by Diana Currie
“Maddie is my girlfriend, yes. We’ve been together since September,” Nathan replied looking at Maddie. She pressed her lips together and smiled, pleased that Nathan was stating that their relationship began when they first spoke on the phone, not when he finally showed up on her door step in February.
“September! You’ve managed to elude the media for that long? How did you do it?”
“She’s been ambushed by the press once but other than that particular reprobate journalist we’ve been able to keep some semblance of a normal relationship.”
“Doesn’t the geographical separation make things difficult?”
“Well yeah, technically since Maddie lives in Texas we have a long-distance relationship. But I’m hoping to change that soon.”
“Wedding bells?” Simon asked.
Nathan looked at Maddie and blushed. “Not yet, I’m trying to get her accustomed to Los Angeles first.”
“How did you guys meet?”
“We were friends first. Maddie helped me through a rough time and we got very close. It didn’t take me very long to fall for her. She’s the most important thing in my life.”
“Can I get some basic stats?” Simon asked Maddie. “Age, occupation, stuff like that?”
Nathan was about to speak up but Maddie quickly interrupted. “I can answer, Nathan,” she assured him.
He squeezed her hand and she squeezed back. “I’m twenty-five, born and raised in Texas. I’m studying biology at Amarillo College and hope to work for a pharmaceutical company someday. I have a younger brother. Two adorable nieces. Um… that’s really it. What else do you want to know?”
“Do you worry about the attention Nathan gets from female fans? What kind of effect does that have on your relationship?”
“It’s hard sometimes; I try not to let the rumors get to me. I think that social media allows people to be so much meaner than they would be in person. I’ve basically had to give up Facebook, but Nathan’s worth that small sacrifice. I have complete trust in him so that helps,” she replied.
Simon thought for a minute. “Tell me something that most people don’t know about Nathan but they should.”
Maddie beamed at Nathan and replied, “That’s easy. He loves me.”
Chapter Twenty Eight
“Six o’clock,” Nathan warned as he and Maddie waited at a crosswalk on Westwood Blvd.
“What? It’s not six o’clock, it’s almost lunchtime.”
“No, Angel. Paparazzi at six o’clock,” Nathan replied rolling his eyes. When the traffic light turned green they started walking again.
“Oh, yeah I saw them two blocks ago.”
“You did? Why aren’t you hiding behind a bush or a mailbox right now?”
Maddie laughed. “My hair is brushed, I have my sunglasses on, and I’m wearing an Emma-approved outfit. There’s nothing more I can do.”
“You’re handling this girlfriend of a celebrity thing better every day, Angel,” Nathan replied proudly.
“We’ve had our share of incidents over the summer, but you were right when you told me that I’d adjust. I still find it annoying and limiting in many ways, but not that scary.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Does that mean you’d consider spending more time here?”
“I’d consider anything that got me more time with you,” she answered honestly. “We’ve had a great summer together but at some point, I need to go home. I miss my nieces. I miss the Texan sunrises. Is it terrible for me to say a small part of me can’t wait to get home?”
“I would say yes if I wasn’t going with you.”
“How long will you be able to stay?” Maddie asked.
“Three days. I have a meeting with Fox Searchlight on the Tuesday before Labor Day. It’s for a Werner Herzog project, and I’d get to work with Olivia Wilde and Bradley Cooper.”
“Name dropper,” Maddie teased as Nathan slowed his pace to a stop. “Why are we stopping?”
“This is the restaurant we wanted to eat in,” he replied pointing at the sign. “The pap are still on our tail. Wanna give them something really juicy to print?”
“What do you have in mind?” Maddie asked, pulling off her sunglasses.
Nathan didn’t answer; instead he wrapped his arms around her waist and tipped her body backwards, kissing her passionately like they were in an old-time movie. Maddie threaded her fingers in his hair and giggled against his mouth.
“You’re crazy,” she managed to say in between kisses. Maddie knew that over her shoulder there would be people watching and cameramen clicking away, but she was so in love with the man dipping her that she didn’t care who saw. Like Nathan, she wanted the world to know how much they loved each other.
The summer had been an amazing experience for Maddie. Not only did she get to spend two full months with her boyfriend, but he surprised her with long weekend getaways to places like Catalina Island and Lake Tahoe. Together they battled some of her phobias about California and Hollywood. The couple visited iconic touristy landmarks like the Hollywood sign, Alcatraz, and the Griffith Observatory. Nathan showed her local restaurants that flaunted amazing cuisines from around the world. She couldn’t wait to tell Sandy how she tasted Afghani food and tried her first Japanese sushi.
They also indulged in the Los Angeles nightlife. Emma routinely brought Rhett over to Nathan’s house in the evenings and the four of them would go out to different restaurants and clubs. They were often caught in the paparazzi’s lights and every time it happened, Maddie was a little less frightened than the time before. By the end of the summer she was comfortable standing at Nathan’s side when they were recognized in public. She looked on with pride as he patiently signed autographs or took pictures with people on the street. She marveled at the way he interacted with his fans; he was humble and grateful and never treated their attention as an annoyance.
Maddie got to meet some of the important people in Nathan’s life like his agent, Melissa, his accountant, Hank, and she succeeded in developing a deeper friendship with Emma. Nathan even took her home to Wisconsin for Fourth of July weekend to meet his parents and see where he grew up. Maddie loved Nancy and John even more in person than she expected. She felt like they were equally pleased to finally meet her. Garrett and Jackie came over and Maddie got to experience the Foster family together. She could see how important Nathan’s family was to him and she was so happy that he was getting along with them better than he had in years. Garrett especially seemed to have a change of heart after his visit to Los Angeles. He was joking around with Nathan as if all his prior animosity towards his brother’s money and fame was finally gone.
Nathan’s wealth still shocked Maddie at times. Thousand-dollar dinners and private jets were never going to become routine to her. The mansion was still huge in Maddie’s opinion even after living there for two months. She had her very own dressing room now stocked with pretty dresses, more shoes than she could ever manage to wear, and even a designer gown or two. She knew Emma put them in there for red carpet events and Maddie wondered when the time might come that she would have to wear one of those. She was grateful that the summer was ending without a formal event popping up on Nathan’s social calendar.
When the day finally came to say goodbye to Lupe, Stanley, and the big mansion she called home for the summer, Maddie realized she was actually going to miss stupid Los Angeles. Nathan had made plans to follow her back to Amarillo to extend their time together for as long as possible. It was only going to delay their separation for three more days but otherwise she didn’t think she could stand to leave L.A.
“Why do you look so down?” Nathan asked her as they trudged through the terminals at LAX.
“I hate that the summer is ending,” she answered honestly. “I’ve really loved being here with you.”
Nathan smiled brightly. “I’ve loved it too. You know, UCLA would be a great school to have on your resume… I bet there’s still time to transfer.”
“Even if you were r
ight that I could apply at the end of August and somehow get a spot, I can’t afford it and I refuse to let you pay for me. We’ve had arguments over this, remember?”
Frowning, Nathan conceded, “I remember very well.” Maddie was determined to return to Texas to finish her degree despite his constant offers to show her around UCLA’s campus. Nathan grinned as he recalled those disagreements because even when they got heated, every fight they had was eventually resolved with makeup sex.
Nathan would admit that he’d pushed hard for Maddie to transfer universities for her senior year, but that woman was more stubborn than a mule. She was determined to finish the program she started in Amarillo even if it meant another year would pass before they could be together. And Nathan worried that even after Maddie graduated she might not agree to move to L.A. It was a conversation he’d been putting off all summer, but now his time was almost up.
There were actually a number of topics he’d been meaning to discuss with Maddie but was afraid to bring them up since their time together was so short. He was worried about pushing her too far since she hated the college transfer idea so much. As great as make up sex was, Nathan hadn’t wanted to spend their summer together struggling to work out the multitude of problems that surrounded their relationship. He’d eased her mind about the paparazzi, convinced her Los Angeles wasn’t as bad as she thought, and got her consent to announce their relationship publicly. Nathan considered those all battles won.
Still, he knew that a few of their issues would have to be addressed before he left Maddie in Amarillo in three more days. He didn’t want to go until he was convinced they were on the same page about their relationship and their future, because Nathan had never been more certain that Maddie Sherratt was his future.
As they boarded the plane, Nathan decided to use the time during their flight to ask her about the simplest issue on his mind. “So, I have to ask you about your birthday,” Nathan said once they were seated.
Maddie buckled her seat belt and shoved her carry-on under the seat. “What about it?”
“Well, I know it’s in two weeks and we’d talked about me flying into town to spend it with you, but I was offered a cameo in a movie coming out next spring. There’s a last-minute opening in the cast and the director called Melissa asking for me to fill it. It films in September so production is already under way.”
“What’s the part?”
“The movie’s called Spring Break,” Nathan answered rolling his eyes. “It’s one of those holiday flicks like Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve that shoves a butt load of celebrities together hoping to draw in ticket sales from all the big names.”
“Who else is in it?” she asked intrigued.
“So far, I know they have Laura Marano, Justin Beiber, Grant Gustin, Blake Lively, Kaley Cuoco, Debby Ryan, Rachel McAdams, Jamie Dornan, and Ben McKenzie.”
“That’s quite a hodgepodge.”
Nathan laughed. “Yeah. And they’re all getting paired up so there will be like eight different love stories that all intertwine.”
“Who do they have lined up for you?”
“Blake Lively or Jamie Dornan; they’re not sure yet.”
“What do you mean it might be Jamie Dornan?”
“One of the plot lines is two gay men. He’s playing one of them. If Ben McKenzie passes on that role then it’s mine.”
“Wow. So, what’s the problem with my birthday?”
“I’ll be filming on location during it. And you’ll be back in school, so I didn’t think I could convince you to come with me?” Nathan asked doubtfully.
“I can’t miss the second week of school, Nathan.”
“Even if I tell you filming’s in The Cayman Islands?” he smiled cheekily.
“That’s very tempting but I shouldn’t. How long will you be gone?”
“About two weeks. I’m only on set for ten days, but then there are a couple days of press interviews. Unfortunately, it happens to fall over your birthday. I was excited about the opportunity until I heard about the production schedule. The money would be really hard to pass up, but I’m willing to drop out if it’s important to you for us to be together.”
“You don’t have to feel guilty for needing to work. I understand.”
“I knew you’d say that, but I feel bad after that wonderful birthday you gave me. It’s not fair to you.”
“Getting to watch you make out with Jamie Dornan would be a superb birthday gift, just FYI.”
Nathan smirked. “I could try to sneak you some of the dailies of me and Dornan if that turns you on, Angel.”
Maddie nodded emphatically. “Hell, yes.”
“But I still feel like a jerk for missing the first birthday you have while we’re together just to make a million bucks.”
Maddie held her hand up and pressed it against Nathan’s chest. “Back up there, Slugger. You’re going to work for ten days and earn a million dollars?”
“Well… before taxes. Yeah.”
Maddie did the math in her head. One million dollars divided by 100 hours of work assuming ten-hour work days for ten days… “That’s ten thousand dollars an hour?”
“I’ll trust your calculation.”
Maddie whistled under her breath. “I’m in the wrong industry. A lab technician’s starting salary is $38,000 a year.”
“You’re forgetting I have to make out with a dude,” Nathan joked.
Maddie chuckled. “I’m not going to tell you to drop out of the project just because of my birthday. I’ll make Holly take me out that night or something. If you could get Jamie Dornan to wish me a happy birthday over Face Time I’d be quite happy.”
“I didn’t know about this lust you seem to have for Dornan, Angel. Should I be worried?” Nathan asked with his eyebrow raised.
“I don’t lust for him,” Maddie replied quietly. She hoped no one sitting around them in business class were listening. “I’m just using my boyfriend’s fame to get a celebrity shout out for my birthday.”
Nathan smiled and reached across the armrest to take Maddie’s hand. “What am I going to do without you?”
“Don’t think about it until we have to. You’re going to make me cry.”
The seat belt light came on over their heads and the flight attendant walked to the front of the plane to go over safety procedures. Nathan squeezed Maddie’s hand tightly and smiled. She leaned her head against his shoulder, settling in for the four-hour flight. The flight attendant was reviewing the oxygen mask procedure when her gaze landed on the attractive couple sitting in the third row. Maddie knew the moment they were recognized and her cheeks flushed a little when the woman stumbled awkwardly over her words. She recovered quickly and finished her speech without making eye contact with them again.
Maddie was surprised in the Amarillo airport when Nathan told her he wanted to rent a car. She assumed he would arrange for a driver but instead they went to the Budget Rent-A-Car counter and picked up keys for a Ford Edge.
“I never get to drive in L.A.!” Nathan explained happily as they got into the rental.
“Then why didn’t you pick something sporty, like a convertible?” Maddie replied as she slid into the passenger seat.
“I still have to travel incognito, even in Yellow, Texas.”
“Yellow Texas…?” she asked confused.
“You know… Ama-reeeeeyo,” Nathan answered with his best Spanish accent.
“Did the change in cabin pressure affect your brain somehow? You’re acting downright giddy,” Maddie accused with a grin on her face.
“Is giddy bad?”
“No, it’s not bad. Unexpected, out of character, suspicious perhaps.”
Nathan didn’t answer; he just put the car in drive and headed out of the parking lot. “I need directions to your house.”
“Go left. We need to get on 40 West.”
“Got it. Can you reach into the side pocket on my bag and get the paper in there?”
“Um… sure. What is it?�
� she asked. Nathan was definitely acting oddly.
“You’ll see.”
Maddie reached into the back seat and found the envelope Nathan had asked for. “Oh, God. Why did you bring this?” Maddie asked as she pulled the unopened bright yellow fan letter out of Nathan’s bag.
“We haven’t read it yet. I thought it would make for a fun car ride.”
“By fun do you mean horribly embarrassing?” Maddie groaned.
“The first one wasn’t that bad. You were sweet. And I’ve been waiting all summer for you to suggest we open letter number two.”
“Fine. I was hoping to be drunk when you opened this, but I suppose you have a right to read it. I did mail it to you.”
“Damn right. Oh, shit, is that the ramp for Route 40?”
“Yes, make a right and follow the road up the ramp. We’ll take this for about twenty minutes through the city.”
“Perfect. Okay, open it!” Nathan said bouncing in the seat.
“Alright, but I tried to warn you,” Maddie sighed. She knew this letter would be the more embarrassing of the two for the simple reason that Holly helped her write it. It was during the height of their infatuation with Caleb/Nathan and after the first letter had gone unanswered Holly convinced her to spice things up a bit on her second attempt to get Nathan’s attention.
“Dearest Nathan,” Maddie read theatrically. “My name is Madeline Sherratt and I’m a college student in Texas. I’ve written you once before, so I won’t go into the history of my life. I want to pretend you recognize my name from having read that letter. I tell myself that you have, even though I know it’s unlikely since you’re a busy guy. I’ve seen Love Spelled Backwards four times. Every time I watch it I love the Caleb character more. And now it’s been confirmed that you’ll play an astronaut in a big budget disaster movie. I can’t wait to see that, you’ll make an incredibly sexy astronaut!!! There are already people online trashing you, saying you’ll never be able to pull off the role.”
“Who said that?” Nathan demanded, interrupting the letter reading.