Chapter One

Walking through the park, I gently caress my sweater to my sun-kissed skin. Red, brown, and orange leaves cover the ground. A light breeze blows through the air causing me a slight chill. The smell of fall invades my senses. Closing my eyes, I imagine living here and being free of all my problems.

My best friend Kate lives here. I, on the other hand, live in Hollywood. Just thinking of going back home puts me in a foul mood.

I know as soon as my little vacation is over, I'll be back to photoshoots, runways, and of course, the dreaded paparazzi.

Setting on a park bench near a small pond, I take out my tuna sandwich. I break it in two and feed half of it to the ducks. I can hear my agent now scolding me, and she's so damn bossy. If she had it her way, I'd only be allowed water. I'm not big by all means, but I'm not considered skinny in my profession either. I'm about a size eight.

Photographers consider me a dream, with my jet black hair, piercing blue eyes, high cheekbones, and plump lips. Hell, most people think of me like a dream, except for myself, of course. In my eyes, I'm just plain Jane. Modeling was never a profession I'd ever seen myself in. It just fell into my lap. My parents sent me to America for a different purpose.

Some days I wish people would see me as average; other days, I'm happy for my fame. As of now, I'm just plain and straightforward Tati, having a walk in the park.

A young teenage girl comes running to me, jumping up and down with a pen and paper in her hand. "Hey! Oh, my gosh, are you Tatiana Moretti?

I Debate if I'm going to own up to my fame or tell her she's mistaken. If I do own up to it, I'll be busy with pictures and autographs. Even wearing a scarf on my head and glasses doesn't always disguise my identity. I wish for once that someone would love me for me and not my image.

Trying my best to hide my Italian accent, a dead giveaway, I say, "No, I'm sorry you must be mistaken."

Her excitement falters, a frown replacing the grin she was wearing."Oh! I'm sorry. It's just you look just like this famous model I idolize!"

I almost want to tell her I feel bad for lying, but even I need a break from the cameras and fame."That's okay, darling I get that all the time."

She walks away, leaving me back to my thoughts. Why did I choose here, besides for my friend? Well, this is a sore subject, but I need to vent. My last breakup broke me; no, like really shattered me. He was a famous movie star named Jackson Black. He was my dream guy, shaggy brown hair, beautiful emerald green eyes, and a strong jawline with just a hint of stubble.

We were Hollywood's power couple. The worst part, I was going to marry him. Well, that was until I saw the tabloids of him kissing my arch-rival. I didn't even bother calling him. Instead, I called up my best friend, Kate. Now! Here I am, hiding away from the world in the heart of Ohio.

I figured no one would notice me here. I was wrong. My phone begins to sing the song, call me maybe—the annoying sound blaring through the speaker. Speak of the devil himself; I swipe my screen, clicking Ignore. I'm not ready to hear his lame excuses, well, not today at least.

I haven't dared pick up a tabloid. I can already picture what the headlines would say. Heartbroken, Tatianna was running from her fiance or something stupid like that. I swear those people have no life.

My phone starts ringing again; I look at the Caller ID; thankfully, it's Kate. "Kate?"

The concern is evident in her voice."Hey Tati, what are you doing? I just got home from work, and you aren't here."

I feel bad for not leaving a note, but I had to get out of there for a while. It felt like the walls were closing in."I'm sorry, Katie Bug, I just needed a walk to clear my head."

"Well, okay, but will you please just stay away from the tabloids?"

Sighing, I shake my head in fury. "What kind of trash are they printing now?"

"Nothing you need to worry about; I'll see you when you get home. I'm making tacos."

Smiling, I say," My favorite!" Which means somethings up. My smile instantly fades into a frown.

" Gotta go; I'll see you soon!"

"What are you up to, Ka..." Before I can finish my sentence, the line goes dead.

She's up to something. I know it. I pack up the rest of my lunch and begin walking out of the park. I find myself on a sidewalk full of people, all hurrying along to get to wherever it is they're going to. Being pushed this way and that way, I disregard where I'm going. Just as the crowd is starting to scatter, I walk into what feels like a human brick wall, causing me to fall, my basket of food goes flying.

A frantic voice calls out, "Miss; Miss, are you alright?"

I rub the back of my head. For some reason, it's sore as hell. Ugh, where am I? Looking up to get my boundaries, beautiful light grey eyes are staring back at me. Worry lines litter his face. Blinking, I stare for a few minutes, more lost in him. I notice he has shaggy blonde hair and a five o clock shadow. He's wearing a grey suit with a red tie. He looks to be in his early thirties.

I feel my cheeks burning; I imagine they must be a dark shade of pink. Stumbling over my words, I finally say;

"Yeah, I'm okay."

He reaches for my hand to help me up. "I am so sorry."

After getting my grounding back, I say;" No need to be sorry it was my fault,"

He reaches out his hand to shake mine. "My name's Axon Blaze; it's lovely to meet you."

Smiling, I grasp his hand. Firmly, I shake it. "It's nice to meet you too, Axon, but I really must be going now. Thank you for helping me up!"

Rubbing the back of his head, he sheepishly smiles."Wait! Would you maybe help me pick out flowers? I have a blind date tonight. My friend's setting me up, I know incredibly unusual, but I have no idea what a woman would want. It's been a while. Look at me over here just rambling; I'm sorry, I'm just incredibly nervous." He rakes his hands in his hair, his eyes refusing to make contact with mine.

I feel my cheeks grinning from ear to ear as I say, "No need to be nervous; of course, I can help you. The names Tatianna by the way." Usually, I'm not the type to go by my real name, but he seems trustworthy for some reason. It doesn't seem like he even knows who I am. He must not follow the tabloids.

With a grin on his face, and a gleam in his eye, he says, "Thank you, Tatianna, I appreciate this!"

Walking into the floral shop, we look around. The store has a wide variety of flowers. I only recognize a few daffodils, lilies, and a display of white roses—my all-time favorite flower at the very front of the store.

Axon looks around at the flowers on display. "Well, what kind of flowers does a woman like?"

Walking over to the display at the front of the store, I pick up one long-stemmed white rose and put the flower to my nose to inhale its heavenly scent. "I like white roses."

He grins like a schoolboy who has just gotten an A on a math test. "Great, I'll get her a dozen white roses." He walks up to the counter and asks the older lady working the cash register to place his order. She gets to work on gathering the roses and wraps them in plastic. After five minutes, he has his order in hand. He walks towards me, pulls out one long-stemmed, white rose from the bouquet, and hands it to me. With a toothy grin, he says, "Thank you for helping me."

Reluctantly, I take the rose. I don't want him to get the wrong idea. "I guess I better get going; my friend is expecting me for dinner. It was nice meeting you, Axon."

His eyes meet mine, and he grins like a Cheshire cat."Nice meeting you too, Tatianna. Has anyone ever told you how pretty your name is?"

Laughing, I smile, showing off my perfectly white teeth. " No, I can't say they have."I can tell he's nervous. He's rubbing the back of his neck and awkwardly avoiding my gaze.

"Well, it is a beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

I feel my cheeks flush bright red. "Why, Mr. Blaze, are you flirting with me?"

His face turns a blotchy red. "Well, I..."

I wave my hand away to clear the air. "Think nothing of it! I really must be going now. Enjoy your date!" I walk away before he has a chance to respond. It's better this way. I just got over a breakup, and I don't want to complicate my life any more than it already is; that and his friend's hell-bent on him setting him up on a blind date. If Kate did something like that, I would probably disown her.

I continue walking down the sidewalk in the opposite direction from which I have come. The street is busy, and cars are flying by in both directions. I spot a farmers market in a small alleyway on the way home and decide to stop for fresh apples. It's a perfect day to make a homemade apple pie. It's been years since I've baked.

Going up and down the row of fruits and vegetables, I search for Golden Delicious. They're perfect, just the right amount of sweetness.

I see an older lady with greying hair and green eyes smiling at me. She looks to be the one in charge. "Excuse me, mam, I'd like to buy these." I hold up a sackful of apples

"Okay, dear, that will be four dollars."

Smiling, I take out my purse and pull out a ten-dollar bill, handing it to her over the table. "Here you are, please keep the change."

The woman smiles back graciously, and I take my apples, putting them in my basket, and begin my journey back to my friend's apartment.