by Diana Currie
She could see just by looking around how Nathan could have felt as though he’d have complete privacy out there. “Where is that tree the paparazzi was hiding in?” she asked out of curiosity. She saw nothing but palm trees behind the fence.
Nathan frowned at the memory of being caught naked by a sneaky photographer with a telephoto lens months earlier. He pointed to the far corner of the yard and said, “In the neighbor’s yard back there.”
“I don’t see it,” Maddie replied.
“That’s because I paid my neighbor twenty grand to cut it down.”
“You did?” she asked shocked.
Nathan smirked. “Yep. I couldn’t stand to look at it anymore.”
“You gave them money? You should have sued them for not vetting their contractors better,” Jackie exclaimed.
“You should have sued the paparazzi,” Garrett said.
“No,” Nathan said shaking his head. “I can’t just sue someone every time my privacy is violated. Look at what happened Monday night; we got swarmed by cameras just walking out of a club. It’s better to just let things like that play themselves out. The neighbor took down his tree and the community beefed up their security. There’s nothing else to be done.”
Garrett smiled wide and added, “Except now you wear clothes outdoors.”
“Except now I wear clothes outdoors,” Nathan mimicked and took a swig of beer.
After lunch, Jacqueline asked if they could do some sightseeing. She wanted to see Rodeo Drive and Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Nathan knew he couldn’t go to those places without making a scene since they were both big tourist attractions. So, he arranged for Stanley to pick up Garrett and Jackie and take them on a tour of Hollywood. They all went back into the freshly cleaned house and Jackie and Garrett ran upstairs to get dressed.
“Do you want to go with them?” Nathan asked Maddie. The last thing he wanted to do was remind her of the limitations of his fame. He could deal with feeling left out for a few hours if it meant Maddie would go and experience one of the fun aspects to living in L.A.
“I don’t want to go. I’m here to visit you, not Hollywood,” she replied sincerely.
She was surprised that Nathan offered because it would mean he’d be left alone in the house all afternoon. He was so isolated in that big mansion and it wasn’t hard for her to imagine how maddening life could be without anyone else to talk to. She didn’t want him to spend a minute under those circumstances for as long as she was in town.
Nathan grinned widely as Maddie walked over to curl up against him on the couch in the living room. “Are you sure?” he pressed.
“Absolutely,” Maddie replied with a smile.
She snuggled up against him and he flipped through the TV channels as they waited for Stanley to arrive. The house got much quieter after Garrett and Jacqueline left for their tour. The only sound was the humming of the dishwasher and the occasional soft steps Lupe took upstairs as she did laundry and made the beds.
“Can I use your computer to check my Facebook and email?” Maddie asked as she sat up on the couch and stretched.
Nathan frowned from the loss of her soft warm body lying next to his. He could have stayed right where they were all day. “Of course you can. You’ve been unplugged for almost four days already.”
“Holly texted me twice this morning and left a voicemail too. She must be dying for an update,” Maddie said smiling.
“I’ll leave you to it then. I guess I should spend some time in the gym. I can do that while you’re on the computer,” he replied.
Nathan walked over to the chair where he’d left his sneakers and began tying the laces. Maddie opened his laptop that was on the coffee table and logged into her Facebook account. She wanted to catch up with her EVOL friends and then give Holly a call. Nathan was about to walk away when he heard her gasp.
“What the hell?” Maddie exclaimed. “Why do I have 423 friend requests?”
Nathan stopped in his tracks, his stomach tightening immediately, because he knew that meant trouble. “Shit, Maddie. Don’t accept any of them.”
“Why? Do you think its spam?”
“Did you read any of those text messages from Holly?” he asked, ignoring her question.
“No, I was going to do it now. What’s going on?”
Nathan looked up from the computer screen and grimaced. “I think the pap might have figured out your name.”
“What? How could they possibly?” Maddie replied as the color drained from her face.
“You have no idea how deep they’ll dig to uncover something as valuable as a woman’s name if they think she is romantically linked to a celebrity. The ability to use your name in their headline instead of just the ‘unidentified brunette’ means serious dollar signs.”
Maddie groaned. “I thought the worst we’d be dealing with was a blurry or distorted picture of me getting into the limo. Does this mean they took that photo and somehow figured out who I am and where I’m from? What do they have… facial recognition software?” she joked lightly.
“Are you freaking out?” Nathan asked with concern.
Maddie shook her head, careful not to let him see the true magnitude of her fear. On the inside she was starting to panic. She’d hesitated accepting Nathan’s invitation to come to Los Angeles for this very reason, but Nathan’s hopeful green eyes had been too much to resist so she had agreed to come visit him despite her worries. She knew that flying right into the hornet’s nest of paparazzi meant putting her anonymity in jeopardy.
“Maybe it was naive, but even after getting photographed Monday night I still held out hope I’d get through this week unnoticed,” she said.
“You weren’t being naive. I thought we could manage it too.”
“How do you think they got my name?”
“It’s likely somebody we came in contact with went to the tabloids. It could have been the waiter at the restaurant, that couple on the beach, or anyone who heard me say your name in public.”
“The new limo driver,” Maddie added.
“Raul? It’s possible, but if I find out that’s true I’ll make sure he loses his job. It was more likely someone who saw us together at Chateau Marmont. Or maybe out last night at Pantages.”
Maddie’s eyes widened. “What if it was Gerard?”
“Let’s not start pointing fingers. You’ll drive yourself crazy doing that, believe me. Can I use the computer? I’m going to check TMZ and assess the damage.”
“Okay, I’ll check Holly’s messages.”
The room was quiet for several minutes while Nathan read up on a few celebrity gossip websites; cringing over and over as his fears were confirmed. When Maddie listened to Holly’s voicemail she knew just how bad a mistake their outing to the Marmont had been. Holly’s tone of voice was the high-pitched squeak Maddie recognized as one that only came out when her hysteria level was high. Maddie typically only heard it when her friend had news about Nathan. This time Maddie understood that she was that news.
“Nathan Foster has a new costar and it isn’t Katie Owens. Madeline Sherratt has seemingly written herself into the story,” Nathan read from Yahoo News’ entertainment section.
Maddie looked at him and frowned. “Holly said in her message that I’ve been called your Flavor of the Week, your Texan Princess, and a Southern Simpleton.”
“Good God,” Nathan replied. “TMZ is claiming to be the one who uncovered your identity. Here’s the picture from Monday night. Nathan Foster hits his old hot spot with Madeline Sherratt of Texas.”
“How dare they!” Maddie gasped. “Oh, my God.”
Nathan turned the computer screen around so she could see. “The picture’s not that bad, you just look a little stunned,” he said trying to find the bright side.
“It’s not that. They keep calling me Madeline! Blah!”
“That’s what you’re worried about, Angel?” Nathan asked trying not to smirk.
“Well… yeah!” she lamented. “Only my gra
ndfather calls me that. And my mother when she’s putting me in my place. Urgh, it gives me the willies.”
Nathan wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pressed a soft kiss to her temple. “I’m sorry this came out. I really hoped we could fly under the radar a little longer.”
Maddie sighed. “Me too, but I knew it was just matter of time. I better call Holly back before her head explodes.”
“Alright. That’s probably a wise decision. I’m going to go do my work out. I suddenly have some stress to work off,” he replied glumly.
Maddie kissed him on the lips and watched as he left the room. She took in a deep breath before dialing her best friend’s number, not knowing what to expect when they spoke. She bit her lip as the phone rang a few times.
“Oh, my fucking God!” Holly answered.
“So nice to talk to you too,” Maddie replied with a smile. As crazy as Holly was, it was comforting to hear her familiar voice.
“Don’t be cute with me, Maddie. I am freaking out here! You’ve been exposed! Your name is all over the Internet and you don’t call me back immediately?”
“I’m sorry. I slept in late and then was very busy making love to my boyfriend until close to noon,” Maddie said coyly.
“Ah! Stop it! I don’t want to see your face when I picture Nathan Foster naked! L.A. has made you cruel, Madeline!” Holly hissed.
“Hey, hey. No need for name calling,” she joked. “And stop thinking about my boyfriend naked!”
Holly chuckled. “As if that was even possible!”
“A discussion for another day,” Maddie replied rolling her eyes.
“Give me a break. It’s been a very tense couple of days. I’ve been tracking every news article written about you and saving all the pictures to my computer for future analysis. You’ve been mentioned on TMZ, E Online, People.com, Huffington Post, Yahoo News, Just Jared, Hollywood Gossip, Daily Mail, US Magazine…”
“Holly, take a breath! So, what’s their consensus?”
“Well, where shall I start? They all know your name. They know you’re staying with Nathan. They know you come from Texas but haven’t pinpointed the town yet. There’s only a few pictures so all the news outlets are using the same ones from Monday night. Nice deer-in-headlights look by the way.”
Maddie groaned. “Gee, thanks. So that’s it? My name and state of residence?”
“Well, yeah so far,” Holly replied feeling deflated. “You don’t sound panicky. I thought you would be a blubbering mess.”
“It’s unnerving for sure. Nathan and I will probably just have to lay low my last few days in town. But things will go back to normal once I’m home. I really doubt any of these paparazzi are going to dusty little Amarillo to track me down.”
“Wow, you are really in denial. Your life is changed forever, Maddie! They know you’re from Texas so it’s just a matter of time until they figure out which city. And every time Nathan leaves LAX they’re going to wonder if he’s flying in to see you. You can bet your life there will be cameras at Rick Husband International to see if they can catch him with you. Some of our classmates have already called me asking if I’ve met Nathan and if I have any details about him or your relationship. Oh, and have you been on your social media yet? The EVOL Facebook girls are pissed. They’re calling you Traitor-line.”
“What?”
“Madeline… Traitor-line. Can you blame them? You’ve been hiding this for months.”
“So, all the girls on Facebook hate me now?” Maddie asked.
“Yeah, pretty much. Some are just curious how it happened but others are posting nasty comments on your wall and demanding you answer their questions. I’ve spent countless hours defending your honor.”
Maddie bit her lip. “Crap. Should I not look at the comments?”
“It depends how thick your skin is I guess,” Holly replied honestly.
A few minutes later, Nathan finished in the gym and went to check on Maddie. He could hear she was still on the phone so he went upstairs to shower off quickly and change his clothes. All kinds of fears ran through his mind while he was working out. Maddie had been talking to Holly for a long time and he worried that her second-hand fame was going to be a real issue between them. He cleaned up quickly and headed back to the living room where he found Maddie looking at the computer screen. He noticed she was off the phone and there were tears forming in her eyes.
“Is it that bad?” Nathan asked in a soft voice.
Maddie was startled by his sudden appearance and closed the laptop quickly. She wiped the tears away and stood up to face him. “I didn’t hear you walk in.”
“Angel, what happened? What did Holly say to you?”
“It’s not because of Holly,” she sniffled. “She told me the girls online weren’t too happy with me so I was just reading some of their comments. I realize that I lied to them but I didn’t think they would be so mean. I considered these women my friends just a few days ago and now some of the things they are saying about me are just… so hurtful.”
“Oh, honey, do you remember what I said about never Googling myself? You can’t read what anyone says about you online. People have no decency and no filter when they comment on those websites. They’re shielded with anonymity and can’t be held accountable for their words. It brings out the worst in people.”
“What am I supposed to do, never go on social media again? Never watch entertainment news or pick up a magazine for fear my face might be somewhere inside?”
Nathan grimaced as he nodded his head. “Yeah, pretty much, if it’s going to hurt you so badly when you see your picture on the cover of a tabloid.”
“Oh, great, the tabloids! So, I can never go grocery shopping again either!”
Nathan sighed and leaned against the side of the sofa. “I know how you’re feeling right now. You think you’ve lost control, like your life is going to be limited. I went through this when people started knowing my name.”
“It’s not the same as when you became famous, Nathan. You put yourself out there and asked for the attention. I know because I was right there with you even though you didn’t know it. I watched the media coverage and read practically every article written about you. You were a beloved movie star from the very beginning. You’re forgetting that I’m not a movie star. My name is only out there because I’m the trailer trash who’s taken Nathan Foster off the market.”
“Why would you describe yourself that way?” Nathan asked angrily.
“It’s not me. It’s Perez Hilton. Holly told me that during Perez Hilton’s TV spot on me he said that judging by my appearance in those photos that I looked like I just stepped out of a trailer park. He said I have no business at the Chateau Marmont and no business hanging off the arm of a man as handsome and rich as Nathan Foster.”
“Maddie, that’s absurd. You can’t listen to anything those idiots say about you. I know following celebrity gossip is a hobby you share with Holly but you’ll have to learn to laugh it off or stop exposing yourself to it. I can’t stand seeing you be hurt this way.”
Maddie pressed her hands against her forehead, feeling dizzy. Her head was filled with all the nasty comments about her appearance and her life that she had just read and heard about from Holly. What stung the most was the fact that she was losing her friends on Facebook. Maddie knew how unbelievable her relationship with Nathan must seem to them. And they were right to call her a traitor. She’d been posting and commenting online about Nathan’s new movie for months as if nothing had changed. But didn’t she deserve happiness? Didn’t Nathan? Maddie thought that her former friends were entitled to some level of shock and jealousy but shouldn’t they at least be mature about it?
She looked up into Nathan’s eyes and saw that they were worried. “This is all my fault and I want to make you feel better,” Nathan said. “Remember when we first started talking on the phone? We used to watch Lost together for hours. Why don’t we go downstairs to the theater, curl up on the sofa with all kinds of
junk food, and pick a new show to binge watch together? I promise you’ll forget about all this stuff.”
“We’ll just hide here in this house forever?” she replied solemnly.
Nathan reached out his arms for Maddie and willed her to come to him. “Not forever, just until a better news story comes along. It’s going to be okay. Come here,” he pleaded.
“No,” she refused his comforting embrace.
“What are you thinking?” Nathan asked.
Maddie was silent for a moment; thinking about everything that had happened that day. And she wondered if Holly was right about going home to whispering neighbors and prying questions. Was everything about to change? Would she be hounded now that her life was publicly connected to Nathan’s?
“I knew coming here would be a mistake,” she murmured.
Nathan took a step back; he felt like she had just punched him in the stomach. “How can you say that after everything we’ve experienced together the past five days? Seeing you every day, waking up next to you in the morning… hasn’t that time been precious to you too?”
“Of course it has, but you live your life inside a fishbowl and I never wanted that. You want us to hide in this house watching old TV shows until Saturday? What happens when we decide it’s safe to poke our heads above ground again? The first time we step outside your gated community the paparazzi are going to pounce and this will start all over again.”
Nathan knew she was right, but they had talked this through and she had agreed that their relationship was stronger than his fame. He knew that she wasn’t expecting the media to catch on to them that week and he blamed himself for some of the unnecessary risks he took by bringing her to the beach and to restaurants.
“I know this is frightening for you,” Nathan explained calmly. “I shouldn’t have taken you to so many places where we would be seen together. I was just so happy that you agreed to come here. I thought that if I showed you around some of the nicer places in the city then maybe you wouldn’t hate Hollywood anymore.”
“Nathan, I’m not blaming you. I knew better than to come here… to this smoggy city with the drugs and the attitudes and the hookers on the street corners. I don’t want cameras in my face; I just don’t belong here,” she said emphatically.