by ZN Willett
I turned to look at him. "That's why Brittney questions my motives?"
He shook his head. "It's not because of you; it's all because of who I used to surround myself with. Brittney and I became friends at one of my lowest points. I thought I had lost everyone I cared about. She was the one that taught me how to live with my reality. Brittney was already a seasoned player. She and her friends showed me the ins and outs of the business that people don't tell you about. They schooled me on what came along with fame and how to juggle it all." Andrew placed his hand over mine, as he looked deeply into my eyes and said, "It was hard to trust anyone for a long time, Andria. You knew I only had a handful of friends, and now you know why. I keep them and my family very close. They are my rock, and now I have you. I trust you. I know that you never have or will use me to gain anything, except my heart." He smiled and placed a lingering kiss on my lips.
My stomach started to turn as I thought about what Andrew's reaction would be once he found out my book was based on him. Would he think I pursued him for fame? I wanted to tell him that he was my muse, but something deep inside stopped me. I knew it was the fear of losing Andrew's trust if he thought that I had indeed orchestrated our relationship in some way. As much as I wanted to lose that feeling, and believe that he would be thrilled to know that it was always him…I couldn't.
"Andria, what is it?"
I wanted to shake any and all concern off, but I felt an overwhelming sense of panic come over me. I stood; I couldn't look at him anymore.
"Andria, are you still upset with what Brittney said?"
Brittney. That was one person I needed to deal with. I spun around to look at him. "Brittney can think what she wants. Hey are you hungry? I'm starving."
He stood wrapping his arms around me as I laid my head on his chest. "I love you." I could never get used to him saying that, and at this moment, it stabbed me in my heart. "Andria? You're keeping something from me."
I looked up alarmed. "Why would you think that?"
His brow rose. "You're acting odd."
"I'm fine. I promise, it's really nothing."
"Okay, let's go eat."
Yes, lets. But before we did, I needed to find Brittney.
Everyone was still nursing their hangover while mingling in the large dining room. Brittney stopped Andrew and me before we entered. She apologized for causing any problems, and stressed that her only intentions were to remind Andrew to protect himself. She didn't realize how things could have looked with her being in his room. Andrew reminded her that she barged in unannounced. She had the audacity to look hurt. That's when I asked to speak with Brittney privately.
As soon as I closed the door to the study, Brittney began to speak. "Andrew and I have been friends for a long time, and I've seen many people befriend him looking for a hand out." I said nothing. She walked to one of the bookshelves and turned towards me. "Andria, I'm not saying that you would do such a thing—"
"Didn't you already Brittney, by telling Andrew that he can't trust me? You don't even know me, yet you tell him that I'm using him?" An eerie calmness rang out of my voice.
Her eyes grew wide, but she quickly placed her mask of concern back on her face. "You have to understand that I care for him—"
"Oh, I'm beginning to understand just how much you care. How long have you been in love with my boyfriend?" I asked, brushing my hands along the wall of books looking at the old bindings.
"You know we've dated."
I turned to look at her. "Yes, I know, but you're still in love with him."
Her eyes narrowed. "I will always love Andrew, he's a good friend."
"That he is," saying more to myself. "But…I'm thinking you may want more than his friendship?"
The mask fell slightly. "Andrew will always hold a special place in my heart, Andria."
Brittney's eyes told me everything; she still loved Andrew. Then, I wondered what she was going to do about it?
"Does Andrew know that you're still in love with him?" I stepped closer to her.
Her brow rose. "He told me he's in love with you."
Walking closer. "You told him that I was using him," I snarled out unintentionally, stopping myself from closing in.
"I don't want Andrew hurt."
"I won't be the one hurting him."
She remained quiet and I heard Rebeca calling us for brunch. We glared at each other for a moment before I turned toward the door. But, before opening it, I needed to say one last thing to Brittney. "I've been cordial to you for Andrew's sake because I love him. But if you ever try that crap upstairs again, I won't be so nice. Andrew is very capable of protecting himself. "
Andrew and I had a long goodbye at the airport. It was weird having people stare at us as he kissed me. I heard a camera shutter, and turned to see a young girl timidly smile as her smart phone was pointed directly at us. We were officially a couple, and I wanted to shout it from the rooftop. But, I wasn't ready to have our parting exchange plastered on the cover of tabloid magazines although I was sure that girl wasn’t moonlighting as a paparazzo.
After a tearful goodbye and several long kisses later, I walked through the security line, headed back to New York.
"Why didn't you tell him?"
"Erin, it wasn't the right time. I want it to be special, and dealing with the Brittney thing and everything else right then wasn't the right time," I said frustrated through my cell.
"Ah huh…" Erin didn't sound convinced.
I called Erin while I waited to board the plane, and had ended up holding the phone away from my ear most of the time while she joyously and loudly recited how Miles proposed.
Of course, Erin already had a date in mind. She wanted a summer wedding, but I was surprised to find that it was going to be held in Louisiana. This did, however, make sense. Erin was an only child and had a very small family, while Miles came from a large one. She had been told that they were not very accepting regarding Miles dating outside of his race. I wasn’t sure how they were going to respond to him marrying an African-American woman. Obviously, Erin had given serious thought as to the type of wedding she wanted before she had received the ring. That was Erin. She had my wedding already planned, as well.
Erin officially asked me to be her maid of honor, and I happily accepted. Miles's older brother was going to be his best man. His immediate family members adored Erin, and I couldn’t wait to meet his brother from the stories I had heard. After a brief conversation about Andrew, I continued to listen while Erin talked about colors and themes before Miles caught her attention and she hurried off the phone.
When I arrived back into New York that evening, I had the rest of the night to play catch up on work, and I used that time wisely. I would be heading out in a few days to start the US tour and then I would be off to Europe.
That night, sleep didn't come easy. Every time I closed my eyes, I had nightmares. First, Andrew was angry with me for not telling him that he was my muse. Then, I had one of Brittney hovering over Andrew as her hands explored his body, before flashing to a dark alley where some creature was chasing me. It was going to be a long and strange New Year.
Fourteen days later and I was still on a roll. The tour was going well. I loved talking to my readers, and they had given me a lot to think about for the next book. All of their questions and theories provided some great material.
Keira was on cloud nine. Her relationship with Owen was moving along nicely, and she mentioned he could be the "one" several times a day. Erin was in full wedding planner mode, and we touched base every day. I wondered on several occasions if Miles was going to run away fearful of Erin's pre-wedding demands, but he loved her and showed her every day. Andrew was knee deep in filming. There were a lot of script changes—that I found out bugged the heck out of him. He had to memorize and re-memorize the same scenes over and over.
We tried to talk every day, but texting was the most used form of communication. It was easier for him to text in-between work. I loved hearin
g the ins and outs of his day and learned a lot about filming. It was nothing like I thought it would be. This caused me to be more excited than ever that my deal was being finalized. I was looking forward to casting the movie.
The final papers were on my lawyer's desk and I sent a copy to Andrew. He kept asking me so many questions about it that having his own copy to look over was easier—surprisingly, he made time to do just that. Andrew would email or text me questions or changes that I would pass over to my lawyer to add. It looked as if everything would be ready and signed by the end of the week. A courier was bringing me the original paperwork to sign and carry back to the studio.
While all that was happening, I never really had the time to process the fact that my book was still on the bestseller list, and about to be made into a movie in the next year with a starting payout of over ten million dollars. That amount of money was unimaginable, and the idea that it was all mine…well, I couldn't fathom it. Andrew asked me about my financial plans. I told him it was all going to my financial adviser, Miles. I wanted someone who I knew and could trust. He worked at a reputable firm that had key people who knew how to handle and invest funds. By the end of the next week, I had a substantial amount of money deposited into my account at the firm.
While working in my hotel room, Andrew called out of the blue exasperated, "Andria, are you okay?"
"Yes. Why do you sound like that?"
"Did you see the picture?"
My heart jumped a bit. "What picture?"
"The picture of us at the airport in DC. Someone took a picture of us as we said our goodbyes."
Then, the thought of the young girl crossed my mind. "I think I saw it being taken."
"What!"
All concerns left his voice and now he sounded angry as I tried to explain. "Andrew, it was one of your fans. I saw her take a picture and thought it was harmless."
"Yet, you didn't tell me?”
Yeah, he was angry.
"Why would I tell you that? Isn’t your picture taken daily?"
"That's not the point, Andria."
Now he was pissing me off. "Well, what is then? Every time someone takes out their smart phone, I'm supposed to let you know!" Raising my voice frustrated.
There was a long pause before an exasperated sigh. "Sorry, Baby. I didn't mean to take this out on you. I was enjoying the no attention I've been receiving lately. The dogs are now sniffing around, and I'm worried about how it's going to affect you."
"Please stop worrying about me. We have discussed this, and I need to get used to it. Oh, and where can I find said picture."
He chuckled. "Look online under Hughes and mystery girl."
Mystery girl, I thought, as I typed the key words in the search engine and a picture of Andrew holding me popped up. Yet, my face was buried in-between his neck and shoulder. I missed that neck. "You can't see my face."
"No, but someone may recognize my body."
I was at a loss. "Clearly, I can tell it's you Andrew. It's plain as day and they said it was you."
"No Andria. I don’t want anyone recognizing your body; the one that I consider is mine. The one that I was holding on to as I kissed her berry flavored lips."
Ohhh was all I thought as clarity came. My girly bits squeezed tightly. "Well, umm, I'm sure no one will figure out it was me."
I was wrong.
I received a phone call from my father and Brandon. Apparently, Jaimie reads the tabloids and she recognized me right away. The fact that I was in Northern Virginia—so close to Baltimore—and didn't mention it to my dad…well that conversation didn't go well.
After I tried to explain it was last-minute, and I was only there to spend time with my boyfriend, the accusations started flying. When was I going to tell him Andrew was my boyfriend? Why did he have to hear about it from some trash magazine? How serious was it with this boy? And what does all of that have to do with seeing your father when you're in town?
Guilt washed over me as I tried to explain, even after reminding him that I was an adult, again. Yes, I was indeed dating an actor, and our picture most likely will be showing up more often. I did state that next time, I would make it a point to tell him when I was in the area. But, since I was planning on moving there, that was pointless. After hanging up with Dad, I was mentally exhausted. I went to bed wondering how Frank was going to "spin" all of this.
It was my final day of the US tour and I was heading to England. I hadn't been there in a while and I missed that country. Last time, I had spent a few days in a small village outside of London, and it was an incredible experience. The people welcomed me openly. Every morning before I started to write, I would run into town, through the brisk fog before picking up my morning scone and newspaper.
On this trip, I would be spending most of my time in London. I had asked Keira to spread out my events so that I could also have a mini vacation at the same time. My heroine's love interest was English and they met in London. I could picture the two of them walking through the streets, holding hands and groping each other down dark corridors.
After the discovery of the "mystery girl" with Andrew, I couldn't help searching online during my downtime. As I waited while Keira finished editing a chapter in the other room, I sat at the desk in our suite and searched anything that related to the picture. I was concerned about the reactions of Andrew's fans, yet surprised that most seemed supportive. Andrew had a strong fan base and he took that very seriously. They hadn't seen him in a romantic embrace with anyone publicly since Brittney.
Even though the majority of his fans seemed unaffected, there were a few who were not happy with Andrew. I read one comment that said he and Brittney were recently seen in their own romantic embrace. That caught my eye, and I clicked on the attached link provided. It was indeed a picture of Andrew and Brittney as they were beginning or finishing up a kiss. But, Andrew's hair was cut short and he hadn't had short hair for many years. It had obviously been taken a while back.
After seeing that picture, I began to search for more of them together. My brain told me to stop, but my fingers kept typing. There were hundreds of pictures that popped up at a time. Seeing the two of them carefree, or embracing one another was literally hell. I couldn't sugar coat, swallow down, or accept it. Seeing another woman in Andrew's arms wasn't easy for me. But, knowing he loved me, and that part of his life was over, helped dull the pain.
A little bit.
My fingers finally stopped typing as I sat back in the chair. My eyes narrowed on one photo that was captioned, Andrew and Brittney "forever." One very peculiar difference I noticed when searching, was that on Andrew's end, his fans seemed okay with his new love interest. There had been confirmed rumors that Andrew and Brittney were no longer dating for a while now. But, on Brittney's end, I was a home wrecker. I wasn't sure how that was possible since they had always lived in different homes, but I was. I sent Andrew a text asking him about just that.
Me: Brittney's fans hate me?
Andrew: No
Me: Online they do
Andrew: Ignore!
Me: Easy for u
Andrew: No it's not. Frank is working on it
Me: ?
Andrew: Brittney's reps are slow
Me: ?
Andrew: I promise it's being handled. No worries trust me
Me: Okay
Andrew: I love U
Me: I love U 2
Andrew: I miss U
Me: I miss U 2
Andrew: I want U
Me: Now?
My cell rang immediately after the last text. "How bad do you want me?" I teased.
"Twice this morning, and once this afternoon.”
I couldn't help laughing at Andrew’s crudeness. "Should I be concerned that it was only once this afternoon?" I would have turned beet red if I had said that to Andrew's face.
"I was waiting to hear your voice before I started round two."
The visual alone made my body tense up, and the anticipation for some
thing that wasn't going to happen for a while. "Andrew, it's not nice to tease."
Andrew had to rearrange his planned trip to see me before I left for England. Production was behind schedule and he couldn't leave. He worked nonstop every day into the late evenings. He also griped nightly about dinners in his hotel room, and not having any free time to visit one of his favorite Japanese restaurants. It looked as if I wouldn't be seeing Andrew until next week when he arrived in London. He was going to fly down for a few days, collect his mom and sister, and then head back.
Taylor recently found out that she and Wade were expecting, and everyone was treating her with kid gloves. Apparently, Taylor had a few medical issues and it was difficult for her to conceive. Both Wade and the Hughes's were worried that she may have a difficult pregnancy, as well. When Taylor found out, all of her fears about conceiving vanished, and transferred to the others. Wade usually stayed with Andrew for an entire production, but had some of his men fill in for him so that he could check on Taylor. I had heard that Wade doted on her—as he should—but his being overbearing drove Taylor insane.
Wade didn't want Taylor traveling, but she insisted since she wouldn't be doing much of it after the baby was born. She agreed that he could come with Andrew when he visited me in London. She and Rebeca would be in-town that same week, and they could all fly home together. I hadn't spoken with Wade to find out how he felt about that compromise, but Andrew said that he was fine.
Andrew brought back my attention when I heard a slow rumble through the phone. "Andria…"
I sat up in my chair. "Andrew?"
"Your voice always makes me want you," he panted out.
My core heated up. "Andrew…I don't think—"
"Oh, Andriaaa," honey coated sex was what that sounded like.
Andrew had started round two, making me light-headed as I slumped in my chair.
Five states and twelve cities later, we were on a plane to London. Keira and I had a few glasses of wine to unwind before going to sleep. It seemed at the exact moment that I closed my eyes; a flight attendant who asked if I wanted breakfast was awakening me. I nodded, knowing we had a book signing first thing that morning. After that, I had a date with a bed. Even though it appeared I had a few hours of sleep, I knew that wouldn't be enough.