I had no idea there were so many types of vehicles or their main purposes. The tour is impressive — watching those cars maneuver through such steep and unstable terrain is downright astonishing. Not to mention the countless accessories I could never have imagined even existed, let alone their incredible usefulness.

  However, when we pass by the pickup truck, I can’t help but feel uncomfortable. Now I see exactly what Sam was referring to — the space where we’d be sleeping.

  There’s no way that bed fits a massive dog, Sam, and me. Just the two of us alone would already be uncomfortable. Two friends, like Wally and me? Tight but manageable. A couple? That would work. But Sam and me? Pure hell.

  There’s no way I’m agreeing to this, no matter how interesting the job offer might be.

  I feel the wasp’s nest stirring around me, my senses sharpening in response to an incoming wave of fans. The stares grow more frequent, the minutes stretch out, and the buzzing of whispers intensifies.

  Some gossip about me must have dropped. I reach for my phone — then I hear a sweet, familiar voice:

  “Surprise, love.”

  Jess, with her radiant smile, her arms outstretched in warmth, while her bodyguards carve a path through the sea of people so I can reach her.

  Her long, silky curls cascade over her bare shoulder, perfectly complementing her flowing summer dress as she throws herself into my arms.

  I can’t help but smile at the sheer energy she always radiates. “Doll, why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I would’ve picked you up at the airport.”

  “Then it wouldn’t be a surprise, silly.” She runs a delicate finger along my nose, affectionate as ever.

  People always told me that my looks gave me an unfair advantage as if simply being handsome made life easier. I never really believed it — until her.

  Those turquoise eyes, the curve of her lips, that effortless charm… saying no to Jess is impossible. One smile, and she gets whatever she wants.

  Every time I see her, all I want to do, is hold her and do whatever it takes to make her happy.

  It’s only after I kiss the top of her head, my arms already wrapped around her, that I register the crowd around us, cheering at the public display of affection.

  “I missed you and wanted to surprise you while my tour was close to you. If you consider Japan ‘close’.”

  I fight the urge to glance around, forcing myself to focus on her words while scanning for a more private spot.

  “I missed you too, Jess. I’m so happy you’re here.”

  With her, everything is better. The world feels lighter. After these past few days, her presence will be a balm.

  I see Johan signaling us to follow. I hook Jess’s arm through mine as we walk.

  “Jess, this is Mr. Johan from Dynamics.”

  “One of the sponsors — I saw the logo everywhere here,” she says, nodding politely.

  “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Watson. My granddaughters are big fans.” Johan opens a door on the side of a mobile shop, leading us into what looks like a shipping container — except inside, it’s a high-tech meeting room, all screens instead of windows. “You can talk in private, here, and it’s closer than the hotel. Please, have a seat. If you need anything, my secretary is just outside.”

  He heads toward the exit.

  Wally follows after a quick farewell. “Can we finish looking at the vehicles while they talk?”

  As soon as the door shuts, Jess speaks up. “What a gentleman. The fact that he hasn’t asked for my autograph despite mentioning his granddaughters are my fans… that only makes me think he’s either a fan of yours, or he wants something from you.”

  Sharp, as always.

  Her angelic face and innocent manners conceal her cunning, but underestimating her is a mistake — especially for her rivals in show business.

  Shortly after I arrived in Hollywood, I had a minor role in an episode of the show she had starred in since childhood. A background actor, pretending to be my friend, nearly screwed me over by giving me fake call times.

  Jess noticed, and was the one who warned me. She was also the first person to tell me that the camaraderie we see in gossip columns and social media is often just a fa?ade — behind the scenes, it’s all backstabbing and competition.

  “Some sponsors want me to present the finish line at the competition: Outback Way, Even Wilder.”

  “Do you even know anything about cars or this kind of race?”

  “No. Which is one of the reasons I turned it down. But Johan suggested using my lack of knowledge, as a way to encourage others who don’t know much to get into it. He thinks it could help me reinvent myself.”

  Jess tilts her head, smiling gently, as she shakes it in quiet disapproval.

  “I’ve told you before — you don’t need to reinvent yourself. Just take roles like before. You have an image people dream of. You’re recognized by the masses. People look at a movie poster with your face and assume it’s a good film. No scandals haunting you. You have a perfect image — why change that?”

  “Of all people, I thought you’d understand the most. It’s the same reason you changed your music style.”

  “I changed because I grew. But unlike many others, I kept my image.”

  She’s right. Since childhood, she’s been the sweet, angel-voiced leading lady.

  “But it was only when you changed your music style that you were truly recognized among other singers.”

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  “You’re still stuck on what a bunch of idiots say. So what if you only play leading-man roles? Just because they claim your looks and demeanor help that doesn’t mean you’re untalented. That’s pure jealousy.

  Believing that nonsense is like saying a comedian’s funny face takes away from their talent just because their appearance works in their favor.”

  She finishes with a shy smile and puppy-dog eyes before squeezing me tightly in her delicate arms.

  My lips find hers, and I feel her smile widen before I pull back just to kiss her again.

  “How about we capture our reunion?” She extends her arm, positioning the phone for a photo while giving me directions. “I missed you so much. The tour and your filming kept us apart. When we were working together, I got to see you every day.”

  “Your tour will be over soon. And while I’m shooting in the city, we’ll see each other more.”

  “Then why, after wrapping your shoot, did you come here instead of joining me on tour? That makes me jealous.” She crosses her arms, pouting adorably.

  “I already told you — Ella asked me to spend some time with Wally. He’s one of my best friends, and we haven’t seen much of each other lately. And Zoe… she’s growing up so fast. If I waited any longer, she’d go from a baby to a full-grown adult before I knew it.”

  “You see them every Christmas.”

  “That’s not the same as spending a few days just with them. At Christmas, the whole family’s there. Do you think you really know them after only seeing them at the last two Christmases?”

  “Is there more I need to know about them?”

  “Yes. Right now, you only know their names, their jobs, and maybe a little about their personalities. But they’re so much more than that. They’re fun and always ready with advice or support.

  Did you know they were the ones who encouraged me to pursue acting when the opportunity came up?

  My parents wanted me to finish college first. They were worried about the future of the family business. But Wally and Ella? They helped me from the start.”

  “You told me Wally covered some expenses when you weren’t making much yet, back when he was at his peak.”

  “Yeah… while my parents… well, they cut me off. Wally was helping me stay afloat then. All while still paying for the house and Ella’s clinic.”

  “Then he got injured, you became famous, and — surprise, surprise — your parents suddenly started talking to you again.” Jess rolls her eyes. “Funny how fame changes people… not just us, but the people around us.”

  She rests her head on my shoulder, her voice quieter now. “Not that I’d really know. My parents were my agents for as long as I can remember — controlling everything I did. And the second I broke free, they started sucking up to me.”

  Her laugh is hollow, bitter. “If I say no — especially to my older sister — I instantly become the cold, ungrateful villain. It’s like… everyone we know always wants something from us. Everyone… except you. ”

  She pulls me into a tight hug holding on like she’s afraid to let go.

  “You’ll see. With Ella, Wally, and Zoe, it’s the same. You’ll like them. How long can you stay with us? Johan lent us a truck. I could rent another vehicle, and then we could camp somewhere nearby. What do you think?”

  Jess barely has time to process the idea, before she shoots me a look.

  “You’re not seriously thinking about filming something like that, are you? That would ruin your image.

  Poor thing, you might end up facing... who knows what kind of hardships — and imagine showing up on camera all exhausted and dirty.

  My boyfriend cannot be seen like that. How could he choose to suffer instead of staying with me?”

  She finishes with a playful kiss, batting her lashes like a starstruck fan.

  I pull her close, but the way she assumes I’d care about a little dirt sticks with me. It makes me think of Sam — and just how shallow I must seem for her to believe that.

  And the idea that my own girlfriend might see me that way… it twists something deep inside me.

  “Getting dirty wouldn’t be the issue,” I clarify, though my voice comes out, softer than I intended.

  Jess’s face clouds over as if the sun had just been blotted out.

  “You are NOT filming THAT THING,” she says, her voice dripping with distaste.

  “It’s a documentary.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” She clenches her teeth, thinking I’m defending the idea.

  “I already said I didn’t accept it, but…”

  “No buts.” She tilts her head, satisfied when I fall silent. Her smile shining as brightly as the sun, signaling the return of her good mood.

  “I…” Tread carefully here. “I just mean that the main reason I turned it down is because it would make me look even more superficial — like the only thing I bring to the documentary is my face since I don’t know anything about the subject and would come across as a complete disaster.”

  “You can’t do it because you might seem like a complete disaster, and you can’t look like that.”

  “Why do you think that?” My heart stops as I wait for her answer.

  “You’re not doing it exactly because you already know why.” She dodges the question.

  “I don’t care if I look like a disaster. That’s not the problem.”

  “Of course…” Jess nods, condescending yet reassuring with her smile. “Sure, but you’re still not doing it. You know it wouldn’t be good for your career or for us. How long would you even be away?”

  “No longer than one of your tours, and that hasn’t ruined our relationship so far.”

  “But imagine that, on top of my tours, you were also away for a long time, in the middle of nowhere, maybe with no way to communicate — like these past few days. I wouldn’t be able to talk to you like I normally do. Some days have already been hard — imagine even more time apart. At least on my tours, I have internet.”

  I don’t want to argue with her over a project — that I have no interest in doing.

  So, I switch the subject. “Are you hungry?”

  She can be gone for months without me complaining because I know it’s for the career she loves — but I can’t do the same?

  “I already ate today, and I started intermittent fasting, so don’t you dare eat near me.”

  Starving together for the sake of her career is fine. But making even a small sacrifice for mine? Not worth it.

  “Okay, water it is. And… a walk?” I suggest, trying to push Sam’s insinuation — now echoed by Jess — out of my head.

  I’m not shallow. But apparently, they both agree that I am, and they don’t even know each other.

  Before leaving, I grab the doorknob. “You still haven’t answered if you’re coming camping with us.”

  Jess’s expression shifts — half amused, half exasperated. I already know her answer before she even speaks.

  “What if we don’t go camping?” she murmurs, her fingers tracing small circles on my chest. “The hotel you’re staying at isn’t so bad. We could stay there while the others sleep in the truck. If we’re going to take a different car anyway, what’s the difference?”

  Her voice is silk, but beneath it, I hear the same thing I’ve been hearing all along — a quiet dismissal of anything that doesn’t fit the perfect image she has of me.

  A breath hitches in my throat, but before I can answer, she presses herself against me.

  “We’d just be… more comfortable.” She whispers against my lips, tilting her head for a kiss.

  And just like that, the tension in my chest shifts from frustration to something else entirely.

  “We can leave camping for later. I still have two more days here — we could make the most of them, before I go back on tour.”

  She breathes against my neck, then bites my earlobe, teasing me. I grip the back of her neck to keep her from pulling away, and her mischievous smile grows — knowing exactly how much I want her right now.

  “Baby, what if we take a quick walk, and then head to the hotel?”I say.

  She nips at my lips, and I tighten my hold on her waist. Her mouth trails down, pressing soft kisses against my neck, and I lift her.

  “Not here,” I remind myself, lowering her again. I turn her around and wrap my arms around her from behind, trying to calm myself down — but completely incapable of letting her go now.