Page 14 of Librarian for the Jock

Chapter Fourteen

CHET

It had been over two weeks now, and I was trying not to feel frustrated that we still hadn’t found our hidden treasure with Mr. Saavedra’s metal detector. We had searched Brad’s entire two-acre yard, the playground, and my grandparents’ yard. Getting into our childhood minds to figure out where we could have hidden our “treasure” was proving to be much harder than I expected. What in the world had we been thinking 20 years ago?

I strolled through the local market, basket in hand, still grappling with the mystery of the lost treasure. I was enjoying the simple pleasure of picking out fresh ingredients for dinner without the constant presence of men with cameras dissecting my every move. I’d recently read about the many health benefits of eating salmon at least twice a week–that it would be good for my heart, brain, and mental well-being–so I was eager to give a beginner’s salmon recipe with lemon and garlic a try.

Cooking for myself was a refreshing change from my usual life, typically filled with events and meals out. I was actually feeling a bit excited about it. It was like a science experiment—mixing the right amounts to get the perfect formula. If it turned out well, I might offer to cook dinner for Paige and her kids. I figured giving her a break from cooking for one night would be a nice gesture.

I was carefully selecting a bunch of ripe tomatoes for a side salad when I caught something strange out of the corner of my vision. A pair of eyes were peeking out from behind a tall stack of toilet paper. At first, I thought I was imagining things, but then the eyes blinked, and my heart sank a little as I realized who it was. James Baldwin, better known in the industry as “Rigs,” was a notorious paparazzo. He was young, flexible, quick, and infamous for hiding in the most unusual spots to get his shots.

“Not here, not now,” I muttered under my breath. Hawthorn Hideaway was supposed to be my escape, my sanctuary away from all the prying eyes. How in the world had Rigs tracked me down here?

I tried to stay cool, not wanting to draw attention to myself or to let Rigs know that I’d spotted him. I had to admit, the guy was good. Most people wouldn’t have noticed him, but I’d had plenty of practice.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of him, mostly hidden, balancing on one foot behind the quilted soft toilet tissues. He was trying to be stealthy but looked utterly ridiculous. The absurdity of it almost made me want to pose for a photo, just to give him a break—but why encourage him?

Pretending I hadn’t noticed him, I moved to the next aisle, hoping to lose him in the store somehow, though I knew that was probably impossible. As I passed the bakery section, I spotted an opportunity—a large display of oversized sun hats. Grinning to myself, I grabbed one of the most ridiculous ones, complete with a bright floral pattern, and put it on. Maybe this would throw him off a bit. At the very least, it would make for a fantastic headline.

I continued shopping, making my way toward the dairy section. As I glanced back, I saw Rigs trying to hide behind a stack of cereal boxes, still snapping away. I couldn’t help but shake my head at his persistence.

Then, inspiration struck. I headed over to the seafood counter, where Mr. Ramirez, the fishmonger, was arranging fresh catches of the day.

“Hey, Mr. Ramirez,” I greeted him with a grin. “Can you do me a favor?”

He looked up, a curious smile on his face. “Sure thing, Chet. Nice hat. What do you need?”

I leaned in slightly. “I’ve got a paparazzo on my tail. Think you could help me out with a little diversion?”

Mr. Ramirez’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Paparazzi? In this town? That’s a first. Absolutely. What do you have in mind?”

I quickly explained my plan, and Mr. Ramirez nodded enthusiastically. A moment later, he called out loudly, “Hey, Chet! You’ve gotta try this fresh calamari!”

I made my way over, putting on an exaggerated show of examining the seafood. Mr. Ramirez handed me a piece of calamari on a small plate. “Try this—it’s fresh off the boat this morning,” he said loudly, winking discreetly.

As I took a bite and made a show of enjoying it, Mr. Ramirez continued his performance. “You know, we’ve got some special cuts in the back that just came in. Why don’t you come take a look?”

I nodded, playing along. “Sounds great, Mr. Ramirez. Lead the way.”

Mr. Ramirez stepped out from behind the counter and gestured for me to follow. He led me through a narrow door behind the counter, and we quickly found ourselves in a small storage area. A huge freezer door stood in the back corner, and shelves lined with various seafood supplies surrounded us, the air thick with the scent of the ocean.

“This way,” Mr. Ramirez whispered, motioning toward another door at the far end of the room. We moved quickly and quietly, the urgency of the situation adding a sense of adventure to the whole thing.

We slipped through the second door into a dimly lit hallway, where Mr. Ramirez had already arranged for a cashier to meet me and assist with checking out my groceries. “This leads to a side exit,” Mr. Ramirez explained in a hushed tone before heading back to his responsibilities. “You should be able to get out without being seen.”

I clapped him on the shoulder, grateful for his help. “Thanks, Mr. Ramirez. I owe you one.”

“Anytime, Chet. Good luck out there,” he said with a grin.

Groceries and hat paid for, I made my way down the hallway and pushed open the door to the outside. Stepping into the bright sunlight, I sighed deeply in relief. I’d managed to outsmart Rigs—at least for now.

With my market haul in hand and a sense of triumph, I headed home, looking forward to a quiet evening cooking dinner without any more unexpected paparazzi encounters. A few minutes later, I found myself walking past the library. On a whim, I decided to stop. The library had become part of my daily routine since my first Sunday dinner with the McDermott family. It had been fun getting to know Paige and her kids, and I thought maybe they could help me come up with a plan to avoid Rigs. Plus, any excuse to see Paige was always welcome.

I looked around, making sure Rigs hadn’t caught up to me before going up the library steps. I pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside, the familiar scent of books immediately soothing my nerves. I spotted Paige behind the front desk, engrossed in her work. Her kids, Brandon and Jenny, were nearby, seemingly doing homework.

“Hey, Paige,” I called out softly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful ambiance.

She looked up, surprised but pleased to see me. “Chet! What brings you here with such a gorgeous hat and groceries?” She tilted her head, smiling wide as she observed my outfit and the bags I was carrying.

I had totally forgotten that I still had the ridiculous floral hat on, but I was more amused than embarrassed by the idea of Paige seeing me in it. “Actually, I could use some help,” I admitted, leaning casually against the desk. I was quite sure that my extremely attractive floral hat was working in my favor, but I tried to be serious. “I’ve got a bit of a situation with a paparazzo who’s been tailing me this morning. I thought maybe you and the kids could help me brainstorm a plan to avoid him so I can enjoy my stay here a little longer.”

Paige’s eyes widened with interest. “Paparazzi? In Hawthorn Hideaway? That’s unusual. Are you really that famous?” she teased.

I shook my head, my shoulders slumping a little. “Seriously, I really don’t know why I have a personal paparazzo. There are so many more interesting people to stalk in the world.”

Her whole demeanor softened, and a kindness entered her eyes. “Let’s see what we can come up with. Kids?”

Brandon and Jenny perked up at the mention of paparazzi, their curiosity piqued. They gathered around as Paige invited me to sit down in the reading area.

Jenny had a confused look on her face. “I heard paparazzi and then paparazzo. What’s the difference?”

I enjoyed watching Paige switch into teacher mode. “Great question, Jenny! ‘Paparazzi’ refers to photographers who follow celebrities to get photos of them, and it means there’s more than one. ‘Paparazzo’ is the masculine singular form of the word, and ‘paparazza’ is the feminine form. They’re Italian words.”

Jenny had an expression of wonder on her face. “Ooooh…”

“So, what’s the situation?” Brandon asked, clearly excited by something new and far less interested in his mother’s grammar lesson.

I explained the run-in I’d had with Rigs in the grocery store. I also told them about my experiences with Rigs in the past, detailing how he had hidden in ridiculous spots around the city, trying to get photos of me, and how he had been following me for years.

Jenny giggled. “It’s like an endless game of hide-and-seek—but with a camera!”

“Exactly! That’s a great way of putting it,” I said with a chuckle. “But it’s getting a bit tiresome, and I’d like to find a way to avoid him.”

Paige thought for a moment. “Well, one option could be to create some diversions around town. Maybe if Rigs thinks you’re in one place, when you’re actually somewhere else, he’ll get frustrated and give up when he can never find you.”

Brandon nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, we could use decoys. Like, we could all start wearing different outfits or using props to throw him off—a misinformation campaign!”

Jenny chimed in, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Yeah! Someone could pretend to be you. Someone who looks like you from a distance, like Uncle Brad. He would be perfect!” She then started laughing hysterically.

Paige smiled at her daughter’s suggestion. “That’s a good idea, Jenny. I’m positive your uncle would be thrilled with the idea—or at least thrilled by the notion that someone believes he and Chet currently have the same body. I’m thinking we can get some of the townspeople involved, make it a bit of a community effort to protect our local celebrity. I know many people from our community would gladly join in the fun to ‘protect’ you. We don’t get much excitement in Hawthorn, as you can imagine, and we want you to feel safe and comfortable here. Once I let April know, the whole town will be in on the plan.”

I was touched by their eagerness to help and the creative ideas they were coming up with. “Those are all great ideas. I like the decoy plan—getting Brad involved,” I chuckled to myself, “and I think having the townspeople involved could really throw Rigs off too. Mr. Ramirez was a huge help today and didn’t even bat an eye when I asked for his assistance. I’m pretty sure he enjoyed the subterfuge as much as I did, and I’m grateful to him.”

Jenny stood up then and started hopping from one foot to the other in sheer excitement. “I’ve got the best idea ever! Rigs is looking for you alone, right? Single, eligible bachelor, right?”

I was confused. “Yes…”

“What if we present you as part of a family? He might overlook you entirely because it’s not what he’s expecting.”

Brandon’s face lit up. “Holy smokes, Jenny, that is a brilliant idea! Rigs wouldn’t look for you as a dad with teenagers!”

Paige’s eyes widened with shock, probably thinking about what her role in all this meant. I was chuckling inside as I thought about the plan, knowing full well it wouldn’t fool Rigs—but loving the idea of feeling like a family with Paige and her kids. I raised an eyebrow, pretending to be intrigued, like I might need to be convinced, even though I was all in the second the words came out of Jenny’s mouth. “You mean, like, play the role of a family man?”

Jenny nodded eagerly. “Exactly. Spend time with us, blend in. We can do things together around town—picnics, walks in the park, things like that. It’ll make it harder for Rigs to single you out.”

Brandon grinned. “Yeah, we can be your cover. Rigs won’t know what hit him.”

I turned to Paige. “You okay with this idea?”

She opened her mouth and then closed it, speechless, while her kids answered for her. “Of course, she is! She loves helping people!”

Jenny clapped her hands in excitement. “Operation ‘Fool the Paparazzo’ is a go!”

We spent the next half hour hashing out the details, coming up with various scenarios and disguises. Brandon and Jenny’s enthusiasm was infectious, and I left the library feeling excited about the idea of spending more time with Paige and her family. I doubted we’d manage to outsmart Rigs, who knew exactly what I looked like and wouldn’t be fooled in such a small town, but I knew that this plan would make the rest of my time in Hawthorn Hideaway just wonderful, and I couldn’t help but feel excited.