

  Rosie couldn’t help but giggle. “Okay, okay.”

  JB fist-bumped Robbie before giving Rosie another big smile. Her heart fluttered a little again at the genuine warmth behind it. “See you tonight, Rosie. I can’t wait.”

  “Me either, I think.”

  JB laughed, giving her a little wave before walking off. She could swear there was more pep to his step than when he arrived, and as his tall, broad form strode away, Rosie wondered what she’d gotten herself into.

  Robbie looked up at his big sister and shrugged. “What?”

  “Don’t give my number out to strangers in the future, Rob.”

  “He’s not a stranger, he’s your date tonight.”

  She rolled her eyes. “All the same, please, Robbie.”

  Her little brother heaved a sigh. “Okay, okay, geez. I was trying to do you a favor.”

  “I don’t need favors that could get me murdered,” Rosie joked. At the concerned look on his face, however, she relented. “Though who knows, maybe your favor will lead to a whirlwind romance straight out of the movies.”

  Robbie wrinkled his nose. “Gross.”

  Jack couldn’t stop smiling as he snuck back into his makeshift dressing room. He had to find a nice place for dinner so he could let Rosie know where to meet him, but where did one go in Crystal Springs to impress a date?

  Half an hour later, he checked his phone again, frowning at the lack of updates. It was already four-thirty, and his assistant, Ann, was more than a little late. He shot her a text.

  Everything ok?

  His phone vibrated almost immediately with her reply. At the hotel. Be there in three.

  Sure enough, nearly three minutes later, Ann burst into the room, talking a million miles a minute while checking her phone. “So sorry I’m late, but Nathan caught a bug and I had to get his prescriptions before I could fly out–”

  “It’s fine, Annie,” Jack said, waving her off. “Nathan comes first.”

  Nathan, her son, was only thirteen. Jack loved that kid like his own family, an adopted nephew of sorts. Ann had been his assistant for the last decade, though at this point she felt more like a close aunt.

  With his parents back home in the Midwest, she’d helped him navigate the tricky Hollywood waters and took care of him as if he were her own. He’d been there for her when her husband passed away two years ago. Now she had to raise Nathan alone, so Jack tried to do everything in his power to make it easier for her.

  Not that he had much to do. He needed her far more than she needed him most days. Ann was a no-nonsense powerhouse, well-known for her loyalty, organization, and blunt personality. Jack took one look at her face and knew the next question out of her mouth.

  “Why do you look so happy?” Ann asked suspiciously.

  Jack chuckled. “Am I not allowed to look happy?”

  “Of course you are, but you never look happy at these things.” All the while, she continued typing on her screen.

  He shrugged. “This one’s been fun.”

  “‘Fun?’” Ann scoffed. “Just last week you said you’d rather pull your own teeth out with pliers than be manhandled by another rabid fan.”

  “They haven’t been so rabid today.”

  “Hopefully not a sign your popularity is declining.”

  Jack rolled his eyes, used to her sarcasm. He twisted open two bottled waters, handing one to her and keeping one for himself as he took a seat in a nearby chair. “Nathan okay?”

  “Yeah, probably just picked up something at school. He’ll be fine.”

  “Good.” Jack crossed an ankle over a knee, shaking his foot a little as he thought of how best to break his news. He went for straightforward. “You should probably know I have a date tonight.”

  Anne’s frantic phone-typing finally paused as she gaped at him. “You have a what?”

  He shot her an innocent look. “I said, I have a date tonight.”

  “Are you forgetting you’re supposed to be dating Scarlett Ryder, your gorgeous co-star?”

  Jack grimaced. “We both know that’s not exactly real.”

  “It doesn’t matter if it’s real,” Ann countered. “It’s part of the contract, and as far as the rest of the world knows, you are not available to date anyone else, especially small-town fan girls who would use you to boost their own careers in a heartbeat.”

  “Rosie isn’t like that.”

  “Rosie,” Ann repeated flatly. “And how long have you known Rosie?”

  “We met today.”

  “I’m sure she had to think really hard about it when you asked her out.”

  “Uh, she might not have known it was me.”

  She folded her arms over her chest. “Excuse me, what?”

  “I was wearing my costume, so she didn’t realize it was me.”

  Ann pinched the bridge of her nose. “And she actually said yes to a date with a stranger who didn’t even show his face?”

  “You’re overthinking this, Annie,” Jack said, trying to wave her off.

  “And you’re not thinking at all, Jack. You know nothing about this girl, and even if you did, there’s Scarlett to consider–”

  “Scarlett and I are not together,” Jack said, gritting his teeth. “You know that as well as I do. And the contract doesn’t seem to bother her love life, given her secret boyfriend–”

  “All right, let’s pretend there is no contract.” Ann sighed as she sat in the chair next to him. “Have you thought about what your fame would do to this girl? What the press would do to her if your relationship, should it lead to that, became public?”

  “It’s just one date, Annie,” Jack protested, despite the fact his heart sank at her questions. “With a normal girl, in a nice, normal town.”

  “And if you were a normal guy, then we wouldn’t need this conversation. But you are Jack Bennett, therefore it’s necessary.” Ann softened slightly at the dejected look on his face. “You know I don’t say these things to be mean, sweetheart, but I don’t know what’s gotten into you.”

  “Rosie did,” he said, unable to explain. There was simply something about her, a wholesome sweetness to her that he hadn’t known in years, if ever.

  “She must be something special to grab your attention like this,” she murmured.

  “She is,” he replied. “I don’t know what it is, but I liked her the instant I met her. She’s kind and confident and loves her kid brother.”

  Annie’s mouth twisted; Jack hadn’t meant to use Robbie as a playing card, but he’d be lying to himself if he hadn’t hoped the mention of a young boy would warm his assistant’s heart.

  “How old is her brother?”

  Jack shrugged. “Thirteen, fourteen?”

  Ann was quiet for several seconds before she sighed. “How on earth would we explain it if someone saw you out?”

  “Dinner with an old friend?”

  “More like with a long-lost cousin,” she said, clearly thinking out loud on her backup plan.

  “Cousin is good.” Jack stayed very still, not wanting to change her mind with too much animation. His nerves, however, pinged with anticipation, both at seeing Rosie and at the thought of a normal night out.

  “You never do ask for much,” she murmured, more to herself than him.

  He couldn’t control the smile that broke out across his face, and she shook her finger at him.

  “If you go out, you can not be spotted,” Annie warned. “One picture to the press and we’ll have a PR disaster on our hands, not to mention the studio’s contract. I don’t want a single phone call tomorrow morning about this.”

  Jack leapt to his feet, excitement coursing through him. “Yes, of course, no pictures, no crowds.”

  “Promise me–”

  “I promise,” he said before she could even finish. He put two fingers up as if he were a boy scout. “Seriously, I promise. No blowback.”

  “Where are you meeting her?”

  “Uh, I’m not sure yet. I’d planned to call her after I talked with you.”

  “Like some teenager asking his mother for permission.” Ann rolled her eyes, but Jack could tell she was pleased. She grabbed her phone again, furiously tapping the screen. Seconds later, she made a phone call, murmuring over the line and dropping his name. She hung up a minute later and nodded with satisfaction.

  “You’re having dinner at LUSH. They’re supposedly the best restaurant in Crystal Springs and known for discreet service when certain influencers drop into town.”

  Once again, Jack marveled at her magic and efficiency. He smacked a big kiss on her cheek as he called Rosie.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey Rosie, it’s, Ja– uh, JB,” he said, ignoring Anne’s raised eyebrow at his name.

  “Oh, hi.”

  “About tonight … how about LUSH?” Jack glanced to Ann, who held up a few fingers. “Seven o’clock?”

  “LUSH? Boy, that’s fancy,” Rosie said.

  “Have you ever been?”

  “Nope.”

  “Even better,” Jack said. “A first for both of us, then.”

  He could hear her smile even over the phone. “Okay, I’ll meet you there at seven.”

  “Great,” Jack said, relieved. “I can’t wait, see you soon.”

  He hung up and grinned broadly at Ann, who rolled her eyes again.

  “This is a bad idea,” she said, but Jack was far too happy to pay her warnings any mind.

  Rosie’s ballet flats pitter-pattered on the pavement as she crossed the street to LUSH. Cool spring air rustled through the trees and stirred the fabric of her dress. She checked her pink-hued curls in the window’s reflection and breathed deeply before stepping inside the restaurant to meet JB.

  Rosie removed her cardigan and straightened her dress, butterflies dancing in her stomach. Not only had it been quite a while since her last date, but meeting someone she hardly knew – as in, barely his name or face – was not something she often did. Had it really been that long since she’d had a date? She still almost couldn’t believe she’d agreed to it, but there’d been something so nice about the guy. What’s the worst that could happen?

  At least he’d picked a great restaurant to meet at, a bonus as she’d never eaten at LUSH. She’d been more than a little excited he’d picked the most popular place in town and even more impressed that he could get a last-minute reservation! Plus, she had her car in case she decided the whole thing was too weird.

  She turned to the smiling hostess. “Hi, my name is Rosie Tanner, I’m meeting someone here for dinner–”

  “Right this way, Miss Tanner.” The hostess led her to the booth at the end of the room, as far back as it could go before the hallway that led to the open kitchen and restrooms.

  Her date stood up, turning to greet her, and Rosie stopped cold in her tracks.

  Standing before her was Jack Bennett, the handsome actor she’d just met a few hours earlier at the con. She could see his blue eyes from where she stood, and his blond hair, which had been under a baseball cap earlier that day, was perfectly styled. He wore dark jeans and a black button-up, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked like he’d just stepped off the cover of a magazine.

  Rosie’s eyes grew wide as her mouth fell open. She glanced around the restaurant, looking for the hidden cameras. The hostess smiled brightly at the charming superstar before returning to her post at the front of house. Rosie continued to gawk at him.

  “What—this—how?” she asked, unable to think up a coherent sentence.

  Jack Bennett grinned at her, the same trademark smile he’d given her beneath his mask that looked so familiar at the time. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t put it together before, considering how often she’d seen that smile on the big screen. JB – ugh, I’m an idiot.

  Jack took her cardigan and offered her a seat at the booth opposite him. Rosie noticed he made sure to keep his back to the rest of the room, probably to avoid being spotted. Rosie took a seat across from him, if for no other reason than to keep from collapsing to the floor in shock.