by Hattie Lou
I nod. “And a cook and personal trainer.”
Her eyes get big. “Wow! So, you do have it all.” She says, like it’s bad that I pay people to do my work for me.
“I worked hard for everything I have.”
She shakes her head and grabs the chairs to set them back up.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing.”
It isn’t nothing. I saw the way she shook her head. She has something she wants to say but is afraid to. “Say it. I’m a big kid. I can handle criticism. You won’t be the first.” I have seen articles written about me that described me as a privileged actor because of my dad. Dad was already in Hollywood before I was born. I grew up rich, but that wasn’t my problem. When I started off acting, I worked day and night to get my name out there. I kept making appearance after appearance until people started to take me serious and not because of who my dad was.
“Fine.” She says, putting the last chair away and walking over to where I’m standing. “That would explain why you walk around thinking you are better than me.”
“I never….”
She holds her hand up, stopping me as she gets angry with me. “Sure, I’m not rich. I don’t have a crazy lifestyle where I’m hopping from plane to plane going to different states, making appearances at big events. I don’t have personal staff. What I do have is a daughter who I couldn’t be any more proud of and a woman who is like a second mom to me.”
“I’m not better than anyone.” I protest.
“Are you really blind? Maybe you have been stuck in Hollywood for so long that you are absent minded to how you come off to people. Let me tell you this, you come off high class. Walking around here with your head held high while you are secretly laughing at us for living a simple life. We are happy with what we have. We know what our plans are going to be like every day and we are fine with that.” She doesn’t wait for me to respond as she storms off and into the house.
She is absurd just like Ben who also claimed that I think that I’m better than them. They don’t know me or even try to get to know me.
Chapter Twelve
Olivia
I shut off the vacuum when there is a knock at the front door. “Yes?” I answer as I open the door, hoping it isn’t the girl scouts selling more cookies. Last month I made a mistake of buying three boxes from them. After consuming them in a week, I felt guilty when I found out that I gained four pounds. I need to stay away from cookies for a while.
The gentleman gives me a friendly smile before doing a double take on the address on the mailbox. He’s gorgeous. He looks like one of the hunky soap opera guys with his perfect tan skin and bright smile that you can stare at for days. Where did this guy come from? How did he end up in this town?
“I’m looking for my buddy, Luke. I’m pretty sure this is the right address. Does he live here?”
“Maybe. Who are you?” I ask, unsure if he is telling me the truth. He’s good looking but he could also be a crazy fan of Luke’s who came across this address on the internet.
“I’m Matthew Crane, his best friend.” He chuckles. “I’m also an actor. You might have seen a movie of mine. “Fallen” or “Chasing After You?” He says their names like I’m supposed to know those movies.
“I’m not big on movies,” I tell him as I give him a look over. He doesn’t seem like a crazy fan so I let him in. “Make yourself at home. I will let him know that you are here.” I say, leaving him alone in the living room while I walk down the hallway to his room.
Luke is sitting at the desk writing something down on paper. His shoulder is blocking the paper so I can’t see exactly what he is writing. Whatever he is writing has to be important. He doesn’t even notice me standing in the doorway.
I tap lightly on the door getting his attention.
“What?” He asks, clearly annoyed that I’m bothering him while he is in the middle of doing something.
“You have a visitor. He said his name is Matthew Crane.”
He silently nods but doesn’t seem surprised that Matthew is here. “Tell him that I will be out in a minute.”
While I was gone, Matthew really did make himself at home. I find him in the kitchen making a sandwich.
“How about a grilled cheese sandwich?” I offer.
He jumps at the sound of my voice. “You cook?” He asks, surprised.
“I do.”
He takes a seat while I grab the skillet and butter. “Sorry. It’s just after a long flight I tend to get very hungry. They don’t serve anything good on planes besides those damn peanuts.”
I can’t say anything. I have never been on a plane. They scare me. Anything that involves heights scares me. I prefer keeping my feet on the ground.
“So, how long have you been with Luke?”
I flip the bread over to the other side. “We aren’t together. I’m taking care of his mom, Katherine.”
He leans in closer like he didn’t hear me. “Don’t tell me that you are the evil bitch Olivia that he can’t stand? The one that is making his life a living hell?”
I fake a smile, trying to hide the fact that Luke hurt my feelings by calling me an evil bitch. I haven’t done anything for him to call me that! He was the one who came walking in the house thinking he knows everything that was going on with Katherine but knew nothing. “Glad to know he talks about me.” I joke, handing him the food.
He laughs to himself causing me to look at him weird. “I’m sorry.”
“What’s funny?” I ask.
He takes a bite of his food before answering. “It’s just all this time Luke was putting on this act like you were driving him insane, but I know the man too well to see the truth.”
Matthew got my attention now. “You’re saying that he doesn’t hate me?”
He shakes his head. “He had me picturing you as an older mean woman. He failed to mention how young and hot you are.”
I blush at his words. I don’t get compliments that much. It’s nice hearing them sometimes.
He stares at me. “Luke and I got the same taste in women. Trust me, if I didn’t know that he had feelings for you then I would be asking you out this very moment, but I’m not since he’s my friend. We grew up together. The dude is like a freaking brother to me.”
“So, you’re an actor like him?” I ask, changing the subject.
“Yeah, I have appeared in many television shows and several movies. I’m not famous like Luke is, but I’m well known in Hollywood. It’s all part of my charm.” He says, with a wink.
Luke
I turn the corner into the kitchen to see Matthew leaning in to talk to Olivia. I don’t know why but seeing him that close to her makes me pissed off. “What’s going on here?” I ask, jealous.
“I was just telling Olivia here how hot she is,” Matthew says with a wink.
Olivia looks at me like she is waiting for me to say something. I don’t. “What brings you here?” I ask Matthew, not wanting to talk about her especially when she’s in the same room.
He leans back in his chair. “I had some time off. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out for the day. I have to be in New York tomorrow so you got me until midnight.” He says, looking down at his watch.
I don’t feel like hanging around the house today so I ask Matthew if he wants to go to the bar for a few drinks. He agrees but not before giving Olivia another wink. Our relationship has always felt like we were more like brothers than just friends, but right now I want to punch him for even looking in Olivia’s direction. I have never been one to “claim” a woman, but I feel like I need to make sure that no man goes by her. Maybe I feel protected of her since she has been nice to my mom. Who am I kidding? There is an attraction there. I feel something for her, but I’m not too sure what it is. I’m drawn to her in a way I’ve never been drawn to anyone.
I motion for the bartender for two beers as we take our seats at the bar.
Matthew laughs and turns his head at me. “Did you bang her?” He f
lat out ask. Back in LA, this is how we normally talk. We share our stories of the women we sleep with. We never hold back. We are just two guys having a regular conversation about women. Olivia isn’t like them. She’s different.
The bartender hands me my drink. “No. It isn’t like that, dude.”
This time he chuckles. “She’s a woman and you are Luke fucking Stewart. It’s pretty simple.” He tells me. “It was never a problem before.”
“She’s my mom’s caretaker. She lives at the house and she has a daughter!” I say, telling him all the reasons why I won’t hook up with her.
“And you are going back to LA soon so what’s the problem? Don’t lie to me, bro.”
“I have Erika.”
“Worst excuse ever!” He says, playfully hitting my shoulder.
He knows everything including the fact that we aren’t really a couple anymore. We have sex whenever we want and, sometimes we sleep in the same bed at night, but we don’t go out to romantic restaurants or have movie dates. We don’t hold hands unless we see the cameras following us then we put on a show for the world to see.
“Dude, I got a lot of shit going on. I have two movies that are going to be coming out in less than a year. I have an appearance on a television show. Not including several interviews that are lined up. I don’t have time to pursue any woman right now.”
“You can have both, you know? Plus, I wasn’t talking about having a relationship with Olivia. I meant a hookup before you go back to LA. I’m sure she would be willing to sleep with you since you are a celebrity.”
I usually don’t care about a woman’s state of mind when it comes to getting what I want out of them. Not Olivia. The woman is a widow. I bet she hasn’t been with another man since her husband died, and I’m not going to be her first. Judging by the way she only dated one man since high school, I’m guessing she is the commitment kind of woman. The respectable one that doesn’t have one night stands. She wants a boyfriend who will eventually become her husband one day. Most single moms are like that from what I have heard. I’m not the one who cares to put a ring on it or be a father to another man’s kid.
We spend the next few hours drinking beer after beer while playing darts. We don’t talk about our movies or Hollywood. We just relax and have fun like we used to when we were growing up. It’s hard for us to meet these days. One of us is always somewhere far away in a different state filming. Our houses are less than ten minutes from each other and we can’t even meet up for fucking coffee anymore. Sometimes I hate having a busy schedule. There aren’t many off days when you are an actor including the holidays. Before I came here, the last time I went a whole day without working was almost a year ago.
Matthew and I exchange a goodbye as I step out of the vehicle. I watch until his car makes a left turn and is no longer in my sight before turning around to head inside. Mom’s light is already off so I know she is sleeping.
I quietly close the door, not wanting to wake her up. The lights are off in the living room. I figured Olivia was probably asleep until I see the sliding door is opened. I walk out to see Olivia sitting outside on the deck. She got a blanket wrapped around her as she stares into the darkness of the yard.
“I thought you would be in bed by now,” I say, joining her at the table.
“I couldn’t sleep so I came out here for a while. It’s peaceful.” She says with her eyes closed. “How did it go with your friend today? Did you guys have fun?”
“It was okay. We were at the bar and had some drinks.”
“He seemed nice.” She says, opening her eyes to look at me.
I nod. “He is,” I say as I find myself staring back at her. Olivia has been on my mind all day. I got jealous when I saw Matthew talking to her. We aren’t together. I have to remind myself that she is my mother’s caretaker. She isn’t some girl who I am going to have a one night stand with. “Can I ask you something?”
She sits up in her chair and looks at me. “Only if you let me ask you something after your question.” She says with a smile.
Fair enough. “What happened to your husband?” She doesn’t have to tell me if she doesn’t want to. I have been curious since Ben said he died and he was in the military, but how?
She lets out a deep breath before speaking. “Ethan enlisted in the army shortly after high school, not long after we got married. It was his dream. He used to talk about it all the time. He and his guys were stationed in Iraq for two months when they were ambushed. They never stood a chance. I could never forget the day when I found out about his death. I walked past the living room window in our house. A car pulled up and I saw them walking to the front door. I knew by the look on their faces what happened.” She quickly blinks away the tears.
“I’m sorry,” I say, feeling bad for both of them. They were young and had their whole future in front of them.
“Thanks.” We sit in silence for a few seconds. I feel like I ruined our talk by bringing up her husband. After a minute, she turns to face me. “It’s my turn to ask you a question.”
I know what she is going to ask. She wants to know why I didn’t come back after Dad died. “What’s your question?” I ask, preparing myself to answer the question.
She tilts her head sideways at me. “Is it true what people say about celebrities in Hollywood? Are they really as fake as they seem?” She asks with a giggle.
I wasn’t expecting her to ask me that. I laugh. “It is. I never met anyone who wasn’t fake. They act like their lives are perfect twenty-four hours a day. The women are the worst. I once was on a date with an actress who said she had a real tan. Halfway through dinner her fake tan started to melt off her skin.”
Olivia covers her mouth with her hand as she laughs. “No way!”
“Yeah, after that I only took her to places that had air conditioning so her tan wouldn’t melt.”
“Stop it!” She says, holding her stomach as she continues to laugh.
I watch her as she wipes the tears from her eyes. She doesn’t have a drop of makeup on and yet here she is, looking flawless under the stars.
“Did Mom tell you about my first commercial?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t believe so. How old were you?”
I close one eye trying to remember. “I believe I was seven.” I tell her as I pull my phone out and type “Luke Stewart cereal commercial.” It pops up immediately. How embarrassing! I hand over my phone to her to see.
Her eyes go from the phone screen to me back to the phone screen.
“My favorite part of the morning is having Sappy Cereal. It’s good nutrition and full of energy.” I say, quoting my seven-year old self.
This time she is cracking up. “You were adorable, but your acting sucked!”
I laugh. “That’s why my parents let me take acting classes when I was a teenager.”
“If I were you, I would find every site that has the commercial and make them take it down.”
“Come on, Olivia. You’re hurting my ego here.” I tease.
“I’m sorry. Don’t listen to me. I need people to keep the video on the internet so I can get a good laugh here and there.”
I take my phone back out of her hand. “That’s enough.”
“At least the video will stay in my head for now on. Every time I need a good laugh, I’ll remember that commercial.”
“You are going to torture me about the commercial now, aren’t you?”
“I would rather be known for a silly commercial than being called an evil bitch.” She says, looking at me.
I’m going to kill Matthew for telling her that I called her that. I rub the back of my neck. “I’m sorry. I was upset, thinking you were a con artist who was plotting against my mom for money.”
“Now you don’t?”
“No. I think you are legit. I see you with her and how she communicates with you. She trusts you and I believe in her judgment even if she is sick. There has to be a reason she picked you in the first place.”
She smiles at me. “Thank you.”
The way she smiles at me makes me think about what Matthew said earlier about a hook up before I head back to LA. I quickly shut the thought out. There is no way it would work given the circumstances. She's working for Mom. Even if we were to have sex, I couldn’t avoid her like I do with the one night stands. I would have to face her every time I come to see Mom. It wouldn’t be fair to her.
“You said I had it all, I don’t. I fuck up quite a bit. The only thing that is different between me and you is that I know how to pay people off.”
She stares at me with a smirk. “And here you were thinking I was the shady one?”
“You are right. Living in Hollywood, I learned how to play a role and I never stopped. I’m this good looking guy who has everything including the hottest model on the planet. I was drawn to the attention since Dad first showed me what Hollywood life was like when you have many fans. He didn’t try to show me the greedy side. He wanted me to stay true to who I was like he did. Dad never got bad publicity. His name wasn’t dragged through the mud. He loved my mom and never cheated. Last year I got arrested for a DUI. I spent the night in jail. My lawyer told me to pay them off and no one will find out the truth, so I did.”
Following a few seconds of silence, Olivia finally speaks. “There is a part of me that actually feels bad for you.” She says to my surprise.
“Why?”
“Because you don’t know what you’re missing. Your life is in Hollywood. You aren’t enjoying the peaceful life. It’s nice to be able to sit back and enjoy nights like this when you can hear the crickets.”
“The crazy lifestyle I live is all I know.” Normally a night like this, I would find to be boring. No excitement, no partying going on, but here I’m enjoying this moment sitting outside, talking to Olivia.
Chapter Thirteen
Luke
“What are you writing over there?” Olivia asks as we are all sitting around watching television. I have learned that Mom loves watching game shows. They are her favorite. It has become a routine for us to watch them together. I don’t mind it as long as she’s enjoying her time. I pretend not to be able to solve the puzzle just so she can. She gets happy when she figures them out before we do.
