by Diana Currie
“Huh,” Nathan said, “That’s weird.”
“What is?”
“Out of the corner of my eye I could swear I just saw lightning.”
“How is that possible if you’re currently baking out in the bright sunshine?”
Nathan glanced up at the sky and saw it was perfect and cloudless. When he turned his head toward where he thought he saw the lightning he noticed branches in his neighbors’ tree moving and more flashes of what no longer resembled a weather event.
“Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!” he yelled jumping straight up out of his chair and running towards the house.
Maddie could hear the sound of Nathan’s chair tipping over and then the unmistakable slamming of a door. She called his named repeatedly but Nathan was too busy cursing and mumbling things she couldn’t understand to answer her.
“There are paparazzi in my neighbor’s mother fucking tree! They must have gotten at least a hundred shots on me. Shit!” he finally said into the phone.
“Oh my God.”
Maddie finally understood why Nathan was so upset. This was the last thing he needed right now. And to think a few minutes earlier she was rejoicing in how carefree and happy Nathan had been.
“I’m sorry, Maddie, but I have to let you go. I need to call my agent.” Nathan didn’t even wait for Maddie’s reply before ending the call and dialing Melissa’s number. He ran upstairs as the phone rang to get dressed and shut every window blind in the house. He had never felt more like a prisoner before.
For a number of minutes Maddie sat on the end of her bed trying to process what just happened. Photographers got pictures and possibly video of Nathan sunbathing in his backyard completely naked. She knew she would just die of humiliation if such a thing would happen to her. That ten-foot fence didn’t seem like so much protection any more, she thought. Nathan seemed to have thought it was more than adequate. He lived in a gated community, she knew. How did those rotten Paparazzi even get access?
Maddie had lots of thoughts over the next few days. Nathan should have known better than to put himself at risk like that, even in his safe gated community. The man did have neighbors for goodness sake. She worried about how upset Nathan was when he hung up on her and she wished she knew how he was handling the gross invasion of privacy. And third, and possibly most reprehensible, Maddie wondered how long she’d have to wait to see the pictures show up online. Holly was going to lose her freaking mind over this one.
Maddie didn’t have to wait very long. By the end of Tuesday, she checked her phone and found ten missed calls from Holly. The pictures had come out, she was certain. She checked TMZ and there Nathan was, gloriously naked and relaxing on a chaise lounge just as she had pictured him in her mind’s eye. The celebrity gossip website had the decency to place a dainty black censor bar over Nathan’s butt crack in the first series of photos. From the angle it wasn’t even possible to say for sure this man was Nathan Foster. But then the others, after Nathan had flipped onto his back, were photographs that would make Miley Cyrus blush. Okay, maybe not her, but surely Jennifer Lawrence knew this level of humiliation.
The worst part of it all was where Nathan had said he’d placed a washcloth there was a TMZ icon instead, making it look like Nathan was absolutely nude outdoors. Which he was, but with a tiny piece of cloth covering himself. TMZ made it seem like Nathan’s manhood had been on display for the photographers. For a few minutes Maddie shamelessly admired the photos the way any other EVOL fan was doing at that very moment. She noted how lean and muscular he looked. The gym regiment was paying off; Maddie thought that he might be even sexier than he had looked in Zero Gravity. One other detail of the photos struck Maddie as interesting. She saw in the photos that Nathan looked really happy. Holding a cell phone to one ear he was smiling and laughing as he talked to her. TMZ had captions under many of the photos and a few speculated who Nathan might have been talking to. The prime suspect according to the website was his costar, Katie Owens.
Could that be Nathan’s leading lady making him grin like a Cheshire cat? TMZ asked. They could hope for that juicy story all they wanted. Maddie knew the truth, and it filled her with joy to know Nathan enjoyed conversations with her so much. Only now she worried that he hadn’t called her back. She wished there was something she could do, but could think of nothing. She hadn’t heard a word from him but a few text messages here and there in three days. Nothing he’d written her mentioned the photos that were published, just their normal banter back and forth.
Little did Maddie know it would be another five days before Nathan called her again. That Sunday night Maddie happened to be watching the twins again;Addison was sleeping and Rebecca was engrossed in Cinderella for the umpteen time that day. When her phone buzzed in her pocket Maddie almost didn’t answer it, but somehow she sensed it was him.
“Hello?”
“Maddie. Hi, how are you?”
“I’m okay Nathan; wondering how you’ve been. I’m glad you called.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t sooner. Things have been hectic, though I haven’t left the house all week except when Stanley drove me to and from the studio.”
“I can imagine. Has it been awful?”
“Melissa wants me to sue.”
“Maybe you should,” Maddie offered.
“It’s embarrassing enough. A lawsuit will only drag this out. I’d rather let it play out and hope a better story comes along soon.”
“Are you sure? I mean, I saw the pictures. I hope that doesn’t upset you; I really tried not to look but couldn’t stop myself. I had to see what they’d done to you.”
Nathan sighed. “I’ve had a team of tech people scouring the internet for days. The censored pictures are the only ones online. No cock shots or anything after I stood up. The pap either had a smidgen of decency or they didn’t get any of those shots. I don’t want to sue anybody.”
“If it were me I’d want revenge or something.”
“If you think about it, what was exposed that I haven’t offered before in movies? My ass is already all over the Internet from Zero Gravity’s love scenes. It was just the voyeurism that got to me. It felt like I’d been violated, for lack of a better word, because it happened without my permission.”
“And completely unexpected. Did you find out how they got into your neighbor’s yard?”
“Their house is being renovated and there’s contractors coming and going all the time. Apparently three photographers bribed whoever was working that day.”
“That sucks.”
“It sucks I chose that day to do something stupid in my backyard. Like I said, I just want to get past it.”
“Are you really okay? I’ve been so worried.”
“You have?” Nathan asked genuinely surprised.
“I thought maybe you’d call me sooner considering the way our last conversation ended,” Maddie replied, remembering Nathan’s haste and the panicked tone of his voice last Sunday.
“I spent Sunday night and most of Monday on the phone with Melissa, Hank, and my lawyer. And I had to be on set all week. I did text you…” Nathan said guiltily.
Maddie smiled. She was relieved to hear he wasn’t still freaking out. “It’s okay. We’re talking now.”
“I wish it could be longer, but I need to call my mother too before she falls asleep. She’s pretty mad.”
“Mad at you?”
“No, Hollywood. The paparazzi. I’ll just say that this didn’t help ease her mind about my being out here.”
“I’ll bet.”
“Everything will be okay; she will get over it too. Listen, I just wanted to let you know that this week coming up is the last of the Forever L.A. shoot before we change location.”
“Right. You’re coming to Louisiana,” Maddie said nervously.
“Yeah. So, Friday night after wraps me and some cast and crew are going out to celebrate. It will be my first time out since the pictures. I think the attention will be intense so I wanted to give you a hea
ds up that you might see pictures from it.”
“You’re not planning on getting drunk, are you?” Maddie asked only half kidding.
“Not embarrassingly drunk, no. But I’ll be with Katie Owens. I know the media is trying to make a story out of us and I don’t want you to freak.”
“Why would I freak?”
“Come on, Maddie,” Nathan answered softly, acting as if he knew for certain she would. When she didn’t respond he took that as confirmation. “There will be a group of us; you just won’t recognize some of the others. It’ll be Pete Walker, Tyler Curran, Duncan, one of the camera men, a lighting guy named Howard, and probably two people from Second Unit.”
“Okay. So, are you looking forward to getting out of Los Angeles for a while?” Maddie asked.
“Like you wouldn’t believe. And I think I’ll feel better just being in the same time zone as you.”
“Nathan, I know we haven’t made plans to see each other while you’re in Louisiana,” Maddie stated bashfully.
“And…” he coaxed her gently.
Maddie rolled her eyes. “And I think we should see what your filming schedule is like before we go making promises.” Maddie knew that if Nathan said he was coming to see her and then had to cancel she would be devastated. She felt like it was better not to get her hopes up.
“You can’t keep me away forever, Angel,” Nathan replied.
“That’s not what I’m trying to do,” she retorted defensively.
“I don’t want to argue, let’s just leave it open ended. Again.”
“Okay. Go call your mother.”
Nathan smiled despite himself. “Yes, Ma’am. Talk to you later, Maddie.”
“Good night, Nathan.”
The following Friday night, Nathan donned a leather jacket and baseball cap as he headed out to a club with his friends. The paparazzi followed them just as he expected, but what surprised him were the cruel and rude things they shouted trying to get a rise out of him. They called him an exhibitionist. They asked who he was going to fuck that night. They asked him to invite Katie Owens over next time he skinny dipped.
Nathan knew not to let them get to him; Melissa had taught him that much. He knew to pretend they weren’t following him and to never, ever, answer their intrusive questions. He was safe inside the club where his friends were waiting to eat dinner, drink, and dance. And he managed to have a good time that night.
When the group of eight were leaving the club, everyone was feeling good from all the alcohol and laughs they shared over the past few hours. Duncan and Howard were kind enough to body block Nathan from the paparazzi that had been waiting outside since they arrived. Nathan kept his head ducked down and followed the others to where their limousines were waiting. He shook hands with the camera man and lighting specialist who he would not see again until he returned to L.A. for the final leg of filming. Brenda and Angie from Second Unit hugged Nathan goodbye. They would be traveling to Louisiana a week after Katie, Nathan, and the others.
Katie and Nathan were the last to get into their respective limousines. Nathan leaned in to hug Katie goodbye and was only slightly surprised when she kissed his cheek and held him close to her. She had been overly friendly with him all evening and Nathan knew he needed to put a stop to her advances sooner rather than later.
“Follow me home, Nathan,” she whispered in his ear. Her hand cupped his stubbled cheek and Nathan could see cameras flashing behind them. He carefully removed her hand as he stepped back. He could see in the reflection of the limo’s windows that photographers were witnessing their parking lot exchange from two places. Nathan knew he had to end this but also didn’t want to cause a scene.
“Katie, I just can’t. There was a time when you were the only woman I wanted… but that was a long time ago. I’ve moved on.”
“Even after this month of working together, you don’t feel anything at all for me?” she asked.
“It’s not that I don’t feel anything for you…”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I’m sorry, because I do think you’re very beautiful, and a good person, and fun to be around. But there’s only one woman I want to be with.”
“That’s what you told me a month ago, and yet you came here alone tonight. Why aren’t you with her right now if she’s so important to you?” Katie replied with irritation. “Why isn’t she here?”
Nathan thought about that a moment. “You’re right. I honestly don’t know why I’m still not with her.”
“Whatever the reason, she’s not here. I am. I’m here and I want you, Nathan,” Katie said as she raised her hands as if to cup his face just before a kiss.
Nathan took another step backwards. “Look, I really need to go. And we’re being watched, so please don’t give them anything more to write about in the morning.”
Katie took a long cleansing breath as she opened the door to her limousine. Her yoga was definitely paying off. She felt calmer than she expected to be after getting shot down by Nathan Foster for a second time. “Fine. I hope you know what you’re doing and that this woman you speak of wants you as much as you seem to want her.”
“I’m determined to find out.”
“Good night Nathan,” Katie said with her head held high.
“Good night,” Nathan smiled in response as Katie got inside the limo. He waved goodbye as he closed the door for her, eager to get back to his own limousine where he could start making some suddenly very urgent arrangements.
Eighteen hours later, Maddie was home in Amarillo making herself something to eat when the doorbell rang. She wasn’t expecting company but quickly wiped her hands on a dishtowel to go answer the door.
Chapter Twelve
When the doorbell rang Maddie was in the middle of preparing a turkey sandwich for her lunch. She thought the person at the door might be a kid selling candy bars or perhaps Kyle misplaced his house key again. She wiped her wet hands on a dish towel and tossed it on the island counter top as she went to answer it. Shock was not a strong enough word for what Maddie found on the other side of the door.
“Hello, Maddie.”
Nathan Foster stood there on her doorstep in Amarillo, Texas. Tall, beautiful, and nervous as hell. Maddie’s mouth dropped open and her eyes bulged as every muscle in her body seized up. She’d known he would likely push her for a visit while in the Midwest but she never expected a surprise like this.
He stared at her, waiting for her to speak but no words were coming out. Maddie was obviously star struck; she felt her heart beat wildly in her chest and a nervous tingle spread all over her body. Nathan had told her many times that the man from the movies whom she was so enthralled with was just an illusion. No one looked that good in real life. But he was wrong. Dressed in a t-shirt and jeans with old running sneakers and a book bag slung over one shoulder, Nathan was more breathtaking than Maddie had ever seen him look on the silver screen.
Maddie felt like she was suffering from double vision for there were two Nathans standing in front of her and she couldn’t decide which one to respond to first. One was a man whom she dreamed about nightly and he was actually standing in front of her; it was too much to process. But at the same time, Maddie could also see her new best friend anxiously waiting for her to greet him. He rocked back and forth on his heels and his eye brows were lifted in anxious anticipation for her reaction to his showing up unannounced.
Nathan noticed she hadn’t blinked in at least thirty seconds, maybe longer. For a few brief moments he worried that he’d been wrong about Maddie’s ability to see past his fame when they finally met. Her first reaction to his face was one he’d seen far too many times. She showed all the signs of a hyperventilating fangirl and was afraid that perhaps he’d made a huge mistake coming to see her. Maddie had asked him not to turn their long-distance friendship into something tangible and real. Was this her real reason? Was Maddie not as indifferent to his fame as he had hoped she was?
“Jesus, I can’t beli
eve you’re really here,” Maddie finally whispered.
Nathan smiled his perfect Hollywood smile and replied, “Not Jesus, Angel…”
Maddie’s shell-shocked trance broke with his familiar words and jumped in to complete his sentence, “just Nathan.”
“Just Nathan,” he said with a grin.
“You came to see me? Or did something bad happen?” Maddie asked suddenly worried that Nathan was running from something or someone in Los Angeles that hadn’t made the news yet.
“I’m not here to hide, though I do think it would be wise if I came inside sooner than later. I’m here to see you. I couldn’t wait any longer.”
Maddie glanced around her front porch but thankfully no neighbors were out in their yards or driveways. “I’m being so rude, come in, come in.”
“I apologize for showing up uninvited,” the actor said as he crossed the Sherratt’s threshold and officially entered Maddie’s real life.
Maddie closed the front door and took a deep breath before turning around to face him. She was still nervous and shaky from his sudden presence. Nathan walked into the house noticing a large living room on the left, dining room on the right, and open kitchen that connected them. The living room ceiling extended to the second floor and the stair case railing continued along one wall of the room opening the second story hallway like a balcony. The colors were earthy; greens, browns, and beige. The kitchen looked recently renovated; cabinets a dark wood color and appliances all stainless steel.
“Your house is really big,” he noted.
“Everything’s bigger in Texas,” she shrugged.
Nathan smiled, relaxing slightly. “So… are your parents here? I’d love to meet them.”
Maddie shook her head. “No, they went to Galveston for the weekend; won’t be back until tomorrow night.”
Nathan thought about that for a moment. Lack of parental supervision would definitely make this visit more difficult, at least for him. When he’d decided to come here he’d imagined Maddie opening the door with a big welcoming smile after which they would embrace like old friends. Instead, she looked shaken; skittish from his unexpected appearance so he refrained from touching her at the door. But Nathan was still itching to touch Maddie, desperate to know if her hair was as soft as it looked and if her skin smelled as good as he imagined. Perhaps he should have let Stanley book him a hotel room after all. He hoped the awkwardness would soon pass for both of them.