“Oh, joy!”
“Isaac is a good guy. He built my career from nothing. He works hard.”
“I thought you were the one standing in the ice-cold fake rain for five days to get ten minutes of Demigod Forbidden footage last fall?”
He smiled his crooked smile and added, “He’s a great negotiator. Trust me. He earns his money. He and Remi have kept me on the right track for five years. He got us backdoor rights on The Demigod, and that’s unheard of in the industry for an unknown actor. He’s worth his weight in gold.” He stretched his arm around her shoulder, and Sarah could tell his mood shifted slightly. “I just want to keep you safe. I’m not asking much.”
“OK…Raul and I will go shopping,” she said comically in a Valley voice.
Chapter Fourteen
Jonathan
“EVERYTHING IS READY for Sarah’s surprise, right?” Jon asked as he and Leslie left the restaurant after lunch with Isaac and headed to his car. Leslie pointed out the guy in a hoodie lurking by the curb near the valet desk, and they held silent. Jon handed a generous tip to the driver and climbed into the car.
As she buckled her seatbelt, Leslie stated, “The furniture came last week. The fridge is stocked. Everything is ready, and she’s going to love it. What girl wouldn’t die to get a house for her college graduation?”
“Are you sure it’s not a dump?” He started the engine and turned down the radio. There’s got to be something wrong with it. A million five can barely buy a guesthouse here. The neighborhood looked OK?”
“You saw the video I took. It’s gorgeous. Houses are just cheaper there. All the inspections came out perfect. It’s almost identical to that one she loved in Calabasas, and it’s only about a thousand square feet smaller. She’s going to flip out when she sees it.”
“The security is all set up?”
“It came with the house. I don’t think you can even see the house from the road. It’s completely gated, like Fort Knox.” She paused as she studied his face. “Did you tell Sarah about the stalker yet?”
Jon closed his eyes as he shook his head. He’d been meaning to tell Sarah. He had. He just hadn’t found the right moment. He knew that after he told her, she would wish he hadn’t. That was what Mia had said anyway. And she was probably right. Mia had dealt with her share of stalkers. The last one was some college dropout who began showing up at every event Mia was scheduled to attend. The stalker was so adamant that he convinced a security guard to let him into a private party where he continued to pretend he was Mia’s date. When she confronted him, he acted as if she was the one who was crazy. She filed a restraining order against him, but it didn’t seem to stop him from showing his face in the periphery every once in a while.
Jon’s stalkers, like Mia’s, had always been crazed fans. They fantasized about relationships or hookups. No one had ever wanted to hurt him before. And the last letter had mentioned Sarah. He would die if anything ever happened to her. The stalker could be anywhere, and Jon needed to make sure she was safe wherever she went. Sam would make sure the house’s security was stringent, but not until they arrived. “You showed Sam the video of the security room?”
“Yes. He said it was first-rate. He’s already got it interfacing with the computer system here.”
“Good.” Maybe he could keep Sarah innocent about the stalker a little longer. He wouldn’t have to tell her until after they got back home from Cannes. She could enjoy her graduation unspoiled by the threats. The new house would give them a place to hide close to Sarah’s parents.
Her parents knew about the house. Sarah’s mom was the one who told him about the property. The six thousand square foot house, nestled in the middle of a thirty-acre wooded lot had sat empty for two years. Built by some corporate CEO and abandoned before it was ever used, the house had all kinds of amenities that he and Sarah had talked about—a pool, a media room, an exercise room, plenty of bedrooms, and a big chef’s kitchen. Those were all the amenities they searched for in the LA area. The only amenity they hadn’t discussed was being close to her parents. Owning a house twenty minutes from them didn’t mean that they would be raising their children in Minnesota, and Jon had tried to stress that point with Sarah’s folks. But they probably heard what they wanted to hear, because they seemed a lot more accepting of Jon after the purchase was made.
He and Sarah would still need a house in LA, but this house gave them options, and it was so cheap he couldn’t pass it up. Nondisclosure agreements had been signed by all parties involved with the sale and set up of the house, except Sarah’s parents of course, but they promised to keep quiet about it. Jon had talked to Sarah’s father, David, a few days ago, and he had assured him that no one in the family besides he and Kate, Sarah’s mother, knew about the house. They had gone and looked at the property while Leslie was in town and absolutely loved it.
Jon was excited to finally have their approval about something, anything. Sarah’s parents hadn’t been thrilled when Sarah agreed to move to LA with him after the engagement, and they had been pretty vocal about how selfish they thought he was for asking Sarah to do so. It was selfish of him, and he knew it. He didn’t mean to steal their daughter, and Jon understood why they were angry. It was a loss to them seeing their only daughter moving across the country. Loss, he understood. Sarah had been furious at them for their reaction at first, but he recognized their thinking and couldn’t be angry at them. He had learned the stages quickly after Jack’s accident and waited as they made their way through their loss. He knew it was time to make amends with them, and the house was part of that amends. It was mostly for Sarah and Jon, but a tiny bit of the purchase was to help heal the relationship with Sarah’s parents.
The plan was for Jon and Sarah to spend one night at her parent’s house. Then the next day they would go for a drive and stumble upon the property by accident. Sam would punch in the code at the gate while Jon distracted Sarah, and they would pull up at the new house. Jon would make a big deal about asking the owners if they were willing to sell. He would ring the doorbell over and over, convincing Sarah that he was going to buy it for her. Once Sarah was completely mortified by Jon’s actions, he would hand her the key and congratulate her on completing her degree. It would be before her actual graduation. But since they had to leave for France shortly after the ceremony, it would have to be early.
Sarah
Sarah couldn’t wait to get back to Minnesota. There was something about the place she grew up that would always be home. Besides, her mom and dad seemed to be coming to terms with her decision to leave school and live with Jonathan in California. They had stopped nagging her about it anyway. Her dad hadn’t even mentioned school the last time she talked to him. She would be seeing them tomorrow, but today she needed to make sure her parents had gotten the e-mail she sent them with her and Jon’s itinerary. She wanted to be able to spend as much time as she could with her family and friends, but her mom seemed to be scheduling get-togethers without telling her about them. Jeff had sent her a warning text about it. Sarah pulled out her phone and dialed her mother’s cell.
“Hi, sweetie. Is Jon treating you right?”
“Of course.” She lay down on the bed next to her open suitcase, which was almost packed. “I just wanted to let you know I e-mailed the final flight information to you. You don’t mind picking us up at the airport?”
“No. We can’t wait to see you. You’ve been away so long.”
“It’s just so much easier and quicker for you to get us than waiting for a car. Are you sure it won’t be too much trouble for us to stay at the house?”
“No trouble at all, honey.”
“Sam will be with us, too.”
“I know. Your father was going to make Jonathan stay in Jeff’s room so Sam could have the guest room, but I convinced him he was being ridiculous. ‘Not under my roof,’” she said, capturing the essence of Sarah’s father’s voice. “He knows you don’t have separate bedrooms in Los Angeles. Anyway, it took so
me convincing, but he came around. You and Jon will be in your old room, and Sam will be in the guest room.”
“Thanks, Mom. I’m glad you understand. Jeff said you had planned a graduation party with all the aunts and uncles. You know we are leaving the day of graduation, right?”
“Yes. I got your e-mail. I was planning the party for the Sunday before.”
“OK. Is there anything else happening at home?” Sarah wanted to know if Jeff had proposed to Jessica yet. Jessica thought he was going to propose over the weekend, but she hadn’t mentioned it again, and Sarah was afraid to ask her. She thought about asking Jeff, but her mom would know.
“The studio has been crazy busy. We’re booked out into the fall already. It seems like every weekend is packed through the summer. I don’t know when your father and I will make it up to the lake this year.”
Sarah sat up on the bed and started fiddling with the contents in her suitcase. “The dock is in, right?” She and Jon planned on trying to recreate last summer’s getaway at the cabin while they were home, and she didn’t want to have everyone up at the same time to put the dock and boatlift in the water.
“Jeff and your dad got it in a couple of weeks ago. If you and Jon want to use it while you’re here, it’s ready.”
“We’re planning on it. I miss you guys so much. Is there any good news you haven’t told me?”
“I don’t know if I would call it good news, but Hilary Anderson is pregnant again. It won’t interfere with your wedding, though. She’s not due until November. Your father says she wants to take three months off from the clinic again, so the holidays may be a bit hectic. Your father will be putting in all kinds of hours.”
“It seems like Dr. Anderson just had a baby.”
“She must want them spaced close together. Her daughter is a year old already,” said her mom.
It wasn’t exactly what Sarah wanted to talk about, but she thought it could be useful. “Mom, how would you feel if Jon and I had a baby?”
“Oh, Sarah. You’re not pregnant, are you?”
Sarah couldn’t tell if her mom was excited or disappointed. “No. I’m not pregnant.”
“Oh thank god. They keep coming out with the breaking news of your pregnancy in the tabloids, so I’ve been waiting to see if it was true.”
“You should know me better than that, and why didn’t you just ask me?”
“I know how much you hate the tabloids. I didn’t want to admit I was buying them.”
“You can look at the rags, just don’t believe them. So…what would you think if we had kids right away?”
“How do you feel about it, Sarah? You sound apprehensive.”
“I don’t know. Jon wants kids, like yesterday. He wants to be a young dad.”
“Well, don’t let him bully you into doing something you’re not ready for. You shouldn’t have a baby until you are ready. You have enough issues adjusting to Hollywood, and having a new marriage will be hard enough. You don’t need to add more stress to the equation.”
“He’s not bullying me. I just know what he wants, and I don’t know what I want.”
“I don’t think you should start a new marriage with the stress of a pregnancy, honey. You think he’s overprotective of you now? Just wait until you’re carrying his child. You’ll have a bodyguard with you whenever you leave the house.”
Sarah didn’t have the strength to tell her mom that was already happening, so she stayed silent. How much more restrictive would her life become? She hadn’t thought of that.
“And who’s going to take care of the child while he’s off traveling the world filming and promoting his movies? You. You’re the one who will be stuck at home. You can’t drag a child around the world with you.”
“I know actors that do, Mom. There are tons of them.”
“Well…It’s not good for them. Children need consistency. They need to know what to expect when they wake up in the morning. I think you need to take some time to be a couple before you add a child into the mix. You’re still young. You have another fifteen years to have kids. You shouldn’t rush into anything.”
“I don’t know what I want. I know I want kids, but I never thought I would be having them before I turned twenty-five. I mean, I was planning on going to grad school. I never thought I wouldn’t have to go, but now I’m just confused about what to do.”
“You can still go to grad school. They have schools in California.”
“I know, but I’m not sure that’s what I want to do anymore. There are so many opportunities that weren’t there a year ago. I never thought I could write a screenplay. I really enjoyed it. I can write whatever I want. There are endless possibilities. And after I’ve chucked out a few scripts, maybe one will be good enough to make into a movie. I hated the internship at the web magazine last summer. There is no follow-through with a job like that, no plot. I wasn’t allowed to be creative. If I’m working from home, it makes sense to start our family. But how do I know if I’m ready?”
“You’re never ready until it happens, but I think you should wait, Sarah. It’s your body. You’re the one that decides when to have children. Jon doesn’t get to make this decision.”
“We’re going to make the decision together, Mom.”
“Don’t let him pressure you into doing something you’re not ready for.”
“You just said I’ll never be ready until it happens.”
“Just weigh your options. I’m going to make an appointment with Dr. Johana for you when you’re home. I’m sure she’ll get you in. I just did a complete layout for her high school senior. Most people schedule portraits in the fall and she needed a rush job before graduation. She owes me. You can talk to her, and she can tell you what your choices are, OK?”
“OK. Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow. Mom?” She had almost forgotten.
“Yes.”
“Did Jeff propose yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Thanks. I just had to know. Bye.”
Sarah ended the call frustrated with her brother’s lack of initiative, excited about using the cabin, and a little relieved about the doctor’s appointment. It would be good to see a doctor. Jon probably was sick of using condoms. And she would definitely feel better about getting pregnant if she knew her body was working properly. Her mom was right. She needed to know all her options.
Chapter Fifteen
Jonathan
JONATHAN’S JAW TWITCHED. The thought of going to the airport tensed his whole body. It was hard to avoid the paparazzi at LAX, and with someone feeding them his schedule, he was sure the press would be waiting for them. He knew it was time they stopped flying on commercial flights, but flying privately made him feel like a sellout. He flew in chartered jets all the time. They would be taking one to Cannes, but when it was just Sarah and him, it seemed wasteful to take up an entire plane.
The paparazzi weren’t the only problem with going to LAX. The stalker was still out there and a bigger threat than any guy with a camera. Jon knew they needed to be extra vigilant in such a chaotic place as the airport, especially since he had no idea who the stalker was.
He loaded the bags into the back of Leslie’s car and headed back into the house. All they were waiting for was Sarah. She had been bouncing around the house all morning, and he could tell she was excited. She hadn’t been home since December, and he knew she missed her parents. Sarah’s parent’s house would surely be stalked. The fans had been outside the house a couple of times when it was rumored he was in town. That was why Sarah’s graduation present was so perfect.
He grinned at Sarah as she came down the stairs. She had her carry-on bag draped over her shoulder and her phone in her hand. The earbuds were already plugged in, staged to ignore the paparazzi. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail on the back of her head. She had on jeans, and one of his vintage T-shirts tied at her waist with a lavender-colored hoodie. She looked so relaxed compared to how he was feeling. She was glowing. “You ready?” he asked.<
br />
“I can’t wait. My mom is making lasagna for dinner. She knows how much you love it,” she announced with a huge grin.
“That sounds great,” he smiled at her enthusiasm. He wasn’t going to crush her good mood by reminding her about their problems, so he did his best to suppress his nerves. He hadn’t told her about the stalker yet. And, honestly, part of him didn’t want to tell her. It was like telling her about Santa Claus. Once it was shared, innocence was lost. She would never be able to walk into a crowd without fear. He poked his head around the corner into the kitchen. “We’re ready in here. Should we head out?” he asked, making eye contact with Sam. Sam returned a skeptical look. “She’s got her music ready. What more can we do?” questioned Jon.
Sarah called from the living room, “I’m not wearing my earbuds at the airport. It’s for the plane. I want to hear what those idiots have to say. I’m so over being afraid of them.”
Facing Sam and Leslie, Jon silently mouthed a curse word. He didn’t want Sarah to know he was struggling with this. He didn’t want her to deal with the paparazzi at all. He looked over his shoulder at Sarah. Her expression was resolute. “Let’s go,” he announced with a glance back at Sam. Then they piled into the car—Sam and Leslie in the front, and Sarah and Jon in the backseat.
Jon didn’t mention the paparazzi the entire ride until they approached the loading zone at the airport, where ten to fifteen stood watching, expecting, on the sidewalk. “Well, the welcome party is here, right on time,” Jon said cynically.
Cameras perked as Sam and Jon popped out of the car before the car stopped. Sarah followed quickly. They didn’t want to give the vultures time to react. Leslie had released the trunk before they reached the curb. She stayed in the car, while the other three grabbed luggage and headed for the baggage check-in. The flashes exploded—click, click, click, click, click, click, click, and they didn’t stop. Jon glanced at Sam as the luggage handler slapped the long, thin tags around each bag’s handle. Large black letters publicized MSP on the labels as the handler stacked the luggage.
Between the Lies (Between the Raindrops #2) Page 14
