His interview was scrutinized and picked apart by experts willing to give their opinions to the highest-paying news source. Bella turned down several interviews about the subject, since Maggie and he agreed that she should try and not put more speculations out there.
The fact was, they had no clue if Michael Himes was behind the shooting or even the break-ins. All they knew was that he had been the one to switch the envelopes at the award ceremony.
One of the judges, Carmen Langdon, stepped forward in an interview and described how Himes promised her a role in his upcoming movie if she would switch the envelopes.
She had told him that it wouldn’t take long for them to discover what she’d done, and he promised her that with his power he would protect her. But when the committee started looking at her, Michael denied her version of the story and started claiming that she had switched the names to impress him in hopes that he would boost her career.
The only problem was she had recorded the conversation on her phone since she was worried that he would renege on the deal.
The muffled recording of Michael’s empty promises played on television as much as the video of him pulling Bella to safety while Kenny’s body dropped beside them.
Since the matter hadn’t been a legal issue, Michael’s only recourse was to be dropped from the award’s committee and banned from any others in Hollywood.
A week after the shooting, Bella’s new album hit number one on the charts. They had celebrated by ordering delivery from a restaurant down the street and lighting every candle she had in her apartment. They had even dressed up, with her wearing one of the fancy and sexy outfits she had tucked in her guest closet. Since he hadn’t had time to replace the tux, he’d pulled on a dress coat and tie.
Even though they couldn’t go out, it was nice pretending as they had. But at the end of the second week, he could tell she was starting to go stir crazy.
She’d cleaned her place and had started packing up her things and marking which items she would sell or donate and not take with her.
He was surprised that she didn’t plan on taking any of her new furniture with the exception of her bed, which they decided would replace the one in his guest bedroom.
“Let’s go out,” she said midmorning one day. “I have no commitments today.” She glanced towards the windows. “It’s sunny and I want to feel the fresh air on my face.” She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. “Let’s go for a drive.”
He thought about the logistics of it and frowned.
“Don’t do that.” She shook her head.
“What?”
“Overthink this. I have a car downstairs in the garage. We hop in it, drive out of the city into the hills, and find some little place to have lunch.” She leaned up on her toes and kissed him. “Please?”
He couldn’t deny her. Not when she practically purred next to him.
“I’ll arrange it.” He smiled. “Get dressed.” He glanced down at her pajama shorts and a tank top and wished that she would’ve suggested they spend the day in bed instead.
He talked to the private security on duty and informed them that they would be taking a drive, to which they responded that they would follow them in their car. They reassured him that he wouldn’t even know they were back there, but as Bella drove out of the city, he found his eyes glued to the side mirror, making sure that they followed along.
It wasn’t that Bella was a bad driver… okay, it was. She was more aggressive than drivers in Silver Cove tended to be. He supposed it was needed in the city. When they finally hit the highway, he relaxed a little seeing that the dark SUV was still two cars behind them.
“Everything okay?” Bella asked as she gunned the small sedan and headed towards the hills.
He glanced over and realized that she was thoroughly enjoying herself.
“Yes.” He smiled and tried to forget about the security behind them. “Where are we heading to?”
“I thought we’d head to the beach.” She smiled over at him.
He’d been so busy worrying about making sure their security hadn’t lost them that he didn’t even notice which direction they’d been heading.
“The beach sounds fun.” He glanced down at the shorts she’d convinced him to put on and realized they were his board shorts. Chuckling, he silently promised himself he’d relax a little and enjoy the day instead of worrying so much.
“Huntington Beach is one of my favorite places.” She sighed as she turned off the highway. “Since it’s a workday, and school started this week, hopefully it won’t be as crowded. We can find a little hut to eat lunch before we hit the sand and the water.”
He reached over and took her hand in his. “That sounds wonderful. I’ve never been to a California beach before.”
“You haven’t?” She glanced at him.
“No. I went to Disneyland when I was ten. I’ve been to San Diego a few times on business. But this is my first trip where I could relax.”
“Well then, we’ll have to show you some more sights before you go,” she said and instantly his worry started up again. He wanted to argue that it wasn’t safe, but he kept his mouth shut and glanced at the mirror again to make sure the SUV was still back there.
By the time they stepped into the water, he was completely relaxed again. They had found a small food hut to have a few drinks and eat greasy burgers at.
She’d worn a large sun hat and dark glasses with her long hair tied back in a braid and, thankfully, hadn’t been recognized once during the meal.
The two security guards sat in the booth across from them. They filled the men in on what their plans were and were assured that they were there for the entire adventure.
Since the men were dressed in jeans and black shirts, he doubted they would spend much time on the beach.
Still, just seeing Bella in the sexy pink swimsuit had all other thoughts fleeing his mind. They played in the surf until she grew tired and they laid out on the large beach towels she’d packed along.
He stayed busy people watching and watching over her and was happy when she fell asleep beside him. When he noticed her skin start to pink, he nudged her to roll over and wrapped his arms around her. She moaned and snuggled into him and he realized that this was easily one of his favorite memories with her.
When she woke, they headed down the coast a little and found a cute town and another beach restaurant to eat dinner at. This time it was steaks and grilled shrimp with wine. The two security guys sat out in their truck and had sandwiches instead.
As they pulled into her parking garage, he felt as if he’d seen enough sights. He was ready to head home in less than a week.
“What about your car?” he asked as she parked in her spot.
She shrugged and shut it off. “I’ve arranged to have it shipped with the rest of my stuff.” She turned to him. “Did you like the beach today?”
“Yes.” He touched the end of her braid. “I’m looking forward to getting home though,” he admitted.
“So am I.” She smiled. “I only have a few more interviews, which shouldn’t take more than four days.” She frowned slightly. “Five, tops.”
He nodded. “I enjoy watching you work.”