Why Romeo Hates Juliet (33 page)

The paparazzi had followed Romeo Boyd’s Escalade truck all the way from the hospital to his beach house. Tommy had been driving, Romeo was in the passenger seat and Nick was in the back.

At the hospital, Dr. Clayton had removed Romeo’s sling for good and had told him that his shoulder was healing very nicely and that from now on, he would have to start moving his arm again to rebuild the strength back up. He also wanted the movie star to attend several rehabilitation sessions so that they could show him how to exercise it properly and get his body back to functioning as before.

When Romeo had left the hospital, the paparazzi had gone wild trying to get the first pictures of Boyd without the arm sling and clearly back on the road to recovery. As always, the movie star had remained calm and allowed the photographers to do their job before getting into the waiting truck.

Now as they were pulling into his driveway, his calmness disappeared and his stomach started doing Olympic-style high dives. Romeo Boyd was nervous. He’d told Tommy and Nick that when he saw Juliet again, he was going to tell her that his memory was back. What he didn’t tell them was that he was also going to tell her that he was in love with her and he was going to ask her outright what her feelings for him were. Did she love him too? Or did she need time to get to know him better? Whatever she needed, he would give her. What did she want to do with this relationship?

The hockey puck was on her side of the ice and she was in control of it all. What would she say? Would she tell him that she felt the same way? Or would she tell him that now that his memory was back, she’d done her duty and wanted nothing more to do with him? Romeo felt sick to his stomach at the mere thought of that scenario.

As all three guys climbed out of the truck, they suddenly heard children’s squealing laughter and music blaring from Romeo’s beach house’s backyard.

“What’s going on?” Tommy asked.

As they rounded the corner of the house, they spotted about six children ranging in age from 5 to 8 years old, laughing and chasing after a beach ball by the ocean. Faith was supervising them, her husband, Brad was grilling hamburgers and steaks on the BBQ, and Juliet and Sara were exiting the sliding doors by the kitchen, carrying trays of salads and other food. It was obvious there was a party going on.

Juliet spotted Romeo, put her platters down on one of the patio tables and rushed over to him quickly. Wearing a pink t-shirt and light green short shorts which exposed her beautiful long legs to everyone’s view, she gave him a soft kiss on his lips before pulling out of his arms again. She beamed a surprised smile at him. “Romeo, you’re not wearing your shoulder sling? What did the doctor say?” Romeo was taken aback by all of the commotion. After all, he hadn’t expected any of this. He’d thought it was just going to be him and Juliet.

They couldn’t very well talk about their relationship now, with all this going on. “He - said that I’m healing more quickly than he’d thought and that I have to start moving my arm again. Juliet, what’s going on here?”

“I wanted to surprise you with a barbeque party. You’ve been cooped up in this house for so long now and I thought some fresh air fun might be in order, so I invited Faith and Brad, their two kids and four of their little cousins. Why? Aren’t you pleased?”

“No - I love it; it’s just - a surprise, that’s all,” he stumbled. What could he say? She’d gone to all this trouble just for him and it had been very sweet of her. After all, she hadn’t known that he’d wanted to have ‘the talk’ with her after his doctor’s appointment today, now had she?

Juliet turned to Tommy and Nick and gave them each a gracious smile. “Feel free to join the party, boys. And help yourselves, there’s plenty of food.” As Juliet turned and walked back to where Sara was setting up the food buffet on one of the tables, she threw her sister a quick wink that Romeo was oblivious to. But her little sister saw the secret signal and knew that their scheme was on track.

Frustrated at having his plans for Juliet thwarted, Romeo trudged into the house and went to his liquor cabinet. His doctor had taken him off of the painkil ers, so he was allowed to drink alcohol again and he could certainly use some liquid courage right about now to help him get through this. Okay - so today looked like a bust, but tonight he’d be alone with her and he’d tell her then how he really felt. He’d just have to wait.

Opening the cabinet, he automatically went to reach for the scotch but stopped, stunned. The liquor cabinet was completely empty! There was nothing in it! All of his bottles, the hundred year old Scotches, the French champagnes, the Russian vodkas - everything was gone. “What the -

Juliet!” he yelled, instinctively knowing she was at the bottom of it.

Juliet had been in the kitchen refilling a glass pitcher with fresh lemonade for the kids when she heard him bell owing from the living room. She smiled to herself. So the pig had gone looking for his favorite adult refreshments, had he? “I’m in the kitchen,” she answered back sweetly.

A couple of seconds later he appeared in the doorway. “What happened to all the booze in the cabinet?”

“I dumped the liquor down the drain and the bottles are in the recycling box,” she replied, with a wide-eyed innocent look in her eyes, but secretly remembering how much pleasure it had given her to dump out every last drop of his prized collection down the kitchen sink.

In contrast, Romeo’s eyes bulged out in shock. “What? There was over two grand worth of booze in there. What did you do that for?” he shouted.

“Because it’s not good for you while you’re on pain pills and I didn’t want you to be tempted,” she responded politely, as she continued focusing on the task at hand of refilling the pitcher. She straightened up and as she walked past him, she gave him a quick peck on his cheek. “I care what happens to you, sweetie,” she cooed before walking back outside.

Stunned, Romeo watched her leave, his mind still trying to process what she’d just told him. He muttered a curse under his breath. For chrissakes, he could hardly believe that all that good booze had gone into the sewer system. But okay, he reasoned, she had done it to help him, hadn’t she? She’d said she’d done it for his health. Opening the fridge, he scanned its contents. “Shit! Even the beer’s gone,” he expelled in frustration. Sighing, he grabbed a pop can and headed back outside.

As soon as he stepped into the bright afternoon sun, his eyes took in the party scene. Faith was still with the kids, who seemed to be enjoying themselves by the ocean; Tommy was talking to Brad by the barbeque and Sara was sitting in a lounge chair eating a hamburger. But where was Juliet? His curious eyes quickly scanned his property for signs of her. He finally spotted her, walking arm in arm on the beach with Nick Mathison.

“What the fuck!” Romeo exploded under his breath, as his jealous glare suspiciously narrowed on the couple who seemed to be engrossed in whatever conversation they were having. She was smiling up at him and he seemed to be captivated by her. Even at this distance, Romeo could feel the magnetic vibes coming off of them and he didn’t like it one bit. Nick Mathison was a major player when it came to women and no matter how many times he’d said he wasn’t interested in Juliet, Romeo instinctively knew differently. Nick Mathison wanted ‘his’ Juliet for himself and Romeo Boyd wasn’t amused. In fact, he was downright furious.

* * *

After Juliet had reappeared outside, she’d quickly sought out Nick, telling him she needed to speak to him privately about Romeo. She’d noticed then the way the soap actor had leered at her long exposed legs and the smirk that had played on his lips before he’d put his best ‘doctor’

face on again. ‘Oh yeah’, Juliet had thought to herself, ‘Nick Mathison was as slimy as Romeo Boyd and she was going to have fun using him as a pawn against the movie star. But to Nick, she presented him with her best innocent ‘I’m so concerned about Romeo’s recovery’ look, and judging from his expression, she knew that he’d bought it.

“Doctor Burrell, I need to ask you something. I have a big surprise for Romeo in awhile, and I’m not going to tell you what it is because I want it to be a surprise for you too, but - do you think Romeo can handle it, considering his condition and all?” Juliet smiled up at the soap actor as she led him for a walk along the beach. She made sure her arm was intimately nestled through his.

Nick was keeping a firm grip on Juliet as her delicious body leaned into him. God, she was so beautiful, he thought, and even though he knew he shouldn’t be poaching on Romeo’s property, he just couldn’t help himself, especially when it came to gorgeous women like her. “Well, Juliet, is it a good surprise - or a bad one?”

“Good, of course,” she coyly flirted.

“Then there’s no problem at all. I’m sure he’ll love it.”

“Doctor Burrel - can I call you Zack, by the way? Doctor Burrel sounds so formal and I think on some level we’ve become friends, don’t you think?”

Nick smiled. That was exactly what he wanted to hear, an opening gambit into a more personal relationship with her. “Call me Zack, please,” he responded, giving her his best but most smarmy smile, the kind of smile you might see on a crocodile before they eat you up.

“Zack…” Juliet ventured, turning more serious. “I need to confess something about my situation with Romeo. He hasn’t made any - physical moves on me since I moved in here, and I’m supposed to be his wife, at least in his mind anyway - but he hasn’t done anything. He’s barely kissed me. I’m not complaining, mind you, because well - you know the truth - but I’m beginning to think that maybe I’m not attractive enough. I mean I know he’s used to more beautiful girls in Holl ywood and…”

Nick immediately stopped walking and turned to her so that they were practically in each other’s arms. “No, Juliet, don’t ever think that!” he stated forcefully. “You - you’re so beautiful and wonderful and smart. Never doubt that.” His hungry eyes roamed over her face, putting truth to his words.

Juliet gazed up at him with a wide-eye innocent look. “Do you think so? Because I don’t think Romeo wants me,” she whispered, before lowering her eyes shyly to his chest.

“Then Romeo’s an idiot,” Nick rasped. “Look at me,” he instructed and then proceeded to gently lift her chin up, forcing her to look up at him.

“You’re special and even if he doesn’t think so, know that I do.”

Inwardly, Nick couldn’t believe his luck. This gorgeous creature was practically throwing herself at him and if she was doubting her appeal, then he could use that insecurity to manipulate her away from the A-lister and into his own bed. Man - he was practically salivating at having her naked in his arms soon and if that stupid fool, Romeo Boyd didn’t want her, then he, Nick Mathison, certainly did. Yeah sure, maybe Nick should be backing off since Romeo was still paying him for the job he was doing as Zack Burrell, but damn it, Juliet was just so delectable and he had to admit he was weak when it came to hot-looking women. He just couldn’t resist them no matter what it cost him. “Juliet, please know that no matter what, I’m here for you. You can count on me,” he added with just the right touch of sincerity that his years as an actor had taught him how to play.

She smiled. “Thank you, Zack. That means a lot to me.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before slipping her arm through his again and leading him along the beach further away from Romeo’s house. “I do consider you a friend and I think you care about me too.”

“Oh yes I do, Juliet; I care about you a lot.”

Suddenly, Juliet pretended to step on something in the sand and fell against him. “Owww,” she moaned, as her foot came up as if in pain. Nick caught her quickly, brushing his hand against her right breast, which was no accident on his part.

“Oh no, I think I stepped on a piece of glass,” she groaned, as she tried to feel under her foot. “Zack, can you please have a look if my heel is bleeding?”

“Of course.” Nick quickly bent down on his knee and brought her right foot up on his thigh, causing the area between her legs to be brought to his eye level. His gaze flashed with desire for a split second before he lowered his lids to examine her foot. “I don’t see any break in the skin,” he said, as his fingers almost caressed her toes.

Juliet looked up then and instinctively knew that Romeo Boyd had been watching the entire show that she’d been putting on for his benefit. Now with her bare leg positioned on top of Nick’s thigh, she watched as the movie star, suddenly, started marching towards them with both of his fists balled by his side and an aura of anger swirling around him. She smiled inwardly to herself. Oh yeah, the big jerk was jealous just as she’d suspected he’d be. After all, he wasn’t about to let some other asshole steal the meal he’d spent all that time cooking for himself, especially since he was probably all set to ‘eat’ her up tonight after having just received a clean Bill of health from his doctor.

Taking long determined strides, Romeo reached the couple in five seconds flat. “Anything wrong?” he spat, his eyes livid as they landed on Nick’s bent head.

Not having seen him approach, Nick jerked backwards and dropped Juliet’s foot as if it was a hot coal. Awkwardly, he stood up and faced his paymaster. “Romeo - umm, Juliet hurt her foot - I was just checking…” he stammered.

“I think it’s better now,” Juliet interjected, as she tucked her arm through Romeo’s this time and started to lead him back to the party. “Doctor Burrel - I mean Zack - was just examining it, professionally of course.”

Romeo threw Nick a dangerous backwards glare that warned the soap actor to back off of her. “Zack, huh?” he gritted, not liking Juliet’s use of the other man’s supposed first name. “Well, I’m sure ‘Zack’ should be getting back to his hotel soon. Didn’t you say you had some calls to make -

Zack?” He turned his head back to Nick, who was trailing the couple like a little boy who’d just been caught doing something naughty.

“Yeah, sure - calls,” Nick mumbled.

“Oh no, not yet, Zack,” Juliet turned to the phony doctor. “Please wait until I tell Romeo my other surprise for him today.” She watched as Nick nodded and Romeo glared back at him again. Secretively, she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. No, these two sharks had no idea what was going to hit them in the next few seconds.