by J. J. Bella
"You spot your man?" Sophia asked.
I scanned the crowd but didn't see him. Checking my watch, I saw that the premiere was about to start. We'd arrived a little behind, so we didn't have much time to schmooze. Which was fine by me- that sort of stuff was never my forte.
I continued to scan the crowd for Liam. Finally, I found Olivia. She looked adorable in the teal-colored dress she was wearing, and seemed to be enjoying the attention from the celebrities who were cooing over her. I wanted to go over to say "hi," but before I could, the bulky shape of Simon Whittaker stepped in front of Sophia and me.
"There're my girls," he said, stepping in and hugging us both.
"Hi, Mr. Whittaker," I said.
"Hi, Simon," said Sophia brusquely.
"I trust you're both having a lovely night?" he said.
I murmured something in response. Truthfully, he was the last man I wanted to see. Simon was unsteady from his booze, and he wasn't even being subtle about eating us up with his eyes.
"Well, I'll let you both get back to it. Maybe the three of us can meet up after the premiere, figure out if we give it a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down, you know?"
I felt sick to my stomach.
"Maybe!" shot Sophia, saying whatever it would take to get Simon to leave us alone.
It worked, and he shuffled off.
Before either of us could say another word to each other, a chime sounded, followed by a young man announcing that the film was about to start and that we should find our seats now. Lines began to form at both entrances into the theater, and just before it was my turn to walk in, I finally spotted Liam. My heart skipped a beat when I laid eyes on him, and I knew right then and there that I needed to talk to him. Thankfully, the only woman on his arm was Olivia.
I vowed, after the film, to find him and get this all sorted out once and for all. But before I could think too much about it, Sophia and I were led to our seats and, after a brief speech by the director, the movie began.
It was…amazing. I might have been biased from having had a hand in the production, but I couldn't believe just how damn good it was. The story followed Jace Landau's character, who was a criminal trying to go straight. Of course, he got pulled back in by Emmanuelle Jerrod's character for one last heist. The story was pretty standard, but the execution was amazing. It went from funny to quirky to dramatic with expert precision, and the dialogue and direction was top-notch. I'd even found myself crying once Jace and Emmanuelle's characters patched things up at the end. It was like anything else I'd seen before, and It was clear that even to my untrained tastes that it was going to be something special.
Once the film was over, my heart began to beat like a drum as I looked forward to speaking with Liam. The lights went on, and I tried to find him in the audience without looking too conspicuous.
"I think I see what you're up to," said Sophia with a smirk. "But girl…"
She pointed at my eyes.
"What?" I asked.
"Movie get to you?"
I pulled out my compact and opened it up. Sure enough, my mascara was running from the tears I'd squirted out.
"Shit," I hissed.
"There's a private bathroom upstairs," she said. "I'll keep an eye on your boy and make sure he doesn't get into any trouble."
"Thank you thank you," I said, hurrying through the aisle.
Once I returned to the lobby, I spotted the hallway leading to the private room. I rushed up there as quickly as I could without looking like a madwoman. As I turned into the hallway, I couldn't help but feel as though someone was watching me; it was that hot feeling on the back of my neck. But I put it out of my mind, choosing to focus on getting my makeup fixed and finding Liam. Once in the private room, I entered and shut the door behind me.
It was a small, one-person bathroom- nice and quiet after the crowds. I went to work on my makeup, wiping away the black smudges around my eyes.
But as I went to work, I heard a jangling sound.
It was the door.
"You in there, love?" asked a voice on the other side.
I recognized the voice right away as Simon. My heart began to race as the door creaked open, revealing the bulky, unsteady figure of Simon.
"What are you doing?" I asked, rushing to the other side of the small room.
"Just, ah, havin' a little private meeting," he said, shutting the door behind him. "You'll have to forgive me; I just couldn't wait any longer."
He was trashed; I could tell. He could barely stand, and his eyes were bleary. But he looked steady enough to do what he had in mind.
"Come here, cutie pie," he said, shuffling over towards me. "Just a little kiss."
"Simon," I said, making my voice as stern as I could. "Get away from me. Now."
But he wasn't listening. He had one thing on his boozed-up mind, and he wasn't going to leave until he got it. The smell of whiskey filled my noise, and his wheezing filled my ears.
Then, right at the moment he put his fingers on me, the door opened with a bang. I looked past the bulky form of Simon.
It was Liam. He was the most beautiful sight that I could imagine seeing.
"Mr. Whittaker," he said. "I think you ought to do as the lady asks."
Simon spun on his feet more quickly than I would've thought.
"Mr. Thorne," he slurred. "I was just havin' a little chat with the lady. Leave us in peace, why don't you."
"Not gonna happen," he said. "Let her leave, now."
Simon shambled towards Liam, who stood as still and towering as a statue. Then, he did something that I wasn't at all expecting: he took a swing at Liam.
The blow went wide, and Liam was able to easily dodge it. Liam answered with a swing of his own, his fist connecting with Simon's Jaw. A wet smack rang out, and Simon tumbled backward onto the counter. Liam's eyes shot to me, and he gestured for me to follow him out. I was all too happy to do so.
With a smile, Liam offered me his arm and I took it. Simon slurred drunkenly from the dressing room, and the men and women in the hallway began to crowd around the door as Simon shouted the usual retorts of neither of us ever working in this town again.
"Good to see you, kid," he said, leading me back to the lobby.
"Same to you," I said, tears forming in my eyes.
As we stepped back into the lobby, I spotted Olivia waiting for us. She ran into our arms, and the three of us embraced. Off in the crowd, I could see Sophia enthusiastically courting one of the handsome actors in attendance.
Liam offered me his arm once again, and I felt the tiny hand of Olivia slip into mine. Together, the three of us stepped onto the balcony overlooking the lobby, the eyes of all in the crowd on us.
I knew that it was going to be a great night.
21
The morning sunbeams were clear and bright through the bedroom windows. I had to squint as I opened my eyes, and as I stretched, I looked out over the city as it came to life in those morning minutes. Placing my feet on the floor, I walked over to the window and smiled, still having a hard time believing I'd woken up where I had.
"Getting out of bed already?" came the voice behind me.
I turned around and was greeted with the sight of Liam. He was propped up on his side, beautiful, muscular body on full display. His eyes were still heavy with sleep, his mouth was in a sensual smile.
"Why?" I asked, moving slowly back to the bed and taking a seat on the side. "You have something else in mind?"
"Maybe," he said, placing his hand on my thigh. "You'll have to come back to bed to find out."
That was all I needed to hear. Swinging my legs back onto the bed, I slipped back under the covers with a giggle. Liam set to work right away, kissing me along the nape of my neck in the way that he knew I loved. He slipped his hands under my nightgown, his palms moving along the curves of my body. Taking hold of the fabric, he pulled it off and over my head, leaving me totally nude.
"That's not fair," I said, pointing down to his black, silk s
leeping pants.
"Then make it fair," he said.
"Happy to oblige."
Slipping my fingers under the waistband, I yanked down hard on the pants, eager to get to what was underneath. Liam's prick, already hard, sprang out, and I felt myself grow wet at the mere sight of it.
"Someone's ready to go," said Liam, slipping his hand between my thighs and rubbing along my sex.
"I guess…" I said between sighs, "I wasn't as ready to get up as I thought."
Wrapping my hand around Liam's manhood, I stroked him as we kissed.
He pulled away, looking deeply at me with his striking blue eyes, which were as bright and clear as frozen water.
"I love you," he said.
"I love you, too," I responded.
We'd said the words before since we'd made the decision to get back together, but I couldn't imagine growing tired of hearing them from him. We kissed more, our tongues caressing one another's for a time as I continued to stroke him. Soon, however, I felt the need for something…different in my mouth. I moved my lips away from his, down his hard-cut jaw, along the rough skin of his neck, down to the square borders of his pecs, then along the symmetrical outlines of his abs. I hung for a time by the notches of his hips before moving along, closer and closer to his member. Once I reached it, I looked up at him, a playful little smile on my face. Turning my attention back to his cock, I began to kiss the base of his prick, letting my tongue slip out of my mouth and graze the sensitive skin of his prick.
He tasted like heaven, and I couldn't get enough.
I continued up, kissing, licking and sucking. Soon, I reached his head and after teasing for a time, I wrapped my lips around it and took it into my mouth. Liam moaned as I did so, his eyes closing as he ran his hands through my hair. I started off paying special attention to his head in the way he liked, stroking him as I sucked. After a time, I moved down along his shaft, taking more and more of him into my mouth, finally coming to a stop as I reached the base of his cock. I held him like this in my mouth for a time, licking him up and down as I fit the entire length of him into my mouth. A sweet, salty taste played on my palate, and I knew that it was time for the real deal before he got too turned on.
Letting his cock slide out of my mouth, I crawled back up his body, kissing him deep once I was face-to-face with him. We kissed long and hard, and I straddled my legs on top of him as we did. Taking his cock by the base again, I held his prick straight up, positioning it just where it needed to be. Then, slowly, I lowered myself onto him, gasping as I savored the indescribable feeling of being split in half on Liam's thick, firm cock.
I was slow at first, riding him gently, my hands resting on his stone-solid pecs. Bucking back and forth, I allowed his cock to move in and out of me. A look of total pleasure was on Liam's face, and his hands moved along my thighs, coming to a rest on my ass and squeezing my rear hard. I knew by now that this meant he was ready for me to ride him hard, and I was happy to do just that. I began riding at a faster pace, my breasts bouncing wildly as I impaled myself on him over and over. Moans escaped Liam's lips and he silenced himself by taking my breasts into his mouth, one after the other, sucking and licking my nipples, the feeling driving me wild.
I continued to ride him, and I knew that an orgasm wasn't too far off.
"Cum in me, baby," I said, leaning forward, my voice breathy.
Liam moaned, and I knew that he was on the brink. I did my best to keep my orgasm at bay, but it was no use- the feeling of his cock shoving deep into me over and over was just too much. The pleasure that I'd been trying to keep at bay broke loose, and screams escaped my lips as my body convulsed in orgasm. Liam grunted hard, the signal that he was cumming too.
Once the orgasm passed, I collapsed on top of him, both of us breathing in deep as we lay in post-coital bliss.
After a time, Liam spoke.
"As much as I'd like to pass the day like this, I think we've both got too much ahead of us to relax."
"Mmm," I said. "We'll have to catch up this weekend."
"You're on," he said with a sly smile.
We both heaved out of bed and began the process of starting our days.
So much has happened since the night of the premiere. Between the movie and what happened with Simon, the night was a total whirlwind. But it ended just the way I wanted, with Liam and I making love, deciding afterward that maybe giving this thing of ours a second chance wasn't such a bad idea. I was a little miffed about Emmanuelle, but he promised me that I'd just happen to walk in on the exact moment when I shouldn't have. I was a little skeptical, but felt better after bumping into Emmanuelle a week or so later at Cannes, where she'd taken home the prize for best actress for her role in The British Job.
"You lucky little…minx," she'd said, her voice slurred from one martini too many. "I tried my best to get that man of yours, but he wouldn't bite. One little kiss that I had to steal- that was all I got."
She took another sip of her drink, winking at a passing waiter as she did.
"Let me tell you," she said, moving in close. "You find a man like that, you hold onto him for dear life. Never let him go."
I told her that was exactly what I had in mind.
Soon after Liam and I decided to give it another try, I moved back in. Olivia was ecstatic, and as soon as she ran up to me the first time she saw me after I moved in, wrapping her arms around my legs, I realized that there'd been so much missing from my life. A strange kind of happiness washed over me, and I knew right then and there that I'd made the right decision. After a few weeks of us living together, Liam decided to speak to his ex about having Olivia move in with us on a permanent basis. His ex was all too happy to agree to this arrangement. She did seem more interested in living the life of an actress whose star was on the rise, and I got the distinct impression that she felt Olivia was cramping her style. Oh well- just more joy for Liam and I to share.
"What's for breakfast?" she asked, her face beaming as she sat at the kitchen bar.
"Oh, I'm thinking waffles today," said Liam, mussing Olivia's hair.
"Waffles sound pretty darn good to me," I said.
Liam set to work, and as I poured myself a cup of coffee, my phone buzzed in the other room. I hurried over, hoping for the text from Sophia that I'd been expecting for the last day.
We got him : )
I pressed the phone to my breast and let out a satisfied ‘yes.'
"Big news?" asked Liam, ducking his head under the kitchen overhang.
"Looks like pretty-boy Jace Landau's on board," I said.
Liam raised his eyebrows, impressed.
"Told you that you have a knack for this."
Liam's swing at Simon was effectively my notice of resignation at Bronzeplate. I was a little worried to be out of a job, but Liam was quick to tell me that it was for the best- he wouldn't stand by and let any woman of his work for a sleaze like Simon. I spent a week wondering just what to do, wondering if the film business was really for me. I mean, I knew I had a knack for it, like Liam said, but did I really have it in me to deal with men like Simon?
That's when Sophia gave me a ring.
She let me know that Liam's punch and Simon's exposure as a perv inspired her and a bunch of other girls at Bronzeplate to quit. Thing is, they all wanted to stay in the business. So, we decided to try our hands at making something new- a place where women like us could produce films without having to deal with the old boy's club. That's how Ladyhawke Pictures was formed. I used my connections that I made working with Liam to get leads on hot scripts, and after some tough negotiations, we were ready to start on our first project now that Jace was on board.
"Big day?" asked Liam.
"Really big," I said, still staring at the text. "Almost too big."
"You can handle it," he said with a wink.
He served up the first plate of waffles, setting them in front of Olivia, who happily went to work on them.
"Come out onto the balcony for a minut
e," he said, that damn sly smile on his face again.
I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say a word he was out. I followed him out, taking a place next to him against the railing. He leaned forward, looking out onto the city.
"What's up?" I asked.
"Crazy how it takes losing something to remind you of how much it meant to you, huh?"
"Yeah, I suppose," I said, unsure of where he was going with this.
"Most time when you lose something, you don't get a second chance at getting it back. But with you, I did."
My heart welled with happiness at these words. I wasn't sure why he was telling me this, but I just knew it was the build-up to something wonderful.
"So, I'm not going to risk that happening again. I'm not going to let someone as wonderful slip through my fingers a second time."
Tears formed in my eyes as he reached into his pocket. A moment later, he withdrew a brilliant, beautiful diamond ring.
"I wanted to wait, but I'm only human- I just couldn't any longer.
"Mia Hunter, will you d-"
"Yes!" I said, throwing my arms around him and pulling him in for a kiss.
What can I say? I guess I really wasn't in the mood to wait either.
"Did you do it?" I turned to the balcony door and saw Olivia standing there with an eager look on her adorable face.
"You tell me," Liam said as he slipped the ring on my finger.
"Yay!" shouted out Olivia as she ran to us, wrapping her arms around us.
"I love you, Mia," he said.
"I love you, too," I returned.
He kissed me once again.
As we looked out onto the city, I couldn't help but think about what a strange set of circumstances had brought Liam and me back together. But I wasn't about to question a good thing. The three of us were a family now, and that was all that mattered. And though the future was unclear, I knew that together, Liam and I could do anything.
THE END
BONUS STORY — Sham: Fake Married to the Single Dad
