Love in the Heartland

by Diana Currie

  Katie didn’t waste the opportunity and sealed her lips against Nathan’s before he had a chance to change his mind. She kissed as good as Nathan had imagined and he let all thoughts that didn’t concern Katie fall away. In his mind, she had always been a beautiful, kind-hearted friend who was committed to her boyfriend and therefore an unobtainable goal. Nathan hadn’t thought about his feelings for Katie in a long time and the longer they kissed the more he remembered how he’d once felt about her.

  Nathan laid Katie down against the mattress and pressed his hips against hers. She mewled happily, wrapping her arms around his neck and tugging gently on his hair. They kissed, touched, and got acquainted with one another in a way Nathan had once fantasized about. Katie’s sudden desire for him was everything that Nathan had wanted for two years, or at least what he thought he wanted back when they were working closely together. She felt so good and it reminded him how isolated he’d kept himself these past few months. It was like relieving a pressure valve; finally having a woman to hold and kiss again.

  “I’ve wanted to fuck you since the day we met,” Katie whispered, her forehead pressed firmly against Nathan’s. “Did you feel it too? That electricity when we met?”

  Nathan nodded his head because he couldn’t deny he had always been attracted to her too. It was agonizing to only be learning now that Katie had felt the same way all that time but never said anything. “Of course I wanted you back then,” he replied. He’d always imagined this moment happening very differently, no alcohol involved, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that a romantic relationship with Katie was no longer what he wanted.

  “Fucking Conner. You’ve been like this itch I’ve had for two years that I desperately need to scratch. I wanna fuck you, Nathan Foster, until your dick is sore.”

  Her words sat strangely in the pit of Nathan’s stomach. What was she saying? “So, if we do this, Katie, what happens tomorrow?”

  Katie laughed and straddled his hips, her dress riding up close to the apex of her thighs. “I only wanna think about tonight.”

  She leaned down to kiss his lips again but Nathan couldn’t stop thinking about what that meant. Katie wanted a one night stand with him, and while a few months ago Nathan would have had no trouble agreeing to her terms, the idea now spoiled his fun. Nathan suddenly felt the urge to stop what they were doing, push her off his body so he could talk to her more, but his neglected penis had other plans.

  An internal battle waged between Nathan’s brain and other parts of him as Katie’s hand moved down to the buckle on his pants and began loosening the belt. She was going for the pants’ button when shouting from the living room startled both of them. “Ten… Nine… Eight!…”

  “Fuck,” Katie hissed. Nathan sighed, secretly relieved for the interruption. “I have to go out there, everyone will be wondering where I went. Will you stay until most of them leave?”

  “I’ll wait,” Nathan agreed. “Happy New Year, Katie.”

  Katie leaned forward and kissed Nathan’s pouting lips once more. “Happy New Year, Nathan.”

  Nathan knew he needed time to think but the room was beginning to spin. He placed his hand over his brow and felt beads of sweat at his hairline. Loud celebrations could be heard from the living room, but feeling queasy and confused, Nathan closed his eyes to block it all out. All he wanted was time alone to think. His actions that evening were troubling and he couldn’t put his finger on why he felt that way. After a few minutes of thinking over what had happened that evening and wondering what Maddie might be doing at that exact moment, Nathan fell into a deep sleep.

  Hours later when Nathan awoke he was disoriented and fatigued. He remembered how much he’d drank earlier and could already tell he was going to have a nasty hangover in the morning. The clock on the bedside table read 3:07am. Nathan checked his phone but he’d received no calls while he was passed out. He’d hoped maybe there would be a message from Maddie, checking up on him knowing that he’d been drinking at a party. He wondered if she was just asleep or maybe someone was preoccupying her over there in Texas.

  Nathan stumbled into the en suite bathroom where he relieved his bladder and washed his hands and face. His reflection in the mirror looked haggard and sloppy. Did he always look like that after a night of drinking? Nathan turned away from the frightening sight and sat down on the edge of the bed. He couldn’t hear any voices coming from the other rooms in the house and he wondered if perhaps everyone else had left. He remembered everything Katie had done and said to him and he hoped that she had fallen asleep somewhere in the house. Wanting to make a quick escape, Nathan called Stanley’s cell number so he could get a ride home as soon as possible.

  “Senior Foster?” a voice answered Stanley’s phone.

  Nathan cleared his throat quietly. “Hey, Alberto. I’m ready to leave the party now. Did Stanley leave you the address of Miss Owen’s party?”

  “Yes, he did, Sir. I can be there in ten minutes.”

  “Perfect. Thank you,” Nathan replied and ended the call.

  He waited another few minutes in the bedroom without hearing anyone moving around in the living room and was about to let himself out when the door suddenly opened. Katie entered the room, still fresh faced and beautiful. She held a joint between two fingers on her left hand.

  “I got it from Meredith,” Katie explained when she saw Nathan staring.

  “Who?”

  “Gavin’s niece. Pete didn’t get to her but it looks like someone else did. She’s passed out in her underwear in my bedroom!” Katie chuckled. “I’m glad you’re awake. Do you mind if I stay in here?”

  Nathan watched as she inhaled from the joint, leaning seductively against the wall. The only light was coming from the small bedside table and it cast a soft warm glow over Katie’s face.

  “Uh, I was thinking it might be time for me to go,” Nathan replied. It was clear to him that Katie intended to pick things up where they left them hours before. He was already feeling the hangover coming on but despite the headache Nathan was finally thinking more clearly. If anything were to happen between him and Katie Owens, he didn’t want it to be like this.

  Katie intentionally pouted at Nathan’s response and set the joint down on the dresser. She wasn’t about to let him slip away that easily. In two swift movements she unzipped her dress and let it fall to the floor. She reveled in Nathan’s shocked expression as he got an eyeful of her body. Nathan reacted physically, as any warm-blooded male would, at the sight of Katie Owens in her red push up bra and tiny G-string that didn’t quite cover her waxed bits.

  Slowly, like a tiger on the prowl, she stepped closer to him and nudged herself in between Nathan’s legs. His eyes were level with her toned, tanned belly. Katie took advantage of his temporary paralysis to wrap her hands around his neck and tangle her fingers in his hair.

  “I’m really going to miss this when they make you cut it next week,” she purred, gently tugging on the hair at the back of Nathan’s head.

  Nathan sighed. She was making this almost impossible to refuse. “Why do you want this now, Katie? I don’t understand. All those times we were alone together making the last movie, why now?”

  “I knew you liked me, but I’m not a cheater, Nathan. I wouldn’t have done that to Conner. But knowing that he didn’t offer me the same courtesy, maybe I shouldn’t have bothered keeping you at arm’s length. It doesn’t matter though, because now we’re free and clear to fuck to our hearts content.”

  She’d said it again, that she wanted to fuck him. Nathan had wanted that when they were filming together, but he would have also wanted more. Now he couldn’t even begin to think about having more with her. Their timing was off, like his brain and his dick just weren’t on the same page. He placed his hands on her arms, trying to remove them from around his neck.

  “Do you want the joint, Nathan? I think you need to relax a little,” she joked refusing to back away.

  “I’m not sure I’m ready for this, Katie. It d
oesn’t feel right,” Nathan said with thoughts of Maddie prominent in his mind.

  Katie lifted his chin up to meet her eyes. “Is it me, or because of that other girl?”

  Nathan closed his eyes and placed his hands on Katie’s waist. Her skin was soft and warm. He wanted her, there was no doubt about it, but he just knew that it would be a mistake. “It’s not you, baby. You are so incredibly sexy and I know I’ll be cursing myself later, but I just can’t do this. You’re right, there is someone else and until I figure out what’s going on between me and her I can’t sleep with you or anyone.”

  Finally, Katie removed her hands from Nathan’s shoulders and took a step back. “Fine,” she huffed. It was obvious to her that she wasn’t going to win this battle. At least not tonight.

  “I’m sorry. I think I need to go now. My limo’s probably waiting.” Nathan stood up to leave.

  “It’s probably for the best, can you imagine what the press would say when they found out Abigail and Caleb were really fucking? You think they hound you now…” she replied trying to laugh off the bitter sting of his rejection.

  Nathan cupped her cheek in one hand and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “You deserve so much more than a fuck buddy, sweetheart,” he whispered. He walked to the bedroom door and smiled over his shoulder before leaving her alone.

  The living room was quiet despite a number of people still lounging around. Most were asleep he noticed, others were having quiet conversations as Nathan tiptoed through the hall and dining areas to find where he left his jacket. He found it hanging it the hall closet and was creeping through the living room when he sensed movement on the far side of the room by the glass door that led to the balcony. Pete Walker had a naked black haired girl bent over the arm of an oversized armchair. His pants were halfway down his ass and he was fucking her hard from behind. The girl, who Nathan didn’t recognize, had her hand over her mouth to keep her screams muffled. Everyone else in the room paid them no mind at all, going about their business chatting quietly among the others who were passed out from too much partying.

  Nathan scowled at the sight and knew he’d made the right choice in leaving. How come everyone he knew in this town thought this kind of behavior was normal? He quietly let himself out of the house without the active couple noticing him and followed the long stone path down to the street. Alberto was there waiting for him in one of Stanley’s Lincoln Town cars. He smiled wide as he slid into the comfortable backseat.

  “Hey, Alberto. Thanks for coming for me.”

  “My pleasure, Senior. Where do you want to go now?”

  “Just home. It’s been a long night.”

  Alberto tipped his hat to Nathan in the rear-view mirror and sped off into the night towards Beverly Hills just as the sun was beginning to rise.

  It was just after four in the morning when Nathan stepped out of his bathroom after a much needed shower and fell clumsily into his bed. He didn’t even bother to put on boxers because his head was pounding and the only thing he wanted to do was sleep. Only he couldn’t. His mind was awake and worried about Maddie. She still had not called or text him since the night before. He knew he couldn’t sleep until he was sure she was safe, so while curled up in his fluffy white sheets, he called her.

  “Hello?” a groggy voice answered after three rings.

  “Maddie. It’s Nathan. I’m not interrupting you, am I?”

  “Nathan? It’s six o’clock in the morning; of course, you interrupted me. I was asleep.”

  “I meant are you alone?”

  “No,” Maddie answered glancing beside her. Nathan’s heart dropped into his stomach. “Holly is sleeping beside me. Why?”

  “Oh. I was worried about you, that’s all. I thought maybe you were still with that Marty guy.”

  Maddie rubbed her eyes with one hand. “Why? I told you I just met him last night! I don’t know how you do things in Hollywood but in Texas when you go out with a man for the first time he takes you home at the end of the night,” she spat with more petulance than either of them expected.

  “So, you didn’t sleep with that guy?”

  “Jesus, Nathan! No, I did not. He kissed me at midnight. He tried again at my front door but I gave him my cheek. Happy?”

  Nathan could tell that Maddie was not a morning person. Or she was very angry at him for assuming she had been promiscuous with her blind date. He couldn’t decide. Still, he was more relieved than anything else to know that she was safe. “Yes, that makes me happy. I worried about you all night.”

  “So, are you alone?” Maddie demanded. She was confused by Nathan’s unnecessary concern for her and now worried that he might have had wilder a night that she had been expecting of him.

  “Yes. I’m in my bed too.”

  “Did you fuck anyone at your party?” she pried without regret. If Nathan wanted to wake her up at the crack of dawn to find out her recent sexual history then she had every right to inquire the same.

  Nathan hesitated even though he knew the answer was technically no. He still felt like he had sins to confess. “I had the opportunity, but I stopped it. She wasn’t the right girl.”

  Maddie wasn’t awake enough to analyze the implications behind Nathan’s words. She was simply relieved to hear he hadn’t slept with anyone either. It made her realize how much it was going to hurt when one day Nathan would answer that question with a yes.

  “Look, I need to get some more sleep. I’m watching the twins later today. And if I wake up Holly I have no idea how to explain this conversation to her.”

  “Okay. I apologize for waking you, Maddie. Now that I know you’re okay I can finally get some sleep too.”

  Maddie sighed, feeling guilty now for the snippy attitude she was giving him. She knew he really did just care about her wellbeing. He was acting like a good friend. Well, a good friend with a twist of possessiveness. “It’s okay, Nathan. I’m glad you got home safely too. I’ll call you later tonight, alright?”

  “I’ll be here.”

  Maddie smiled to herself. “Okay, sweet dreams, slugger.”

  Chapter Nine

  A few minutes after eight o’clock Maddie rushed through the front door of her house. She’d been babysitting her nieces and Kyle had promised to be done work by 7:00. Her last two conversations with Nathan had been beyond awkward and she was eager to talk to him that evening. So, it was just her luck that Kyle had an irate customer in the auto garage and didn’t get home until after 7:30. Kyle begged her to stick around long enough for him to clean the grease off his body before abandoning him with the twins. He looked so tired and dirty that she relented knowing it would cause her to call Nathan later than he expected.

  To his credit, Kyle showered fast and Maddie was able to get home just a few minutes late. The last thing she wanted was for Nathan to think she wasn’t going to call so she had sent him a quick text from Kyle’s apartment to inform him she was running late. Their brief texting on New Year’s Eve left her confused and the follow up phone call early the next morning only made her more nervous. Something felt off between them and Maddie was really looking forward to having a normal telephone call with Nathan to get a better sense of what he’d been thinking lately. She was also hoping to discover who exactly Nathan had come close to sleeping with on New Year’s Eve. Just the thought that it could have happened churned her stomach.

  As Maddie entered the living room she saw something quite unexpected that took her attention away from the impending phone call she was about to make. Joe Sherratt was playing the Xbox. “Dad? What are you doing?”

  “Oh hey, Maddie. I wanted to try out this online gaming thing you got here.”

  Maddie smiled, amused by the sight of her father sitting on the carpet with his legs crossed like a teenager. “Are you playing with a thirteen-year-old kid from some other state?” she joked.

  “No, I’m playing with that friend who sent this to you. What’s his name?”

  “You’re playing with Nate?” Maddie asked
surprised.

  “Yeah, him. Or should I call him WisconsinProud09?” Joe asked reading the name of Nathan’s gaming handle from the TV screen. He chuckled to himself over the name and then remembered the headset that he’s set down beside him when the front door had opened.

  “You’re talking to him too?” Maddie gasped when she saw Joe readjusting the game headset.

  “Yeah. I took this silly thing off when you came in because I thought it was your mother. You know she thinks things like this cause brain cancer,” he replied.

  Maddie was horrified to learn that Joe and Nathan had been having a conversation for the last however many minutes. What did they have to talk about she wondered?

  “I’m back WisconsinProud09,” Joe teased. Maddie couldn’t hear Nathan’s reply but then her dad laughed and added, “Yeah, I guess I should create my own profile name instead of using Maddie’s, huh?”

  Maddie smiled. “Why, daddy? You don’t like being known as TexanTinkerbell?”

  “Oh yeah, she’s always been nuts over Disney characters,” Joe said to Nathan. It embarrassed Maddie. She hoped to God they haven’t been talking about her this whole time!

  “Are you almost done the game because I’m supposed to be calling him in a few minutes?” she asked anxiously.

  “We need to finish this mission. Maybe ten minutes?”

  Maddie rolled her eyes deliberately. “Fine. I’ll go take a quick shower. Don’t tell him any more about me,” she hissed in a low voice that only made Joe grin widely.

  She rushed while in the bathroom wondering what her dad and Nathan could possibly be bonding over. They were no doubt an odd couple. Would she have to worry about them gaming together whenever she wasn’t around? Maddie threw on a camisole and pajama pants before returning to the living room with her cell phone in hand. Joe was opening a beer in the kitchen; the television screen now off.

  “I thought you told me this guy you’ve been talking to lives in California?” Joe asked as she approached him.

  “He does, but his family is in Wisconsin.”