My Life With The Movie Star

by Hoffmann, Meaghan

  “I cannot wait!” Lisa exclaimed. “Maybe I will meet a hot movie star. Doesn’t Gray have any single friends he can fix me up with?”

  “What about Travis?” I teased, knowing that Lisa would dump Travis for a hot movie star.

  “What about him?” She asked.

  “Maybe the guy who plays Derrick Patrick Evans needs a date. I’ll ask Gray about it,” I said with a smile. Since Gray was taken, Patrick Evens was second best in Lisa’s book.

  “Thank YOU!” Lisa shrieked and threw her arms around me. “I knew we were friends for a reason.”

  After my walk with Lisa, I straightened up the house and finished the second Texas High book. I planned to put off the third book until filming of the third movie began. I was organizing some files when Gray called.

  “Hi, beautiful,” his soft voice said into the phone.

  “Hi! How’s shooting going?”

  “Oh fine, but I miss you. I have your flight arrangements all made,” Gray said. “I’m so excited about seeing you.”

  “Me too,” I replied.

  “My stylist has picked out some dresses for you to try on for your red-carpet debut.”

  “Sounds like fun,” I teased.

  “She has also picked out some things for Lisa.”

  “Lisa will be excited.”

  “I figured she would. I will have my assistant, Melissa, email you all the arrangements.”

  “Miss you, Gray,” I said again.

  “Talk to you soon honey,” said Gray

  “Bye,” I said and hung up the phone.

  This was so exciting, and difficult, at the same time. I couldn’t believe how much I missed him after only a week. My heart just ached for him to hold me and kiss me again. So I did what any girlfriend of a movie star would: I went to go see Texas High again.

  Chapter 15

  The next two weeks were a bit of a blur. I worked a lot of overtime to get ready for my vacation, and Lisa called me every day, excitedly going over all the details. Gray’s assistant had been fantastic and had made all or our arrangements.

  We would be traveling first-class all the way. Gray had arranged for a limo to pick us up at my house, and his assistant would pick us up at baggage claim. I was a bit disappointed that Gray would not be coming to the airport, but I understood that with all the paparazzi that it would be difficult for him to get in, or for all of us to get out.

  Lisa spent the night before our trip at my place. We both got up at the crack of dawn to get ready. I had just finished my hair when the car pulled up.

  We rode to the airport in silence, both of us too excited to speak. I was going through what I planned to wear each day. I had packed everything Gray had bought for my trip and a few things that he had not seen yet.

  Lisa and I checked our bags and made our way to the gate. We were the first to board, and before we knew it the captain was closing the plane door and pulling away from the gate. We were finally off.

  “How will we find his assistant?” Asked Lisa, flipping through a magazine she had purchased at the airport.

  “I’m not sure. Maybe she will have a sign or something,” I answered. “I guess I should have asked Gray.”

  “Are you excited about seeing him?”

  “Of course I am! My heart is doing a million flip flops at the moment. I hope he still has feelings for me.”

  “Abby, of course he does. Would he really be footing the bill for all of this if he wasn’t into you?”

  “I guess you’re right. I just can’t wait to hold him again and make sure he is real.”

  “Among other things,” Lisa teased.

  “That too, but I just need to feel him again and make sure this isn’t all a dream.”

  “One hell of a dream, Abby, and I’m having the same one!”

  “I forgot to tell you: Gray has invited Patrick Evans over tonight,” I said.

  “Now you tell me. This would have been important information yesterday.”

  “If I had told you about this yesterday, you would have driven yourself nuts,” I pointed out.

  “You’re right about that.”

  After we landed in LAX, it took us a while to find baggage claim. LAX was triple the size of MKE. Once we had grabbed our bags, a tall blond woman walked over to us.

  “Are you Abby?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I said.

  “I’m Melissa, Grayson’s assistant. Did you have a nice flight?”

  “Oh yes, it was very nice. This is my friend Lisa.” I pointed out Lisa, who shook hands with Melissa.

  “Gray mentioned that you were bringing a friend,” Melissa said. “Now, let’s get you two to Grayson’s. We don’t have much time for any alterations on which dress you choose.”

  Melissa whisked us off into another limo. I shot Lisa a worried look. Melissa looked more like a supermodel or actress than a personal assistant. A flicker of jealousy went through me. She gets to spend every day with Grayson, I thought.

  Once the limo door was shut, Melissa got on her cell phone and made arrangements to pick up the dry cleaning, checked that the maid had been by the house, and arranged for a messenger to bring over new scripts for Gray to read.

  “We’ll be at the house shortly,” Melissa said. “Gray will be home after his morning shoot wraps up. I had the kitchen stocked for you, but please let me know if you need anything else; I can put in an order.”

  Wow: a maid, gardeners, and assistants. Grays life was so different from mine. I hadn’t honestly noticed that when he was in Port Washington – he had seemed so normal and down-to-earth – but now he seemed like a Mega star with an entourage of people taking care of his every need. I gulped hard, and Lisa seemed to notice my new concerns. She patted my leg to let me know everything would be fine.

  The drive took almost an hour from the airport. I started to look out the window when we pulled into a secure neighborhood. All the houses were hidden behind massive gates, but you could still see how large they were. The car pulled into a gated drive way, and I got my first glimpse at Gray’s house.

  The house was about three stories high and all glass windows. I wondered how a house like this could stand in LA where they had earthquakes. Melissa hopped out of the car and led us to the front door. She opened it for us.

  “Before I leave, I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping,” she said. “Don’t worry about your bags; I will have them brought up to your rooms.”

  We walked through the massive foyer and up the grand staircase. I could not help but stare in awe of the chandelier that hung from the ceiling. It was enormous and beautiful. The floor was real slick and appeared to be a marble in different shades of black and gray – very masculine. His walls were adorned with artwork. I wondered how much Gray had picked out for himself and how much a decorator had picked out for him. The house felt very grand. Gray had seemed to like things simpler than this, I thought.

  Melissa opened the first door at the top of the staircase.

  “This will be Lisa’s room. I hope it’s adequate for you.” The room was a large cheerful white guestroom. The bedding looked like it was from a hotel: very white and crisp with hints of brown. This room had a balcony that looked out over the pool and guesthouse.

  “I think this room is bigger than my apartment,” said Lisa, walking in and admiring it. She set her purse down on the bed and checked out the adjoining bathroom.

  “This way to the master suite, where you’ll be staying, Abby,” Melissa said.

  The master suite, I thought to myself. That reminded me of my parents’ house in Atlanta they had a master suite. My realtor had called the room I sleep in a master suite, but honestly it was just a bedroom with a small bathroom attached.

  Melissa opened the door to Grayson’s room, and I could not believe my eyes. This room was not crisp and white like the
others; it had been painted a light shade of brown, and the bedding was dark-brown and beige linen to match. My mouth must have just hung open as I took in the “room,” which was actually several rooms. He had the biggest walk-in closet I had ever seen and an oversized bathroom with a large Jacuzzi tub. There was a library at the farthest end of the room, which was where I imagined he spent most of his time. I could see the stacks of scripts sitting next to an old-looking reclining chair. On the farthest wall was a flat-panel TV with a video-game system, next to it, a stereo and a massive CD collection. I remembered what he had said about being more of a bookworm than a movie star. I chuckled at that thought; he must stay in most nights. The last thing I noticed about the room was his acoustic guitar. I had no idea that he played the guitar. I would have to get him to play something for me sometime. As I took in the room, Melissa walked over to the closet.

  “I cleared out some space for you,” she said, pointing to where I could put my things. “I know what a waste on guys. He only owns a few pairs of jeans and shoes. I’ll leave you to explore and will be back soon with your dress choices.”

  “Thank you, Melissa,” I said.

  Just as she walked off, Lisa reappeared, eager to see what Grayson’s room looked like.

  “This looks more like him than the whole house,” she stated.

  Lisa and I started to jump up and down and shriek. I was glad that Gray was not home yet to see how blown away we were by everything.

  “Oh My God, Abby, you could live here!” exclaimed Lisa. “And if you do, you better invite me over all the time!”

  “Invite you over? I might make you move with me!” I said. “I’m getting a bit more nervous. Gray seems more like a star in LA than he did in Port.”

  “Relax; he will be the same Gray you fell for. Trust me.”

  “I hope so, but look at his house, his closet, his bathroom. My house must have been a joke to him. My master bath is the size of a closet compared to his.”

  “You are thinking too much,” said Lisa. “I know what will cheer you up: let’s go take a dip in the pool.”

  I looked out the back windows and gazed at his Olympic-size pool with swim-up bar and waterfall. Somehow, I didn’t think that would make me feel any better or any less out of place. Lisa darted off to get her swimsuit on, and I sat down to take in the events of the morning. Grayson had a beautiful assistant and a house that belongs on Cribs, and me? How did I ever fit into this equation? I wondered how long Lisa would let me sit and think before she insisted that I go for a swim. I was starting to unpack my things when I heard a familiar voice from behind me.

  “Now this is what I like coming home too,” said Grayson as he walked into his room.

  “Oh, Gray!” I exclaimed. I rushed over to him and throw my arms around him before I could wake up from this dream. I needed to check and make sure he was real.

  “Hi, baby,” he said. He stroked my back and brushed the hair out of my face.

  I looked up into his brown eyes, and somehow things started to feel better and safe again. He looked down and gave me a passionate kiss.

  “I have missed you so much,” I said

  “I have missed you too. What do you think of the house?”

  “Do you really need to ask? It’s wonderful. I can go swimming in your tub, and I think I could live in your closet. My house must have seemed so small to you.”

  “You could use a bigger closet, but your house is perfect; it suits you,” he said

  “What’s, old and boring?”

  “No, special and unique,” he replied. He started to kiss me again. “Alone at last!”

  “Not for long,” said Melissa, knocking on the door as she entered. “Sorry Grayson, but she needs to pick out a dress now.”

  She brought in a rack of trendy designer dresses. They were all a bit edgy, but my guess was that since this was an MTV event, you didn’t wear a ball gown.

  “Oh, Abby, I told Lisa to come on up when she was done sunning,” said Melissa.

  “Thanks.”

  “I will leave you girls to have at it,” said Grayson. He gently kissed the top of my head before heading out the door.

  “Grayson mentioned that this was your first red-carpet event,” said Melissa. “You seem so different to the girls he normally brings.”

  “What do you mean by that?” I asked.

  “Grayson’s type is normally actresses or models – girls who have experience being at events with photographers. I will have to run through the basic red-carpet etiquette with you. The most basic rule is people, Grayson’s fans and photographers are not coming to see you; they are coming to see Grayson and Holly. So when you are on the red carpet, you will stand next to me in the back.”

  “Okay. What else do I need to know?” I asked, feeling like I should be taking down notes.

  “When Grayson is posing for pictures, get out of the way. He has to pose with Holly on the red carpet. She will be by his side until we enter the building, so you will have only a limited amount of time to interact with him before the show starts.”

  “Oh,” I said, trying not to sound too disappointed.

  “Grayson and Holly are nominated for Best Kiss and Couple,” Melissa went on. “My guess is they will win both. Be prepared for them to kiss on stage. I really need you to keep your jealousy intact; I do not need drama that night.”

  “No problem,” I said, hoping that I could stand to see another woman act as Grayson’s date right in front of me.

  “You will be sitting with me, behind Grayson and Holly. “

  I started to wonder why Grayson had even invited me to this event. It seems like everyone will think he’s with Holly. I wondered who her date was and whether I was expected to hang out with him.

  “Once the show is over, we will all be attending the studio after-party. Your friend, Lisa, will meet us at that point. After he’s in the party, he is all yours for the rest of the night.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “I’ll keep all that in mind.”

  Melissa started to show me all the different dress options. I chose a bright-blue dress with light beading and a bit of a rocker edge to it. It was short and devilishly sexy. My legs looked like they went on for miles. Melissa had some silver strappy sandals for me also.

  After we had picked out my dress, Melissa had Gray come up and try on his suit.

  “Did you have fun?” he asked after he had changed back into his clothes

  “I guess it was fun. Melissa gave me a rundown of all the rules for this event,” I said.

  “Rules? What rules?” Gray asked, looking concerned.

  “How I should stay in the background because nobody is there to see me, and how you have to take pictures with Holly. Those kind of rules.”

  “Well, I hope Melissa wasn’t too harsh with you. The studio is on her back to make sure this is perfect. I am obligated to take pictures with Holly and accept an award if we win, but you’re my date.”

  “I didn’t know you were nominated for an award,” I said.

  “Don’t you watch MTV? Everyone could vote on who wins,” he replied.

  “I guess I don’t,” I said. I didn’t want to tell Grayson that I couldn’t afford basic cable.

  “Now we have all the formal things out of the way, I thought it would be fun to stay in tonight and have a couple cast members from Texas High over.”

  “Sure, who’s coming over?”

  “Well, Patrick for one thing, and I also invited Holly.”

  “Holly?” I asked, a bit startled to hear him say her name.

  “I think it would be good for you two to meet before Saturday. Maybe you guys will hit it off and be friends,” Grayson said hopefully.

  I knew it would make his life easier if I did get along with Holly and wasn’t a jealous girlfriend. “Is Holly brining a date to the event?”

>   “She might; just like Lisa, she always has a few guys who are willing to go with her to events.”

  I knew Grayson was right: I should meet Holly. I just wish I had enough guts to tell I wanted to spend that night alone with him. However, since Lisa was also along, I guess we were certainly never going to be all alone. I would have to hold out for my next trip to have his undivided attention.

  “It’s almost dinner time,” said Gray. “You must be hungry. I guess you were cooped up in my room most of the day. I hope Melissa didn’t work you too hard. I will need to remind her that you eat. Most girls in LA don’t.”

  “I’m fine. I wasn’t really hungry,” I lied. I had been famished for hours, but wasn’t going to leave his house in search of food.

  “Do you like Chinese? I can order some takeout?”

  “I love Chinese.”

  “Great, I’ll go order a few things,” Grayson said.

  I listened until I could tell he was down the stairs, and then I ran into Lisa’s room in a panic.

  “Hey, Lisa, Patrick and Holly are coming over tonight,” I stammered.

  “Tonight? I had hoped we would have one night to relax.” Lisa started throwing clothes out of her suitcase, trying to find something to wear. “What are you going to wear?”

  “I have no idea! I was hoping you would.”

  Lisa thought for a few seconds. “You have that great silver tank top that shows off your back … and put on the jeans we bought you.”

  “Thanks, Lisa; you are hired as my stylist.”

  “You couldn’t afford me,” Lisa teased.

  I ran back to Gray’s room and decided to jump in the shower, which was easier said than done. His shower was a complicated mess of knobs and facets. I had no idea how to turn it on. Just then there was a knock at the door, and Grayson walked in.

  “I thought you might not know how to turn it on,” he said. “All you need to do is turn this knob for the main faucet and these for the wall faucets.”

  “Do you want to join me?” I asked with a smile.