Date With A Rockstar by Sarah Gagnon Page A

a little bit of respect.”
    â€œShe’s agreed to be filmed.”
    â€œI doubt she agreed to have every guy in the world watch her undress.”
    The assistant holds his hand up for us to give him a minute as he opens his briefcase. I wonder if I actually did agree to that very thing.
    â€œCome on.” Jeremy turns his back to them and I stay in front of him, walking backward until my heels hit the cool water.
    â€œOh!” I freeze. “The water’s not warm.”
    He laughs at me. “Don’t worry. Your body will get used to the temperature.” I rub my hands over my goose bumps.
    â€œDid you think it would be like an indoor swim center?”
    I bite my lip. “I’m not sure what I expected.” I shiver and step quickly into deeper water. We face each other. My balance would be better if I walked the other way, but Jeremy would see my back. I stumble and he grabs my arm to support me.
    â€œThe waves will knock you around if you let them.” He keeps one hand on my arm to stabilize me.
    I’m up to my thighs in the cold water and the sand slips away under my feet. I stare down. My legs are obscured by the sediment I kick up as I try to move.
    â€œHey, focus on me.” He tilts my chin up. “You don’t have to look so scared. I’m not going to let you drown.”
    His fingers on my chin are gentle. Water weaves between my legs and I’m unsteady on my feet. He drops his hand away from my face, but continues to watch me.
    â€œThe sensation is so weird. The waves keep trying to push—” A wave cracks against my back and I’m flung forward, past Jeremy, and all of a sudden I’m underwater. I thrash back and forth, trying to find the bottom or the air—anything to figure out which way to push. I’m drowning. I’m sure of it. Then I feel Jeremy’s grip tight on my wrist, yanking me back up.
    â€œJust put your feet underneath you,” he’s saying. I cough and sputter. There’s sand in my mouth and I think my head hit the bottom. “Deep breath, you’re fine.”
    I do what he says and plant my feet on the ground. I pat my back. The mic is still attached. “I thought you said you weren’t going to let me drown!” I push the hair out of my eyes and cough out more sand. “You could’ve caught me.”
    â€œI tried, but you were pin-wheeling your arms all over the place, and then you just sat down.”
    â€œI didn’t do that.” I blink the water out of my eyes and glance down at my top to make sure the purple triangles are still in place. Then I’m laughing. “I just sat down?”
    â€œPretty much.”
    â€œThen how did I get sand in my mouth?”
    â€œI have no idea.” He takes my hand and pulls me to his side. “I think you’d better risk the camera and let me go first to protect you from the waves.” I hope the camera is far enough away to not have a clear shot of my back. If only my hair was four inches longer, my entire lower back would be covered. Jeremy takes my hand and kisses my knuckles. The gesture knocks the need for self-preservation right out of me and I follow along meekly.
    â€œIt’s easier once we’re past the wave breaking point,” he explains.
    I try to smile, but the deeper we get, the more my body tries to float away. The water laps at my neck by the time he finally stops.
    â€œMission accomplished.” Did I miss something? “They won’t be able to hear us now.” He touches my shoulder blade where the mic is submerged. “Water distorts the sound too much. This may be as much privacy as we’re getting today.”
    â€œOh.” What now? Should I tell him about Fluxem? If I want the sympathy vote, confessing that might do it. And ruin our date, too.
    â€œTell me something real, that you don’t want the world to know.”
    I gulp. This is it. Tell him. I swallow my