Free Typecast by Kim Carmichael

turned back toward the car.
    “What is it? Did you forget something?” Following her lead, he also looked at his car.
    “No, I wanted to ask you a question.” She let go of his hand.
    At her breaking contact, he stifled a frown. Minus one for her. “Until we decide our future together, I will refrain from answering any questions.” He held out his arm, wondering if she would redeem herself.
    Without hesitation, she looped her arm in his, but glanced back toward the valet station once more.
    Her gesture was a bit of recompense coupled with some fraction of a point off for her distraction. Still, he had to know what could be more fascinating than him. “What is it?”
    “I was wondering if you still had the BMW from the movie?”
    Though he was the only one she could ask that particular question, it was still an interview question. “The restaurant is just across the way.”
    “I’ve always loved this shopping center.” She motioned toward the huge fountain in the center. The outdoor mall located adjacent to the famous farmers’ market lent itself perfectly to the balmy Southern California nights. She made a noise as if she were going to say something more but stopped.
    He glanced over at her. With questions in her eyes, she bit down on her lower lip. No doubt she managed to restrain herself from mentioning the scene from the movie of them in an outdoor mall with the water fountains and stores and searched for any excuse to draw the parallels. He didn’t even bother telling her he remembered the scene. Maybe he never got the girl because he didn’t want one. How would he know if they wanted him or Steven?
    He guided Ivy around the fountain and through the crowd. Once upon a time, his appearance would have created an avalanche of people running in his direction. However, with the years passing, it happened less and less. At times, he missed it and understood how others in his position became obsessed with finding their way back into the spotlight.
    “Oh my God, it’s him!”
    He only flinched at the woman’s shrill voice because Ivy stopped and squeezed his arm. A quick scan landed his focus on a congregation of women charging his way.
    “It’s Steven!” the intruder yelled again.
    “Steven?”
    At Ivy’s whisper, chills coursed through him.
    The woman barreled forward, and he stiffened his spine. Steven slash Logan both played their roles. “Do you have a pen?” He held out his hand, wanting to prevent the great pen search most fans put him through.
    In record time, Ivy produced the requested writing implement as the woman and two others caught up to him.
    “I hate you.” The woman put her hands on her hips and lifted her chin toward him. “I can’t believe what you did to William and Roxanne, even poor Charles.”
    He opened his mouth expecting a comeback to materialize, but he couldn’t remember the last time someone yelled at him for being his character. Normally, they hated him for being him and even that didn’t happen too often anymore.
    “Excuse me, but you do understand that Steven is a fictional character?” Ivy snatched her pen back.
    “We were never given an explanation of why Steven drove away.” She glared at Ivy. “There was supposed to be a sequel, but he stopped that and we never got any answers.”
    Any retort he may have come up with disappeared with Ivy’s interjection, but he wouldn’t stand for the woman’s nasty look and opened his mouth to get rid of the battle-ax.
    “Do you know that as fact?” Ivy let go of his arm and moved in front of him.
    Unsure whose action shocked him more, he allowed her to take over.
    “Every report said it was his fault.” The woman motioned toward him.
    He crossed his arms. Thus far, Ivy had let the matter of the sequel lie, but no doubt with the crazy fan woman it would come up along with his arrest. Any hopes of whatever he hoped for with her faded away now that this woman made the topic bubble to the surface. They would be better