Love in the Heartland

by Diana Currie

  “The same Nathan. Yes. I’ve been talking to Nathan Foster on the phone since September.”

  “Oh, my stars,” Sandy gasped.

  “Who is Nathan Foster again?” Joe asked.

  Maddie smiled, remembering how she had told Nathan there was little to no chance that her father would know his name. “Nathan Foster is the guy who starred in Love Spelled Backwards and Zero Gravity.”

  “That pretty boy you have on your bedroom wall?”

  “Yes, Daddy,” Maddie said rolling her eyes. “But I took it down Saturday after he saw it. Nathan came here to visit me on his way over to Louisiana to film a new movie.”

  “Nathan Foster was here? In this house?” Sandy asked. Maddie nodded, biting her lip nervously.

  “He surprised me. We hadn’t agreed to meet in person yet, but he said he couldn’t wait any longer. I feel like I know him so well, Mom. Every week we talk for hours and he’s such a sweet guy; nothing like you’d expect a celebrity to be. And since that day we spent together I feel… I can’t explain it. Do you think I’m crazy for wanting to try and have a real relationship with him?”

  “I don’t know, Maddie. It’s still a little hard to believe,” Sandy replied.

  “I have proof!” Maddie remembered. She grabbed Nathan’s script from behind its hiding place at the bottom of the magazine rack and handed it to her mother. “He left his script here. And I also have a couple pictures he sent me.” Maddie held out her phone for her parents to see.

  Sandy scrolled through them in awe. “Where’s his shirt?” asked Joe, upon seeing the picture where Nathan’s scar was displayed.

  Maddie blushed. “That’s the only one like that, I swear.” She didn’t want her police officer father to start lecturing her on the public repercussions of sexting with boys.

  “I’m in shock, I think,” Sandy said as she handed the phone back to her daughter. “But you’ve been so much happier the past few months; I have to say I’m relieved to finally know what’s causing it.”

  “It’s all because of him,” Maddie confirmed.

  “He lives in Hollywood and is so recognizable. How often do you think you’ll see him? I’m not trying to be pessimistic, just wondering if you’ve given his fame enough consideration.”

  “Believe me; I’ve given it a ton of consideration. It’s the reason I told him not to come see me. But he didn’t listen and I’m so glad he didn’t. I understand it’s going to be hard; harder than any other relationship. Do you guys think I’m crazy?”

  Joe wanted to say yes, she was out of her cotton-picking mind, but he couldn’t do it. Even he could see how happy Maddie was and how hopeful she felt about this young man. Sandy looked at her husband and then to Maddie. “No, sweetie, we don’t think you’re crazy. You seem to know Nathan better than I knew your dad when I decided to follow him here twenty-seven years ago. Was that crazy?”

  “Yes,” Maddie and Joe said in unison. Sandy took her hand back from Joe’s grasp and shoved his shoulder playfully.

  Joe stood up and stretched his back until it cracked. “I’ve had a long day and this sounds like girl talk to me. I’m going to go upstairs to shower and change.”

  When he was gone, Maddie flopped down on the sofa next to her mother. “What should I do, Mom?” she asked in a small voice.

  “I can’t answer that, but I don’t see why you can’t give him a chance.”

  “I’ve already decided to do that, I’m just so worried.”

  “What are you so worried about, dear?” Sandy asked.

  “His life is so complicated. I don’t think I can fit into it. Nathan knows I had class this morning and plan to watch the girls tonight; a totally normal day. But him? He’s been filming a movie all day, with a director, costars, makeup artists, and those little black chairs with his name on the back. There were probably local journalists there taking pictures too.”

  “Sounds intense,” Sandy agreed.

  “What if he wants me to go to L.A. sometime? I’m worried about the paparazzi finding out who I am. Ugh, and the fans online with hate me. Women are so mean to each other; they’ll call me ugly and say I’m not good enough for him.”

  “That’s absurd, you’re beautiful. I think you’ve weighed the pros and cons thoroughly. What I think you’re looking for from me is a little reassurance. You need to talk to him about your fears. Just always be honest with him. That’s my advice.”

  “He’ll call me later tonight but the separation is hard; not getting to see him at the end of the day. He’s been in Shreveport since Monday working ten hours a day.”

  “So, he’s filming that new movie right now? How exciting!” Sandy exclaimed.

  Maddie sighed. “Yep, probably as we speak. He really didn’t enjoy filming his last movie so I hope he’s having a good time on this one.”

  “I’m sure he is,” Sandy agreed with a smile.

  Just as Maddie suspected, Nathan was in the middle of filming a scene over in Shreveport. Gavin fussed over lighting and readjusted the lavender bed sheets again. “Move your leg a little, Katie. Yes, just like that. Now, Nathan, you need to tilt your head back. Try to look like you’re enjoying this. Grab the mattress with one hand and put the other low on her back. Okay, perfect. Nobody move. And… Action!”

  Katie started to rock, her breasts bouncing in Nathan’s face. She was wearing round nude colored pasties over her nipples but they did little to preserve her modesty. She had a similar rectangular patch covering her lady parts, but was essentially naked as she straddled Nathan’s hips. The bed sheets were strategically situated to expose the length of Nathan’s body on one side and were ruffled around Katie low enough to show a few inches of her bottom. Gavin had promised that Forever would be racier than Love Spelled Backwards and he was keeping that promise. Nathan had never filmed a scene where he felt so exposed. The modesty sock taped to his privates provided no comfort, emotional or physical. Every time Katie moved against him the double-sided tape rubbed and pulled on his pubic hair.

  The scene they were filming would be following an argument between the two main characters that takes place moments earlier in the movie. Abigail threatens to walk out on Caleb if he doesn’t start being more open with her and telling her how he feels. Caleb responds with action instead of words by ripping off their clothes and throwing her down on the bed. Abigail slaps Caleb’s face and forces herself on top of him, saying that nothing he does is going to make her stop loving him, but she’s not going to let him push her around.

  The director had the actors do three more takes in that position and then decided to switch things up. “Alright,” Gavin called out. “Those shots look good. Now let’s have Nathan on top. Katie, arms will be above your head. Nathan, we’re going to position your arms to support you but also block Katie’s breasts as soon as you roll her over. Remember you’re supposed to be mad at each other so when you go to flip her, Nathan, grab her hips roughly. And Katie, let’s hear a little squeal of surprise, got it?”

  The actors agreed and prepared themselves for the change in position. As soon as cameras were rolling, Nathan flipped Katie onto her back and the sheet pulled away, exposing both actors’ lower halves. He pulled it back up knowing the camera would be focused above the waist anticipating that very problem. Now hovering over Katie, Nathan tried to put his arms where the director wanted them and Katie reached up to hold the bed frame. He kissed her neck on the left side, knowing that his head would block her face if he went to the right. Katie moaned a little and Nathan continued pretending to make love to her waiting for her to say her line.

  The moment she did Nathan knew they were going to have to start this over again. “Wait, we have to cut!” Nathan yelled, looking over his shoulder to find Gavin.

  “What’s the matter?” he replied.

  “You didn’t hear it? Katie called me Nathan.”

  Gavin cursed under his breath. “Okay, don’t move. Maggie, can you please do touch ups to their makeup, fix those sheets, and we’ll
take it from the top. And Anna, please read Miss Owens’ lines to her once more.”

  A few crew members laughed and Katie closed her eyes in embarrassment. Nathan was kneeling over her, his hands supporting his weight on either side of her shoulders. Maggie, the makeup artist, rushed over to wipe sweat off Nathan’s brow and reapply a little stage make up to both. She wiped lipstick off Nathan’s mouth and touched it up on Katie’s lips.

  When Katie opened her eyes again, Nathan saw the beginnings of tears in them. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “This is harder than I thought it would be.”

  “Shh, it’s okay. It was just a slip of the tongue; happens to all of us.”

  “No, I mean being with you makes it hard to concentrate. It was different on the last movie when I knew you wanted me and it was my choice not to indulge it. It’s humiliating now, having to do this scene, knowing that you don’t want me.”

  “Katie, it’s not that I don’t want you anymore, it’s just that I’ve found someone else and I’m happy, you know? You’re very sexy, so that makes this hard for me too. I have to really concentrate not to get too turned on.”

  Katie smirked, feeling reassured by Nathan’s admission.“We’re still friends and we’re professionals,” he continued. “We got this.”

  “Yeah. We got this,” she repeated.

  “I know it’s awkward, but we want to give our fans the best possible sex scene the censors will allow, right?” Nathan joked.

  Katie couldn’t help but smile. “That seems to be the goal. Thank you for being so nice.”

  Anna walked over and said, “Katie, you’re going to reply after a three second pause ‘I need you so much, Caleb’ and then Nathan, you’re going to say, ‘I know, baby, I don’t want to fight anymore’.”

  Neither of them moved an inch while Maggie fluffed the sheets around them and gave Gavin the okay to resume the scene. Nathan leaned down and kissed Katie’s forehead. “Conner really blew it because you are amazing. You are,” he said hoping to reassure her and because he truly believed it.

  Gavin yelled “action” and Nathan picked up where he’d left off.

  Two hours and eleven takes later they were finally finished shooting the first of three love scenes for Tomorrow and Forever. Nathan was exhausted, not just because he’d started his day of filming ten hours earlier, but also because his arms and back were sore from kneeling on that bed for so long. Katie and Nathan were brought their robes the moment Gavin yelled “cut” for the last time that day but he still felt uncomfortable. Three cameramen, two assistants, and the director had watched him rolling around in the bed with a sock on his dick for the past four hours. And speaking of uncomfortable, Nathan still had sticky tape around his groin and was dreading the moment he ripped it off like a stubborn band-aid. He shuddered at the thought.

  When he finally returned to his trailer, he saw a missed call from Maddie on his cell phone. He listened to her message and was desperate to talk to her but decided he should definitely tend to the tape situation first. He finally dialed Maddie’s number when he was fully dressed and on his way to the waiting limo that would take him back to his hotel room. She had said in her message that she was babysitting her nieces but would be able to answer her phone if he had time to call. Nathan could tell by the tone of her voice that she was hoping he would.

  “Hey, Nathan,” she greeted after four rings.

  “Hello, my angel. I was afraid for a second I’d be sent to voice mail.”

  “I was wiping applesauce off the floor,” Maddie laughed. “Are you done for the day?”

  Nathan sighed. “Finally. It was a long day. I’m on my way back to the hotel now.”

  “You sound tired. Is Stanley driving you?”

  “Yeah, he’s taking good care of me. How were your classes today?”

  Maddie put a cartoon on the television to occupy the twins and sat behind them on the couch. “So far so good. The classes I’m taking are interesting but I can already tell two of them are going to be a lot of work. I hope I’ll be able to keep up my hours at the lab.”

  “Is Holly in any of your classes this semester?”

  “No, we only cross paths in electives and I don’t have any this semester. We might take a writing class together in the spring though.”

  “Have you told her about me yet?” Nathan asked.

  Maddie twirled a finger in her hair and watched the girls clap along to the TV show they were watching. “Well… it hasn’t come up yet. But I did tell my parents.”

  Nathan wondered why Maddie was so afraid of telling her best friend about him, but was relieved to hear at least Joe and Sandy knew. “That’s good, what did they say?”

  “My mom seemed kind of excited. She wants to know when you’re coming back. And my dad didn’t really have an opinion either way, but that’s just Joe.”

  “So, you’re still afraid to tell Holly the truth, then?” he pressed.

  “Yes!” Maddie relented. “You don’t know her. She will demand to know every little detail about you and she knows how to wear me down. Are you sure you want that?”

  “What could she possibly get out of you that would upset me?”

  Maddie thought for a minute. “Okay, here’s how I envision it going down in my head, ready? First, she’ll shove me really hard and tell me to shut up, not believing my story. When I show her your pictures and she finally believes me she’ll be furious that I haven’t introduced her to you yet. And then there will be the questions. She’ll want to know what it feels like kissing you, what I know about Forever, and if you’ve told me any juicy celebrity dirt on your costars, especially Katie Owens. Oh, and she’ll probably ask me to describe what your hair feels like to touch and how big your… your manhood is.”

  Nathan laughed. “But you don’t know the answer to that last one.”

  Maddie blushed. “I know, but that won’t stop her from asking. I’m telling you, it will be ugly when she finds out.”

  “Won’t she be more upset the longer you wait?” Nathan asked. “And what if she tries to set you up on another date?”

  “I would say no, obviously. I’d rather tell her I’m entering the convent than tell her I’m dating Caleb Thomas. Just trust me.”

  “Okay, you know her pretty well so whenever you think the time is right is fine by me,” Nathan finally relented. “But since we’re on the subject, what does it feel like kissing me?”

  “You’re making me blush.”

  “And I really wish I was there to see it. So?”

  “Kissing you is like a dream,” Maddie said quietly. “Like I might explode from happiness. And it was more than the kissing; just being held in your arms made me feel better than I’ve ever felt before.”

  Nathan closed his eyes and pictured her face. “I should have made love to you when I had the chance.”

  Maddie bit her lip and twirled the usual strand of hair furiously. “I’m glad we didn’t. I’d hate to have woken up the past few days wondering if it would ever happen again, or…”

  “You still worry about what it is that I want from you, Maddie? I thought the past few days would be enough to convince you how serious I am.”

  “I feel like I can’t compete with Hollywood, like as soon as you’re forced to choose between them and me I’ll lose you. And there are so many gorgeous actresses who all must want you as much as I do.”

  Stanley pulled up outside Nathan’s hotel and he quietly thanked his driver before stepping out and heading into the lobby. He was angry that Maddie had so little self-confidence where their relationship was concerned when she seemed so sure of herself in every other aspect of her life. He hated that there was nothing he could do to ease her mind. And it might be weeks before he could look her in the eye again and tell her how much he cared for her.

  “Do you have any idea how absurd you’re being?” he asked as he rode the elevator up to the tenth floor. Nathan quickly strode down the hall and let himself into his hotel suite where he would have adequate
privacy for what he was about to say.

  “Well, that’s how I feel. And we promised never to lie to each other, remember?” Maddie replied. She knew she was upsetting Nathan and that he felt like her doubts meant she didn’t trust him. But it wasn’t Nathan at all that worried her. It was the pull of Hollywood and the glamorous lifestyle that she just couldn’t compete with.

  “Let me tell you a little about my day,” Nathan said as he threw down his shoulder bag and kicked off his sneakers. “This morning I filmed a city street scene with Tyler Curran and Pete Walker. We had to stand for hours just to get a five-minute scene shot. There were fans of the movie there watching us the entire time and the other guys would talk in between takes about which girl they thought was hottest and if they should go over to them after the scene. The whole time I was thinking about you; hoping you were doing okay at school and if you were missing me as much as I missed you.”

  “Nathan…”

  “Hold on a second. Then we did a café scene that took forever because Pete Walker kept messing up his lines so bad we had to rework the film schedule. And that meant later this afternoon I had to film a love scene I wasn’t expecting to shoot so soon. It was with Katie, who by the way, has recently decided that she wants to fuck me for real. It was the most awkward scene I’ve ever filmed. Katie is a beautiful girl and a year ago I would have been thrilled for her to feel that way. But I felt like I was cheating on you today because I knew how uncomfortable it would make you to hear about that scene. So, I’ve realized that the way I respond to her and all other women changed when I met you. And I don’t mean meeting you three days ago; I haven’t slept with anyone in months, Maddie. I don’t want Katie; I don’t want some other shallow, empty actress. I only want you.”

  “I want you too, Nathan. So much.”

  Nathan sighed, happy to hear her say that. “Good. So, are you still glad we didn’t sleep together?”