in the restroom?”
“Ah, you caught that? And you didn’t come to my rescue?” He looked at me, pretending to be wounded, but I picked up a serious undertone to it.
“I figured you had your big boy pants on today.”
His eyes shifted back to the road as we laughed, but he looked uncomfortable.
When we approached my building, there were still so many of them camped out.
“How do they do that? How is there so many of them at once at different places?” I was amazed and confused all in one.
“They’re like cockroaches, Jordan. They’re everywhere—even when you don’t see them they’re there.” He parallel parked across the street about six buildings down from mine. We hadn’t been spotted yet.
“I don’t want to run, Nathan. I don’t want to seem like I’m annoyed at all this, annoyed at your life. I mean, yeah, it is a bit annoying, but I think running and hiding gives the impression...” I let out a frustrated sigh. “I can’t explain it correctly.” I put a hand on my chin. “It makes me seem stuck up, or like I’m too good for this bullshit. Am I making any sense?”
“None, Jordie.” He laughed. “Breathe, baby.”
There went my stomach again. I forced myself to focus.
“I don’t want to come off as a bitch. There, that’s what I mean.” A sigh of relief left my lips.
He kissed my hand. “Then we walk,” he said simply. He leaned over and kissed me quick and soft on my lips. “Wait for me to open your door, please?” His tone hinted that it was more of a demand than a request. He hopped out and quickly walked around to my side. The second my feet hit the ground I heard the stampede. Nathan quickly moved me to the side and shut the door. He put his arm around my shoulder, pulled me close to him, and kissed the top of my head. The crowd became a mass of moving bodies that formed a circle around us as we walked to my apartment. I managed a few closed lip smiles but said nothing. The sound of cameras clicking and the questions, one after another, each louder than the next, became one continuous stream of noise. We got to the door and Nathan shoved the key into the lock, guiding me in first with his hand on my back. I waited for him to get inside before closing the door and locking it.
“That wasn’t so bad.” I flashed a smile.
He pulled me in to him, leaning down, an awe-struck look in his intense blue eyes. “Does anything faze you? A man three times your size punches you in the face and what do you do? Stand up like it was a bug bite and go after him. Oh hey, my first relationship since my husband was tragically killed at war eight years ago happens to be with one of today’s most stalked after celebrities. You’re unaffected.” He looked at me, baffled.
“You, sir, are not a celebrity to me,” I whispered, burying my head in his chest. “You’re just Nathan.” I smiled.
Once upstairs, I plopped on the couch. He sat down next to me, and I leaned over and laid my head in his lap. He put one hand on my head, playing with my hair. With the other hand he was running a finger up and down my arm.
“How did this happen?” I asked, staring at the flat screen even though it wasn’t on. I felt his body tense slightly as he stopped rubbing my arm to lean over and look at my face.
“How did what happen, Jordie?”
I shifted so I was on my back looking up at him, and draped my legs over the end of the couch. “All of this, so fast?”
Blue eyes to green, we stared at each other intensely.
“I’ve known you four days, Nathan. How... is it that...” I paused. “I don’t have the words right now.” I closed my eyes tight.
“I understand.” His voice was quiet.
“You can’t possibly know what I’m trying to say when I don’t even know what I’m trying to say. Nathan, what happens in ten days when you go back to Sacramento? Remember you don’t live here?” I opened my eyes. I knew they were filled with hurt. “Four days is not nearly enough time to...
“Ah, you caught that? And you didn’t come to my rescue?” He looked at me, pretending to be wounded, but I picked up a serious undertone to it.
“I figured you had your big boy pants on today.”
His eyes shifted back to the road as we laughed, but he looked uncomfortable.
When we approached my building, there were still so many of them camped out.
“How do they do that? How is there so many of them at once at different places?” I was amazed and confused all in one.
“They’re like cockroaches, Jordan. They’re everywhere—even when you don’t see them they’re there.” He parallel parked across the street about six buildings down from mine. We hadn’t been spotted yet.
“I don’t want to run, Nathan. I don’t want to seem like I’m annoyed at all this, annoyed at your life. I mean, yeah, it is a bit annoying, but I think running and hiding gives the impression...” I let out a frustrated sigh. “I can’t explain it correctly.” I put a hand on my chin. “It makes me seem stuck up, or like I’m too good for this bullshit. Am I making any sense?”
“None, Jordie.” He laughed. “Breathe, baby.”
There went my stomach again. I forced myself to focus.
“I don’t want to come off as a bitch. There, that’s what I mean.” A sigh of relief left my lips.
He kissed my hand. “Then we walk,” he said simply. He leaned over and kissed me quick and soft on my lips. “Wait for me to open your door, please?” His tone hinted that it was more of a demand than a request. He hopped out and quickly walked around to my side. The second my feet hit the ground I heard the stampede. Nathan quickly moved me to the side and shut the door. He put his arm around my shoulder, pulled me close to him, and kissed the top of my head. The crowd became a mass of moving bodies that formed a circle around us as we walked to my apartment. I managed a few closed lip smiles but said nothing. The sound of cameras clicking and the questions, one after another, each louder than the next, became one continuous stream of noise. We got to the door and Nathan shoved the key into the lock, guiding me in first with his hand on my back. I waited for him to get inside before closing the door and locking it.
“That wasn’t so bad.” I flashed a smile.
He pulled me in to him, leaning down, an awe-struck look in his intense blue eyes. “Does anything faze you? A man three times your size punches you in the face and what do you do? Stand up like it was a bug bite and go after him. Oh hey, my first relationship since my husband was tragically killed at war eight years ago happens to be with one of today’s most stalked after celebrities. You’re unaffected.” He looked at me, baffled.
“You, sir, are not a celebrity to me,” I whispered, burying my head in his chest. “You’re just Nathan.” I smiled.
Once upstairs, I plopped on the couch. He sat down next to me, and I leaned over and laid my head in his lap. He put one hand on my head, playing with my hair. With the other hand he was running a finger up and down my arm.
“How did this happen?” I asked, staring at the flat screen even though it wasn’t on. I felt his body tense slightly as he stopped rubbing my arm to lean over and look at my face.
“How did what happen, Jordie?”
I shifted so I was on my back looking up at him, and draped my legs over the end of the couch. “All of this, so fast?”
Blue eyes to green, we stared at each other intensely.
“I’ve known you four days, Nathan. How... is it that...” I paused. “I don’t have the words right now.” I closed my eyes tight.
“I understand.” His voice was quiet.
“You can’t possibly know what I’m trying to say when I don’t even know what I’m trying to say. Nathan, what happens in ten days when you go back to Sacramento? Remember you don’t live here?” I opened my eyes. I knew they were filled with hurt. “Four days is not nearly enough time to...
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