Just Like Me (13 page)

Taylor pulled me to him, and I was leaning up against the door. Taylor put a hand up to the side of my face, his other hand going around my waist.

“I want to see you again.” He whispered. I wasn’t sure what to say, I felt too dizzy. I could see the dark rim around his iris, the brown getting lighter until it reached the pupil. He was gorgeous, so enticing.

Oh no.

“I-“ He put a finger up to my lips, and started leaning in. I wanted to do it. I wanted to close my eyes and let him kiss me. But I turned my head just in time and his lips kissed my cheek.

“Want me to treat you normal?” I asked, smiling. “I don’t kiss on the first date.”

He chuckled, slowly backing away from me.

“Fair enough.” He replied. He opened the door a crack, taking a step out. “What about a second?”

“No media involvement?”

“None that I control.”

“How do I know this isn’t just for publicity? How do I know you’re not pulling my chain?”

“Well,” he started, looking me in the eyes, “I’m just trying to figure out who I am. And I think you are the perfect person to call me out on any bullshit. Am I right?”

I blinked, feeling myself swoon.

No. No. No. I can’t do this.

“Ok.” I squeaked.

He smiled and stepped out into the hallway. I held on to the door, leaning against it as he stood out in the hallway. No sign of Mr. Nolan.

“They were supposed to bring those pictures that will be in the magazine by dinner; I’ll stop by there and grab them. You trust me to pick some out?”

I hesitated. I hate that I hesitated. I hate it even more that he noticed.

“Yea, I trust you.” I stumbled.

“No you don’t.” He snorted. He wasn’t offended, thank God.

“I do, I really do. I don’t care.”

“How bout I go pick those up, pick up my hoodie and sunglasses so media won’t follow. Or…” He scratched his head. “I may have to figure another disguise out. I can bring them back here in around an hour. Sound alright?”

“Yea,” I glanced behind me at the clock above the kitchen. It was eight o’clock. “That’s fine.”

“Good, I’ll just pick up a key from the desk. Security won’t bother you tonight, but if you need them they’ll be in their rooms.” I nodded.

“Ok. See you in an hour.” I went to shut the door and he caught it, leaning in with a mischievous grin.

“Will this count as a second date?”

I playfully pushed him back out into the hall.

“You wish.”

“Yea, I do.” He agreed, and this time he wore a genuine grin as he started walking down the hallway. It was nice to see him wearing a smile that wasn’t filled with arrogance, but with happiness. He turned around and waved at me, I waved back, closing the door behind me.

I breathed a sigh of relief as the lock clicked home.

Then felt tightness, wondering what in the world I was doing.

I spent part of my hour wisely, in the hot tub with the waterfall. I washed the curls out of my hair and the makeup off my face. What the hell was I thinking?

As suds swirled around me I considered Taylor Jett. This could be a whole new scheme at publicity. This man humiliated me. But then he saved me. Then humiliated me again. It seemed like a never ending vicious cycle, and here I was, willingly throwing myself into the middle of it. What kind of game is this? What the hell was I thinking, agreeing to see him again?

I contemplated not even allowing Taylor back in. Then I remembered he said he was picking up a key. This whole charade was just complicating my life more than necessary. Maybe this was just a one night thing. Maybe he wanted to get lucky, so he was pulling his nice cards hoping to stay in my bed.

That thought kind of crushed me. But, in all reality, it could be true. I doubt he’d have to try so hard with anyone else, but maybe he liked the chase.

Did the media see him leave the hotel room? Will they still think he stayed here? He said he was going to leave, and then pick up his hoody. So they would see him leave, essentially, but not come back. Did he do that because of me?

When I was done in the tub, I threw on a t-shirt and jeans that I had packed. Gazing in my bedroom mirror, I saw the old me. The made-over me was gone, the stick-straight hair was drying, the same plain face I wore day to day was back. Maybe Taylor started liking me because of the glitz earlier. I wasn’t the same made-over doll I was before. Maybe he’d take one look at me and walk right back out the door.

I took a second to glance at my phone, realizing Lisa was freaking out and that I had missed a call from my Mom. She was probably watching the T.V. shows, there’s no telling what in the world she thought.

I glanced at the clock, 8:45. She would probably be getting Nori down to bed. I decided against calling her back tonight. I’d try to catch her tomorrow and try to explain everything.

I sent a brief explanation to Lisa saying I was still staying, not exactly saying I was about to spend more time with Taylor. I put my phone away and turned the T.V. on. I quickly turned to a music channel.

An upbeat song came on and I started dancing around, jumping up and down. It drowned out all my thoughts, whether I was about to make a big mistake or not. Whether this was all just an act Taylor was putting on for publicity: hanging out with the girl longer than planned for a good media story.

Another song came on and it was by an artist I recognized, Chrissie Fast. She was singing a song about some amazing guy that broke her heart. The chorus was really upbeat:

Take away the clothing see I’m bruised and battered,

Take away the joy and see my heart is shattered.

I’m still alive.

I’m still alive.

Chrissie kept singing the heartbreak song, and I kept dancing around, singing along, like an idiot. Imagine my surprise when I spun around and saw Taylor in the doorway. I must have yelled, but didn’t hear it over the music. I fumbled for the remote, muting the T.V. quickly. I wiped back my suddenly sweaty forehead and felt embarrassment color my face.

He locked the door behind him and walked in with an amused expression.

“Chrissie Fast?”

I was breathing hard, I tried to act like I had caught my breath, but it wasn’t working that well.

“Yea…I umm…I like her music.” I panted motioning in the general direction of the T.V. I tried to gather my wits.

“That particular song she was singing?”

“Yea?”

“She wrote that about me.”

I laughed, a little nervously, really embarrassed. Even more embarrassed that I was singing a song about him, being an obvious heart breaker.

He came over and sat down on the couch. He took off a new hoodie and sunglasses and took out an envelope. He was wearing a t-shirt under the hoodie, and jeans. I didn’t feel so bad about my attire.

“So you dated Chrissie Fast?”

“Yea.”

“I’m guessing it didn’t end well?”

“No.” He started laying picture after picture out onto the table. “You listen to her music a lot?” He asked.

“She’s one of my favorite artists.” I laughed.

“Of course,” He said shaking his head with a smile. He patted the place next to him. My heart panicked in my chest as I made my legs wobble over and sink down on the couch next to him.

I looked at all the pictures lying over the table, the beach scene along with a few I didn’t even know they had taken. There were pictures of me getting into black cars and getting on and off the jet. I picked up a close up of me and Hector talking before entering the jet. It looked like I was mid-sneeze or something.

“I didn’t even know they took this.”

“The media works like that; they would have posted this without your permission, normally.”

I had an awkward face in a lot of the pictures. There were a few of the two of us together that looked good. One of us splashing in the ocean, one of us walking along the beach. One of Taylor whispering in my ear what pose I should probably strike next.

“I am so attractive.” Taylor said, picking up one picture of him holding on to me. “You look like you want to kill me in all of these.” He noted.

“I did.”

“Good to know.”

We both picked out our favorites, ocean pictures, movies, and a few they managed to take at the restaurant. We were trying to decide on a last picture when I heard my phone going off; my mom’s ring tone was playing. I glanced up at the clock, 9:30. She would normally be in bed.

“Sorry, hold on.” I said. I went and grabbed my phone from the kitchen bar.
“Hello?”

“Kale? Kale where are you?”

“I’m…” Oh God. Now what? “Umm…”

“Kale we’ve seen your picture all over the news this afternoon. What’s going on with you? What’s this about you winning that contest? Abe said you were staying at the same hotel with him tonight.”

“No, it’s not like that. The media is getting it wrong.”

“What?”

“I…”

“So you didn’t win?”

“Well, yea I did win. But we’re not…” I held the words ‘sleeping together.’

“I was worried. You didn’t answer my phone call.”

“Yea, I’m sorry. It’s been one heck of a day.”

“I’m sure it has. Just…call me tomorrow. I’m glad you’re ok, but I have to be at work in the morning. Please call, I’d like to know what’s going on.” Worry dripped from her voice, and a stab of guilt ran through me.

“Alright, say hello to Nori and Abe for me.”

“I will, good night Kale.”

“Night.”

I hung up and placed my phone back on the bar. Taylor was looking over the couch at me.

“Who was that?”

“My Mom.”

“Oh.”

Taylor put the pictures back into the envelope, keeping out the ones we had picked out.

“Yea, she was worried. I didn’t tell her about today.”

“She wouldn’t have approved?”

“No, I just didn’t keep her in the loop. It freaks her out when she doesn’t know where I am. Or if I don’t answer…she…some things in her past have made her paranoid.”

“Yea, my mom used to be like that.”

He stretched out on to the couch, making himself comfortable.

“Used to?”

“See, you say ‘used to’ when every other girl on the planet would be surprised I even have a mother. It’s like Hollywood thinks I dropped from planet Zupiter or something.”

“Zupiter?”

“Yes, Zupiter.”

“Great way of avoiding my original question.” I noted as I flipped through the pictures we had selected.

“I wasn’t avoiding. I was just adding in a needed conversational remark.”

I didn’t press, he had avoided it again by saying he wasn’t avoiding it. But now he was in though as he stared at a new artist that flashed mutely across the screen.

“You have a dad?” He broke the silence first.

“Not really. I have Abe, my mom remarried. And I have my little sister, Nori.”

“Nori.” He repeated the name, frowning, probably trying to recall if he’d heard the name before. He shrugged and moved topics.

“So, you have a gay ex?” He asked.

“My ex’s…I don’t even know if that’s what I would call them.”

“They’re labeled ‘ex’ for a reason.”

“I know, I guess that’s one way to look at it. I just haven’t ever really dated over an extended period of time. And by extended period, I mean like…two days.” He gave me a look.

“So…are you avoiding individual names or...?”

“Well, I try not to harp about the past too much.”

“Yea, it’s a little early. I just…I don’t want there to be any surprises for you. You know? You’re getting peppered by paparazzi fire and they ask you about an ex and…”

“Like Chrissie Fast?”

“Yea.”

“Ok…if you want to discuss, you go right ahead.”

“Veronica, my costar on the zombie movies? I dated her during the first film. I also dated a girl named Kara Jones. She was my latest ex.” Geez, way to jump right in.

He breathed out; this was obviously a subject that bothered him.

“My best friend tells me that you had a lot of girls in your life that…weren’t exactly labeled girlfriend. But…were involved with you.”

“Really, your best friend told you that?” He shifted, uncomfortable.

“I just…I have a gut feeling here. I mean, I don’t think I just come along and you change your ways, Taylor.”

“You’re right, it doesn’t sound that easy.” He left it at that. I thought about poor Lisa, probably running rampant around our dorm room, trying to figure out what parts of Star Gaze were being accurate.

“My best friend is going to kill me.” I said out loud.

“The girl Lisa? Why?”

“Because she was in love with you…and I called her stupid for it. Actually…” I looked at my phone up on the bar, I heard a familiar ring tone that let me know Lisa was texting me. “You want to do me a favor?”

“Depends.”

“Call her on my cell? Tell her I can’t call her back right this second?”
“You want me to do that?”

“It would make her night.”

He was already getting up and making his way across the room.

“What’s her contact name?”

“Lisa Beans. Her last name isn’t beans…it’s just what I call her.” I flushed, man that sounded so stupid.

I watched as he took a few seconds, figuring out the layout of my phone. Finally he pressed it to his ear, winking at me. I heard Lisa pick up, fear and desperation clear when she thought I was the one on the other end.

“Hey, Lisa?” Dead silence. “This is Taylor Jett. I’m sorry that Kale hasn’t been able to talk with you a lot tonight, I’ve been keeping her all to myself. She is, unfortunately, occupied at the present moment.” He listened as she must have said it was fine, just fine. “Great, well, we’re kind of in the middle of something here. Tell me, do you know if she’s allergic to latex?”

“Taylor!” I gasped, my mouth I’m sure gaping wide. But his facial expression was amused as Lisa struggled to answer him.

“Alright, I guess we’re about to find out. Have a great night, Lisa.”

He hung up and tossed my phone back on the counter.

“Oh my God.” I said as he came and plopped back down beside me. “You probably just gave her a heart attack. I am soooo dead.”

“That’s what she gets for listening to the media about my sex life.”

“I know girls are normally throwing themselves into your bed…but that’s not happening.” I warned.

“Kale, I’m not expecting anything from you tonight.” He said easily. Then he looked at me and cocked his eyebrow. “I mean…if you’re not even willing to kiss on a first date.” He teased.

“Well, I normally don’t.”

“I’m not sure if you’ve made up your mind about tonight.” He said as he casually moved closer.

“I don’t think I have.”

“Well, let’s figure it out.”

He was leaning in, and I felt my heart fluttering like a butterfly on steroids.

“Yea, maybe not.” I said, breathlessly leaning away. He pulled a pillow off the couch, throwing it at me. I laughed. “Please don’t be mad.”

“I’m not.” He chuckled, leaning back into the couch again. “It’s actually nice to be told no.”

“Yea, get used to it.” I leaned over and put my hand up against his cheek. I could feel a little stubble under my fingers, and sparks flew. He turned and smiled at me. He put his hand over mine, letting it fall back to the couch. He got up and went over to my phone. I saw him mess around with a few buttons then put it back down. “Programmed my number. My real number, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t sell it on the internet.”

“I’ll add that to my to do list.” I laughed, thinking about Lisa’s To Do list. Taylor gave me a funny look.

“What?”
“It’s…nothing.”