The Trouble with Dating a Movie Star

by ZN Willett

  She took her time shaking his hand. "I'm actually good friends with your manager, Frank."

  Andrew's demeanor changed when she said his name. "Is that so? Well, it was still nice meeting you."

  Even though he tried to play it off, something seemed weird. Elena laughed and giggled placing her hand on his arm. We both noticed, and Andrew looked down at her hand and moved his arm away, and squeezed me tighter. I wanted to jump him right there and claim him as mine.

  I told Elena we needed to go and drug Andrew into the elevator, not saying a word until the door closed. Then, I pounced. I ravished Andrew's face with kisses, focusing on his chiseled jaw as I nipped and gnawed at it like a starving puppy. Andrew let me have my way with him until the door opened. I calmly walked out of the elevator, into the lobby, and to my car. Before I had a chance to place the car in reverse, Andrew leaned over and gave me a hard kiss. We both smiled as our foreheads came together. "You missed me," he stated.

  "I always miss you. Umm, sorry for attacking you."

  "You can do that as much as you want."

  "I don't know what came over me. Seeing Elena touch you, and her assistant ogling you, it made me...mad."

  One side of Andrew's mouth lifted, "I've been there. And for the record, you have nothing to worry about."

  "Really?" I studied his eyes.

  Andrew narrowed his. "You were worried?"

  "Not worried, just…it’s nothing."

  I wanted to ask him what these past few weeks meant for us, but I was afraid it might be too soon.

  He sat back and examined my face. "Andria, what is it?"

  "Can we talk about it at lunch? I'm starving."

  He looked into my eyes. "All right, but we will talk about this."

  I took Andrew to one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. I loved how they heated the patio's adobe fireplaces during colder days and evenings. It was a cooler day, but still warm enough to eat outside. Soft music played in the background as we sipped on sangria.

  "This is a nice place," Andrew said as his eyes circled around.

  "It's my favorite. I knew the place would be empty after the lunch rush, so you don't have to worry about being seen."

  Andrew looked puzzled. "Do you think I don't want to be seen with you?"

  "No! No, I was just trying to…I don't know." I took a long sip of my sangria as Andrew cautiously watched. "Huh, after what we…I still feel flustered talking to you sometimes," saying more to myself than to him.

  "I fluster you?" He smirked.

  Cocky ass.

  "You fluster a lot of women, Andrew. You know this."

  Andrew's grin fell. "I think you're exaggerating, and those women I fluster…it's a celebrity they see, not me, Andria. You never answered my question. Why are you worried about us being seen here? I thought I explained this the other night?"

  I looked down, occupied with my napkin. "You said you wanted to keep us private for as long as possible."

  "Oh. I do. But I didn't think there were any paparazzi hanging around your place. I could be wrong, since you are A.P. Moore—"

  I looked up not amused. "Andrew, there are no paps hanging around my place, nor would they be interested in my daily activities."

  His smile wavered. "I hope so; for at least a little while longer. Anyway, no one knows I'm here, so I think we're good for now."

  "You told Brittney, and didn't mention you were with me." Why did that pop out so fast?

  His brows furrowed. "Yeah, I did tell her. And Amy, as well as Frank, but none of them know I'm with you. It's none of their business." Just hearing that creep's name turned my stomach. "Hey, is there something I need to know about them?"

  My eyes grew wide as I stared at Andrew. "No! There's just something about him…"

  "Frank?" Andrew's face turned hard. "Should I be worried?"

  I shook my head. "No! Sorry, I mean…well, he rubs me the wrong way, that's all."

  "Uh huh," Andrew pondered before asking, "Did he do something to you Andria?" His tone was clipped.

  "It isn’t anything like that. It's just, I can't explain it. It's me, forget it, I don't know what came over me. He's fine. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn't have gone to your premiere."

  Andrew's expression remained tight. "Well, at least he's good for one thing."

  I looked curiously at Andrew regarding his comment. He wasn't going to volunteer anything further, so we continued on with lunch.

  Andrew scarfed down his enchiladas and ate a few bites of mine. "This is really good."

  "I told you."

  We spent the rest of our time getting to know more about each other. I told him about my life in Dallas, which really was not much to tell. I was a pretty boring person. If I wasn't writing, I was watching television or reading books. Saying that out loud sounded pretty disparaging, but I enjoyed my life. I travelled as much as I could, and I visited Erin frequently. So, I wasn't all that boring. We spoke about us both growing up in the east. I had grown up in Arlington, Virginia with my parents before my dad moved to Baltimore after their divorce. Andrew grew up in horse country, Middleburg, Virginia. We were in the same state, but far from the same experiences and lifestyles. We also discussed our travels and my upcoming trips. As I finished up the last of my sangria, I said, "It must have been great traveling abroad."

  "It was. I loved Italy, and I spent a lot of time in England."

  "I am scheduled to spend two weeks there," I said, thrilled.

  "When?" He sounded grim.

  "Umm, remember I told you I was going on tour? I'm in England during that time."

  Recollection came. "I must admit, I pushed that information aside to deal with at a later date. The reality that I won't be seeing you for six weeks…"

  My heart melted. "Trust me. I wanted to change the schedule after our first date.“

  "As selfish as I would like to be, this is your big break. And no one, including myself, should stand in your way. At least, I'm here during the beginning."

  "I kind of hoped you would be around for much longer than the beginning, Andrew."

  He grinned, "I plan on being around for as long as you'll have me."

  "I'll always have you."

  Where the heck did that come from? I felt my flesh heat up.

  Andrew chuckled. "I love how your entire body blushes. In fact, I think we need to get the check so I can examine it more closely."

  Inhaling, I stared into darkened green eyes, as I felt my pulse speed up. The server came over at that moment. "Check, please."

  "That was amazing," I said, catching my breath as Andrew fell back on the bed.

  I lay beside him as he turned his body towards me. "I can think of a few other words to describe that, Andria."

  I blushed as Andrew's finger drew circles on my bare stomach during our post-coitus bliss. Glancing around the room, I noticed the only thing that had survived on my bed was the bottom sheet. Both my duvet and pillows were thrown haphazardly across the room. We laid there, limbs entwined, soaking in the last rays of the sun as dusk started to fall.

  I couldn't get enough of Andrew. The feel of his hand softly brushing over my stomach caused me to shiver. He noticed, reaching down to grab the comforter, and placed it over us. "As much as I love studying your naked form, I can't have you catch a cold."

  A shy grin graced my face as I pecked his nose with a kiss. "That was thoughtful of you. I must admit having you stare at my body was making me self-conscious."

  "Your body is breathtaking," he stated obviously.

  "Andrew…" I said, doubtful.

  He sat up. "It is. I'm becoming an expert at understanding your body."

  I looked up seeing his trademark smirk. "I can't argue with that."

  "You're an incredible woman, Andria Moore."

  Andrew could make me feel so beautiful and wanted from only his words. And, what I saw in his eyes made me believe them.

  "I love the feel of you," Andrew crooned as his fingers slid between my
breasts.

  Did I say the man also made me feel sexy? When I was with Andrew, he made me feel…alive. When he touched me, everything was more heightened, in a new way.

  We kissed for a while before Andrew settled me into his arms. "Andria, you're making it hard to leave."

  The joy I was feeling was instantly sucked out. Andrew was leaving in the morning, and that realization made my chest hurt.

  Andrew reached over and lifted my face towards him. I refused to look in his eyes. "Hey, this isn't going to be easy for me either," he said, as I finally looked up. "It's going to be hell. But, we will make it work."

  I buried my head into his chest. "Do you think so? Do you really think this can work?"

  He pushed me back as he stated confidently, "I know this can work."

  "Oh, Andrew…"

  I kissed him and he pulled back. "Are you crying?"

  I didn't realize that I was. With everything that had happened, I was feeling overwhelmed. "I just…I wanted to stay in this cocoon for a little while longer. I don't want this to end. It's only been a few weeks…"

  He sat up with his back against the headboard. "Andria, look at me." I shook my head. "Please look at me."

  He had a pained expression on his face. "Andrew, I'm okay."

  "This," he pointed between him and me, "will work. I know it's only been a few weeks, but I have wanted us to work from the beginning. Andria, I will do everything in my power to make this work, but I can't do it alone."

  "I want it to work too, but—"

  "No buts. This is going to work. We'll call, video chat, visit, whatever we have to do."

  Andrew sounded determined, and for the first time, I thought maybe he could have the same feelings as me.

  Saying goodbye to Andrew was insufferable. To not see or feel him anytime soon was unbearably painful to think about. It was much easier leaving him in LA. Although, being mad as hell at him when I left could have helped. We said our goodbyes in the car. Even though he knew no paps were around, there were a lot of people in the airport, and he didn't want any pictures "popping" up unexpectedly. Our little bubble would remain intact for as long as possible.

  I drove back on autopilot, and didn’t realize I was home until I pulled into the garage. Keira had arrived that morning and was working on the edits until I returned from the airport. I called Erin, and finally filled her in on all the details. She let me cry out my sadness in-between telling her about my exploits. I didn't realize how long we were on the phone until I had received a text from Andrew stating that he had arrived safely, and would call me later that night.

  Andrew had a lot of work to catch up on, and since he was about to shoot another movie, he had many things to do before he left. Filming was scheduled to start after New Year's. Andrew was going to Virginia to spend Christmas with his family, and then he would leave to go to Vancouver, Canada to start shooting. I wished it was my Christmas with Dad. But, I would be spending it with my Mom and Bob in Florida before flying to New York.

  Keira and I worked late into the night. I did get to speak to Andrew for a little while. I could tell he was tired, and that he still had a lot to do before he left. We said our goodnights and went back to work. It was after midnight when I finally crawled into bed. Even with fresh linens on the bed, I could still smell Andrew on my pillows. I hugged one as the memories of the last two days flashed across my mind. I could feel every touch, every kiss. My skin heated up at the thought of Andrew's fingers. Picking up my cell, I looked at the picture I had taken while Andrew was sleeping. Yes. I knew that was creepy, but he looked like an angel when he slept. My angel, and with that thought, I fell asleep.

  Trying, at first, was easier said than done. Even though both Andrew and I knew that our schedules would eventually slow down, currently it wasn't helping. We spoke to each other twice a day. Usually, it was the first thing in the morning and then at night when we would fall asleep on the phone. But, recently, we had had problems connecting. When we did catch each other, it started to feel that Andrew and I were in a normal relationship. One where he wasn't a busy movie star and I wasn't an up-and-coming author with a full schedule. Yet, the bubble would always pop when I had to go because of a meeting or edits, or when he had to take an important call or do an interview. Reality always interrupted.

  Andrew and I had decided to video chat as much as we could. So, if I was driving somewhere, I would place the cell on the dashboard and talk, or when he was in-between takes or appointments, he would call. It actually seemed to add to our closeness—being in each other's daily activities. It also gave me a glimpse into the craziness of Andrew's life.

  Video chatting came in very handy at night. We would flirt—a lot. I always made sure that I had on something sexy, and Andrew would only wear boxers or pajama pants. A few times, he caught me touching the monitor as I ran my fingers down his screened chest. I just wanted a touch. That's when our discussions would turn more towards the 900 talk type of conversations.

  Sometimes, listening to dirty talking Andrew was too much. By seeing him as flustered as I was, made me feel better. The fact that it was me that made him frustrated was a huge turn-on.

  The moment I arrived in Florida, my mom looked at me with her wide brown eyes, and she knew. How? I hadn't quite figured that out, but she knew her little girl wasn't a virgin anymore. Maybe it was a Mom thing. "Who is he?" she asked, as soon as I entered the kitchen.

  I shook my head as I sat down next to her at the table. I noticed Mom's aged skin was darker, and her curly red hair was highlighted by the sun. “Mom, why would you assume-”

  "Andria, you're glowing," she said studying my face.

  "It's the sun." She gave me an evil eye. "All right—I met someone."

  She clapped her hands. "I knew it! Was it good?"

  "Mom!" I looked around embarrassed. Bob was somewhere in the house.

  "Oh Andria, your secret is always safe with me. I just hope he treated you special."

  I never told my mom that I was a virgin. It's something I never mentioned or wanted to discuss; just like I never wanted to hear about her sex life, even though she felt like always sharing. I wasn't as free-spirited as my mother. "Why would you assume…"

  "A mother knows. And by the look on your face—" She smirked as she walked to the microwave after hearing the ding.

  "It was several weeks ago, how can you see—" What was I saying?

  "Again, a Mother knows. Now, tell me all about it."

  "That is never going to happen. Is dinner ready?" I asked to deter her from the line of questions.

  "Hearing you speak, I would think you were a prude like your father, but I read your book."

  I shook my head, not wanting to listen to anymore and started to get up. "What time is church?"

  Yes, even the perverts can go to church on Christmas Eve. "Seven."

  "I need to make a call before we eat."

  "Well hurry up, I want to hear all about this young man. Or is he an older man? I'll be fine with that." I rolled my eyes and went to my room.

  Mom and Bob had recently bought a house in South Carolina and this trip to Florida was planned as a celebration. Bob had accepted a new contractor position with a large construction company and they would be relocating in January. They were still keeping the house in Dallas to use in the off-season. But, I think they were keeping it to have if they got tired of Carolina, or annoyed by my mom’s relatives who lived there.

  I was sad at first when Mom told me they were moving, but I was considering a move back to Virginia. As much as I hated the winters, I missed Erin, and I wanted to be closer to Dad. My mom's move to South Carolina helped push me to ask Erin to start looking for condos, and I was going to keep my place in Dallas as an investment.

  After getting ready, I had an urge to call Andrew, but looking at the time confirmed that he might not be alone yet. We had been video chatting more, which helped—a lot. Seeing him made such a difference, and I think it made one for him too.


  After attending the long-awaited funeral with Brittney—the family had quarreled about arrangements—Andrew had called that night drained. He had done everything he could to support Brittney and her family. He said that Brittney was in bad shape, but she had friends and family around to help her. Looking at Andrew, you could see that he was wiped out and needed a mental break.

  So, I flashed my breasts at him. Yes. I, Andria Moore, flashed my breasts. Something I had never been comfortable with. I always wondered if someone could hack into the video feed, but I did it. It may have been for a split second, and I was beet red from embarrassment, but the look on Andrew's face made it all worth it. Andrew went from Mr. Gloomy Face to Mr. Ray of Sunshine. Of course, he wanted to see more, and I had to explain why I wasn't going there. But, he did appreciate me trying to make him smile, and it had done the job.

  Andrew was in Virginia for Christmas, and he had brought Brittney with him. Evidently, she had some issues with her family after the funeral, and was going to spend the holidays alone. Again, Andrew came to the rescue—which I loved him for—but I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't upset. I tried to be sympathetic, and asked Andrew why she couldn't spend the holidays with her girl friends or someone other than him. Andrew explained that she didn't have many girlfriends, and she was comfortable with his family.

  Of course, she was comfortable—they dated and his family knew her. Yet, I was still an unknown. It took several deep breaths, as I spoke to him, to compose the turmoil that was stirring in my gut. Yeah, I knew he was trying to "protect" me from his crazy lifestyle, but it also made it seem as if Andrew had no one in his life other than Brittney.

  It didn't help that every time we talked, Brittney somehow interrupted our conversation. I started calling Andrew late at night in order to get him alone. I hated waking him up, but I wanted uninterrupted time. And, if I was honest with myself, I was really bothered that Andrew and I hadn't spoken about the terms of our relationship. I only had myself to blame for that.

  I didn't want to push at first, and our relationship was still new. Andrew and I hadn't known each other that long—it had only been a month, and I wanted to see where things led naturally. If I only had some confirmation that we were exclusive or that he was my boyfriend, I would feel at ease. But, until then, I felt like I was in limbo. I told myself as soon as I came off of the tour, we would sort this all out. Even though Andrew told me time and time again that Brittney and he were only friends, I hated that she made me doubt him. But most of all, I hated doubting us.