Chapter Thirteen
Later that morning in her apartment, Bethany spent a harried half hour pulling clothes together for her trip to Hollywood. She was excited but also realized that this would be the first time she would be on a plane since the accident with her family. A heaviness settled into the pit of her stomach. She knew that one day she would have to fly. If she were going to fly, it couldn’t hurt to be with someone else. Maybe he would hold her hand? She could ask him for that without his asking too many questions.
She grabbed her new tube of Chanel lipstick along with her makeup case and ran out to the living room. She was certain Aidan would be impatiently waiting for her to be ready. Nothing could have been further from the truth.
Aidan was seated at her kitchen table, talking on his cell phone, his legs stretched out negligently as he absently rubbed his chest. Shirtless, he was the perfect male specimen of her dreams. He had a six-pack or twelve-pack abs—the ‘pack’ terminology confused her. Whatever he had, he was incredibly hot.
“I can’t believe it either, thanks for calling, luv. No. Not, this time, Maeve, I have someone coming with me…”
Bethany walked up, smiling, and with a motion asked him to cover the phone.
Aidan gave her a puzzled look but covered the phone. “What is it, Beth?”
“You can meet up with your friends, Aidan. I don’t want to go if I’ll be imposing.”
Bethany hesitated as Aidan stared at her for a moment as if he couldn’t believe she was real.
He returned to the phone but maintained heated eye contact. “Maeve? We’ll have lunch when we’re both back on the set, right? Next time we’ll do this because you’ll have been nominated, is that a deal?” He listened for a minute and laughed. “I do too, sweetheart. Missed you at the party, was that because of a certain Civil War soldier?” He paused, made an evil grin, and laughed. “See you, darling. Cheers.”
Aidan hung up the phone and patted his thigh. When she looked blankly at him, he sighed, rose, grabbed her, and sat back down with her curled on his lap. “Now listen to me very carefully.”
She met his gaze uneasily and nodded. When he began to stroke her hair, she relaxed and waited for him to speak.
“I would not have invited you if I were going to spend my spare time with other people.” He pinched her chin and looked deeply into her eyes. “You and I are going to be in bed, on a floor, in the shower or a chair, against the damn wall, anytime I am not making small talk with the media about my nomination. Is that clear enough for you, luv?”
Bethany blushed. Not entirely sure how to reply, she asked, “Will I get to see some of Los Angeles?”
Aidan leaned in and murmured, “The ceiling of the Four Seasons suite doesn’t count?”
“Well, I don’t want to appear ungrateful,” she said, laughter dancing in her eyes.
“No, you’ve never been to L.A., so of course, you want to see some of it.” Aidan returned to rubbing his chest. She could seriously watch him do that all day.
“It’s just so hard for me there; everyone is on the lookout for a movie star.” He paused in mid rub. “Hey, wait a minute.” He grabbed his phone and began to unbutton her blouse at the same time. “Serena? When is your flight to L.A.?” Aidan unclasped Bethany’s bra with one hand—an amazing feat.
“Brilliant. Could you show Bethany around while I do the circuit? You will? Thanks, you’re the best ever.”
Bethany smiled at him. “Thanks. This way, I won’t be stuck in the room while you’re away.”
“That’s what I was thinking, too.” Aidan took one nipple between his thumb and finger and pinched it. “God, I love how quickly you get hot for me.”
When he bent down for a soft suck, it took all of Bethany’s will to whisper, “We don’t have time for this. We’ll miss the plane.”
He looked up into her eyes as he continued to suckle her, and smiled naughtily. “They will wait for me, luv.” Bethany’s insides started to heat, soaking her panties as she grabbed his head and held on for dear life.
His phone rang again, and he removed his mouth from her nipple with a sigh. “Damn it.”
Bethany’s body was thrumming with unfulfilled tension. She tried to get off his lap and slip her bra back on again, but he held on to her, to kiss each tip lovingly and answered his phone.
Bethany got up from his lap and shivered, her legs felt like cooked noodles and her head buzzed. He had a definite chemical effect on her. When Aidan hung up the phone, he grabbed her hand and said, “Come on, the car is ready to go to the airport.”
“What about your things?”
Aidan smiled at her. “It’s taken care of, sweetheart.”
Later, at the airport, Bethany watched with interest as Aidan donned a baseball cap and dark sunglasses to mask his appearance. He wore threadbare jeans, and a faded T-shirt featuring the logo of the Irish band, The Pogues, and a soft leather jacket. The drive to Dulles International was painful, the remnants of morning traffic making their trip cumbersome. When they arrived, he grabbed her hand again and, face downward, walked toward the airline, their bags in tow.
At Security, he removed his sunglasses and smiled at the shell-shocked attendant. Bethany was amused and touched by the way he handled the woman as she told him about all the films she loved starring him, some of which weren’t accurate. He gallantly signed an autograph. The woman was in ecstasy, and she started to fan herself in exaggerated response. He laughed out loud and leaned over and gave her a hug. With that, they were checked in and ushered to the First Class lounge.
“You were so sweet to that woman, Aidan. I guess it never occurred to me how many people have been touched by your movies.” She held his hand as they walked down the long aisle toward the lounge.
“It’s part of my job, Beth. Sometimes it gets in the way, but without people like her I wouldn’t be who I am today,” he said, opening the door.
She beamed at him as they made their way to a quiet corner. Bethany noticed that other passengers were struggling not to stare at Aidan. They began to nudge each other and slyly point in his direction. One woman went so far as to apply her lipstick when she recognized him.
“Baseball caps can only go so far,” Aidan said as he sipped his beer. “People expect to see famous people in first class, so they are more alert.”
“Ugh. I would really hate to live this much in a fish bowl.”
Aidan laughed and raised his beer bottle to her in mock salute. “Ain’t it grand being a celebrity?”
Later, as they seated themselves in the soft seats of First Class, Bethany attempted to remain calm, but the images of her family began to swirl in her mind. To keep from getting morose, she started nervous chatter with Aidan.
“This is a really large plane, isn’t it? How many people do you think it holds?” she asked, although her palms were beginning to sweat.
“I’m not sure, a lot, but First Class sure isn’t filling up. Maybe we will be the only people up here.” Aidan paused to look at her more closely. “Oh sweet Jesus, is this your first time on a plane?”
The lie was easier than the truth so she nodded.
“Didn’t you say you have lived in Fredericksburg only since college?”
“Yes, but I drove here from Wisconsin.” Okay, now the lies were getting bigger; time for a distraction. With great relief, she found it in a champagne-toting flight attendant.
Aidan looked at the perfectly made up hostess, and said, “This is my friend’s first time on a plane, would it be all right if we kept this bottle to ourselves?”
“Of course, Mr. Shannon.”
He smiled his thanks and murmured to Beth, “Drink up, luv, I’ll take care of you.”
When the plane started to move toward the runway, Aidan placed both empty glasses down and kissed her lightly on the lips. “Beth, listen to me, the noises are a bit scary the first time so I want you to focus on me, all right?”
Bethany nodded mutely. Old memories began to flare up about her family and their final trip before the accident. How long were they afraid before they died? Had they been in pain?
Bethany shook her head trying to remove the painful memories that haunted her. If only she hadn’t moved to Fredericksburg to go to school. The University of Wisconsin was an amazing school but, no, she had a restless need to be away from her family. They got on a plane to see her graduate and in one painful moment, they were all lost. Don’t think about that now. Bethany remembered what her therapist always said; live in the present, and hold the past in your heart.
Maybe another quick sip of champagne would help to soothe her. But Aidan, damn him, had other ideas and brushed her hands away from the bottle, distracting her with a hungry kiss.
Fortunately for them, very few people had joined them in First Class after all. Serena had opted for a later flight, and so it was the two of them and an older gentleman who dozed a few rows behind them. The seats were roomy, and they sat comfortably sharing stories and drinking champagne.
When the plane began to descend, Bethany’s nervousness was momentarily reignited, but Aidan once again seduced her into forgetting her worries. Hidden under a blanket, Aidan slipped his hand into her panties and cupped her warm center.
“Not here, Aidan, please.”
He grinned. “You’ll have to be quiet, luv, because I don’t want the world to know what we’ll be doing underneath this blanket.”
“What you’ll be doing.”
“And you’ll hate every second, right?”
“That’s ri—” She moaned softly as he slipped a finger into her snug channel, rubbing his thumb against her aching nub. He continued his ministrations, murmuring, “I love the way your face becomes flushed, how your eyes brighten, and you make that soft, confused sound when you’re about to come.”
Aidan tipped her head back and kissed her as she climaxed, muffling her sounds of satisfaction. He continued to hold her, stroking her back as the pilot landed the plane and spoke of the weather in Los Angeles.
Bethany shook her head, grabbed the bottle of champagne with shaking hands, and poured herself another glass. “You’re killing me, Aidan.”
“But you weren’t scared.”
She smiled at him and then covered her eyes as he once again licked his fingers clean.
“Tasty,” he murmured, his eyes lit with wickedness.
“Oh my God! You are incorrigible!” Bethany was sure her face was the color of her lipstick.
Aidan laughed and began to get ready to deplane.
Upon their arrival, Donna Thompson, Aidan’s publicist, escorted them past a slew of reporters into a waiting limousine. After a quick introduction, Donna began rattling off various interviews scheduled for the next few days.
Bethany was amazed at how busy Aidan was going to be while they were in Los Angeles. She had assumed the life of a movie star was more carefree. But it appeared that in four hours, Aidan was going to be whisked off to interviews with several night-time television hosts.
When they arrived at their suite at The Four Seasons, Bethany paused to take in the accommodations. It was a room fit for royalty. With a view of the Los Angeles skyline, and a gorgeous bed, the size of a small island, this room clearly catered to the sensual. Chairs in the living area were soft and inviting, tables sleek and elegant. Bethany sighed as she walked around the large suite. It would be nice to have the wherewithal to decorate her home this way, but she scarcely had the money to decorate with Ikea much less antique reproductions. Ah well. She’d make the most of this trip, and remember every detail of this glimpse into what wealth could provide.
Glancing at Aidan, she said, “You didn’t sleep at all last night. How are you going to handle all this today?” He looked so tired and seemed completely unimpressed by the room.
“Espresso?” Aidan teased, as he removed his clothing. “Come lie with me, Beth, I’m done for, and I need a bit of rest before all hell starts.”
Bethany removed her jeans and her bra and slipped into the bed with Aidan. She rubbed his shoulders soothingly, and he turned around, his eyes droopy, and hugged her close.
“Beth, will you still respect me if we wait to make love until tonight?”
She kissed his chin. “I’ll think about it.”
Aidan laughed and promptly went to sleep. She soon followed.
Bethany thought she heard the phone, but sleep still pulled at her, and she gave into it.
Bethany awoke when the door closed. “Aidan?” Glancing around, she found a note written in Aidan’s aggressive style.
Beth,
I’m off to make small talk. Order anything you want, walk around the area if you want. But be back by 6:30, OK? I’m taking you to dinner. Don’t run off with someone while I’m gone,
Cheers,
Aidan
Bethany smirked at the last line—as if she would run off with anyone else when he was in the picture. After a nice shower and a fresh mozzarella salad, Bethany strolled out to see Los Angeles. Knowing full well that Serena planned to take her to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios, and Grauman’s Chinese Theater, Bethany kept close to the hotel. Rodeo Drive was somewhere nearby, and she was curious about the fashion and the prices there.
She stumbled onto Rodeo Drive after hunting for it for nearly an hour. She had no sense of direction and L.A., or, at least, the small part of L.A. where she was located was a maze of streets. Her eyes widened as she walked past window display after window display. Every single famous designer had a shop on this street, and it was mind-blowing how expensive and chic everything was.
Bethany whiled away the time gawking at prices and fashion as she window-shopped to her heart’s content. She did a double-take when she glimpsed the price on an elegant pair of red pumps—eight hundred and fifty dollars. For a pair of shoes? Not in her world, for sure. Shaking her head at the ridiculousness of the fashion-conscious, she continued her walk.
She approached a coffee shop and was about to enter when the screech of car breaks applied with great vigor stopped her. Turning around, Bethany caught her breath as an older woman was frozen in shock as she realized how close she had been to being hit by a car, now mere inches away.
Bethany ran over to her. “Ma’am, are you all right?”
“Oh my God!” the woman moaned, nervously clutching her shoulder.
“I’m calling 911. I think you’re having a heart attack.”
The man who had been driving stepped out of the car, his face ashen. “Jesus, I’m so sorry.”
“What happened?” Bethany asked as she punched in 911.
“I just lost my job. Oh God. I wasn’t paying attention. I think I’m going to be sick.”
Bethany realized that there was no bad guy in this situation, and she had two people who needed attention. After quickly explaining the situation to the 911 operator, she went back to the older woman.
“All right, let’s get you to this coffee shop so you can take a breath. I called an ambulance. You are going to be just fine.” Bethany turned to the man who was staring at the spot where the older woman had been moments ago, “Sir? I’m getting you a peppermint tea; it will help with nausea. Look at me, sir.”
The man dragged his eyes toward Bethany.
“You didn’t hit her. She’s going to be fine. Just tell the police officers what happened, all right?”
He nodded vaguely and then his whole body seemed to hunch over as he watched police and emergency personnel arrive at the scene.
Bethany sat the older woman down and went to order drinks for her charges. She picked up her cell and called Aidan, leaving a message that she might be late for their dinner date given the circumstance. She asked him to call her back and ordered the drinks.