Sugar and Spice_ An L.A. Candy Novel - Lauren Conrad [48]
Using these methods, Jane managed to whittle down her “entourage” to one SUV by the time she reached the café and parked on the street. Unfortunately, she saw that there was a small group of paparazzi already waiting for her in front of the café. Just beyond them, she saw some PopTV crew members setting up, looking annoyed.
The cameras began flashing when Jane stepped out of her car, and soon she was surrounded.
“Jane!”
“Give us a smile!”
“Who are you meeting for breakfast, Jane?”
Oh, God. Jane took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. For her, paps in person were way worse than paps in cars. After all these months, she was still terrified of the sight of these grown men—strangers—running toward her, shouting at her, taking her picture. She wasn’t sure she would ever get used to it. (After escaping them, she would often shake for five, ten minutes before she could calm down.)
“Jane!”
“Over here!”
“Who designed your dress, Jane?”
Jane realized she couldn’t stand there all day like a trapped animal. She adjusted her sunglasses with a trembling hand and made her way through the gauntlet of paparazzi, pretending that this was all perfectly normal. Which it wasn’t.
Luckily, there were no paparazzi waiting for her when she arrived at Villa Blanca at noon.
Gazing around the sunlight-filled dining room, Jane ran a hand across her black-and-white wrap dress, smoothing the microphone wire underneath. The PopTV camera guys were already in place, and only a few of the customers at the Beverly Hills restaurant seemed fazed by their presence. Maybe it was because the show filmed there often. Or maybe people in L.A. were just used to TV crews.
When Matt gave her the signal, Jane crossed the room to the corner table where Caleb sat waiting for her. She was excited to see him. New relationships always made her feel this way. (Even though theirs wasn’t technically new. And she hadn’t been in a lot of relationships, new or otherwise.) This was their third date since last Thursday, all of them on camera, and with each one, she became more convinced that Caleb was the perfect guy for her at this point in her life. He was so easy to hang out with—no drama, no surprises, no stress. He was a total gentleman, too, like the way he was at the hospital week before last.
And he was really, really cute, which didn’t hurt.
“Hey.” He stood up and put his hand on her elbow, kissing her briefly on the lips. He smelled yummy, like woodsy aftershave.
“Hey. You look nice.” Jane hadn’t expected to see him wearing a navy linen blazer over his button-down shirt. He wasn’t usually so dressed up and besides, hadn’t he come straight from a construction site?
“Thanks. You’re looking pretty gorgeous yourself.”
“Thanks. Sorry I’m late. My eleven o’clock meeting ran over.” Jane didn’t add that it had started late because her café shoot had taken longer than expected, due to interference by the paparazzi.
“Yeah, I got your message. No worries. How’d it go?” Caleb pulled a chair out for her.
Jane sat down and tucked her bag under the table. “Good, I guess? There’s so much going on. I feel like I’m working twenty-four/seven lately. I mean, Aja’s engagement party is, like, a full-time project. And there’s a video-game launch at Playground the day after tomorrow, and a restaurant opening next Tuesday. Oh, and Scar’s birthday party this Saturday! You’re coming to that, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
“Great!”
The waitress came by to take their orders. “The chopped salad, please, and an iced tea,” Jane said, glancing at the menu.
“The filet mignon, medium rare. And a Sam Adams,” Caleb said.
“Steak? Wow, you must be hungry,” Jane teased him.
“Hey, don’t give me a hard time. I’ve been hauling steel beams all week,” Caleb said with a grin.