“WHAT IS YOUR FUCKING PROBLEM, YASMIN?”
“You are. She is. All of this is.”
I stomp past her back to the front, but she follows. “It’s none of your business what I do or who I do it with. It never has been, it never will be. Why can’t you get it in your fucking head?”
Yasmin glares, leaning against the counter. “What is it about her, Antonio? Is it just because you can’t go six weeks without a new toy? Is that it?”
“I don’t have to explain anything to you.”
“I mean, she’s pretty if you like simple girls. Does she even know how to please a man like you?”
I’ve had it. I’ve fucking had it.
“You want to know what it is, Yas? You want to know why I picked her? I chose her because she’s the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen. Better than any made up Barbie doll walking around LA. She has depth and she cares about things that really matter.” I walk toward Yasmin and grin. “And yeah, she knows a lot about pleasing me. I’m having the best sex of my life with her. I’m satisfied. Are you?”
Yasmin’s face burns red, and I know I got to her. “I don’t care.”
“Obviously you do. You’re making a fool of yourself. You’re lucky I’m a nice guy and you’re even luckier that Giovanna hasn’t gone to the media. This would make a good story, but she isn’t interested in ruining our movie or your reputation. She just wants to live her life and let us live ours. Why don’t you give her the same consideration and leave her the fuck alone?”
“I’ll do whatever I want to do.”
I grab her arm. “This is the last time I’m going to say this. If you hurt her, or my relationship with her, you will regret it. More than you know.”
“You’re acting like you’re in love with this girl. Is that it?”
Yasmin’s words settle over me, and I mask the emotions they cause. “Again, stop worrying about what I’m doing. Got it?”
She pulls her arm away as the crew starts to enter the store. “Got it.”
I walk to my chair and sit down. I’m not stupid enough to believe that she’ll let it go. There’s no fucking way she will.
TODAY FELT LIKE THE LONGEST DAY. All I could think about was getting back to Giovanna and how I’m going to deal with Yasmin if she does something else. If I didn’t think this movie was going to be a good one, I would consider walking off set. Who gives a fuck if it would break my contract. I could buy myself out. I sigh. It is a good movie though. I just have to get through a couple more weeks, and then I never have to see Yasmin again.
I finish my shower and get dressed. Putting gel in my hair, I study my reflection. I look different. Calmer. That’s what Giovanna does for me. This is the result of being with her. She’s like the perfect drug with nothing but positive side effects.
I exhale. Leaving her will suck. Hard. I don’t want to think about it. I really don’t want to think about how I feel about her. I don’t even want to consider love. I’m not equipped for that yet. I wouldn’t know what to do. If we did stay together, where would we live? How would she handle my lifestyle? I smile. I’m assuming she feels the same way, but I don’t think she does. Her guard is still up. Sure, I’ve found a few chinks in her armor, but I know I’m not all the way in. She knows this will have to end as much as I do. I just wish there was some way it wouldn’t.
My phone rings, and I rush to grab it.
“Hello?”
“Your car is here, Mr. Russo,” the hotel clerk tells me.
“Be right down.”
I grab my jacket and head down to the lobby. Dan, Yasmin, and two crew members are chatting. I’m not hiding. If they ask me, I’m telling them.
“Hey, Antonio,” Dan says, when he sees me. “We’re gonna grab a bite. Wanna join us?”
“I have plans. Thanks though.”
Yasmin looks away, avoiding eye contact with me.
“A date?” Dan asks.
“Yep. Going to see Giovanna.”
“Ah.” I notice him look directly at Yasmin, who maintains her gaze out the window. “Where you taking her?”
“Far away from town.” I grin. “See you guys tomorrow.” I breeze past them and outside to my car. I asked her to dress up tonight. I want to do something special. I’m done with the hiding, and I just hope she can be okay with it, too.
Minutes later, we pull up in front of her house. I step out and knock on the door. When she opens it, my heart stops.
“Jesus, woman, I didn’t think it was possible for you to be any more beautiful, but here you are blowing me away.” I kiss her cheek. “You look amazing.”
She smiles and slides her hands over her stomach. The tight fitting black dress is perfect on her. It fits her like it was made just for her. “Thank you.”
“How will I keep my hands to myself.” I drag my finger down her exposed cleavage. “Fuck, Giovanna.”
“We’ll get to that later, Movie Star.” I laugh and extend my arm for her to take. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere romantic and far away from here.”
“I see. Are you Mr. Cochran tonight?”
“No, ma’am. I’m Mr. Russo. No more hiding.”
She takes a deep breath. “Easy for you to say.”
“Yeah, it is, but I got this. And I got you.”
“I know.” She smiles. “I can handle this.”
“You can handle anything.”
She smiles, and I can tell in her eyes she isn’t sure that’s true, but she’s trying. I admire her. I know this is hard for her, and she’s trusting me to shield her. I can’t let her down.
I help her into the car and then take my seat. Taking her hand in mine, I squeeze softly, trying to ease her concerns. She’s right though. My life is lived in full view of the public. We’ll never have a private moment again. The best I can do is go to places I know the media isn’t.
“What’s on your mind?” she asks.
“You. Always you.”
“I know the feeling.”
“Do you?”
“Yeah.” She glances out the window then back to me. “Since day one, you’re pretty much all I think about.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“Honestly?”
“Please.”
“It’s both. You said something to me once before we went out. You said that you were the most exciting thing that had happened to me in a long time.”
“Ah, yes, one of those pinned against the wall moments.”
She laughs softly. “Yes. Anyway, it was true. It is true. I’ve never really had a man in my life for longer than …” she stops and shakes her head.
“You don’t have to edit with me, Gio. I’m no saint either.”
“Yeah, so, um, I have this habit where I don’t get close to people. My relationships tended to last briefly.”
“I understand.”
“It’s new for me to even think of tomorrow much less many tomorrows.”
“So is that good or bad?”
“It’s good, because right now I’m really happy, and I’m having a great time.”
“But it’s bad because you think it will end.”
“Yeah. I know you don’t like that I think that way, but I really can’t help it. It’s not like you live here. You don’t.”
“No, I don’t.” I scoot closer to her. “Let’s not talk about it for tonight. I just want to enjoy you and this time we have together.”
“Okay.”
“Except …”
“What?”
“I blurted out to Yasmin today that …” I sigh. “It was dumb of me, but she was pissing me off and —”
“What did you say?”
“She said that you couldn’t be capable of keeping my attention in bed.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, so I told her I was having the best sex of my life. I shouldn’t have, but —”
“You said that?”
“Yeah, like I said —” Surprising me, Giovanna throws her arms around my neck and kisses me.
“Is it true?” she whispers, breathlessly.
“Yeah, babe, it’s true.”
“It’s true for me, too.”
I smile. “You’re not mad at me?”
“No, serves her right. I hope it felt like a gut punch.”
“I think it did. It also helped her understand that you’re important to me. You’re not just some girl I’m fucking.”
“That comment helped her understand that?”
“Uh no, the whole conversation.” I can’t tell her the rest. She’ll freak out.
“There’s more?”
“Yeah. It was a whole thing after you left. I just told her to leave you alone, and if she didn’t, I would ruin her. She knows I wouldn’t have such a strong reaction about it if I didn’t care about you.”
“Do you think she’ll do anything with this information?”
“Honestly, yes. But the worse she’ll do is try to drum up interest in the media to make things harder for me. Here’s the thing though. She can’t do anything to tear me away from you. No one can. I’m 100% about you. Every fucking day, Giovanna. The paparazzi can chase me all day asking questions. I don’t care. They can take pictures and try to create scandal. I don’t give a fuck. They can do whatever they want and nothing will make me not want to spend every day in your arms.”
Giovanna’s eyes fill with tears, but she quickly blinks them back. “That’s kind of intense, Antonio.”
“I’m intense, and that’s how I feel about you.” I brush my fingers over her cheek. “Don’t freak out. Don’t pull back. Just let me feel this way and let me show you.”
“I’m not running.”
“Good.”
She leans her head against my shoulder for the rest of the drive. I don’t know what love feels like, but if this isn’t it, I don’t know what the fuck is.
Twenty minutes later, we arrive at our destination, a secluded restaurant high on a hill. It’s not Lookout Point, but it’s private.
“Where are we?” she asks.
“Grover’s Inn. We’ll have dinner away from prying eyes. Then, we’ll go back to your place, I’ll run you a bath and wash every inch of your body.”
She smiles. “And then what will you do?”
“Then I’ll make love to you until the sun comes up.”
“Won’t you be tired tomorrow?”
“I’m only thinking about tonight and your pleasure. Tomorrow will take care of itself.”
“I am a lucky woman.”
“You are a beautiful woman.” I kiss her forehead. “And to be clear, I’m the lucky one.”
There is nothing better than the look in her eyes right now.
“DINNER WAS WONDERFUL. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, gorgeous.” I watch her drag her hands through the soapy water. “Can I tell you something?”
“Of course.”
“I’m an actor, right? I play romantic leading men.”
“Right.”
“I do things like this in movies. We go on romantic dates, take bubble baths, I feed them strawberries and champagne, and create grand displays of my affection.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve never understood why a man would go to such lengths to get a girl. I’ve always been able to walk up to any woman, ask her out, and she said yes. Even before I was famous.”
“Okay.”
“So I go through these roles thinking what a dumbass. If you have to do all this to get the girl she’s not worth getting.”
“What are you saying?”
I sit up and scoot closer to her. “I know why they do it now. I’ve met the girl worth getting. Worth doing whatever has to be done. Worth making a fool of myself if I had to. I would do it to show her how special she is. I would do it to prove I’m worthy of her. I would do it for you.”
“Antonio,” she whispers.
“You make me think things I’ve never thought. You make me want to do things I’ve never done. I literally can’t imagine ever making love to anyone else after being with you.”
“Stop it.”
“I told you when we first met I was obsessed with you and that feeling has only intensified. I won’t ever be the same man I was before I met you. No matter what happens, Giovanna, you’ve changed me.”
She shakes her head, and I see her eyes welling up. She doesn’t want to let go. She doesn’t want to give in.
“I don’t know how to articulate my feelings for you,” I continue. “I don’t know the words that describe the emotions that race through me every time you’re around.” I cup her face, using my thumbs to wipe her eyes. “I just know that it feels good. I feel better, happier, than I ever have. I hope, I pray, actually, that you feel as happy as I do.”
She nods and moves into my embrace. She holds me tight, and I know that no more words are needed. She understands how I feel. I understand how she feels too. I kiss the top of her head.
“Now that I got that off my chest.” I smile. “Let’s go to bed so I can rock your world one more time.”
She laughs, and I’m so happy I can cause that. “I’m game.”
I stand and help her up. She rises up on her tip toes and kisses my lips. “Thank you.”
“Anytime, Beautiful.”