J
"I'll be filming when you pick my parents up, so I'll call you when I get a break," Lisa said, rubbing the shampoo in my hair.
I leaned back to rinse under the water. "I thought I'd take them to lunch near the set; there's a really nice restaurant down by the pier."
"Just so you know… my dad is going to insist on paying for lunch. It will offend him if you argue." She looked at me with a knowing smirk on her lips.
"Like father, like daughter?" I asked jokingly, rubbing the soap bubbles on her chest.
"Exactly! But when we take them to dinner tomorrow, he'll pass the check to me - just watch. Hey, do you want to bring them to the set this afternoon instead? I'd really like you to see what I do for a living, since you won't watch any of my movies."
"I don't know," I murmured. "Won't that cause problems with you-know-who?"
Lisa grimaced at me. "I don't care. I want my girlfriend... my love," she looked me in the eyes, "to know what I do and where I go every day. I want you to trust me. I need you to trust me, Jennie."
"Are you sure it won't disturb you or ruin your performance? I don't want to mmm-"
Her wet mouth was locked on mine, stopping my words in mid stream.
"Please." She kissed me again softly, resting her forehead on mine. "I need you to understand what I do. I need you to see that when I'm on set, I'm an actor. That what I do is pretend. My lips, my heart, and my body… they belong to you."
I looked up at her and nodded. After eavesdropping on her conversation with Fred, I knew she wanted me to trust her.
"Do I have to make a poster and scream Lisa, Lisa?" I kidded.
"Hah!" she laughed. "The only time I want to hear you scream my name is when I'm making love to you. Although you did call me God the other night. That's acceptable, too." She leaned down and gave me another kiss.
I put on my nice dark trouser jeans, white long sleeved cotton top, with my brown suede zip jacket and a soft green scarf wrapped around my neck. I wanted to look nice the first time I met her parents, and I was nervous since I was meeting them alone.
We had agreed that I would bring her parents to see her in action tomorrow. Lisa showed me a picture of her mom and dad to help me recognize them easier, although I must admit it was hard to commit a picture flashed at me to memory. Both of her parents were in their upper fifties in age, but still looked quite vibrant and youthful. At least I knew that her poor parents would be seeking me out in the airport too.
I was, of course, photographed walking down the sidewalk to my car. I opted for leaving by the front door since most of the paparazzi were now loitering by my back door. I allowed my eyes to scan the area for any signs of the old blue Plymouth, and I was relieved that her car was nowhere to be seen. There were, however, a few love notes stuck to my car. I collected them and shoved them into the center console.
I kept checking my rear view mirror for any signs of photographers following me as I drove to the airport. I was relieved that I didn't see any.
My nerves were getting the better of me as I stood in the open entrance to the airport; my stomach was filled with butterflies. Dads were always easier to win over; I knew from experience that it was always the mothers that were the challenge.
It was almost ten thirty when a new stream of passengers started to pass by. Their flight from Newark actually landed a few minutes early.
"Jennie?" A lovely woman politely approached me. Her mother was just as I had pictured. She was about an inch shorter than me, five-five-ish, thin but softly padded by well earned years. She also had reddish brown hair that was long and thick on the top but cut short to her neck. I recognized her instantly; Lisa had her mother's features and most definitely her eyes.
"Yes! Mrs. Manoban! It's so nice to meet you!" We gave each other a hug.
"Oh, it's so nice to meet you too, dear! Please, call me Ellen. This is Lisa's father, Bill."
I instinctively reached out my hand to shake his but he pulled me in for an awkward hug. "It's so nice to meet you, sir!"
"It's nice to finally meet you too, young lady!" Bill said with a huge grin on his face.
Lisa's father was tall, just like Lisa, but with another thirty or so pounds of weight. I could see bits of her father in Lisa too. Bill's face was rounder and clean-shaven and he wore rectangular wire-rimmed glasses. Lisa inherited her hair color from her father, although Bill's hair had tinges of gray mingled in it. I pictured Lisa taking on her father's looks one day.
"So this must be the Infiniti my daughter keeps telling me about," Bill said from the passenger seat. I smiled as he ran his fingers over the dash.
"Lisa likes to drive it, and to be honest, I rather enjoy it when she does. She's a great driver," I stated proudly.
"We have her car in our garage back home. It was the first thing she bought when she cashed in her first big paycheck. Come to think of it, that car is the only thing she bought. I'm going to have to remind her that she can afford her own garage now. Then my car doesn't have to sit in the driveway."
"You will do no such thing, Bill," Ellen reprimanded. "At least we know that we can get her to come home every once and a while, even if it is to visit her car."
"Our daughter tells us that you've never seen any of her movies. Is that really true?" Bill pressed.
"Yes sir, it's true." I nodded my head. "I've never seen her act before. She wants us to come to the set tomorrow, so I suppose I'll get to see her perform for the first time then."
Ellen laughed out loud. "I believe you're the only woman on the planet who hasn't seen her movies."
"To be honest, I think it's better that way," I justified.
Lisa's ringtone began to play on my cell phone. I knew she was going to be on edge until her parents were safely in my care. Her behaviors were becoming so predictable.
I drove down the coast to a nice restaurant that jutted out over the ocean. We had a lovely view of the Atlantic from our window table.
Lisa's parents were very nice and friendly towards me. I had expected to be grilled with questions, but Lisa had apparently filled them in with a lot of details so our conversation was more validation of the things they already knew.
I told them about attending Brown University and my career goals at that time, and my current involvements with the vineyards and the pub. Her parents asked a lot of questions about the vineyard businesses and the details of co-ownership, and I was happy to tell them what I knew.
Her father was keen on knowing as much as he could about diversifying his holdings and investment opportunities other than the standard retirement plans. We had a long conversation just on that subject alone.
It was apparent throughout the conversation that her father was worried about Lisa's money and making sure it was properly invested. I told them that I felt Lisa was looking to expand into other areas of opportunity but I didn't go into specifics. I certainly didn't want them to know how willing she was to dump her money into refurbishing the kitchen in my pub.
The last thing I wanted was for her parents to think I was only after their famous daughter's money. I tried to inadvertently express how I was doing financially so they would be at ease knowing that I'm a smart businesswoman all on my own and I have my own money in the bank.
They told me stories about Lisa and how she liked to draw pictures of houses when she was younger. Her parents always thought that she'd become an architect one day. Even when she was a child, everything she drew or built had to be symmetrical. Block buildings, tinker toys, Lego's - everything was always designed evenly.
Ellen recalled how Lisa's modeling career started - she took Lisa to get her picture taken when she was three years old and the photographer suggested that she take her to one of the local modeling agencies. Soon after that, Lisa was pictured in national clothing store fliers modeling children's clothing. Her pictures were even used in a few parenting magazines. She promised to show them to me one day. I'm sure that would embarrass Lisa to no end.
It was late in her high school years when she became active in the drama club. Her mother said she was a natural on the stage. I loved listening to her stories - to hear the pride in her voice when she spoke of Liss.
They also spoke a lot about their other child, Nick, and his wife, Janelle, and how they met at work and fell madly in love. They had been married three years now and had their first daughter, Sarah, almost ten months ago. Her parents were very easy to talk to, and I had the same feeling talking to them as I did when I first met Lisa.
Just as Lisa had stated, her father snatched up the restaurant bill even before the waitress set it on the table. I held out my hand, for I really did want to treat them to lunch, but her father waived for me to put my hand down and strung a few no, no, no's along as he reached for his wallet. I dropped it as to not offend her father.
I took them for a brief drive around the area, showing them the only two spots where I knew Lisa had filmed. I spared them the details about the two women who were arrested storming onto the movie set when they filmed on the beach. I figured they too had enough to worry about.
I drove down my street, showing them the front of my building while also secretly assessing how many fans and paparazzi were staked out. I drove down the alley, despite having paparazzi lurking there as well. Lisa's father quickly unloaded their luggage from my trunk.
I was surprised to see that her father knew the little Italian photographer. "Jimmy? Jimmy Pop? Are you still chasing my daughter?" Bill asked.
"Oh, Mr. Manoban, oi!" Jimmy said in his thick accent, tossing his cigarette butt into the alley. "Mrs. Manoban! You look so lovely! Oh, my, my! What a blessed day! How are you?"
"We're well! We're here visiting our daughter. You guys aren't bothering her too much, are you?" Bill teased.
"Oh, no, no! Well, you know, it's a job. I miss when your girl works in nice, warm places. This cold weather, it's no good for my hands. Oh the pain," Jimmy said, rubbing his arthritic fingers.
While we stood there talking to Jimmy, other photographers took our picture. Her parents didn't seem to be phased by it.
"Your daughter… she has a lovely girl here! Look, look, how pretty! Oh, makes my heart happy!" Jimmy patted his chest. "She not like those others." He waived a crooked finger in the air. "She's very nice."
"Thank you, sir. That's very kind." I smiled at him.
"See? She call me sir. No other one call me sir. They all say 'Jimmy you go away.' "
I noticed how Jimmy's pants seemed to be two sizes too big. The front of his pants puckered where his belt cinched up the extra fabric. He was looking malnourished.
"Jimmy, are you hungry? I have a half of a sandwich here that I didn't touch. Would you like it?" I handed him the Styrofoam box.
"You give me food?" He looked inside to see the other half of my chicken club wrap and a new bag of chips that I didn't eat.
I nodded my head. "You put that in your belly. I'm going to take Lisa's parents in now. They've had a long trip."
"Bless you, Miss Jennie. Bless you!"
I quickly moved my car to the lot and noticed the old, blue Plymouth parked on the opposite corner of Mulberry Street. Angelica was sitting in her car again. Just seeing her, knowing that she was doing nothing with her life other than stalking us, sent a chill of fright down my spine. I hurried down the alley to my back door to flee psycho girl's view.
"I'm sorry for the disarray, but I'm remodeling. Please come in." I walked them into the main bar area and turned on the dimmer lights. I turned the billiard room light on too so they could see the entire pub.
Bill walked over to the pool table. "So this is where it happened?" He tapped his fingers on the felt, looking at me for confirmation.
My cheeks suddenly became flushed and a wave of panic coursed through my chest. How much did Lisa share with her father? Did she tell her dad about ripping my panties off and bending me over the pool table? Bill was standing in almost the same exact spot.
I looked at him like a deer caught in headlights.
"Where she met you?" her father continued.
Oh, thank God.
"Yes!" I breathed out. "She came through that door and…" I opened my hands.
"Lisa told us how the girls were chasing her," Ellen added. She knew I was keeping the details out.
"Speaking of girls…" I walked over to my front door and retrieved today's pile of love letters. There were at least thirty today.
"You get a lot of mail," Ellen commented.
"It's not my mail. These are all for your daughter. Her admirers have started to leave their love notes in my mail slot. They cover my car with letters too. These girls must think she has a real open-minded girlfriend or something."
"Let me see, please." Bill reached for a sample. I willingly handed him the pile.
He tore one of the envelopes open. This one happened to have a picture of a naked girl in it. I could tell by the way his eyes bugged out in his face.
"They know no boundaries," I muttered. "A few days ago I caught two of them trying to break into my apartment to see her."
"Ellen, it's getting worse. We have to talk to her." Her father was very displeased with whatever he saw in the next few envelopes.
I helped carry their luggage upstairs to my apartment. Bill and Ellen appeared amazed when they saw the lovely conditions their daughter was living in. They showered me with compliments. I had spent extra time cleaning and preparing for their arrival last night to make sure they would be pleased.
"Can I interest you in a glass of wine from one of our wineries?" I took them into the kitchen. Her mother's eyes lit up and a huge smile appeared on her face as she entered. I did have a cool kitchen.
"Jennie, this is magnificent! Bill, look at this stove. I want this stove," she insisted.
I pulled out a new bottle of Chablis and uncorked it. I was in the mood for white wine. Just then I heard Lisa run up the steps.
Lisa dropped her keys off on the entry table by the door and she had a box under her arm when she came into the kitchen. She hugged her father first since she was still standing. Her mom stood up from the table and gave her daughter a big squeeze and a kiss.
"Oh, it's so good to see you," Her mother gushed, rocking her back and forth where she stood. It was such a heart-warming reunion.
As soon as she released her, Lisa came over to me and pulled me in for a nice, respectful hello kiss.
"Hi Honey. How's everyone doing?" she looked around at all of us to make sure we were getting along. Her mother told her about the nice restaurant where we had lunch and how she enjoyed the view of the ocean. I poured four glasses of wine and handed them out.
"Jennie, this is delicious," her father commented, swirling the wine around in his glass.
"Here, check these out." Lisa handed the box over to me. Inside were all different styles of sunglasses. "Some sunglass company wants me to wear their shades. They sent a whole box for me and my lady."
I rolled my eyes at her.
"For real! Look at the letter. See! 'Ms. Manoban, we are honored to provide you with our Fall collection of Sun Jammer Eyewear. We have provided you with styles to suit you as well as a selection of eyewear for your favorite lady.' See? Favorite lady right there in black type." she poked me in the belly on her way to the pantry. Lisa opened the door and removed the bag of chocolate chip cookies.
"Oh no, you have her feeding your fix now?" Ellen scolded.
We took her parents on a tour of the apartment and we put our coats back on to visit the roof patio. Bill and Ellen appeared speechless – up until the point that Ellen stated she wanted to re-do their entire backyard to look like my roof.
I knew Lisa was starving; she was starting to pick at anything she could readily shove in her mouth when we returned to the kitchen. I turned the oven on and pulled out the ingredients I had set aside to make Chicken Cordon Bleu. I pounded the chicken breasts flat while Lisa took down a few layers of the sliced cheese. She was too hungry to be of any use.
"So what do you say, Daughter? Want to lose to your old man in a game of pool?" Her father gave her a nudge.
While the two played downstairs, I prepared dinner. Her mother watched over what I was doing.
"I never thought to put that in with the bread crumbs," she stated. She helped coat the rolled chicken and was amazed by my deviations from the normal recipe. I liked to be creative when I cooked.
Later that evening, we gathered at the oval wooden dining table that was off to the side of my main living room. I hadn't sat at that table for a meal in a very long time. It felt nice to eat as a family again.
"Jennie, this is fabulous," Ellen complimented.
Lisa kicked her foot into mine under the table and winked at me. "I told you she was taking excellent care of me!" she grinned.
"So are you two going to tell us where we are going this weekend or are you going to keep your mother and me in suspense?"
Lisa looked at me and smirked. "Should we tell them or make them suffer like you made me suffer that day?"
I stabbed a few green beans on my plate. "I think we should tell them."
"We are taking you to Jennie's family cabin at the lake, where we are going fishing." She motioned to her father with her fingers. "And you two ladies can go shopping till your feet fall off."
Our evening with her parents slowly came to a close. Lisa had to be back on set early in the morning and her parents were tired from their flight.
I quickly slipped into my bedroom to get my pillow and carried it out to the living room.
Lisa looked at me in utter confusion. She picked my pillow up and started to carry it away.
"Honey, I thought we were going to bed?" she yawned.
"No," I whispered. "Please leave it here. I'm going to sleep out here on the couch."
"Why?" she asked, completely perplexed.
"Your parents," I whispered again.
"What about my parents?"
"Out of respect!" I quietly stated the obvious.
"What are you talking about?" I wished she would keep her voice down.
"Lisa, I'm not going to sleep with you in front of them," I whispered.
"Are you kidding me?" Just as she spoke her mother stepped up behind her.
"What are you two whispering about?" she asked.
"I'm not quite sure, Mom. For some reason Jennie thinks she has to sleep on the couch."
I was thoroughly embarrassed now and had to explain myself.
"I don't want to disrespect you, that's all. It's fine," I politely informed. "I don't mind sleeping out here." I tried to yank my pillow out of Lisa's hand but she wouldn't let it go.
Ellen looked confused and then I saw the light of understanding turn on above her head.
"Oh, sweetie, that's not necessary." She walked over to me and gave me a big hug.
"I appreciate your consideration, but Bill and I are not that old-fashioned." She gently laughed in my ear. "This is your home."
Ellen touched Lisa's cheek while she was rocking me. "You stay with Lisa in your room," she said tenderly. "Oh how I would have loved to have met your parents!" She kissed me on the cheek.
--
"Why did you think you had to sleep out on the couch?" Lisa asked privately in our bedroom. She pulled our comforter up over my shoulder.
I shrugged, slightly self-conscious. "I just don't want your parents to have the wrong impression of me, that's all. I wasn't raised that way."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that! You've already made a good impression on my parents today," Lisa whispered, inching her way down the bed until our eyes were level.
"My dad talked my ear off when we played pool. He was rambling on about how intelligent you are and how I could learn a thing or two about money management from you."
"I'm glad they like me; relieved actually. It's very important that they approve." I shifted to be closer to her, gently rubbing her neck while we talked.
"Oh, they approve all right! You've won them over, that's for sure." She brushed my hair back. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"
"No," I whispered, egging her on. "How much?"
"Let me show you," she whispered. She softly kissed my lips, once, twice, before her wet mouth moved with mine.
--
I was up and out of bed before everyone else so I could spend some extra time showering and getting ready. I was already nervous and slightly jittery thinking about going on my first major motion picture movie set. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think about doing what I would be doing today.
"Are you excited?" Lisa asked, pulling my heart necklace out from behind my shirt while we waited by the back door.
"Nervous." I half-smiled. My stomach was in knots.
It was still dark outside when our car arrived. It was too early for the paparazzi to be up. Lisa's day usually started before the sun came up. I was relieved knowing that her parents would be with me throughout this experience.
We briefly paused at the security gate and then proceeded to drive further onto the lot. The limo wove through several rows of trailers and other trucks before stopping by a long, white trailer.
"Here, you'll need these." Lisa handed us badges on long cotton cords to identify that we were permitted on set.
She had her blue papers rolled up in her hand.
"I have to go to makeup and get my face done. Jen, come with me." Lisa took me by the hand. "Mom, Dad… I'll see you over there." She pointed to the direction of where she'd be filming.
Her bodyguard Mike and another man escorted us to a long trailer. Inside were several beautician chairs and a complete makeup counter with mirrors. The second we were through the door, several people started to attend to Lisa. She had barely a moment to introduce me to the special effects makeup team. The people I met were polite, but they had a job to do and little time to do it. Everyone was in a rush.
First Lisa had to change into her wardrobe; she had to wear dark pants and a white button down cotton shirt that was pre-speckled with what looked like blood. Then she was covered in a cotton shawl and several makeup artists went right to work on her.
She just sat there while they covered her in creams and pigments, using sponges and brushes and all sorts of items I had never seen before. The one makeup artist, an older Asian lady wearing red, thick-rimmed glasses with her long ebony hair pulled back into a ponytail, started brushing purple pigment below Lisa's left eye. By the time they were done with her, she looked like she was on the losing end of a fistfight, down to the dried fake blood coming out of her nostril.
She smiled and winked at me. "I look pretty rough, huh?"
Even though I just watched them transform her into this bloodied mess, I almost wanted to cry seeing her looking so beat up. Instead, I smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Fred said he'd do this to my face if I ever broke your heart. Guess I better not do that then."
I was glad to know that she was totally unaware of my eavesdropping during her conversation with Fred. I rolled my eyes at her comment, pretending to have heard it for the first time.
Another male assistant was chattering back and forth over a hand-held radio. "Lisa, they're ready for you over on set nine."
Moments later, we were whisked away on the back of an ordinary golf cart, her bodyguard Mike dutifully by her side. Once we stopped, Lisa quickly spoke into my ear.
"You're going to see some stunts today and, at the end of this scene I have to… kiss…" Her face twisted in disgust. "Her."
We walked onto the set; I had to blink several times to realize that this ornate castle hall was actually built inside an ordinary warehouse.
"Jake, please send someone for my parents. I want them here with Jennie," Lisa requested. "You should be okay here. No heckling!" she kissed my forehead before rushing away.
I was hiding off to the side of the one wall, trying to stay out of the way. Thick black electrical cords twisted and twined all over the floors. There were bright lights, scaffolding, and all kinds of gadgets everywhere. I was petrified that I might accidentally bump something expensive or someone important. People were hustling all around me. Some were wearing headphones or carrying a piece of technical equipment. Clipboards, cameras, lighting adjustments, it was like random chaos all around.
I felt a hand touch my back and realized that Lisa's mom was next to me now.
"Overwhelming, isn't it?" she asked. I was in a daze watching it all unfold around me.
A woman wearing headphones around her neck approached us. "Hi! Welcome! You may want to move over there to get a better view. Come with me."
I looked around for Lisa; she was standing with several men and they were all moving their arms in the air, like they were discussing how Lisa should throw her punch. It appeared to be a rehearsal before they filmed the scene. An older man, who was short, almost bald, wearing headphones around his neck and carrying some device that looked like a small telescope stepped over to talk to Lisa.
"That's the director," her dad said.
Lisa spent a good amount of time nodding and discussing how she was supposed to move.
"I think that guy to Lisa's left is the stunt coordinator."
I was glad her father was standing behind me explaining things. I had no idea who any of these people were.
I heard someone yell "quiet on the set." I tried not to breathe.
I watched a man hold the clapper board out in front of the camera.
Lisa took her position in the fake room. I could see her image on three small video screens near the director.
"Rolling," someone else yelled.
"Action," the director called out.
Lisa took a few steps and then was attacked by a man in a cloak. Lisa threw a right hook and a cord pulled the man she punched back onto a pile of foam.
Was that it? Everyone was mingling around on the set again. I looked at her father. "Did they just film that?"
Bill smiled at me. "I think so."
Lisa had to get back into position and then she fought the same man again. It took them almost an hour to film this one particular scene. They shot it from so many different angles.
The only time I knew when they weren't filming was when the makeup artist was touching up her face. I was constantly wondering how everyone knew what was going on. Either you had a job where you had to run around and scramble or your job was to stand around and look important.
"Hey girl! I heard you were here." Ali gave me a hug.
"Hey Ali! Oh, it's good to see you!" I was relieved to see another familiar face in this chaos.
"Hi Ellen, Bill! Here to see your girl in action, huh? What's she doing now?" Ali looked around to see where Lisa was. "Oh, great. Make way for the queen."
I saw Mina walk through another entrance. Of course she glanced over to see that I was standing there. Her eyes opened wider once she saw me.
"You're going to be cool with this, right?" Ali bumped my arm. "She has to, um, kiss her now. Yuk! You don't have to look if you think it might bother you."
In reality I wanted to see this. I needed to have this experience of seeing her… act. "I'll be all right," I murmured.
Mina seemed unfazed that I was there; actually she seemed to be in a good mood. She was laughing and sort of carrying on with Lisa. Lisa laughed too at whatever she said. It was a relief to know that their relationship wasn't totally ruined because of me.
After what seemed to be an extraordinary long time they finally got into their positions to film the scene. Lisa's eyes locked on mine for a moment; it was like she was trying to send me a message telepathically. I knew what was coming next.
I was too far away to hear the dialogue that they exchanged, but the scene involved Lisa to still appear bruised and bloodied. She grabbed the upper part of her arms and they seemed to fight each other. She wasn't supposed to like the grip she had on her. Mina reached up to slap Lisa in the face and Liss grabbed her by the wrist. I remembered when we played pool that very first day; how I tried to teasingly nudge her and she caught me the same way in mid air around my wrist.
With her other hand Lisa grabbed her around the back of her neck and forcefully pulled her in for a kiss. After a brief second of Mina fighting it, she surrendered to Lisa's lips.
I took a deep breath through my nose while Lisa kissed her. It was harder than I thought it would be to see the one I was in love with kiss another woman. I knew it was pretend but the burn of jealousy still pulsed through me. I unconsciously curled my fingers into fists by my sides; my fingernails dug into my palms. Her mother placed her hand on my shoulder as reassurance that it was going to be all right.
When I couldn't take it anymore, I looked down to the ground then turned my gaze to the opposite wall. Something struck me as odd – why is that man over there taking pictures of Lisa kissing Mina? He didn't use a flash on his camera.
"How are you doing?" Ali whispered to me. I could hear the tension and concern in her tone.
Mina really played it up; my presence was encouraging her Oscar-worthy performance for sure.
"I want to peel her off of her and set her on fire, but I'll get through it."
The director yelled, "Cut."
Ali laughed, amused by my comment. "It will get easier with time. You at least have the satisfaction of knowing that Lisa's hating this part of her job."
"Is she really?" I wasn't so sure by the looks of it.
"See, Ellen! Jennie wants to crack Mina in half. This girl is definitely in love with your daughter." Ali wistfully danced in place.
"I don't want to crack anyone," I quickly replied. I didn't want her parents to think I was obsessive or controlling.
Their kissing scene had halted and the director was talking to both of them. They nodded at her as she gave her direction. Apparently they had to do it again. I watched as they ran through their dialogue again, Lisa had her by the arms again, and once again Lisa grabbed her by the back of the neck. This time Mina fought her a little longer before surrendering.
The second time wasn't as bad as the first, although it still bothered me to see her kissing someone else. My mind scanned over all the various movies I had seen in my lifetime and all the kisses that were exchanged on film. All those kisses had to look believable to sell the feel of the movie. I thought about one of my favorite actors and how she had to kiss the actress in one of his movies. But yet at night she went home to his lovely wife and their children.
I can do this, I told myself. Her lips belong to me – she even told me so. It's just pretend; I'm hers – she's mine.
I was in mid discussion with Ali and her parents about some of the background story to this movie when Lisa slipped her hands around my waist. I wasn't expecting it, so I jumped slightly from her touch.
"What did you think?" she whispered in my ear.
"I think you looked pretty tough fighting that guy. I thought you actually punched him! It looked real from this angle." I giggled as she held her hands to my stomach.
"That's movie magic!" she snickered.
"I think you have a cool job," I murmured back to her.
"And what about the other part?" Lisa asked tentatively. She whispered her words on my neck.
I knew what she was referring to – kissing the… Mina.
"First time was very difficult but the second, um, take? That was slightly easier. She seemed to put more effort into it though, probably because I'm here."
"I have to agree. Her performance was definitely for your benefit," she said. "Maybe you should be here every day? Did you see how nice she was to me?"
We took a walk around the area and Lisa showed us her trailer. It was really nice inside; like a mini apartment on wheels. She made sure to show me the large bed in the back where she naps sometimes when she isn't needed on set. The bedroom in her trailer had a large television built into the wall and her refrigerator was stocked with her favorite soda.
I was in Lisa's trailer when Tammy called.
"Jennie, my brother called me. He has some information on that girl. You may want to go to the police. Jennie, she's not well."
Lisa was watching me; her eyebrows were pulled together in confusion, trying to figure out my conversation.
"Can you be more specific," I asked her.
"You have to realize that Tony isn't supposed to do this kind of stuff. You can't tell anyone, especially when you talk to the police, okay?"
I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask her, but since I had an audience I had to be cryptic. I was instantly concerned when she said that.
"I understand. Please… go on."
"I'm going to read you the report he gave me. Angelica Staunton, age 31, former addresses are Bridgeport, NJ, Brooklyn, NY, and there's one address on her in Los Angeles. She's been arrested three times; once for prostitution in New York and twice for other offenses in California. Jennie, ten years ago she had a restraining order put out on her. When she was in L.A. she was accused of stalking another celebrity. Her second was for a violation of a court order. Her third arrest was for breaking and entering – she was found at three in the morning, bathing naked in the swimming pool at the celebrity's home. I can't tell you the celebrity's name because Tony wouldn't give that to me."
I took a deep breath through my nose and squeezed my eyes shut. This girl was now stalking my girlfriend.
I stepped into the bedroom area of Lisa's trailer. "Has she ever done physical harm?" I whispered.
"There's nothing in the report other than her making threats, but she's definitely a stalker. I wouldn't take my chances."
"Thanks, Tammy. I owe you one."
"What's going on?" Lisa asked inquisitively.
"Nothing." I half-heartily smiled. "I'll tell you later." I ran my finger down my nose so she would know I was lying.
After lunch we drove to another location offsite. Lisa had her face touched up; more purple pigment was added under her eye. She told me that the entire movie was shot out of sequence. She explained to me why they did that. I never knew that movies were filmed that way. I always thought that they were filmed as the movie progressed, just like a stage play.
We drove to an ordinary house by the beach, which would be her next location for filming. As we drove down the street, we were inundated with scores of female fans of all ages, shapes, and sizes, all screaming for their favorite actor.
We were ushered inside quickly. Lisa waited behind. The minute she stepped out of the car, the fans screamed. I watched her from the doorway; her bodyguards shielded her as they moved her from the car to the house. Lisa barely acknowledged the crowd. Somehow the paparazzi knew where to find her and we were all photographed exiting the limo, but the cameras clicked double-time when she was in view. My love was constantly under the microscope.
Lisa had some pretty intense lines that she had to say in the scenes that were filmed in the house. Each of her lines was expertly delivered. For the first time since I met her, she was different. She wasn't Lisa - she was Blake. She truly amazed me. I could see why her fans adored her. But despite her professional demeanor and her superb acting skills, I adored her for different reasons.
I was actually tired from spending an entire day in her world. I think it was all the standing around and doing nothing but watching that tired me out. I was used to running around and keeping active to do my job; her work was more mentally tiring than anything. I grinned at her as she joked with the crew. Even though it was serious business to film, everyone was having fun and being very supportive.
On our way home down Mulberry Street I spotted her, Angelica, sitting in her blue Plymouth across the street from the parking lot where I park my car.
I unconsciously gripped Lisa's arm and gasped.
"What?" she looked to see my expression of terror. "Jen, Honey?"
"Nothing. I'll tell you later." Instinctively I slumped down in the seat to get my head below window level.
Fred was still inside the pub kitchen, hammering away. The old counter was gone and he had the new wall partially built already. I was shocked to see how far he had gotten.
Lisa and her parents started talking with Fred about construction stuff; I was a little distraught so I headed upstairs. It didn't take me long to crawl onto the bed.
"Jen, are you tired?" Lisa asked, finding me in the bedroom. She shoved her pillow under her arm. "So what was that all about in the car earlier? Why did you grab my arm like that?"
"She was sitting in her freaking car again," I muttered into my pillow.
"Who? What are you talking about?"
"Angel. Or Angelica Staunton as she's really known." I looked at her with fear in my eyes. "Curly-haired, gap-toothed girl? I think she's been following you… and me. She followed me to CostMart the other day. She was in the bar that day you signed autographs, and now once again she's just sitting in her car on Mulberry Street. Honey, she scares the hell out of me."
Two seconds later she pulled her phone out and made a call. "My manager says we should go to the police and file a complaint."
Lisa sat back down on the bed. "Jennie, I'm not mad, but you have to promise me that you'll tell me immediately if anyone is following you or scaring you. You know that these girls are… well - you know. Just promise you'll tell me right away," she insisted.
I nodded. "I promise."
Lisa looked perfect in her black pants and white button down shirt. I put on my new black cocktail dress and adjusted the empire waist satin sash.
She took the little black box off of my dresser and held it open, reminding me of the diamond earrings I'd been avoiding.
"Please. Humor me," she insisted.
I hesitated and took a deep breath. I was holding the twined hearts pendant in my fingers as it rested on my neck.
"I'm not taking them back, so you might as well wear them!" she put the box in my hand. "Listen, they are a gift, from my heart to you. You do nice and thoughtful things for me; I do nice and thoughtful things for you. Equal partners," she stressed.
I couldn't argue, even though I felt awkward for accepting them.
The restaurant was very accommodating, even blocking off an entire room for us to dine in private. Several customers gasped when Lisa walked through the main dining area, and I noticed it was the ladies who immediately recognized her. Mike and our driver, who was also a bodyguard, blocked the entrance to our section of the restaurant so no one would bother us during our dinner.
"Mom." Lisa raised her glass to offer a toast. "To the best mother in the world! Happy Birthday!" she leaned over to her and gave her a hug and kiss. "We have gifts for you, but I thought it best to save those until later when you can open them in private." She looked around the restaurant.
I knew that people were watching; any of them capable of reporting the details of our evening to the tabloids. I was catching on to Lisa's hesitations and reasons behind each of her actions. We could not help but be paranoid.
"Jennie made you a birthday cake. After dinner we'll go back to our place."
A wave of elation surged through me when she said 'our place' to her parents.
"I hope you like chocolate," I said in happy response.
We were about an hour into our dinner when a new wave of female patrons entered the restaurant. We could hear their giggling and commotion in our private room.
"Guess the word's out." Lisa smirked. I couldn't tell if she was bothered by it or in some way liked the attention.
"That's something your mother and I wanted to talk to you about, Daughter. We're very concerned about all these fans and their behavior."
Lisa opened her mouth to speak but her father cut her off.
"Now before you start reassuring me that you have it all under control, I saw some of those letters that these girls are leaving for you in Jennie's door and I must say that their forward behavior is alarming." Bill rubbed his forehead, just like Lisa does when she's stressed.
"You know your mother and I will support you in your decisions but when your decisions put you and your family in danger, well I have to speak my mind about that."
"Anyone who is in the public eye has fans, Dad." Lisa tried to dismiss her father's concern. "I don't think you and mom are in any danger."
"I realize that, Daughter, but these fans of yours are leaving their perverted notes for you in this young lady's front door." Bill motioned his hand in my direction. "I see how much you care for her so I'm including her in our family when I speak."
"I know." Lisa rubbed her forehead now. "I'm having extra alarms put on her apartment and I'm thinking about hiring personal security to watch over her when I can't." She looked at me; her expression waited for my reaction. I sighed and held my tongue.
"Daughter, this is exactly what I'm talking about! Your brother, your mother and me, we don't need bodyguards to go to work every day. There's a reason why you have these men surrounding you, protecting you. If there was no danger, then you wouldn't need protection! You know we are proud of you and we want you to be successful but not if it's going to put you in harms way." Bill shook his head fiercely.
My mind immediately flashed to Angelica sitting in her car, watching our every move. Waiting for… what? An opportunity? To find a weak spot in our armor?
"Dad, no one is going to hurt us," Lisa said quite confidently. Funny how two hours ago she made phone calls about our gap-toothed stalker. I squeezed her thigh with my hand. I didn't care for her lying like that to her parents either.
"I won't let anything happen to you." She patted my hand to reassure me.
"I just wish you would give some thought to what else you could do with your life that doesn't affect your safety. We'd be just as proud of you if you did something else," Bill informed.
"I know. I've been thinking about it, actually. Jennie's been giving me some good ideas." She winked at me.
I had no idea what she was referring to.
"But that will have to wait. You know I've signed a few contracts to do other movies. I can't back out now."
I wasn't so sure that Lisa wanted to back out of anything even if she could. She really loved being an actor and she was really good at it! She was able to slip into a completely different persona and actually convince the outside world that she was someone else.
"And what are your thoughts on of all of this, Jennie?" her father asked.
I took a moment to gather my thoughts. "I think that Lisa is truly passionate about being an actor, and it's what she wants to do for a career. I've seen today with my own eyes that she is a brilliant actor. If, one day, she doesn't want to do this anymore, well then, it will have to be her decision. I'll support her with whatever choices she makes."
My eyes shifted from addressing her father to looking at Lisa. There were too many people roaming around the restaurant so I kept my voice low. "You know how I feel about you. I want you to be happy no matter what you do for a living. We'll deal with whatever life throws our way."
She smiled, squeezing my hand privately under the table.
Leaving the restaurant reminded me of seeing the red carpet interviews on television.
Mike flanked Lisa; Lisa had her hand in the small of my back, guiding me along.
Word had obviously gotten out that Lisa was in the restaurant. Her fans were lined up on both sides of the walkway outside. A few young girls who looked like they had yet to reach puberty were mixed in with all the other teenagers and women who were there to get a glimpse of Lisa Manoban. Oh how they screamed for her.
Fear struck me once again as our car turned the final corner to deliver us home. Angelica's car was still parked on the side street, just a short distance from my car. I squeezed Lisa's hand tightly several times to get her attention. When she looked at me I nodded in the direction of the old blue Plymouth. Her lips curled, ready to utter the "F" word. She held her anger inside.
"When we come back from the cabin, I'll take care of that," she muttered privately in my ear so her parents wouldn't hear.
"I think she's sleeping in her car," I whispered back to her.
The paparazzi were lined up in the alley behind my bar; I guess they realized by now that this was her main entry/exit point. I stepped out of the car first with Mike and immediately the cameras started to flash. It was hard to get the key in the door while being blinded by the flashes.
Once we were upstairs, we gave her mom her birthday gifts.
"This one is from Lisa." I handed her the bag with the jewelry in it. Lisa frowned at me, apparently for saying that it was just from her.
She opened the bag and removed a small, black box. Inside were gold and diamond earrings in a channel setting. Elegant and tasteful, just as I would have expected for her mother. She too, stated that they were too much.
I looked at Lisa and smirked. Obviously I wasn't the only one who thought her gifts to be a bit extravagant.
I handed her a larger gift bag. "This one is from both of us. Careful, it's heavy."
"What did you two buy?" she questioned, feeling the weight of the bag.
"We didn't buy anything, Mom. We made that!"
I smiled, remembering that day fondly. She removed the tissue paper that surrounded the frame.
"Oh my! This is absolutely beautiful!" Her face lit up, looking at the frame in the light. "You made this?"
"Lisa cut and ground all of the glass and even did most of the soldering," I stated proudly, wrapping my arm around her waist.
She put her arm around my shoulder. "I had an excellent teacher!"
"I can't believe you made this!" Ellen rose from the couch and hugged us both. "Thank you!" she said as she kissed us one at a time. "I love it! I absolutely love it! Now maybe I could get you two to pose so I can take a picture of you while you're all dressed up. That way I'll have the perfect picture to put in this beautiful frame."
This was one photo I didn't mind posing for.
The next morning, I hurried down the alley to get my car, much to Lisa's dislike, but I wanted to move the car closer to the back door. I didn't want to haul all our bags down the street and give the photographers even more fuel for their tabloid lies. It was bad enough that the paparazzi followed me down the alley.
We packed the trunk and Lisa smiled briefly when I handed her the keys. I knew that gripping the steering wheel and pressing the gas pedal in my car would make her happy. She got some sort of elation from driving; whether it was fleeing the photographers and fans or if it was simply the exhilaration of speed, I wasn't sure.
"White van just pulled behind us," I informed Lisa while we waited at a red traffic light two blocks away from the pub.
"Don't worry, I'll lose them." She thoroughly enjoyed testing the limits of my car on the open highway.
Lisa's driving got us to the cabin in an hour and a half. We had lost the pursuing photographers within the first ten minutes of our trip.
Her parents were pleasantly shocked to see our final destination. Her father kept patting her on the back and smiling although neither of us owned the property she was being congratulated for.
After everyone was situated, Lisa and I took the boat out of the garage so she and her father could go fishing. I rode on the back of the four-wheeler with her, nestling my nose into her neck that was no longer unfamiliar territory. This time our relationship was completely different from the last time we were here. I remembered wondering if we would ever be a couple and here we were, a couple.
"Jennie, this place is magnificent!" Ellen said, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. We stood on the embankment overlooking the lake. The weather was chilly but sunny with perfect blue skies.
"One day," Lisa said happily. "Right, Honey?"
I shrugged my reply, hoping, but still not banking on anything. Not this soon, anyway. I wondered why Lisa felt so sure so soon. Is there really such a thing as love at first sight, or was she trying to convince herself that this was what she wanted? I didn't want to second-guess my feelings though, for I was truly, madly in love with her.
"One day what?" her mom asked.
"Have a place like this." Lisa beamed. "Bigger house, but on a lake."
"What bigger house?" Bill inquired, placing his hand on Lisa's shoulder.
"Just talking about having a house of my own one day, Dad. I can't live in hotels forever."
"Good. You should buy a home of your own. Don't throw your money away renting some place. A house is a good investment. After all, you certainly can afford it now, Daughter."
"I want to design it myself, though. Well, not completely on my own." She wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "I know this talented woman - she designed an awesome kitchen and the most amazing rooftop patio I've ever seen. I think I'll ask her how big of a closet she wants. Put in a whole art studio room just for making stained glass?"
I smiled at her but inside I was freaking out. We'd only been together for a month and already I was going to be designing a house with her? Was she serious? She looked serious. She surely sounded serious.
"So, what are you ladies going to do today?" Lisa asked, hugging me from behind at the edge of the water. Her mother walked away to speak to her father; they headed towards the dock. I really think she just wanted to give us a moment of privacy.
"I think we're going to the outlet mall today. I want to stop at the one antique store. I haven't been there in years. Maybe we'll do that tomorrow though."
She partially released me to reach into her front pocket. Then I felt her stuff something into the right front pocket of my jeans.
"That's a thousand," she whispered in my ear. "I want you to spend it on anything your heart desires."
I slouched in her arms; my body language showing my displeasure of her gesture. "Lisa."
"Jennie, please. Go have fun with my mom. Enjoy yourself."
"Did your father shove a thousand dollars in your mom's pocket, too?" I softly asked.
"I honestly don't know," she admitted. "My parents have been married for thirty-four years and they share everything, money included." She sighed in my ear. "And my father didn't recently cash another five million dollar paycheck with another eight million coming."
I pinched my eyes closed. "I don't want your money, Lisa." I felt horrible for allowing it.
"I know," she murmured on my neck, stopping my hand from leaving my pocket. "Consider this practice for the next thirty-four years."
"Well if or when the thirty-four years officially starts, we can have this conversation again," I said gently. I pulled the money out of my pocket and tried to hand it back to her but she wouldn't take it.
"So are you telling me we have to be married first before I can even attempt to spoil you and share what I have?" she groaned.
"No. It's just… that's a lot of money, Lisa!"
She snickered in my ear. "No, that's not a lot of money. That's not even enough to buy a pair of shoes in Beverly Hills."
I rolled my eyes, even though she didn't see my reaction.
"If you love me like you say you do, then what's the problem? I want to make you happy."
I knew exactly where she was going with this. Her chest was pressed to my back, her arms held me in position, and next she was going to try and trip me up in words.
"I do love you. I love that you want to take care of me. But this…" I held the money up, "does not equal happiness or love." I knew she wanted to treat me well but part of me felt like she was trying to buy my affection.
She wrapped her left arm across my chest. "Jennie, I know you're a self-sufficient, independent woman and I love that about you. And loving you means that I want to take care of you - physically, emotionally, and financially. If I wanted to piss you off today I would have shoved a hundred grand in your pocket," she growled in my ear.
I slumped in her arm.
"Yours, mine, ours…" She shoved the bills deeper into my pocket with her long fingers. "Didn't you say once it was just details? That this is what matters?" she patted her right hand over my heart.
I leaned my head back on her shoulder and nodded reluctantly in defeat. I had to agree with her; after all, she did volley my own words back at me.
"Your parents took care of each other. My parents take care of each other. You've been taking care of me – just let me try to take care of you." She trailed the tip of her nose up and down my neck, knowing how much it makes my will crumble. "Please?"
Her lips brushed my skin. "Go have fun with my mom. Buy yourself some new clothes or shoes or some fruity-soapy stuff. Whatever makes you happy," she uttered persuasively in my ear. She released me, confidently knowing that she had just reduced me to a pile of rubble.
I drove to the outlet mall first; there were enough stores there to keep us busy for an entire day. The money Lisa shoved in my pocket felt like it weighed eighty pounds; maybe it was my guilt for accepting it that weighed that much.
I instantly felt better about spending her money when the first thing I bought was three new pairs of jeans for her. After seeing all the items that constituted her wardrobe, she needed some new pants. Her mother shook her head at me when I pulled some of the cash out of my pocket.
She waited until we were out of the store to reprimand me.
"I know Lisa wanted you to spend that money on yourself, not on her." Her expression was tender and disapproving all at the same time.
"She desperately needs new jeans. Believe it or not, she only has a few pair. A lot of her clothing was stolen from the hotel." I quickly justified my actions.
"You truly are as selfless as she said you are." She pulled me by the elbow into a trendy clothing store.
I found a few articles of clothing that I liked. Her mother was pleased that I had finally selected things for myself.
I didn't think I had enough cash left in my pocket, so I grabbed my bankcard out of my wallet. The young girl behind the counter was looking at me strangely as she examined my card for a signature.
"Jennie!" Her mother's reproachful tone caught me by surprise.
"Holy cow!" the young girl behind the counter blurted. "You're Jennie! Jennie Kim!"
"Do I know you?"
"You're dating Lisa Manoban, right?"
I looked at her mother. I didn't know where else to look.
"It is you! Oh my God! Is she here too?" Her eyes wielded around the store.
"No dear, she's not." Her mother answered her question. "May I have that card please? We're going to pay with cash instead."
The cashier was smiling frantically at me. "You are so freaking lucky! She is so hot! I saw Seaside like thirty times already. Oh my God! Wait until I tell my friends that I met you!" She jumped around like someone was electrocuting her.
"Wait, are you Lisa Manoban's mom? Oh my God, Oh my God! Do you both mind if I take your picture? Please?" She was already pulling her cell phone out of her pocket.
"You want to take our picture?" I asked, totally confused by her frantic behavior. Why would she want our picture? We aren't the ones who are famous. Ellen wrapped her arm around my waist and we both quickly smiled for the picture. It was over in a second.
Ellen handed my bankcard back to me and tapped me in the pocket to use the cash instead. I shook my head no but she tapped me harder in the leg. It was like Lisa had her own private watchdog monitoring me. Reluctantly I used the cash.
I held the door open for her when we left the store. "That was weird."
"Was that your first time, Dear?"
"First time?" First time for what? Spending her money?
"To be recognized, without Lisa being with you?" Ellen said.
"By a stranger, yes." I swallowed hard from the excitement.
She laughed softly. "I never deny it when people ask if she's my daughter. But I'm sure you know that I never say anything beyond that! After a while you'll get used to it, that and the cameras."
"I wish you would have let me use my card to pay for the clothing. It bothers me to spend her money," I grumbled.
Ellen smiled and slipped her hand around the inside of my elbow. "Do you know that you are the first girl she has introduced us to in over five years?"
"Really? I find that hard to believe," I muttered, completely astonished. I thought maybe her memory was fading. "Surely you met the girl she was dating when the first Seaside movie started filming? Wasn't she from Pittsburgh?"
"What girl from Pittsburgh?" Ellen asked.
"The girl she was dating from the amateur theater? she said she visited her in Maine when she was there filming."
"Oh, yes, I remember now. That one… her name was Brooke. She was the girl who tried to use Lisa to further her acting career. We did meet her once, but that was when she was in a stage play with Lisa back in Pittsburgh. She ended up moving to California and she hunted Lisa down. Lisa told us about her but we never met her when they were together. She made quite a mess for Lisa in the papers too with her lies," she said, slipping her purse strap back over her shoulder.
"No, the last girl she introduced us to was the girl she was dating her second year in college. Her name was Mandy, but they broke up when she started performing with the theater troupe. Actually she broke up with Lisa come to think of it. That's right… she left Lisa for someone else. Anyway, I hung up on her when she called the house after Seaside premiered. All of a sudden she was good enough for her again."
"But I'm sure she's dated a lot of women since then?" I stated the obvious.
"Oh well, yes, I suppose she's dated quite a few. But that was all before she became well-known." The expression on her face turned to sadness.
"She lived in California for a while and she met a lot of girls. I heard all about them – well at least the ones she told me about, but we never met any of them. All users and takers if you ask me. Lisa was pretty serious with this one girl she met in Los Angeles, but that ended quickly when she forged one of her checks to pay for a boob job."
She shook her head; the memory seemed to anger her. "But since Seaside premiered, it's been tough for her. Lisa dated this actress a few months ago but she broke it off with her so she could date another actor. The papers sure had a field day with that one too."
I wondered if she knew about Rosé or was she referring to someone else? She left me no time to ask.
"But you, my dear, she can't stop talking about you! You have captured her heart! As her mother, I see she is at a different stage of her life now. She's finally growing up. I think she is realizing that her dreams of being a famous actor come along with a lot of pain and heartache."
"She and I have had quite a few talks about that," I admitted. "And honestly, I think things would be fine if the media just left her alone. I just wish I knew how to protect her without making things worse."
"Well, maybe you won't have to. She told me several times that she is not sure if this is what she wants to do for the rest of her life. I think other priorities are presenting themselves since she has met you. She just about gave up hope finding someone who would love her for her. Do you know what I'm trying to say? She's already told me that you're the one she wants to…"
"There they are!" We heard several young women shout, interrupting our conversation. The girls were walking fast down the sidewalk towards us with smiles on their faces.
"Is she here? Where is she?" one of the girls asked exuberantly. Her eyes were desperately searching in the store windows.
"That is her! And her mother!" Another girl was almost running down the walkway. She had a cell phone up to her ear.
"Ellen, let's go." I grabbed her arm and we dashed out into the parking lot.
What did Lisa tell her? I'm the one she wants to what? So much for knowing; now her fans were chasing us.