STARBURST #1

by Woodruff, Jettie

  “What? I thought they weren’t going to release them until tomorrow evening.”

  “LA Trickle got them somehow, but it might not be as bad as we expected. Hailey Arlington is pictured right beside of her with an even worse controversy because hers are with Bo Slater, and he is dating Lexis Diamond.”

  “I don’t wish that on anyone but thank you Hailey Arlington,” he praised.

  “Have you seen the photos?” she wanted to know.

  “No, but I guess I should go check them out how bad are they?”

  “They are practically doing it, and you’re not going to want to see your daughter like this,” she added clicking next on each of the explicit photos.

  “She has the Vivian Walsh show in the morning. Does Alley know about this?”

  “No, I will call her now. I will see you later Fletcher.”

  Peyton turned to see the reaction on Kevin’s face about all of this, and he slowly moved his eyes to hers. She was unable to read him, and instead for some God awful reason, she moved her lips toward his and he met her in the middle, and she kissed him.

  “Your daughter definitely takes after you,” he said, returning to his elbow.

  “Are you checking out my daughter?” she teased.

  “It’s kind of hard not to. I didn’t know Trevas had it in him.”

  “Oh, yeah I forgot, you know Trevas,” she remembered.

  “Yup, since he was about fifteen I guess.”

  Peyton had tried to call Alley over the last twenty minutes and finally she called back.

  “Jesus mom, why are you blowing up my phone? I was going to call you back,” Alley exclaimed before she even had time to say hello.

  “Why aren’t you answering your phone?”

  “Because I was in the middle of having sex.”

  “Really Alley? I don’t need the details.”

  “Believe me you didn’t get any details. What do you want?”

  “The pictures were published to LA Trickle. They are up now.”

  “That’s just great, lying slime ball. They could have at least waited until after this stupid show.”

  “That could be why they did it but go look at them. I don’t think it’s going to be as bad as we thought, Hailey Arlington is right beside you.”

  “The girl playing ‘Bitten’?”

  “Yes, her photos are just as bad, and she is with Bo Slater.”

  “Hmm, okay, I’m going to go check it out. Talk to you tomorrow, love you, bye.”

  Peyton closed the laptop and Kevin set it aside. He lay down and reached for her with his opened arm, and she lay down with him. He kissed the top of her head. She wondered once again what the hell she was doing. She didn’t do the whole intimacy thing, and she didn’t like the unfamiliar feelings of how good it felt to be in his arms. He traced her forearm with his finger and kissed her head again.

  “I want to take you somewhere tomorrow evening,” Kevin told her.

  “Kevin no, we had sex, let’s leave it at that,” she protested, not taking her head from his chest to look at him.

  “What are you afraid of Peyton?”

  “I am not afraid of anything. I just don’t do this.”

  “Do what?” he asked, exasperated with her.

  “This,” she replied, moving away from him, sitting up and waving her arms. “Lying in your arms, sleeping in your bed, and letting you touch me without a condom.”

  “What are you so freaked out about Peyton? You live in California. We both know that this is nothing more than a fling. Is that what has you so distraught?” he asked as it dawned on him. “Are you afraid of falling in love with me?” he asked boldly.

  She snorted. “No, I’m not afraid of falling in love with you.”

  “Because you don’t do that either, right?”

  “Exactly,” she said with a point, a wink and a click of her mouth.

  Kevin sat up and pushed her back to the bed and took her mouth with his. He pinned her hands above her head, and even though they had just had sex a little more than an hour before, her body responded in the exact same way as the last time, and she unthinkingly parted her legs and twisted into him begging for him to take her again. Kevin did take her again and stared so deep into her eyes. She thought for sure that he could search her soul, and see everything about her that she kept locked away.

  “It’s just sex Peyton,” Kevin said between heavy breaths as they both came down from their highs.

  Peyton fell asleep wondering why he had such an effect on her and why she couldn’t control him like she did with every other man in her life. She fell asleep but distanced herself from him, not wanting to be in his arms. When she woke that was exactly where she was, nestled up to his front with her back, and his arm held her to him.

  Chapter 17

  Kay woke to banging pots and pans from the kitchen. She walked out, squinting her sleepy eyes at the light and found Peyton.

  “What are you doing?” she asked puzzled.

  “I have to cook something.”

  “Why? It’s six o’clock in the morning, and what are you wearing she asked, looking at the way too big sweats tied tightly around her waist and baggy t-shirt.

  “My mind needs to cook something, and these are Kevin’s clothes.”

  “Okay, well I am going back to bed Trevas,” she said, mocking her for being so much like her son.

  Kay lay in bed for all of twenty minutes before feeling guilty, sensing that Peyton needed to talk and between the smell of the homemade muffins and the coffee, she got up.

  “How was your night?” Kay asked, pouring a cup of coffee and joining her at the table.

  “It was weird,” she said puzzled.

  “Weird?”

  “Yeah, I don’t know Kay, just weird,” she answered still puzzled.

  “How was the sex?” Kay asked, but hoped she didn’t get any details because there was no way that she would be able to go to work and not laugh at him or at least say something.

  “Hot as hell,” she replied, sipping her coffee and looking up to her from the cup. “He wants me to go somewhere with him tonight, but he didn’t say where.”

  “Really? Hmm, it’s Friday. He usually opens up the gym for the kids in town or Friday.”

  “What do you mean he opens the gym?”

  “The old middle school, he has a key to the gym and always opens it up for the kids around town to go in and play ball. He thinks it keeps them off the street and out of trouble.”

  “Damn it Kay, stop telling me how nice this guy is.”

  “Peyton?” Kay asked without a question.

  “Kay I need to go back to California and get away from Kevin.”

  “Oh no… you are starting to have feelings for him, aren’t you?”

  “How can that be? I have known him for less than a week.”

  Kay shrugged her shoulders. “Trevas tells me that he fell in love with Alley in a week.”

  “You’re not helping.”

  “Sorry but I don’t think you have a choice of who or when you fall in love.”

  “Kay, stop it. I am not in love with him. I don’t even know the guy.”

  Kay groaned when she saw Kevin’s name on her ringing cellphone.

  “I am not coming in there,” she answered. “I am on vacation, and I have been in there every day.”

  “Okay, but your signed contract is here just waiting for your signature.”

  Kay groaned again. She knew that she had to go in and sign it and get it faxed to corporate. “I will be in before too long,” she reluctantly agreed.

  “Where is Peyton?” he wanted to know.

  “In the shower,” she lied, wanting to see if he would say anything as she winked at Peyton.

  “Did she say anything?”

  “She said the sex sucked.”

  Kevin laughed. “Sure she did.”

  “Why would she say anything?”

  “I don’t know, just wondering if she had anything to say.”


  “No, not really,” she replied, staying far, far out of the middle, she decided.

  “Bring her with you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to see her.”

  “What if she doesn’t want to come?”

  “I am being paged. I have to go, see you when you get here.”

  “He was asking about me, wasn’t he?” Peyton asked.

  “Yup and I think he has it just as bad as you do.”

  “I am not going with you,” Peyton decided.

  “Yes you are, and you know you are so, let’s get ready.”

  *****

  “Could you call Pete and Manny and have them meet me in my office,” Kay asked Jess as they walked in.

  “Do you want Kevin too?” she asked.

  “Yes but I will grab him on my way by,” she replied, without stopping.

  She stopped two doors down from hers and smiled at Kay. “Do you want to get Kevin?”

  “No,” she said, but shook her head yes with a smile.

  Peyton went into her office, and Kay knocked on Kevin’s door.

  He opened the door and was on the phone talking about the dimensions of some kind of cylinder, and he smiled at her.

  “Hey, I’m going to have to call you back Mark. I just had a very important client walk in.”

  “Hi,” Peyton said.

  “How are you?” he replied.

  “I’m okay, how are you?” she asked, and knew they were just making conversation because neither of them knew what to say.

  Kevin leaned against his desk, crossing his ankles and willed her to him with his eyes. She slowly walked toward him, and he uncrossed his ankles and she moved into him.

  “Very important client uh?” she teased, and he put his hands on both of her sides and smiled up at her. “Aren’t you going to kiss me?” she asked, and didn’t know what or who was taking over her body.

  “I was waiting for you to kiss me,” he teased, and she placed her hand on the side of his face, gazing down at him. She ran her thumb softly over his bottom lip and then moved her lips closer to his. He stood from his perched position and was now looking down at her, and kissed her with so much passion, she felt faint. His hands wandering on her sides made her gasp for air, and she could feel his bulge on her stomach. Their make out session was abruptly interrupted by Kay when his phone rang on his desk. He pushed the button and said, “Yeah.”

  “Get in here. I don’t want to be here all day.”

  “I need five,” he replied, and hung up on her.

  “Is five enough?” Peyton asked, and rubbed the reason he needed five with her hand.

  “Don’t touch it,” he said, backing away from her.

  She laughed and kissed him one quick time. “I am going to get away from you now.”

  “I think that is a great idea,” he agreed, knowing that Kay was going to be calling again.

  He ran his hands through his hair once she left, willing himself to get it together. He picked up the catalogue of office supplies on his desk and flipped through it, trying to get his mind off of Peyton.

  *****

  Kay gave Peyton a pair of shorts and a Logan County Bulldogs t-shirt, and they met Kevin at the middle school where he was on the court playing ball with some teenage boys.

  “Holly shit Kay,” Peyton remarked as soon as she saw him in his cut off shirt, basketball shorts and muscles in places she didn’t think were possible. Kay laughed, and shook her head, not seeing in Kevin what she did. The six boys that were on the floor stopped playing snappishly when they saw Peyton Paxton. She spent the next twenty minutes taking pictures with them and talking to the youngsters about her latest movie, and she didn’t mind a bit.

  Kevin and Peyton shot hoops while the boys gawked at her.

  “What the hell do you think you are doing Kevin?” Kay asked while they waited for the boy’s fascination with Peyton to be over.

  Kevin went in for a layup and then tossed her the ball. “What are you talking about?”

  “You know exactly what I am talking about,” she replied, taking a shot and missing.

  “Not really. I’m not doing anything. Peyton is a grown adult if she doesn’t want to see me, nobody is forcing her.”

  “You are really getting under her skin Kevin, and I think you should back off before somebody gets hurt.”

  Kevin snorted and shot again, making a three pointer. “I’m getting under her skin? What the hell does that mean?”

  “It means she is thinking about you, more than she should be. She is going back to California in a few days, and I promise you her lifestyle and yours would never work.”

  “She is thinking about me?”

  “You’re helpless,” Kay told him, making a three point shot herself, and not believing that was the only thing he had gotten out of their whole conversation.

  They messed around with the teen boys until eight o’clock and Peyton invited him over to watch Alley on the Vivian show, after okaying it with Kay first.

  He went home and showered, and brought pizza and beer with him and they sat around in the living room, waiting for the ten o’clock show.

  Kay and Peyton both had on warm flannel pajamas with animal characters all over them, and he made fun of them, telling them both how sexy they were. Peyton sat on the sofa with him, and Kay reclined in the recliner. Kevin wanted to pull her close to him as much as she wanted to move close to him, but neither of them did, feeling uncomfortable around Kay.

  Kay went to the bathroom five minutes before the show was getting ready to start, and as soon as she was out of sight, Peyton turned to him, and leaned into him as he leaned into her and they kissed, and then pulled away as soon as they heard the toilet flush.

  Peyton was nervous and sat on the edge of the sofa. She hadn’t been able to get a hold of Alley or Trevas all day to find out how it had gone, and Fletcher hadn’t heard from them either. She was left worrying and wondering if Alley slipped.

  The show started, and Alley was seated on a round Florissant green sofa. Vivian was on the same color stool, towering over her. Because this was an unscripted show and only aired on the higher pay channels, Alley didn’t dress up, and Peyton was a little disappointed. Alley had on a pair of holy jeans, sneakers with no socks, and a red Dr. Pepper t-shirt. Her hair was down, and she had on just a touch of makeup.

  Vivian explained to her that the show was open table, and Alley along with her could throw out anything that they wanted. She went on to explain that they would pick two lucky Twitter fans that would be asking her questions.

  A screen popped up in front of them and went through a bunch of names making an electronic sound and the first name popped up.

  “And the lucky winner is…. ‘Alley Fletcher Stalker’, from Burswood Alabama,” she called, and Alley had a repulsive look on her face.

  “What the fuck?” she mouthed, and you could definitely tell what she had just said even without the sound, and Peyton said, “Oh God,” sensing the attitude.

  The names started to scramble again on the screen, and the next name was revealed.

  ‘I heart Alley Fletcher,’ From Carole Pennsylvania, she called when the next name popped.

  “Okay Alley Fletcher Stalker, you’re up,” Vivian announced.

  They waited for the question to be typed, and Alley’s crossed knee bounced either irritated or nervously, Peyton wasn’t sure which.

  “Do you think you will ever date Jerrod Jackson? I think you two would make an awesome couple.”

  “Unscripted, right?” Alley asked Vivian.

  “Yes ma’am, say what’s on your mind.”

  “Can I ask questions too?”

  “Yup,” she replied, hoping to get her going and boost her ratings.

  “What the fuck?” she asked. “Alley Fletcher Stalker?” she added, asking not liking the sound of his name, and they waited for him to type.

  “I am infatuated with you, and the latest pictures of you with your bodygua
rd are freaking hot as hell.”

  Alley shook her head and tightened her lips as she twisted her mouth to the side.

  “I don’t think Jerrod, and I will be dating. I don’t mix business with pleasure,” she answered the question, and her knee now bounced a hundred miles an hour.

  “Get it together Alley,” Peyton said out loud, looking just as nervous as Alley.

  The next question was from the other winner and was a normal fan, and she was asked if she had a new sense of respect for our military after playing the part.

  “I’ve always had the upmost respect for our service men, so I would have to say no. I didn’t gain a different view from playing the part.”

  Her stalker fan asked, “I also saw a picture of you smoking a bowl. Do you still like to get stoned?”

  Alley laughed. “How do you think I make it through questions like this,” she replied, and left it at that, but was certainly not lying, her and Trevas had just gotten into an argument because she was bending over in the car going through the city, lighting a bowl before they had gotten there.

  She was asked about her future movie plans by the more normal Twitter fan, and she answered how she was coached to answer.

  “If the right part came along, I would consider doing another movie, but as of right now, I have no plans in doing anything further.”

  “Are you ever going to reveal the secret tattoo?” was Alley’s next question by her weirdo fan.

  “No,” she answered. “Okay that was his three questions, get rid of him,” she demanded.

  After the last question, Vivian took over and asked the questions.

  “Alley, you know that I have to ask about the bodyguard,” Vivian said.

  “Ask away, that didn’t really sound like a question to me.”

  “Is there something between you two or was this just a mishap.”

  Alley laughed, “Oh he’s undeniably a mishap,” she replied.

  “A mishap that we will be seeing more of with you?” she continued to probe, wanting to be the first to report on the new controversy.

  “I am going to be judged, whether I say yes that we are together, or I say that we are not, and it was just a one-time recklessness on my part, I would be able to Google myself tomorrow and people are going to tell their story and not mine anyway.”