“Of course. I love letting complete strangers into my personal life. Would you like to film me making love to my girlfriend too?” he joked.
The only thing I heard was that he had just called me his girlfriend. It was authentic, and I could tell it came from a good place; normally, I would have freaked out at any guy saying such a thing. But in this circumstance, with this man, I just threw my pretend camera away and leaned down and kissed Dean.
The passion between us was intense, and we made love for hours and hours, finally falling asleep in each other’s arms around two in the morning. I would have loved to stay up all night long with him, but I was exhausted, and as I curled up in his arms, I slept better that night than I had in the eight months prior.
My alarm started to blare on my phone at six the next morning; luckily, I had it set on there because I had totally forgotten to set a wake-up call with the hotel. Dean didn’t stir at all as I slipped out of bed and into the shower. I was tired, yet filled with energy all at the same time.
The vibrant emotions I felt around Dean gave me something to look forward to. I couldn’t wait to get done with work for the day and sit and talk with Dean again. I wanted to know everything about him and wanted him to know about me. I wasn’t thinking about what the public wanted or how my relationship would be perceived, all I was thinking about was how Dean made me feel.
When I was around Dean, I felt like a normal person again. No longer was I this robot reality star who was always thinking about the angel that was best for my brand. I was just me around him. It was a relief and something I felt excited about exploring more and more. Plus, it was an added bonus that both Dean and I had a contract with Instamatch.
We could occasionally post something about our dates, and we would both be making money from the deal. It seemed like a win-win situation for me. I was pretty sure my agent was going to be excited about the picture Dean and I had posted the night before also. Nothing could get in our way now; we might even end up being the next big power couple.
Power couples ruled Hollywood, and I’d be more than happy to set up such an arrangement with Dean.
“I’ll call you later,” I whispered as I kissed Dean before heading out to my shoot for the day.
“I’ve got a show tonight; come to the theater when you’re done?”
“Sure,” I said as I kissed him one last time and then headed out for my day.
I was on cloud nine as I stopped at the corner coffee shop and grabbed my drink and something to eat before heading out to the shoot. But as I looked at the tabloid paper, my heart sank, and then crumbled into a million pieces.
‘Hollywood Legend Dean Morrison is Slumming with Reality Star Angelina Kent,’ the headline read.
It was just a headline; I had read hundreds of bad ones in my lifetime, but it still hurt.
Chapter 9
Dean
“Hollywood legend Dean Morrison is slumming with reality star Angelina Kent,” Bella said as she read the latest tabloid headline to me over the phone.
“Ouch, why do they hate her so much? I thought they loved her?”
“It’s about selling papers, not about love or hate. They love to hate her because it helps them make money.”
“I should call her.” I winced as I thought about Angelina getting hurt feelings when she saw the story.
It was great that I had met Angelina through the app, but I didn’t want what we had going between us to turn into a circus. It was fun until the media turned on you and made a relationship more difficult than they already were.
“She’s the queen of reality television; I’m sure she understands none of it is real. But yes, you should give her a call and talk about it. I also think you should lay low with the social media posts with her in for a bit.”
“Oh, now you don’t want me to post?”
“Instamatch wanted you to sell the idea of online dating. I think it’s great that the two of you happened to meet, but I can see the public might think the relationship is contrived. There is a delicate balance to supporting a company through social media and just becoming their whore.”
“You think that the public is going to say we are just dating for publicity?” I asked in total shock.
“Yeah, I think they might.”
“I can’t win with this damn public. I didn’t want to post anything at all; Angelina was the one who wanted to post. Well, I wanted to get ahead of the paparazzi and take the fizzle out of their pictures, but I’m fine with not giving any more publicity to Instamatch.”
“She wanted to post?” Bella asked and then sat silent.
“Yeah, we were in the car. But it was my idea first. Don’t try twisting this all around, Bella. I thought you liked her?”
“She has really been trying to become a legitimate Hollywood celebrity. It wouldn’t be shocking if she attached herself to you in the hopes of getting a career boost.”
“I’m done with this conversation, Bella,” I said and then hung up the phone.
Angelina was certainly not using me to get famous; she was already more famous than I was, and it really pissed me off that my own agent would say such a thing. I saw the emotion in Angelina’s eyes and felt it in her touch; she wasn’t pretending. What was going on between the two of us was real. I’d felt what it was like when women pretend, and that wasn’t at all what it was like with Angelina.
I wasn’t ready for the kind of scrutiny our little social media post was putting on me. In a matter of days, I had gone from a relatively quiet life of a Broadway actor to now having to worry if my new female friend was using me. I had to worry how everyone perceived our relationship, and I had to worry about what hashtags I was using, and when I was going to give out details about my social life. This was all a lot harder to manage than I had expected it would be.
As much as I loved making movies, I hated the dirty side of Hollywood and fame. It seemed to be getting worse and worse each year. Angelina and I had met innocently enough over a dating app. It was a cute story and a genuine one, but I could already see what Bella was saying and how people were going to try and twist things around.
When I arrived at the theater, it was clear that the news was out. The back entrance was swarming with media, and there were two security guards standing behind a set of metal gates to keep the media from pushing too close to the door. Typically, the security guards didn’t have to come out until after the show when all the fans wanted autographs from the actors.
I smiled as I walked up to the entrance, and one of the guards noticed me and smiled back. He opened the gates and let me in near the back door while the other guard held off the paparazzi
“Is it true that you and Angelina are thinking of starting a family?” one of the paparazzi yelled.
“How do you feel about Angelina’s mother and the things she’s saying about you?” another yelled.
“Did Angelina consult you before starting her new film here in New York?” a third yelled out.
It was funny how predictable the paparazzi could be. They basically would say anything they could think of to try and get you to react so they could get that on photo or film. Truth didn’t matter to these people, only selling their tabloid magazines. The problem was, some mainstream organizations got hold of these stories and ran them sometimes; that was what I truly hated. Because a mainstream organization should actually check the facts of their stories before running them, and it was happening less and less in the celebrity business.
“So, things are going well with you?” Cat said as she greeted me at the back door.
“I bet Dale is really excited.” I laughed.
“Oh, yeah, he has been on the phone with merchandise people all morning trying to get additional items that can be sold by the gift shop for all the people who can’t get tickets to the show. I think he’s also looking to get an extension on the end date for a few more months. Basically, you’ve made him the happiest Broadway director ever.”
“An extension,”
I groaned. “No offense, but I was looking forward to a vacation.”
“Me too, but we can negotiate some seriously big contracts if an extension happens.” Cat smiled.
I knew an extension in our show was ideal for her. Cat was a Broadway actress, and this might turn out to be her big hit show, but I just didn’t want to do the show any longer. All I wanted was to get booked for a decent film again and relax. I might mess with directing a film myself in the future, but I certainly didn’t want to be on Broadway much longer.
“Those paparazzi were brutal this morning; I need to call Angelina and check in real quick. I’ll catch up with you later,” I said as I made an excuse to get away from her.
“Hey, it’s me,” I said when Angelina answered her phone right away.
“I know silly, that’s why I answered.”
“Sorry about the press. I’m sure they will turn on me next.” I laughed. “They have never really liked me all that much.”
“Oh, no worries. I know how horrible they are. How’s your day going?”
Angelina seemed very upbeat and not at all sad by the press from the day. It was a huge relief for me. It had really been bothering me to read what they were saying about her. Not once had I thought she was using me; it wasn’t at all the kind of woman she was. I already knew that.
“It’s just getting started, but it’s okay I guess. It’s nice when I only have one show for the day,” I said as I started to get ready.
“Still want to hang out after your show?” she asked with a little trepidation in her voice.
“Of course; just be careful. There were a ton of paparazzi here when I arrived.”
“I’ll be okay. I’ve been handling them for the last ten years. Don’t worry about me,” she added. “I’ll see you after your show. I’ve got to run. Bye.”
Angelina hung up, and I was left wondering what had just happened. She seemed to be taking all the news so well, much better than I was taking it. Was she really so used to the paparazzi nagging her that it didn’t bother her at all?
“How did it go?” Cat asked as we sat in our makeup chairs before the show.
“She was surprisingly upbeat.”
“She wasn’t worried about the press?”
“Nope, is that weird? That seems weird doesn’t it?”
“To be honest, her whole life seems really weird to me. I couldn’t imagine inviting camera crews into my house to watch me do the dishes or argue with my mother. I don’t know if what is normal to her is normal to the rest of the world.”
Cat was right; there was no way of knowing what was normal to Angelina. Neither of us had grown up on a reality television show. The paparazzi drove me crazy, but I also could get away from them very easily. I didn’t suspect Angelina had been able to avoid them much if her whole premise for becoming famous was by letting people into her personal family life. It was just a whole different world than what I used to.
“I’ll take her at her word that the press didn’t bother her. That’s all I can do, I guess. Are you ready for the show? It looks packed out there.”
“I am so ready,” Cat said as she smiled from ear to ear.
This was what she lived for. The excitement of the live show. The energy of having a packed house; I could see that she was really happy with the positive changes that my dating life had made for our show.
The show was amazing that night. The energy was huge, and it fed us actors; we thrived on it. Each scene was better and better, and we ended with a standing ovation. They were clapping for so long that we had to go back out there and take another bow; that was a first for all of us during this show.
When I walked back to my dressing room, I was pleasantly surprised to find Angelina sitting on the couch, her feet up as she took a selfie.
“Oh, God is that going online?” I laughed.
“Of course, but don’t worry, I’m not tagging you in this one. Unless you want me to?”
“We should probably talk about all of that. I’m really sorry about the press. I hate that they did such a hatchet job.”
“Come sit down with me Mister Dean Morrison.” Angelina smiled. “You know I do understand the difference between reality and illusions, right?”
“I know, but I just don’t like feeding into the celebrity frenzy.”
“Why?”
Her question caught me off guard. Why didn’t I like giving the gossip papers stuff to talk about? That seemed like a pretty straightforward answer; did she not understand where I was coming from with the press and my privacy? Maybe I had given her the wrong message because I had so willingly posted a picture and wanted to tag Instamatch.
To me, it was fine to post one picture and fulfill my obligation of endorsement. But I didn’t want to continue to post pictures purely for the shock value they would cause. That just wasn’t me. I had never fed into the craziness of the tabloids like that. I didn’t intend to start either.
“Why don’t I like giving the paparazzi something to talk about?” I asked to clarify.
“Yes, I mean it doesn’t hurt us to give them gossip to talk about. I think it’s more empowering to control the gossip like you said before. I thought we were on the same page here?”
“You’re right. I do want to have control, and I do have a contract now with Instamatch that I’m going to fulfill. I just don’t want to overexpose myself and put too much of my personal life out there. Do you know what I mean?”
“Yes, but do you know that my entire career is built on me putting everything out there? My fans are accustomed to knowing where I am almost all of the time. Do you understand where I’m coming from?” she asked as she grimaced and waited for my response.
“I do, and I appreciate that that is where you are coming from. I think we can find a happy medium. I don’t think this is an issue.”
“Well, good because it’s not an issue for me. I like you, Dean; I’d like to get to know you more. And just so you know, I don’t really care if the press knows that I like you,” she said as she stood up and pulled me to the couch with her.
“I don’t care if they know; I just don’t want to be too exposed. I don’t want people to think I’m only dating you because we both have a contract with Instamatch.”
“Ahh, so you don’t want people to think we are manipulating them?” she asked.
“Yes, exactly. Being exposed like that and having people judge me is something I haven’t adjusted to yet. You’ll need to ease me into it.”
The second I said exposed, I saw the mischievous look in Angelina’s eyes. Her hands slid down to my pants, and I felt her unzip me and pull me out as she stroked me while I finished my sentence. This girl was so much fun.
“I’d like you to be exposed,” she seductively said as her lips moved to my earlobe. “In fact, I think we should both be exposed.”
“You know that door isn’t locked right?” I said as I looked over at the door, and she glanced at it with me.
“It’s all fun and games until you’re actually exposed.” She giggled. “If you’re afraid, you can go close the door. I mean, you’ll have to take me off of you, walk all the way over there and lock the door, though. And that seems like a lot of work.”
“Who’s afraid? Not me,” I said as I grabbed her ass and pulled her body close to me. I was actually terrified someone was going to walk in, but I didn’t want to be that guy around Angelina.
Within a minute, we were naked, and I was thrusting into her. I held on tight to her body as her hips rocked back and forth. Without a doubt, I was going to make this thing work with Angelina. I was crazy about her. My hands electrified with energy as they moved over her body.
My lips pulled on her nipple as her body moved on top of me. The adrenaline from my show still moved through me egging me on and filling me with a lack of inhibition. I didn’t do things like this; I didn’t get all wrapped up in a girl and forget about myself like I was at that moment. But I didn’t care. I wanted to go outside my comfort zone. I wante
d to be there in that moment with Angelina.
“We should go back to my hotel,” she whispered as her hips moved harder against me.
“I think we should stay here.”
She didn’t respond, but instead continued thrusting on top of me until I couldn’t take it any longer and finally gave in to her body. My arms wrapped around her as her sweat clad body collapsed on me, and we stayed there in a loving embrace.
“You’re cold?” I asked as she started to shiver.
“I think so,” she murmured as she kept her head tucked into my neck and didn’t move.
I grabbed my jacket from the costume I wore in the play and placed it around her as we stayed cuddled on the couch. Not a minute had gone by when the door to my dressing room swung open and Dale was standing there.
“Dean, can you sign some photos …” he started to say and then trailed off as he took in the situations. “Oh, sorry, um … sorry,” he said and then backed out of the room.
“Yes, I’ll sign some photos tomorrow, Dale. Leave them at the merchandise shop, and I’ll come in early.” I laughed as Angelina looked at me, and we both started to shake our heads. “Now that was close.”
“I thought you weren’t afraid of being exposed,” Angelina said as she held back her laughter.
“I am afraid. I’m terrified. I was trying to be cool.”
“Aww. I still think you’re cool,” she said as her lips gently touched mine. “Tomorrow my mother is coming to visit with the camera crew and all that. They want to meet you. If you’re up for it.”
Wow, that was huge, and I definitely wasn’t up to it. I didn’t want anything to do with her family and their reality television show. I really didn’t do well meeting parents, and I hadn’t been asked to meet many parents in my lifetime. It seemed like a really bad idea to meet her mother for the first time while cameras were rolling.
“That’s really not my thing. I’d like to politely decline the offer.”
“Enough said; I totally understand. I won’t be able to hang out tomorrow then; I hope that’s alright. My mom will be here and some friends. They are going to film while I’m doing the movie and during my breaks, then out in the city afterward. It will be a long day.”
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