STARBURST #1

by Woodruff, Jettie

  Kay left them to go to the bathroom and then walked to the bar with Ken, where the bartender asked him if he would like to try Peyton Paxton’s screaming orgasm, and of course he did.

  He turned to look at the famous Peyton Paxton and couldn’t believe it. She really was there and shooting pool with Kevin Montgomery.

  Peyton lined up her shot, and Kevin stopped her. “Can I help you?” he asked, and she said sure. He stood behind her and helped her line the white ball up with the best pocket.

  Peyton closed her eyes at his touch and his smell. “You probably shouldn’t do that,” she admitted in a quiet voice, turning to look at him.

  “Do I make you nervous?” he asked, mimicking her tone.

  “I don’t know if I would say nervous,” she replied. “Are you helping me or not?” she asked.

  He moved a little closer and forced her to bend over the table more. He lined the shot up for her and told her where to hit it on the white ball and then backed away, letting his hand rub across her hip as he did. Peyton’s breathing was erratic, and she could have been a pro and not have been able to make the shot after that.

  Ken and Kay joined them, and Peyton was glad. Ken shook her hand with a big smile and then shook Kevin’s hand.

  “Let’s shoot partners now,” Kay suggested.

  “You and Ken and Payton and me?” Kevin asked.

  “Yeah, works for me,” Kay answered.

  “But my partner sucks at this,” he joked, and Peyton backhanded him in the chest.

  Kevin racked the balls and Kay broke, sending the balls scattering.

  “Nice,” Ken bragged.

  “You guys have the high ones Peyton,” Kay explained.

  “What the hell does that mean? Is that the oddballs or the solid ones?”

  “It means we have nine through fifteen or the striped ones,” Kevin explained.

  Peyton caught herself staring across the table at Kevin several times as they waited for their opponents to shoot, and every time she looked at him, he was looking back with eyes that sent an electrical sensation through her entire body.

  Peyton and Kevin won, and it was by no help from Peyton. She only got one ball in, and it wasn’t even theirs, but she had fun playing. They went back to the table when other people came to claim their quarters on the table. Peyton watched Ken take Kay’s hand before she had a chance to sit, and pulled her to the small dance floor with only three other couples slow dancing.

  “Do you want to dance?” Kevin asked Peyton.

  “I can’t dance with you Kevin,” she told him honestly, and he smiled a warm smile.

  “Why?”

  “Because, I can’t be that close to you.”

  “Why?” he asked again, and she snickered.

  “I think we both know why?” she answered, and bent down to adjust the tongue on her shoe and then kept her elbows on her knees.

  “Do you really think that I’m that naive?” he asked.

  “What are you talking about?” she answered his question with a question.

  “You making me stare at your breast.”

  “I’m making you?” she asked, and sat up crossing one leg over the other in a flirtatious manner.

  “Are you going to sit there and tell me that you didn’t just bend over with that specific goal in mind?”

  “No, I’m not going to tell you that,” she replied, admitting her conspiracy.

  “Dance with me,” he demanded but waited for a response.

  “Kevin I have to be very careful what I do. If I dance with you, you could very well end up in the tabloids tomorrow.”

  “So… I’m single and over twenty one. Are you?”

  “Am I over twenty one or single?” she asked, the obtuse question.

  “I know you are over twenty one, I have been watching you in movies for at least that long.”

  Peyton smiled, “I’m over twenty one and single.”

  “Then who cares if someone sees you dancing with a man?”

  Peyton was saved when Kay and Ken returned to the table. Peyton conspicuously nodded toward the bathroom, and Kay followed.

  “Oh my God Kay, do not let me leave with that man.”

  “Why, are you thinking about it?” she asked surprised.

  Peyton grunted. “I have been thinking about since he walked into your office this morning.”

  Kay laughed at her. “Do you really want me to stop you or are you just saying that?”

  “No, I really want you to stop me. I don’t even know that man.”

  “He’s a good man.”

  “Shut the hell up Kay, you’re not helping.”

  “Sorry,” she laughed.

  “Not to mention, I’m pretty drunk.”

  “So am I, we’re going to have to get a cab.”

  “Are you not hooking up with your friend tonight?” Peyton wanted to know.

  “No, I already told him that you were staying.”

  “Kay, you don’t have to deprive yourself on my account.”

  “It’s not only on your account Peyton. There is something that you don’t know about Ken that would make me look…” Kay stopped, trying to think of the right word.

  “Like the other woman?” Peyton asked.

  “Yeah exactly like that,” she admitted.

  “Oh the webs we weave for ourselves,” Peyton told her and put an arm around her as they walked out.

  “Look around this room Peyton,” Kay said as they walked. “Everyone in here is drinking screaming orgasms, that’s freaking hilarious.”

  “And I bet you a hundred bucks one of these people will spill, and we will be reading about it in the next day or two. Damn, why did you have to have a good looking friend?” she asked, changing the subject and looking at Kevin as he looked at her.

  They both had fresh drinks at the table when they returned, and they told the guys that was their last one.

  “We’re calling a cab after this one,” Kay explained.

  “I can drive you home, I haven’t touched the famous Peyton Paxton, screaming orgasm,” Kevin told them.

  Ken pulled Kay back to the dance floor, mostly to try and talk her into spending the night with him, but she held her own and told him no, she was going home with Peyton, and hoped that Peyton did indeed come home with her.

  Kevin stood and took Peyton’s hand, pulling her to the dance floor as well. He smiled down at her, and spun her around to face him, and she shook her head almost in disbelief at him.

  He placed his hand on the small of her back and held her hand on his chest as they slow danced. Peyton couldn’t believe the static that seemed to be sizzling between them. She closed her eyes and breathed a deep breath, trying to remain in control. She was so tempted to run her hand through the top of his unbuttoned shirt just to feel the patch of hair on his chest, and it was all she could do not to look up, willing him to kiss her. Peyton too, held her own and, refrained from doing what her body wanted her to do, and they did indeed go home alone.

  Kevin drove them, and Kay got a dirty look from Peyton after saying goodbye to Ken when she jumped into the backseat, forcing Peyton to ride up front with Kevin.

  I am going to kill her, Peyton thought when they pulled into her drive and Kay got out, leaving her alone with Kevin.

  “I guess I will see you Saturday” Kevin told her, and she remembered the poker game.

  “Okay,” she answered, putting her hand on the door handle, willing herself to open it and get out.

  “Peyton,” Kevin whispered, and she knew what was coming.

  She turned to him without speaking, and he touched her face with the back of his hand. She reached up and took it with her own and pulled it down but held onto it.

  “Please don’t kiss me Kevin,” she whispered, and he smiled. He knew he was getting to her, as much as she was getting to him but did respect her wishes.

  “Okay,” he quietly said, and let go of her hand, letting her escape.

  Chapter 16

  Tr
evas and Alley had just gotten back to her house when she remembered that her phone was dead and plugged it in and went upstairs to take a long needed bath. When she returned Trevas told her that her friend Alfie and Frankie were blowing up her phone.

  “Hmm, I wonder what they want. I hope they didn’t give anything away,” she added and dialed Alfie.

  “I have been trying to call you since last night,” he answered.

  “We were traveling and my phone was dead, what’s up?”

  “Well first I want to thank you for all of the business that we have been getting. Ever since, you were on Mickey Blue and they showed the picture of the shop, we have been swamped.”

  “You’re welcome, and?” she asked, knowing that he wasn’t blowing up her phone to thank her.

  “This reporter was in here yesterday and left his number for you to call him.”

  “I’m not calling a reporter Alfie; you should know that by now.”

  “I think you need to call this guy Alley. He said he has some photos of you that are going to be released tomorrow.”

  “Photos of what?”

  “I have no idea but he said he wanted to warn you before you saw them yourself.”

  Alley looked at Trevas with a worried look. “What’s the number?”

  Alfie gave her the number and then she explained to Trevas what he said.

  “Should I call him?” she asked Trevas.

  Trevas shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t think I would worry too much about it Alley. What could he possibly have pictures of?”

  “I don’t know, but I would kind of like to find out before they are published.”

  “Call him,” he told her, “block your number first,” he added, and she did.

  “Chris Sterns,” the guy answered.

  “Hi, this is Alley Fletcher, and I was told you had some personal photos of me that you were going to release.”

  “Oh hi, I didn’t think you were going to call. I really don’t know why I wanted to warn you, but I did. I just wanted to give you a heads up that these are going to be published, and probably in several magazines and internet sites, everyone wants them.”

  “Is it too late to buy them?”

  “Oh yes, they will hit the internet at seven p.m. tomorrow night.”

  “What are they?”

  “You and your bodyguard do you have an email, I can send you the folder.”

  Alley gave him her email address and knew exactly what it was. It was the only time that she could think of that they would have been intimate. Trevas had stayed in LA to drive his grandpa for a hospital procedure, and Alley had to fly to New Orleans. She had been there without him for three days, and when he got there in the evening the cast were in the pool, sitting around drinking beer and wine on the patio of the resort that they were staying in.

  He walked up to the pool area and saw her in an all-black bikini with a button up white shirt overtop that was opened with no sleeves. As soon as they saw each other they smiled conspicuously and she wanted to run to him.

  He text her and told her that she looked amazingly hot and she text him back and ask him if he saw that tool shed behind him and to follow her.

  He was very careful and looked around and saw no one. The back of the building faced the woods with not a soul in site.

  Alley waited for what seemed like hours before the email came. She opened the folder, and it was exactly what she thought it was, he was practically making love to her right there.

  The first picture she was leaned up against the building with one leg up with her foot flat against the wall of the building. Trevas was walking toward her. You could tell that he was looking around to see if anyone was around. The next one he had his hand high on the leg that was propped up, kissing her. Alley kept clicking as they got worse and worse.

  “This is bad Trevas,” she said looking over her shoulder at him.

  The pictures kept getting worse as she went. He was kissing her between her breasts and had her shirt pulled down revealing the secret tattoo. His hand covered it, but you could still see that she did indeed have a tattoo, although you couldn’t make out what it was. There was one where he had her hands pinned over her head, and her head was back as he kissed her neck and the rapture that was on her face told the whole story.

  “My dad is going to freak?” she said.

  “Fucking paparazzi, this is such bullshit,” Trevas blew up. “I can’t wait for this all to be over so we can get back to normal.”

  “I’m calling my mom,” she grabbed her phone, and forwarded the email to her mother as she called.

  Payton and Kay were sitting at the table drinking coffee and nursing their hangovers when Peyton answered her call.

  “Good morning, are you guys home?” she asked.

  “Mom, go check your email. I just sent you something that is really, really bad.”

  “What happened, Allie?” she asked, alarmed.

  “Fucking paparazzi, that’s what happened.”

  “Oh no, is it bad?”

  “Yes it’s real bad,” she explained as Peyton waited forever for the laptop to come on.

  Peyton opened the email, and Kay stood over her, waiting too. “Oh, God Alley, your dad is going to freak. Where did you get these?”

  “This nice fucking reporter sent them to me because he wanted to warn me before they were plastered all over the fucking world,” she told her angrily.

  “What a noble bastard,” Peyton replied, looking at the almost R rated photos of her and Trevas. “Alley what the hell were you guys thinking? You’re outside in broad daylight.”

  “Yeah in the middle of nowhere, we shouldn’t have to worry about what is lurking in the bushes.”

  “You know you have to worry about what is lurking in the bushes. That is why you don’t do stupid stuff like this unless you have four walls protecting you.”

  “I should have never done this stupid movie.”

  “It’s a little late for that. Call your dad Alley.”

  Alley groaned. “I love you, bye.”

  Peyton and Kay continued to look through the photos, and they were both mad at their public affection, although Alley and Trevas didn’t think they were in public.

  Alley called her dad next. “Dad you’re going to be pretty pissed off at me,” she started.

  “No, Alley, don’t say that. We have less than two months before the premier.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “What did you do?” he asked, really not wanting to know.

  “There are going to be some pretty explicit photos of Trevas and I released tomorrow evening.”

  “What do you mean? Where? How?”

  “New Orleans and we were behind a shed.”

  “How explicit are they?”

  “They are bad dad,” she told him honestly, knowing that he would see them anyway.

  “Jesus Christ Alley, you couldn’t wait two more months for this shit?”

  “It’s not like we did it on purpose.”

  “You know better, that is the part that pisses me off.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “You have the Vivian Walsh show tomorrow. She is brutal, she will ask about them.”

  “That is being taped at ten in the morning. The pictures are not supposed to release until seven tomorrow night. It’s going to come out eventually anyway dad. I don’t see what the big deal is other than I would rather not display it for everyone to see.”

  “You’re taking the focus off of the movie and putting it on your personal life. That is what the big deal is.”

  “I am not promoting my personal life. I’m promoting this stupid fucking movie that I should have never agreed to in the first place.”

  “You promote your personal life when you promote a movie. This other movie ‘Bitten’ is coming out the same week. You know as well as I do that if it does better than ours the producers are going to blame you. And I guarantee that you haven’t seen Hailey Arlington in any scandalous p
hotos.”

  “I don’t even know who that is, so what does she have to do with anything?”

  “She is your rival coming out with a movie the same week as you. Alley, just try to stay focused. Don’t answer any questions about Trevas, but do it with some dignity, and without being offensive, and you can tell him I am going to cut his nuts off.”

  “Whatever dad, I will see you later.”

  Kay had to go back into work after a phone call from Kevin about some defected parts and Peyton of course went along. Peyton sat with her in her office while she and Kevin dealt with the dilemma over the phone.

  “We are not paying for this Carl, and I now have seven skids of metal that is too soft to machine, and an order of fifty four hundred parts that are not going to get shipped on time, which is going to cost me more when they penalize me for not meeting our deadline.”

  “Send the parts back Kay. I will have them shipped to you by Monday,” the voice over the intercom told her.

  “I’m not paying to ship them back. I need them by Friday, plus I’m going to have to go out on the floor and tell about twenty people, they are working Saturday to finish the order. I’m not paying the overtime either Carl. You make this right or your services will no longer be needed.”

  “I’ll make it right Kay, calm down. It was an honest mistake.”

  “I can’t afford mistakes like this Carl. How do you let seven defected skids leave your plant without catching them?”

  “Let me get with my product manager. I will call you back.”

  “I need to know what is going on ASAP.”

  “Okay, give me an hour.”

  Kay pushed the button to end the call, ran her fingers thorough her hair and groaned in frustration. “You need to go let the B line know that they are working all three shifts Saturday Kevin,” Kay told him.

  “Oh hell no, you call the supervisors in here to do that.”

  “I’ll do it myself,” she stood and told him. “Peyton you are welcome to come if you want.”

  “I don’t think I want to witness that, but good luck Kay.”

  There was an awkward silence between Peyton and Kevin after she slammed the door lividly. She was supposed to be on vacation, not dealing with any of this.