“Jon’s got them all in stitches. He’s so good with a crowd.”
“What did you decide at Dr. Johanna’s office? You’re going to wait, aren’t you?” Her mother ignored her comment.
“Mom, you just say that because you don’t want to be a grandma in your forties.” She spun around and kissed her mom on the cheek.
“Shhh. I’m still thirty-nine.” She winked at Sarah and added, “I just want you to think it through before you start a family.”
“I know, but it’s my and Jon’s decision, and we haven’t even talked about it.”
“Just be smart, Sarah. You’ve known Jonathan for less than a year. Children complicate a marriage. You can’t take them back. Once they are here, they are here forever.”
Whoa. Was she really implying that they shouldn’t have children because their marriage might not last? Sarah thought her parents were finally over believing that being with Jon wasn’t just a childish whim. It almost made her want to pull Jon into the other room and start a family right now just to spite her mother. Sarah took a deep breath as she shook her head in disbelief.
She pulled a loaf of garlic bread out of the oven and dumped it into the empty basket, avoiding looking at her mother. “They’re probably out of bread. I better get this out to the table.” She crumpled the foil that had covered the bread into a ball and tossed it in the trash without another word before carrying the basket out of the room.
She smiled when Jon’s eyes met hers. She couldn’t share the conversation she just had. It would crush him. He thought her parents were finally accepting him. What was their problem? Was it so hard to believe that a guy like Jonathan would want to marry her? She wondered if her parents believed, like the rest of the world, that he would end up with Mia. Maybe she was the only one delusional enough to believe in fairytales.
***
The rest of the week sped by in a blur. Sarah spent a couple of days sharing her favorite places in the Twin Cities with Jon. And even though they had two security men with them, Sarah felt as if she and Jon were on a date. No one even approached them at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, or when they walked around Lake Calhoun. It was as if they were normal. Or maybe it was just that no one expected them to be there.
That was until graduation day. For some reason, on graduation day, the press was out in full force. Luckily Jon had a plan.
“So which one of you wants to graduate from college?” Jon glanced back and forth between Craig and Raul.
“We already have college degrees. You’re the only one in this room without a degree, Jon.” Raul’s smile warmed the room as Craig and Sam laughed.
“Wrong question. Who wants to graduate tomorrow with Sarah and me?”
“Ohhh.” Raul rolled his tongue like a purr in understanding. Sarah had a hard enough time figuring out how he rolled his r’s—h’s were beyond human capability. “You want to know who is going on the suicide mission with you on the floor of the auditorium in a graduation gown.”
Jon nodded.
“I’m in,” Raul spoke without even looking to Craig. Sarah knew Raul was better at reading people’s body language and facial expressions, while Craig was better at the technical aspect of the job. Craig would never volunteer to be thrown into the mosh pit and Raul enjoyed it.
“I don’t need a babysitter. Seriously, I’m not going to get stabbed or abducted on the floor of Mariucci Arena.”
“Sarah,” Jon said her name as if she was missing the point, “this may be my only chance to graduate from college. Are you going to deny me this opportunity because you think I’m being overprotective? Maybe I just want to wear the hat and gown.”
Sarah laughed at the eloquent expression on his face. “Fine.”
They arrived at the arena, avoiding the news trucks in the parking lot, and were, for the most part, unnoticed. Jon, Sarah, and Raul wore the graduation gowns that Sarah had picked up at the university’s bookstore the previous week. She had ordered hers, but the other two came off the shelf labeled: Hey, Stupid. You Forgot to Order Your Gown. You’re Welcome! The sign made Sarah chuckle. She was lucky that there were any extras left so close to graduation weekend.
She knew about Jon’s plan to participate in the ceremony with her when she picked up the gowns. It would be a lot more fun having Jon next to her than a bunch of strangers. It’d be a riot, like when he showed up at the concert and revealed his true identity to her. But she hadn’t realized Jon’s strategy was to protect Sarah at all costs until Raul called it a suicide mission. Now, as they filled out the name cards that they would hand to the announcer on stage, she wondered if it was the smartest idea. She took a deep breath and glanced over at Jon. Her life would never be dull with him. That was for sure. For as much as he played it cautiously with the press, every once in a while, he would completely jump off the edge—like today.
She could see people doing a double take when they saw her and Jon, but no one approached except a few people she knew—mostly acquaintances, but a few friends. They posed for pictures together like everyone else in the crowd—Jon at her side. He actually looked as if he was enjoying it. Sarah’s best friends weren’t at her ceremony. Jessica had already had hers, while Megan and Alli would be in the afternoon ceremony. Sarah’s parents and her grandmother were up in the stands with Sam watching. She was only allotted the standard five tickets for audience members, and Jeff had declined since he had already sat through Jessica’s.
The speeches weren’t as boring as Jeff had made them out to be. Maybe the school of liberal arts had better speakers. The monotonous part was waiting to walk across the stage to receive the case for her diploma. The actual document came in the mail after the grades were finalized and all the bills were paid. When the time came and their row stood to follow the line, Jon grabbed her waist, pulling her against him, and whispered in her ear, “I am so proud of you, Sarah Isabella Austin.” Kissing her softly on the ear, he released her just as the line began to move.
At the front of the arena, Sarah handed the card with her name written on it to the woman with the mic and after her name was called, she walked across the stage shaking hands with a couple faculty members she didn’t know. Then she moved her tassel and posed for a picture before returning to her seat.
That was all?
Sarah hadn’t even heard Jon’s name announced. He had used the fictitious name of the character she had written for him in her screenplay assignment for school, just in case there was some law forbidding the crashing of graduation ceremonies. He knew how to play the game. If her manuscript ever made it onto film, his name choice today would bring publicity to the flick.
After the ceremony most of the graduates were too wrapped up in their own bubbles to notice Jon, and they made it to the parking lot only being stopped by a couple of groups of people. As they neared the car, though, a news crew spotted them and literally ran to intercept them. Sarah watched as news reporters she respected growing up turned into vultures right before her eyes, asking intrusive questions about his arrest and the wedding.
Jon handled it without too much pain and soon they were back at their house eating a late lunch with Jeff, Jessica, Nana, and Sarah’s parents, Kate and David. And then before Sarah knew it, she was leaving for the airport.
Chapter Twenty-One
Sarah
“TRAPPED ON ANOTHER flight.” That’s the way Jon had put it. Sarah on the other hand was excited about her first trip out of the United States. Sure, the flight was long, but the Mediterranean was supposed to be breathtaking. The plane was larger than the one they had taken to Minnesota, but there were also more people on it. Leslie, Nak, Isaac, Isaac’s assistant, Remi, Remi’s assistant, Remi’s husband, and two other people who Sarah didn’t recognize were already on the flight when it landed in Minnesota to pick them up. Craig and Raul would be heading back to LA on a different flight, but Sam would be joining them on their trip to Cannes.
The plane was beyond luxurious with its leather seats that r
eclined and the full bar with stools that could seat eight. A couch ran down one side, and chairs facing each other in groups of four lined the other. Everyone greeted them as they entered, hugs and air kisses everywhere. Jon introduced Sarah to the two unknowns. Definitely super models, they stood as tall as Jon, gorgeous in a simplistic way without makeup. Dwarfed by them in beauty and height, Sarah definitely regretted not getting the boob job.
Jon directed her toward a cluster of empty chairs, and Isaac immediately sat down on the other side of the table across from them. It wasn’t as private as Sarah hoped. The flight attendant appeared and offered help getting them settled. Once they were seated, she said, “We will be serving dinner shortly after we get in the air. We have a fully stocked bar, and the cabin in the rear of the plane has a bed, if you would like to lie down. My name is Monroe, and I’m here to serve you, Mr. Williams.” Sarah was sure she meant “service you,” but she let it go.
“Thank you. We’d like some coffee when we’re able,” Jon stated, and the attendant left with a nod. He was oblivious to the subtle ways women threw themselves at him, or maybe he’d just learned to ignore them.
“Funny, she didn’t offer me the bedroom or her services,” said Isaac. “If you don’t want the room, I’m sure I could find someone to join me in the mile-high club.” He looked around the cabin, his eyes pausing on Leslie, then he tipped his head toward the super models.
It sounded like Isaac was already a member of the club, and Sarah wondered if Jon was too. What if he and Mia joined together? Jon glanced at Sarah and said, “I think we’ll be using the bedroom.” A wicked smile washed his face, and Sarah couldn’t help but blush. Everybody in the plane would know if they disappeared into the bedroom. She really needed to stop worrying about what others thought.
After brunch, Sarah listened to Isaac argue with Jon for a half hour, and it was starting to get old.
“They don’t have the script finished yet. But if you sign on, I bet you can make it into whatever you want,” Isaac pushed. “All you have to do is say yes. You saw what they’re offering, right?”
“I don’t care what they’re offering. Have you read the book? There are seventeen graphic sex scenes. That’s not where I want my career to go. Didn’t you hear anything I said the other day at lunch?”
“They want you, Jon, only you. That’s why the money is so good. You’re perfect for the role. With your name attached, every horny chick in the world will see the film. Hell…guys will drag their girlfriends, wives, even boyfriends to the theater, just to get them revved. There will be a damn baby boom. They’ll worship you for the god that you are, and you will graciously say ‘you’re welcome’…for giving them the best sex of their lives. You’ll be a fucking hero—Jonathan Williams, sex god.”
“It’s not happening, Isaac.” Jon chuckled. He wasn’t buying into what Isaac was selling.
“Did I tell you Armani is doing the wardrobe? And I’m sure I can work it so you take it home.”
“Let it go!”
Sarah slipped her earbuds into her ears to block out their conversation with music and opened her e-book. She knew she’d have this book finished by the time they landed. It probably wasn’t the best book for her to be reading, though. It was about a woman whose husband had an affair and knocked up his mistress. No, this book was not a good choice.
***
By the time everyone in Jon’s group made it to their hotel rooms, it had been almost an entire day since they left. Customs ran smoothly, but the crowd of paparazzi outside the hotel was terrible, though not as aggressive as in the States, and there was some misunderstanding about rooms. By the time all the confusion was sorted out and everyone had a hotel room, all Sarah wanted to do was go to bed. As much as she had tried, she couldn’t sleep on the flight, not at all, so she was practically asleep on her feet.
It was late afternoon, and Jon had a dinner meeting with the director of a potential movie at seven. Jon really liked the movie’s script, but he needed to meet with the director in order to be considered for the role. He assured Sarah she could skip the meeting and get some rest. It would be boring for her anyway. Then they could go out later after the meeting when the nightlife was just starting. She agreed. She wasn’t in any state to argue.
When Sarah awoke to the click of the door, it was already dark outside the large patio window. The only light in the room came from the blinking message light on the phone. She smiled up at Jon as he sat down quietly on the bed next to her. “So…how did your meeting go?”
He wrinkled his nose and made a face at her.
“Not well?”
“I don’t know. It was just a meet and greet. The filming schedule isn’t even close to being set. Who knows when filming is going to start? I don’t even know if he really wants me for the part. Isaac thought it went well, but you know how he’s always sugarcoating everything. The director seemed pretty quiet.”
Sarah knew Jon really wanted this part. In his mind it was the perfect character to transcend him out of the superhero and man-whore roles he’d played in the past—a serious drama where he could keep his clothes on. He was afraid that his image might be too established to get past it, though.
“He wouldn’t have wasted his time if he wasn’t seriously considering you, and with your charm, how could he resist?”
“Well…I guess we’ll know soon enough. Are you ready to go out?”
“Do I look ready?” She scowled sarcastically at him as she ran her fingers through her flattened hair.
“You always look beautiful to me.”
She gave him a look of “yeah right.”
“I told Leslie that we would meet her and Nak in forty-five minutes. I think Remi and her husband are joining us, too. We won’t be out too late tonight. We have photo-calls tomorrow morning and cast forum interviews before lunch on the boat.”
“You don’t want me there, right?”
“I always want you there, but you don’t have to be there. The carpet is just for the cast and the directors. It’s just photos with interviews…super boring.”
“Good…because I didn’t bring a dress for it. I’m going to sleep in and lounge around all morning.” She smiled like she couldn’t wait.
Jonathan
The next day Jon got up early to prep for the day’s events. Once he was showered and his hair was its perfect messed self, he carried his clothes out into the living room. He didn’t want to wake Sarah, not yet anyway. He called and ordered breakfast. He’d wake her up when it arrived. He sat down on the couch and slipped on his socks. He slid into his black pants and threaded his belt through the loops. As he dressed, he clicked on the large television to see if he could catch the day’s news before his morning with the press. Cannes coverage was on four channels.
When he saw his face fill the television screen, Jon scrambled to turn up the volume. But when he realized it was in French, he clicked a button on the remote and an English translation appeared across the bottom of the screen.
“Williams, the Hollywood heartthrob best known for his role as the demigod Perseus, will have a chance to prove that he’s more than just a handsome face with tonight’s showing of Third Rung. In the film, Williams plays a troubled young man named Jason, who sets a fire that claims his brother’s life. To alleviate his guilt, Jason joins the fire department, where he falls in love with the chief’s daughter, played by Amy Richardson. Williams’s own brother was killed in a car accident in which Jonathan was driving. Since the movie was filmed shortly after his brother’s death, critics are interested to see whether Jonathan was able to funnel his real-life tragedy into his acting to pull out a festival win, or if the film will rely on Jonathan’s good looks to carry it.”
Jon bent down and picked up the remote off the couch to change the channel. “No pressure there,” he muttered to himself. He found a channel with world news in English. Then he pulled his T-shirt on over his head and slipped the charcoal-colored button-down over his shoulders. He was stra
ightening his collar when a five-second gossip blurb came on about Mia. Oh crap. Here we go, he thought.
“Rumors are circling around this photograph of Mia Thompson, snapped yesterday.” The picture showed Mia holding her belly in the typical pregnant mother pose. In the picture she definitely looked pregnant. “Her people will neither confirm nor deny that she is with child.” Jonathan clicked off the TV and finished getting dressed. This would make the rest of the trip more complicated.
After the food arrived, Jonathan eased the door to the bedroom open and sat next to Sarah on the bed. She looked so serene. He wondered what the day would bring. Mia’s pregnancy wouldn’t go unmentioned in the press. He knew that. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. She hadn’t confirmed it yet. And at least they were in France, where the paparazzi laws were a lot stricter. He kissed Sarah on the forehead and whispered, “I love you, beautiful. Stay safe.” He just couldn’t wake her knowing what she might hear today. She needed to enjoy the tranquility as long as she could.
***
The photo op with the cast of Third Rung went better than Jonathan expected. He hadn’t seen most of the members of the cast for years. Cole Hutchins looked the same as he had the last time he saw him at the wrap party, and he connected with him right away to avoid some of the less-favorable people on the carpet. He posed for a few photos with the director, the assistant director, and the producers. Then the cast lined up for their shots, and luckily no one told him where he needed to stand. After the photos, he buzzed through the preliminary interviews without a hitch—not a single mention of Jack or Mia. By the time he headed back to the hotel, he was feeling pretty good about this trip. Maybe he would make it through this premiere after all.
The worst part about the morning was worrying that Sarah would leave the hotel room, but she was still there when he got back. He wasn’t going to leave her alone again though. What if the stalker was someone involved with Third Rung? Amy Richardson’s face popped into his mind. The first note mentioned Jack, and the last time he had seen Amy was the year after Jack’s death. His brother was always on his mind then. Amy Richardson. How was Jon going to tell Sarah about her? Sarah was way too trusting, and he was such a lying bastard. He knew he needed to tell her everything, but he just didn’t know how.
Between the Lies (Between the Raindrops #2) Page 19