7. Alexis
“Shit.”
HOLLYWOOD’S MOST SECRETIVE CELEB PARADES MYSTERY WOMAN AROUND TOWN
WHO IS SHE?
Intermixed with the completely dramatized portrayal of our lunch are the shots of Jason and me at my car. The angle of the shots makes us look way closer than we were and definitely gives us a romantic leaning. Even the one where Jason is scowling directly at the camera with my hand on his arm. We look like a couple; it doesn”t matter that we”ve barely known each other two weeks.
Sources close to the new couple say they’ve been keeping things under wraps.
I snort at that line; sources close to the couple? What the fuck? These are straight-up lies. I should ask Jason how he handles these kinds of articles.
In a statement made this morning, Jason stated he had lunch yesterday with a close friend and that any claims of a relationship were unfounded. He kindly asks that the media back off and focus on his upcoming feature film Agent Smith: Total Takedown, in theaters March 16. But we know our readers, and this reporter is determined to give you the juicy deets. Stay tuned for more about Jason Adams’ mystery woman.
What the actual fuck?
“Decaf latté for Sarah?” The barista sets my drink down and turns back to the next drink. I’m not exactly sure what possessed me to give a fake name at this coffee shop, but now that I am looking up from my phone and seeing a couple of stares, I’m glad I did. Never hurts to throw people off the scent, I guess.
I put my head down and hustle back home, hoping no one”s following me. Fuck, this is messed up.
Four fucking hours later, and I am still too keyed up to sleep. Slinky is keeping me company, sensing something is wrong, but even though I”m exhausted, my body won”t relax.
Despite myself, I pull out my phone and text Jason. Maybe he can help,
Alexis:Hey, are you home? Or are you on set today?
I don’t have to wait long before he replies.
Jason: Not on set today. They”re filming scenes that don”t include me. Is everything ok?
Part of me doesn”t want to unload on him; I”m sure he”s stressed about this too. But the fact is, he”s had the media covering his life for decades now, and I”m a newbie. He”ll have a better handle on this than I do.
Alexis:I saw the ‘Reporter’ article and am just feeling off about it? I’m trying to sleep but can’t relax. Any advice?
His response is almost immediate.
Jason:You got a Blu-ray or DVD player at all?
Random. But I’ll bite.
Alexis: Yes? Not sure if the Blu-ray player still works, but I have it hooked up. Why?
He doesn”t reply, and five minutes later, I”m resisting following up. He isn”t my boyfriend, and honestly? It would be a stretch to even call us friends. I have no right to expect quick responses from him, or any at all.
Just when I think he’s completely abandoned me, I hear a knock at my door.
“Alexis? It’s Jason. I’ve got something that might help.”
I can’t help the huge smile on my face when I open the door and find Jason on the other side holding what looks like a movie, a box of microwave popcorn, and a few different types of candy. He smiles right back.
”Whenever I”m feeling overwhelmed with the media, I watch a comfort movie that I don”t really have to watch to know what”s happening, and it helps turn my brain off. I brought Princess Bride, which is not only a classic, but one of my favorites.”
I smile and blush. This is so sweet. “Sounds perfect.” He grins back.
“Here, take the movie and start getting us set up on your couch. I’ll pop the popcorn.”
We spend the next few minutes in companionable silence. Part of me wants to be shocked at how easy and comfortable this is, but the rest of me knows this just feels right. As soon as the popcorn is ready to go, Jason joins me in the living room, and we settle in.
The opening scene is just finishing. Buttercup is asking Wesley to get her that jug when Jason”s arm comes down around my shoulders.
“Is this ok?”
“Yeah.” More than ok. I snuggle in deeper, pulling the blanket around me tighter. His light cologne surrounds me, oddly comforting. Quickly, I start to relax. I feel so safe that I don”t even notice that I”m falling asleep.
Hours later, my alarm goes off, jolting me awake. It takes me a minute to figure out where I am.
I”m in bed, fully clothed, and despite being slightly disoriented, I actually feel well-rested. On the pillow next to me is a note written in Jason”s nearly indecipherable chicken scratch.
Alexis,
You fell asleep pretty quickly and would not wake up. I hope it”s ok that I picked you up and put you in your bed. I know you”re still on overnights and need to sleep. I didn”t want to leave your door unlocked though, so I stole your keys (sorry, it felt creepy, but I also couldn”t handle the thought of someone being able to come in while you slept). I”ve left them at the security desk with Marcus, who confirmed he would make sure they went directly into Jerry”s hands once he is on shift. I hope you feel better after sleeping. We should talk about how to move forward soon. Again, I”m so sorry for dragging you into the public eye.
Have a good “day” at work.
Jason
P.S. I oddly feel like I can”t write you a note without a post-script. HA!
I smile at the P.S., realizing we now have a ”thing” that we do just for the two of us. We aren”t even officially friends! I feel like a teenager. I”m so giddy over this.
I find myself humming as I go about my ”morning” routine. I give Slinky some snuggles, then head out my door, using my spare key to lock up. I keep it hidden in a junk drawer, so there”s no way Jason would have known where to find it. Some days, I can’t even find it.
Jerry has a sly look on his face when he hands me my keys, but he doesn”t say anything beyond the usual pleasantries we exchange, which is a relief.
Despite my raw emotions over that article, I feel much lighter as I head to work.