Oscar saw the disappointment in those blue eyes. He pictured Levi as a kid asking to head out with some friends on busy days. “Well, it’d be better if you did keep your distance. Otherwise, it’ll clash with what Rachel wants. What she thinks is best to keep people’s minds on Levi Marks.” He smiled.
Levi shoved some food in his mouth. “Okay.” He chewed blandly, looking at his script again. This was for the best anyway. Rachel knew her stuff. His fans would welcome an actress that his character was written with but torture someone who felt more…real.Amber.Would it hurt to give her one call, though? At least to squelch his curiosity.
Chapter 8
As a child, Amber had always imagined that the day she got recognized would be glorious. She had envisioned a swarm of people flocking her with posters, each waving her photo andbeggingher to sign it. Little Amber would bask in these daydreams and let them put her to sleep at night, hoping that one day,oneday, it would all come to life.
Well, baby Amber, it’s happening.But not exactly how you imagined it.
“So, what did hesmelllike? Describeeverythingto me,” a girl with blonde hair said. She held her phone up and for some reason had the flash of her camera on. It didn’t help that she sat right beside her, her chair hitched to Amber’s.
Amber’s coworkers kept walking from the dining room to the kitchen. Some would dart their eyes at her while others seemed to willfully ignore what they saw. This sort of treatment had started since her appearance on the show. It had only escalated because the public was now aware of her date with Levi the night before.The Love RaffleInstagram page had gotten a Providence employee to snap pictures of the dinner.
“Is he as dreamy up close as he is in the movies? I legit only watch that stuff for Levi Marks. I don’t give a damn about comic books,” said one girl across the table. Her hair was in braids, and her face was symmetrically perfect. But that was the typical lookof residents of LA. Everyone’s goal was to make it. And it just so happened that looking the part of a model helped.
“I do. See? I’m arealfan unlike you shallow whores,” said another girl at Amber’s other side. She held Amber’s hand in her lap, stroking it with her acrylic nails. She chewed gum despite being at a restaurant with a full plate of food in front of her. “So, what did he say on your date? Levi’s so mysterious. He must have revealedsomethingjuicy. He pretends to share stuff about himself in interviews, but I think weallknow that the stuff he says is hand-fed to him by managers.”
Amber noticed all heads nodding. Their table stood at the heart of the dining room. There were about ten seats in total. She’d been serving the group of friends diligently when one of them called on her to question her identity. They’d gone on to ask about the date, but she’d responded that she was working and couldn’t chat. That had been when her manager emerged and told her to “by all means entertain the guests.” Apparently, her appearance on that episode had brought in more customers. The manager felt it appropriate to use her newfound fame to the business’s advantage. She didn’t really mind but chatting with guests while her fellow waiters struggled with the workload felt a bit unfair.
“Come on, tell us what he said. You’re so quiet, Amber. And you basically don’t exist. I spentallnight searching for your socials and found nothing.” The girl with the braids twirled her hair. “What’s wrong with you?”
The blonde placed a hand on Amber’s shoulder. They seemed to be at least eighteen. Younger than she was. “I guess I haven’t really been online. I do have social media, though. My name is just hard to find.” She shrugged her hand off in annoyance. “Yeah, it’s not exactly—”
“No way, so youdidn’tdelete all your socials because the Marks army came after you?” another girl said with food in her mouth.
Amber frowned. “Uh, no?”
“Have you been keeping up to date with what they’re saying online? Those girls arejealous,” said the one with the braids.
“Yeah, they are.”
“But it was just one date so they’re not as pressed.”
“I’m not jealous though. Too old for jealousy.” The blonde girl took a picture with Amber without warning.
Amber squinted at the flash. “Are they saying mean things or something?”
“Don’t even worry about that. You should tell us more about your date and what happened.Whatdoes Levi Marks look like up close?” This girl slammed her hand against the table.
Amber jumped at the noise. “He’s great,” she said as their eyes bored holes into her. Why were they staring so intently? “Handsome, blue eyes, great hair and…” She tapped her chin. “If I remember correctly, he smelled like roses. White roses. If those have a smell.”
A collective gasp rose from the girls before they all giggled.
Amber blushed.
“So, do youlikehim or what?” someone whispered.
Amber could feel glances from other customers. Mainly girls around the same age as those at her table. “I…I guess he’s…” She remembered how worried he’d seemed when she’d fallen ill.Come on. Anyone would be concerned if someone started swelling up.“He’s a nice guy.” She spotted Elouise walking past with her notebook to her lips.She’s so easy to read.Elouise could at least do a better job at hiding her laughter.
“You should keep in touch with him,” the girl with the full mouth stated. The others agreed.
Amber could picture their cameras zooming in.I’m like a spectacle.How much longer was she expected to do this? She knew it might be good for her career, but how long would the attention last? It had been a while since Beca had booked her an audition. Her appearance onThe Love Rafflewasn’t too long ago, though, so she needed to be patient. “I mean, I can. He asked for my number.”
They gasped again and this time their mouths remained open.
Amber’s cheeks heated. “Not like that, though. It was more like—”
The girl with the braids pointed then hollered, “Confirmed! Amber Sheridan and Levi Marks are dating!”
