Bubbly, happy, up-and-coming actress Cleo Knight is asked to fake date her co-star, Link Hart, to help mitigate his latest cheating scandal that threatens to tank their movie. Link is rude and dismissive toward her despite their obvious chemistry on...
*Copyright: Stephanie Myrick, 2023. Posted to Wattpad ONLY*
After a quick breakfast in the hotel restaurant the following day, Link and Cleo got on the road for the drive to Richmond. Link called his parents to let them know they were coming, while Cleo booked a hotel room for one night in Richmond and a king suite in Augusta for a week as she listened to Link's conversation with his parents.
"Noah! How are you?" A woman's voice came over the speaker in the car, and Cleo glanced at Link in surprise. Link shook his head at her and mouthed, "Tell you after," before turning his attention back to the woman on the phone.
"I'm great, Mom; how are you?" Link smiled as he spoke, and she could see the evident affection for his mom on his face.
"Wonderful. I finally convinced your father we should do a vow renewal for our Fiftieth Anniversary next year." Her voice was both excited and smug, and Link chuckled.
"You mean you told Dad it was happening, and he caved for the sake of peace."
"I told him it would mean so much to me, and he could choose the food and venue."
"So, barbecue in the backyard?"
"However did you know?" His mother's voice was dry, and Cleo bit her lip so she wouldn't laugh.
Link grinned. "I'm sure between his grill skills and your decorating and organizing abilities, it will be a great day for everyone."
"Yes, and make sure you're one of those people."
"I will do my best to make sure I'm there, even if I can only fly in for a few hours." Link promised. "I'm calling to let you know Cleo and I are on our way to see you guys. We should be in Augusta tomorrow evening and at the house for brunch the next day." There was a clunk and then silence, which made Cleo and Link exchange confused and concerned looks. "Mom?" No answer. "What the hell? Mom?" He raised his voice, clearly worried.
"Did she pass out?" Cleo asked quietly.
"Why would she pass out? Mom?" Cleo could see Link was starting to panic.
"Maybe hang up and call back? Or call your dad's cell phone?" Cleo suggested.
"Here, take my phone, find my dad's contact, and call him from your phone." Link passed her the phone, and as she started looking for the contact, they heard the sound of someone chuckling as they approached, and then a man's amused voice came over the line.
"Well, Son, you just made your mother's year."
"Dad? What happened? Where did Mom go?"
"I was out in the garden, and she came running out. "Ben! Ben! Noah's coming home! And bringing his girlfriend! I have to get groceries, go talk to him! Then she got in the car and drove off."
"She went without her cell phone?" Relief was now mixed with confusion in Link's voice, and Cleo giggled as she put his phone in the cupholder for him.
"You called my phone, which was charging next to the couch." He explained. "Will you need to be picked up from the airport?"
"No, we're driving down; we'll stay in Richmond tonight and do the rest of the drive tomorrow," Link explained. "We're staying in a hotel in Augusta, so Mom doesn't have to worry about doing up the guest rooms."
"I'm sure I can convince your mom that at forty, you're old enough to sleep in the same room as your girlfriend." His father assured him.
"Yeah, right." Link snorted. "No, this way is best for everyone's comfort. When it gets out that Cleo and I are in town, you'll have people trampling the garden."
"Right. Yeah, I guess two famous people staying with you would make things difficult." There was disappointment in his father's voice as he accepted Links's decision.
"That's not all." Link sighed and went into detail about the letters that had been received and what they'd found out about Cleo's parents, husband, and the Flight Attendant. His father listened quietly, asking a few clarifying questions now and then, and when Link finished, he was quiet for a minute.
"Okay, a couple of things. One, we don't tell your mother any of this. She'll lock you two in the cellar under the guise of keeping you safe. Two, I'm gonna bring this to my buddies in the club and see if we can't set up a rotating security detail until this is resolved. It sounds like someone is trying to hurt you, and I'm concerned for your mother's safety."
"I'm sorry, I didn't think about that; we can - "Link started to say they could stay away, but his father cut him off.
"No. Don't even think about it. You'll come here and act like everything is fine. This isn't your fault, and both your mother and I are very excited to see you and meet Cleo, but I need to make sure she's safe for my own peace of mind."
"Sure, Dad, I get it." Link sighed sadly, and Cleo knew he hadn't considered his parents could be in danger if this escalated, and whoever was masterminding it might go after them to get to him.
"Does Cleo have any allergies or dietary restrictions? Your mother is texting me to ask you."
Link leaned into the subject change and looked at her with his eyebrow raised. "Pineapple." She murmured.
"She says pineapple."
"Okay, I'll pass that along to your mother and let you guys go back to your drive. Be safe, and we'll see you two in a few days."
"Thanks, Dad. I'll text when I get to Richmond." They said their goodbyes, and Link hung up. "I didn't call his phone; I called Mom's. They switched phones without realizing it again." He muttered.
Cleo laughed. "Again?"
"They have the exact same phone, right down to the cases, screensavers, passwords, everything. They'll put one down, grab the others, and not notice for a few hours. I think the longest was two days." He smiled and shook his head fondly. "Fifty years, and they're just as in love with one another now as they were on their wedding day."
"That's incredible." Cleo smiled softly at him.
"Yeah, it was what I wanted when I married Jerrica. Might have been a little jaded to the whole marriage thing for a while." Link grinned at her. "So we should reach Richmond by 2:30; anything you want to do to pass the time?"
Can we go to the Edgar Allen Poe Museum?" Cleo asked excitedly.
"Edgar Allen Poe Museum? I mean, yeah, we can. I'm a little surprised you want to though."
"One of the first TV shows I ever saw was the Simpsons' first Treehouse of Horror, and they did The Raven. I can recite the whole thing from memory and own a very rare First Edition Set of Works of Edgar Allan Poe from 1850. Well, the first three volumes are from 1850. The fourth was added in 1856. I've been obsessed with his writing since I was seven." Cleo let out a sigh of longing. "I would kill to be in a movie version of any of his stories."
"Your parents were okay with you reading Poe at seven?" Link said in disbelief.
"Yeah, Poe is an American author and icon. His stories were considered classics, and I was encouraged to read classics."
"Wow. Okay, Let's go to the museum." He chuckled.
"Yay!" Cleo grinned at him and leaned over to hug him. "Best Boyfriend Ever!"
*Copyright: Stephanie Myrick, 2023. Posted to Wattpad ONLY*
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