Chapter 17
Ty
Sam Allison was at my sister's wedding, and seeing him was surreal. My whole day had been surreal. I felt like a different person with a different perspective today, and it made me feel like I was in a dreamlike state to encounter Sam after such an already life-altering day.
I wanted to tell him that I had just had a conversation about him in the car on the way over here. I wanted to say that I had referred to him as the one who got away. I was so dazed and introspective that I almost said those things absentmindedly.
Thank goodness I didn't, because it seemed the whole point of Sam coming to the wedding was to talk to Ash about being in a movie.
He had told me as much as we headed to the building.
My feelings were all over the map, and I was glad I had the distraction of entering the building and taking in all the decorations.
The kitchen area where we filmed the egg scene was visible from the door, and my eyes instantly went that way.
It was situated on the side wall, where the reception food was.
There were so many other decorations, and it was all beautiful, but I was so nostalgic for that little kitchen area that I instantly made my way in that direction.
"Doesn't it look beautiful in here?" I asked as I crossed the room. I did a twirl in the open space on my way over because I was happy that it was so pretty for my sister.
Sam followed me. I glanced over my shoulder as I went toward that side wall, and I saw him coming my way. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, and I waited until I turned away from him before I smiled and bit my bottom lip.
"It's so nice," he said, answering me.
"This is just too adorable," I said, seeing that Jen Sutter had incorporated the old kitchen into the décor and vibe of the wedding.
She had chairs casually spread throughout and trays with desserts and finger foods set out on the countertops.
"Isn't it so cute and cozy in here?" I said, coming to stand near the famous stove.
"I love it in here. I'm so happy it's adorable for my sister.
She was not looking forward to a wedding. "
"Oh, no," he said, like it was dreadful.
"No, that's what's so great about this. She'll be so pumped that all these decisions were made for her. And she'll be happy to get it over with. Not that it's getting it over with. She's just the type of person who would rather skip ahead and be married then worry about the act of a wedding."
"What about you?" he asked.
His voice. My goodness, I had missed him. I was just so attracted to everything about Sam.
"I plan these things in my sleep," I said, smiling. "I love to plan a party. I don't know if I necessarily need a typical wedding. I'd be happy doing something non-traditional—but yes. I like this kind of thing. I'm sure I'll have a wedding one day."
"With who?" he said.
My eyes snapped up to meet his, and I lost my breath, just the same as if I was on a rollercoaster.
My insides. It felt like they fell out of me and landed somewhere on the floor.
This man was a movie star. He didn't just look like a movie star.
He actually was one. I had seen the ad for his new movie more times than I should probably admit.
I had seen him in a professionally produced movie preview, and now he was smiling at me and staring at me and saying things like…
"What did you say?" I asked, since I got lost in thought.
He grinned, and my goodness. The teeth. His mouth.
His face was actual perfection couldn't help but remember the times we had together.
I couldn't help but remember what it was like to kiss him.
My heart and my body were so tugged to him that it was difficult to think straight.
"I asked you who you were getting married to."
"Oh, I don't know that yet," I said.
He looked like he might say something, but he paused. "You saw my preview," he said.
"Yes," I agreed, feeling weird that I had just been thinking about that.
"What?" he said when I made a face.
"Oh, I was just thinking about that preview, and it's weird that you brought it up. Did I mention it?"
"You did earlier, when we were at the house. You said you saw the extended version."
"Is that what I saw?" I asked innocently. I leaned against the stove since it wasn't on.
"You said you saw the version that I was in."
"I did," I said. Like ten times, I added, in my mind.
He smiled at me—a knowing grin. "What's that face for?" I asked.
"A smile?" he said.
I nodded.
He shrugged. "Nothing. I'm happy. I'm happy you watched it."
"Are you kidding? I'm proud of you. I'm pumped that you're ballin' in Hollywood."
He laughed. "I'm ballin' because of a Tom Hardy movie?" he asked.
"What's this one you're talking to Ash about?"
"They wanted a musician," he said vaguely, being humble.
"And what about you? Are you starring in it?"
He shrugged. "It's a good role, I'm thankful. Not as good as the series I did in Montana…"
"Goodness, I can't help but feel sentimental," I said, turning to face the stove.
It all came back to me as I stood there and looked at that old thing.
"You went on to do other acting, but this might be the only thing I ever do.
It was only a few months ago, and I already miss it and feel all sentimental. "
"Then keep acting," Sam said.
I let out a little laugh. "I don't miss it that much. But it honestly was one of the best experiences of my life. I don't know how Alex compares to other directors you worked with, but I loved the whole experience."
"He is amazing, and not everyone has a team like Judd and Cameron."
"I know, it's like they read each other's minds," I said, laughing.
"Do you still remember your lines?" he asked.
"Yes. I wouldn't get them perfect, but yeah.
I think I could do pretty good remembering.
It depends on what scene, actually. I would remember some of them more than others.
We improvised some on that egg scene," I said, hoping to get his mind on that.
I didn't realize how vulnerable it would make me feel to mention that.
Standing there unlocked all sorts of feelings for me.
"Also, I think I believe the Bible now," I added randomly, when I thought of it.
"When did this happen?" he said.
"This morning," I said.
"I think congratulations are in order," he said sweetly, coming to stand next to me with his back to the stove.
"Do you believe?" I asked, staring at him.
He nodded. "For a few years. Though I don't go to church as much as I should."
"I don't even know what happens there. This is all really new to me. But I like what I've read of that book, I feel like I believe it."
"You mean the Bible?" he said.
I nodded. "I started reading it today."
"It's a good thing for you to believe," he said.
I shrugged. "Sorry to tell you that random fact. My sister gave me her Bible this morning, and I just like it. I don't know why I mentioned it."
"Please don't be sorry. I think it's beautiful. I'm happy you told me."
"Did you know Alex wrote that egg scene because of Josie?" I asked, even though I was pretty sure he did.
"Yes, she was cooking eggs when he met her," Sam said. "Apparently, she's a wizard with a poached egg. It's her sister's restaurant. We're going to eat there in the morning. We've already set it up with Audrey."
Audrey.
Goodness.
She had been around quite a bit when we were filming, and she was here tonight.
I felt a sudden wave of jealousy that Sam would already know he was going to eat there.
The last thing I wanted was for Audrey to feed him a delicious meal.
She was beautiful, and I found that I wanted Sam all to myself so much that I had an aversion to his talking to eligible, beautiful women—especially those who could cook.
How had I denied him when we were filming?
How had I put an end to things with us? What was wrong with me?
Sam was the best catch I could have ever found, and I just ran away from it.
Now here he was, congratulating me and being so sweet. I just loved him.
"Depending on what you guys are doing tomorrow, I'll probably meet up with you," I said, wanting to make plans with him. "Alex mentioned going to Missoula, and I told him I could probably get my dad's rental car."
"That would be perfect," he said. "I was bummed when I heard you weren't staying in Missoula."
I wanted to let out a squeal of excitement and happiness when he said that, but I just glanced at him with a little smile. "I was bummed when I heard you guys weren't staying on the ranch," I returned, making my own heart beat fast.
Sam turned and glanced down at the nonexistent pan on the stove top.
"I wish you were cooking some eggs right now."
"Why? Are you hungry?"
"No, I'm not," he said with a mischievous grin that melted my knees.
I wished I were cooking eggs right about then, too.
"I guess it wouldn't go over that well if I started cooking a big pan of scrambled eggs right before the wedding. We might stink up the whole place."
"I'm not sure that you could find an egg to scramble in here, anyway," he said.
His words were not provocative. We were talking about scrambling eggs, for goodness sake.
But his voice and his closeness, and the fact that we were referring to that scene…
the air was just so full of tension between.
us. At least that was how I perceived it.
I wondered how Sam felt at this moment. How was this so hard?
Both of us were hinting at him getting close to me, and it still wasn't happening.
Finally, Sam moved to stand behind me. I was casually facing the stove, and he simply came to stand behind me.
He didn't say anything, he just moved to stand closer.
I felt him there, and I could smell him.
He didn't touch me, but he was so close that all I had to do was lean in a fraction of an inch, and my body touched his.
I let my back touch his chest. In that moment of bliss and relief, I felt him come closer to me, and all was right with the world.
And then it hit me.
I remembered that he was a movie star and that scenes like this one were going to happen in his life with other women.
I felt a giant wave of dread.
"Are you okay?" he asked tentatively from behind me.
"Yes," I said simply, since I wasn't going to say that I was jealous of his future acting gigs. "I wonder if it happens every time," I said, thinking that might be a better way to put it.
"You wonder if what happens?" he asked.
I barely leaned into him, my upper back grazing his chest.
"If you connect with the person in the movie with you… if it's… you know… common to get feelings when you're working."
"Are you asking if I ever have?" he said.
I was nervous and speechless. "No, I wasn't… I was… I just was wondering… yeah, I guess I was wondering if it was common to catch real feelings when you're acting with someone."
I glanced upward as I spoke, and when I did, my cheek brushed his neck. I did it on purpose to demonstrate how close we had been during that scene. His hand came around my waist, touching my stomach just like he had done in the scene.
"No, Trinity. I don't catch feelings when I'm working. Work is work." He paused, but then he spoke again. "It did happen once, though," he added.