Starring You and Me

by Susan Coventry

  Starring You and Me

  A Novel

  Susan Coventry

  Text copyright © 2016 Susan Coventry

  All Rights Reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design: Woodchuck Arts

  Edited by: FirstEditing.com

  To my sisters for listening to my made up stories when we were kids.

  Table of Contents:

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49 - Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  It was one of those crisp days near the end of summer with a hint of fall in the air, typical of August in mid-Michigan. Nikki opened the door of her office while trying to balance her purse, her coffee cup, and the latest files she was working on. Rosa, her secretary, stood up to greet her, as she did every weekday morning.

  “It’s ok, Rosa, I’ve got it,” Nikki said with a wide smile. “What’s going on this morning?”

  “Well,” Rosa began, eager to bring her up to date on the morning news. “Did you read the Eccentric this morning?”

  “No, I didn’t have time. I had to review the purchase agreement for the McKinley meeting today.” Nikki set her things down with a sigh of relief.

  “I read something that I think you’ll find very interesting.” Rosa was obviously brimming with excitement. “You know how Michigan’s been trying to lure movie-makers here to help boost the economy?”

  Of course Nikki was aware of the economic status, especially since it had a direct impact on her business. Being a real estate broker was difficult enough during good times, but it had been particularly trying over the past few years. Her business had been able to stay afloat due to referrals and due to the fact that she was so well-respected in the community. Many of her competitors hadn’t been so lucky. She thanked God every day for keeping her in business.

  “Yes, go on,” replied Nikki. Rosa could be long-winded sometimes, and as much as Nikki adored her, she was anxious to get to work.

  “Well, it looks like Clarkston’s going to be the setting for a new movie, and you won’t believe who’s starring in it.”

  Nikki prided herself on being too busy to keep up with such trivia as who the hot actors and actresses were and which movies were coming out. She rarely went to the movie theater, preferring to read books instead. “Who?” she asked, trying to mask her boredom with the conversation.

  “Nate Collins,” Rosa replied excitedly, waiting for Nikki’s reaction. Nikki recognized the name, but she obviously didn’t respond the way Rosa expected her to.

  “The name sounds familiar, but which movies has he been in?” At this point, it was all Nikki could do to remain patient. She had a lot of work to accomplish before the McKinleys were due to arrive.

  “Oh, he’s been in quite a few. Let’s see…” Just then, the phone rang, and Rosa returned to the reception desk to answer it.

  Finally, Nikki thought to herself, now I can get some work done. Nikki Branson had been a real estate agent for five years before becoming the broker of her own office. She loved her job and devoted most of her time and energy to it. She was one of the top three brokers in the area, and she was well-known in the community of Clarkston, where she had lived all of her thirty-two years. Her family, which included her parents, older brother, sister-in-law, and an adorable five-year-old niece, all lived within ten miles of her. Between her business, her family, and her cuddly cocker-spaniel, Bentley, Nikki had everything she needed. Although her friends and family needled her about not having a man in her life, Nikki felt perfectly content without one. It was a nice, quiet life, and that was just the way she liked it.

  The day raced by, and Nikki was just about to leave when the phone rang. “Yes, she’s still here,” she heard Rosa say to the caller. “One moment please.” She lowered the phone and called out, “Nikki, its Chad Johnson from the Chamber of Commerce.”

  “Ok, send him through.” Chad had been trying to get Nikki to go out with him for over a year. While she admired his tenacity, she had hoped he’d given up by now. “Hello, Chad, “she said, adopting her professional voice.

  “Hey, Nik, how’s it going?”

  She cringed at Chad’s use of her shortened name; something about the way he said it irked her. “Very well. What can I do for you?” She wished she’d left a few minutes earlier, but it was too late now.

  “I just wanted to let you know about a potential client headed your way. I think this could be very lucrative for you.” The one good thing about Chad’s obsession with her was that it usually led to more business.

  “Ok, you have my attention. Who is it?”

  “You’ve probably heard by now about the movie that’s going to be filmed in town. Anyway, one of the star’s agents’ called the Chamber today and asked for the name of Clarkston’s top real estate broker. Naturally, I gave him your name.” Chad sounded quite pleased with himself, which wasn’t lost on Nikki. “The actors and crew members are all going to need places to stay while they’re filming, and they could be here for several months. The agent said they’re interested in rental properties within ten miles of town. I told the guy you’d be the best one for the job.”

  As Nikki thought about the number of people who might need places to stay, she sat up a little straighter at her desk. “What’s the contact’s name and number?“

  “His name is Ron Schmidt, and he represents Nate Collins, but he didn’t leave a phone number. He said he’ll contact you tomorrow.”

  There’s that name again; sounds like Mr. Collins has everyone at his command, including Rosa, whom he doesn’t even know! “Ok, fine,” Nikki said. “Thanks for giving him my name.”

  “No problem. What are friends for?” Chad wasn’t exactly what she would call a friend, but it sounded innocent enough. “Oh, also, I have tickets to next week’s Tiger game if you’re interested.” There it was, just when she thought he had given up.

  “Sorry, Chad. I’m booked up next week. Thanks for the invite though.” Sadly, it was getting easier and easier to let him down.

  “Oh, well, you can’t blame a guy for trying.” He sounded resigned, as if he had expected the rejection. “Maybe some other time.”

  “Have a good evening,” she replied, feeling a slight twinge of guilt as she ended the conversation.

&n
bsp; Nikki straightened the files on her desk, gathered her purse and jacket, and headed out of her office. She was surprised to see that Rosa was still at her desk even though it was after five o’clock. Rosa had a wonderful husband, Jim, waiting for her at home and two adult children who were married with kids of their own. She was the best receptionist Nikki had ever had, but she usually left promptly at five so she could be home to make dinner for her husband.

  “Did that call from Chad have anything to do with the movie that’s being filmed here?” Rosa asked. She’d obviously overheard bits of the conversation.

  “As a matter of fact, it did,” Nikki answered, realizing that this was probably a bigger deal than she’d originally thought. “Chad said that some of the film’s stars and crew members will need places to stay, and he thought I might be able to help them.”

  Rosa grinned widely. “That’s great! I mean, great for business, that is.”

  “Rosa, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you have a crush on this Nate Collins.”

  Rosa chuckled. “He’s too young for me, honey, but he’s the perfect age for you.”

  “I highly doubt that a movie star of that magnitude is going to fall for a local real estate broker. That sounds like the stuff of a silly romance novel, not that I read any of those.”

  “Think what you will.” Rosa smiled enjoying their banter. “But you never know. A young, handsome, single man comes to a small town and discovers a beautiful, intelligent, single woman. The next thing you know, you’re Mrs. Nate Collins.”

  “Ok, Rosa, this was fun for a little while, but now it’s back to reality. You need to go home to Jim, and I need to go home to my cuddly, loyal dog and rest up for tomorrow. We need to search for some rental properties for these ‘celebrities’ so we’re prepared when they call.”

  “Yes, boss,” Rosa said. “I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.”

  During the ten-minute drive from her office to her home, Nikki thought about her conversation with Rosa. Why was it that a beautiful, successful woman (as Rosa described her) had so much trouble in the love department? She knew deep in her heart what the answer was. When Nikki was a senior in college, she fell hard for a fellow student in her American Literature class. His name was John Smith (no kidding), and they became close when they worked on a group project together. Their assignment was to write a paper discussing the primary themes of the novel Madame Bovary. During the project, they met several times after class in the student lounge or sometimes at a local coffee shop to discuss the book and write the essay. Nikki was attracted to John right away, but as she spent more time with him, she discovered many other desirable attributes. He had a great sense of humor, he was charming and attentive, and they shared common interests. Toward the end of the project, John told Nikki that he was attracted to her and asked her out on an official date. For the next two years, they were practically inseparable. After graduation, John took a job as an editor of a local newspaper with ambitions of becoming a feature writer someday. Nikki was still searching for her path in life and had settled for a job as a sales assistant at an insurance firm. Their relationship was sailing along, and Nikki was content, until…

  One day after work, John asked her to meet him at a diner in Rochester, not far from the college. Nikki was slightly surprised that he’d asked her to meet him rather than pick her up, but she didn’t question it. She went home from work, changed into jeans and a blue crewneck sweater, and headed to the restaurant. It was a pleasant spring day, the sun was shining, and it was warm enough to roll the windows down, a welcome relief after the harsh winter they’d had. Nikki pulled into the parking lot, spotted John’s car, and felt a sense of happiness wash over her. He had that effect on her even after all this time; she wondered if that would always be the case. She grabbed her purse from the passenger seat and hurried into the restaurant. John was sitting in a corner booth sipping a cup of coffee and looking somewhat uneasy. He shifted in his seat and sat up straighter as she approached the table.

  “Hey Nik.” He greeted her without rising. She leaned over and kissed his cheek and then slid into the booth across from him.

  “Hi, sorry I’m a few minutes late. How was your day?” Just by looking at John, she could tell something was wrong. He looked tired, and he hadn’t shaved, which was a rare occurrence on a work day.

  “Not so good.” He avoided her gaze. “Look, Nik, I need to tell you something, and you’re probably not going to like it, but I need you to hear me out.”

  Nikki felt a stab of fear in her gut. Whatever it was, she knew it had to do with them. She could just feel it in her bones. “What is it?” she asked, her voice wavering a little.

  “Remember a few weeks ago, when I went to that writer’s seminar in Chicago?”

  Of course she remembered it. They had talked about the possibility of her joining him, but she was really busy at work that week, so she stayed behind. It was the first time they had been apart for any length of time, and she had missed him terribly.

  “Yes, what about it?”

  “Well, while I was there, I ran into an old friend from high school, a girl I used to know named Lisa.”

  Nikki felt the ire rise up inside her, and her face flushed a bright red. “And…” she said anticipating his next words but waiting for him to continue.

  “We hooked up,” John admitted, looking forlornly down at the table. “I regret it now, but it happened, and I felt like I had to tell you.”

  “Hooked up? What exactly do you mean by that?” she asked through clenched teeth.

  “We had sex.” There, he’d said it. It was as simple and as complicated as that. Nikki’s world crumbled around her, and several emotions flooded her at once.

  “I feel horrible about what happened, but I realized that it’s probably a sign.”

  “A sign, what kind of sign?” she practically hissed at him.

  “A sign that something is wrong with us. If we were really meant to be, why did I do that? I’ve been asking myself that question ever since I got back from Chicago.”

  Nikki cleared her throat loudly. “Yes, you’re right, there is something wrong. But it’s not with us, it’s with you. You couldn’t keep your pants zipped the very first time we were apart, that’s what’s wrong. It’s not us,” she repeated, her voice dripping with anger.

  “I don’t want to argue with you, Nik. I wanted to tell you so you would understand why I’m breaking up with you.”

  Nikki felt like she was playing the starring role in a horrible nightmare. She didn’t know whether to scream, cry, or just get up and walk out. She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to stay steady on her feet, so she opted for controlled yelling.

  “You are an arrogant, egotistical, lying, cheating, son of a bitch.” She leaned across the table to get right in his face. “Never come near me again, do you hear me? Never again.” With that, she stood up, turned her back on him, and stormed out of the restaurant. And she never looked back, unless, of course, something sparked a memory of that hideous day. Nikki angrily swatted her tears away as she drove back to her apartment, pounding her hand against the steering wheel so hard that it still hurt the next day. When Nikki got home, she blew her nose, wiped her tears, and swore to herself that she would never fall in love again, and so far, she had kept that promise. Love was for the rest of the world, but not for her. Sure, she’d dated a few men over the years, but if they’d tried to get serious, she’d ended it. Nikki didn’t need a man in her life to be happy, and after telling herself that over and over again, she had almost come to believe it.

  Chapter 2

  That evening, Nikki fixed herself a light dinner of grilled chicken breast and salad. Afterward, she cleaned up, fed Bentley, and settled into her favorite reading chair with her new historical fiction novel. After ten minutes of reading the same sentence over and over, she slammed the book down in frustration. Dredging up old memories of her and John had made it impossible for her to concentrate. Whenever Nikki wa
s in a funk, work was the solace she turned to, so she decided to do some research on her new potential client.

  She brought out her tablet and typed the name Nate Collins into the search engine. Several entries came up, but she chose what looked to be the most sensible: Wikipedia. Nikki skimmed through the entry, noting that Nate was thirty years old (two years younger than she) and had been born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Apparently, his parents still lived there, and he also had two older brothers. Nate had studied theater in college and had begun his career by appearing in local theater productions, blah, blah, blah. Nikki quickly grew bored with the details and went back to the page with other search options, choosing the one titled “images of Nate Collins.” Whoa! This page was much more enticing than the Wikipedia entry! Nate was undeniably gorgeous! As she scrolled down the page, his hazel eyes stared back at her with an intensity that drew her in. He was ruggedly handsome, but his warm smile made him appear almost boyish, approachable. His golden brown hair was thick, full, and somewhat messy, and in many of the photos, he sported a light smattering of facial hair. She perused many candid photos of Nate participating in various sports: volleyball on a beach, bare-chested in striped board shorts, tossing a football in a park with someone who resembled him (a brother perhaps), and jogging on a city sidewalk with a ball cap and sunglasses on (incognito?). The guy was obviously in great shape, probably because of his job, but maybe for himself too.

  Nikki continued to scroll through the photos until she came to the ones with all the women; evidently Nate was romantically linked to just about every woman he’d co-starred with. Here he was cozied up next to someone in a bar, but the woman’s face was blurry, so it was unclear who she was. There he was holding hands and walking into a restaurant with the lead actress in his most recent film, both grinning widely at the camera. Had he done that on purpose? Was it just for publicity, or did the woman mean something to him? Nikki studied Nate’s face for clues but finally gave up after an hour. She chastised herself for falling into the same trap as Rosa and millions of other celebrity worshippers out there. There was no way to really know someone by watching their movies, reading about them, or studying their photos. The idea was ridiculous, which was why she didn’t usually partake in such activities! The man was simply a human being, albeit an extremely good-looking one, but a human being all the same. He didn’t deserve to be worshipped for his name alone, and Nikki refused to get caught up in the hype. Chances are she wouldn’t even meet the man; any business transaction would most likely be handled by his agent. If, for some reason, she did have the opportunity to meet Nate, she would treat him just like the rest of her clients, with polite professionalism! On that note, she shut down her tablet and went off to bed.