“Yeah, I think she has a similar contract. We sort of accidently ran into each other. We both thought the other was a fake account. It was really funny actually.”
I wasn’t opposed to my contract with Instamatch, and I understood what Bella was saying. It was her job to help me make money in this new social media world; I just didn’t like the idea of trying to make money off of a girl that I had only been on one date with. Plus, I really did like Angelina and wanted to get to know her. I wasn’t interested in ruining it by selling her out.
“Just promise you’ll talk to her about it; who knows, maybe she’s interested in posting something with you too. You’re a pretty awesome catch yourself there buddy.” Bella laughed.
“Okay, I’m going now. I’ll let you know when I know more. For now, your response is ‘no comment’, understand?”
“I hate that; you know I hate that.”
“Talk to you later,” I said as I hung up and reluctantly climbed into the shower.
I knew Bella hated when she couldn’t fill in the press, but I suspected every agent felt that way when the news stations were hounding them for stories. When I was younger, I would have caved into everything my agent said, but I didn’t care as much as I use to. I did want to get back into the movie making scene, but I wasn’t going to sell my soul to get there.
I waited all day long to reply back to Angelina when I realized she was working for the whole day. It was my day off, so it seemed like torture not to try and call her or talk to her, but I knew what those filming days were like and wasn’t going to interrupt her much. As I climbed into bed at the end of the day, I saw a text from her pop up on my screen. There was no way I was going to sleep after seeing that, I had spent my day waiting to hear from her.
“Finally, I got back to my room; we got a little ahead on shooting today.”Angelina said in her text.
“That never happens!” I replied.
“I know; I think they built in time for me to suck, and today I didn’t suck … lol.”
“I’m sure you don’t normally suck.”I said as I thought about the conversations we had had together. She was a very eloquent woman and I suspected she was a fabulous actress.
“Sometimes I suck real good.”
What the hell! Did she just say what I thought she said? This was the wild girl who had been messaging me when we first started to talk. I liked this side of her.
“Don’t get me started thinking about your perfect mouth,” I text her back.
“Oh, you don’t want to think about my perfect mouth wrapped around your body?”
I felt my body reacting as we text, and I wanted her there in my bed desperately.
“You better get going to bed; I suspect you have another long day ahead of you tomorrow?” I said as I tried to avoid the sexual innuendo.
“I could sleep better if you were here in my bed,” she replied.
Fucking hell! This girl was killing me!
“How about tomorrow I take you out after you’re done. Maybe a late dinner?”
I waited patiently for a response, but nothing came through. I felt like a kid as I stared at my phone hoping to see the little bubble pop up that would show that she was typing me a message. About ten minutes passed, and I decided that she had fallen asleep. I remembered what those days of shooting for fifteen hours were like. When I would finally get to bed, it was all I could do to stay awake long enough to set my alarm for the next day. I fell asleep thinking about Angelina for the second night in a row.
“I’m so sorry I fell asleep on you! Yes, I’d love to see you again. I’ll text you when we wrap for the night. Probably around nine,” Angelina responded to me around seven o’clock in the morning.
It was near noon when I had woken up, though. Our schedules weren’t all that close to each other. I would be finishing up my show around 9:30 p.m., but I figured that would probably still work alright.
“I’ll be done around 9:30 p.m. Text me where you’d like to meet up, and I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
It certainly wasn’t the most romantic way to spend a second date, but neither of our lives was typical at all. We were going to just have to do whatever worked for us and forget about the norms of the dating world. To be honest, I didn’t really know what normal dating was anymore. Before I had moved to New York, my dating had been sporadic at best. I lived in Los Angeles and dated random female actresses and models that I met on the road. There was the occasional woman that I kept around as what people called a girlfriend, but only a couple that I could remember actually having feelings for.
Since arriving in New York, I had been concentrating much more on myself and not so much on the dating stuff. The women I went out with were typically one-night stands, and I hadn’t kept anyone around much longer than that.
That afternoon, I had to meet up with a couple of the guys from my investment group. I had missed our normal Sunday night meeting and still needed to give them my monthly payment for our group. I really valued all the learning about investments that was going on in our group; I also valued the friendships that I got from the guys in the group.
“You have been a busy guy,” Merrick said as I walked into the diner where all the guys were sitting and waiting for me.
“What is this, some sort of intervention?” I laughed.
“Hey, we need to keep in contact with you somehow. You’re going to be too famous to want to hang out with us soon,” Ren added.
“You know I think Angelina is beautiful, way to go, Dean,” Wyatt added.
“She’s sexy as hell,” Luke chimed in.
“Okay guys, are we talking about my dating life all afternoon or should we make our investment decisions?” I added.
“Your dating life,” Ren and Luke both said at the same time.
“Oh, come on guys. You can’t be all that interested. I’ve never had to answer to you before about the girls I went home with.”
“So you’re saying that you went home with her? Yes, tell us about that. What was she like in bed? Details Dean; we need details,” Luke said intently.
“I’m not saying anything about our date or if we went home with one another,” I said firmly. “But I will say she’s got one hell of a body, doesn’t she?”
“Oh! Yeah, that’s the truth,” Merrick said quietly.
“Seriously guys. She’s a nice girl. Smart as hell and really fun to talk to. I’m just going to ride it out and see how things go.”
I saw the childish look on Ren and Luke’s faces as Ren mouthed the words ‘ride it out’, and then they both started to laugh hysterically. They were the youngest guys in our group, and it certainly showed in how they behaved.
“Okay, guys you better calm down if you want to meet her someday,” I teased.
“Yes, I want to meet her,” Luke said as his face went totally serious. “And her sister Abigail; I want to meet her sister.”
“I’ll see if I can hook you up somewhere down the road,” I said as I finally got Luke to turn more to a serious tone. “Now, can we talk investments? I think my little Instamatch contract is going to be very lucrative. I’d like to be ready to invest my money the right way.”
“You met her on Instamatch!” Ren yelled out, and everyone in the restaurant turned to look at us.
“Yep,” I said. “Thanks for helping me set up my profile.”
“I’m getting on there right now,” Luke added as both he and Ren ignored me and started to download the app and set up their profiles.
“That’s some good dumb beginners luck,” Merrick said.
“I know; it was funny. We both thought the other was lying about who we were and then showed up and were totally surprised.”
“That’s a good love story, dude; I hope it works out,” Wyatt added. “You know I’m totally supportive. I’m living proof that you can meet the woman of your dreams online.”
“I know dude, thanks. So I do have a little bit of a dilemma; maybe you two could help me?” I asked as I l
ooked at Merrick and Wyatt.
“Sure,” Merrick replied, and Wyatt shook his head.
“My agent wants me to post about this whole thing online. She says it will increase my deal with Instamatch by the millions. It just seems pretty slimy to me. I don’t want to be that kind of guy. On the other hand, she’s got a deal with Instamatch too; so maybe she will want to publicize everything too?”
“I don’t know how all that celebrity stuff works,” Merrick started to say, “but I do know women. You’ll need to talk to her about it. She might freak out if you just post pictures, and she might not. The best option is to talk to her and know where she’s at about it all.”
“Listen to Merrick and all his expert advice on social media,” Ren added. “He’s right, though; once you post, you can’t take it back. Make sure she’s down with it.”
“When are you seeing her again?” Luke asked.
“Probably tonight after my show.”
“Man, I could see you making some big time dough on this deal. Look, she’s got millions of followers on her Instagram. If you are getting paid based on your social media reach, wow, this is going to be huge,” Ren added.
“Yeah, that’s what Bella was saying.”
“It’s a good deal for her too, though. You’re not some schmuck off the street. Being seen with you will help her profile too.”
“How do you figure?” I asked skeptically.
I didn’t see how being seen with an aging Hollywood star would be all that beneficial to an up and coming starlet. She seemed to have her whole career ahead of her, and I was desperately trying to hold onto mine.
“You are a legitimate Hollywood star. She’s a wannabe. Sure, she’s a sexy, rich wannabe, but she could use someone like you to bring her popularity to the mass of regular people. It would help her get into some big movie roles too.”
“Hell, I can’t even get my own big movie roles.”
“That will change if you’re dating this girl. I guarantee it, and I bet your agent will say the same thing. This girl is your key to the new age marketplace. I mean, I’m not suggesting you date her just because she’s popular, but I’m just saying it certainly won’t hurt your efforts to get new roles.”
Ren had a good point, and I absolutely hated that he had said it out loud. I didn’t want to even think about the possibility that I was using Angelina to get what I wanted out of Hollywood. I wasn’t. I really did like her, and I wasn’t going to do a thing that would jeopardize what we had started between us.
“I’m not going to use her.”
“If two people who were never famous, both got famous at the same time. Would they be using each other?” Merrick asked.
“No.”
“That’s what would happen here. You aren’t famous in the social media world, and she’s not famous in the movie world. You can both benefit and build your brands. From a business perspective, this seems like a win-win situation to me.”
“Okay, I see your point. I’ll try and talk to her about it. But it’s not really the most romantic way to start a second date.”
“Wait until the third date.” Wyatt laughed.
Chapter 8
Angelina
“Sorry I look a little like a homeless person.” I giggled as I sat down at the dinner table with Dean. “I didn’t have time to change, and I didn’t want to be late.”
In my past day to day life, I would have never gone to a restaurant without spending several hours on my hair and makeup. Even if it was just my sister and me; we spent serious time getting ready before we would go out. That was the joy of the media; you could dress up, or you could be in rags. Either way, they were going to publish it.
As more and more paparazzi started to follow us, my sister and I had to actually spend our time getting ready before we went out. We couldn’t just sit around looking horrible if there were cameras and video tape of what was going on. So the transition from frumpy teenager to glamor reality star began to take place. People started to replay the scenes from my reality show where I was doing my makeup, and then they watched YouTube video tutorials that showed them how to do their makeup just like me.
So it felt really weird and unusual for me to have comfortable clothes on and all my makeup removed as I sat with Dean. I couldn’t imagine I would ever feel comfortable enough with a guy to go makeup free; yet I was doing it with Dean, and I barely knew him.
“You can wear anything you want dear,” his husky voice said as he pushed my chair in.
Damn, I could listen to him talk all day long. He could probably read the dictionary, and it would sound sexy. His strong hands brushed against my back and I felt the power they had. Dean’s eyes burned with desire as he looked into mine. The chiseled curve of his jaw line begging me to pay attention to him. I was really happy I had made it out of filming by 9:30 p.m., and I hadn’t been too late to our dinner. My heart fluttered at having him so near.
Thoughts of Dean had filled my head all day long; I couldn’t wait to see him. As I sat next to him and he talked to the waiter, a feeling of calm glided through me. I felt comfortable with this guy, truly comfortable with him. There wasn’t a need to pretend to be someone else; I didn’t feel like I had to talk shop or fill the quiet space between us. There was comfort between us, and that was truly something I had not experienced with anyone outside of my close group of friends.
“How was your day?” I asked.
“Rather uneventful, actually. Monday’s are my day off, so I got an ear full from my agent, got laundry sent to the hotel and did the obligatory cleanup of my messy hotel room.”
“You’ve been in New York for a while; why are you still in a hotel?”
“It’s not really a hotel, I guess. More like a long-term apartment slash hotel. I don’t know; people come and clean and take care of me like a hotel,” he said with a laugh.
“So why were you cleaning up?”
“I couldn’t let the maid see how messy I am.”
“Seems reasonable. You don’t want the woman who is supposed to clean your room to actually have to clean it.” I laughed.
His rough hand reached for mine and held onto it as the waiter poured us some wine. My fingers intertwined with his and squeezed. We were like old souls who had known each other for years. I wanted to know everything about him yet didn’t want to seem like an eager fan. I needed to do things right with this guy; it felt important to me.
The electricity between us was palpable as our hands touched. The warmth from his hand shot directly through my body, and I felt every inch getting warmer and warmer. Just being near Dean made me feel like I was hot.
“When I go back to my house, sometimes I wake up and wish there were hotel staff to bring me breakfast.” I giggled.
“I know; I get so used to not having to cook. I’m not sure I’d even be able to make something if my life depended on it.”
“I’ll cook for you sometime; I love to cook.”
“You do?”
“Don’t look so shocked, Dean; I’m not totally useless,” I said as I nudged him. “My mother insisted on teaching me and my sister everything about how to keep a happy household. I think she hoped someday I’d want a big family and dozens of grandkids for her.”
“My mom just didn’t want me to burn the house down,” he joked.
We sat in silence as we sipped our wine and looked at each other. My eyes drew a line from his eyes to his lips and then down to his fingertips as they played with mine. I couldn’t stop thinking about what his hands would feel like on my body. It was a growing urge that made it harder and harder to focus on anything else. My pulse grew louder in my own head as I watched his lips wrap around the edge of his glass and the red wine slid gently into his mouth.
He seemed to be watching me just as intently, and I let my mouth slide around the edge of the glass while I looked into his eyes. The wine softly slipped past my lips, and I licked them seductively while he watched me.
“You’re driving me cra
zy,” he said.
He took in a deep breath, and before I knew it, we were kissing. His lips pressed against mine, and I felt him exhale as if I was torturing him with desire just like he was torturing me. I was really trying to be a proper lady, but the cardinal urges that filled every thought were taking over and all I wanted to do was drag him back to my hotel room and make love all night long.
“There’s so much I want to talk to you about. I want to learn all about you,” Dean said as his lips gently touched mine and our heads stayed pressed together.
My breathing took over, and I tried to calm myself. I didn’t want to talk; I wanted his naked body on mine and to make love to him all night long. It felt like that was what he wanted too. His lips, his touch, even his own heavy breathing were telling me that he wanted me.
“Would you think I was a horrible person if I asked you to come back to my hotel with me? We could talk there if you’d like.”
“Yes, don’t ask me that because I won’t refuse you.”
“Come back to my hotel with me,” I said as I started to nibble on his neck. “I’m not hungry anymore.”
“You seem a little hungry by all that biting going on down there,” he joked. “Should we eat first and then go?”
“No.”
“Okay,” he said as he grabbed me and kissed me with more passion than I was prepared for. “Let’s eat later.”
His hands were firm on my face as we moved our mouths passionately together. The touch of his passion had my whole body electrified, and I wanted to feel his touch. I needed to be naked in front of this man and have his hands gliding all over me.
Dean threw a couple of hundred dollars on the table and grabbed my hand as we went out the front door. Before we were able to get a cab, there were about a dozen flashes that we both instantly knew were paparazzi. Dean didn’t let go of my hand; he pulled me close to him and protected me.
He held onto me tighter and pulled me next to him as the restaurant valet hailed a cab for us. The paparazzi yelled at us, but I couldn’t hear what they were asking; all I heard was Dean’s voice as he talked in my ear. “Stay with me,” he said. “I’m right here. Don’t worry about them.”
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