“Well so far, so good, no sightings or commotions.”
“Yeah but we’ve only been on the ground for an hour. Why does it take so long to get a damn rental car?”
She laughed at his grumbling. He had almost made them turn around when they got to LAX but she was determined to get him away from everything and everyone. She wasn’t even going to see her family on this little outing even though they lived by San Francisco. This trip was just for him to relax again and act like the man she had fell in love with. “It always takes forever to get one up here.” She gently grabbed the car keys that were dangling from his teeth and slid into the driver’s seat as he closed the trunk lid.
“Excuse me what was that?”
She rolled her eyes and started the engine as he stood at the back of the car trying to figure out why she had grabbed the keys. He looked so cute when he was confused.
“I know where I’m going. Besides, you’ve never been here before. Trust me, you’re going to want to look out the window.”
He sighed and nodded, admitting defeat, and quickly slid into the passenger seat. “Alright, but I trust you. You have a map right?”
She shook her head side to side as she pulled out of the space and saw the expression on his face. She laughed not knowing if he was going to smile or be sick.
“What do you mean you don’t have a map?” Okay, he was a little frightened now. He trusted her with his life; he was just a little unsure.
She shrugged her shoulders liking his uneasiness. “We don’t need one.”
“And what happens when we get lost in the wine country and can’t find our way back?”
She pulled out onto the main highway and merged into the far lane. “Weren’t you ever a Boy Scout? We’ll just rough it.” She was definitely joking; her idea of roughing it was a Super 8 Motel. She did however love the look on his face. If he wasn’t a little nervous before, he was scared now.
“Ummm, no. I was on a soundstage in a sunny location. Please tell me you’re kidding me.”
She rolled her eyes and let him see the grin that had spread across her face. “Of course. You forget, I do know this area a bit.”
He breathed a sigh of relief and reached over to grab her right hand while the left one steered. “Thank God.”
“Would it really be so bad if we got lost in the wine country?”
He glanced over at her, taking his eyes off the beautiful scenery and looking at a beauty in her own right. “I could care less; we could get lost for a month as far as I’m concerned. I just don’t think my manager and PR would love it.”
She smiled and said something she hoped he wouldn’t read into too much. “No, they already aren’t fans of me, that wouldn’t help the circumstances.”
He snapped his head back at her when he heard that statement. “Alex you know that’s not true--”
“Yes it is,” she interrupted nodding her head as she concentrated on the road that was slimming down to two lanes. “It’s the truth and it’s okay, it doesn’t bother me. I’m kind of used to it in life.”
He didn’t understand what she meant by being used to it; that didn’t make sense and he sure didn’t like it. “What do you mean---”
“Besides,” she replied interrupting him again, “I did kind of steal their Golden Boy away from becoming Playboy of the Year.”
“Hey I resent that!” He laughed realizing it was probably true.
“It’s a true statement and you know it. Besides, weren’t you getting tired of it?”
He thought about that for a second then turned to stare out the window at the passing greenery. “Yeah, I was.” The statement was partially true; he was starting to get tired of it, although it had been better than staying at home wallowing in pity and self-doubt. After his highly publicized split from Cameron Diaz his PR team had thrown him into the deep end of the gossip swimming pool. From the planned encounters with specific Hollywood Glamour girls to carefully detailed social schedules they had taken control of his life and make him out to be the ultimate playboy. He had just wanted to curl up in bed at the beginning, but then he started having his friends go out with him, and he met new friends, and suddenly it wasn’t so bad. Partying at a different club every night, being linked to a different Hollywood starlet every other week, it was good. He hadn’t wanted another relationship after the last one. He didn’t want a girlfriend, didn’t want to be tied down. Then he met Alex.
Alexandra. Sweet, caring, innocent Alexandra. He didn’t even know there were girls still like that out there. Especially in Los Angeles. She had moved from San Francisco not even a year before he had met her. She had been a volunteer at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Los Angeles and had been assigned to his runway show. There had been a crisis backstage right before the show, he couldn’t remember what it was, but she had been the only one to step up and handle it. Trace had actually been the one to take notice of everything she had done to help them throughout the show. Trace had suggested they should invite her to the afterparty and he had scoffed and reminded him she was a volunteer. Yeah, he was an asshole back then, plain and simple. Trace hadn’t listened to him and thank God he hadn’t. She had brought a friend so she wouldn’t be alone, and he could still remember the sight of her as she walked into Social Hollywood. To anyone else she would have been just another person, but when he first saw her he smiled. It was apparent she had never been there before; her eyes had become very wide and was excitedly taking in the surroundings. She had looked stunning in a knee length pencil skirt with a bow at the hem in back and a peach colored gathered halter top. She wasn’t drop dead gorgeous but her excitement and enthusiasm had radiated beauty. And if he hadn’t noticed her because of that it would have been because her best friend was only an inch shorter than he was. And he was 6’1”.
He had politely excused himself from the conversation he had been involved in and set out to find Trace; he wanted an introduction. At first he had refused, saying she wasn’t the kind of girl to fool around with; but after a little begging and throwing around old memories Trace finally agreed. It was probably only the second time in his life he had ever had butterflies in this stomach as he and Trace approached them. To this day he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what the butterflies were there for; only that he still felt them whenever he saw her.
Anyway, after Trace had introduced them her friend, Leah, as he came to find out, quietly removed herself and Trace followed, leaving him and Alex alone to talk. It had been a feat in itself to get her to open her mouth for more than a few words, she had been so shy. No wonder she had never had a boyfriend; the girl didn’t talk to anyone. But that’s getting too far ahead. He had pulled her back to the VIP area of the club, assuring her that her friend knew where she would be, hoping that she wouldn’t be as shy with most of the club crowd away from them. He was wrong. It was like pulling teeth to get her to talk still; she’d answer his question and then look around her. And every time someone went to get a drink and they asked her she politely refused. Still, there was something about her that was special and Justin was determined to figure it out.
“Hey space cadet!”
Justin snapped out of his thoughts and looked back at her. “Huh? Sorry I was thinking.”
“Uh-oh, alert the media.”
He laughed at the irony of his thoughts. “You know, I was just thinking about how shy you were, you wouldn’t even talk to me, and now look at you. Making mean jokes. I’m hurt.”
She smiled, also remembering the night they met, and quickly looked at him then back to the road. “Yeah well, you ask for them.” He had brought her out of her shell over the course of their two-year relationship. Not only had she been shy but she rarely talked to anyone about problems she encountered; she didn’t trust anyone. That all changed the minute the tall, skinny man sitting next to her waltzed his way into her life. He taught her that in the face of every betrayal she had ever had that she could still trust people, even though she had been sure she couldn’t. Their entire relationship was based on complete trust; no matter what happened, what incident, full disclosure had been their agreement from day one. It had made them feel closer to each other than either one had ever thought they could be to someone.
“Now who’s being the space cadet?”
She looked to her right, having been so rudely interrupted from her thoughts, to see that cocky grin on his face pointed towards her. God she loved that grin. Not that she’d admit that to him. A girl had to have some secrets. “Now what do you want?”
“I asked where we were staying and how long it would be before we got there.”
“I love you, but patience is most definitely not your best attribute.”
“Alex,” he whined not liking the fact that he didn’t know where he was going. People may think he’s spontaneous, and sometimes he is, but he doesn’t like being in the dark.
She shook her head signaling she was keeping her mouth shut. “I’m not telling, you’ll just have to wait until we get there. But it’s a small place so don’t worry about that.”
********
“Oh this is too cute. J come look!”
Justin grabbed their two medium-sized bags and made his way to where she was standing, presumably looking at the cottage. “That they are. Which one is ours?” He peered over her shoulder as they looked at the paper the elderly woman had given them earlier.
“Looks like this first one here.” Alex walked up to the door of the cottage, inserting the key and slowly opening the door. As they walked in she stared in amazement at the relaxing space that surrounded them. “Oh I love this, it’s so cozy.”
“I like cozy,” he replied, setting their bags carefully on the floor and, walking over to her, snaking his arms around her waist. Her eyes lit up at their surroundings and he couldn’t help but kiss her neck; he loved seeing her eyes light up. “This is definitely what the doctor ordered.”
As he took their bags to the bedroom she walked across the room to stare out the window. Their view overlooked one of the vineyards and was such a sight to see she never felt him sneak up behind her.
“It makes you want to take a picture and jump inside it doesn’t it?”
“Mmmm,” she nodded in agreement, “that it does.” She turned around and placed her lips on his. “Let’s go find a grocery store so I can get some food and I’ll make that chicken you like.”
He grinned, his stomach growling right then, fully supporting that decision. “That sounds good to me. Although we’re on a getaway; you shouldn’t have to cook.”
She grabbed the keys and her purse from the table and gave him a quick peck before the two headed out for the car. “I don’t mind. You aren’t home enough for me to cook for you. I like it when I can.”
He didn’t know what he did to deserve this woman but he must have done something right.
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