Starring You and Me

by Susan Coventry

  Nikki’s thoughts were interrupted by her cell phone, but this time, she didn’t smile when she saw Nate’s name appear on the screen. “Hello,” she answered with her neutral, business-like voice.

  “Hey,” Nate replied. “Sorry I missed your call earlier. I must have already been surrounded by a gaggle of giggling women and didn’t hear the phone.”

  He obviously had no clue that he had just made her horrendous day even worse! “I’m sure that must have been really rough,” she answered tersely.

  “Is something wrong?”

  She could practically see the lightbulb switch on above his head. “Yes, something is definitely wrong,” she replied.

  “What is it? What happened?”

  “Well, let’s see. To begin with, I was bombarded in front of your house by two reporters who wanted to confirm that you and I are dating. After that little incident, I was blindsided at my office by some other reporters looking for the scoop about our relationship. Let’s just say it hasn’t been a very enjoyable day.”

  Nate sighed heavily, but before he could respond, Nikki continued her tirade. “I tried calling you after the first incident, but when you didn’t answer, I called the police. Officer Kowalski said there wasn’t much he could do, because, technically, the reporters weren’t trespassing.”

  “I knew it was only a matter of time before the paparazzi discovered where I was staying, but I’m sorry they got to you first. The part about our relationship… ”

  “Sucks,” she finished for him. “I’ve been wondering all day about who started the rumor, and I’m guessing it was someone from the ice cream shop. That’s the only public place we’ve been where you were recognized.”

  “It doesn’t really matter who started the rumor, Nicole. It was bound to happen eventually. Like I told you, this is my life. Wherever I go, there are going to be reporters, cameras, and nosy fans. It’s just something I have to deal with.”

  “But it’s not something I have to deal with.” The minute the words spilled out, she wished she could take them back. “What I meant to say is… “

  “You just said what you meant to say, and you’re absolutely right. You don’t have to deal with any of it if you don’t want to.”

  Nate sounded resigned, and that worried her. The conversation was going in a direction that Nikki wasn’t ready for. Nate had warned her about his lifestyle from the beginning. He had been nothing but honest with her, and he deserved the same in return.

  “This is all extremely overwhelming to me,” she admitted. “When those reporters bombarded me in front of your house, I freaked out. By the time I realized what was happening, they had already taken several photos. I felt so vulnerable standing alone in the middle of the street with them staring at me and asking questions about us. Then, when it happened again at my office, I lost it. You’ve had a lot of practice dealing with this type of thing, but this is way out of my league. I had no idea what to do.”

  “I completely understand, because I felt the same way when my career first took off. I went from virtual anonymity to being a household name overnight. I hated it at first. I just wanted to crawl into a cave and hide, but I quickly realized that wasn’t the solution. I still have to live my life, Nicole, no matter who’s watching. This is the career I chose, and recognition comes along for the ride.”

  “I don’t know if I could ever get used to it,” she whispered. Saying the words aloud caused a sharp pain in the middle of her chest. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she was glad Nate wasn’t there to witness them. Nikki finally realized the full implication of being with a celebrity, and she wasn’t sure she could handle it. Not only would her privacy be compromised, but their entire relationship would be on display. If that wasn’t bad enough, she’d have to worry about the beautiful women who Nate came in contact with, and she would be consumed with jealousy, wondering if he was attracted to his latest costar. Just the thought of him being aroused by another woman during a sex scene was enough to send her into a tailspin. Case in point, the minute John confessed to having an affair, she dumped him. There was no way on earth that she could stay with a man who had been intimate with another woman during their relationship. How could she possibly be happy, knowing that part of Nate’s job entailed kissing other women? Even though they were together now, what would prevent him from wanting to sample the buffet again? And, to top it all off, what would become of them once his current movie wrapped? He would return to L.A. to resume his “celebrity” lifestyle, and where would that leave her? Nikki had hesitated to get involved with him in the first place, and her reasons were glaringly obvious now. What was the point in dating him if their relationship was a dead end?

  “Nicole, are you still there?”

  “Yes.” The tears she had tried so desperately to contain finally escaped and left a wet trail down her cheeks. She had to end the call before she broke out into full-fledged sobs. “I have to go, Nate. I’m sorry.” Sorry didn’t begin to describe how she was feeling as a big fat tear plopped onto the open page of the book she was still holding.

  “I understand that you’re upset, but please don’t let this be the end for us. Take a few days to think it over. If you don’t want to see me after that, I’ll have to accept your decision, but I sincerely hope it doesn’t come to that. Think about everything, Nicole, not just the negative things. Just promise me that.”

  “Ok.” Her tears flowed freely now, and she disconnected without saying goodbye.

  Bentley tilted his head and studied her quizzically as Nicole buried her head in the couch and sobbed.

  Chapter 21

  The next morning, Nikki woke up with a raging headache. It was no wonder; she was probably dehydrated from all the crying the night before. She had slept in fits and starts until Bentley’s scratching at her bedroom door finally woke her up. Nikki had made a decision in the middle of the night to talk to someone about Nate. After reviewing all the candidates in her head, she settled on Rosa. She eliminated her family because they didn’t even know she was dating him, and her college friends would probably side with Nate simply because he was a movie star. Rosa was the logical choice because, even though she was pro-Nate, she always had Nikki’s best interests at heart.

  Nikki felt slightly better after her shower, coffee, and oatmeal. She waited until a reasonable hour to call Rosa, rehearsing what she would say before Rosa picked up.

  “Boss?” Nikki rarely called Rosa on the weekend unless she was at the office and couldn’t find an important document. Since Rosa organized the files, she always knew where everything was.

  “Good morning Rosa. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

  “No, not at all. Jim already left to go golfing with his buddies. What’s up, sweetie?”

  Her endearment caused Nikki’s eyes to well up again. “I called for a personal reason. I was wondering if I could talk to you about… “

  “A certain hunk named Nate Collins?”

  “How did you know?”

  “I’m a mother, Nicole. Mothers know everything. Besides, I know my boss, and I can tell when something’s troubling you.”

  Nikki felt a lump in her throat. Why am I turning into such a sap? “Is there a time when we could meet today?”

  “You can come over now if you like. I baked cinnamon rolls this morning, and they’re still warm.”

  Nikki couldn’t deny her sweet tooth! “Sold. I’ll be there soon.”

  Nikki’s mood improved as soon as she arrived at Rosa’s house. Rosa lived in a simple brick ranch, but it was warm and inviting, just like her. Nikki couldn’t wait to bite into a gooey cinnamon roll, the smell of which wafted out to her as she rang the doorbell. They exchanged pleasantries as Rosa poured coffee and dished out the fresh rolls.

  “So, what’s on your mind?” Rosa bit off a large chunk of roll as she waited for Nikki to begin.

  Nikki gave her a synopsis of what had happened the day before with the reporters. She told Rosa about her conversation with
Nate and how he was giving her a few days to think about things. “I just don’t know what to do, Rosa. I really enjoy spending time with him, but I don’t like all the chaos that surrounds him. I like my simple, quiet lifestyle; I’m not used to all this hoopla. Besides, how could we possibly continue our relationship when Nate moves back to L.A.? I just don’t see the point of dating him when it’s obvious we don’t have a future together.”

  Rosa took another bite of cinnamon roll as she contemplated Nikki’s dilemma. “Do you really want my opinion, or did you just come here to vent?”

  Nikki was used to Rosa’s straightforward approach, and she actually appreciated it—most of the time. “I’d like your opinion.”

  Rosa looked her directly in the eyes and said, “Stop being a coward. I think you’re afraid to face your feelings for Nate and you’re using any excuse you can think of to avoid getting hurt. I agree that there are some obstacles to overcome, but I don’t think that’s a reason to let him go. I’m not just saying that because he’s gorgeous either!”

  Nikki had to laugh at the last comment, but being called a coward stung. “I don’t see myself as a coward. I see myself as practical; what’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing’s wrong with that in a business setting, but practicality doesn’t have anything to do with love.”

  Nikki had just taken a sip of her coffee, and it was now splattered across Rosa’s gleaming white kitchen counter. She immediately grabbed a napkin and wiped it up. “Who said anything about love?”

  “No need to get upset; I was just speaking in general terms. What I mean is you need to follow your heart and not your head. What does your heart tell you to do?”

  Rosa was right about her being a coward, although it killed her to admit it. Nikki never backed down from a challenge in business, so why should it be any different with Nate. She polished off the last of her cinnamon roll and wiped the crumbs off her face. “Thank you, Rosa. I know what I have to do now.”

  They both stood, and Rosa pulled her in for a quick hug. “I hope everything works out the way you want it to.”

  “Me too.” Nikki hurriedly slipped on her shoes and jacket and thanked Rosa again as she opened the front door, letting in a rush of cool air.

  “You can thank me by naming your first-born child after me,” Rosa called as Nikki raced to her car.

  Nikki laughed and gave her a quick wave, and then she pulled out of the drive.

  Now that her mind was made up, and while driving back toward home and back toward Nate, Nikki formulated a plan. Feeling foolish for the way she’d reacted yesterday, the first order of business was going to be an apology. After that, she was hoping to show Nate without words how she really felt about him.

  After tending to Bentley, Nikki set her plan into motion. She rummaged through her closet until she unearthed a dress that she’d bought off a clearance rack last summer. Her sister-in-law had convinced (more like forced) her to buy it because, in her words, it was time to “stop hiding your curves in baggy clothes.” To avoid an argument, and since it was on sale, Nikki had bought the dress. It was a floral print A-line style that accentuated her waist and skimmed over her hips and thighs. Julie had good taste in clothes, and Nikki had to admit the dress flattered her figure. Since it was a little chilly out, she added a cropped white cardigan, but she left it unbuttoned to show off the scoop neckline of the dress. Nikki searched under her bed for the shoes that Julie had also insisted on—black peep-toe pumps with a three-inch heel that hurt like hell! Nikki winced when she put them on, but as she surveyed herself in the mirror, she was pleased. “I look good,” she said as she twirled around. If only she felt as confident as she looked; her nerves were rearing their ugly head. What if Nate had decided that she wasn’t worth the aggravation? He could have his pick of women, so why should he wait for her?

  There was only one way to find out; it was time to go next door. Part two of the plan was to show up at his house and apologize, followed by a healthy dose of make-up sex! Nikki smoothed her hands over her dress, took one last look in the mirror, and headed out the door.

  Showtime!

  Chapter 22

  Since Nikki didn’t want to risk falling (again) in her high heels, she drove to Nate’s house instead of taking the path. Relieved not to see any reporters lurking about, she pulled into his drive. However, as she wound her way up to the house, she spotted a sporty two-seater convertible parked out front. Maybe she should have called Nate first, but she wanted the element of surprise. As she was deciding what to do next, the front door opened, and out walked Tess. There’s no turning back now, Nikki thought as Tess looked up and gave her a friendly wave.

  Nikki took a deep breath and carefully walked up to the porch. Today, Tessa wore designer jeans with a cream-colored blouse and heels, her hair caught up in a messy bun. How was it that some people looked good no matter what they wore? Nikki must have looked like she was dressed for church compared to Tessa’s casual elegance.

  “Nice to see you again, Nicole,” Tess said by way of greeting. “I need to grab one more bag out of the car, and then I’ll meet you inside.”

  Tessa’s warm, easygoing attitude instantly put Nikki at ease as she stepped inside and peered around for Nate. Tess joined her a minute later with a bulging grocery bag in her arms.

  “Nate’s not home, as you might have guessed. I just came by with his groceries for the week, so I’ll be out of your hair as soon as I put them away.”

  Nikki followed her into the kitchen that she was now intimately familiar with. “Do you need any help?”

  “Absolutely not, this is what I get paid for. You just sit right down and make yourself comfortable.”

  Nikki perched on the stool and observed as Tessa quickly and efficiently emptied the grocery bags. “Do you mind doing things like this?”

  “No, not at all. I love my job, even though some aspects of it aren’t very glamorous.”

  “What about all the travelling? It must be hard to be away from your boyfriend so often.”

  “True, but we make it work. Sometimes he travels with me, but when he can’t, we make sure to skype, call, and text each other every day.”

  “Hmm… it’s still not the same as being face to face, though.” Once again, Nikki kicked herself for opening her mouth before thinking. Tess obviously missed her boyfriend and couldn’t know that Nikki was really referring to her and Nate.

  “When you love someone, you do whatever it takes. After we’ve been apart for a while, we appreciate each other even more, if you know what I mean.” Tess broke out with a huge grin, and Nikki found herself smiling right along with her.

  “I should show you a picture of him; his name is Austin, and he’s a professional surfer.” Tessa slid her phone out from her back pocket and searched for a photo. “Here’s my sweetheart.”

  The picture was taken on a beautiful white sand beach, and Austin was posed with his arm around a surfboard. He was bare-chested, and his muscular arms were covered in colorful ink. Austin sported a thick head of wavy blonde hair and a charismatic grin that lit up the phone screen.

  Nikki bent over the phone to take a closer look and exclaimed, “Wow, he’s hot!”

  “Why, thank you!”

  Tess and Nikki both started at the sound of Nate’s deep voice. They had been so engrossed in the photo that they hadn’t heard him come in.

  “Brat, you scared us,” said Tessa as she slipped the phone back in her pocket.

  “Maybe if you ladies weren’t drooling over Austin, you would have heard me come in.” Nate had obviously been running, as evidenced by his running gear and the beads of sweat that glistened on his forehead. His eyes raked over Nikki’s body, taking in her dress and shoes, and then travelled back up to her face, which was now a nice shade of crimson thanks to him!

  “I didn’t expect to see you,” he said, zeroing in on Nicole as if Tess wasn’t even in the room.

  “I wanted to surprise you.” The air was thick with tension,
and Tess must have sensed it too.

  She looked back and forth between them with a knowing expression. “I’m leaving now, so you two can do whatever it is you need to do. You know, talk or whatever.” She waved her hands in front of her face to fan herself. “Is it me or is it hot in here?”

  Nate’s mouth curled up in a half-smile, but Nikki could tell he was holding back.

  “You should be all set with groceries for the week. If you need anything else, let me know. Nicole, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again,” Tess added as she hurriedly left the room. The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Nate and Nikki alone in awkward silence.

  “Before we talk, I need a shower,” Nate said. “Do you want to wait here, or do you want me to come to your house when I’m done?”

  “I’ll wait,” Nikki said, feeling her heart pound in her chest. Now that she was here, she didn’t feel quite as confident about her plan. Nate wasn’t his usual fun-loving self; he seemed reserved, distant, like he was protecting himself. It killed her that she had made him feel that way.

  “Make yourself at home. I’ll just be a few minutes.” Nate walked off to the master bedroom leaving her alone with her insecurities.

  Nikki only had a few minutes to make up her mind; either stick with the original plan or abort the mission. Her body answered the question before her brain kicked in, and suddenly, she was standing outside Nate’s bedroom. The door was cracked open, and she could hear the water running from inside the connected bathroom. Good, he was still in the shower. Nikki stepped inside and quickly perused the large master suite, which was painted in soft blues and grays with white trim. A four-post king-sized bed with a white gauze canopy took up much of the space, and a cushioned divan sat near the bay window, which was flanked by floor-to-ceiling bookcases. At any other time, Nikki would have been drawn to the bookshelves like a moth to a flame, but she was on a mission, and reading was the last thing on her mind. She reached around and unzipped her dress, letting it fall to the floor. She stepped out of it but kept on her heels as she gently laid the dress on the bed next to Nate’s clean clothes. She looked around frantically, trying to decide whether to sit or stand, when she realized the water had stopped running. Nikki opted for leaning casually against the bedpost.