Saved by the Rockstar (Rich and Famous Romance Book 1) Page 5

  The airport was huge and, Julie was sure, held half the population of the world. It had taken Prozac, the best sound-cancelling headphones money could buy, dark sunglasses, and her assistant to get her this far. She wasn’t about to fall apart now.

  “Just get me to baggage claim.” Yes, baggage claim. Where Ryland would be waiting. “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe this is happening.”

  Gracie stopped, startled. “What? What’s happening?”

  “I’m meeting Ryland Sterling.”

  Laughing, Gracie pushed gently on her back. “Better not say that too loud. He’s trying to stay incognito, remember? Come on. I’ve been dying to watch this for weeks.”

  Julie groaned and hoped she could make it to a trash can in time if her stomach turned on her like it threatened to do.

  At heart, she was an airheaded book nerd who ate too much junk food and would have lived indefinitely as a hermit, quite happily, if not for this stupid convention and wanting to meet Ryland.

  As they walked, Gracie read their itinerary from her phone. “Okay, Ryland is taking us straight to the convention center, where we need to go through the VIP entrance at the back. You will have a thirty-minute meeting with the director, producer, and the leads for the movie, after which you will be directed on stage for the panel. Think you can handle that?”

  Julie nodded. She wasn’t worried about doing the panel as long as she never had to mix with the crowd.

  “Oh…” Gracie stopped reading. “Um, Julie? They’ve added a photo op after the panel. But with big stars like Chris Sanderson and Veronica Pantoni there, security will be tight.”

  “Crap. Gracie, just kill me now and put me out of my misery.”

  Instead, Gracie pushed her onto a crowded tram.

  Fortunately, her headphones were around her neck, so she pulled them up over her ears and started playing a pounding rock song that obliterated thought. With her dark sunglasses on, she was almost blind in the dim lights of the tram, so she let her mind go somewhere else until the tram stopped.

  “Next stop, lover boy’s arms,” Gracie teased.

  Julie had dreamed about such a meeting, but she knew it was incredibly unlikely. They needed to go slowly. Take their time. Not rush into anything.

  When they got off the tram, she took off her headphones and glasses. As they went down the escalator to baggage claim, she repeated those words over and over in her mind. But then she saw him.

  Even though he wore dark glasses and a ballcap pulled low over his face, she would have recognized him anywhere. He stood a head taller than almost everyone else in the milling crowd, with broad powerful shoulders and muscular arms. Looking like an island in a surging sea, he waited for her in the middle of the lobby.

  She knew the moment he found her. His shoulders straightened and he moved toward her with a long, powerful stride. Julie could barely breathe because she was so nervous and excited. The impact of all she’d gone through had apparently drained away the last of her common sense. When she got to the bottom of the escalator, she ran the last few yards towards him and threw her arms around him.

  Fortunately for her pride and balance, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. They stood like that for a long, long moment. Long enough that people passing would no doubt assume they were lovers reuniting after a long separation. But Julie didn’t care.

  Feeling the warmth of his firm chest beneath her cheek and the security of his welcoming arms soothed away her anxiety like a blanket of pure peace. His scent, combined with the texture of his cotton shirt and the way his breath ruffled her hair, was so marvelously real after the last few weeks of only talking online that she didn’t want to let go.

  After a moment, Ryland pulled back, laughing. “And I’ve been worried about whether or not to hug you.”

  Julie grinned and took a deep breath as she feasted on every familiar feature of his face, so much more beautiful now that she could see every laugh line and eyelash. “I was just so glad to see you I couldn’t help it. Oh, this is Gracie, my personal assistant.”

  Ryland immediately held out his hand to shake Gracie’s, but though she shook it, Gracie looked as if a light breeze might have knocked her over. She was biting her lip—to keep from screaming, Julie was sure—and was too starstruck to say anything to him.

  Ryland turned back to Julie. “Okay. Let’s get your bags and get on the road. From the itinerary you sent me, we don’t have a lot of time to get you to the convention center.”

  Julie nodded, but before they could move, a girl’s voice asked, “Are you Ryland Sterling?”

  Surprised, Julie waited to see how Ryland would respond. He had been determined to meet her at the airport even though there was a big chance someone would recognize him and start a mob.

  He shook his head and said, “I get that a lot, but sorry, no.”

  “Wow. You look just like him.”

  Feeling wicked as her anxiety eased into excitement, Julie said, “Yeah, he does, huh? Sometimes he even gives fake autographs just because nobody believes him.”

  Ryland raised an eyebrow but looked amused.

  The girl said, “Oh will you? That would be cool even if you aren’t him. And I don’t believe you anyway.”

  Ryland leaned towards her and said, “Only if you don’t tell a soul until we leave.”

  His quiet but compelling voice had her nodding as she searched for something for him to sign. She handed him her wrinkled boarding pass, and Gracie pulled a pen from her bag. With a quick flourish, Ryland signed his name, then took Julie’s hand and pulled her towards the baggage carousel.

  Thrilled at the feeling of his strong, calloused fingers clasped around hers, she speed-walked beside him, laughing. The humor of the situation had successfully warded off any further anxiety as they zig-zagged through the crowd.

  He shook his head. “You won’t think it’s funny if she tells any of her friends over there.”

  Julie looked behind them and saw he was right. The girl was traveling with a group of other college-aged girls. “Uh oh. You might be in trouble. They’re all looking this way.”

  His hand squeezed tighter around hers. “See your bag yet?”

  She nodded. “It’s that purple one coming around.”

  “See yours yet, Gracie?” Ryland asked.

  Julie was impressed he remembered her name. When Gracie pointed to her suitcase, Ryland pulled it off the conveyor and righted it so Gracie could grab the handle.

  And just in time too, since about six girls—all wearing shorty shorts and cropped tops—were heading straight for them. So they ran.

  Julie had been handling the crowd really well in the excitement of meeting Ryland, but seeing the mass of girls chasing after them, her anxiety amped up.

  They emerged outside into blazing sunlight and heavy humidity. Luckily, Ryland had a car waiting. His driver jumped out to take their bags while Ryland ushered Gracie into the front seat and Julie into the back. He got in after her, so she had to wiggle over awkwardly to make room for him. He shut the door and locked it just as a bunch of sweaty hands slapped onto the window.

  His driver fought his way through the crowd around the car and bellowed for everyone to back up or get run over. He threw the car into drive and honked a couple times before edging forward.

  Ryland leaned his head back against the headrest and took off his sunglasses.

  Julie, who was trying to control her anxiety, tried to act normal. But her voice came out breathless. “So that’s what it’s like to be famous.”

  “Unfortunately, that’s only a small taste. And you’d better get used to it. You’re about to get your first taste of being a celebrity, remember?”

  Julie laughed. “Oh, no one will care about me that much.”

  “I doubt it. But for now, let me introduce you to Andy. Say hello, big guy.”

  Andy looked at her in the rearview mirror. “Hello, Julie. I can turn around right now if you’ve changed your mind about the boss man there.” />
  “There is no way I’m getting on a plane again any sooner than I have too. Even if Ryland had a beer gut and thinning hair, he would be my favorite person right now.”

  “Thanks a lot,” Ryland said dryly.

  Julie laughed and turned sideways in her seat so she could see him better. “Of course it’s so much better that you’re indecently hot.”

  Ryland grinned and took hold of her hand.

  “Wait till you see him the morning after a concert and three weeks on the road.”

  “I don’t pay you for opinions, Andy,” Ryland said. But the warm humor in his voice took the bite out of his words.

  “Okay, boss. Next stop, Dragon Con.”

  Chapter Eight

  Julie’s agent had arranged for Ryland to get a pass to stay with Julie at the convention. When Andy dropped them off at the door, she gripped his hand tightly as they went inside. He didn’t care. He was glad they were already holding hands. But once they reached the green room where the panelists were meeting each other before going out on stage, she relaxed. And that had amazed him.

  After all, she was meeting A-list stars and a director who was notorious for being a curmudgeon. He’d thought her tension had been caused by shyness, but he was obviously wrong.

  Julie didn’t show a sign of insecurity as she shook hands and stood around talking. In fact, she soon had the director and Chris Sanderson laughing. Then Veronica Pantoni gushed about how much she loved the Fated series and how thrilled she was to be playing the heroine. Ryland smiled as the two of them bonded over the character they both loved.

  “And who’s your man there?” Veronica asked, looking over at him.

  Julie turned and smiled at him. He’d found a seat against the wall as soon as she’d relaxed, since this was her show not his. And he’d been quite happy just watching from the sidelines at how incredible she was. But when she came over and grabbed his hand, he let her pull him to his feet and over to Veronica.

  “This is Ryland Sterling.”

  Veronica’s mouth dropped open. “Sterling House Ryland Sterling?”

  Ryland chuckled. “Is there another one I don’t know about?” Julie chuckled and nudged him with her elbow, so he added, “Yes, nice to meet you.”

  Veronica looked back and forth between them. “How did you two meet? I never would have guessed an author would be dating a rock star.”

  Ryland saw that Julie was about to tell her they weren’t a couple, so he jumped in. “It’s more about who we are than what we are, don’t you think?”

  Smiling, Veronica nodded.

  “Five minutes,” a guy announced from the doorway.

  “Julie, come here a second,” Gracie called from across the room.

  Ryland watched as Julie moved over to Gracie to have her hair and makeup touched up.

  Veronica leaned close to Ryland and whispered. “I know I just met you, but was it super obvious I was fan-girling over her?”

  He laughed. “Not too much. I don’t think I’m hiding it nearly as well.”

  “She’s just as cool as in her videos. She’s so creative it blows me away. That’s why I just had to do this movie, even though it’s a bit of a gamble.”

  “On stage!” The man called again.

  Ryland followed behind the group with Gracie and stood in the wings during the panel. He crossed his arms and admired her as she smiled and waved at the fans that cheered when her name was announced. The first questions went to the actors and director, with a few questions thrown Julie’s way by the host, but as soon as the audience was allowed to ask questions, more often than not, they were addressed to her. It was clear the fans loved the actors chosen to play the parts, but mostly because they cared so much about the story itself. And as the discussion revolved more and more around her story, he saw Julie come alive.

  If there was one thing Ryland knew, it was how to read a crowd. And this one loved her.

  When the panel was over and Julie walked off stage, she came up to him with a wide smile. “How’d I do?”

  He smiled and held out his hand. “You were a pro.”

  “Good.” She looked at Gracie. “I’m even glad I got to do that. But now’s the hard part.”

  “Hard part?” Ryland asked.

  “She has to go do photo ops with the fans.”

  Ryland kept hold of Julie’s hand as they followed the rest of the panel down a long, dark hallway. “But you were incredible up there on stage. You looked totally relaxed.”

  The door opened in front of them, and a wave of voices filled the hallway. Julie froze.

  “She doesn’t do well in the crowd,” Gracie explained.

  Ryland nodded as he finally understood the frantic energy that had clung to her at the airport. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

  Julie bit her lip. “I kind of do. And anyways, I want to try.” Taking a deep breath, she walked to the door. They were the last ones in the hallway, and the guy holding the door was looking back at them to see if they were coming.

  “I’ll be close,” Ryland said, pulling his sunglasses down and putting his ragged ball cap back on his head.

  Julie walked out and was immediately directed to stand in front of a giant backdrop with the Dragon Con logo printed all over it. At first, the fans came up to her a few at a time, and she smiled and posed with them without any outward signs of difficulty. But as she signed books, Ryland saw her eyes shift around the crowd on the other side of the ropes. He could see the stress in every line of her posture and in the pale tint of her complexion.

  Ryland began to feel stressed himself watching her. Then the rope went down, and the crowd moved closer and closer, despite security’s attempts to control it. No one was within five feet of her, but the expression on Julie’s face showed she had gone from stress to panic.

  Gracie tugged on his arm. “We have to get her out of here. Now.”

  “Call my name and then go help her.”

  Gracie looked confused for a moment until he took off his hat and glasses. Then she nodded and held her hands to either side of her mouth. “Look! It’s Ryland Sterling!”

  The effect was immediate. Half the girls in the room screamed and charged him while everyone else tried to figure out what was going on. With the attention drawn away from the celebrities up front, Grace put an arm around Julie and shouldered a path toward the door. But the door was blocked by the milling crowd. Ryland ignored the people around him, touching him, pulling on his clothes, and calling his name. His whole focus was on her, and she was trapped in a rowdy, mindless crowd.

  Using his arms to move people out of his way, he forced his way to her. When he got closer, he could see that she had gone somewhere else mentally. Her eyes were closed, and her mouth open and rounded as she breathed in a focused, deliberate way.

  Shouldering the last human obstacle out of his way, Ryland took her hand, which was ice cold, and pulled her to the door. A large guy with glasses and a slack jaw stood in front of it, watching the chaos.

  “Can you please move?”

  “What? Oh, uh. Yeah.”

  As he moved, Ryland opened the door and directed Julie towards it. “I’ve got you,” he said.

  Inside the hallway, Julie moved toward the door and faced the wall. Ryland felt helpless and didn’t know what to do, so he stood beside her and watched for the slightest sign that she needed something. Gracie, meanwhile, was digging through Julie’s bag. She pulled out some headphones and Julie’s phone.

  “Here, Julie.”

  “Thanks,” Julie mumbled. She put the headphones on and turned some music on, then closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall. As she did so, she moved closer to him until their arms brushed. Her cold fingers caught his attention again, so he pressed her hands together between his.

  The door opened, and the actors and director made it into the hallway with their people gathered around them.

  Veronica stopped and looked at Julie. “Is she okay?”


  Gracie nodded. “She’ll be fine.”

  “Good. I’ve to go, Julie, but nice to meet you.”

  Ryland doubted Julie could hear a word, but Julie seemed to have caught the gist. She smiled and waved, but as soon as Veronica left, her smile faded away as she focused on her breathing again. A few minutes later, she began to relax and breathe naturally.

  “Can we go?” she asked.

  Ryland straightened. “Absolutely.”

  He put an arm around her waist and led her through the hallway. She kept her headphones on, but she seemed to be doing better.

  As they walked, he called Andy. “Can you pick us up at the VIP door, pronto?”

  “Sure thing, boss.”

  Andy didn’t let him down. By the time they got to the exit, Andy had pulled up in front of it. Ryland opened the back door for Julie, helped her inside, and then ran around to join her on the other side.

  As Andy drove away, Julie took her headphones off and took a deep, steadying breath. “I’m so sorry you had to see that, Ryland, but I guess it is a good thing. Now you know the worst about me. I’m sorry. I’m sure Gracie can find us a hotel and book a flight home in the mor…”

  “Julie,” Ryland said, cutting her off. “Don’t. If this is the worst thing about you, you’ve got a leg up on the rest of the human race.”

  “Huh?”

  He sat back and put his arm around her shoulders. “I’ve known for the last few weeks that you were worried about something. I thought it was me. What are we talking about here? Anxiety? Panic attacks?”

  “Yes,” Julie said, shame ringing in her voice.

  Ryland nodded. “Okay. I’m here for you. What do you need from me?”

  Julie put the headphones down beside her on the seat and put her face in her hands. He barely heard her question. “Are you for real? You’re supposed to despise me right now.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m weak and broken.”

  He nudged her chin up until she looked at him. “What I saw was a vibrant, confident woman charm a crowd of adoring fans. I saw you meet celebrities with poise and warmth. And I saw you face a very scary situation with courage and determination. If anything, I am more intrigued by you than ever. And if you leave me now…”