Chapter Seventeen
Aidan, Donna, and Serena began a serious conversation about how to handle “the Paula situation.” The thought of Paula destroying anything else in his life made him feel so helpless he didn’t know what to do. As if he couldn’t help himself, he looked over at the door, unconsciously searching for Beth. Even knowing she was in the other room made him feel calmer instantly. He leaned back in his chair and peered at her through the door.
She was completely involved in reading something on her cell phone, but somehow she was still quietly supportive. It would never occur to her to sulk or try to get his attention while he was busy dealing with an emergency. He could feel her understanding even while she read unobtrusively. His feelings for her were growing much more complicated than he hoped. It was not something he could dare to think about right now—not when his team was working so hard for him. He was so grateful for their support. He was that rare breed of movie star, having stayed with the same publicist and assistant from the beginning. But all he wanted was to do was kick Serena and Donna out of the room and bury himself inside Beth.
Since he was aware of Bethany’s every move, when she did stand and reach for her purse, he interrupted what Donna was saying to ask, “Where are you going?”
“I thought I would get a coffee at Peets. You want something?”
Aidan stood, stretched, and walked over to her. “Sorry. This was not the way I wanted to spend this time with you.”
“Don’t say that. I’m fine, I completely understand, I just thought I would run out for a bit. I’ll get you a tea. “
He kissed her and tried to pass her some money. She broke the kiss, pushed his hand away, refusing the money, and walked toward the door.
“Don’t be gone too long,” Aidan said.
Bethany smirked. “Well with any of these coffee shops you never know. The line could be long. But don’t worry, I won’t get lost. I’ll be back in two ticks. Serena? Donna? Want something?”
Both ladies shook their heads and went back to work. Once Bethany was out of the room, Serena narrowed her eyes at him. “She is no ‘number two phone,’ Aidan.”
Aidan grimaced. “I know it. I’m just not sure how to free myself from that particularly stupid decision yet.”
Donna looked at them both with a raised eyebrow. “Well, let’s worry about the Paula problem right now.”
“Right,” Aidan said. “It should be fairly easy to disprove the drug thing, right? I mean, I’ve never had a drug problem. Directors like to work with me because I don’t even drink when I’m on set.”
“Yes, that’s true. I’ve already spoken with two of your directors, Hunter Lucas, and Simon Millsaps, and they are tweeting, as we speak, about their drug-free experiences with you on their sets,” Donna said as she continued to dance her fingers on her tiny cell phone keyboard.
“Maeve will also help,” Serena added. “The press loves her, and she has adoring fans that believe everything she says.”
Aidan nodded and then sighed. “Is there any chance I can save my goal for an Oscar this year?
“I honestly don’t know, Aidan. This was a very vindictive thing to do. Even for her. There has to be something else going on,” Donna said.
“Rumor has it she’s broke,” Serena said as she stood and stretched.
“Not possible,” Aidan said.
“Not according to Total Gossip Network. She has been dropping money like she owns the one and only money tree in the world,” Serena said as she reached for her tablet. “I’ll show you the article. It was pretty big news yesterday. Well, that and Tyler West’s rehab stint.”
“Talk about someone with a drug problem,” Aidan said, shaking his head. “And he’s such a good guy, too.”
“Yeah, it’s really too bad. I hear the band is breaking up and everything,” Serena said.
“Can we please get back to Aidan’s problem? Tyler has his own people,” Donna said with a frown.
“Right. Sorry. So, Paula might be having money problems? Let’s look at that article,” Aidan asked as he leaned over Serena to read the screen.
****
Aidan thanked Beth as she handed him his tea and sat down on the small sofa, her eyes alight with an interest in the proceedings. He sipped from his cup and then kissed her lightly.
“Why are you so warm?” Aidan asked as he lightly touched her cheek. The heat on her face and warmth from her body was emitting a scent that he has started to know very well. “Not warm, turned on.” Aidan’s green eyes darkened with interest. “What happened at the coffee shop?”
“The book…” Beth hinted, eyeing Serena.
“Still reading that sex book?” Aidan asked quietly.
“Aidan!”
“Serena didn’t hear that, did you?”
“Hear what?” Serena asked as she pulled more trousers out for Aidan to try on.
Aidan kneeled down and placed his hands on her thighs. “What has you so hot, luv?”
Beth blushed and looked over at Serena, and then whispered, “I want to try the reverse cowgirl.”
Her words were like a long lick to the cock. He kissed her passionately, cursing the need for interviews and clothes and even Serena, whom he adored. “Your wish is my command, luv. When I’m done with all the press.”
Bethany looked up and said, “Ride ’em, cowgirl?”
Aidan groaned. “Jesus, you know you’re killing me, right?”
Serena suddenly clapped her hands. “Okay, enough of that! Try this on,” she said as she thrust a pair of pants at him.
Aidan pulled the pants from his face and stood. “You’re quite the little drill sergeant, aren’t you?”
Serena smacked his ass. “Damn straight, boy, now get moving.”
Aidan laughed and started to change his clothes.
Serena began circling him, eyes critical. “This outfit says, ‘I’m way too healthy and clean cut to do drugs.’ Don’t you think so, Bethany?”
Beth blinked up at Serena and said, “Yes, absolutely, those pants are speaking big time.”
Aidan looked away from his image to laugh at her. “Come over here.” When Bethany approached him, her eyes bright and welcoming, he said quietly, “What are my pants saying, Bethany?”
Glancing at his tight buns in the slacks, she patted them lovingly. “All sorts of things I won’t say in front of Serena.”
Aidan glanced up at Serena. “Will you excuse us?”
Serena nodded and walked out of the room.
“You don’t have to go, Serena. Geez, Aidan, I was just kidding.” But her words and thoughts were blasted away by the heat of his kiss.
“There is something I need to make this tousled just-had-sex look work for me.”
“I’m not sure a ‘just had sex’ look is what you need to be broadcasting now,” she said, her beautiful eyes glinting humor as they looked up at him.
“It’s my trademark look.”
Bethany rolled her eyes. “Okay, what do you need?”
“Authenticity.” With that, he backed her up against the wall. “Wrap your legs around me.” Aidan slipped his fingers inside her panties, the flirty skirt she was wearing making his task a simple one. “Ah, God, you’re already wet. Damn, you make me crazy.”
Aidan was in a fog of desire, barely hearing her breathy moans.
“Aidan?”
Aidan looked at her and smiled. He could make her come so fast, it was amazing. Lifting her, he walked with purpose to the bed, grabbing a condom on the way. Aidan unzipped his pants, all the while batting her curious hands away from his erection.
“Not now, baby, I can’t take it.” When she didn’t seem to be listening, he murmured, “I need to be inside you, hold on a minute.”
With a practiced hand, he sheathed himself, and slipping her panties to the side, slid deeply into her warm depths. Dear God, it was like coming home. He kissed her open mouth, attempting to quiet her moans as he ground himself into her. They both climaxed in unison.
“Wow, I thought that only happened in books,” Bethany said, panting.
“It’s never happened to me before,” Aidan said, looking at her with reverence. Then he groaned. “God, we’re going to have to learn how to be quiet.” He lifted her shirt, unhooked her bra, and began to suckle her breasts tenderly.
“By us, do you mean me?” Bethany asked, shuddering at his touch.
Aidan grinned and then kissed her mouth. “Well, yeah. I love it when you make all that noise, don’t get me wrong. I just know you’ll be embarrassed to know that Serena is in the sitting room waiting for me.”
Bethany attempted to sit up. “Let me up, Aidan. Oh God, I’m so embarrassed.”
Aidan held on to her and continued to suckle her breasts, spending quality time with one, and then lovingly turning to the next. He had made love countless times to beautiful women with plump breasts, shapely thighs, and sexy mouths, but most of their bodies had been unreal, fake silicone breasts and liposuction thighs that gave the illusion of perfection, but not the reality. Beth’s breasts were full and heavy and completely real. Aidan gently squeezed one soft breast, while he applied his tongue to the other. He could spend all day worshipping her breasts.
A knock on the door stopped Aidan from reaching for another condom. “What?” he asked grumpily.
“Aidan, come on, we have to be there in an hour.”
Aidan glanced at Bethany’s body, all pink and soft from lovemaking, and sighed. “Sorry, luv, we will have to continue this later.” He kissed her mouth and both nipples before climbing off the bed.
“Don’t forget about the cowgirl.”
Aidan walked back to the bed and lifted her up for his kiss. “You sure are something, sweetheart. We will spend a long time fulfilling that fantasy of yours. “
Bethany kissed him back. “Will you tell Serena I’m sorry for being such a screamer?”
Aidan laughed, placed her gently on the floor, and said, “Have a great time on the tour, all right?”
“You bet.”
“One more kiss and then I’m gone.” He reached for her and heard an annoyed knock on the door. “All right, perhaps no more kissing. See you tonight.”
“Aidan?”
He turned around, the door half opened. “Yes, luv?”
“You look amazing.”
Aidan ignored the groans as he walked back in the room to kiss Bethany one more time. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
Aidan stepped into the limousine that would take him to the E! Entertainment studio. “Hey, Frank,” he said to the driver. “What do you say we skip the interview and head down to the closest bar for a drink?” He said this exact thing to Frank every time. And he always got a good laugh out of him for it.
Aidan groaned; his schedule was too much. After E! Entertainment, he would spend the rest of the afternoon with other entertainment media, talking about his nomination and saving his ass from the drug use rumors. He rubbed his jaw in annoyance. God, he hated this part of his job. Glancing out the window, he took a deep cleansing breath and prepared to play the role of amiable celebrity.
Frank opened the door, and he stepped out a smiling, charming movie star. Fans who knew he was to make an appearance at We R Entertainment! were waiting in a crowd to shake hands and get an autograph.
“Aidan!”
“Hey, Mr. Shannon!”
“Aidan!”
“Hello, Mary. What, did you follow me all the way from Ireland?” He smiled at a young woman who had been a fan since the beginning of his career in Ireland. As he signed what was probably the eightieth photo of himself that she had, Mary said, “Well, no, I’m here on holiday; this was a lark.”
Yeah, sure it was, but Aidan didn’t care. She was a devoted fan, touched mildly by obsession, but harmless.
“Anyway, when was the last time you’ve been home? You’re making too many American films these days.”
Aidan smiled at her, tweaking a curl. His making American films had been a constant concern of hers in many a fan letter. “Don’t worry, I’ll make more films from home.”
“All right, then,” she said with a nod, confident that he would do her bidding.
“See you, Mary. Cheers.”
Aidan set about signing and talking to the other fans as he made his way slowly toward the entrance of the studio. He glanced at his watch and smiled. Beth was probably on the rides at Universal right now. He wished he could be with her instead of spending hours defending his honor. Curse the rags and their absolute glee for posting anything, true or not.
His first stop was right in front of the multitude of paparazzi that littered the streets outside the studio. Taking a deep breath, he started to speak.
“I’m standing here a bit embarrassed, ladies and gentlemen. I’m a firm believer in entertaining folks through the cinematic arts. However, my former wife, Paula, has compelled me to come out and speak to you, not as the actor Aidan Shannon, but as a man struggling with a former spouse who does not want to let go. Clearly, our former united statement saying that we would remain good friends, was a lie. And I apologize for that. Our relationship was broken long ago. I was relieved to end that very trying time in my life. I am, however, disturbed by her willingness to lie about my life in what I can only presume is a way to get some attention now that her TV show has been canceled. As you have heard from many of my co-workers and friends, I am not a drug user.
“When people are struggling in the world with real addiction, a lie such as this one can be harmful not only to me but to anyone who struggles with their own addictions. I think we should all say a prayer for all of those people out there fighting their personal demons. I know I have close friends who battle this insidious disease right now. It isn’t something to make light of, and I apologize on behalf of my former wife for using this illness for her own end. Thank you for your time.”
Aidan walked into the studio and repeated the statement over and over, and silently prayed that this would all die down and he could go back to being the Golden Boy of Hollywood.
****
Beth closed her eyes as the ride made its steady climb up a cave toward parts unknown. She was pretty sure this was the part where she would be drenched by a huge tidal wave, and she moaned at her choice of white scoop-neck shirt. Right next to her, Serena was having the time of her life
“This is so much better than standing around while Aidan does the press rounds.”
Bethany clutched the seat even tighter. “I’m so happy for you.”
Serena laughed. “Just relax, this going to be so much—” Serena screamed happily as they plummeted down the track and headed for an ocean of water.
Serena dragged Bethany—see-through shirt and all—toward the next attraction. The next was not a sit-down ride. It was a walking around in a spooky dark place extravaganza that was more to Bethany’s liking. Mummies popped out from nowhere, and a bridge slowly sank into an unknown foggy area that was silly and spooky at the same time. Bethany loved the cheesy quality of the amusement.
Finally, after a corn dog and some diet soda, the ladies took seats on the tram ride to the Studio lot. They passed the home of the creepy killer, they were “attacked” by a huge shark on a bridge and enjoyed a drive through the biblical parting of the Red Sea. A perky tour guide told them Studio secrets from years past.
“Did you know,” the tour guide’s voice chirpily asked, “that they used to use chocolate for blood in black and white movies?” Bethany looked at Serena and rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows that, don’t they?”
Serena laughed. “Actually, no. Not everyone is a real movie fan like you. Most people just love the celebrities, not the actual art of making movies. “
Bethany smiled back at her. Aidan was lucky to have such a wonderful person as his assistant. Bethany eyed Serena with curiosity. She was pretty, and it occurred to her that this could very well mean that she and Aidan had made love.
As if reading her mind, Serena gave her a knowing look. “No, we have never had sex.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that, well, you’re so pretty.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, and, well, he is such a…”
“Male slut?”
Bethany laughed. “Well, yeah.”
“It would be a huge mistake to sleep with him. One reason is that it wouldn’t last and then he would need another assistant. I like my job too much to risk that. The second reason is that he has a horrible track record, and honestly, Bethany, he is a heartbreaker.”
Bethany looked at her for a long time. “Don’t worry about me, Serena. He told me that our relationship wasn’t going to be long-term. He warned me of that right from the beginning.”
Serena gave her a quick hug. “But you still fell in love with him, didn’t you?”
Bethany’s eyes were moist as she nodded.
For a while, they were both sedate, but as they continued to wander around the park, Bethany forced herself into good spirits.
She arrived back at the room with a sunburned face and a mellow heart. Aidan hadn’t returned so she asked room service for tea and went to take a shower. She was just reapplying her makeup when there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was her tea, she opened it and found Paula Mazan, Aidan’s ex-wife.
Paula walked in as if she owned the place and sat down on one of the ornate chairs that decorated the suite.
“So you’re the bimbo making my poor husband an addict.”
Bethany took a deep breath and tried to channel Bette Davis’ spirit—full of bitch. “And you are the cheating ex-wife,” she replied.
Paula glanced down her nose at her. “He will use you and then leave you.”
“Perhaps,” Bethany said, with a cool look she did not feel. This was like being in a soap opera full of deviousness and malice. It would be fun if she didn’t feel like she was succumbing to the stereotype right before her eyes.
“I know your type. You think you’re special to him because he probably really wanted you to be here with him. But I know the truth. The only reason you’re here is for him to have a convenient source for sex.”
“Well, I’m trying very hard to be as convenient as possible.”
Paula stood and hissed. “Do you know about the two cell phones?”
Bethany froze. “What are you talking about?”
Paula’s eyes lit up. It was clear to Bethany that Paula had discovered her weakness and was about to press forward.
“Poor little girl,” she cooed. “He has two cell phones, one for the whores and one for his family. When we got engaged, I forced him to give up the phone, but I heard that he was back to his old ways. I wonder which one you have?”
Bethany winced. Could this be true?
“I’ll leave you with that bit of knowledge.” Paula walked out regally and slammed the door behind her.
Bethany took a deep breath, walked over to the phone, and dialed the number she had programmed into her cell.