Mesmerized Read Online Free PDF Page A

better than ever before, better than the pictures in the tabloids and movie trailers. He is 6’3” with deeply tanned skin—like a real tan, not Hollywood orange glow from a bottle—deep green eyes, perfect white teeth, and thick dark hair that falls slightly into his face. He’s always been attractive to me, but this is on another level. I can tell he is trying to make himself look a little more anonymous with his faded looking baseball cap pulled down low to partially hide his face. He is wearing a nondescript hoodie and jeans—nothing that would draw attention to himself—but he is stunning nonetheless.
    “What are you doing here?” I ask.
    “Nice to see you too,” he says.
    I open my mouth to fire off some sort of sarcastic reply—as soon as I think of one—but he holds up a hand to stop me before I get the chance.
    “I probably should have called to give you a heads up that I’d be in town. I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.”
    Called? Since when does he call?
    “Great. Well, I guess now I know. Thanks for this,” I say, holding up my purse. I turn on my heel and stalk off in the other direction. I am getting out of here; groomsman or no groomsman, it’s time for me to go.
    Another group of passengers is filling up the room and I have to push my way through the crowd to get to the exit. My head is still spinning, but I figure I will sort it out on the long drive home, now that I will be alone.
    I almost make it to the door before I feel a hand on my shoulder. I spin around. “I have nothing to say to you, Brandon!”
    The hand belongs to a man I have never seen before. He appears to be in his late twenties and he looks really nervous.
    “I’m sorry, miss. I saw the sign. I’m Peter.” He lowers his hand to offer me a handshake.
    “Oh, I’m sorry. I uh…thought you were someone else.” I take his hand. ““
“
I’m Charity, Debbie McAdams’s daughter. She is helping coordinate the wedding.”
    He nods. “Nice to meet you. I really appreciate you coming to give me a lift. I told Joe I’d just get a cab, but they insisted on having someone come get me.”
    He offered to take a cab? I fight the urge to scream.
    I plaster on a smile. “It’s no trouble. Did you get all of your luggage?” 
    “Yeah, I’m all set.”
    I turn and start to lead the way back towards the doors but stop short when I see Brandon. He is standing to the left of the doors with his small suitcase. His arms are crossed and his eyes are locked on me.
    I take another step forward.
    “Charity, can we talk?” he asks.
    “Talk? About what?” I let out a hollow laugh at the idea of us being civil enough to share a newspaper right now, let alone carry on an entire conversation.
    “I don’t know. Seeing you here caught me off guard. Don’t you think maybe it means something?”
    “No, Brandon, I don’t. I’m not sure what Hollywood new age crap you’re into these days, but I don’t believe in signs. Meeting like this is nothing but an awful coincidence. It doesn’t mean anything.” I try to take a step forward but he moves to block the doors.
    “Please, Cherry, hear me out.”
    My heart flutters at the use of my old nickname. He was the only one who ever called me Cherry. I brace myself and try to fight the emotional swirl in my stomach.
    “I can’t. I have a long drive back to town, and I would like to get home sometime before midnight.”
    “Is there a problem here?” A voice chimes in from somewhere over my left shoulder.
    I glance back and see that Peter has taken a step closer to me.
    “Who’s this?” Brandon demands, as if he’s just now noticing that I am not alone.
    “My name is Peter McNamara. Charity is giving me a ride to town.”
    Brandon looks to me, as if to confirm the explanation.
    “Peter is one of the groomsmen for a wedding my mom is coordinating. We have a long drive ahead of us. If you really wanted to talk to me, you could have called or emailed or messaged me at any