Starring You and Me

by Susan Coventry

  Just then, Bentley let out a bark, as if to remind them he was there. Nate hurriedly donned his boxers and jeans as Nikki went down the hall to retrieve Bentley from his crate.

  “I’ll take Ben out if you need to clean up,” Nate offered, still shirtless and barefoot.

  That warm, contented feeling washed over her as she perused Nate’s half-naked body. It was in that moment that Nikki realized she not only wanted this man physically, but she wanted him in every other way too. She wanted to share the big things in life with him as well as the mundane tasks like grocery shopping or walking the dog. She used to want those things with John, but with Nate, everything was bigger and better (body parts notwithstanding). In retrospect, having sex with John had been like slipping into a worn-in pair of jeans. It was comfortable and easy, but nothing to get too excited about. With Nate, every sense was heightened; his very nearness got her blood flowing, and not only in a lust-induced way. His presence, his very being, was what turned her on, and every time she was with him, she wanted him even more.

  “Uh, Nicole, are you in there? Did you want me to take Ben out?”

  Nikki shook herself back to the present. “Sure, thanks. I’ll get us some beers while you’re out.” Funny how she’d gone from a kitchen void of alcoholic beverages to a fridge stocked with beer since she’d discovered Nate liked it. She had acquired a taste for it too—in moderation, of course.

  Nikki had just returned to the living room, beers in hand, when she heard Nate yell, “Get out of here, asshole. This is private property.”

  She set the drinks down, hurried to the front window, and peered out through the gauze curtain. Nate stood stiffly on her porch while some guy wielding a large camera took off running down her driveway with Bentley hot on his heels.

  Nikki was shaking when Nate came back inside. He immediately gathered her in his arms, and as she leaned against his rapidly beating heart, she noticed the vein that bulged in his neck.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said, leading them over to the couch. “I think the idiot snapped a few pictures before I even knew he was there.”

  Nikki imagined what it must have looked like with Nate half-dressed, standing in front of her house late at night as if he lived there. The pictures would be all over the internet in no time, and now there would be no denying their involvement.

  Nate interrupted her runaway thoughts. “I’m just glad it was me and not you out there. I hate the thought of people creeping around your place at night, spying on you. Shit like this makes my blood boil.”

  Nate dropped his head into his hands while Nikki rubbed gentle circles on his back. What a difference a few days made. Here she was, comforting him rather than the other way around. There was no reason both of them had to get upset; it wouldn’t change anything. “It’s ok, Nate. Like you said before, they’re not going to give up. Look on the bright side; at least they didn’t catch us in the act.”

  Nate chuckled. “I don’t deserve you,” he said, cupping her cheek with his hand.

  “I think it’s the other way around.”

  “No, I’m serious. First, I force you to watch me film a love scene, then I take you up against the door like a caveman, then some douchebag takes a half-nude picture of me on your porch. I wouldn’t blame you at all if you kicked me to the curb.”

  Nikki pushed away so she could look him directly in the eye. “You’re wrong, Nate. You didn’t force me to watch you and Stacy. You asked, and I agreed. Acting is your career and your passion, and I’m glad you shared it with me. Second, you didn’t hear me complaining when you took me up against the door. On the contrary, I think you could tell how much I enjoyed it; how much I wanted you—correction, still want you. Regarding the paparazzi, that’s part of your life, and I’m prepared to deal with it. I don’t like it, but if I want to be with you, I have to accept it. And I do, I do want to be with you, Nate.” Spiel complete, Nikki sat back against the couch, spent, and waited for him to say something.

  Nate stared at her for a few beats before his face lit up with a lethal grin. “Wow, that was a mouthful,” he said around his smile.

  She looked at him incredulously. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”

  “Oh, I have a lot more to say. It’s just that sometimes, actions speak louder than words.” And with that, Nate picked her up and carried her down the hall to the bedroom.

  Chapter 28

  Nikki woke up Wednesday morning with achy muscles and a Cheshire cat grin. Nate had stayed with her until midnight, showing her with his actions how much she meant to him, just as he’d promised. They parted reluctantly because he was due on set at five a.m. and he didn’t want to disturb her morning slumber.

  Nikki stretched and winced a little at the soreness in her limbs, but this was one kind of soreness she could live with! She hummed her way through her morning routine and on her drive in to work, and she didn’t even flinch when Rosa showed her the latest pictures on the internet of shirtless Nate on her front porch.

  “So, someone had fun last night,” Rosa teased as she handed Nikki a cup of coffee.

  “I won’t deny it,” Nikki replied, accepting the cup with gratitude.

  “Are you tired this morning?”

  “You’re not very subtle, Rosa; you know that, right?”

  “Well, it wouldn’t be polite to ask if he knocked your socks off!”

  Nikki choked on her mouthful of coffee but managed to swallow it down. “Let’s just say I’m a little sore today.”

  Rosa smirked and returned to her desk.

  Nikki switched into work mode as she listened to her voicemail messages. The first one brought great news: the Rosenfelds had finally decided to make an offer on a house she had shown them. They requested a meeting with her on Friday to draw up the papers. She did a fist pump at her desk and then quickly deflated as she listened to the next voicemail from Chad, who had left a cryptic message urging her to call him. Just great.

  Nikki spoke to Mrs. Rosenfeld first and set up an appointment for Friday morning at nine. Then, anxious to get it over with, she returned Chad’s call.

  “I saw the latest picture of Nate on the internet,” he began.

  Nikki braced herself. “And…”

  “And I wanted to call and apologize.”

  She had just taken a sip of coffee, and this was the second time that morning that she almost spewed it out. “Apologize?”

  “Yes. I think it sucks that people are hounding the two of you while you’re dating. Having a relationship is hard enough without having cameras shoved in your face.”

  Nikki made an OMG expression at Chad’s apology but decided to play it cool. “You’re right, that part does suck, but I’m learning how to handle it.”

  “Well, I feel like an ass for how I treated you before, and I just wanted to let you know that I hope everything works out for you.”

  “Thanks, Chad, I appreciate that.”

  “No hard feelings, then?”

  “No hard feelings.” When Nikki hung up, she shook her head in disbelief. The Rosenfelds deciding on a house and Chad’s apology all in one day; go figure!

  When Nate called later that evening, Nikki shared the good news.

  “I’m happy for you,” he said.

  She assumed his comment referred to the Rosenfelds and not necessarily to Chad. But, hey, if she’d learned one thing, it was not to talk about a man who was interested in her with another man who was interested in her! “So, tell me about your day.”

  “Well, we shot some scenes in Depot Park, which caused quite a stir with the locals. Extra security was on hand to keep people in check, but some teenage girl managed to sneak through anyway.”

  “What happened then?”

  “Not much, because Jeff intercepted her before she got close to me. He escorted her to her car with a promise to send her an autographed picture of me.”

  Nikki giggled, thinking about big, bad Jeff placating a teenager. “Will he make good on his promise?”r />
  “He took down her address and gave it to Tess, so yeah, it’ll happen.”

  “Those teenage girls really have a thing for you. Must be tough,” she teased.

  “I’m more interested in a certain thirty-two-year-old with a beautiful face and a kickin’ body.”

  Nikki’s face flushed at his description of her. “Hmm… not sure I know her.”

  “I know her intimately.”

  Just the way he said intimately made her toes curl. “Ok, mister, we’re getting off track here. Tell me about the rest of your day.”

  “You’re cute when you get embarrassed.”

  “Who says I’m embarrassed?”

  “It’s obvious. Whenever I give you a compliment, you change the subject. The correct response should be, ‘why thank you, handsome.’”

  Nikki belted out a loud laugh. “Sorry for not knowing my lines.”

  Nate’s voice turned serious. “I mean it, Nik. You need to learn to take a compliment, because I plan on handing them out on a regular basis.”

  “Why thank you, handsome! There, that better?”

  “Much. So, the other thing that came up today is that Stacy and I have to fly to L.A. to tape a segment for Entertainment Tonight.”

  Ouch. Had he just buttered her up to soften the blow? Stay calm, Nicole. “Oh, really, when do you have to leave?”

  “We fly out tomorrow evening and return late Saturday night.”

  Nikki’s stomach clenched at the idea of Nate and Stacy spending a few days together, not to mention that she would miss him. Before she could formulate an adequate response, Nate continued.

  “Come with me.”

  Whoa, she hadn’t seen that coming. Had he planned to ask her all along, or was it a spontaneous decision? It didn’t matter either way, because she couldn’t go. “I can’t, Nate. I have to meet with the Rosenfelds on Friday, and I have to prepare for my mom’s birthday party, which I’m hosting on Sunday.”

  “Can’t you meet with your client tomorrow instead?”

  “No, I can’t. I have a lot going on this weekend, and I can’t just scrap it all to come with you.” Just because he could fly out on a moment’s notice didn’t mean she could.

  If Nate was aware of her edginess, he ignored it. “Maybe another time, then.”

  She softened at the hopefulness in his voice. “Yes, I’d like that.”

  “Let’s back up for a minute. You mentioned a birthday party on Sunday. How come I wasn’t invited?”

  “Well, I guess I didn’t really think about it at the time. Would you like to come?”

  “Sure, why not? I’d like to meet your family.”

  Caught off guard for the third time that day, she faltered. Nikki hadn’t told any of her family members about Nate. She had considered telling Dylan, but then Julie would find out, and all hell would break loose. As much as Nikki loved her sister-in-law, Julie could be relentless when it came to matters of the heart. There was already enough hoopla surrounding her and Nate; Nikki wasn’t ready to add her family to the mix.

  “Nik, you there?”

  “Yeah,” and then, against her better judgment, she added, “Of course you can come to the party, but I have to warn you, my family might be overly exuberant when they meet you.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Well, it’s just that I haven’t brought anyone around in a while, and they’re always badgering me about dating. You know how families can be, right?”

  “Absolutely, that’s what makes them so great. They always have your back, no matter what. My folks are no different.”

  Nikki realized that she had so much more to learn about Nate. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “If you get to meet my family, then I get to meet yours.”

  “Deal,” Nate replied without hesitation. “In fact, there may be an opportunity in the very near future.”

  Uh-oh, now she’d done it! “When, what…?”

  “Don’t sound so nervous,” Nate teased. “Fair is fair.”

  Meeting the parents was kind of a big step in the world of dating, at least to Nikki. She hadn’t met any of the parents of the few guys she’d dated since John. All of that was changing with Nate, which terrified and thrilled her at the same time.

  “I do want to meet your family, Nate. What do you have in mind?” Hopefully, she sounded more confident than she actually felt.

  “I don’t have a specific date yet, but I had planned to spend a weekend with them in Grand Rapids while I’m here. I would love it if they’d come and stay with me for a while, but Dad doesn’t feel comfortable driving long distances anymore.”

  “So, you’re saying we would stay at their house for a weekend?”

  “Sure, if you can manage it. There’s no way they’d let me stay at a hotel, so you may have to settle for sleeping in my old bedroom.”

  “That's fine as long as there aren't any posters of swimsuit models on the walls."

  “Ha-ha! I used to have those, but Mom took them down a long time ago. Other than that, not much has changed. They’ve lived in the same house for twenty years, and I don’t see them moving anytime soon.”

  As Nikki listened to Nate talk about his family, her nervousness slipped away. She should be honored to meet the people who had raised such a wonderful man.

  “It’s a date, then. Just give me a heads up so I can block off a weekend.”

  They talked for a few more minutes until Nate emitted a big, fat yawn. “Sorry, I’m a little tired from last night.”

  “Me too. Someone kept me up past my bedtime.”

  “Someone kept me up too, if you get my drift.”

  Nikki laughed and settled back into the recliner contentedly. “Will I see you before you leave?”

  “My flight leaves at five, so I’m not sure. If I can swing it, I’ll stop by your office to say goodbye.”

  “Ok. Sleep well.”

  “You too, beautiful.”

  “Why, thank you, handsome,” she replied, and she hung up the phone, pleased that she’d remembered her line that time.

  Chapter 29

  Nate made good on his promise and stopped by Nikki’s office on his way to the airport. After exchanging pleasantries with Rosa, Nate led Nikki into her private office, closed the door firmly behind them, and proceeded to give her a very thorough goodbye kiss. If she hadn’t wanted him to leave before that, she definitely didn’t want him to leave now.

  “I’ll miss you,” Nate said softly, his arms clasped around her waist.

  “I’ll miss you more,” she volleyed.

  “I can call you when I land, but you might be asleep by then.”

  “Sad but true,” she said in an attempt to keep things light. He would only be away for a few days, after all. What on earth would she do when he went back to L.A. for good? No use thinking about that right now…

  “You could call me after your meeting with the Rosenfelds on Friday, although I might be tied up at that time.”

  “This is becoming more complicated by the minute.” Nikki didn’t bother disguising her frustration.

  “Nicole, listen to me. I will make every attempt to talk to you while I’m away. We both have commitments, but we can make time for each other too, right?” He placed his hands on either side of her head and nodded it up and down in an affirmative motion, which finally coaxed a smile out of her. “That’s more like it,” he said.

  He let go of her and was about to move away when Nikki grabbed his arm and turned him back around. “I need one more kiss before you go,” she said.

  “I think I can manage that.” Nate pulled her into his arms again and gave her a whopper of a kiss that left her breathless and desperate for more. Afterward, she gave him a little wave as he sauntered out the door, and then she sank, defeated, into her chair.

  Rosa popped her head in a few minutes later, concern etched on her face. “Are you ok?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

  “You look like you jus
t lost your best friend. Is everything alright between you and lover boy?”

  “Everything is good except that he just left for L.A. for a few days. With Stacy,” she added.

  “Ahh, that explains it. I’ve seen pictures of his costar; she’s a pretty girl, but not nearly as pretty as you.”

  “Now that sounds like something my mom would say.”

  “Probably because it’s true. I don’t think you have anything to worry about, boss. I’ve seen the way that man looks at you, and he means business.”

  “Thanks, Rosa. I think I just need to focus on work this weekend, and I’ll feel better. In fact, we need to prepare the purchase agreement for tomorrow’s meeting.”

  “Already on it.”

  “What would I do without you?”

  “Hopefully, you’ll never have to find out.”

  The rest of the day went by relatively fast, and before she knew it, Nikki was crawling into bed. A large, empty bed, she noted as she settled under the covers. Her queen-size mattress suddenly felt huge without Nate by her side. She cracked open her novel, determined to finish the last two chapters before drifting off to sleep. Who was she kidding? She finished the book in record time and then lay there wide awake as thoughts of Nate swirled around in her head.

  At midnight, she gave up the fight, tossed the covers aside, and padded out to the kitchen in search of a late-night snack. Nikki grabbed a few chocolate chip cookies from the pantry and poured herself a small glass of milk. So far, she hadn’t encountered any problem that chocolate couldn’t solve, at least temporarily! She leaned against the kitchen counter, munching on cookies, when it dawned on her that Nate had probably arrived in California by now. Nikki raced back to her bedroom to retrieve her phone, which she had turned off and plugged in to charge before bed.

  Feeling hopeful and a little bit like a lovesick teenager, she hurriedly switched the phone on. There were not one, but five unread text messages from Nate!

  Are you up?

  I know it’s late but I was hoping you were still up so I could talk to you.

  I miss you.