by Tracy Tegan
Eventually I heard Jennifer come in through the front door and ran to greet her.
“Tell me everything,” I insisted.
“I hope you aren’t mad at me,” she said with pleading eyes.
“Why would I be mad at you? You are a grown woman. You can do whatever you want to do with your life.”
“Yeah, yeah miss judgy. The words may come out of those cute little pouty lips of yours, but I know you better than that. In your mind you were so thinking what a stupid move I made last night.”
I laughed, but damn it, she was right. I did do just that. So I did the only thing I could, I gave her a huge hug.
“I love you Jennifer, like a sister. I don’t care what or who you do. Seriously. I just want to see you happy. Now tell me everything.”
“We really did just go back to his room to watch a movie. He was telling me about a movie he shot in Canada a few years back and I hadn’t seen it, so we went to his room to watch it.”
I gave her a skeptical look. “So you are going to tell me that you didn’t bang Ethan Clarke all night long? LIAR!”
She laughed. “We didn’t have sex last night. This morning however …” she trailed off.
“Oh my God! I knew it!” I couldn’t help but laugh. I totally knew she was going to sleep with him. I’m not stupid. Plus he’s hot and famous. I can’t blame the poor girl.
“So how was it? Was he like a total dud in bed or mind blowingly incredible?”
“He was great,” Jennifer said but I knew there was something she wasn’t telling me.
“Uh huh. And what are you not saying?”
She drug me into the living room and we flopped down on the couch.
“The whole night was magical. He held me in his arms as we watched the movie. We talked and laughed all night long. We really hit it off and then I go and do something stupid like sleep with him the next morning. What’s wrong with me Alison? Why do I always do stupid stuff like that?”
“Oh Jennifer sweetie, it’s going to be okay.” Even though I said the words, I knew it wasn’t okay and she did too. Men, rich or poor, famous or not, usually didn’t want a relationship with a girl that slept with them on the first date.
“What happened after? Was he a jerk to you?”
“Not at all. He was wonderful. He ordered us room service and he fed me breakfast in bed. Then he got ready and headed to the set while someone from the production company drove me home.”
He didn’t even see her home? What an ass. Of course I couldn’t say that to her. I knew she was hurting and it was my job as her best friend to be supportive, not make her feel worse.
“Want to join Grayson and I for lunch today? We are going to El Gallo.”
“Oh hell no,” Jennifer said emphatically.
“I’ll cancel then. We’ll do something together instead.”
“No you won’t Alison. Grayson is a nice guy. Don’t try and use me as your excuse not to see him.”
I sighed.
“You are right. Will you at least help me with my hair and makeup?”
Jennifer perked up. “Yes! Are you kidding me? Let’s go.”
I knew she would like that. She loves to do my hair and makeup and I almost never let her. After showing Jennifer what I had picked out to wear for our lunch date, she surprisingly approved and then got to work on fixing the rest of me.
Just as she finished the doorbell rang. I looked at my watch, he was a little early. Jennifer ran to the front door to greet him with a big hug. That’s so like her. She’s just so personable. How can anyone not love her to death? Ethan was an idiot if he let her get away.
When we got to the restaurant we were seated at a table in the small room in the back of the restaurant. I only hoped that was far enough out of the way that even if he was recognized, we wouldn’t cause a scene.
I don’t know what I was thinking inviting a movie star to eat out in public. We barely got seated before the restaurant was abuzz and by the time we got to place our order, large crowds started to form outside.
Before long Grayson’s bodyguard appeared. He didn’t say a word, but then again he didn’t have to. I knew what it meant. Grayson grabbed my hand and squeezed it.
“I’m sorry Grayson. I didn’t think about …”
“It’s okay, I knew better. I shouldn’t have tried.”
Even though we didn’t get to eat anything more than chips and salsa, Grayson pulled out his wallet and put a handful of bills on the table as we were ushered out the door by his bodyguard. We barely made it to the car that was pulled up front, just feet away from the door.
The crowd was thick, girls were screaming and trying to pull at him as we walked by. It was a nightmare. I was scared, even with a big bodyguard in tow. It was horrible and something Grayson had to put up with every single day.
“Well that was an unmitigated disaster,” I said solemnly.
“Are you okay?” He asked.
“Yeah. Are you?”
“Of course. I’m used to this. I just hope it didn’t freak you out to much.”
I gave him a weak smile. “So now what do we do?”
“How about we go back to my hotel and order some room service?”
I gave him a weary look.
He put his hands up, feigning innocence. “Hey, nothing like that. Just lunch. I promise.”
“Alright, that’s probably for the best,” I conceded.
He texted furiously for a few moments and then we enjoyed the ride back to his hotel making small talk. When we got there I was relieved there weren’t any crowds waiting for us. We walked in like any other couple staying there and made our way up to his suite.
Inside we found our food was waiting for us. He must have texted his assistant to order a huge spread of all sorts of different Mexican food, including my favorite, chicken fajitas.
After lunch he gave me a tour of his hotel suite which had floor to ceiling windows that offered a sweeping view of downtown Houston. The suite had antique furnishings, with beautiful chandeliers that looked like they might have once belonged in a castle. There was only one bedroom but the suite as a whole was huge.
“I have to ask. How big is this place? I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I think someone said just over nineteen hundred square feet,” Grayson said casually, as if staying in a hotel room bigger than my entire house was no big deal.
He walked over to the wet bar. “Would you like a drink?”
“No thank you. Don’t you have to get back to work soon?”
“Sure, but just because I can’t drink doesn’t mean you can’t have one.”
“Thanks but I think I’ll pass. It’s too early in the day to start hitting the bottle,” I said playfully.
“Does this suite take up the whole twentieth floor?”
“No. This is the Presidential Suite South, Ethan is next door in the Presidential Suite North.”
“Does the entire cast of Same as it Never Was stay here at the Four Seasons?”
“Some of the cast and crew are here, and some stay at various other hotels around town. I don’t know how they work that out to be honest. All I know is that they tend to keep the female cast away from the male cast.”
“Less drama that way I suppose?”
“They sure hope so.”
“They put the entire cast and crew up in hotels for months? That has to be expensive.”
“No. The production company comes out ahead of time and tries to hire a lot of the crew locally, if they can. So those who live in Houston don’t need hotel rooms or apartments.”
“Some of the crew stay in apartments, like regular old apartments?”
“Yes. The lower you are on the totem pole the less luxurious your accommodations get. Some of the entry level staff that travel with the production company will often share an apartment, which is a lot cheaper than renting each of them a hotel room for an extended period of time.”
“I guess that makes sense. The whole
process of making movies is just fascinating to me.”
“If you are fascinated by apartments, you’ll love my stories of the catering crew and key grips.”
I giggled and followed him over to the couch where we sat down next to each other.
“What I want to know, Miss Alison, is about you.”
“Oh please. My life is so boring compared to yours. I’m sure there isn’t much that you would want to know.”
He looked at me like I had grown a second head. “Are you serious Alison? Everything about you interests me from what you eat for breakfast to what time you go to bed at night and everything in between.”
“I’m absolutely sure nothing like that would be of real interest to you,” I said shyly.
“Please Alison. Tell me about your day. I really want to know. Like today, what did you do?”
“I woke up, went for a run and ran into a movie star who was being mobbed by a bunch of screaming girls. You know, just your typical day for a typical college girl on the U of H campus.”
Before I could say anything else he raised his hand and ran it softly down my cheek and then leaned in and kissed me. I knew he was going to do it, and I was helpless to stop him. I wanted him to kiss me but I also didn’t. I was scared he wanted more.
As he kissed me, I felt like I was floating. I threaded my fingers through his hair as he deepened the kiss. Before things got too heated though he pulled away.
What am I doing? I’m alone with a man in his hotel room making out. This is ridiculous. I have to get out of here or at the very least let him know that I’m a virgin and I’m not ready to move forward with our relationship, at least not in that way.
He leaned in and touched my forehead with his. “I’m sorry. I told you I wanted you to come up to my room for lunch only and now here I am trying to take advantage of you.”
I pulled back to face him. “It’s probably about time we headed back now anyway,” I said delicately. “I don’t want you to be late getting back to work after lunch. Everyone will think I’m a bad influence on you.”
He laughed.
“Okay, then let’s head out.”
We walked hand-in-hand to the elevator, through the lobby and to the limo that was awaiting our arrival out front of the hotel. I loved the feel of my hand in his.
When we got back to my house he walked me to my door like a gentleman, kissed me on the cheek and said goodbye. With the door closed behind me, I closed my eyes and thought about that kiss back in his hotel room. But before I knew it there was a knock on the door.
I opened it, wondering who it could be. I just got home, I couldn’t have been home for more than a minute.
It was Grayson. He growled and stepped towards me and before I knew what was going on he leaned in and kissed me. His dark stubble rubbed my jaw raw as he took my mouth in a long, deep, claiming kiss. I melted in his arms and let him continue to devour me.
As he pulled back he put his hands up to touch my face.
“You are driving me crazy,” he said seductively. “How do you expect me to be able to go back to work now and remember my lines when all I can think about is you?”
I just smiled.
“Kiss me, Alison,” he whispered. I knew it was a bad idea to kiss him again, but I couldn’t deny his request. My heart sped up as I leaned in, closer to him and licked his bottom lip. His breath, hot and quick, dusted over my swollen lips. The kiss was tentative at first, slow and gentle.
A low groan vibrated against my lips. “You are going to miss me when I’m gone, admit it,” he commanded. I panted softly, my eyes still closed.
“Yes,” I sighed in surrender. “I’m going to miss you too, Grayson.”
His arms came around my waist, while my fingers found their way under his shirt and snaked up his chest, which made him shudder against me. He leaned in for another kiss and as his tongue slipped between my lips he groaned my name into my mouth.
Chapter Five
When he left to go back to the set, I knew I was in trouble. We had too much heat between us. I had to have the talk with him soon.
Then again, he leaves in one day, to go back to his home in Los Angeles. Will I even see him again before then? Will I ever see him again after then? Does he expect me to sleep with him before he leaves Houston?
I went to find Jennifer, but she wasn't home. I didn't think she had any classes on Thursday, so I wasn't sure where she had gotten off to. I texted her, no response. Interesting, I wonder where in the world she was that she wouldn't have her phone with her? That's not like her.
I decided to call my sister instead. I needed some advice, and Andrea was the most logical person I knew. I grabbed a bottle of water and sat down on the couch to get comfortable, knowing this would be a long conversation.
“Grayson Chase. Seriously?” She said as if in shock.
“Yes Andrea. Grayson Chase.”
“Have you ever even seen a single one of his movies?”
I was about to answer when she cut me off. "And no, his Disney movies when you were like ten don't count."
"Okay, so I'm not a big movie buff. That doesn't mean we don't have other things in common."
"Hmmm," she said. In the background, I could hear her tapping her pen. That can't be good.
"You know sis, this is a tough one," she admitted. "On one hand, it's cool to be able to say my sister is dating Grayson Chase."
“But?” I prodded.
She sighed. "But on the other hand, he is Grayson Chase, one of the most famous people in the world. He's well known for his philandering Alison. Do you really think he's going to settle down with some random girl he met in Texas while filming his latest movie? It's not like you even live anywhere near each other to give a serious go of it."
My sister was right. That was exactly why I didn't want to go out with him in the first place. We lived far away from each other to have anything serious and even worse, he probably met girls on the set of all the movies he worked on.
"My advice is that you enjoy it while it lasts but be honest and upfront with him. Let him know that you aren't looking for things to go too far but while he's in town, if he wants a friend, you are the one to call."
“He’s only going to be in town for another twenty-four hours Andrea. His last day of shooting is tomorrow, and then he said he has to head right back to LA."
“Well, there you have it. Just avoid him for the next twenty-four hours and be done with it.”
She was right. My perfectly logical sister knew what was best. She always did. She was the smart one after all. So why was my heart telling me to ignore everything she said and do just the opposite?
I don’t know if he’ll even call me tonight. For all I know he’ll … My thoughts were interrupted by a beep on my cell phone. It was Grayson.
“I’ll be done here in a few hours. Can you come over tonight for dinner and a movie?”
"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Grayson."
“What if I promise to be a good boy?”
“What makes you think I believe you’re capable of that?”
“Okay, fair enough,” he responded. “But I’m serious. I promise to be the perfect gentleman tonight.”
I didn't text back that time. I was still thinking about what to say when his next text came in.
“Pick you up in two hours?”
“Okay Grayson, you win. See you then.”
Since I had some time, I decided to finish my laundry and get some studying done. I got so caught up in what I was doing; the time passed quickly, and before I knew it, there was a knock at my door.
Jennifer still wasn't home yet, and she hadn't responded to my text messages. That's what was on my mind when I answered the door to find Grayson's bodyguard standing there on my front porch.
"Hello, Miss Alison. Grayson sent me to fetch you."
Fetch me? Seriously? How romantic. I inwardly rolled my eyes.
“Is everything okay?”
"Yes, ma'am. He
's just working a little later than expected and he didn't want you to think he forgot about you."
“He could have just texted,” I said good-humoredly as I walked outside, shutting the door behind me.
“Yes ma’am, well, my instructions were to come get you and bring you back to the set.”
He opened the limo door for me, and after I got in the back of the car, we were off.
When I got to the set, I was ushered to where they were filming a scene between Grayson and some girl. She looked familiar, but I couldn't place her name at the moment. Then as he leaned in and kissed her, it came to me. Grayson was kissing Ava Bailey.
She pulled away from him, opening her eyes and trying to catch her breath. “We have to talk,” Ava said. “I need you to understand.”
“My room?” Grayson asked her in a husky voice.
“Please,” she begged, her breath hitching.
Holy hell, they were good. If I didn't know better, I would swear they were about to get it on.
“Cut,” someone yelled. “Okay boys and girls, that’s a wrap. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”
People from all over suddenly flooded the stage that was setup and surrounded the two actors, fawning all over them.
Grayson caught sight of me and rushed over, picking my feet up off the ground as he gave me a big bear hug.
“You came.”
"Of course, I did. You didn't give me much choice," I teased.
He sat me back down on the ground, letting me stand on my own two feet, but not moving too far away from me.
“I’m sorry I had to have Jax pick you up. I just didn't know how much longer this was going to take. We had to do a few reshoots today, and I couldn't wait a minute longer to see you."
He pulled me in for another hug, and I dropped my cheek to his chest, as he tightened his arms around me.
“I can’t believe this is all over in less than twenty-four hours,” I said softly.
“I know. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you. Sure I can’t convince you to come back to LA with me?”
I took a step back and giggled. "You know I have classes, and soon it will be time for finals, then graduation."