Caleb Sterling was the untamable bad boy of our vineyard town. And I was his shadow, his unlucky sidekick. He joyrode tractors; I took the blame. He stole wine; I did the time. I thought I could stay by his side forever, until he set his sights on Summer, the town sweetheart. He even begged me to help him win her over. Heartbroken, I agreed. After delivering ninety-nine love letters on his behalf, Summer packed her bag and looked at me with pity. "This is pointless. Let's run away together." Seven years later, inside a 7-Eleven in LA, Caleb—now a Hollywood A-lister—cornered Summer. "Where is my wifey? "Where the hell did you hide my wifey?" 1. My heart was in my throat. Caleb Sterling, the biggest star in Hollywood, was sitting right behind me. If he looked up, he would see me. I gripped the stepladder, stealing a glance backward. Luckily, he was getting chewed out. His agent tapped the table, frustration evident in his voice. "Caleb, I'm begging you. Just take the role!" Caleb pushed the script away, his face cold. "I don't do queer romance." The agent sighed. "What's wrong with the genre? It's huge right now! Director Miller's son is fighting for this role, and he doesn't even have a shot!" Caleb scoffed. "Let him have it." He took off his cap and mask, leaning back with that familiar, arrogant slouch. For a second, I was back in the vineyard. Eighteen-year-old Caleb stood before me, smiling that wicked smile, calling out, "Fisher." The argument behind me continued. I shook my head, not wanting to hear anymore. As I climbed down the ladder, the agent went silent, leaving only Caleb’s icy voice: "I'm not into guys. Stop disgusting me." My knees went weak. I almost slipped. So, that was still what he thought. I grabbed the ladder, ready to retreat to the stockroom, when my coworker walked in and shouted: "Hey Fisher! Shift change!" 2. The entire convenience store went dead silent. I didn't hesitate. I ducked into the back room. Hopefully, he didn't see me. Once my heart slowed down, I felt ridiculous. I was just a clerk at a gas station 7-Eleven. Why would he notice me? He was a star now. I felt a pang of jealousy. It had been seven years since Caleb and I parted ways. To say I hadn't fantasized about a reunion would be a lie. But not anymore. First, I was a nobody. Second, when I left home, I took his childhood crush with me. To this day, Summer and I were still roommates. If Caleb knew that, he'd probably want to kill me. He was petty, vengeful, and held a grudge like no one else. I didn't want to be tortured by him again. My phone buzzed in my pocket. "Fisher, did you stock the jalapeño sauce?" It was a text from Summer. My heart sank. Summer worked the front desk at the gym next door. She often came here for lunch. Before I could reply, I put on my mask and walked out. Caleb had sat up, his cap pulled low over his eyes. He didn't seem interested in anyone else. I reached the counter. My coworker looked at me, surprised. "You okay? You look pale." "Just a cold," I lied, coughing fakey. Summer was waving a packet of jalapeño sauce at me from the condiment station. "Found it! Hubby!" "If you're sick, go home and rest!" My coworker chuckled. "Fisher, you're a lucky guy. Your girlfriend is pretty and sweet." I waved my hand awkwardly and went to help Summer with her nachos. Summer had been the town beauty since we were kids. In LA, she was stunning. But beauty for a poor girl was a magnet for trouble. To avoid creeps, she used me as a shield. I was gay anyway. It didn't bother me. I handed her the nachos. "Make another order," my coworker said. "The customer in the seating area wants some." She pointed to the back, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "The guy in the hat... he looks like that actor, Caleb Sterling!" "The guy ordering must be his agent. Even he looks classy." Summer stood on her tiptoes, excited. "Tall and lean. He looks so gentle." I almost dropped the jalapeños into the cheese. Gentle? Caleb? God, Summer, you really forgot your roots! Caleb Sterling was the vineyard's resident tyrant. Joyriding tractors, stealing wine, skipping school. Because his family owned the biggest winery in the valley, no one dared to touch him. Whenever his grandfather, Old Man Sterling, caught wind of trouble, Caleb pinned it on me. Who asked me to be his unlucky sidekick? My parents worked for the Sterlings. We lived on their land. Ruining my reputation was a small price to pay for job security. Caleb never felt guilty. Instead, whenever he got hurt doing something stupid, I was the first person he called. He’d act pathetic, making me bandage him up and coax him to sleep. He hated mosquitoes, so he even stole my handmade lavender sachet. I sighed, my chest aching. "I've never seen a celebrity in real life," Summer said, staring. My coworker winked and handed her the tray. "Here's your chance to deliver it. You're welcome!" I panicked. I wanted to stop her, but it was too late. Summer was already walking over, tray in hand. 3. "Summer..." I followed nervously. "Fisher, relax," my coworker whispered. "It's just a delivery. Don't be jealous." "It's just nachos," I muttered, closing my eyes. I stopped at the end of the aisle. Summer had delivered the food. Caleb, mask still on, didn't look up. His attention was solely on the nachos. The agent rolled his eyes. "You skipped Director Miller's dinner for gas station nachos?" "Yeah. Not illegal, is it?" Caleb chuckled and pulled down his mask to eat. He was paler than before. His features were refined, softer. He looked genuinely sophisticated. Nothing like the hoodlum from the vineyard. I stared. Summer stared. "Hey, miss," the agent said. "Do you need something?" Summer snapped out of it, embarrassed. "Sorry." She turned to leave, but Caleb grabbed her wrist. "Wait." 4. He recognized us. Cold sweat trickled down my back. Before Caleb could speak, the agent hissed, "Don't grab people like that." Caleb ignored him, his grip tightening on Summer’s arm. "Since when does 7-Eleven serve nachos with this specific jalapeño blend?" He looked up, his eyes cold, staring straight at Summer. "Sorry, I... I must have grabbed the wrong sauce," Summer stammered, face red. Seeing things go south, I grabbed the other tray of nachos and rushed over. "Sorry, folks." I forced myself to walk up to the table. "She's just helping out. She's new." Summer looked at me, tears welling up. "Hubby, I'm sorry." "Am I going to get you fired?" Caleb froze. He let go of her hand instantly. I pulled Summer behind me, whispering that it was okay. "I told you not to grab people," the agent sighed. "Sorry about that, man." I nodded, just wanting to get Summer out of there. Summer played along, practically sprinting for the door. Just as I thought we were safe, a shadow loomed over me. Caleb had grabbed Summer again. His face was dark. "You have a husband?" Summer was confused but nodded firmly. Caleb went silent. A flicker of genuine sadness crossed his eyes. I looked down, my heart a mess. He recognized Summer instantly. After all these years, he still couldn't forget her. But the next second, Caleb roared: "Then where is Fisher?" Summer looked at me guiltily, then feigned ignorance. "You're hurting me!" "I don't know who you're talking about!" It was lunch rush. The store was filling up. The agent rushed over. "Caleb! What are you doing?!" "Let go of her!" Caleb ignored him. He didn't seem to hear anything. "Where is my wifey?" "Where the hell did you take my wifey?!" 5. Someone in the crowd recognized him. "Whoa! That's Caleb Sterling!" "What is he doing here?" "He looks way crazier in person!" Phones came out. Cameras were shoved in his face. The agent lost it. "No photos! No photos!" He covered Caleb’s mouth with one hand and dragged him toward the exit with the other. "It's a misunderstanding! No rumors!" The crowd dispersed, leaving Summer and me standing in the wreckage. "Damn," my coworker whispered. "Does Caleb really have a thing for your girl?" "Why did he call her his wife?" Summer rolled her eyes. "Because he's insane." "I'll get some ice," I said, looking at her red wrist. "He has a grip like a vice," my coworker noted. After icing her wrist, I took Summer to a nearby clinic. We didn't speak the whole way. At the clinic door, Summer stopped me. "Fisher," she said. "I think the person Caleb likes... is you."
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