Star-Struck, Book 1 Read Free Page A

balls Batman!
    “Oh. My. God! Did you just see that?! He totally just acknowledged me!” Her eyes were literally going to bug out of her head.
    “I told you!” Renee held her glass up to Sunny’s. “Cheers! I think this is about to become a really interesting night.”
    “Agreed!” Alyssa grinned at Sunny deviously.
    They all clinked their glasses together. Sunny tried to smile normally, but it was too late. Panic had set in. Luckily her skin was brown, because she was all kinds of flushed. Palms sweaty, heart pounding. She started up a mantra in her head. Please don’t let him talk to me. Please don’t let him talk to me!
    They walked back out to the patio and Sunny sat with her back to him. But she could swear that she could feel his eyes boring into the back of her head. Her hands were so shaky she could barely bring her glass up to her mouth.
    Alyssa eyed her curiously. “You should go over and talk to him.”
    “Ha! You’re fucking bat shit crazy, if you think I’m going over there!”
    Alyssa literally spit her vodka cranberry across the table laughing, narrowly missing everyone at the table. She grabbed some napkins to clean up the mess. “Well, with the way he keeps staring at you, it won’t be long before he comes over to talk to you.”
    “I need another beer. Or maybe something stronger. Too bad I hate hard liquor.” Time to make an exception.
     
    ~~~
     
    The situation was bringing back moments of being a majorly insecure teen. There was one moment in particular when Sunny was at a high school basketball game with some friends. They had all left their coats with a friend’s mom high up in the bleachers before the game had started, while they chose to sit in front, courtside. Sunny had wanted to go home early, but before she left she needed to get her coat from the upper level bleachers, where the crowd had grown to capacity. She had been frozen with fear at the thought of being called names and fat jokes thrown at her as she walked past. Her mom had come to pick her up and Sunny had run to the car crying and begging her mom to go in and get her coat for her. But her mother being in mixed-matched pajamas, never intending to get out of the car, told her she had to go in to get her coat. So once back inside, Sunny had taken a huge breath, put her head down and walked quickly to get her coat. No one had said anything to her, but the fear had made her irrational and nearly paralyzed. That same fear was making a guest appearance tonight, it would seem. Because why else would a guy like that stare at her for any reason, other than to make fun of her.
    So a few shots and two more beers later, Sunny was feeling A-Okay. Not drunk, but a slightly happy oblivious barrier had settled over her. He still hadn’t made a move from the corner that he was in with a couple of his buddies. But he hadn’t stopped staring either. At least, that’s what the girls kept telling Sunny. She hadn’t built up the courage to even look at him again. And fortunately she had talked the girls out of going to talk to him a hundred times in the last hour and a half.
    The girls went in to play more songs. And Sunny heard the first few beats of I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston, one of her favorite songs to sing and dance too. The girls came running out and pulled her out of her chair. Wrapped up in the joy of her jam, she let loose and danced and sang with all that she had, temporarily forgetting about Tall, Dark and Mysterious over in the corner.
    Sunny sang the last notes and swayed her hips as she did a last little turn that put her facing his table directly. Her heart stopped at the beautiful smile that spread across his full lips showing off perfectly straight bright pearly whites. This fool should be a Colgate model, if he isn’t already. This is California. With her heart pounding, all she could think was…run! She was in full chicken mode now.
    “Uh girls, I’ll be right back I have to go to the