“We did. I just didn’t realize how serious he was.”
“Jon has been talking to me about making this appointment since you moved here. I think he is pretty serious about it.”
“Wow, that long? I guess I need to talk to him.” She smiled uncomfortably at Leslie. She knew Jon talked to Leslie about almost everything, but she hoped their sex life was off limits. “You know too much,” she added.
“I think I know Jon better than he knows himself.”
“If that’s true, Leslie, then answer this: How badly does Jon want kids?”
“Well,” she paused as if considering whether she should extend her opinion or not, “I think, if Jon had his way, you two would be married by now and you’d already be pregnant.”
“Oh…” Sarah gulped.
“Sarah, you look a little green,” said Alli, and all of Sarah’s friends laughed.
“No…really…I’m all right. I’ve always known Jon wanted kids. I want kids.”
“You sound like you’re trying to convince yourself,” accused Jessica, and all of Sarah’s friends laughed again.
“I’m not. I love Jon. Of course we want kids,” declared Sarah.
“Jon will be ecstatic to hear that. I think he’s been afraid you two weren’t on the same page,” acknowledged Leslie.
Sarah gulped again and looked warily at her friends.
“Well, maybe not the exact same page,” Leslie chuckled.
“Don’t say anything. I’m ready, or I will be.”
“Damn…where is your backbone, Sarah?” questioned Megan.
“I told you she’s changed,” declared Alli to the group. “Sarah does everything Jon wants. She’s lost herself.” She turned to Sarah and asked, “What did he do with our friend? Tell us where she is?”
“Shut up. I haven’t changed. We want kids—both of us. What are we waiting for, anyway?” Sarah tried to convince her friends. “Jon’s babies will be adorable. A thousand women would kill to have Jon’s baby. Literally kill.”
“Yeah, like Mia Thompson,” commented Megan. The look on Sarah’s face must have revealed her thoughts because Megan apologized. “Sorry. Really I am. But I saw how she was eyeing Jon. She so wants him still.”
“So I’m not imagining it. Jon doesn’t see it, but she definitely wants him, right?” asked Sarah. Jon always denied that Mia still had feelings for him, but Sarah could tell. Mia wanted him back.
“She might have some strange media-oriented attachment to Jon, but Jon doesn’t feel anything for her,” added Leslie, and Sarah wondered if every thought in her head was visible on her face.
“Then why does he let her walk all over him? It’s like she’s got some kind of hold on him. He invited her to our wedding…Really, who does that?” she declared.
“Sarah, you don’t burn bridges. Hollywood is very incestuous. Jon may have to work with her again,” proclaimed Leslie.
“I would kill him if he ever accepted a role opposite Mia again. It’s bad enough they have a history together and a movie to immortalize it. There is no way I will ever let him do another movie with her.”
“That’s the Sarah I know and love,” declared Megan.
“Sarah, you don’t have to worry about Mia and Jon. You should have seen Jon when he got back from that first week in Minnesota with you. He was crazy in love—seriously crazy. He couldn’t stop talking about you. I remember Remi asked me to “misplace” his wallet and passport, just to keep him from flying to see you that next weekend. Don’t be jealous. He was never like that with Mia,” said Leslie. She turned to Sarah’s friends and added, “She was afraid he would run off and elope.”
“Why would she think that?” questioned Jessica.
“Because Jon kept telling everyone he was going to elope with Sarah,” declared Leslie. “Remember, Sam?”
“Yeah,” he admitted without adding to the discussion. He was always more cautious about sharing when Jon wasn’t around.
“He asked Sam to drive him cross-country because he couldn’t find his license,” Leslie admitted. “Sam finally talked him out of it. It took some convincing though. He found his IDs a few days before we left for Greece, and then he immediately flew up to see you. We were all afraid he would return married. I expected you to be on the plane to Greece with us at the very least,” confessed Leslie.
Sarah remembered back to Jon’s visit. She couldn’t forget the look of disappointment on Jon’s face when he found out she didn’t have a passport. Jon never mentioned eloping that weekend, and it surprised Sarah to hear this revelation. “I wish we had eloped. It would have been a lot easier than planning this wedding,” stated Sarah, laying her head on Jessica’s shoulder. Leslie’s words felt reassuring, and Sarah knew she just needed to forget about the psycho woman wanting her fiancé. Jon chose me, she reminded herself.
The car pulled up next to the famous Chinese theatre on Hollywood Boulevard so they could play tourists for lunch. The handprints from the Twilight and Harry Potter actors caught everyone’s attention right away, and they all crowded around to get pictures. They spent a half hour walking around putting their hands and feet in the cement prints of the movie stars. Sarah laughed at how giddy her friends were looking at the signatures and prints of the celebrities. She had never really connected before that this was the same way people felt about Jon. Even Leslie seemed to enjoy the childishness of their visit and admitted she had never played the tourist in Hollywood before today.
Sarah hadn’t forgotten about the constant observation she was under. She felt Sam’s eyes flick to her every few minutes. She knew he was trying to give her space without actually giving her space, and she realized he was close enough to hear her conversation, but he made it look like he wasn’t listening. She watched Sam scan the foreyard for “threats.” She followed his gaze. Near the theatre entrance, seven sightseers snapped pictures of each other in front of the displays. It was a big group, but they looked harmless. Against the far wall of the court, a young couple clung to each other as they looked around not completely interested in the exhibits. They were kissing now. Sam continued his search, but Sarah could tell he hadn’t ruled out the kissing twosome, because his eyes grazed them as he continued his search. A gray-haired couple chased two small boys back and forth through the center of the foreyard—not a threat. That’s when Sarah spotted them. Sam had seen them too, the group of five teenage girls with cell phones in their hands walking right for them. Sarah knew they were trouble because Sam shortened the gap between himself and Sarah’s group. He turned in his threatening way to face the teenage girls as they approached.
“You’re that bodyguard, aren’t you? Hey, Brea, it’s Jonathan Williams’s bodyguard.”
“Where is he? Is Jonathan here?” a blond girl squealed as the group encompassed Sam.
“I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else,” claimed Sam in his deep voice as his eyes skimmed over the tops of their heads. Sarah’s friends stopped and turned to see what was causing the commotion, but Sarah tried to get them to turn back around.
“We’re not mistaken. We know who you are. You’re always with him, on the red carpet, at the airport, even on set,” declared the blonde named Brea as she fiddled with her phone and held it up in front of her. She must have flashed a picture of Sam on her phone. “So…is he here?” The girls all smiled smugly and crossed their arms.
“Nope…It’s my day off.”
Sarah wasn’t going to interfere. Sam obviously had a plan.
As the girls turned and panned the area for Jonathan, one of the teens declared, “He’s got to be here somewhere.” Then they strolled confidently toward Sarah with Sam following.
“Sarah…Sarah…Where’s Jonathan? Is he here?” they called to her as if they were old friends.
“Oh, sorry, girls…he’s not with us today.”
“Aw…” they sulked.
“He’ll be so disappointed that he missed you,” claimed Sarah. “You’re real fans—I can tell—and he lo
ves his fans.” She wasn’t lying. Jon always said his fans were what kept him employed. He always made time for them.
“You’re so nice. I can see why Jonathan loves you,” declared a girl with a head full of dark braids. “The way he looks at you. Everyone can see how much he loves you. When he kissed you on the red carpet at the Academy Awards, I just about died.”
Sarah smiled.
“What’s it like to kiss him?” asked one of the blond girls.
“It’s great. He’s a really good kisser,” Sarah chuckled, and all of her friends started laughing.
“Hmmm…” a couple of the girls crooned at the same time.
“You’re so lucky,” gushed the brunette. “Can we see your ring?” she asked.
Sarah held out her hand as they swarmed to admire the ring. “It’s so beautiful,” proclaimed one of the blondes.
“We can’t wait until the wedding. It’s so exciting. I’m glad it’s you and not Mia Thompson. You’re much nicer,” said the other blonde.
“Yeah, she totally blew us off when we ran into her last year. She’s such a beeoch. I bet your dress will be gorgeous,” stated Brea. Then she turned, staring wide-eyed at Alli, and questioned, “Aren’t you the girl that was kissing Jake Gorboni last night in front of Club Priela?” She manipulated her phone again and flashed them a picture of the kiss.
Sarah and her friends stared at it a moment and then they all turned toward Alli, who admitted, “I guess that’s why my mom called…twenty-seven times in the last two hours. I had my phone on vibrate. Its battery finally died…I wasn’t going to answer it.”
Sarah turned to the teenage girls and stated, “It was so nice to meet you, but my friends and I have to go.” She turned to Brea and added, “If you write down your address and all your names, I’ll have Jon autograph five pictures, one for each of you, and I’ll mail them to you myself.” She smiled at them. She felt very comfortable with these girls, and for the first time, she realized why Jon loved his fans so much. It was as if her whole mindset changed. Sure they were pushy and nosy, but they seemed to truly care about Jon, totally vested in his happiness. They had opened their hearts and made him, made her, a part of their lives. No wonder Jon made his fans a priority. It wasn’t a show. Sarah finally understood.
The girl quickly jotted down the information on a small scrap of paper and handed it to Sarah. Sarah carefully tucked the paper into a zippered pocket in her purse. She didn’t want to lose it and disappoint the fans.
“Can we get a picture with you?” someone asked, and Sarah nodded.
After the photo, the girls said their good-byes and seemed truly sad their conversation had to end.
As Sarah and her friends made their way out onto Hollywood Boulevard, Jessica spoke up, “Wow, Sarah. When did you become such a politician? You were so good with them.”
“They were sweet, weren’t they?” she stated, feeling a sense of peace in understanding.
“Yeah, in a bratty, nosy, little sister sort of way,” admitted Megan.
They walked while glancing at the stars outlined in bronze that trailed the boulevard, until Sarah dragged her friends up the tall white steps and through the doors that led into another courtyard. She declared, “You have to see the white elephants. Jon took me here before we announced the engagement and we made it through without being recognized. It was so cool. It’s a must-see—very touristy.” As they gaped at the overwhelmingly white courtyard, they debated how to deal with Alli’s parents.
“I can call them if you want,” stated Sarah, feeling a little responsible for her problem.
“No…they are always overreacting. I want them to sweat a bit,” answered Alli.
“It’s up to you, but I’m sure your mom is just worried about you. She probably thinks you’re dead in a back alley somewhere, and you know she’s going to call Kate. My mom will be calling me any minute. They have their networks to get information.”
“Tell Kate I went home with Jake and you haven’t seen me since last night.”
“I’m not telling my mom that. She’d never believe that I let you do that,”
“You may as well have,” she admitted, looking up with a not-so-innocent expression.
“I knew it,” proclaimed Jessica, pointing her index finger at Alli.
“Tell me you wouldn’t, if Jeff wasn’t in the picture…Tell me you wouldn’t. He’s Jake Gorgeous-Body. And his body is gorgeous. All of it.” A huge smile took over Alli’s face. “Like I’m going to let that opportunity walk away without grabbing it.”
Jessica cleared her throat and turned to Megan. “And you?” she questioned. Megan shook her head, and Jessica asked, “Are you sure?”
Megan chuckled, “Yeah, I think I would remember. We just talked.”
“Sure you did,” proclaimed Alli sarcastically.
“OK…We didn’t just talk, but we didn’t…” she trailed off. Everyone looked at her doubtfully. “We didn’t.”
Then Sarah’s phone vibrated. She looked at it and laughed. “It’s Kate.” She slid her finger across the touch screen and said, “Hi, Mom.” She explained to Kate that Alli’s phone battery had died and they hadn’t checked the Internet this morning, because they had to get to the dress fitting. She asked her to call Alli’s mom for them and let her know that Alli was all right. Alli couldn’t call her right now, because they were in a very public place with lots of ears to overhear any phone conversations. It wouldn’t be a good idea for Alli to try to explain last night right now, but she would call her mom as soon as they got back to the house. Sarah thanked her mom for her help and got off the line. “I think Kate has it under control for now,” she said to her friends, as she tucked the phone back into her purse.
“I’m not calling them,” stated Alli.
Sarah rolled her eyes at Alli. She thought that postponing the conversation with Alli’s parents was a mistake, but they weren’t her parents, so how could she judge? She put her arm around Alli’s shoulder and said, “It will all work out. Let’s go shopping. Do you want affordable or ridiculously expensive? It’s your choice.”
“Ridiculously expensive, of course. We have affordable at home,” she answered.
“Unlike the rest of us, she has her mommy’s credit cards,” razzed Megan.
Leslie spoke up, “I know of a couple boutiques that we should visit before we head to Beverly Hills. It will be worth our time, I promise, and you’ll be able to afford the clothes.” They all agreed, and Sam called the car to come pick them up.
Chapter Six
Sarah
BY THE TIME they got back to the house, the girls were exhausted, and they all quickly collapsed with their hauls on the living room furniture. Sarah was elated that she was spending time with her friends. It was as if they had gone back in time. It had been so long. So much had happened in the last year, but today felt like no time had passed at all. They giggled as they kicked off their shoes. They were starving, but no one had enough energy to care.
Jon wove his fingers with Sarah’s as he sat down next to her. “What are your plans tonight?” he asked casually.
Sarah could tell he was fishing for information. She knew what he was thinking and placated him. “We’ll be here when you get back.” She smiled at him. He wrinkled his brow, and she added, “We’re too tired to go anywhere.” She didn’t want him to worry. Besides, they would be fine even if they went out.
***
Not long after Jon left, the girls started to get their second wind. They had spent an hour in the hot tub reminiscing about college parties, and then decided they either had to eat sandwiches or go out for some food. Sarah could tell the girls had already decided they wanted to go out. “Why don’t we just get dressed? I know this place we can go not too far from here.” She was nervous about going out at all. She had told Jon they would stay home. He would freak out if he came home and they weren’t there. But if they went somewhere close, they could be back before he ever found out they left. By the time they were
ready to go, it was nearly eight thirty, and Jon probably wouldn’t be home for two more hours. They could eat in that time.
The girls piled into the car, and Sarah backed it out of the garage, the new car smell filling her lungs. She really hadn’t had much chance to drive her car. She could count the times she had taken it out on one hand. Jon usually insisted that they take his SUV. It blended in with every other BMW, big and black with dark tinted windows, just like every other nonhybrid vehicle on the road. She stopped in the long drive before the gate and pushed the button to lower the roof. The air was refreshing. Jon never wanted the top down. He preferred his privacy. But why have a convertible if you’re not going to put the top down? Sarah pushed the remote for the gate, and the heavy metal door began to pull open. Cameras started clicking as she pulled out onto the street. She forgot about the paparazzi. There were only two, but still, they were there.
“Smile for the cameras, ladies.” All the girls smiled and waved, before they took off down the street and out of the neighborhood. So much for Jon not knowing. “I’m so tired of the vultures,” Sarah complained. “I don’t know how they get some of the information that they know. I swear there’s a spy in our house.”
“I think I would be completely creeped out if there were people stalking me all the time,” said Jessica. “I mean, this is fun for a weekend, but I can’t imagine dealing with it every time I went out.”
“You don’t seem to let it bother you, Sarah,” added Alli.
“Thanks. I’m trying. I don’t really have a choice.”
When they arrived at the restaurant, Sarah found a parking spot on the street. She put the top back up, before heading inside. The pub-like atmosphere was teaming with untapped energy, and they were seated in a booth across from the long wooden bar. She and Jon had been there a couple of times and no one had bothered them. The girls ordered, and had gotten their meal before they noticed the two cameras pressed up against the window, pointing right at them. Just as the paparazzi were discovered, two guys walked up to the table. They were decent looking and brought drinks. The short, blond surfer type asked, “We’re looking for some help with body shots at the back of the bar. Are you interested?”
Between the Lies (Between the Raindrops #2) Page 7