No More Wasted Time

by Beverly Preston

  “Sure.”

  The driver parked along a cliff and they roamed the narrow streets. “This place is just so…” Tess couldn’t find the words to describe it.

  “It’s mesmerizing. Greece is one of my favorite places. I love it here.”

  “The buildings look like they’re sculpted right out of the rock face and I love the bright white houses.” She sensed him staring at her and tilted her head to stare back. Busted, he grinned timidly in return.

  They entered an ice cream shop and ordered when a woman recognized Tom. She ran straight toward him, telling him how much she loved his movies and how cute he was. Tess’ hand covered her mouth, trying to contain her laughter. He politely let her take a picture. Tess winked at Tom, offering to take the woman’s picture with him, she became overly excited and called her husband over, so Tess took another picture.

  Tom led Tess by the hand across the brick street. She kept pace, sprinting several blocks before stopping to check out the magnificent view of the Aegean Sea. Tess sat on a white curved wall. Tom stood between her thighs, so she wrapped her legs around him. The volcanic cliffs, golden beaches and vibrant colorful flowers were stunning.

  She rattled on about how beautiful it was, but he only stared at her again. Tom slipped his fingers into her hair, kissing and nibbling on her neck. She dropped her head back and her hair hung down to her waist. His hot breath tickled her collarbone as he kissed it from one side to the other, making her nipples tighten and her pulse accelerate.

  “I don’t want to tell you to stop, Tom, but people might start gawking if I take my clothes off right here.”

  Tess struggled to keep herself under some kind of control, because even though no one was around, it was a very public spot. Nevertheless, she didn’t stop Tom as his hand traveled up her waist and caressed her breast. He pressed himself against her, revealing his arousal. Fixated on her face, he kissed her passionately, sucking on her bottom lip, stimulating her hunger. She slipped her fingers into the top of his jeans to touch him.

  Tess raised her eyebrows asking, “Is there somewhere we can go, cause in about thirty seconds, it’s going to get very embarrassing.”

  He held her hand, darting down several side streets, stopping outside of an inn. He grinned. “Will this work?”

  “Yep.” The words were barely out of her mouth and he was inside getting them a room.

  By the time the key unlocked the door, Tess had her shirt half off. Both scrambled out of their clothes before Tom tackled her to the bed. He pinned her hands beside her head, kissing her fervently, on the verge of being forceful, robbing her of air. Turned on by his zealousness, she could barely breathe. Fully aware the balcony door was wide open, Tess tried to contain her moaning, but she was beyond excited. At this point, she didn’t care who heard them.

  An hour later, they lay on their backs, covered in sweat staring at the ceiling. “I like Greece!” She giggled with a sultry smirk.

  “I had something I wanted to ask you before you seduced me back there on the wall.” Tom teased innocently.

  “What? Me? Oh, I don’t think so! You totally started it. I thought it was me lusting after you this whole time but-”

  “It’s not just you. I didn’t care where we were. Thanks for stopping me.”

  “I certainly didn’t want to stop.” They laughed for a few minutes. “Okay. What did you want to ask me?”

  Tom rolled over on his side, gazing intently at her. He grinned with excitement, but seemed serious and a bit self-conscious, too. “I want to know if you’ll you come back here with me, to Greece on vacation?”

  “Do you mean like, tomorrow or next week or when? Is this the surprise?” Her heart raced at the idea of spending more time with him.

  “Look, Tess, I haven’t figured out when yet, but I’m crazy about you. I think you’re amazing. I don’t want to be without you, or you to be without me, like my girlfriend.”

  Tess nervously chewed on her cheek, overcome with sudden urge to guard her emotions. She climbed out of bed and stared out at the sea with her arms folded across her chest. Secretly she wished for this moment, but there were still so many unanswered questions running through her mind.

  Being Tom’s girlfriend would come with numerous drawbacks. He lived an entirely different lifestyle than her. The media, his career, and the list of women he dated prior to her. Questions she refused to let herself ask previously, started stacking up like poker chips on a hot Las Vegas casino table. Tess wasn’t foolish, if she bombarded him with twenty questions, she risked the chance that he might panic. This was a huge step for her, but an even bigger one for him. She couldn’t be happier, but she didn’t want to get hurt.

  She didn’t realize he was standing right next to her until he reached down and took hold of her fingers, pressing them to his warm lips. His eyes fixed keenly on her face and she knew he was waiting for her reply.

  “Yes,” she whispered softly. “I would love to come back here with you.”

  “Are you sure? Because you’re not as excited as I hoped you’d be.” Tom asked quietly, unable to mask the rejection in his voice.

  “Sorry, actually I’m elated. It’s just that I…I’ve been telling myself I couldn’t keep you, so to speak. At the end of three weeks, I’d have to give you up and try not to be devastated. I’ve been attempting to convince myself you’re just a vacation.”

  “I’ve never found someone I can put up with for two weeks, but I can’t be without you for ten minutes. You’re the best time I’ve ever had. I want us to be together.”

  “I think you’re the best time I’ve ever had, too.” She confided in a hushed voice.

  Tom’s eyes filled with skepticism.

  “Please don’t look at me like that. It’s difficult for me to admit aloud. I feel bad enough when I admit it to myself inside my own thoughts, let alone confessing it to you. I feel like I’m saying Richard wasn’t as good, but that’s not how I mean it. What I had with my husband was wonderful and anyone should be as lucky as I was to have the marriage we had. But you make me feel like I’ve never felt and I’m not even talking about the sex yet.”

  He smiled deliriously. “I have a job coming up my agent committed me to, so in a week or two I have to leave for a film. If I can figure out a schedule, will you come see me until I can make time to come back here?”

  “Yes.” Staring into his dark brown eyes, she knew there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t go through or give up in order to be with him, except one.

  Monogamy.

  “But Tom, I need to know your definition of a girlfriend. I refuse to set myself up to be hurt,” she stated bluntly.

  “I’m not sure what you mean. I want to be with you, like the last three weeks. You are my definition of a girlfriend.” He pulled her onto the bed playfully.

  She realized he was oblivious of what she asked him. “Tom, I’m asking you if you’re going to go on “dates” while I’m your girlfriend. I’m not going to see anyone else, not that I would have many options, but I know you have a hundred different options anywhere you go. So if you want to sleep with other women, or even just one other woman, then my answer is no! I’d rather say goodbye to you now.” She spoke directly. “I wouldn’t even be able to deal with that crap. I don’t care who you’ve been with, but it would hurt me if you sleep with someone now.”

  “Tess, I don’t want to see other women.”

  She straddled him, sitting on his stomach. “‘I don’t want to…’ is still a little vague, Tom. I want your word. I want to be with you, but that’s what I need. Your word.”

  He sat up onto his elbows, looking her in the eye. “Tess, you have my word that I won’t date or sleep with or kiss another woman. No one else would compare to you. I promise.” He curled his lip in disgust. “And I don’t want you to date other men. I wouldn’t like that. At all!”

  “I won’t. You have my word.” She smiled, kissing him. “Please don’t freak out in the middle of the night and leave me here,
okay? If you change your mind and want to see other women, just tell me. First. Please.”

  “Do you trust me?” he asked in a slow sexy tone.

  She recognized a serious question underneath that steamy voice. “I have been trusting you, haven’t I?”

  “That’s a little vague,” he said, mimicking her. “I’ve never denied the fact I’ve dated a lot, but I didn’t find you until three weeks ago. Now, I want you. Only you. The thought of you sharing yourself with another man, might hurt me more than I could possibly even imagine. So, Tess, do you trust me?”

  She swallowed hard. “Yes, I trust you.”

  “So it’s official. You’re my girlfriend. And I am your boyfriend.”

  It sounded silly, almost juvenile coming out of his mouth, but in fact, Tess understood it was a huge commitment for him.

  “Tom, just so you know, I’m very excited.” She hopped off the bed and danced around the room. “Was that the response you were hoping for?”

  “No, this was.” He grabbed her from behind and planted a big kiss on her lips. “I have to make some calls. Let’s leave early in the morning.”

  “Oh! I’m not sure if I’m going to like it here,” she replied sarcastically, gaping out the sliding glass door. Tess slipped on his shirt, stepping out onto the balcony. “No wonder you like Greece so much.”

  The inn perched on a cliff with a view of the clear, blue sea. Whitewashed houses with blue shutters lined the brick street below them and fuchsia bougainvillea grew everywhere. Gorgeous!

  “I like it.” Tom snapped a photo of her wearing his shirt.

  “Are we really coming back here together?”

  “Yes, we are and you haven’t seen anything yet. I know you’ll love it here; the islands, Athens. We can go hiking and go to an archeological site.”

  Tess threw her arms around his neck. “I can’t wait.”

  That night, the streets bustled with artists selling their work and people out shopping. Several recognized Tom, only a few approached him, most just pointed. Tess chuckled to herself.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked with his crooked smile.

  “I see you so differently than all these people.” Tess glanced around at the people in the streets.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” He pretended she offended him.

  “I see you as a person; smart, charming, funny, adventurous, gorgeous and very confident. They see you as Tom Clemmins the famous actor. I just think it’s ironic. I understand my fascination with you, but I don’t get theirs. No offense. Not only you, famous people in general.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way because everything changes tomorrow, Tess.”

  “Don’t tell me. I actually don’t want to know yet. Right now, I simply want to enjoy this place. Okay?”

  “All right.” He agreed.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Tom and Tess grabbed breakfast at a café before heading to the bottom of the hill to meet the car. He informed her it would be a long flight so she changed into comfortable clothes, lounged on a couch, and watched a movie while Tom stayed in the bedroom on the phone. He sounded unhappy about something, but finally joined her when she finished her second movie.

  “All right, Tess,” he smiled nervously. “We have about five hours left, so we need to go over some things.”

  “Okay.”

  “First off, we’re going to my home in Malibu.”

  “Great,” she paused. “It’s not a castle, is it?”

  He shook his head and continued. “Did you know Benny has a new movie coming out?”

  “No. Well, maybe. Lisa mentioned a film he’d finished recently.”

  “We’re going to his movie premier. That’s one of the reasons I took you to see your girls, because you won’t be able to pick them up at the airport.”

  “All right,” she agreed with a casual nod, not fully aware of what a movie premier entailed.

  He wore an enormous grin. “Tess, it’s a big deal. There’s going to be a lot of people there, including reporters and photographers. Plus a little red carpet you’ll be walking down with your famous boyfriend, remember?” he teased sarcastically.

  “Are you kidding me? Red carpet? No way! What am I going to wear? Holy crap!”

  “It’s going to be a great time. Lisa will be there too, not at my house, but you’ll get to see her. She said she’d help you get…prepared.” His voice faltered.

  “Prepared?”

  “I have to tell you one more thing. There will be paparazzi everywhere when we land.” He rubbed his knuckles against his jaw.

  “Why? What is it? What’s wrong?” She knew something was wrong by the way he scratched the rasp of his unshaven face. He would never win playing poker.

  “Apparently, there’s a picture of me kissing a beautiful woman in Greece circulating on the Internet today. I don’t know if you can get a hold of your kids, but you might want to try, especially John because when the paparazzi get your name, and they will, they’ll want to know who you are.”

  “How could that happen? Are you sure?”

  “Oh yeah, I’m sure.”

  “Have you seen the picture?” She knew the answer by the look on his face. “Let me see it.”

  He pulled up the picture on his phone and handed it to her. “That’s when we were on the wall last night!” Utterly dumbfounded, she stared at the picture in astonishment. “Who took this?”

  “Tess, it doesn’t matter who took the picture, probably the lady from the ice cream shop. They’re going to want to know who you are. They’ll be waiting when we land.”

  “Let me see that picture again. Shit, we do look good together.”

  Tom chuckled uneasily. “Tess, you need to call John. He’s going to see this, and we’re all over each other in this photo. Your girls might see it, too.”

  Her eyes glued to the photo of Tom standing between her legs while she sat on the white curved wall. Her head hung back and Tom kissed the base of her neck. One hand squeezed her ass and his other hand rested right under her breast.

  “How much money do they get for these pictures? I would’ve paid for this one. I can’t believe we look so sexy.”

  “Tess, you should call,” Tom reiterated, sounding baffled by her lack of response.

  “I need to think for a minute. What exactly is the problem? Photographers? Aren’t they going to be taking pictures in a couple of days anyway? Seriously, is there really going to be a red carpet?”

  “Are you delirious?” he asked in confusion. “You don’t seem very upset.”

  “They’re going to find out who I am anyway. Why not just tell them? I don’t get it. I’m proud to be with you Tom.”

  “I thought you would be pissed, Tess. It’s an invasion of your privacy.”

  “Well, at least it’s a good picture. I might be pissed if it were a bad picture. We look like we could be on the cover of a smutty romance novel.”

  “Tess, why don’t you get ready? I have to make a phone call.”

  “Is this picture a problem for you, Tom? You sounded upset earlier on the phone.”

  “It’s not a problem for me at all. My publicist is unhappy with me, but I’m not going to hide you.”

  Unsure of how to respond, she stammered, “I’m going to get ready, and then I’ll call home.” Tess headed for the bedroom, but turned back around. “I don’t want this to be an issue for you. Just walk me through it so I know what to expect and I’ll be fine. I don’t want to hide. I promise I won’t embarrass you.”

  She turned toward the bedroom. Tom grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into his lap. “Wait a minute, Tess. I’m not embarrassed of you at all! That’s not what I meant. Sometimes in my business, there’s a certain way people like to handle things. I wasn’t going to take you out until the premier so you wouldn’t get anxious and be a wreck that night. I want to be seen with you. That’s why I brought you here.”

  She smiled. “I was referring to the picture of you with your hands a
ll over my body.” She grasped his hands and placed them over her boobs. “What I meant was, I will try not to do this in public. But I can’t make any promises.”

  “Oh, well, please don’t promise me that.” Tom chuckled.

  Tess paced in circles, trying to decide what to wear. She wrapped a towel around herself and ambled out to Tom who was still on the phone and didn’t sound any better. “Can you help me pick out something to wear when you’re done?” she whispered to him.

  He nodded, hanging up the phone, trying to peek under her towel.

  “What should I wear?” she asked, standing in a white lace thong.

  “That looks perfect,” he said, inspecting her half-naked body. She shook her head at him. “What are you comfortable in?”

  “I thought about my blue dress with the leopard pumps. Or should I wear jeans?”

  “The blue dress is my favorite, but I love your jeans, too. Which is more comfortable?”

  “Please, will you pick? I want to look good next to you.”

  He pulled the picture of them back up on his phone. “You look beautiful next to me. I like the blue dress.”

  “Thank you!”

  “Call John, please. I don’t want your kids to get mad at me,” he sighed uneasily.

  She called John’s cell.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, son. How’s it going?”

  “Well, hi, Mom. I thought I might hear from you today,” he scoffed.

  Crap. He already knew. “I saw your sisters yesterday. I’m sure they’ve talked to you about picking them up at the airport.”

  “Yes, I talked to them yesterday, but I’m sure I’ll be hearing from them again soon.”

  “We’re still in the air. I called-” Tom stretched out on the bed watching Tess pace around the room.

  John cut her off. “So, Mom! How was Greece?” he asked sardonically.

  “Okay, go ahead. I can tell you’ve obviously seen the photo I’m calling to warn you about.”

  “I haven’t, but my friends and girlfriend have.”

  “I’m sorry. You haven’t actually seen it though?”