Love in the Heartland

by Diana Currie

  His costars were already being interviewed by the reporters in the large, elegantly decorated room when he arrived. There were cameras and lighting set up in every corner, and someone approached Nathan immediately, whisking him away to the hair and makeup station. The film’s director came over to chat with him while he was getting camera ready. The next six hours were a blur as Nathan spoke with a dozen different magazine and television journalists. Briefly the cast enjoyed a catered lunch together and then it was back to interviews.

  Nathan hated being asked the same questions over and over, each time attempting to say something meaningful and different than how he’d answered for the last guy. The only part of the day he enjoyed was meeting Mark and Lily, the two contest winners from a local radio station. Mark was eleven and Lily fourteen. They won the opportunity to meet Nathan, Emma, and Gerard as well as ask them a question of their own that would be broadcast live on the radio. After their meet & greet Nathan hugged Lily and she squealed when his arms wrapped around her shoulders. Mark attempted to remain composed when meeting Nathan and the others but his nervousness showed on his face. Nathan pretended not to notice Mark’s shaking hand as he returned a promotional poster from the film with his signature on it.

  Lying in the hotel room that night Nathan tried to fall asleep. It was Saturday three am local time and he had a team of people arriving around noon to get all the movie stars ready for the red-carpet premiere that night. Nathan wanted to blame the time difference for his inability to sleep but he knew better. His mind was thinking of Maddie and what she might be doing back in the States. He counted back six hours and realized that it was nine pm in Texas. Maddie had mentioned her intentions of seeing Zero Gravity on opening night and Nathan wondered if she had seen it yet. He’d been thinking about her a lot lately and looked forward to their call later that night. Thinking ahead to the opportunity he would soon have to talk to Maddie again, Nathan finally succumbed to his exhaustion.

  Back in Amarillo Maddie and Holly left the Zero Gravity showing equally speechless. Holly’s mind was filled with images of Nathan Foster that she would take with her to bed that night, promising very pleasant dreams. Holly was easily entertained and never thought too deeply about movie plots or song lyrics. She’d sing along to any catchy beat with no concern that the words she belted out lacked tact and morality, were about committing suicide, or offensive to women in some way. Likewise, she took movies at face value and as long as she was entertained for 120 minutes she walked away happy. Sex scenes with hot bodied celebs were just icing on the cake and so Holly left the Zero Gravity showing fully satisfied.

  Maddie, on the other hand, wanted to get something more for her time and money. She liked movies that made you think, or reinforced some fundamental value like courage, love, and justice. Nathan had placed preconceived notions of the film in her mind before she entered the theater and she knew his warnings stuck with her as she watched it. Maddie agreed with him that the disaster movie plot was unoriginal in that regard, but she found the secondary plot of the families being ripped apart throughout the turmoil was cinematically done very well. She nearly cried when one of the other astronauts said goodbye to his girlfriend and infant son before leaving for his mission.

  And the sex scene Holly had been so excited about was much more personal and impactful than Maddie had expected. In the movie Nathan’s and Emma Watson’s characters had just gotten engaged before he was called up for the space mission that could cost him his life. The scene was hot and steamy but was still filmed in a way that showed how those two characters were expressing their love and saying goodbye to one another. As the movie progressed and the astronauts went into space Maddie could see what Nathan had been speaking about with the cheesy dialogue and predictable plot twists. Overall, Maddie was still pleased with the film, but she didn’t deny the fact that Nathan’s casting as lead actor made it infinitely more enjoyable.

  “That was fucking amazing!” Holly said as they walked outside the theater and headed towards Maddie’s jeep.

  “I liked it too. Were you disappointed by the shower scene?” Maddie chuckled.

  “Hell, no! Nathan Foster was wet, naked, and totally sexy. Do you think that tattoo was real or just for the movie?”

  “I don’t know, I’ve hear rumors he really got one. I’ll have to ask… um… ask the girls on Facebook,” Maddie replied. She very nearly slipped and said she would ask Nathan. Fortunately, Holly hadn’t noticed.

  “Those girls don’t know any more than we do. It’s all speculation. We’ll have to wait until the next time the paparazzi snag some photos of him on the beach to be sure. I hope it’s real. What about you?”

  Maddie shrugged and leaned against her old beat up jeep. “You know I don’t like tats. I’m hoping Nathan didn’t mark his beautiful body with a tribal band.”

  Holly rolled her eyes smiling. “You’re such a nerd. Why am I friends with you again?” she asked walking over toward her cherry red Mitsubishi. She never rode anywhere in Maddie’s jeep. Holly considered the ‘97 Wrangler a death trap with a bad stereo system. And she thought any native Texan who drove a vehicle with no air conditioning was borderline psychotic.

  “You’re friends with me because we share a love and devotion to Mr. Nathan Foster.”

  “Fuck, yeah, we do!” Holly exclaimed. “See you in class Monday.”

  “Yep.” Maddie waved as they parted ways.

  Later that night, Maddie lay awake pondering how much her feelings for Nathan had changed over the past few weeks. She had so many new questions for him and hoped he would be as forthcoming with information as he’d been in the past. She had been right to expect her perspective to be different while watching his films now that she had gotten to know the real man a little bit. She felt different watching him but it was still an enjoyable experience. It was a relief to know she didn’t have to hide away her Love Spelled Backwards DVD. That would have been tragic.

  Watching Nathan simulate sexual intercourse on screen didn’t make Maddie uncomfortable the way she’d expected to feel if it were someone she knew like Kyle or Holly doing it. The scenes still turned her on, so thank goodness Nathan’s recent phone calls hadn’t ruined Maddie’s ability to enjoy a good sex scene! Instead it made her curious about what Nathan must have been thinking while they shot those scenes. Had he and his costar really been naked? Were there some kind of movie magic tricks involved that made them look naked when in reality they were still covered? Nathan had told her before that it was an awkward process but not something that really bothered him. She thought about what it must be like to make out with a person you hardly know as part of your job.

  Maddie also wondered how Nathan had the courage to be an actor, not just during those intimate scenes but in every scene. She thought how vulnerable an actor must feel to stand up in front of so many cast and crew members openly weeping for one scene, screaming out lines of dialogue and pretending a space craft really was about to collide with yours in another. How could Nathan shed his clothes and kiss and touch another actor with so many people watching? Maddie shuddered just thinking about it. She had her moments when she could be playful or got particularly animated about something but for the most part she was an introverted person. It must take a lot of self-assurance to be an actor; definitely not a career path that she could have taken.

  The differences between her life and what she could only imagine Nathan’s was like were vast. Maddie found herself even more fascinated by Nathan Foster now that she had unmitigated access to the star. No more wasted hours of speculation for Maddie, she could go straight to the source. She wanted to know more about why he chose to portray Travis Tague in Zero Gravity if he so loathed the film. And she wanted to attempt to ease his mind by giving him positive feedback on her experience watching it. She could report, for instance, that Holly did indeed call the movie “amazing.”

  There was so much for them to talk about during their next call, between his experience at the London premiere
and Maddie’s thoughts on the movie. She was even more eager to talk to him this time than the week before. She only hoped he was having a good experience over in England and that he’d keep his promise to behave himself at the party. Maddie knew she’d be spending countless hours scouring the internet for live video feeds from the premiere the following day. She closed her eyes and willed her body to get some rest.

  Nathan was in no mood to continue socializing with London’s elite by the time the after party got underway but he knew what people expected of him. He was the top billed actor for the movie and that meant he had to stick around for a while longer. He avoided Gerard as much as possible and managed to discreetly dump every drink he was handed throughout the entire evening. It was awful enough to have to sit through yet another screening of Zero Gravity but all the phony smiling he was doing at the party was making his face hurt. All he wanted was to get back to his hotel to call Maddie.

  Most of the crew members who worked on the movie were genuinely good people and Nathan wanted to thank them for being so kind to him. He worked his way through the crowd of people chatting with everyone and saying goodbye to those he wouldn’t be seeing any longer. There were still a number of events he would have to attend with the cast and director but the crew he wouldn’t see again unless they worked on one of his next projects.

  He found the movie’s director later in the night and spent a few minutes talking with him about future collaborations. Nathan bit his tongue at some of the man’s script suggestions. Nathan didn’t want to get into a discussion about his desire to make more meaningful films in the future for risk of insulting Drew and Zero Gravity. He’d made it that long without anyone finding out how badly he despised the picture; he didn’t want to let it slip in the final weeks of his commitment. Drew said he would see him the following week at another press junket and Nathan bid him a goodnight.

  Nathan was tingling with excitement by the time he finally left the party. It took all his strength not to call Maddie from the limousine that escorted him safely back to the hotel. The only reason he was able to resist was because there were throngs of fans crowding the limo both outside the party and at the entrance to the hotel. Nathan didn’t want Maddie to be able to hear their screams because more than anything he wanted her to think of him as just a regular guy. He cherished their phone calls because up to that point Maddie had managed to make him feel normal again. He hadn’t realized just how much he needed that.

  After stripping out of the ten thousand dollar Armani suit, Nathan left it crumpled on the floor and took a quick shower. He left the lights dim in the suite’s bedroom and settled comfortably into an oversized easy chair by the window. He could see the busy streets of London from where he sat and hoped no one could see him from the ground with the lights as low as they were.

  It was 2:56 am London time when Nathan dialed Maddie’s number; her phone ringing only twice before connecting. “Hi, Nathan,” she answered. He could hear the relief in her voice. Had she expected him to forget to call, or worse, had she been worried he would be drunk when he did? Nathan was aware of how bad his recent track record was and couldn’t blame Maddie if she did have doubts about him.

  “Hey, Maddie. How are you?”

  “Great now that I’ve heard your voice. How was the premiere?”

  “Much like the last one. Lots of beautiful people, fancy food and wine, and another party to celebrate how wonderful we all are,” Nathan replied hoping Maddie could detect the sarcasm in his voice. “I’m glad it’s behind me. Tomorrow I get to sleep in and then tour Buckingham Palace before my afternoon interviews.”

  Maddie hummed in response and then said, “You seem in much higher spirits after this premiere, so that’s something.”

  “Of course I am, I’ve known all evening that I would get to speak with you when it was over. You are the only thing that got me through it.”

  “So you did… you know, get through it unscathed?”

  “I had one glass of champagne and carried the damn thing around all evening. So you don’t have to worry about me drinking.”

  Maddie smiled and curled up in the center of her bed happily. “I’ll admit that I kept checking all my usual news sites today waiting for pictures from the premiere. I liked that gray suit, by the way. You looked really good in it.”

  Maddie smacked the palm of her hand against her forehead, feeling utterly humiliated at her own admission. It didn’t help that Nathan chuckled in response. “Thank you. It’s currently in a heap on the floor,” he admitted glancing over at the custom designed three piece suit.

  “What? Shouldn’t that be on a padded hanger, protected by a moisture resistant garment bag?” she teased.

  Nathan shrugged. “Eh, close enough.”

  “You sound like such a guy.”

  Yes, Nathan thought to himself; please see me as just a regular guy, someone you can be comfortable around. Now that he’d found someone outside Los Angeles to talk to, Nathan wanted nothing more than his new friend to see him as her equal. He had enough people in his life who idolized him and built him up in their minds beyond any scope of reality. What he needed was someone who would tear him back down and keep him grounded.

  “So, you haven’t mentioned Zero Gravity yet. I know you saw it with Holly. What’s your verdict?”

  “Ha! Holly thought it was great, and you were amazing as usual. So congratulations on that.”

  “Thank goodness,” Nathan joked. “And what did you think?”

  Maddie wanted to tell Nathan that she too still thought that he was amazing, but was putting a lot of effort into suppressing her inner fangirl tendencies. She didn’t want to be that girl and knew it was the last thing Nathan needed. “Thanks to you I had such low expectations that I actually thought it was a decent disaster movie. I mean with a blockbuster like that you sort of expect a little hokeyness. I thought you, Emma Watson, and Gerard all gave good performances. To me the character development was the best part of the movie. I enjoyed it.”

  “Well, I am glad you didn’t demand a refund,” he teased.

  Maddie laughed at his dry humor. “I certainly felt it was worth my money. And now that I have seen the movie I’m in a better position to talk with you about it.”

  “Another time I’d love to pick it apart with you and tell you any behind the scenes stories you want to know about. But right now, I’d really like to hear about you.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you. I feel like we only ever talk about my life and problems. Tell me what’s been happening in your life.”

  “I finished writing a paper for one of my classes this morning. The topic was boring and it was a ton of research. I’m so glad it’s done. I took my nieces to the park for a few hours this afternoon so Kyle could take a nap. Both girls are getting teeth in and kept him up half the night. We played on the slide and I pushed them in the baby swings. My grandpop fell in his house on Tuesday but my dad took him to the hospital and he didn’t break any bones, thank God. He’s been living alone for about eight months and refuses to give up his freedom. I can’t blame him for wanting to stay there but it makes things harder on my dad.”

  “Did your grandmother pass away? Is that why he’s alone?”

  “Yeah. She had cancer. It was really hard on all of us, but at least she got to meet her great granddaughters.”

  “And your mother’s parents?”

  “Live in Colorado. I don’t get to see them very much.”

  “You said before that your mother grew up in Colorado, right?” Nathan asked.

  “Yes. She came to Galveston for spring break in college, met my dad while she was there, and never went home.”

  “Never went home?”

  “Nope. She called her parents to let them know she had fallen in love. She dropped out of school and came back here to Amarillo with my dad when spring break ended.”

  “Really?”

  “My mother tells the story as if it was love at first sight and nothing cou
ld have kept them from one another. But as I’ve grown older I’ve realized that it was probably just a symptom of my mother’s erratic personality. It would have been just like her to decide to leave her life behind and follow a boyfriend without ever looking back.”

  “Wow. Is that why you don’t see your maternal grandparents very often?”

  “My grandparents forgave my mom quickly from what I’ve been told. But for years they accused my dad of kidnapping her. She was 21 and he was 26 at the time. My grandfather in particular hated my dad for a long time. It wasn’t until Kyle was born that he finally came around.”

  “Why because of Kyle?”

  “My grandfather was surprised that Dad didn’t divorce her after the affair. He was impressed that my dad forgave my mom and chose to stay with her and raise Kyle as his own son. I think that made my grandfather see for the first time just how much my dad loved my mom.”

  “I suppose in order to forgive something like that then you must truly love the person,” Nathan agreed.

  “Yeah, I guess. I don’t like to think about how close they came to getting a divorce; it must have been an awful time. I’m lucky I was too young to remember it. What about your parents? Are they still happily married?”

  “Yeah, they are the epitome of an old married couple. But I’m lucky. They love each other very much and I had a great childhood.” Nathan walked across the bedroom to look for the hotel’s room service menu. “I’m going to order room service. What do you think I should get?”

  “Hmmm… Tea and crumpets?”

  Nathan laughed. “Do you think I can get the hotel chef to make me a big greasy American style cheeseburger instead?”

  “It’s worth a shot. I bet if you tell them who you are you could get some American French fries too.”