Chapter Thirteen

Eli laughed as he and Adeline finished the traditional chicken dance for the hundredth time that day. Whenever they ran into someone new, the request was always the same. Before they had time to protest, the spectator would find the song on their phone and record Eli and Adeline, then immediately post it on social media for the world to see. They seemed to think their request was original, and Eli didn’t have the heart to tell them the truth.

As they walked down a small path and away from the crowd that had gathered, Adeline wiped at a bead of sweat with the back of her hand. “We’ve been on every road this town has.”

With the exception of a small lunch at the bed and breakfast, they had been walking and dancing nonstop since that morning. The sun was now beginning to sink, and Eli had hopes that the temperature would drop with it. There was no need to wear coats with the chicken suits acting as furnaces for the pair.

Eli’s gaze took Adeline in. Her cheeks were flushed, but she radiated joy. It was obvious how much she loved her town and the people in it. And it seemed that maybe her feelings toward the chicken suit were softening as well. He wouldn’t admit it, but, despite the discomfort of the too-small costume, Eli hadn’t had this much fun in a long time. And he’d felt more like himself than he’d felt in a long time.

Which was a problem, because he wasn’t currently supposed to be himself.

“I’d say we’ve paid our dues,” he said, making sure his accent was in place. He could have fun, as long as he did it as Benjamin Lawrence. The accent was a much-needed physical reminder of it. “Mind if I treat you to dinner?”

Adeline laughed. “As…this?” She flapped her wings once, then groaned. “Oh, my arms are so sore.”

Eli grinned, then noted the burst of color that had splashed across the sky. “Technically, we only needed to wear the costumes until sunset. Is this late enough?”

Adeline turned her gaze in the same direction he had. “It’s good enough for me.” She paused, then gave him a side glance. “Do you want to get changed and meet me back here? All the restaurants close early, but I ate at Seaside Bay yesterday, and Erwin sent me home with more food than I know what to do with. It’s just sitting in my fridge, waiting to be eaten. And I know how you Brits like your fish and chips.”

Eli studied her, wondering if she was mocking him, but her smile was genuine. She was teasing him, but in a way that told him she was okay with him not being quite himself. And he felt that somehow she understood, even if she didn’t necessarily like it.

“All right. I can be back in twenty,” he said.

“You sure?” Adeline’s smile told him she knew something he didn’t. When she realized he wasn’t catching on, she pointed behind him. “Your trailer is a fifteen-minute walk that way.”

Oh. Right.

“Um…forty minutes, then.”

Adeline gave him a small wave, her eyes crinkled in amusement, as she walked away. And up a driveway. And into a house.

They had ended up right next to where Adeline lived.

Eli took in the small two-story home and the red front door. It fit Adeline’s personality. Not that he knew enough about her to make those kinds of assertions. But it seemed to be a mixture of traditional with just the right amount of bold flavor.

He walked back to his trailer as quickly as the tight costume would allow, anxious to get back to Adeline, but when he arrived, he saw that someone was waiting for him.

“Christopher,” he said, pulling out his key to unlock the door. “Everything all right?” Eli already knew why his friend was standing there, waiting for him. But he could pretend the contrary.

The director looked Eli up and down. “Really?”

Eli shrugged as he opened the door. “I lost a bet.”

“So I saw. So did the rest of the world. The internet has been crawling with images of you, from baking a wedding cake to dancing in that ridiculous getup of yours.”

That had been fast. It always was.

“I don’t have my phone, or the internet, at the moment.” Eli held the door open for Christopher. “This will have to be a quick visit. I have somewhere I need to be.”

Christopher leaned against the doorframe of the trailer, keeping the door from shutting. “It doesn’t have anything to do with a certain chocolate-shop owner, does it?”

“A man has got to eat,” Eli said, avoiding the question.

His friend didn’t give in to the distraction. “The gossip sites have managed to grab quite a few pictures of you two. And you look smitten in every one of them. Everyone is asking who the mysterious woman is.”

Eli snorted as he wiggled out of the chicken suit. “So, that’s what love looks like nowadays, huh? Doing the chicken dance?”

“It comes in all forms,” Christopher said, his expression still serious. “I need you…all of you…when we start filming this week. You’ve been through a lot in the past few months. I need to know if you can handle it.” He paused. “This type of publicity is not what we need—not right now, when you need people to take you seriously.”

Eli pulled on a pair of ratty jeans and his usual T-shirt and leather jacket. “Don’t worry, mate. I’m good.” He walked past Christopher and down the steps. “Stay as long you like. Just lock up when you’re finished,” he called over his shoulder.

Eli stood in front of Adeline’s door a minute longer than necessary. He was nervous. And trying to ignore the fact that Christopher was right. Eli really shouldn’t be there. But he had known he should keep his distance before he had challenged Adeline, and then spent a day as a chicken. And before he had agreed to dinner with her.

It took another moment for Eli to get up the courage to knock, but he couldn’t stand out there on her porch all night, hungry and cold. Without the chicken costume, he was susceptible to the chill sneaking up the sleeves of his jacket. He knocked, and Adeline immediately opened it, as if she’d been waiting by the door.

She had changed, and as lovely as she had been in the chicken outfit, she was now stunning. Her hair had been pulled up on top of her head, a few wisps escaping, and she wore a sleeveless red dress that had a thick black belt around the middle. It made him think of a young Mrs. Claus, though he doubted that was what Adeline had been going for.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi.”

An awkward pause.

“Can…I come in?” he finally asked.

Pink tinged Adeline’s cheeks. “Yes, of course. Sorry.” She opened the door wider, and he stepped past her. “Have a seat anywhere you’d like.”

He paused in the entryway, taking in her home. A Christmas tree stood in one corner but had yet to be decorated, with the rest of the room in a state of disarray. A dozen open boxes littered the room, a garland hanging from the one closest to him.

Eli scanned the room, searching for a place to sit, but boxes covered the couch as well as a couple of chairs that sat in the middle of the room. The chairs looked as if Adeline had used them to stand on to hang a few ornaments from the ceiling directly above them.

“Um…” He tried to come up with a polite way to tell her he was having trouble finding a spot.

Adeline must have realized his predicament, because her hand flew to her mouth as she took in the room. “I am so sorry. Maybe we should move on to the kitchen for dinner. I just finished getting it ready, and you’re probably starving.”

“Food sounds nice. It has been a long day,” Eli said, tiptoeing around a few scattered ornaments.

“I had plans to spend the day decorating,” Adeline said, “but then Davis showed up and—”

“You were planning on hiding out here all day?” Eli interrupted. The thought had never crossed his mind. It seemed like cheating.

“I…well…yes.” She seemed embarrassed by the admission, her gaze dropping to the boxes on the couch. “If you couldn’t tell, I’m not very good at losing.”

Eli followed Adeline into her small kitchen, where a couple of plates sat on a table, steaming fish and broccoli already arranged on each. He stood by one of the chairs, unsure if he should wait for her to sit first. He wasn’t used to being invited over for dinner.

Thankfully, Adeline took the lead and sat first, and Eli followed suit.

“Where are the chips?” he asked, teasing her. Or at least trying to. Except, Adeline raised an eyebrow, not seeming like she understood what he was talking about. “You promised me fish and chips. Or as you Americans call them, french fries.”

She released a small laugh. “Oh, that kind of chips. I wasn’t sure what to make of a man who would eat potato chips with his halibut.”

Eli placed a hand over his heart and dramatically gave her a wounded expression. “I would never.”

Her smile lit up the room and seemed to illuminate everything about her. It was nice, seeing someone so genuine. “Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t actually have the chips part. I’m trying to use the broccoli to counteract all the chocolate I eat.” Adeline gave another laugh as she took a bite of her fish. “Mmm. Even on the second day, it’s the best fish you’ll ever eat.” She chewed slowly and watched Eli, as if waiting for him to try it so she could see if his reaction would match hers.

Eli wasn’t comfortable with someone watching him eat, but he had a feeling she wasn’t going to look away until he’d at least tried the fish and agreed that it was the most delicious thing he’d ever eaten.

He obliged, and once he’d taken that first bite, he didn’t even need to act. The halibut was the most tender, flaky, flavorful fish he’d ever had. Eli enjoyed it so much, he couldn’t even say anything, just had to take another bite. And then another.

Adeline grinned and nodded in satisfaction, then worked on her own meal. He had apparently passed a test.

They quietly ate for another few minutes before Adeline broke the silence. “You really take this British bloke seriously, don’t you?”

A corner of his lips twitched up at her mock English accent. There was something about her that was just so endearing. So fresh. And Adeline seemed to do it effortlessly. He speared the last bite of broccoli onto his fork. “I have to.”

“So you’ve said. But you don’t think it’s a bit…excessive?” Adeline watched him, her gaze intense, like she really wanted to know the answer.

Eli pushed his empty plate away. He didn’t like where this conversation was going. She must have been able to tell she’d hit a nerve, because she immediately apologized for prying, and that made him feel even worse. It was a legitimate question. Because yes, he did feel it was excessive. And Eli didn’t enjoy it. But what choice did he have?

And that reminded him that he was getting into the danger zone here. Filming hadn’t even started, and he could already feel himself slipping. It had been a constant struggle, but now, it was getting even worse.

“I should probably get going,” he said, pushing his chair back and standing up. “We start filming early tomorrow.”

“I thought it wasn’t for a few more days.”

“Not at your place. Across town. Thank you for dinner, though.”

She gave a little nod, seeming disappointed by his sudden need to leave. “It was no trouble. I’ll walk you to the door.”

Eli followed Adeline into the living room, but he paused halfway across. Despite knowing what was good for him, he didn’t want to leave. Which made him wonder if he was currently more Benjamin than he’d realized. Eli was always the responsible one, going to bed early, being the first on set. It was Benjamin who went against what he knew was good for him, and with a chocolate-shop owner, no less. It was a comforting thought that Eli might not have slipped away from his character as he’d feared, but had instead embraced it.

He scanned the room, looking for a reason to stay, even though it was going to sound odd if he said he could stick around for a while longer, considering he had just said he needed to leave. As Eli took in his surroundings, though, it wasn’t difficult to find an excuse. “Do you need help?” he asked, just as she’d reached the front door.

Adeline had been moving to open it, and her hand retracted from the doorknob. “Help?” Her gaze travelled from the door to him, then back again. “To…open a door?”

Verbal communication wasn’t his strong suit. Heat moved up his neck. “No, I mean, you were obviously looking forward to decorating today, and I’d like to help you.”

“You…want to help me put up Christmas decorations?” she asked. Her eyes held guarded excitement. Like she hoped she’d understood correctly but was afraid she hadn’t.

Eli reached for the nearest box, which wasn’t difficult. He couldn’t walk more than a yard without stumbling over one. He pulled out a miniature Santa Claus and studied it, longing crashing over him. “I think the last time I put up decorations was when I was probably nine or ten years old, and I helped my mum decorate for the holidays. Once she passed away, dad was never interested.”

Adeline walked over and reached into a different box, pulling out a jumbled mess of lights. “Is that you speaking, or Benjamin?” She gave him a side glance, her gaze searching. Adeline wanted to know who she was speaking with. And Eli could tell she was hoping it was the real him.

Eli hesitated. Sure, he was speaking with Benjamin’s accent. But every word he had said just then was pure Eli. It shouldn’t have been, though. He was getting too comfortable.

When he didn’t answer right away, she turned back to the lights and focused her attention on untangling the mess.

“That looks like a two-person job,” he said, setting down his Santa and joining her.

Adeline’s hands stilled. “You’re always quick to offer help. But my question still stands. Is that you talking or…him.”

His stomach turned queasy. She wasn’t going to drop it. Even though it was a valid question, it was one he didn’t want to answer. “It’s…complicated.”

Adeline shook her head, as if she were just as frustrated, and conflicted, as he was. “Maybe this was a bad idea. Like you said, you have to be up early.”

Eli worked on the lights for a moment longer, not knowing how to respond to that.

Adeline was right, though. This had been a bad idea.