CELEB CRUSH

by Christie, Nicole

  What’s also making me jumpy as a flea? Luke has his arm across the back of my seat, and he keeps playing with my hair. His fingers brush against my neck, and I nearly spring away from him in alarm.

  “So, Luke, where do you live now?” Aunt Susan asks. She’s sitting in the recliner which almost swallows her thin frame up. Her color’s great, though, and she’s wearing a sparkly blouse that looks pretty on her. Her eyes are trained on Luke with warm interest. “Do you have a house in L.A.?”

  “No, actually, I’m homeless,” Luke admits with a chuckle. He rubs his cheek absently. “I’ve been traveling so much that I just never bothered looking for anything permanent to live in. When I’m in Cali, I stay with a friend who lives in Santa Barbara. I love it there, so when I decide to go house-hunting I’m probably going to look in that area.”

  “What, you don’t want something closer to your honey?” Connie asks with a laugh, pointing at me.

  Yes, Connie is here, too. She hasn’t stopped blatantly flirting with Luke since we got here. I’ve noticed that she’s a very physical person. She keeps poking and prodding Luke’s abs, chest, and arms and shivering ecstatically. Luke just laughs good-naturedly. He’s used to it by now, of course. I wonder if I’m supposed to do anything about her—like, am I supposed to yank Connie back by her hair, and threaten to cut her? I just don’t know.

  I feel a warm hand on my back, and immediately stiffen up. “Relax,” Luke murmurs in my ear. I nod my head spastically.

  Bran pokes his head out of the kitchen to announce that dinner is ready. Megan and I get up quickly to help him. Luke tries to get up, too, but I gesture for him stay seated. I notice him glancing over at Bran with an unfriendly look.

  Megan looks extra stunning tonight. She’s wearing a pale pink sundress that shows off her perfect figure and her golden tan. Her makeup is expertly applied and subtle, and her long blonde hair is loose down her back. She trembles noticeably each time she looks at or talks to Luke. He’s being great with her, answering all her tentative questions about his character, Sam Langelier, in the My Soul for You series, and humbly accepting her breathless compliments on his acting skill. He’s nice, but not flirtatious—I am monitoring their interactions very closely.

  “Oh, my god,” she mumbles, her hands shaking as she carries a plate of sourdough baguettes to the table. “He is so gorgeous in real life. His eyes! Oh, my god. He’s so…I can’t even! You are soo lucky, Andi!”

  “I can hear you, you know?” Bran says good-naturedly. He accidentally drops a crutch when he leans over the sink. I pick it up for him, and he shoots me a grateful smile. “He seems like a nice guy,” he says to me.

  I just nod, hurrying to take the food to the table. Damn, I hope no one says anything to Luke about the time I saved him from drunk drowning.

  To my relief, Luke comes to the table talking to Talon about video games. He promises to play Talon’s favorite game with him after dinner, which of course thrills Talon to no end. He was shy with Luke until he realized that Luke was in a movie with his favorite WWE wrestler; then he peppers him with question after question about how it was to work with his idol. Luke seems amused that Talon isn’t very impressed by his role in the movie.

  Dinner is good. Conversation flows easily, with the A-list actor being the center of everything. He manages to find something to talk about with everyone. He discusses football with Uncle Charlie, cars with Bran, and his life as a celebrity in demand with the women at the table. He is especially nice and attentive to Aunt Susan, constantly flashing her smile Number Seven, and being absolutely adorable. Not that I find him adorable. Throughout the meal, he nudges me with his foot, or leans over to steal food off my plate. He does give me all the olives from his salad, though.

  After dinner, we retire back to the living room. Luke, Bran, and Talon play video games. I offer to do the dishes by myself, because I need the time alone, and also because I know everyone else wants to be in the same space as Luke. Stupid as it sounds; he seems to fill the room with magic. Aunt Susan and Megan sit together on the couch, giggling and whispering to each other. Aunt Susan has been beaming the whole time—even when a running Talon tripped over her tubing and the cannula is painfully ripped off her face. I watch them all with an eagle eye, making sure no one is recording a video of Luke on the sly. I already caught Connie with her iPhone surreptitiously aimed at him.

  The guys have been at it for a while now. They’re playing a racing game and I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, or if Luke is being especially competitive against Bran. Luke and Talon work together to knock Bran’s car off the road, and bump fists in triumph. Bran just laughs, since he’s all about the fun and not the competition. He also doesn’t hold grudges. We never had much in common.

  Finally, at almost eleven, Connie announces that Aunt Susan needs to get her butt in bed. She protests weakly, but then when everyone gangs up on her, she laughingly agrees. She urges me and Luke to stay, but I quickly decline.

  “It was so nice to meet you, Lucas,” Aunt Susan tells him with a tired smile. “And thank you again for the beautiful roses! I hope we’ll be seeing a lot of you around here while you’re in town.”

  “Count on it,” Luke replies smoothly. He leans down to give her a kiss on her cheek, making her blush madly. Of course, Connie takes the opportunity to get a hug and a quick feel on him before she helps Aunt Susan to her room. The woman is a lech.

  Uncle Charlie says goodnight and follows Talon upstairs to make sure he gets ready for bed. Megan, looking a little green, excuses herself as well.

  That leaves Bran with me and Luke. We stand awkwardly in the foyer, making the requisite small-talk-before-you-leave.

  “So, what time does Megan want me to pick her up tomorrow?” I ask Bran.

  “Uh, I think about nine-thirty? Is that okay with you?”

  “That’s fine.”

  Bran’s expression turns warm. He takes a clumsy step forward. “Thanks again for doing this Andi. It means a lot to me.”

  It feels like he wants to have a moment. Suddenly, I feel hands on my hips, and I’m enveloped in Luke’s sun and sea scent as he pulls me back against his tall strong body. “Ready to go, Tiger?” he asks, hunching over so he can rest his chin on my shoulder.

  I freeze; my body is so tense that my neck muscles hurt. Chills run up and down my spine, and my pulse goes into hyper drive. What the hell does Luke think he’s doing?!

  “Hey, bro, it was nice meeting you,” Bran says, thrusting out his hand to do the manly slap/handshake thing. “I really hope you can make it to the wedding. We’d love to have you.”

  “Thanks, man. Wouldn’t miss it.” Luke follows the handshake with a kind of forceful slap on Bran’s back, causing Bran to stumble forward a step.

  I take the opportunity to move out of his arms. “We really should go,” I say, opening the door. “Bye.”

  I quickly pull Luke outside. Bran is terrible at doing the goodbye thing. He never knows when to stop talking, even when people continue to inch away from him, trying to escape.

  “What the hell did you ever see in that guy?” Luke wonders as we get into my car. “He’s a midget.”

  “He’s not a midget,” I say distractedly, starting the car. “He’s normal sized.”

  “Dude’s got no balls. He’s so not your type.” Luke shakes his head, turning to look at me. “I bet you walked all over him when you were together.”

  “Yeah. He liked it.” I glare at him. “What was with all the touching and lovey-dovey shit?”

  “What, I’m a method actor. I always give a hundred percent in every performance.” He grins at my scowl. “Your family’s great. I like them.”

  For some reason, I’m embarrassed. “Yeah. Sorry about all the questions, though. They were really excited to meet you.”

  “No, it’s fine.” Luke is silent for a few moments. Then he says, “I like knowing more about you. You don’t really talk about yourself much.”

  I’m surpris
ed at that. “What do you mean? We talk all the time. You know everything about me.”

  Luke shakes his head, looking frustrated. “No, I know certain facts and events, but you don't talk about how they affected you."

  I’m confused. “Huh?”

  He sighs. “I know my life story is out there on the internet for everyone to see. But most of it is bullshit. Aside from you and a few others, no one knows the real me, not really. You know I’m from a broke down trailer park in Cornfuck, Texas. And that my dad was a crazy asshole—and my mom left me when I was ten. You know things about me that I’ve never told anyone about before…”

  He trails off, staring moodily out the windshield. I study at him out of the corner of my eye. “What’s up with you? Are you having withdrawals, or something?”

  He laughs incredulously. “From what? I’m not addicted to anything.”

  “Sex, danger, alcohol.” I tick them off on my fingers. “When was the last time you did any of those things?”

  “I had a couple of beers this morning; my life is in danger every time you drive. As for sex—” Luke leans back in his seat, resting a hand an arm along his window. “It’s been a while.”

  “How long is ‘a while’?” I ask curiously. “Three days?”

  He throws me a sideways look, a corner of his mouth lifting up. “You asking me about my sex life, Andi?”

  “Kind of,” I admit.

  His chuckle is low and rusty. “Uhhh…let’s see…it’s actually been a couple of weeks.”

  “Really? That’s a long time. For you.”

  “Yeah, I guess. So, what about you, huh? How long has it been for you?”

  I don’t bother being insulted that he assumes I’m not getting any. “Two years."

  “What—for real? That long?” Luke sounds horrified.

  “Yes,” I say defiantly.

  “You mean that guy, Bran—he was the last one you were with?”

  “The first and the last, yes.” I decide to turn on the radio to discourage this line of questioning. A male announcer is extolling the virtues of Viagra. I turn it up.

  “Damn,” Luke murmurs under his breath. Then in a louder voice he asks, "Do you miss it?"

  I don't even have to think about it. "I don't."

  "Then he was doing it wrong." He shakes his head. “Hey, what about when we were in Maui last year? You never hooked up with Ryan Costas? You two were getting pretty friendly at the bar.”

  “Um, no.” I roll my eyes. “I wasn’t interested in him like that. And don’t you remember? You threw him against a wall 'cause you thought he grabbed my ass."

  “I did? Was I drunk?”

  “Extremely.” I decide to change the subject. “So, did you want to go to the gym tonight?”

  “Huh? Oh, hell, yeah.” He pats his flat tummy. “Gotta work off dinner somehow.”

  “Me, too.” I notice that I’ve just run a red light. “Luke?”

  “Yeah?”

  I stare straight ahead. “Maybe the public doesn't know all your dirty secrets—but they know your smile is real. They know that your humbleness and your gratitude towards your fans are genuine. That’s all a part of who you really are, and that’s why they love you."

  Luke is quiet for a few seconds. “Thanks, Andi," he says at last, sounding taken aback.

  "Uh-huh."

  Okay, that’s a heartwarming speech for me. And now I feel emotionally exhausted. It’s been a stressful night.

  Fortunately Luke stays quiet after that. We go back to Ellen’s to grab our workout stuff, and then head to the gym. Luke unlocks the front door with no problem, and we are in. The entire front of the place is lightly tinted glass, so we only turn on the light in the back so we’re less visible should anyone happen to wander by. Though I warn Luke to take it easy, he goes straight to the weights. I shrug and head for the elliptical. I don’t really have a workout routine. I just choose whichever equipment I feel like working out on at the time, and I stay for however long I feel like. I pop my ear buds in and crank up my iPod. I’m in my zone, and I totally don’t notice when Luke takes his shirt off, and the way his muscles ripple as he pumps iron. Or the focused intense expression he gets on his face when he works out. It’s pretty sexy, though.

  Not that I notice.

  Chapter 10

  Luke comes in from his morning run while Ellen and I are eating breakfast. He’s sweaty and shirtless, and poor Ellen can’t stop staring at him. That kind of annoys me. What if he really was my boyfriend? I’d have to slap her. Seriously, she’s acting like a hormone-crazed teenager. Look at her watching that glistening bead of sweat run down the defined ridges of Luke’s abs. Shameful.

  “Good morning, ladies,” he says cheerfully, leaning down to steal a slice of bacon from my plate.

  I swipe at him, and my hand hits air. Damn his reflexes. And why does he always take food from my plate? Can’t he just get his own? Damn actors.

  “Good morning, Lucas! So, what are you up to today?” Ellen asks, beaming as she watches him grab a bottled water from the fridge.

  “Well, that’s up to Andi,” he replies, leaning against the counter. He takes a drink from his water, swallowing half the bottle in one long gulp.

  “What?” I say. “You know I’m going dress-shopping with Megan.”

  “Uh-huh. Mind if I tag along?”

  “You want to go dress-shopping with us?” I reiterate slowly, like I’m talking to a three year old. Luke hates to shop, especially for clothes. He considers it a special kind of torture. And for clothes that’s not even for him? Forget it.

  “Yeah,” He shrugs at me. “I get to spend more time with you, and I get to watch beautiful girls try on dresses. Sounds like a fun day.”

  Ellen goes, “aww!” while I narrow my eyes at him. He wants to come so he can ogle Megan in her wedding dress! What a dick. He’s seen some of the most beautiful women in the world naked—why does he have to…grr. If he hits on her, I’m quitting. Wait, I’ll kick his ass first, then I’ll quit.

  Luke raises his eyebrows at me as I continue to glare at him. “Whatever,” I snap at him. I push my plate away, suddenly not hungry. “But if you’re not ready in twenty minutes, I’m leaving without you!”

  Ellen is looking at me with wide eyes. Damn, I keep forgetting I’m supposed to like Luke. I force a laugh that sounds jagged as hell, even to my own ears.

  “I’ll hurry,” Luke assures me, his bright eyes crinkling in amusement.

  “Eat some breakfast first,” Ellen urges him as he starts to walk out.

  He quickly backtracks and grabs a couple more pieces of bacon. He mumbles his thanks at her before he lopes out the kitchen.

  As soon as he’s gone, I expect Ellen to scold me for being so mean to my boyfriend. But she turns to me with a puzzled little frown. “Andi—quick!” she says quietly. “What was the name of the movie where he was nominated for best actor? It was based on a true story. The one where his parents abandoned him on the streets of Hong Kong, and he grew up to become an infamous drug lord? I keep wanting to compliment him on it, but I can’t remember the name of the movie!”

  “Um…Run to Black,” I reply. I remember because I illegally downloaded that movie when I caught a trailer with Luke in it. I thought he was the most gorgeous guy I’d ever seen. This was before the My Soul for You series, when Megan became so obsessed with him. I never told Luke about it. I also never told him what an incredible actor I think he is. He gets enough of that.

  “That’s it,” Ellen is saying, snapping her fingers. “That was such a good movie. Very touching. I think I’ll watch it again.”

  “Uh huh,” I say. “Not because of the shower scene or anything, right?”

  Ellen’s rosy cheeks flame an even brighter red. She claps her hands over them. “Oh, I forgot about that part!” she lies.

  “Right.”

  “Andi! He was just a kid in it!” Ellen shakes her head, and stands up to take her dishes to the counter. She starts filling the s
ink with soapy water, glancing at me over her shoulder and raising her voice so I can hear her over the clinking of the dishes. “I remember buying all those movie posters of Lucas for Megan that one year. The girl was obsessed! I bet she was tickled pink meeting him last night.”

  “You could say that,” I mumble, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

  I don’t want to just sit there glaring at nothing, so I get up and start to clear the table. I have to save all the leftovers in Ziploc bags, or Ellen will throw a fit. She’s weird about her leftovers. Nothing gets thrown out on her watch—and it must be saved in a Ziploc bag, because Ziploc bags are gifts from God.

  I stack the plates on the counter next to the sink, and Ellen turns to me, splashing me with soapy water from her hands. Some of it gets in my eye, blinding me.

  “You and Lucas are good together,” she blurts out. “Your personalities mesh very well, I think. And it’s obvious that he’s crazy about you!”

  “Son of a bitch,” I gasp out. My eye is stinging like it’s on fire. I blink it rapidly, tearing up.

  Ellen continues on, sounding both hesitant and serious. “I hope you don’t my saying this, but you and Bran—I never thought you two were a good match. I think you were much better as friends, where your different temperaments complemented each other. Now, I’m in no way excusing what happened in the past. I just…sometimes things work out for the best. You know?”

  “Ow.”

  “I always thought it was funny—you and Bran together. Like a tiger dating a golden retriever. You and Lucas, though. You’re like two beautiful predators, prowling through the jungle.”

  I peer at her through red bleary eyes. “I think you’ve been watching the nature channel too much,” I say finally.

  “I’m just sayin’.” She winks at me. “How gorgeous would your children be?”

  “Okay, Ellen. No more drinking on the job.”