Chapter Seven

Aurora goes back to L.A. while Stacy and the paparazzi cause trouble for Drew and Aurora. Drew wonders if he and Aurora have a future.

Chapter Seven

I don’t know what to say,” Drew told his clients.  “She’s gone back to Los Angeles.  I would imagine the press has followed her back there.  There’s no reason for them to try and photograph me any longer.  I can begin this job, and if you find it is interrupting your business,  we can come up with some kind of agreement.”

“Can we discuss this and let you know later today?”  

Drew agreed to do that and, after finishing lunch, he left.  He had the rest of the day free so he went to visit his mother.

Kathleen greeted her son warmly.  After she had taken his coat, Drew sat at the kitchen table.  

“Do you want some coffee?” Kathleen began brewing a pot.

“Sure, Mom.  I have some things to tell you.”

“I figured as much.”  She set two mugs down on the table and sat at the table across from her son.  “I got some phone calls today, asking me if you were reunited with Aurora.  Now, what’s going on?”

“It’s true.  I had a hearing about the divorce and she was there.  It was like you said.  She really had no memory of what happened.  I believe her.  I talked to her later on and told her I was dropping the lawsuit..  I still have feelings for her.”

“I knew it.  I could just tell.  And how does Aurora feel about you?”

“The same, I think.  She went back to Los Angeles, though.  She left me a message saying it was important.  I haven’t talked to her since she left sometime today.”

“What are you going to do, move to Los Angeles?  That is where she lives, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know, Mom.  We haven’t talked much about that.  We’re just taking things slow for now.”

“What about the marriage?  Are you going to stay married for the time being?”

“It looks that way.  Are people bothering you an awful lot?  I went to meet with a new client today, and they’d already heard that she and I might be getting back together.  They’re worried about their business being affected the press hounding me if I do the job.  They might even decide to go with another company now.  I don’t know if I can handle this.  It’s awful.  I don’t know how she has put up with it all these years.  There were pictures of me on the front of a Celebrity Eye issue.”

“There were?”  She stood up.  “Do you want some cookies?  I have some leftover from Christmas.”  She rummaged in the cupboard and got out two lidded containers.

Drew took a chocolate chip cookie and bit into it thoughtfully.  It reminded him of having cookies and hot chocolate with Aurora, and what happened afterward.  He struggled not to think about it now.  He was going to get all hot just thinking about it, and he was with his freaking mother.  

“I went to Evergreen Lodge and that was where she was staying.  I just wanted to go skiing.  We were out there thinking no one could see us, but someone was hiding and taking pictures.”

“What kind of pictures?  Wait, I don’t want to know.”  Kathleen bit into a cookie and shook her head.

“We were just kissing. “

“Why don’t you talk to her?  She’s been dealing with this a lot longer than you, so she might have ideas about how you can handle this.”

“That’s a good idea.  I’ll talk to her later.”  Drew finished the rest of his coffee and got up to leave.  Kathleen smiled at her son as she watched him leave.  He was happy; she could tell.  More than anything, she wanted him to be happy.  She hoped things would work out between Drew and Aurora.  She’d only met her briefly, but she had liked her.  She had liked her as a person, not because she was wealthy or famous.  She sensed her son was able to see past all that too.

*****

Drew was making himself a hot meatloaf sandwich with leftovers when he heard his front door slam.  It had to be Stacy.  His parents never came unannounced.  He cursed himself for not locking the door.

“What’s this?” she demanded, tossing a copy of Celebrity Eye  on the table.  “You're back with her?  No wonder you don't want to sue her.”

Drew snatched the tabloid off the table and looked once again at the splashy headlines.  Aurora Mendez Back With Secret Hubby!  Exclusive Photos of Their Mountain Tryst!  Drew looked at the headlines and sighed.

“Don’t tell me that isn’t you, either.  It’s your coat.  That’s Evergreen Lodge too.”

You have a lot of nerve, accusing me of wanting money.  The minute your rich ex-honey gets back in town, you’re cozying up with her.”   

“Is there a point to this?  You storm in my house, show me some dumb tabloid. Do you feel better now?”

“No.  I’m going to get a lawyer.  I'm going to sue you both for abandonment.”

“Stacy, you've lost it!  You went to Deep Creek with Wayne while I was on a ski trip with Hal!”

“How was I supposed to turn down a weekend at his house in Deep Creek?  He drives a Jaguar.  I mean, if you were going to get money from Aurora I might consider getting back with you.”

“I don't want to get back with you!”

“You were all about suing Aurora until you realized you still had a shot with her.”

“Fine.  Have your lawyer call my lawyer." Stacy stalked out, here new cashmere scarf swirling as she went.

“Hope you can find someone to keep you in cashmere,” Drew said to her retreating figure.  She didn’t hear him.  The door slammed, and she was gone. He ate his meatloaf sandwich and leftover mashed potatoes.  When he finished eating, he stacked the dishes carefully in the dishwasher.  He wondered what kind of china Stacy had registered for, if any.  She hadn’t mentioned it to him, but then she hadn’t told him the location of their wedding had changed, either.  Then he wondered what kind of dishes Aurora had.  Did she stack them in the dishwasher, or did servants do that for her?  He realized he still knew very little about her life.  It was 6:27.  He could try and call her again.  It would be 3:27 in Los Angeles.  He dialed her cell phone number.  He got voice mail again.

“Aurora, this is Drew.  The lodge told me you checked out.  I know you had to fly back to L.A. today, but call me when you get home, okay?  I miss you already.”  He hung up and sat down to watch some television.  He found it difficult to concentrate any of the programs.  All he could think of was what Aurora was doing.  Was she kissing some sexy actor?  Was she thinking about him?  How long would she have to be in L.A.?

*****

Aurora plugged her phone into the charger and fed Sassafras.  Her refrigerator was empty, and she was starving.  She’d eaten a sandwich on the plane about eight hours ago.  At the studio she was rushed into hair and makeup so she could redo the scene.  When it was all over she hadn’t even bothered to get something from commissary.  She just got a driver to take her home.  She thought about ordering food in, but Cassie had warned her that could be dangerous.  She sighed.  In Evergreen Gap she’d gone to the store for food when she, Cassie, and Melanie had their sleepover and no one had bothered her.  Here she had to worry about everything.  She didn’t feel like going to a restaurant, nor did she feel like cooking.  She decided to pick some food up and put in an order to have some groceries delivered.  

A half hour later, Aurora pulled into her garage with containers of Chinese food steaming in the seat beside her.  Sassafras followed her to the kitchen counter and watched intently while she spooned chicken and vegetables over rice in a bowl.  

“Not tonight, Sass.  You know Chinese food doesn’t agree with you.  Yeah, I know.  Pizza’s your favorite, but I’m going to need to spend a ton of extra time at the gym as it is.  Being in Evergreen Gap makes me eat like a normal human being.”  The shaggy dog thumped her tail at her human companion.  Aurora glanced at her phone.

She had several text messages.  The first was her assistant wanting to know if she got back with her ex-husband.  Kirk, her publicist telling her she NEEDED to make a statement about your  marriage.  She was in Celebrity Eye. What’s that all about?  Then her agent.  Had she given any more thought to the script he recommended and thank heavens she managed to get out of the snow and that little town.  An actual voice mail from her mom. “Aurora, this is your mother.  Did you get back to California okay?  Mrs. Mancini says you are in some magazine with that boy you married from town.  What’s going on?  Call me.”

Drew had texted her too.  With a giant smile, she read the message and then pressed the green phone icon to dial his number.  

“Hello?”  

“Oh, Drew.  It’s Aurora.  I got your message.  Sorry it took so long to call you back.”

“Hey!  I’m so glad you called.”

“It’s late there, isn’t it?”

“I couldn't sleep anyway," Drew said.  "How was your flight?”

“Same old, same old.  They made me come back and redo a scene.”

“From a movie?  Didn’t your last one just come out?  You were promoting it December.”

“Oh, no.  I just finished doing Marshall River  and then I had to do the circuit for Perfect Penguins.  They had a problem with Marshall River and I had to re-shoot a scene.  I had to rush back.  When something like that happens, it’s this whole big thing.”

“I’ll figure out your job quirks sooner or later.  The lodge gave me the message you’d gone, but they didn’t say why.”  Drew reclined in his chair.  He felt so much better, hearing her voice on the line.

“It’s been really crazy.  My assistant booked the flight and I barely made it to the airport on time.  My cell phone was dead, and then the studio snatched me from the airport so that I couldn’t even go home.  I recharged it and there were ten thousand messages.”

“I guess a lot of people depend on you, don’t they?”

“Sometimes I wish they didn’t.  All the demands, day in and day out.  Everyone needs me for something and of course their needs are more important than everyone else’s.”

“Are you done re-shooting?”

“Yes, it was just a small scene, thank heavens.  Listen to me, rambling on and on about my busy life as if I’m the only person who has a job or responsibilities.  What’s been going on with you since I left?”  Aurora scraped her dish into the garbage disposal and switched on the water.  She flicked the disposal on and a huge grinding sound erupted.  

“What is that noise?” 

“Oh, sorry.  It’s just my garbage disposal.”  She switched it off and loaded her dishes into the dishwasher.  She heard Drew chuckle.  “What’s so funny?”

“I was just thinking about your dishes earlier."

"My dishes?  Does that have a double meaning I don't know about?"

"No, like if you put them in a dishwasher or if servants do that or whatever.  I guess if you operate your own garbage disposal, you operate your own dishwasher too.”

“Oh, I get it.  Maybe you were thinking when you come to my house, it will be this huge mansion and with a maid in a little sexy outfit who takes your plate away when you’re done eating.”

“The only one I want to see in a sexy outfit is you.”

 Sassafras stood by the door and danced around.  She let out a little bark.

“Do you have to let the dog out?”

“I can talk and take her out.”  She pushed the sliding glass door open and turned on the outdoor light.  Sassafras scampered onto the deck and down the stairs.  Aurora pushed the door closed behind her and sat on a deck chair while the dog sniffed around the yard.  

Drew told Aurora about Stacy and her threats to sue them.

"Don't worry about it.  She has no leg to stand on.  I'll mention it to Cassie though, just to be on the safe side."

"I saw my mom today and I told her about you.  She’s happy about it.”  

“Drew, did I ever tell you how sorry I am that things happened the way they did?  I know you must have been so upset when I went to New York without you.”

“It wasn’t your fault.  You didn’t even know.”

“But I do now.  And that doesn’t change the fact that you did hurt because of me.  If I could take it all back, I would.”

“You know, I spent many nights wondering what would have happened, how my life would have turned out, if I’d gone with you.”

“Do you think things would have gone better for you if you’d gone with me, like we originally planned?”

“I used to.  Now I think things happened that way for a reason, and now I’m in a place where I want to be.”

“Drew, I don’t want to put you on the spot, but I may need to make some kind of statement about us.  To the press.  At least I think it would be a good idea.”

“I guess you heard that we made the tabloids.”

“Yeah.”  She sighed.  “I’ve been followed and hounded before, but not like that.  Someone must have been hiding behind bushes at the lodge or something.”

“We ate in the restaurant there.  It couldn’t have been too hard for someone to tip off the press about your being there.”

“I’m sorry, Drew.”

“Will you stop apologizing?  I know this comes with the territory.  I did want to talk to you about it, though.  I almost lost a job today because they were worried about press mobbing their office.”

“Oh, no!  I…”

“Don’t say it.  I just want to know.  I convinced them to still give me the job.  But I’m wondering, should I expect people to be following me or bothering my client?”

“Probably not.  You might get calls and requests for interviews, but it’s not like a giant mob will follow you around all the time.  They haven’t so far, right?”

“No, not yet.”

They talked for awhile longer, then hung up.  Aurora sat on her deck and eventually Sassafras came out of the grass and plopped down at her feet.  She felt much like she had when she’d first moved to California.  Everything was so different.  She hadn’t known a single person, and everyone she did know felt like they were so far away.  The days ran into one another.  There was no changing of the seasons to note the passage of time.  In Evergreen Gap, she could see mountains in the horizon no matter which way she turned.  Here there was mostly smog in the horizon.  She could hear the ocean in the distance and smell the salt air.  That was one part she loved.  But her house seemed so big and empty.  There was no one to go to the beach with, or even shopping.     

*****

Aurora left her agent’s office feeling confident.  He hadn’t been enthusiastic about her idea of working in television at first, but he’d come around.  She had no appointments the rest of the day so she decided to grab lunch and then go shopping.

Aurora slipped into a booth at one of her favorite Mexican food stands.  She watched people walked by in their shorts and miniskirts and marveled at how a few hours on a plane could change the scenery so much.  If she were in Evergreen Gap, she would be sitting in the snow under layers of clothes right now.  

When her food arrived, she noticed someone snapping pictures of her with a camera.  She stormed up to him and snatched the camera away.

“Don’t you dare do anything to that camera.  I’ll sue you.”

“Yeah, well step in line. I remember you.  You followed me around Pennsylvania.  Maybe I should sue you for stalking me.” 

"I already sent pics to my boss," he said.

  Aurora handed the camera back.  He snatched it from her with a nasty look.

“You’re lucky, lady.”

“Don’t even give me that.  What’s so interesting about a person eating lunch, anyway?”  He was already walking away and didn’t answer her.  She knew he was the one who took the photos of herself and Drew that had been in Celebrity Eye.  “Like that rag wouldn’t have paid for a new camera anyway,” she shouted after him.

A wiry teenager wearing a shirt with the name of the food stand on it sidled up to her.

“Is everything okay, miss?”

“It’s fine.  I took care of it.”  She finished her food and dumped the trash.  She freshened her lipstick and started towards the stores.  While she was walking, she dialed Drew on her cell phone.

“Good news,” she told him.  “I saw the guy who was following us and taking pictures.  He’s back here, so I doubt anyone is following you.”

“That’s good news?”  Drew pushed his paperwork aside and leaned back in his chair.  “How did you know it was the same person?  Does that mean he’s following you around?”

“I realized I’d seen him several times at Evergreen Lodge, and I think even when I was having lunch with Melanie somewhere else.  Do you think your client will be happy to hear that?”

“I don’t care about my client.  I’m worried about you.  He sounds dangerous.  And you probably made him mad.”

“He’s a photographer for a tabloid, not some lunatic stalker.  I’m used to dealing with this stuff.  In a couple of days there will be some new story about me.  It will say I was jilted or some such.  And then it will show me eating a quesadilla all alone.” 

*****

That weekend, Aurora was curled on her bed, talking to Drew again.  He pictured her in a huge bed, surrounded with pillows and candles.  He wondered what she was wearing.  

“This is hard,” he said.  “You’re so far away.  When will you be able to come visit?”

“I don’t know.  I’m looking at TV scripts. It's a long process.”

“And you’re looking for one that films in New York City?”

“Or thereabouts.  Definitely not L.A. or Canada.”

“Good.  So when am I going to get to see you again?”

“I have some stuff going on this weekend.  What about you?”

“I’m free.”

“Well, my stuff won’t take the whole weekend.  Why don’t you fly here?”

“Uh, I don’t know.”

“What’s wrong?  You don’t want to fly in for the weekend?”

Drew didn’t know what to say.  He didn’t really have the money to fly to California all the time, and he hated asking Aurora to pay for his tickets.  He knew she could do it, and that she could afford it.  She had paid the bill for the one meal they had at the restaurant at Evergreen Lodge.  He wondered if that’s how it always would be.

“Hey, Drew, are you still there?”

“Yeah.  I’ll have to let you know about this weekend.”  Aurora could sense his discomfort and decided to let it go for the time being.  

“Okay, well, I’ll let you go then.”

“Are you going to be mad if I can’t make it?” he said.

“No, why would you think that.?”

“You just sounded upset and you’re probably used to getting your way and…”

“I’m not some temperamental actress or self-centered star who throws a fit every time I don’t get what I want.”

“I didn’t mean that.  I’ll come soon.  I can’t have some hunky boy toy stealing you away from me.”

“Drew!  I’m not fickle, either.  I don’t just jump from guy to guy because I think it will further my career.  There are people in this business who do that, but I’m not one of them.”

“I didn't mean that.  You're putting words in my mouth.  And I’ve been hurt a few times too, so it’s hard to trust people.”

“I guess I’m the worst offender of all.  I don’t blame you for not trusting me.”

“I’ll let you know about visiting, okay?  I do want to see you.  And we can make this work, somehow.”

*****

Aurora parked in her garage and unloaded her shopping bags.  When she came through the door, Sassafras was jumping around with such excitement that she nearly dropped several of her bags.

“Yes, Sass, I’m happy to see you too.  Let’s go outside right now.”  She set the bags down in her front hall and went down to the kitchen.  She opened the sliding glass door and the dog shot through the open door and into the yard.  “Sass, wait!” she shouted.  She ran outside after her dog.  The property was surrounded by and fence and had an alarm system, but seeing paparazzi taking photos of her eating lunch had left her shaken.  She felt like someone could be watching her every move and she was afraid for her pet.  There were lots of crazy people, and plenty of them would be more than willing to snatch away the pet of a celebrity.  

Sassafras was sniffing the ground, looking for a spot in the yard that suited her.  It was still daylight, so Aurora scanned the parameters of her fence and looked for signs of something suspicious.  She didn’t see anything, but it made her nervous all the same.  As soon as Sassafras appeared to be done, she coaxed her back into the house.

The phone was ringing.  Kirk's name was on the screen.

“Hi, Kirk,” she said into the receiver.

“You’re in the tabloids again,” he said without preamble.

“Now what?”

“It says ‘Aurora Mendez Packs on the Pounds’ and there’s several photos of you with take-out or eating.”

“Yeah, because no self-respecting actress would be seen eating lunch,” she said sarcastically.

“Have you gained weight?”

“Kirk, seriously!  I got some takeout for a sleepover with my friends.”

“What friends?  What sleepover?”

“I was snowed in the lodge at Evergreen Gap with Cassie--you know, my lawyer--and I also invited my childhood friend, Melanie to stay the night.  And then I had lunch at a taco stand the other day.”

“At least they aren’t saying you’re a lesbian.”

“So what if they do?  Really, Kirk.  I find it hard to care about this.”

“We still need to talk about your love life.”

“I am dating the man I impulsively married when I was twenty-one.  Is that enough?”

“It will do for now.  What about the Golden Globes?  Have you even thought about what to wear yet?”

“I'll find something, I promise.”

“Is your, boyfriend, husband, whatever he is, going with you?”

“I don’t know.  He lives in Pennsylvania.  He has a job.”

Kirk told Aurora he’d be in touch and hung up.  Sassafras was eying the treat jar and looking pointedly at Aurora.

“I know, I know.  I forgot to give you a treat when we came in.”  She took the lid off the paw printed ceramic jar and fed a biscuit to her dog.  

*****

Stacy spread the velvet cloth over her coffee table.  She set her engagement ring from Drew on top.  Sitting on the floor, she snapped a photo with her smart phone.  She enlarged the photo and looked at it critically.  Maybe a few more angles.  She snapped a few more photos.  

She viewed them all and picked the one she thought was the best.  She logged onto eBay and set up a seller’s account.  

Stacy was viewing the auction for her ring with satisfaction when her phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Ms. Parsons, my name is Howie Dozer.  I’ve been trying to track you down for days.”

“What is this about?”

“I’m from Celebrity Eye.  I was wondering if you’d be willing to talk to me about your relationship with Drew Macpherson.  You’d be compensated for your time, of course.”

“Mr. Dozer, you just made my day.”

*****

“The Golden Globes?  So I have to come to California and wear a tux and everything?”

“Yes.  I forgot all about them until a half hour ago when my publicist reminded me.  It’s the weekend after next.  Will you be my date?”

“So, how much of this stuff am I going to have to do?  Do you bring an entourage with you?”

“There are a few award shows a year I have to go to.  I can always find someone else to go.  I mean, not another date, just an escort, you know.  If you give me your measurements, I can get you a tux that will go with my dress.  It will be just the two of us arriving there, but then Cassie and my publicist will probably be there.”

“I’ll come.”

“You will?”

“Yes, I just said I would.  Does this mean you’re going to ask me to the Oscars too?”

“Maybe.  If you play your cards right.”

*****

Drew adjusted his tie and looked in the mirror.  He was wearing a Ralph Lauren tuxedo.  He was sure it cost more money than the one he’d put a deposit on at a shop in Evergreen Gap for his wedding with Stacy.  It reminded him that he’d wanted to go a formal at Western Penn with Aurora.  Well, this was similar, in a way.  Except that he hadn’t seen her for more than five minutes since he’d gotten to Los Angeles.  He had taken a flight that arrived at LAX at 6:45 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, which was 3:45 A.M in Eastern Standard Time.  He’d been picked up at the airport by a car and driver, which shuttled him to Aurora’s house.  She was on her way to some beauty salon when he’d gotten there, and he barely had time kiss her when her cell phone began ringing.  She’d apologized and shown him upstairs, where he’d crashed for several hours.  It was now an hour before they were supposed to leave for the awards, and she still hadn’t come back.

Drew thought about all the times he’d seen Aurora on the pre-award show specials, standing on the red carpet.  He’d resisted the urge to change the channel, and watched her with growing resentment.  She was smiling, always with some good looking escort on her arm.  He would seethe, thinking about how she acted as if they weren’t even married.  And now, finally, he was going to be the guy on her arm.  

Be careful what you wish for, Macpherson.  You just might get it.