Chapter Ten
Blaire
I was fast asleep when I heard someone knocking at my door. I looked at the time and saw that it was seven in the morning. Who would be coming to visit me at this time of the morning? I threw on a robe and quickly hurried downstairs to see who it was. But when I opened the door, there was nobody around. I stood there for several seconds looking from left to right, but nobody was there. I noticed that the front door of the house opposite me was slightly ajar, and I knew that three very poorly behaved kids lived there with their parents. The parents didn’t seem the type that were too concerned by the whereabouts of their children, so there was a strong possibility it was just the kids playing pranks. I’d done the same when I was young and bored, I thought, and chuckled to myself as I made my way back inside. I locked the door and went back to my bedroom.
I’d hoped to sleep in a bit but now that I was awake, I didn’t think I’d be able to fall asleep again. Instead, I took a long shower, changed, and walked to the kitchen to make myself something to eat. I opened the fridge and groaned when I saw how little food was inside. I was in the mood for something delicious but I had no desire to go out and get it. I looked through all the drawers until finally settling on a simple toast with peanut butter and jelly. It wasn’t exactly the scrambled eggs and bacon I’d hoped for, but it was still nice. I wondered if I’d ever go back to the way I was before Wyoming. The place had changed me. I no longer felt the need to prove something to the rest of the world that. Let them talk all they want about my growing thighs. I honestly didn’t care. Perhaps that would change when the media got nasty, but for now, I didn’t want to think about it. Also, I’d always been a runner, so eating toast shouldn’t be such a big deal for me.
Once I was finished, I decided to go for a run. This was a little annoying considering I’d already had a shower and changed into my normal clothes. But I knew that if I didn’t run then, I probably wouldn’t run later. I always had more energy in the morning. I changed into my running gear and headed out.
There was nothing quite like the feeling of the wind against my face as I ran through the streets. I wondered if I’d ever get to the stage where I felt too famous to run. I wanted to move up in the acting world, but I never wanted to stop being myself. I hoped I’d continue to live my normal life and not feel annoyed by the media taking photos of me. So what if I ate bread and went running without the latest running gear? I hoped that would be the part of me that people liked, rather than what they mocked.
As always, I came home from my run with a clear head, and ready to start my day. I took yet another shower and got back into my clothes. I was just about to make myself a cup of coffee when I heard another knock on the door. I stood frozen in place. What was going on? I walked tentatively to the door and peered out slowly as I opened it just a crack. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Katie standing in front of me.
“Oh good, it’s you,” I said.
“Why do you seem so relieved? Were you hiding from someone?” she asked and looked around.
I opened the door to let her in and told her all about the knock on my door that morning.
“At seven in the morning? That’s a little early. Who do you think it was?”
I shook my head. “I was thinking it might be the kids across the street. It seems like the sort of thing they would do. They get bored so easily. I always see them running around without their parents. Also, their door was slightly open, so they could’ve knocked and gone running back by the time I came downstairs.”
Katie looked thoughtful. “Yeah, maybe. At least, I hope so.”
“You hope so? What do you mean? Who else would it be?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I just hope you don’t have some weird stalker lurking around. You know, you should think about getting a bodyguard, just to be on the safe side. There are some weirdos out there in this world.”
“A stalker? I don’t think so. Why would anyone want to stalk me?”
Katie sighed. “When are you going to realize that you’re an actress? These things happen.”
“You are far too paranoid and way too dramatic. Nobody is stalking me. What are you doing here, by the way? Shouldn’t you be at work? Wait, it is Friday, isn’t it?”
She laughed. “It’s Friday. I had the day off so I decided to come and see you! Any chance you feel like another cup of coffee?”
“I always feel like another cup of coffee. But it’s not ‘another’ one for me. I was just about to make my first cup.”
“What? So late?” she said as she took a seat at the kitchen counter.
“Yeah, I decided to go for a run after breakfast. I was making a cup when you knocked. So, how’s life? How’s the baby making going?”
“You see, this is why I haven’t told anyone else. I’d be getting that same question thrown at me all day.”
I looked at her apologetically. “Oops, sorry. I just realized how annoying that must be.”
“No, I don’t mind you asking me. I just don’t want to explain myself to the rest of the world. And yeah, as it turns out, baby making is a whole lot of fun.”
I giggled. “How on earth have you and Chris not gotten bored of each other?”
“What? Are you calling me boring?”
“No! But usually people get sick of each other after a while. At least, that’s what I’ve found in my dating career. It’s always exciting in the beginning, and then I start to lose interest as the months go on. Months! You’ve been with Chris for years and you guys still act like you’ve just met.”
“That’s because you haven’t found the right one. I know you’re sick of hearing that, but it’s true. And, for the most part, Chris and I don’t act like we’ve just met. Mostly we hang around in our old clothes and talk to each other like friends. But we love each other, and we can find that spark when we need to. The key to a good marriage is two-fold: find someone that you’re attracted to and find someone that you consider your best friend. If you have those two things, you have the perfect marriage.”
“So, you’re basically saying I should marry you?” I said as I handed her a cup.
She chuckled. “Oh, you find me attractive?”
“Almost. You’re not hairy enough.”
She laughed. “Wait until I stop shaving my legs! So, how about this Ryan guy? Is he hairy enough?”
“He’s . . . he’s . . .”
“Wow, you’re speechless. You really like this guy, huh?”
I wasn’t sure what I thought about Ryan. I knew I’d had a good time with him, and I was obviously extremely happy when he called me again. But I was never very good at figuring out how I felt about guys, or how they felt about me. I often found it easier just not to think about things. When I over analyzed, I always ended up thinking the worst.
“Earth to Blaire,” Katie said and waved her hand in front of my face.
“Oh, sorry. I was just trying to figure out if I liked him.”
“Oh dear. You’re hopeless. What’s there to figure out? You either like the guy, or you don’t. Well, are you seeing him again?”
“Yeah, he invited me out for dinner tomorrow night. He’s picking me up.”
“Nice. I knew this guy was into you. Although you’re probably driving him crazy at the moment.”
“What do you mean?”
“You turned down the invitation to go to his house, and you kissed him on the cheek? The poor guy is probably desperate for more. Actually, you probably did the right thing. Kept him waiting a bit. Kept him wondering. That’s probably why he’s picking you up this time. He’s hoping that there will be a little bit of dessert waiting for him after the dinner.”
I groaned. “Oh no, don’t say that. I don’t want to feel nervous tomorrow night. And I don’t want to feel pressured into doing something I’m not ready for. And since when do you talk like that? I swear you’ve turned into some sex addict overnight.”
“Look, Blaire, I’m just messing with you. I know you like this guy; it’s written all over your face. But if you don’t to sleep with him, you don’t have to. Heck, you don’t even have to kiss him if you don’t want to. You can do whatever you want to do, and you shouldn’t feel bad about it. But just make sure that you’re doing it—or not doing it, in this case—for the right reasons.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You haven’t been with a guy in a long time, and the last relationship you had wasn’t exactly very healthy,” she said without going into it too much. She knew my past relationships were not something I liked talking about. We’d gone over and over them in the past together, and we’d both said enough. “I just don’t want you to close yourself off to something that could be great just because you don’t want to be hurt again.”
I sighed. Katie was right. I’d been hurt before by someone I had truly believed to be ‘the one.' Turns out I wasn’t the only woman in his life to think that. He had someone managed to convince both myself and three other women that he was in love with us. None of us had known about or even suspected the others. It still bothered me how easily he had lied and how much I had believed him. I always thought it would be obvious to spot a liar, but now I wasn’t so sure.
“Yeah, you’re right,” I said. “I guess I am scared. I don’t want to go through all that again.”
“I don’t want you to go through that either. But at the same time, I don’t want you to be by yourself for the rest of your life just because you got hurt. Sometimes, you just have to have a little faith that everything is going to turn out fine. And, don’t forget, if you ever need someone to dig around into a guy’s life, you can just ask me. I’ll be your stalker.”
I smiled. I thought about Katie sneaking around and taking photos of Ryan when he wasn’t watching, and I giggled. “You’re the best.”
“Yes. Yes, I am,” she said. “Now, what are you wearing tomorrow night?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea. I haven’t even thought about it.”
“Why don’t we go shopping? I need a few new things myself, so we might as well go out and get an outfit for you at the same time.”
“Yeah, that’s not a bad idea. I could do with a bit of retail therapy.”
“And, while we’re at it, we might as well look for some new sexy underwear for you.”
“Sexy underwear? Why would I. . .” I started but then trailed off when I realized what she meant. “KATIE!”