Twenty Three

It wasn't entirely true. She was having a stage fright with the whole 'dating John Brady' thing. She spent the whole day looking at her phone, reading articles and checking out pictures of him with his previous girlfriends. There were a lot of them. She started to regret that she didn't do that before she jumped into the John Brady wagon, and had a love affair with one of the most eligible bachelor in the world.

"You need to stop doing that before it drives you crazy," Andrea took her phone from her hand.

Sandy sighed, threw herself on the bed, "It's already driving me mad ... uuuuurgh .... what have I done? What did I get myself into?"

"Well, it's a little too late for that, isn't it? Anyway, you can't believe everything you read on the internet ... not that there's anything bad on him in there, he's a genuinely good guy, Sandy ... so he had a  series of girlfriends, who can blame him? He's single, God-like handsome, kind-hearted, generous ..." she wasn't finished.

"I know! I get it! He's all of that ... And I'm just ... crazy about him, Andrea, he's everything I've ever wanted ... and the sex is so ... God ... the sex is so good!" she covered her face with a pillow.

"Bitch!" Andrea cursed.

"He can't be thinking about this to be more than a fling, right?" Sandy asked.

"Does he make you feel that way?" Andrea returned the question.

Sandy was silent, no, he never made her feel that way even for a minute. She felt his sincerity, his emotions when they made love, and when he called and told her how scared he was, it felt truthful, it was scaring her even more. "No, he made me feel very special ... shit! I'm in so much trouble!"

"Don't get caught up by what the world says about him, you can ask him directly anything you want to know ... you'll get the vibe from him ... if he gives you a funny vibe than try not to get too close, you know what I mean?" said the relationship guru.

"Yes, Master, I hear you ... and what about you? How's it going with Roland?"

Andrea was not only on her way up in her career, she was also in a very promising relationship with an equally successful guy. She was beaming when she talked about him, it made her feel kind of guilty for throwing everything on her face all the time and not knowing what's going on with Andrea. She was happy for her, she loved listening to her sex stories and funny moments which she seemed to always have.

Sandy: Have you done the love scene with Amanda?

John   : (Sighs) ... yeup

Sandy: How did it go?

John   : It was fine ... I was hoping to come home and make some love scenes with you ...but apparently ...

Sandy: (Laughed softly) Really? After Amanda Riley?

John   : You know it's true ... (sighs) ... I can't believe you're doing this to me

Sandy: Do what? I'm just hangin' out with my best friend

John   : Are you having fun over there?

Sandy: (Sighs) ... not really ...

John   : Why?

Sandy: (Smiled) ... I don't know ...

John   : Sandy ...

Sandy: Hmm?

John   : I miss you

Sandy: I miss you too

John   : You're coming back tomorrow, right?

Sandy: Yes, tomorrow ... I'll see you tomorrow?

John   : You better ... you've been very ... very bad to me

Sandy: (Smiled) ... I'll see you tomorrow, John, bye

She couldn't sleep that night, she couldn't stop thinking about John. She kept imagining how the love scene went Amanda Riley. How could he still say those things to her after a sex scene with such a beautiful woman. It was hard to believe, hard to accept, her insecurities just wouldn't let her believe it to be true.

Her heart was racing when she arrived home. It was still early in the afternoon. The anticipation of seeing John again made her nervous. A three day away from him had confirmed how deeply she fell for that man. She couldn't think straight, being away from him was horrible. She kept herself busy all afternoon, made dinner for herself, listened to music, anything to keep her mind off John.

There was finally a knock on the door close to 10 PM. It was him. His beard had grown, he looked tired but happy to see her. His eyes stared deeply into her soul. He lifted her off the floor, devoured her with his kiss.

She wrapped herself around him as he took her to the sofa, and both fell on the floor. There were no words exchanged. Just a mutual understanding that they both needed to be physically connected at that very moment. Their skin needed to touch, tongue tangled, bodies become one. There was no time for anything else.

"Don't ever do that to me again," he said cupping her face after a session of heated love making.

"What? Making love to you?"

"No! You left me for three excruciating days!" he buried his face between the curve of her neck. "I can't, Sandy ... I can't," he grunted.

She kissed him.

"Are you coming to the set tomorrow?"

"I don't know ... probably not," she said.

John sat up, he had a serious look on his face, "Why?"

"Are you done with the love scene?"

"Yeah, it was one take," he said it like it was nothing.

Sandy pouted.

"What?" John couldn't figure her out.

"Nothing ... I have some things to do tomorrow."

"Like what?"

"I took up some work with Andrea, I thought I'm gonna look into that tomorrow."

He sat back on the sofa, and stared at her, "What is it?"

Sandy kept silent.

"I can't read your mind, you're gonna have to tell me."

"Nothing, I really do have things to do tomorrow," she denied it.

He took her hand, "You can't lie to me ... you're me ... I know this."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're creating a gap ... you're assessing me ... you're making assumptions in your head, and I'm not letting you do that ... please, tell me what's bothering you? I'm all in, Sandy, I have nothing to hide, I have no secrets, I don't know how else to explain it ... I'm falling head over heels for you because you're like a mirror to me ... I've never met anyone like you ... ever," he opened his heart to her.

She didn't say anything, she wasn't denying it. He held her face close to his, "I'm laying it all on the line for you, I need to know we're on the same page." She kissed him to answer his question. He had said all the right things to her, she was doomed.

She was tangled in the nude with John on the sofa when she woke up. She took his shirt and put it on to go about her morning. She made a fresh pot of coffee, her answering machine was blinking. There were 10 messages. She pressed a button.

Her mom called and left a message. Kevin's voice melted her heart, she was planning to call him after breakfast. There were other messages from the marketing companies, and Andrea, and Lucas. She fast forwarded Lucas's message, worried that John might hear it.

The last message was odd, there was a heavy breathing. "Did you get my gift?" Patrick's voice hit her hard, she froze. "I kept it all these years ... as a reminder of what a good time I had with you ... (hisses)" Her hands were trembling. "I smell it every day just to replay it in my head ... (groaned) ... you liked it, didn't you?" Her head felt light, she didn't notice John was awake. "I told you not to tell anyone, you bitch! I'm gonna fuck you so hard you're gonna wish you were dead the first time! (laughed)"

John came running and turned of the answering machine. "Motherfucker! I'm gonna fucking kill that guy!" he held Sandy's shaking body. "It's okay ... I got you, baby, I'm here ... he can't hurt you, I won't let him," he was calming her and himself too.

"We have to call the police," Sandy was in tears.

John sat her down and touched her face, "They put him in jail for two months for raping you ... what do you think they will do for prank calling you?" he spoke calmly. "You're safe with me, as long as you're with me, you'll be fine," he added.

He had a point, and it was convincing at the time. But Patrick was getting closer, she wasn't just worried about her well-being, she was thinking about John's too.