* * *
K: No, that would be me currently= ugly
* * *
A: you are lovely
* * *
K: not right now, I’m not! Lemme call you later
* * *
A: if not mad – you alone?
* * *
K: alone
* * *
A: not mad tho – crying?
* * *
K: just sad
* * *
She didn’t want to tell him, nor did she want him to think she was needy. She blew her nose most indelicately and was glad she hadn’t accepted the request to video chat. Damn, that would run him off! she thought. Swollen eyes, reddened nose and ungodly grimace from crying were the end all of any beauty. Her phone took that moment to ring and she stared at it. He was awfully persistent! Taking a shaky, deep breath, she answered the phone.
* * *
“Hello?” she answered and hated how thick her voice sounded. Grabbing a tissue, she wiped her eyes. Katherine gave a shaky, deep breath. “I’m fine,” she told Alex.
* * *
“Are you okay?” she heard him ask. He sounded concerned, bless his heart. If nothing else, that alone was making him friend material. That almost sounded like Leslie. She would always ask if Katherine was okay. “Not so much,” she mumbled.
* * *
“Is the stories of us making you upset?” he seemed confused. She could hear the lilt in his voice as he asked the question. That sexy timbre just alluded to a woman wanting to open up and the last thing she wanted to do was to spill her guts and tell all her secrets.
* * *
“There is no ‘us’ yet,” she said quickly, “and they are all making a mountain out of a mole hill.” Consider that statement as “guts spilled”, she thought as she wadded up the tissue, angry at herself. Why would she even say that? The silence was telling and it stretched on forever it seemed.
* * *
“No, there is no ‘us’ yet- but I want there to be,” he said softly. “Is that why you are crying? I can hear it in your voice.” Alex didn’t want her upset and hoped that the idea of having a relationship or friendship hadn’t caused her to cry. If so, this was done before it ever got started.
* * *
“You do?” she said, flummoxed. He wanted there to be an “us” between them! Instead of gasping, it turned out to be the most indelicate snort from her stuffed up nose and tears. Geez, that’s sexy, she thought but, thankfully, he never acknowledged that he heard it.
* * *
“Yes, I want there to be an ‘us’. And I don’t want the media to ruin my chance at getting to know you. So if it’s not those trolls, what is making my girl so upset?” she heard him ask as she held the phone to her ear. He really knew just want to say to get her started once again.
Katherine started crying and explained how lost she felt. Whereas most people enjoyed vacations, she felt bereft and thought of nothing but her failures and the deaths it caused. The losses ate at her soul and kept her up at night, occasionally, when she let herself rehash the memories. She had been through it before and knew what it did to her. How she criticized herself over and over again in her mind, blaming herself for it all. She knew that she only had that to occupy her for the next several weeks.
* * *
“What if you didn’t?” Alex suddenly blurted forward. Alex stared at his phone, the words he used surprising him. He felt like he was grasping at straws to help her. A perfect stranger to him. A stranger he wanted to meet again to see if that connection he had felt was real. Recalling that moment seemed almost surreal to him. Alex was certain he had dreamt how perfect she felt to him.
* * *
“What do you mean?” Katherine asked, surprised. This crying, whimpering personality was her and she was embarrassed it was being shared. Drawing herself together, she wiped her eyes. Alex’s question had her stumped and she was certain she had missed part of the conversation. Apparently a key part! What was he talking about?
* * *
“What if you weren’t trapped at home by the media? What if you took your ‘forced vacation’ and made it a real one? Run away from it all?” Alex offered quietly. He was more certain of his decision to invite her the longer he thought about it.
* * *
Katherine laughed aloud on the phone at his questions. She couldn’t do that. She was finally comfortable and able to get by after paying student loans and bills. Her slush-fund was practically nonexistent but growing slowly. Her goal had always been to see the castles of Europe, but instead she watched the History Channel or PBS to get her castle-fix.
* * *
“What? It’s not funny, I’m serious. What if you got away for the next few weeks?” Alex defended. He thought it was a pretty damned ingenious idea for the two of them to spend some time together away from the limelight.
* * *
“Where?” Katherine asked, smothering another laugh. Apparently she had offended him by her response and felt bad. It was a nice offer, but a weird one. You don’t just fly across the country to meet a stranger! She wasn’t dumb and had no intention of being a missing person.
* * *
“Here. You could visit California. We could get to know each other better, you could hide out here, away from prying eyes, and just relax,” he offered. He realized how crazy his suggestion sounded. Alex was certain that Katherine probably thought he was nuts.
* * *
“What? I can’t fly out there, I barely know you,” Katherine protested. “Surely you realize that? We are strangers thrown into a weird situation…one that can be remedied over time. I’m certain this will, eventually, all lay low and I can go back to work. Besides, you don’t owe me a thing and you don’t have to save me,” she said quietly, attempting to poke holes in his tempting suggestion. The idea of escaping had merit. And doing it with a gorgeous man was definitely appealing.
* * *
“Sure you can,” Alex said smoothly. “If you’re worried, you can bring Leslie. Now would a murderer offer for you to bring a friend?” He could tell he was winning her over to the idea.
* * *
“A mass murderer would!” she quipped lightly. “Stranger danger” people joked about, was this how it happened? Good looking, persuasive and talked into doing something you typically wouldn’t? Was Katherine so desperate that she was seriously considering accepting his offer?
* * *
Alex laughed into the phone. He was winning her over and could hear the doubt in her voice. “True. But I am not a murderer and would like to get to know you. You need a place to lie low? I have plenty of room. You would have your own room. Hell, you can have the run of the house as well as my land. I have some property, massive security gates and a team that will make sure no one bothers you. There is a lake, you can swim, hike or fish…”
* * *
Katherine cut him off as he went on and on about the reasons why she should visit. His offer was quite appealing and she seriously could use something to occupy her time until she could return to work. “Okay. Okay! You are talking me into it. Seriously? Are you sure about this? What if I come out there and we don’t get along?” she hedged.
* * *
“But what if we do?” she heard him respond. Alex’s voice had a downright sexy timbre to it that melted Katherine’s resolve that had already been wavering.
* * *
“That brings up another set of problems, doesn’t it?” Katherine stated the obvious. She was in Chicago and he was thousands of miles away. Heck, in a different time zone! They had different lives, different circles they ran in. This would never work out…would it?
* * *
“I guess it does, but I’m game if you are,” Alex said, satisfied. Katherine was coming to stay for the next several weeks and he was more than happy about it, as well as nervous. Here he was opening his private life up to a stranger. The sexiest stranger; one that appealed to him like no other.
* * *<
br />
“Oh my gosh. I can’t believe I am considering this,” she muttered. Maybe she was dreaming or on drugs. There had to be some reason that Katherine was actually considering his offer. Maybe Leslie had slipped her something earlier. She was certainly perking up and grinning like a loon at the idea of escaping reality.
* * *
“Don’t think about it. Do it,” Alex said firmly. “Let me whisk you away from your world into mine for a while. You can relax and we can spend some time together.” He waited several moments for her to argue again why she should not visit. Time ticked by so slowly and Alex didn’t realize he was holding his breath until she finally spoke.
* * *
“I have to book a flight. What airport is closest to you? That isn’t a yes either…that’s a maybe,” Katherine hedged. I can’t believe I am doing this! she thought wildly. “Send me your info,” she said halfheartedly and half-serious. “Name, address, serial number, blood type, next of kin…” she rattled off. “We’ll see, okay?”
* * *
Alex grinned at her hesitation. “It’s a ‘yes’ and it’s already taken care of. I will have a plane waiting for you at a private airport so you don’t have to go through Midway or O’Hare. I will see you tomorrow, Princess,” he said ending the call. Alex texted the name of the private airport to her and arranged the flight.
He was not about to let Katherine change her mind.
* * *
Katherine was stunned. She was flying to California to spend some time with Alexander Weber. A virtual stranger, an incredibly hot one that she was infinitely attracted to. Leslie would be so upset with her. Leslie had been invited to come out as well. However, Katherine wasn’t sure that she would bring her. Nothing against Leslie, but the chemistry between them at the convention and hearing his voice had her mind going: what if being alone was just what she needed and what if he turned out to be just as wonderful as her mind was imagining? Staring at her phone, she looked at the directions and smiled.
* * *
K: Thank you.
* * *
A: My pleasure. See you soon.
* * *
Grinning and feeling an upcoming relief was just on the horizon, Katherine grabbed her suitcase and started packing some clothing. She wasn’t one hundred percent sure what part of California she was heading to and it seemed like the most stupid and foolhardy thing for her to be doing, but she was excited beyond belief. Did she need to pack for heat or for cool weather? She packed for both, grabbing a light jacket as well as her swimsuit.
Calling Leslie, she confessed all and informed her she was heading out of town to spend time with Alex. After listening to her screech in the earpiece until Katherine was half-deaf, she found Leslie knocking at the door and grabbing Katherine in a massive hug. Promising to text, take selfies, and keep her updated daily, the two packed her bags. Leslie demanded that she would be the one to take Katherine to the airport tomorrow.
11
Excited and nervous, Katherine rode silently with Leslie to the airport. She was glad they had used GPS or they never would have found the place. It was a tiny airport and the plane was even smaller. She had never seen a plane that small, save what was shown on TV. Riding practically up to the gate as directed, the two women grinned at each other as they watched the door to the plane unfold outwards revealing steps.
A man in a suit stepped out and waved gently for them to roll down the window. “Dr. Drake? We just arrived a moment ago. Are you ready to go or do you need a moment?” Katherine heard him ask politely. Nodding, she hugged Leslie and promised again to text often as well as send a few pictures. Stepping out of the car, she saw the man grabbing the suitcase from the back of the car and allowed herself to be escorted to the plane.
Is this the jet-set lifestyle of Hollywood? she thought ironically. It all certainly felt like a whirlwind to her! Katherine was so relieved she had thought to wear slacks and a blouse instead of dressing in jeans or sweats. The tiny plane looked so very fancy on the inside and she knew this would be one of the pics Leslie would want. Waiting until she was alone, she quickly buckled and took a pic of the inside, sending it to Leslie.
Will text when I get on the ground in CA! love you! Xoxo!
The flight attendant stepped in from the back of the plane just as Katherine hit send and she looked up guiltily from her phone. “I’ll shut it off in a second. Are we taking off?” she asked hurriedly because she knew she still wanted to call Alex or text him. The attendant smiled at her kindly, reassuring her the plane was capable of Wi-Fi and her phone would not interfere. Katherine nodded in understanding and a bit embarrassed, as if the attendant knew she was going to see Alex. When the woman stepped away from her, Katherine called him.
“Hey there, Princess, are you aboard the plane?” she heard him ask quickly after picking up on the first ring. It was truly generous of him to offer sanctuary from the press, even if it was bound to die down quickly. She was a nobody in their media world.
“Yes, thank you again.” She felt every bit of the nickname right now. If Cinderella was a modern story, her shoe would be sitting on the concourse and mice would be flying the plane. She almost laughed at the mental image.
“Of course! I’m just glad you decided to let me whisk you away,” she heard him say through the earpiece. His voice held such promise and sincerity. It was intimidating.
“How could I say no?” Katherine said quietly. She didn’t want to begrudge the offer but had spent quite a bit of the night sleepless, thinking of every possible thing that could go wrong and how could she get herself out of the situation if needed.
“You could always say no to me… but I’m really glad you didn’t,” Alex confessed. “I am looking forward to seeing you.”
“I will see you soon,” Katherine whispered to Alex before hanging up the phone. She was a bit unsure, once again, if she had made the right decision. Having given Leslie as much information as possible about where she would be, she had halfheartedly joked that her body could be found someday with this info. Leslie had gotten upset and called her a dumbass.
Leslie was the main reason she had shown up today. She had flashed the phone in her face this morning when Katherine said she might not go. Leslie had told her quite bluntly that “Katherine needs to quit being negative and make that face again,” showing her the photo that started the fiasco. Katherine was a grown up and could make decisions on her own, but this one scared her. Not physically, but emotionally. She could get hurt again emotionally.
Friends first, that would be her motto. The attraction had been there, whether or not it was still there remained to be seen. She was certain it would be there for her since his voice alone turned her into mush. But for him? She’d have to wait and see, either way. Katherine intended to go with the thought that she was meeting a friend. If things escalated from there, great! And if it didn’t? She did not want to be hurt.
Katherine looked out the plane window for quite some time, lost in thought. Her mind was reeling with the fact that she was escaping her old life to visit a new one, even if it was for a brief moment. She had no idea what to expect. But wasn’t that the appeal of a vacation? To see another location, new sights and to gain memories of it? She was doing just that. Though this vacation had her spending time with one of the most gorgeous men she had ever had the opportunity to meet.
As the plane landed, Katherine watched it taxi right up to a black car complete with heavily-tinted windows. As the door to the plane unfolded, once again, smoothly, allowing her to disembark, she saw the car door open. Alex stepped out with a smile just for her. It all felt so magical and like something from a dream.
Katherine felt herself look away, suddenly shy, and carefully stepped down. The attendant followed to unload the bag from the plane’s underbelly as the large security guard from the convention caught her eye. She saw him heft her bag upon his shoulder and load it into the trunk of the black car easily. Katherine watched as Alex reached his hand towards he
r and she stepped forward towards the car in a surreal daze.
Katherine moved to step into the car, but Alex leaned forward, brushing her hair off her shoulder and whispered in her ear, for her alone: “Welcome, Princess.” He helped her into the car politely and walked around to the other side to join her inside the cooling vehicle as the sun beat down on the asphalt.
The two rode in silence with the driver. Alex, she saw, looked out the window of the car and Katherine looked at his visage for a few moments. Turning to her own window, she saw the mountains in the distance as well as the patches of greenery surrounded by desert landscape. It was so different from Chicago and it felt strange to be here with him. Katherine felt Alex’s warm hand gently lay on hers. Katherine’s eyes turned to him quickly only to see that he still looked out the window. But this time, a faint smile appeared on his face. Strange, she thought.
They drove for some time, the landscape turning from desert to greenery. Prickly looking plants with long finger-like leaves dotted the hills, each blossoming atop a tall stalk. Massive evergreen cypress trees lined the road as the car turned down a long drive. Katherine watched as they pulled into a circle in front of a large, wrought iron gate.
Romancing the Fangirl Page 7