The Unkindness of the Paparazzi

by Odette Botha

  I looked in the mirror and told myself to pull it together and to stop acting like a child. I opened the door and walk into him.

  He pushed me back into the little bathroom and locked the door behind him.

  “I have had sex with five women. The first was when I was seventeen she was eighteen and it was in her room, the second was with a girl I met at a frat party it was in a swimming pool. The third was that girl in the plane. The fourth was an actress I met at a mixer it was in a coat room and the fifth was you. I used protection with all of them besides with you.

  “I have had regular doctor visits and I have been tested on more than one occasion my last test was a week ago and it was fine. The last time I had sex was four months ago before last night. You are the first person I made love to that I actually did love the others were just sex. I tried to fill a void.”

  I felt like a dog I didn’t know what to say.

  “I am sorry I had no reason to act like a jealous child,” I said looking down.

  He pushed my chin up keeping his fingers under my chin.

  He gave me a soft kiss.

  “Its fine, I understand. I don’t mind the jealousy I think it’s cute.”

  I buried my face in his chest I could just die of embarrassment I really did act like a jealous girlfriend. He laughed softly.

  “I love you and I can’t wait for you to be my wife. Can I get a kiss please?” He asked.

  I looked up and kissed him.

  “Want to have sex on a plane with me?”

  “Dean and Alex are standing outside the door.”

  He turned and knocked once and then there was a knock from the other side.

  “That’s too bad,” I said kissing him again.

  He sighed and said out loud so they could hear, “don’t worry I am booking them on a separate flight back home.”

  I laughed; I could just imagine them protesting that decision.

  He unlocked the door and we heard them running back to their chairs.

  “Wait how did you know they were there?” I asked

  “Whispers,” he said rolling his eyes.

  We walked out and I shot them a dirty look.

  “Are we okay?” Alex asked innocently

  “We are just fine,” Joshua answered as he sat down on the chair. He pulled me onto his lap.

  “We should start with your hair,” Dean said taking the curlers out of my bag. “Alright then,” I said holding onto Josh.

  By the time we got to Vegas my hair was done.

  We were all looking out the windows at all the Vegas lights. It was amazing, I had always imagined how it would look but it wasn’t at all what I imagined.

  Dean and Alex were so excited they pointed at all the hotels they saw in movies before.

  “Have you been to Vegas before?” Joshua asked me.

  “No it’s my first time, have you?” I asked.

  “Are you kidding it’s a bachelors’ playpen,” he answered quoi.

  He saw my face and said immediately, “I am joking, I have been here twice, I brought my brother in law here for his bachelor party and then again with Taylor. We presented a New Years Eve party here one year.”

  “Have you been to any of the strip clubs?” Alex asked clearly not thinking of me sitting there.

  “Yes,” he said but he saved it with a kiss on my cheek.

  “It wasn’t that nice; it was actually not nice at all,” he said.

  “Did you have a lap dance?” Alex asked still looking out at the lights.

  I heard Dean slap him on the back.

  “What? I just wanted to know,” he said irritated with Dean.

  “Well did you?” He asked again.

  “Yes,” Josh said with a sigh.

  I felt disgusted and sorry for him at the same time.

  He was being grilled and it was from people he hardly knew.

  He was an attractive bachelor and he did say he was in Vegas for a bachelor party before. Besides he had money and the girls were crazy about him.

  “How much does it cost?” Alex kept on asking.

  “Mine was free,” Josh said under his breath.

  I shot Alex a dirty look when he looked at Joshua. He just looked at me and continued.

  “Wow it must be great to have woman ripping their clothes off and giving you free lap dances. I am gay but still I am a man its must be so exciting,” he said.

  Both Dean and I were upset already. I couldn’t let this conversation continue.

  “Where is Jack?” I asked quickly before Alex could say any thing else.

  “He is meeting us at the hotel,” Josh answered almost relieved at me changing the subject.

  “So do the women remove all their clothes or do they still have panties on?” Alex asked.

  “Enough,” I shot back.

  “Please I am not trying to torture you, I just need to know. Don’t act so high and mighty, that night with Denise’s hen party; you shook your ass on that stage at the strip club. And it was very sexy, especially when you took your top off, remember you had that short black mini skirt on with those high heels, not to mention that sexy lace bra.

  I remember seeing the clips on your stockings when you went down against that pole.”

  Alex was 100% gay but he appreciated a woman’s body. He was very inquisitive that was all. He had the opportunity to have sex with women because he was sweet, attractive and rich.

  But he turned them down he loved Dean, although they weren’t sure what they were to each other really.

  “We are getting a permanent pole installed as soon as we get back home,” Joshua said being very serious.

  “I am afraid you will be disappointed, I am not good at it,” I said.

  I heard Dean and Alex snort at the same time about what I said.

  Then Alex said, “please, after that night all the girls that were there wanted to join pole dancing classes, Julia even said that she was happy her husband wasn’t there because he would have left her for you in a wink. So Joshua do they have clothes on?”

  I was lying again with my back on Joshua’s chest. I just turned my face towards the window when Alex asked the question again.

  I could feel him looking at my face but I didn’t look up at him. I tried to shut the conversation out. He turned his face to Alex again.

  “They usually only take off their bra’s, they leave on their panties,” He answered “Usually? So what did that one of yours take off?” Alex asked again.

  Dean and I weren’t even interested in stopping it anymore, we let Alex get all the answers and then it would be the end of it. He didn’t give up easily.

  “She only had her high heals on,” Josh answered.

  I figured that was the end of it but I was wrong.

  “Is the no touch policy true?” He continued.

  Josh laughed and threw his head back again.

  “You have allot of questions, you do realise I want this woman to still want to marry me in a couple of hours?”

  Dean just snorted he had his back turned to Alex.

  “Last question I promise, then we can forgive and forget I promise,” Alex said.

  Dean snorted again. I was still looking out the window.

  He answered Alex, “usually.”

  I heard Alex give a giggle.

  “So…” he started but Josh stopped him.

  “So that was your last question.”

  Alex just gave a sigh of disappointment.

  “It must be fantastic being you,” Alex said.

  I felt Josh look at me and he said in a sigh, “not at the moment.”

  He felt my body was stiff I was so irritated that I couldn’t breath normally.

  “Please fasten your seatbelts we are about to land. I hope you enjoyed the trip around Vegas, I circled so you could get the full view of Vegas,” the pilot s
aid over the intercom.

  Dean and I spoke at the same time, “not at all.”

  I sat up straight and fastened my seat belt.

  “Why are you angry? It wasn’t me that felt up a naked stripper,” Alex said to Dean, when he reached for his hand and Dean pulled away.

  Dean shot him a disgusted look and they started fighting.

  “Are you angry?” Josh asked me over them shouting.

  I shook my head not looking at him. I heard him sigh.

  “So are you going to show me your talents on the stripper pole?” He tried.

  I shook my head again.

  “Katie please it was long ago, Alex was just inquisitive what did you want me to do, lie?” He asked.

  “Its fine Joshua,” I said.

  “I was drunk out of my mind...” he started to explain.

  “Please stop,” I said softly.

  Chapter 22

  The plane landed and Alex and Dean got off so fast that I didn’t even know where they thought they were heading. They were still shouting at each other.

  I loosened my seat belt and got up. Joshua was still sitting, he just took off his seat belt.

  I was about to get off the plane when he grabbed my arm.

  He pulled me onto his lap and stated kissing me. It was a very aggressive kiss. I fought him for about four seconds and then I just gave in.

  I could hear Alex and Dean still fighting outside, but it seemed that we were fine.

  Me being angry, him being frustrated at me because I didn’t let him explain, made the kissing more aggressive.

  He threw me on the seat next to him and got on top of me.

  There was no gentle feeling and caressing, he put his hand in under my shirt on to my breasts.

  He kissed me in my neck. I moaned softly, it felt good. I felt him breathing in my neck.

  He whispered in my ear, “I have never felt so turned on in my life.”

  He pulled my leg up against him.

  “I can feel that,” I said softly.

  He sat up and loosened my jeans top button. His eyes never left mine. I started unbuttoning his shirt when Dean stormed in.

  “If you don’t come now, I am walking,” he said.

  He saw what we were doing but that didn’t make him leave.

  “Okay, okay I am coming,” I said pushing Josh off me.

  “I am not,” Josh said joking.

  I turned my face back to him and smiled.

  “Well,” Dean said tapping his toe on the floor.

  I got up and closed the button on my pants. We got off the plane and into a limo. Dean was sitting with his back to Alex.

  “How is this going to work now?” I asked Josh trying to get everyone’s attention back to the wedding.

  “We have two rooms booked one for you and me and one for Dean and Alex, Jack is staying with a friend. I will be with Jack in one room getting ready, Alex and Dean will go with you to help you get ready,” he suggested.

  “I think Alex should go with you, I bet he has tons of questions,” Dean shot back. “He is welcome to come with us, but there are no more questions,” Josh said firmly looking at Alex.

  We got to the hotel and met Jack there. Joshua, Alex and Jack got out of the elevator first.

  He gave me a long kiss and then Dean and I went up to the other room.

  The rooms where three floors apart, Josh probably booked it like that so that we wouldn’t hear Alex and Dean but by the looks of things they weren’t going to do anything but fight.

  It was absolutely a room with a view. I stood there and watched out over Las Vegas it was unbelievable. I wondered what the electricity bill must be to keep that place’s lights running 24/7.

  “He slept with someone else,” Dean said standing behind me.

  I turned around frowning; I didn’t understand where Dean was coming from.

  “Who slept with someone else?” I asked confused.

  “Alex, he slept with someone else when we broke up two weeks ago. I am not angry because we were broken up; I am just disappointed because it didn’t take him very long to move on,” he said looking very sad.

  “When did you find this out?” I asked.

  “He told me when we got back together.”

  I felt so helpless I couldn’t think of the right words to say.

  “I don’t know what to say or do for you. Why is it upsetting you now if you knew about it for a week already?”

  He looked at me and smiled.

  “When he started asking Joshua all those questions I felt so hurt but I thought he was just asking. When we were outside the plane fighting, he told me he had, had sex with a woman. He has known her for a long time and it just happened. Now after him asking Joshua all the questions and knowing that he had sex with a woman, it bothers me,” Dean explained.

  I sat next to him and put my arm around his shoulders. I wanted him to know that I felt bad for him. I thought he was angry like I was because of the conversation. I never realised that, that conversation would bring more heart ache.

  “I am so sorry my dear friend. But Dean you must think of it this way he is here with you now. He came back to you, he told you everything and to him it’s confusing you being angry about something that happened two weeks ago. Yes granted you didn’t know it was a woman but now you do. What are you going to do now?”

  I tried my best to make him see reason, because Dean loved Alex and they were soul mates.

  They had broken up two weeks ago because of a stupid fight they had. I didn’t know all the details but I knew when he told me about the break up that it wasn’t serious and they would find their way back to each other.

  “I love him Katie; I just don’t want to loose him,” he said as he started crying.

  “I know- maybe you should talk?” I suggested.

  “Will you be okay for couple of minutes?” He asked.

  I nodded and gave him a kiss on his forehead.

  When he left, I started preparing for my wedding. I was finished getting dressed and had my makeup done to perfection in no time at all.

  I looked at the watch I had only a couple of minutes to spare, so I decided to phone my parents.

  I didn’t want them to find out about the wedding by reading it somewhere or by seeing it on TV.

  They were happy for me and supported my decision, they were just upset that they couldn’t be there and that they didn’t know Joshua. I assured them that I would introduce him as soon as I could.

  My dad said something that made me feel excited about my wedding; it took away all the unsure feelings.

  He said, ‘If you love him then there is nothing more to it. If he makes you feel special and he is good to you, then you should do it.’

  I did love him and he did make me feel special and he was good to me. I was more confident more than ever.

  I told them that we were having a big wedding for all the friends and family but that I don’t know when.

  I was still talking when Dean came back. He was tapping on his watch, I said goodbye to my parents and put the phone down.

  “Did you sort out the problem?” I asked him.

  I could see he was smiling again.

  “Yes I did, we will be okay. I was down stairs with Joshua he is so nervous. He didn’t stopped talking the whole time I was there. Jack gave him a shot of whiskey; we thought he was going to pass out,” Dean said laughing, but what he said just made me nervous.

  “Why would he get that nervous? Maybe he doesn’t want to go through with it. Maybe I should phone him or go see him?” I asked.

  “No don’t be silly he is fine now. He really wants to marry you. You should see your ring; it must have cost the price of a small mansion.

  Look I didn’t want to upset you, I just wanted to tell you he is nervous too that’s all,” Dean tried to explain.
>
  “We should go; he is waiting down stairs for you. Since you are getting married in Vegas I don’t think seeing you before the time will be a problem, I pretty much think no rules apply here,” he joked.

  I took my bag and put the hotel key in it. We got into the elevator and went down to the lobby.

  When the doors opened I saw him sitting on a chair with his face resting on his fists. I looked at him for a couple of seconds before I walked towards him.

  He didn’t look at me; he hadn’t noticed me getting out of the elevator.

  I studied his face to see if he was just nervous or was it regret.

  Jack saw me first and patted him on the shoulder.

  He got up and walked towards me, he was smiling his expression turned from a worried look to satisfied and happy. He took me in his arms and gave me a hug.

  He said softly in my ear, “I was worried you wouldn’t go through with it.”

  I pushed him away a little and looked into his eyes I gave him a reassuring smile and said, “I have no regrets let’s go do this.”

  Chapter 23

  The chapel was beautiful it wasn’t at all what I had pictured. There wasn’t an Elvis and a wacky woman with purple hair, or a bunch of drunken people waiting to get married. It was quiet. It was decorated in white roses and fairy lights.

  The minister was an old man; he was friendly and extremely excited to have a celebrity in his chapel. He asked Joshua for an autograph for his daughter, who according to him had watched all his movies and who absolutely adored him.

  Joshua had never said no to pictures or autographs so that night wasn’t any different. The old man took the autograph and put it in his pocket he directed us to our places and began.

  “Dearly beloved…..”

  It was a nice service seen as this man didn’t even know us, he said the nicest things about love and how one couldn’t deny it for very long.

  Jack had told him before the service that Joshua and I only dated for one day and that we were engaged for one day. The minister did not object to marring us after hearing that, because he said he saw that we loved each other.

  He mentioned to us that when he saw us, he thought we had more love for each other than most of the couples he had married before.

  “Joshua Edward Scott do you take Kate Roberts to be your wife, do you promise to love her and cherish her in sickness and in health till death do you part?”

  Joshua looked at me and smiled a sweet smile.

  “I do,” he said.

  “Kate Roberts do you take Joshua Edward Scott to be your husband, do you promise to love and cherish him in sickness and in health till death do you part?”