Retribution - Breaking Free Journey 1

Chapter 2 - The Ghost of Hopeful Present

Eighteen weeks later...

Where it concerned my love life, and no doubt the love lives of millions of other women, both Hollywood and Walt Disney had a lot to answer for.

Right now, however, Hollywood was doing a mighty fine job of presenting its own option to me. Sat on the other side of my table, licking away at a melting strawberry ice cream, was the one and only Jake Murphy. A-list Hollywood actor, film producer, and general all around rather fine male specimen.

Ruffled blonde hair glinted under the spring sunshine like a sparkling gem. His bright blue eyes twinkled with playfulness, and his rosy red lips were sprinkled with ice cream.

I couldn't help lingering over the baby blue cotton shirt clinging to his broad muscled shoulders. The pale colour highlighted his bronzed skin perfectly, showing off his definition even more.

He'd been sat down for a good couple of minutes and I had yet to digest the situation. How on earth was someone who I'd watched in several box office hit movies sat opposite me? Regardless, I refused to act like an airhead bimbo. He was after all, still only human. Being a celebrity didn't make him a God. Although, from his looks alone that could be debated.

"Busy place, isn't it?"

His voice was as smooth as his looks. If he was chocolate, he'd be Galaxy for sure. Despite my tortured past, being alone for five months had more than awoken the red-blooded woman in me.

"Yes, it's always packed whenever we come here."

The café at my local shopping centre was always heaving with customers. Sharing tables was a common thing if you wanted to sit in. I was still thanking my lucky stars that the only free tables today had been mine, and that of two elderly women who were chatting about the best way to cut carrots.

I'd been halfway through reading Front Row magazine when he'd startled me from the latest article about how to keep your man from straying. After the standard awkward silence, and with the page still open on said article, he glanced down at it, and smirked.

"I hope I'm not interrupting your reading?"

My cheeks instantly burned up under his mischievous gaze. "I didn't buy it. It was already here when I sat down."

"You know," he said, licking the last of the ice cream off his lips. "It's often said that rapid denial is a sign of guilt."

I laughed, trying to brush away the fact he'd caught me off guard. I cast a final glance at the magazine and pointed to a picture of him at the bottom of the article. "Oh look. There you are."

He chuckled. "There's no shame in reading the paparazzi's finest. Nor appearing to be associated with it. I often surprise myself you know."

I giggled. "I don't know how you deal with it. It'd drive me mental having them follow me around everywhere."

"Ah, there's the tricks of a good lawyer." He gave me a cheeky wink. "Tie them up in so many knots, the most they dare do is feature a thumbnail picture at the end of a trashy 'advice' column." He leaned over the table, peering at his small picture. "I ought to have them for that really. Not my best side."

I burst out laughing. "I'll email them and inform them that the picture of a so called faithful man isn't satisfactory."

He laughed. "Well, if you're going to try and sell something, at least sell it at its best."

"Fair point. But I think a lot of people would be happy if their best side looked half as good as that."

"Camera trickery," he said, cheekiness oozing from his handsome face. "It's all about angles and lighting. Besides, you look plenty good enough from all angles to me."