Chapter 2

As soon as Gwen and Charlotte got their suitcases into their room at Stanford, they had a stream of girls dropping by. Most of them were clearly curious about their new celebrity neighbor. Introductions usually started with, “Hey, you’re Gwen Anderson! I’m Debbie. I love your videos, songs, and TV stuff. Can’t wait for your new movie! Is Steve Hammer as hot in real life as he is on TV? Will he be visiting you here a lot?”

Gwen always smiled and shook hands. “Yep, I’m Gwen Anderson. Just call me Gwen. Steve’s at the Naval Academy, so he won’t be around much. Actually, I’ll be gone a lot of weekends to see him. Nice to meet you!”

That first night, the girls from across the hall showed up with a bunch of pizzas, followed by pretty much every girl on the floor. “We brought pizza and soda. Mind if we crash your place for a little social dinner? We’re all super pumped to meet you and hang out. Having a celeb on our floor is wild! We’ve got a million questions, if you’re cool with that.”

Soon, the room was packed with girls sitting on beds, chairs, and the floor, munching on pizza and listening intently as Gwen answered their questions. She was in the middle of recounting the bombing in Sochi when her phone rang, playing ‘The Glory of Love’ as the ringtone. Without missing a beat, a petite girl named Cindy piped up, “That’s Steve Hammer’s ringtone, isn’t it? This is so awesome!”

“Hey Steve, yeah, we made it and got settled in fine. Charlotte and I are hanging out with a bunch of the other girls from the floor, having pizza and soda. Mind if I put you on speaker? They’re pretty curious about you and would love to hear from you,” Gwen said with a grin, switching her phone to speaker mode.

Steve managed a few words before he was bombarded with questions. He did his best to answer as many as he could politely. Then Cindy, the girl who seemed to speak for everyone, asked the big one. “So, Steve, I didn’t catch your phone number earlier. Could you repeat it?”

“I think I forgot to mention it. Ask Gwen after we hang up. She’s the only one who can give out my cell number to pretty girls. Helps me avoid making bad decisions,” Steve joked, causing laughter.

Seeing her battery was low, Gwen apologized to the girls and switched to a private conversation mode. She stepped into the bathroom, closed the door, and returned a minute later with a smile, plugging her phone in to charge.

“You made quite the impression today!” Dakota, a tall blonde girl, laughed. “Chatting with famous Gwen Anderson was cool, but talking to Steve Hammer? Unreal! We’ll be bending over backwards to stay on your good side. Think Steve might visit soon?”

“We’re thinking of riding Harleys up from L.A. over Labor Day weekend,” Gwen shared. “Charlotte, Jordan, and I have boyfriends who love those big bikes. Probably stay in L.A. Saturday night and hit the road early Sunday. Pacific coast drive is supposed to be amazing.”

“Wait, so Steve Hammer and Jordan Quick might both be here on Labor Day?” asked a quiet redhead whose name Gwen couldn’t recall. “I’m definitely sticking around for that. College is insane. Must’ve been wild having all three of you in the same high school class.”

“Oh, I could tell you stories about that,” Charlotte chimed in. “By the time they graduated, Gwen and Jordan were named the sexiest women alive by a couple of magazines. Wouldn’t be surprised if Steve gets crowned Sexiest Man Alive by ‘People’ next month. He’s got that title locked down for the next twenty years, I bet.”

Charlotte’s statement sparked a flurry of questions and interest. The girls wanted to know all about Charlotte’s relationship with Steve Hammer and any juicy details she might share. Just then, Gwen’s phone rang again. She casually picked it up, recognizing it wasn’t Steve’s ringtone, while the others leaned in to listen.

“Hey Jack! Great to hear from you,” Gwen greeted. “Yeah, I’m settling in here at Stanford. Saw the posters today; gonna try snagging tickets tomorrow. Sure, I’d love to sing with you again. Maybe ‘Glory of Love’? Thursday night works; I’m off to our movie premiere in New York Friday.”

“Was that Jack Timberline?” squealed the redhead after Gwen hung up. “He wants you to perform with him at his concert next week, right? Way better than a junior prom invite!”

“How’s Steve gonna feel about you hanging out with Jack Timberline?” Cindy asked. “My boyfriend would flip if I was around a guy known for being a ladies’ man. Not that I’d ever get the chance.”

“Steve knows it’s just a singing gig,” Gwen reassured the girls. “He’s not the jealous type, and I never give him a reason to worry. You all know how much I’m committed to Steve. I’d do anything for that guy!”

It was nearly midnight by the time Charlotte and Gwen finally got their guests to head out. “They seemed nice,” Charlotte remarked as they cleaned up the empty pizza boxes. “I just hope the novelty wears off soon. Thank goodness we’re in a girls’ dorm. If guys were around, they’d be all over Gwen, and we’d never get any peace.”

“If you sing at Timberline’s concert Thursday, you’ll miss Steve’s first football game against Ohio State on ESPN,” Charlotte pointed out.

“Yeah, I thought about that after I agreed,” Gwen admitted. “The concert should start early, around six since it’s a school night. It’ll be done by nine, and the game kicks off at eight, so I should catch most of it after the concert.”

“That sounds good, except the game kicks off at eight Eastern Time, which is five o’clock here,” Charlotte pointed out to her friend.

“Oh no! I promised Jack I’d sing with him. Could you record the game for me? I’ll watch it after the concert,” Gwen replied. “Steve mentioned he’s starting the season as the third-string quarterback and he’s the backup punter too. I didn’t even know he could kick that well. Not surprised though. I’m more surprised they have two guys ahead of Steve at quarterback—one’s a senior and the other’s a junior. Steve should get his shot in a year or two, if not sooner.”

“It seems like singing with Jack Timberline could get us some media exposure and generate interest in our movie. Being seen on stage with him will definitely help me get noticed,” Gwen added thoughtfully.