Love in the Heartland

by Diana Currie

  Nathan read the book from cover to cover in three days when he learned he would be called in to audition. He could remember wanting that part more than any other he’d ever auditioned for in his life. Nathan had always felt proud to be part of the screen adaptation of Love Spelled Backwards. It certainly wasn’t the role or the movie itself that Nathan was hesitant to revisit. He feared the stardom that came with such a notorious role. Agreeing to a sequel would mean at least two more years of being Caleb in his fans eyes. The paparazzi would be relentless throughout the filming, the weeks and months leading up to the film’s release, and then the endless promotional touring. He would be subjecting himself to more grueling schedules and more screaming crowds of people every time he appeared in public.

  Nathan loved his fans, he truly did. Eventually word would get out about this new film. The press would rake him over the coals, assigning complete blame on his shoulders, if the movie never got made. Devoted EVOL followers would be disappointed and angry if he refused the role. There were so many people counting on him, but he already felt like the paparazzi’s presence was unbearable. If he took on this character again he knew he could expect the craziness he experienced before to be just as overwhelming, if not worse.

  Nathan groaned as he got out of bed and stalked naked into his bathroom to take a long hot shower. He needed to clear his mind before reading through the script that was undoubtedly already waiting for him in his inbox. He wanted to give the sequel idea a fair shot and in his current mental state that just wasn’t going to happen. After he was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, Nathan quickly breezed through the contract Melissa sent over. He knew she would be up his ass if he didn’t call in exactly one hour. It seemed to include all the usual legal jargon. There were a few lines that concerned him and he wrote down some questions to ask Hank.

  He called his agent back to let her know he agreed that the contract seemed reasonable. He promised Melissa to spend the rest of the day reading the full script and she reminded him to call her the following day with his thoughts. Nathan understood it was her job to get him the best roles she could, but it didn’t miss his attention that the preliminary salary offered was a cool ten million. Nathan knew Melissa’s main motivation in getting this deal done was cashing in on her five percent. He understood that she worked for him to make money, just like everyone else, and he didn’t resent her for that. It only served as another reminder that she too was counting on him to sign the contract and make the movie deal happen.

  For the rest of the day Nathan read the screenplay for Love Spelled Backwards 2 (working title). It wasn’t as bad as he feared, having suspected it to be a rush job just to capitalize on the success of the first movie. He saw that Duncan had in fact put a lot of effort into adapting a half-finished book into a screenplay. And the same man who wrote the Love Spelled Backwards screenplay had also done the sequel.

  As he read, Nathan was reminded of what attracted him to the first film three years ago. It was a charming love story and filled with good dialogue, an interesting plot, and a good mix of drama and humor. It seemed that Eli Duncan had written an intriguing follow up to his first bestseller. Reading about these familiar characters brought back a lot of memories Nathan had from making Love Spelled Backwards. It had been the best time in his life living his dream and working with such a great cast and crew. Then the movie was released to the public and Nathan was launched into super-stardom. He had watched himself become a household name seemingly overnight and his personal freedom and privacy dissipate into thin air.

  Nathan was distracted from his thoughts by the buzzing sound coming from the front door. The visitor had to be someone he knew; someone who had the pin number for the community’s front gate. He wasn’t expecting anyone and figured it might be Melissa, thinking she’d be more effective convincing him in person. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find Gerard standing on his doorstep.

  “Hey, man. This is a surprise. What happened to the dreads?”

  “Are you kidding? I had my stylist chop them off an hour after I finished my last interview in London. Hopefully women will still recognize me from the movie, know what I’m saying?”

  Nathan nodded his head and smiled leaning against the open door frame. “So, what’s the occasion?”

  “I thought we should go out tonight, maybe a tourist bar. We can meet some girls, show them around Hollywood, and get laid. What do you say?”

  “I don’t know. Melissa dropped a big script on me today. I really need to concentrate on that,” Nathan answered. Unfortunately for him, Nathan knew that his friend did not back down easily, especially when it had to do with women.

  “Fuck your script. I say you look like you need a break from it. Let’s go out, have some fun, and ride the coattails of our Astronaut alter egos for as long as the movie’s in theaters.”

  Nathan didn’t want to mention that he was trying to shake off the coattails of Travis Tague, not bask in his glory. He’d yet to rid himself of Caleb Thomas either, and if he agreed to reprise the role he might never be able to. But he understood what Gerard was talking about. His friend played a secondary character in a big budget movie. It was in Gerard’s best professional interest to associate himself with the character and get as much exposure as possible in hopes that it would lead to a higher profile part.

  For a few fleeting seconds Nathan thought about Maddie. He knew she might be upset if the paparazzi snapped any pictures of him, but he hadn’t promised her to never leave his house again. Nathan was young and single, there was no reason why he couldn’t go out for dinner and drinks with his friend.

  “Alright, I’ll go,” Nathan decided. “Come on in while I get ready.”

  A few nights later Maddie was hanging out at home with Kyle and her nieces. They were lounging on opposite ends of the sofa flipping through channels while the twins played on the floor in front of them. It was a rare occasion that Addison and Rebecca occupied themselves without making some kind of a mess. Maddie’s mom had bought some Touch and Feel baby books that were keeping them busy. Maddie watched them and smiled, still amazed by how fast they were growing and how cute their babbling to one another sounded. Kyle was less impressed by their talking and simply grateful that neither of his toddlers were pulling on his pant leg for the time being.

  “Where did mom and dad say they were going?” Kyle asked.

  “I don’t know where. Mom just said they were getting dinner. You wanna watch Big Bang Theory or the playoff game?”

  Kyle smiled. “You even have to ask?”

  “Rangers game,” they said in unison and then began laughing together. Both girls looked up at their daddy and aunt.

  A few minutes later Maddie’s cell phone buzzed in her jeans pocket. There was a message from Holly.

  Nathan Alert! Check out TMZ! OMG!

  Maddie could feel the blood draining from her face as she read the message. Her first thought was that something terrible happened to Nathan. She knew he arrived home safely from London a few days earlier because photos were taken of him at LAX. So, what happened in the two days since he returned to L.A.?

  Kyle noticed her strange reaction to whatever she read on the phone. “What’s wrong, Maddie?”

  Maddie looked up at her brother not knowing how to respond. “I’m not sure. Hand me your tablet.”

  Kyle lifted one eyebrow but passed it to her. She snatched it quickly from his hands and turned it on impatiently. As soon as TMZ.com loaded on the screen Maddie knew immediately what Holly wanted her to see. On the front page was a photo taken of Nathan Tuesday evening according to the report with a tagline that read: Hollywood’s Favorite Spaceman Takes a Punch for Mystery Woman. She quickly scrolled down the page reading the short article below the picture of Nathan holding up his hand to block his face from the paparazzi. Their cameras were still able to capture the black eye on Nathan’s face as he was exiting the back of the Hollywood bar.

  Nathan Foster, famous for his portrayal of Caleb Thoma
s in last summer’s Love Spelled Backwards, was allegedly involved in a fist fight inside a West Hollywood night club late Tuesday evening. Witnesses say Foster was dancing closely with an unidentified blonde woman moments before a large man approached them and took a swing at the unsuspecting actor. Gerard Lewis, Foster’s costar in his most recent film Zero Gravity, rushed to his defense and a fight soon broke out. One witness claims both Foster and Lewis appeared drunk and disorderly and were escorted by security out the back entrance of the bar. No charges were pressed according to sources, but Foster didn’t escape the incident scot free. That shiner ought to be a reminder for at least a week… don’t put your hands on another man’s girl, Nathan!

  Maddie read the blurb twice and studied the photo looking for something to pop out at her; some clue that would tell her what really happened. She could see Nathan’s hair was mussed up and it looked like the t-shirt he wore had a rip in it. The other Zero Gravity actor was caught on camera behind him as they ducked and ran away from the photographers. She wasn’t sure who she was more furious with, the paparazzi or Nathan.

  “So, what’s going on?” Kyle demanded. He didn’t like the way Maddie was acting; the erratic behavior was very unlike her.

  Maddie tore her eyes from the tablet knowing that she had to think of an explanation for her bizarre reaction. She realized her hands were clenched in fists and she was gritting her teeth. “My friend did something stupid. He got in a fight at a bar. Holly just texted me about it.”

  “Which friend?”

  “Um… just a guy.”

  Kyle sat up straighter on the sofa. “A guy? What guy would this be, sister?” he teased. “Someone you’re dating?”

  Maddie’s face flamed red and she quickly shut off the tablet. “No. He’s just a friend. It’s totally platonic. Apparently, some guy hit him in a bar and gave him a black eye.”

  “What was the fight about?”

  “It seems like he was dancing with another guy’s girlfriend. I don’t know the whole story. I’ll be right back,” Maddie answered before jumping up from the sofa and hurrying upstairs to her room.

  Not once had she ever called Nathan Foster, she’d always waited for him to call her. But it was only Thursday! She couldn’t wait three more days before talking to him. If he’d been hurt in any way she had to know that he was okay. Something must have gone wrong for him to go out and do something so stupid. Hadn’t he just been telling her the other day how he wanted to keep a low profile? And the idea of Nathan dancing with some blonde floozy made Maddie’s blood boil. She had no claim on him, she knew that, but still the thought of him touching another woman was too painful to contemplate.

  There was one other, more devastating explanation to what she saw on TMZ. What if Nathan reverted to his old ways because he was bored with her? He was after all rich, handsome, and single. Maddie knew he wouldn’t be satisfied trading all his friends and the L.A. nightlife for a few phone conversations with some girl he’d never met. If he’d decided life was more fun before the nagging fan with canary yellow stationary came along then she’d rather be told now than wait for a Sunday phone call that would never come.

  Angrily, Maddie dialed the celebrity’s private phone number and counted the rings. He better not screen her call she thought as the ringing continued.

  “Maddie.” His voice was velvety smooth but still cut like razor blades. There wasn’t the same cheerful tone she’d heard during their last call. His indifference chilled her to the bone.

  “Hi. Um, I’m sorry to call you. I mean, um, I know it’s not Sunday. I’m not trying to bother you or anything, but I uh-”

  “You’ve seen the pictures I presume,” he interjected in that same cool voice. It made Maddie cringe.

  “Yes.”

  There was silence for a moment and Maddie worried perhaps he’d hung up on her. She wouldn’t blame him. He probably regretted giving his cell number to one of his crazy fans. She was about to start apologizing again when she heard Nathan sigh.

  “I’m so sorry I let you down, Maddie,” he whispered. She immediately sank to her knees on the pink carpet of her bedroom. Relief flooded her senses as the voice she recognized as her Nathan filled her ears. “I wish you hadn’t seen me like that.”

  “I was so worried about you. And mad, but mostly worried. Did you really get into a fight?”

  “There’s no excuse for my behavior, but let me just say I didn’t intend to drink as much as I did. This woman, Nicole something, kept flirting with me and we were doing shots together I think. I swear I didn’t know she was married.”

  “Married? So, it was her husband that hit you?”

  “First he shoved me. I… I had my hands on the woman’s ass. One minute we were kissing and the next minute her giant six-foot three husband was shouting in my face. I think I made a joke, saying he could have her back now, and that’s when he punched me. I struck back, hitting him in the stomach. He called the woman his wife and lifted her left hand so I could see her wedding band. By then I knew I deserved whatever he was about to do and didn’t fight back when he hit me again. Gerard saw the whole thing and made the situation worse by cursing the man out. Then security intervened and I was drug out the back door.”

  “Oh, Nathan.”

  “I know you’re disappointed in me. I can hear it in your voice. You sound just like my mother did when she called me yesterday.”

  Maddie couldn’t tell him the truth; that she was mostly disappointed to hear he’d been kissing someone. She hated herself for the crushing jealousy she felt. She knew it was absurd to think he wouldn’t be out there flirting with women, dating them… maybe even fucking them. Until three weeks ago Maddie and Holly spent as much time following Nathan’s romantic relationships as they did his career. She could be good phone friends with him, nothing more. Nathan would be like the pen pal Maddie had for her seventh grade social studies assignment. Only she would get phone calls from California rather than written letters from Sweden. There were no other options for them. The rational part of Maddie’s brain understood this. Her heart, on the other hand, not so much. She’d felt her heart constrict painfully the moment Nathan admitted to kissing that Nicole woman.

  “No, Nathan, please don’t think you’ve disappointed me. I was concerned is all. Are you okay; your eye?”

  “I look like shit and it hurts, but it’ll heal. I’m just embarrassed.”

  “I only saw the story online a few minutes ago and still I was so worried about you. I hate that two days went by before I found out. Still, I wasn’t sure if it would be okay to call you,” Maddie admitted biting her lower lip with her teeth.

  “You can call me anytime, sweet Maddie.”

  “I wasn’t sure. You sounded so different when you answered. I thought maybe I was disturbing you.”

  “I’ll never ignore a call from you, I promise.”

  “So, are you alright? Your voice still sounds so sad.”

  “Let’s just say I’ve had a bunch of shitty days this week. I called my parents like you asked. That conversation was good. They saw the movie; said they liked it. Then the flight home from London was awful. A fan was sitting three rows ahead of me and kept peeking over her shoulder and staring at me the entire flight. I couldn’t sleep at all. Then Melissa…”

  “Who’s Melissa?”

  “My agent. She gave me this script to read.”

  Maddie was confused. “What was shitty about receiving a script? Does your agent want you to do another cheesy disaster movie?”

  Nathan was pacing on the veranda in his back yard. He’d been thinking of taking a swim in the pool when Maddie’s call came through. He’d never been so relieved to receive a call and so nervous to answer it at the same time. “I can’t really tell you the details; at least not until I sign the contract. But there’s a lot of pressure on me from people out here. People who are depending on me to accept this role. I just don’t know if it’s the right thing to do, for my career or my sanity.”

&n
bsp; “Nathan, I know I don’t have the slightest idea how all this Hollywood stuff works, but can I give you one piece of advice? Don’t let what everyone else wants influence you to make a decision that you know in your heart is wrong for you. Forget about everyone else. Make the choice that’s right for you.”

  He grimaced. Maddie had no idea that she was currently trying to talk him out of filming a sequel to her favorite movie. Had she known, Nathan suspected her advice might be slightly different. This worried Nathan. What mightMaddie’s reaction be to the news about the sequel? The truth almost spilled from his lips the second he mentioned the script. He wanted to tell her and it wasn’t a lack of trust that stopped him. Nathan knew if anyone was capable of keeping a secret it was Maddie. What worried him was that he felt like progress was being made in convincing Maddie that he was just a normal person who happened to have a high profile job. If he told her he was contemplating becoming Caleb Thomas again, would that blur the lines between Caleb and Nathan in her eyes? He wanted Maddie to be able to forget all about his fame when they talked. Judging by the hesitation in her voice when she called him earlier, Nathan could tell she wasn’t completely there. He still made her nervous.

  “There’s a lot to consider with any movie deal,” he tried to explain. “This would be high profile… lots of media attention. The filming schedule would be grueling. Most of it will be shot here in L.A. but the timetable is tight. The studio wants a Christmas release date which gives us just over a year. That’s not a lot of time.”

  Maddie nodded, listening intently to what Nathan described. “What genre is this movie? Can you tell me that much?”

  Nathan sighed. “Romance, coming of age, testing the strength of a relationship guided by fate.”

  “Sounds intense.”

  “It would be. There would be pressure on me throughout the process. I wanted to slow things down, take a little break, and maybe work on a project that I was actually excited about participating in. But this offer; it’s good. Damn good. It’s the kind of thing you don’t pass up.”