My phone buzzed and jostled on the nightstand. The late afternoon sun dimmed the room, light peeking through the blinds hesitantly. I was warm, snuggled tight against Rob as he dozed. His arms held me tightly, and I found myself in a chokehold as I tried to gently reach my cell. My movement shook the bed, springy bounces fluffing the pillows and down comforter. The silky bedding soothed my skin, cooling my flushed cheeks.
"Hello?" I whispered into the phone.
"AUDREY!! OH MY GOD! I have soooo much to tell you!" Genie's voice crackled over the poor reception. "And I bet you have like, TONS to tell me!"
"Yeah I do! So where are you right now?"
"I'm back at our hotel getting some clothes," she answered in a matter-of-fact voice I heard a low voice in the background.
"You alone?"
"Ummm, not quite."
"Yeah me neither, actually I can't talk RIGHT now. I'll call you a little later. Let's meet up after dinner or something?" I asked, checking the clock. It was 3:45, where had the day gone?
"Sure thing!" She crooned into the phone and the line went dead.
I turned around, still on my stomach as I rolled back towards Rob. I wasn't tired anymore, but it felt so nice to just lay here in his arms. They lay limply on the bed, his chest rising and falling softly with each breath. I glanced at his face, peaceful and relaxed and perfect. I crawled to his side, resting my chin on his toned tummy as I pulled his arm around me. He smiled but his eyes didn't open, instead; he hugged me close and tilted his head toward mine, leaning his cheek on the top of my head. I sighed in contentment.
"That was Genie?" His low voice startled me as I felt it rumble deep within his chest.
"Yeah, I think she's still with Stan," I said, staring into his eyes.
"Of course," he shrugged with a smiled, playing with my hair.
As he held me close, I knew it was time for me to say something. Time to address the elephant in the room. To finally discuss what had just happened, what it meant—to each of us. I turned my face so I was staring at the wall, away from his distracting smile.
"So, uh, you know, just add me to your list of adoring fans," I stated lightly, casually.
"I'm a fan of you," he replied simply, not grasping what I had said.
"Sure ok," I responded in a silly voice, disregarding his cheesy comment to take the plunge. "That's not really what I meant though."
"What did you mean?"
"Welll, I meant like, I've knowingly committed myself to being one of those girls…" I said, sounding more ridiculous with each word.
"Like one of what girls?"
"Ugh, you know? One of those girls that you've fucked," I said, spitting out the last word with disdain.
"Why would you say that?"
"Because, I am."
I was trying to force myself into reality, attempting to crush my own hopes of an actual relationship by stating the harsh facts.
"If you thought that's how I would think of you, why'd you do anything with me?" He asked, sounding a little irritated.
"Um, well I've had maybe the hugest crush in the history of the world on you since Harry Potter," I said in a rush, staring pointedly at the wall.
"So I'm just a celebrity crush?" Now he was starting to sound a little hurt.
His words threw me for a loop. If he only knew just how much more he'd been than a celebrity crush. If he'd known the hours I'd spent watching pointless homemade youtube montages of him, the countless times I'd watched all of his interviews for every movie. If he knew that I only watched the parts of the fourth Harry Potter movie with him in it. That I'd printed picture after picture of him to collage my bulletin board. That I'd laid in bed at night, dreaming of him. That I'd decided to come to L.A. for a vacation just in the hopes of catching a glimpse of him. Way more than a celebrity crush. Celebrity obsession, maybe.
"I think more than that," I said artfully, deciding against revealing my creepy stalker side.
"So what? You think that I'm just going to file you away—another notch on my belt?"
I nodded slowly.
"Um, well you're wrong."
I looked up at him quickly. He was staring at me like I was crazy. I returned the expression.
"Audrey, I think you're one of the most incredible people I've ever met," he breathed, looking me straight in the eyes. "You're funny, you're smart, you're charming and, you're beautiful."
My breath caught in my throat. This was another dream wasn't it? Wow did he just actually say that? NO ONE says that. WHO SAYS THAT?
I just stared back at him, bewildered.
"And if you think I'm just going to let you slink away, back to San Francisco without me ever hearing from you again, you're wrong there too."
This made no sense. First, he didn't even want to have sex with me—he wanted to eat lunch instead. Then, he was a little worried that I didn't want to have sex with him. Now, he's saying he wants to stay in touch and he thinks I'm an incredible person.
!?
What was I supposed to say to this?
"Well, I'm definitely not going to ignore you if you try and talk to me," I said to him, biting back a fit of the giggles. "But I don't get it."
"What don't you get?"
"Umm, you just confuse me. I mean, you didn't even want me this morning and you were still hesitant in the hallway," I tried to explain to him.
"What made you think that I haven't wanted you?" His voice was incredulous.
"When you said let's eat downstairs after I basically asked you to sex me up," I answered him, monotone.
"You think I didn't want You? Are you kidding? I was worried that you didn't like me enough. That I wasn't interesting enough. That I was just some random Hollywood guy that turned out, didn't have as much going for him as you thought," he spilled out in a rush. He looked so vulnerable as he revealed his fear.
I laughed outloud.
"Oh my god Rob, you're adorable! How could you think that?" I managed to stutter out between chuckles. I held his face in my hands and kissed him full on the lips. It felt as if a massive weight had been lifted, I was free. Almost. "But seriously, what about me is so enticing? I'm not exactly a stunner."
Rob just lifted his eyebrows, tucking one strand of my hair behind my ear. "Wow, you're badly informed. I cant really say anymore than that. But you need to grasp just how amazingly attractive you are."
"More than Camilla?" I asked slyly with a small smile, cocking my head.
"Hah! Camilla is hot, yes. But she's shallow and hard and cold. You are also hot, but there's so much more depth to you, so much softness and warmth."
A fuzzy feeling started creeping through me, spreading ticklishly from my tummy all the way to my fingers and toes. My eyes crinkled at his comparison, and I hugged him closer.
The door opened for the second time that day. We were still scantily clad, wrapped in each other's arms—hardly appropriate for company. A different maid hurried into the room. She saw us on the bed and delivered a curt nod. Her hard face and body betrayed no emotion or shock at our near-nakedness. She walked straight to the bathroom, switching out the soaps and shampoos. Surveying the pile of towels on the floor from the previous maid, she clucked her tongue in disapproval. Without a word, she was gone, slamming the door shut. What was up with these maids? They were so weird.
We lay there in silence for another minute, his thumb the back of my hand, my foot tapping in time to the music playing from the iHome. Suddenly, my stomach rumbled. It growled angrily as I hadn't eaten all day.
"I think we should hunt down some dinner before we meet Stan and Genie," Rob said, sitting up.
"Yeah!" I replied, a little overenthusiastic about the idea of food. I jumped off the bed and ran to…oh no suitcase.
"Don't worry, you look fine," Rob read my mind as he ripped his clothes back on, trying to smooth his hair.
"You do too," I smiled back at him, and reached up to re-tousle his hair. "I like it all messy."
"You think? I feel like it's getting kind of out of control."
"Nope. It looks really sexy like this. Like you just got finished having wild sex all night."
"Ok then."
He put his arm around my shoulder, and we walked back down the lovely hallway to the elevators.
"You wanna stay here again tonight?" He asked me as we passed the lobby.
"Oh, well, I don't want to put you out or anything…" I trailed off weakly, I couldn't really think of a good reason to stay at the Palazzio.
"Hardly. We'll sleep here again. It's a tad more comfy than your other room," he snorted, wheeling back to the concierge desk to book our room for another two nights.
I watched as Rob negotiated with the same clerk Genie had asked for motel recommendations a couple nights before. It was so surreal, seeing him there in my presence, caring about me and my well-being, noticing me and my feelings. I shook my head in wonder as he rejoined me and we strolled down the block. Our hands were in one another's back pockets—scandalous—as we searched for somewhere to eat.
Before we ordered at the tiny Falafel Restaurant, Rob suddenly leaned down and kissed me. Quick and fleeting, it stunned me. It dazzled me with bright lights. It took a second before I recognized the now familiar clatter and shutter of paparazzi cameras. I tried to arrange my face to be as attractive and candid as possible. Rob leaned in and kissed my ear, letting his lips linger on my neck, making me gasp with pleasure. Lights flashed around us again. Woops.
Despite the frenetic energy rolling off the photographers, I felt at peace with myself. The clawing and knowing worry that had plagued me since the beginning of time was starting to ebb. The knot in the pit of my stomach began to unravel. Rob and I were on the same page, and there would be dignity about this.
"Shwarma Combo Plate, please."
