Love's Illusion

by Priya Grey

  He turns around and abruptly walks back to his group of friends.

  Selena and Matt exchange a shocked look.

  “What a little shit,” Matt mutters.

  Then they both chuckle.

  An hour later, when the birthday party finally ends, Matt loads Selena’s speakers into his car. She is once again grateful for his help. As they drive westbound along the 134, back toward Hollywood, Matt turns to her and says, “I never thought I’d have such a fun time at a kid’s birthday party.”

  Selena is surprised. “Really?” Then she admits, “I found it horrifying. If those kids are our future, we’re totally fucked.”

  “Yeah, I forgot about the kids,” Matt concedes. “There were a bunch of little assholes at that party,” he acknowledges.

  They share a laugh.

  “What I meant,” continues Matt, “Was that I enjoyed spending time with you. I think what you’re trying to do is really cool, pursuing a career as a DJ. Don’t give up on it, even when the times get tough.”

  Selena looks at him and nods. She appreciates the support. “I won’t,” she tells him. As she looks out the window, she realizes something, and turns back to Matt. “You know, I still don’t know what you do for a living. Except that you keep your own hours. Are you a trader?”

  Matt shakes his head.

  “Real estate agent?”

  Matt shakes his head again.

  “A movie producer?” Selena continues guessing.

  Again, Matt shakes his head.

  “Okay, I give up,” she declares.

  Matt looks away from the road and stares at her. He says with a smirk, “I’m a motivational speaker.”

  “Seriously?”

  Matt nods.

  “So, you’re like Tony Robbins?”

  “A better looking version of Tony Robbins, don’t you think?” he says with a chuckle.

  “That’s debatable,” says Selena playfully.

  Then she recognizes a song on the radio.

  “Oh, I love this song. Do you mind?”

  “Of course not.”

  Selena raises the volume and begins to sing-along to the song. As she loses herself in the music, Matt repeatedly glances at her. Although Selena is different from any other girl he’s been with, he can’t help but be smitten by her.

  An hour later, Matt pulls his car up to Selena’s house. He pops the trunk and carries the speakers to her front door. Selena opens the front door, and Matt places the speakers inside the foyer. Then they both step back outside and prepare to say goodbye.

  “Can I see you again?” he asks.

  “That depends.”

  “On?” Matt asks curiously.

  “If you change your party affiliation,” Selena replies with a coy smile.

  Matt shakes his head. “Not going to happen.”

  “That’s a shame,” Selena answers with a slight pout.

  As they stare at each other, Matt realizes there’s something different about Selena that he finds incredibly attractive. Maybe it’s the very fact that they are so different – politically, culturally. He decides he can’t let her get away that easily.

  “I think there’s something you don’t know about Republican men.”

  “What’s that?” Selena says with a suspicious look. She catches a glint in Matt’s eyes.

  “We’re great kissers,” he says as he leans in.

  Their lips meet, and they engage in a long, delicious kiss. Selena closes her eyes as she enjoys the warmth of Matt’s tongue inside her mouth. When she finally opens her eyes and looks at Matt, she has to acknowledge the truth.

  “You weren’t lying.”

  “And we’re even better in bed,” Matt boldly ventures.

  Although Selena likes Matt’s show of confidence, she never has sex on the first date – unless she’s drunk. “Well, I guess we’ll have to wait and see about that,” she tells him.

  “So, does that mean I can see you again?”

  Selena stares at him. She scans him from head to toe. Even though Matt is good looking, Selena recognizes she never would’ve clicked on his dating profile. They just seem so different. But she has to admit, tonight she found herself strangely at ease in his company.

  She nods. “Sure. Call me some time.”

  Matt smiles and walks back to his car.

  After watching Matt drive away, Selena closes the door to the house. She decides to leave her speakers in the foyer. One of her roommates can help her move them tomorrow. She walks into the living room and is surprised to see Juliette and Flo lying on the couch. Both of them look exhausted.

  Chapter 25

  “What happened to you two?” I hear Selena ask.

  I’m so tired from my work out that I can’t even raise my head. Thankfully, Juliette responds.

  “She just had another training session with Nash,” Juliette informs Selena, “And I just had the best virtual sex of my life.”

  Selena plops down, in between the two of us. I move my body to make room for her – every one of my muscles aching in the process.

  “Where were you?” I mumble.

  “I had to DJ a birthday party.”

  “How come you’re home so early? It’s only 9 pm,” asks Juliette.

  “It was for a ten-year-old.”

  “People hire a DJ for their ten-year-old kid’s birthday party?” I ask.

  “In LA they do,” Selena responds.

  I turn to look at her and Juliette. In the process, I feel muscles I didn’t even know I had – ache. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so sore in my life,” I admit to them.

  “Where’s Nash?” asks Selena.

  “He went for a night run,” I respond.

  “How’d you DJ with a broken arm?” asks Juliette.

  “The guy, whose car I crashed into, helped me out.”

  “That sounds like a movie,” I reply.

  “Yeah, or something straight out of a romance novel,” Selena admits sarcastically.

  Then I feel a wave of exhaustion hit me. There’s no way I can muster the energy to get up from the couch and walk to my bedroom. I don’t know how I’m going to make it through another workout session with Nash. This whole “getting into shape” thing is really hard work. “Guys, is it okay if I just sleep on this couch tonight?” I ask. “I don’t think I can move. I think Nash is trying to kill me.”

  “What’s he like, Flo?” asks Juliette with curiosity.

  “Nash?”

  Juliette nods.

  “I don’t know,” I respond with a slight shrug. “We’ve only done two sessions so far, and all he does is yell at me to work harder.”

  “He’s hot,” Selena chimes in.

  “Very attractive,” agrees Juliette. “But also a little bit of an asshole, am I right?”

  “Which only makes him hotter,” Selena adds.

  “He seems sad,” I admit to them.

  Selena looks at me and inquires, “How so?”

  “I just sense this sorrow from him,” I disclose. “Did he tell you anything about himself when he took the room?”

  “All I know is that he’s a trainer in LA and needed a place to stay for a couple of months. The guy at the gym he trains at, Kade, vouched for him. I did some googling before I rented the room to him. Nash used to play football in college, and he had an accident. From what I can tell, he hasn’t played football since.”

  “Really… football? He seems a bit bulky for a football player,” says Juliette.

  “Not European football,” says Selena. “American football.”

  “Ahh,” replies Juliette, grasping the difference. She leans toward me and whispers, “You need to get us more details, Flo.”

  “On Nash?”

  Juliette nods. “Yes. What happened to him after the accident? There’s more to Nash then just a sexy body and face. I can feel it, à mon avis.”

  I shrug and confess, “I don’t know if I can. He won’t let me speak during our training sessions. He’s ruthl
ess.”

  Selena and Juliette both laugh at my workout misfortune.

  Chapter 26

  Nash is on one of his night runs, his shirt off, sweat glistening from his body. He needs to figure out what he’s going to do with his life. And to do that, he needs to clear his head.

  His father is still relentlessly sending him texts, informing him that the tryout for the Buccaneers is still available, if Nash wants it. Nash hasn’t texted him back.

  After he finishes his run, Nash returns to the house. He removes a plate from the refrigerator and enjoys a meal of chicken piccata that he prepared earlier in the week. When he finishes eating, he steps into the living room and sees Flo passed out on the couch. Nash shakes his head and smirks to himself.

  He knows the first three weeks of his workout regimen are going to be tough on Flo. But Nash has witnessed first hand, how challenging yourself physically can lead to a transformation in every aspect of your life. And for this transformation to happen to Flo, she needs to be pushed to the limit, so she can realize everything she is capable of.

  Before retreating to his bedroom, Nash grabs a blanket nearby and drapes it over Flo’s body. She mumbles something in her sleep, as she pulls the blanket over her shoulder. Nash stares down at her and smiles again.

  She’s even a chatterbox in her sleep, he thinks to himself. At least I have a lot more fun training her than my other clients.

  He leaves the living room and retreats to his bedroom.

  Chapter 27

  Three days after the birthday party in Pasadena, Matt called Selena and invited her to lunch again. This time, they went out for sushi in Santa Monica.

  “Sushi was the right call,” says Selena as she stares at her roll. Her right arm is still in a cast. But luckily for her, she’s left-handed and can easily pick up a piece of sushi with her chopsticks.

  “Originally I was thinking pasta,” admits Matt.

  Selena shakes her head. “You chose wisely.”

  “Good,” replies Matt with a smile. “So, what have you been up to?”

  Selena shrugs.

  “Not much, just working on some music stuff at home, but nothing really that good. I’m biding my time until this stupid cast comes off, and I can start DJ’ing again.”

  “If you ever need my help to setup for another gig, just let me know.”

  Selena looks at him and nods. Matt really is sweet. She doesn’t get the impression he’d turn into an asshole, like so many of her past boyfriends. As she looks at him, she senses her attraction toward him growing – even though he’s the complete opposite of the guys she normally dates.

  Not that they’re dating, not yet, or maybe never.

  Selena shakes her head at Matt’s offer to help transport her DJ equipment. “Thanks, but I think I’ll just take a break until my arm is healed. It’s a good thing I have roommates that pay me rent, because I’m not sure how I’d survive right now.”

  As he studies her, Matt suggests, “Well, maybe you’ll look back on all this and realize it happened for a reason.”

  “Do you really believe that?” Selena asks curiously. “That things happen for a reason. Like when somebody has something really shitty happen, that there’s some master plan at work?”

  Matt looks at her thoughtfully and says, “I think every obstacle is an opportunity for growth.”

  “Spoken like a true motivational speaker,” Selena says somewhat sarcastic.

  “But I really do believe that,” Matt affirms. “Although it sucks that you broke your arm, it might provide you with time to reflect on your music – to think about the direction you want to take it in. If you hadn’t broken your arm, you might be spending all your time going from this gig to that gig, never really contemplating the path you’re on.”

  Selena never thought about it that way. “That’s a positive way to look at it, I guess. Thanks.”

  “There’s also another good thing that came from breaking your arm,” Matt adds.

  Selena notices Matt staring at her with a sly smirk.

  “Let me guess,” she replies. “You?”

  Matt nods as he takes a sip from his iced-tea.

  Selena leans back in her chair and stares at him with a look of amusement. “So, you believe the universe has brought you – this handsome, conservative Republican – and me – the freaky liberal – together for a reason? Like to show the world we can all get along?”

  Matt shrugs. “I wouldn’t put it exactly like that. Let’s just say I don’t really believe in coincidences.” He shoots Selena a mischievous grin. “And you do realize, this is now the second time you’ve called me handsome?”

  Selena shakes her head defiantly. “Is not.”

  “Is too,” Matt answers assuredly. “You mentioned I was attractive in the hospital.”

  “I don’t remember that,” Selena counters, shaking her head again. “And besides, I was in too much pain to think clearly,” she adds with a playful grin.

  After finishing lunch, Matt and Selena go for a walk on Santa Monica beach. The waves gently lap at their bare feet.

  “How’d you decide to become a motivational speaker?”

  “I didn’t decide,” answers Matt. “It just happened. I used to be in telemarketing. It was this really shitty job I got out of college. But it turned out I was really good at it. I was able to keep people on the phone and eventually make a sale.”

  “So then you thought, let me go where the real money is: self-improvement?” says Selena with a hint of sarcasm.

  “Nah, it wasn’t like that,” replies Matt. He stops, stares at her and confesses. “I had an accident… It changed my outlook on life.”

  Selena wasn’t expecting that response. As she stares at him, she realizes there’s more to Matt than meets the eye. “I’m sorry. I guess I just assumed… Anyway, I have to stop being so sarcastic. What happened?”

  “I was shot.”

  Selena’s jaw drops. “Seriously?”

  Matt nods, as they continue walking along the beach.

  “I was at a grocery store, middle of the day. Two guys came in to rob the place. Next thing I know, I’m lying on the floor with two bullets in me, one lodged right in my skull.”

  “You’re fucking kidding?” Selena replies, still stunned.

  “I spent six months in the hospital, recovering,” continues Matt. “I lost the ability to speak. But after two years of intense speech therapy, I made a full recovery.” He looks at Selena and smiles. “Now, I can’t seem to shut up.”

  Selena, who is still surprised by this revelation, mutters, “That’s incredible.”

  “Some might see it as incredible,” says Matt. “But I think it just shows what you can accomplish with enough focus and self-belief.”

  Selena looks at Matt’s kind, handsome face, and feels inspired. Not only that, she realizes Matt is incredibly tough. He’s not some pampered trust fund kid, like she first thought when she met him. In fact, Matt’s probably tougher than some of the skaters and hipsters she used to hang out with in Cleveland. Matt was shot, lost the ability to speak, and is now a motivational speaker. For crying out loud, if that doesn’t speak to someone’s resilience, Selena doesn’t know what does.

  “You weren’t expecting that, huh?” Matt says, as he notices the look of astonishment still painted on Selena’s face.

  “Not at all,” she admits, shaking her head.

  They continue walking along the beach.

  “So, after I fully regained my speech, I decided to take my experience and use it as motivation for others. I studied various self-help and motivational speakers and began approaching companies and organizations. After a few clumsy first attempts at public speaking, I realized how much I enjoyed it.” He takes a moment and then divulges, “I like having a positive impact on people’s lives, instead of just trying to sell them something.”

  Selena stops and looks at Matt again. As she stares into his brown eyes, she feels an attraction she can no longer deny. She leans
in and they kiss. Her body tingles in response.

  “I’d love to see you in action,” she admits, as she finally pulls her lips from his.

  “I’m doing a talk in a few weeks at a local YMCA, if you want to come.”

  Selena looks at him and smiles coyly. “That’s not what I mean.”

  It takes a moment before Matt realizes what Selena is referring to. Then, a smirk crosses his lips, and they both quickly return to his car.

  Luckily, Matt’s apartment, in Playa Vista, is only five miles from Santa Monica. As they enter his bedroom, kissing passionately, Matt struggles to help Selena out of her plaid shirt – which is a bit of a process since her arm is in a cast.

  “You mind doing my bra, too?” Selena asks as her shirt finally comes off.

  “Are you kidding me?” Matt responds. “It would be my privilege.”

  He quickly unhooks her bra.

  “Thanks.”

  As he stares down at Selena’s perky breasts, Matt replies, “I should be thanking you, believe me. You have beautiful breasts.”

  Selena throws her head back and laughs, “I’m glad you like them.”

  Matt moves closer and gently touches one of her breasts. He then leans in and kisses Selena again. He loves the way she tastes. Their kisses grow more passionate, and eventually, they both fall back onto his bed.

  “Ouch,” cries Selena.

  “Is it your arm?” asks Matt, concerned.

  “No. I hit my head on something.”

  With her free arm, Selena removes a book.

  She reads the title out loud, “What You Think of Me Is None of My Business.”

  Matt nods. “It’s by Terry Cole-Whittaker. She’s one of my gurus. You can borrow it, if you want. She has a refreshing approach that I think you might like.”

  Selena looks at Matt, sensing his enthusiasm for his work. It makes her even more attracted to him. “Let’s talk about my self-improvement after we’re done fucking. What do you say, Matt?”