Celeb Crush (11 page)

“Yeah.  He liked it.”  I glare at him.  “What was with all the touching and lovey-dovey shit?”

“What, I’m a method actor.  I always give a hundred percent in every performance.”  He grins at my scowl.  “Your family’s great.  I like them.”

For some reason, I’m embarrassed.  “Yeah.  Sorry about all the questions, though.  They were really excited to meet you.”

“No, it’s fine.”  Luke is silent for a few moments.  Then he says, “I like knowing more about you.  You don’t really talk about yourself much.”

I’m surprised at that.  “What do you mean?  We talk all the time.  You know everything about me.”

Luke shakes his head, looking frustrated.  “No, I know certain facts and events, but you don't talk about how they affected you."

I’m confused.  “Huh?”

He sighs.  “I know my life story is out there on the internet for everyone to see.  But most of it is bullshit.  Aside from you and a few others, no one knows the real me, not really.  You know I’m from a broke down trailer park in Cornfuck, Texas.  And that my dad was a crazy asshole—and my mom left me when I was ten.  You know things about me that I’ve never told anyone about before…”

He trails off, staring moodily out the windshield.  I study at him out of the corner of my eye.  “What’s up with you?  Are you having withdrawals, or something?”

He laughs incredulously.  “From what?  I’m not addicted to anything.”

“Sex, danger, alcohol.”  I tick them off on my fingers.  “When was the last time you did any of those things?”

“I had a couple of beers this morning; my life is in danger every time
you
drive.  As for sex—” Luke leans back in his seat, resting a hand an arm along his window.  “It’s been a while.”

“How long is ‘a while’?” I ask curiously.  “Three days?”

He throws me a sideways look, a corner of his mouth lifting up.  “You asking me about my sex life, Andi?”

“Kind of,” I admit. 

His chuckle is low and rusty.  “Uhhh…let’s see…it’s actually been a couple of weeks.”

“Really?  That’s a long time.  For you.”

“Yeah, I guess.  So, what about you, huh?  How long has it been for you?”

I don’t bother being insulted that he assumes I’m not getting any.  “Two years."

“What—for real?  That long?”  Luke sounds horrified.

“Yes,” I say defiantly.

“You mean that guy, Bran—he was the last one you were with?”

“The first and the last, yes.”  I decide to turn on the radio to discourage this line of questioning.  A male announcer is extolling the virtues of Viagra.  I turn it up.

“Damn,” Luke murmurs under his breath.  Then in a louder voice he asks, "Do you miss it?"

I don't even have to think about it.   "I don't."

"Then he was doing it wrong."  He shakes his head.  “Hey, what about when we were in Maui last year?  You never hooked up with Ryan Costas?  You two were getting pretty friendly at the bar.”

“Um, no.”  I roll my eyes.  “I wasn’t interested in him like that.  And don’t you remember?  You threw him against a wall 'cause you thought he grabbed my ass."

“I did?  Was I drunk?”

“Extremely.”  I decide to change the subject.  “So, did you want to go to the gym tonight?”

“Huh?  Oh, hell, yeah.”  He pats his flat tummy.  “Gotta work off dinner somehow.”

“Me, too.”  I notice that I’ve just run a red light.  “Luke?”

“Yeah?”

I stare straight ahead.  “Maybe the public doesn't know all your dirty secrets—but they know your smile is real.  They know that your humbleness and your gratitude towards your fans are genuine.  That’s all a part of who you really are, and that’s why they love you."

Luke is quiet for a few seconds.  “Thanks, Andi," he says at last, sounding taken aback.

"Uh-huh."

Okay, that’s a heartwarming speech for me.  And now I feel emotionally exhausted.  It’s been a stressful night.

Fortunately Luke stays quiet after that.  We go back to Ellen’s to grab our workout stuff, and then head to the gym.   Luke unlocks the front door with no problem, and we are in.  The entire front of the place is lightly tinted glass, so we only turn on the light in the back so we’re less visible should anyone happen to wander by.  Though I warn Luke to take it easy, he goes straight to the weights. I shrug and head for the elliptical.  I don’t really have a workout routine.  I just choose whichever equipment I feel like working out on at the time, and I stay for however long I feel like.  I pop my ear buds in and crank up my iPod.  I’m in my zone, and I totally don’t notice when Luke takes his shirt off, and the way his muscles ripple as he pumps iron.  Or the focused intense expression he gets on his face when he works out.  It’s pretty sexy, though.

Not that I notice.

Chapter 10

Luke comes in from his morning run while Ellen and I are eating breakfast.  He’s sweaty and shirtless, and poor Ellen can’t stop staring at him.  That kind of annoys me.  What if he really was my boyfriend?  I’d have to slap her.  Seriously, she’s acting like a hormone-crazed teenager.  Look at her watching that glistening bead of sweat run down the defined ridges of Luke’s abs.  Shameful.

“Good morning, ladies,” he says cheerfully, leaning down to steal a slice of bacon from my plate.

I swipe at him, and my hand hits air.  Damn his reflexes.  And why does he always take food from my plate?  Can’t he just get his own?  Damn actors.

“Good morning, Lucas!  So, what are you up to today?” Ellen asks, beaming as she watches him grab a bottled water from the fridge.

“Well, that’s up to Andi,” he replies, leaning against the counter.  He takes a drink from his water, swallowing half the bottle in one long gulp.

“What?” I say.  “You know I’m going dress-shopping with Megan.”

“Uh-huh.  Mind if I tag along?”

“You want to go dress-shopping with us?” I reiterate slowly, like I’m talking to a three year old.  Luke hates to shop, especially for clothes.  He considers it a special kind of torture.  And for clothes that’s not even for him?  Forget it.

“Yeah,” He shrugs at me.  “I get to spend more time with you, and I get to watch beautiful girls try on dresses.  Sounds like a fun day.”

Ellen goes, “aww!” while I narrow my eyes at him.  He wants to come so he can ogle Megan in her wedding dress!  What a dick.  He’s seen some of the most beautiful women in the world naked—why does he have to…grr.  If he hits on her, I’m quitting.  Wait, I’ll kick his ass first, then I’ll quit. 

Luke raises his eyebrows at me as I continue to glare at him.  “Whatever,” I snap at him.  I push my plate away, suddenly not hungry.  “But if you’re not ready in twenty minutes, I’m leaving without you!”

Ellen is looking at me with wide eyes.  Damn, I keep forgetting I’m supposed to like Luke.  I force a laugh that sounds jagged as hell, even to my own ears.

“I’ll hurry,” Luke assures me, his bright eyes crinkling in amusement.

“Eat some breakfast first,” Ellen urges him as he starts to walk out.

He quickly backtracks and grabs a couple more pieces of bacon.  He mumbles his thanks at her before he lopes out the kitchen.

As soon as he’s gone, I expect Ellen to scold me for being so mean to my boyfriend.  But she turns to me with a puzzled little frown.  “Andi—quick!” she says quietly.  “What was the name of the movie where he was nominated for best actor?  It was based on a true story.  The one where his parents abandoned him on the streets of Hong Kong, and he grew up to become an infamous drug lord?  I keep wanting to compliment him on it, but I can’t remember the name of the movie!”

“Um…Run to Black,” I reply.  I remember because I illegally downloaded that movie when I caught a trailer with Luke in it.  I thought he was the most gorgeous guy I’d ever seen.  This was before the My Soul for You series, when Megan became so obsessed with him.  I never told Luke about it.  I also never told him what an incredible actor I think he is.  He gets enough of that.

“That’s it,” Ellen is saying, snapping her fingers.  “That was such a good movie.  Very touching.  I think I’ll watch it again.”

“Uh huh,” I say.  “Not because of the shower scene or anything, right?”

Ellen’s rosy cheeks flame an even brighter red.  She claps her hands over them.  “Oh, I forgot about that part!” she lies.

“Right.”

“Andi!  He was just a kid in it!”  Ellen shakes her head, and stands up to take her dishes to the counter.  She starts filling the sink with soapy water, glancing at me over her shoulder and raising her voice so I can hear her over the clinking of the dishes.  “I remember buying all those movie posters of Lucas for Megan that one year.  The girl was obsessed! I bet she was tickled pink meeting him last night.”

“You could say that,” I mumble, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

I don’t want to just sit there glaring at nothing, so I get up and start to clear the table.  I have to save all the leftovers in Ziploc bags, or Ellen will throw a fit.  She’s weird about her leftovers.  Nothing gets thrown out on her watch—and it must be saved in a Ziploc bag, because Ziploc bags are gifts from God.

I stack the plates on the counter next to the sink, and Ellen turns to me, splashing me with soapy water from her hands.  Some of it gets in my eye, blinding me.

“You and Lucas are good together,” she blurts out.  “Your personalities mesh very well, I think.  And it’s obvious that he’s crazy about you!”

“Son of a bitch,” I gasp out.  My eye is stinging like it’s on fire.  I blink it rapidly, tearing up. 

Ellen continues on, sounding both hesitant and serious.  “I hope you don’t my saying this, but you and Bran—I never thought you two were a good match.  I think you were much better as friends, where your different temperaments complemented each other.  Now, I’m in no way excusing what happened in the past.  I just…sometimes things work out for the best.  You know?”

“Ow.”

“I always thought it was funny—you and Bran together.  Like a tiger dating a golden retriever.  You and Lucas, though.  You’re like two beautiful predators, prowling through the jungle.”

I peer at her through red bleary eyes.  “I think you’ve been watching the nature channel too much,” I say finally.

“I’m just sayin’.”  She winks at me.  “How gorgeous would your children be?”

“Okay, Ellen.  No more drinking on the job.”

I start to leave, but then I stop and turn around.  “If Bran is a golden retriever, what’s Megan?”

Ellen looks up from the dishes with a smile.  “She’s a beautiful stained glass lamp.”

Note to self:  never ask Ellen for advice.   Just 'cause she's old doesn't mean she knows anything.  Or make any kind of sense.

Luke is leaning against my car with damp hair and a smug look.  “Nineteen minutes and twenty-two seconds!” he calls out to me as I approach with my keys in my hand.

I compress my lips into a thin line as I look him over.  “You’re not ready.”

He’s wearing a gray plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and gray Cargo shorts.   He is utterly recognizable, from his vivid gold-flecked emerald eyes to his tight award-winning ass.

“What are you talking about?” Luke asks, looking down at himself.  “I’m fully dressed, aren’t I?”

I shake my head impatiently.  “You can’t go out looking like yourself.  Someone will definitely recognize you—especially where we’re going.  If that happens, there goes your peaceful vacation.  You know this, Luke.”

Luke glares at the ground, muttering under his breath.  “Alright,” he grumbles, his brow furrowing.  “If I put on my cap and sunglasses will you wait for me?”

He looks so exasperated that I just nod instead of giving him a hard time.  Ten minutes later, he comes out of the guest house wearing his Yankees cap and his dark Oakley shades.  He looks exactly like Lucas Greyson trying to go unnoticed.

It’s eerily quiet in the car.  I don’t think I’m imagining the mounting tension between Luke and me.  Maybe most of it is my fault, but he’s being weird, too.  I feel like I should walk carefully around him.  Like the air between us is loaded and full of electricity, the way it is before a storm.  I certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable punching him, or smashing a plate of chicken parmesan over his head (long story) now.  Who knows how he would react?

Megan is waiting out on the curb.  When she sees Luke in the car, her eyes grow huge.  Before he can get out and offer her the passenger seat, she jumps in the back.

“Nice disguise,” she says with a laugh when he turns around in his seat to greet her.

“Well, you know,” Luke replies with a shrug and a charming smile.  I gun the engine.

“Where am I going?” I cut in harshly.

“To Barb’s.  Do you remember where she lives?  She was our Sunday school teacher when we were going to First Baptist.”

Luke turns to me in surprise.  “You went to Sunday school?”

I ignore him.  “Your mom’s friend—the one with the mole on her forehead?  I don’t have any idea where she lives.”