by Renee Dyer
Chapter Twenty Six
Tucker
I head into work early to go over the script so I’m ready for the day. My head is a mess from Mikos being back in the picture, him taking care of Grams, Grams being sick at all, Adriana suddenly being back in my life. Shit, the list goes on and on. Our Skype session was not what I expected last night. I didn’t want to talk about Mikos, but I understand why she went there. As much as I hated the conversation, the things she said made sense. Part of me hates that it did. Now, I feel like I should be calling Grams and asking her to explain things to me, but I know, in my heart, I’m still not ready.
I meant to talk to her about the paparazzi last night. I know they’ve been bothering her and her friends. Her neighbors, too. I wish she would complain about it like a typical chick would, but she’s not the type. She says nothing about it. It has to bother her that they stalk her. The security team let me know they’ve caught a few of the vermin crawling through her bushes. I don’t think she knows, but she should. I planned to tell her, but the conversation got derailed.
I need to tell her that although my lawyer was able to stop the pictures of us in Kansas from being printed and he was able to have them taken down from the internet, I’m sure there are still hundreds of them out there in circulation. Maybe even thousands. I can picture how they will pop up at just the right moment and what the taglines will be.
Tucker Stavros brings mystery woman home…
Grandmother in hospital, but Tucker Stavros is out all night at hotel with mystery woman.
What has Tucker Stavros done this time to make this woman break down?
Little has been said about Adriana in the tabloids even though the bastards have been practically camped out on her lawn. How her name hasn’t been smeared through the rags, I don’t understand. She and I do need to have a realistic conversation about how the paparazzi truly are.
I grab a cup of coffee and sit down to go over some more lines. This quiet won’t last much longer and I want to cherish it for the small amount of time that I have. I do as I always do, envision the scene, picture the set and people around me, immerse myself in the surroundings and start reciting my lines.
“Sounds good, Tuck.”
I jump and spin around to see Eddie walking in. I should have known he’d be the first one in. Even though I’ve kept the lights low and it’s dim in here, he doesn’t remove his fedora or his large shades. I know he won’t either. I wish I knew why he feels he needs to hide from the world. We’re best friends, but that’s one secret Eddie won’t tell anyone. I have seen his face. I think I’m the only one who has, but it’s only been a handful of times and it shocks me anytime he relaxes enough to go without his cover. The hats and shades may change, but he always has them on whenever eyes are watching.
There have been many stories as to why he covers his face. People have thought he’s blind in one eye, that there are scars he covers or a deformity. They’ve asked, but I’ve never answered. I honestly don’t know what the reason is that he has this idiosyncrasy. What’s weirder, though, is that no one has ever tried to take his glasses off. In this world of trying to get the latest scoop, I thought someone would have by now, but everyone just seems to accept that this is how Eddie is and leaves him alone.
“How’s Grams?” he asks me with genuine curiosity. Grams and Eddie adore each other. I think he loves her because she never asked him to take his mask off and never judged him for it. She told him we all have our burdens to bare and we have to decide how best to handle them. Ever since, they have had a bond.
I don’t want to talk about this right now, but he’ll hound me until I answer. “She’s a little stronger and her spunk is coming back. I think she’ll be back to her old, giving everyone words of wisdom self soon.”
“If that’s the case, then why do you look like I just sucker punched you? What aren’t you telling me, Tuck?” He stops walking in front of me and I can feel him staring me down from behind his shades. I breathe out a sigh of frustration.
“Mikos is there taking care of her.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? How the fuck did that happen and why did you allow it?” This is why Eddie and I are best friends. He thinks like me when it matters.
“Grams spoke and I had no choice but to listen,” I say with a smirk, thinking of Grams and how I can never say no to that woman.
“Well damn, you got me there. She is hard headed, isn’t she? You owe me the rest of the story later.” I shake my head and we both remain silent, contemplating Grams and her ways as the cast and crew start to filter in.
Many walk up and welcome me back. Few, who are close to me, ask how Grams is doing. I see Vic standing at a distance watching and I can see she wants to ask, but she doesn’t. There was a time when things were so simple between her and I, but that all changed when she slept with Grant. Speaking of Grant, he’s not happy to have me back. The hatred in his eyes directed at me almost makes me cringe. I don’t know what I ever did to make him loathe me so much, but I don’t have time to care about that. A week away means I have a ton to catch up on. His issues are his to deal with.
The crew gets to work setting up and I head into makeup. Cammie plops down in the chair next to me and gives me a big grin. I notice that she looks me in the eye this time. When I left last week, she wasn’t able to do that and I was wondering how she was going to make it in this business. She seems to have found her footing a little. I smile back and nod as we sit there and get our faces put on.
It’s a long, grueling day as we try to make up several scenes that I missed. I give the crew credit for staying several hours beyond what was scheduled. I bought lunch, dinner, and had snacks and drinks delivered throughout the day to try to keep everyone motivated. Many times, I found myself noticing the difference in Cammie. She has definitely changed in the week since I was gone. She’s comfortable with the entire crew and her acting is superb. The only person she seems to still be nervous around is me, but she’s covering that rather well too. If not for the trembling I feel when we do scenes together, I wouldn’t know at all.
It will still be weeks before we have to do any intimate scenes together. I’m curious if she’ll be past her nerves by then. I remember being her age, doing my first on air sex scene. It was horrifying. I threw up because my nerves got the best of me. I’ll try to make things as comfortable as possible for her, but there’s no way to take away the fact that there are cameras everywhere and there’s a crew of people watching when you’re wearing next to nothing.
Thinking of the scenes to come has me wondering how Adriana will handle watching them. I know she’s seen me in my movies and last season she saw my scenes with Vic, but she didn’t know me then. There wasn’t an us at that time. Knowing I’m an actor and seeing it are two different things. I hope she can separate what she sees on the screen from who I really am.
My heart speeds up at the thought of her not being able to handle seeing me with Cammie onscreen. I have no feelings for this girl. There’s only one woman who has my heart.
Unfortunately, she’s three thousand miles away.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Adriana
It’s been close to a week since Tucker and I first Skyped. His taping schedule has been insane so we’ve only had brief phone conversations here and there and he’s sent texts when he can. I sent him some pictures that Alahna took of me. I miss him so much I want to close my business, sell my house, and move away from everyone I love to be with him. I know that’s crazy because I’ve known him such a short time, but being away from him feels like it’s sucking the life from me.
I want to go to him. I want to tell him how much he means to me. The problem is, I don’t know exactly what he does mean to me. I care for him, so much more than I ever thought I’d be able to care for a man after Alex. I’m grateful that Tucker came into my life. I think I’m falling in love with him. I miss him every second he’s gone and wish I were with him.
With Alex, I knew I l
oved him. He was always there. He was my comfort, my other half. There was never any need to figure out how I felt about him. I just knew. Now, trying to figure out this jumble in my heart is a confusing mess. I’m happy when I’m with Tucker and I’m sad when I’m not. He turns me on in a way I didn’t know was possible, but I don’t want to confuse lust with love. I do think I’m falling in love with him, but I want to be sure. When I say those words to him, I want to mean it with every part of my heart, mind, and soul. I don’t want there to be any confusion.
I sit in a sad fog as I continue getting ready for work. I’m glad Alahna and I booked shoots at the Epping studio today because I have a serious case of the Mondays. I love our Manchester studio because we have a lot more sets to work with, but I live for the days when all I have to do is walk through my backyard to get to work. I love being able to go to Alahna’s or head home for lunch. Simple pleasures are often the greatest things in life. Tucker’s note from the summer comes back to me and I smile.
Alahna greets me as I open the studio door. Her blue eyes light up, her amusement evident. I’m normally here before her so she’ll be razzing me all day that I was late. I just couldn’t get motivated this morning. “Rough morning,” she teases.
“Alright, get it out of your system,” I say with feigned attitude.
“Nice of you to finally join me, lazy bones. Thought I might be taking pictures by myself today. Hot night Skyping with Mr. Bright Lights?” She waggles her eyebrows at me.
I giggle, but her mentioning Tucker reminds me of why I was really late. My heart hurts thinking of him and how much I miss him. “I wish. I’ve barely talked to him this past week. He’s been taping nonstop to catch up from being gone for a week. He says they’ll be caught up in another day or two.” I try not to sound sad, but I don’t think I pull it off well.
“Is he flying out for your birthday?”
“I don’t think so.” I don’t want to talk about this. I know she means well, but it hurts to talk about this.
“Does he know your birthday is coming?” she asks. I can hear how her voice has gotten a little quieter. I think she knows this is a touchy subject.
“He knows when my birthday is, but we haven’t talked about it for a while. I didn’t ask him to come here and he hasn’t asked me what I’m doing. With all that’s been going on in his life, I wouldn’t be surprised if he forgot all about it.”
“Well, how about a ladies weekend away? I know I could use it. I’m sure the others could too. You in? Pleeeeeaaaase?” She bats her eyes at me and I can’t help but laugh.
“Bitch, please, you know I can’t say no when you beg. Set it up with the others. Let’s get this place ready to open. We have our first shoot in half an hour.”
We get to work turning on all the lights and staging the area for our first customer. She was very particular about what she wants so we want to be sure to have things ready. Alahna and I know this routine so well it only takes us a few minutes to get everything in place. We stand back and look things over, making sure we haven’t forgotten anything. I grab the notes we took and double-check them. Everything looks perfect. Now, we wait.
Alahna and I finish up with our first client and we’re waiting for our second when the phone rings. I pick it up, “A+ Photography. This is Adriana. How may I help you?”
“Adri, help me. Something’s wrong with the baby!”
“Dee?” I don’t know why I ask her name. Of course it’s Dee, but it shocks me for a second to hear her crying. And, what does she mean there’s something wrong with the baby?
“Oww. Adri, hurry please!”
“Okay, Dee. Just stay calm. I’m on my way, sweetie.” I hear the phone disconnect and I look at Alahna who’s staring at me with a ‘WTF’ look on her face. “Can you handle the studio today? Dee says something’s wrong with the baby.”
“Oh no. Yeah, I’ll manage. It’s a busy day, but I’ll reschedule some people if I have to. Go help her. Call me and let me know what’s going on.” The concern in her eyes freaks me out. I’m trying to stay calm, but it’s hard when I see her panicking.
“I’ll take care of her, don’t worry.” I give Alahna a hug and walk as quick as I can to the security team. I ask Jake to stay with Alahna. Zack and Devon come with me. I’ve never been as happy for their tinted SUV as I am now. I can’t put up with the paparassholes right now. I run up Dee’s driveway, don’t bother knocking, and storm into her house.
“Dee! Where are you?” I’m yelling as I run through her house. She whimpers that she’s in the living room and I find her in a ball on her living room floor. Konner and Kaleb are sitting next to her with tears falling down their cheeks, obviously scared about what’s happening to their mom. She’s trying to comfort them. She has one of her hands in each of theirs, but her face is contorted in pain.
I rush to them and grab the boys up into my arms, telling them I’m going to make sure their mom is okay. With a boy on each hip, I grab the phone. “Dee, can you tell me your mother in law’s phone number?” She manages to tell me the number and I make the call to get someone to come sit with the boys. I realize while I’m on the phone that Zack and Devon are standing there, waiting to see how they can help. As soon as I hang up the phone, I let them know I need my car. I need them to get Dee to the hospital and that I have to stay here until I have someone to take care of the boys.
They both look uncomfortable with the idea of leaving me alone, but seeing Dee in this pain, I refuse to have either of them stay with me. I need one to drive and one to be able to focus on what’s going on with her. I manage to get her doctor’s number from her and find out Kale left at four this morning to drive to Connecticut to meet a prospective client. I let her know I’ll take care of everything and that the guys will get her to the hospital. She looks so scared and I hate that I won’t be with her every second, but I assure her I’ll head straight to the hospital as soon as Barbara gets here.
Zack picks Dee up into his arms and carries her out to the SUV while Devon makes sure no paparazzi are swarming. I have a newfound appreciation for these guys. They called Jake and let him know I need my car. I hate that he has to leave Alahna alone, but they explained to me quickly that this is a bigger story in the eyes of the paparazzi. If there’s somewhere they’re going to come snooping around, it’s going to be here.
While I wait for Barbara and Jake, I call Dee’s doctor and tell them everything I know. I also call Lance so he can get Kale back as soon as possible. I’m worried about Kale driving back upset, but he has to know that Dee was brought to the hospital.
Jake brings my car and refuses to leave me because he saw some of the vultures hanging around. He said they started to walk away when they saw him, but he doesn’t trust them to leave me alone when I leave if he isn’t with me. I understand why he has to hang around with me, but it frustrates me that my life is dictated by these people and that I have to worry about Alahna now. I’m already worried enough about Dee.
Barbara shows up and the boys, who have not left my side since I arrived, unglue themselves from my sides to run to her. They start crying again and my heart breaks for the fear they must have felt. They’re too young to see their mom hurt like that. I tell her that I’ll call as soon as I know anything and let her know I called Lance. She thanks me and goes back to soothing the boys. I hug them both and tell them I’m going to be with their mom. Kaleb is too young to understand and I’m not sure Konner gets what I mean, but I hope it helps to comfort them.
Jake gets in the driver’s side and I’m confused. I jump in the passenger seat and look at him. He explains it’s to throw the paparazzi off. He’s going to drive to the studio, hoping they don’t follow us. Typically when I’m with the security guys, they don’t. They can’t see Alahna’s road from mine so they won’t see us pull onto it. I can drop him back at the studio to watch her and I can go be with Dee where I have my own security team.
Luck is on my side for once. No paparazzi followed us and I made it to the
hospital with no issues. Zack and Devon stayed outside Dee’s door until I got there. It was actually pretty comical walking onto the maternity floor and seeing two super muscular men standing outside her room, both legs apart with their hands behind their backs. It looked like she had the military standing guard outside her door. I want to salute them as I walk up, but instead I give them each a hug and say thank you. I know it surprised them, but I was beyond grateful that they got her here. As stoic as they normally are, Devon surprised me with a little smile and blushed cheeks. Zack, though, remained hard as nails. At least on the outside.
I knock gently on the door before entering and try to brace myself for the worst. I have no idea what waits for me on the other side. I keep my eyes on the floor as I enter, afraid to see, but I have to look up. Dee is on her side, facing away from me. I can see she has her knees tucked up. She’s in a similar position to the one I found her in at her house. She has an IV and I hate that I notice that and the hospital smell. I’ve never been a fan of these places. It’s only gotten worse since the accident. I try to bury that thought to the back of my brain and I make myself walk over to the bed.
“Dee, it’s Adri. How ya doing, sweetie?”
She rolls toward me and I can see the movement causes her pain. Tears streak her cheeks and I take the last couple steps to sit on the bed with her. Her hands are on her belly and it makes me wonder for the millionth time if I ever put my hands on my belly in the car. I still can’t remember. Did I, or was it here at the hospital when the nurse pointed out the blood? The not being able to remember is a constant reminder that I should never be a mom. I should know if I thought of them.
My eyes don’t leave her hands or the way they rub across her stomach. An ache forms in my heart. I hate that I can’t stop thinking about the twins when all my energy should be focused on helping Dee. Is there ever going to be a time in my life that thinking of the lives I lost won’t shatter me?