Page 50 of Off Script
I come stand behind her at the kitchen counter and wrap my arms around her, holding her tightly. “That’s total bullshit.”
“I’m sorry to be a downer. I’m fine, it’s fine, everything’s fine.” She shoots a big smile over her shoulder at me. While I love to see those dimples of hers, I hate that she’s pretending with me.
Turning her around to face me, I place a finger under her chin, lifting her face. “Don’t do that. Don’t gloss over the painful parts. I’m here for you. The good, the bad, all of it.”
Nodding mutely, she looks everywhere but in my eyes. It’s clear she doesn’t believe me. Yet. But she will. I’ll see to it that she will.
“Look, you need to get away and I want to skip town. Come with me?”
This could be perfect. A short vacation together. All the possible destinations float through my mind. Jo chartered private flights to andfrom Austin, but we still have plenty of time to change our destination. Banff, Key West, Scottsdale, Telluride…
“Aren’t you going home to see your family? I don’t want to take you away from them on a holiday. It’s fine, I promise. I’ll see you when you get back. Just because I’m not spending Thanksgiving with my family doesn’t mean that I’ll let you bail on yours.”
“I won’t enjoy myself knowing you’re alone.”
Although I haven’t declined my parents’ multiple invitations to spend Thanksgiving in Austin, I had every intention of begging off, but Carlisle’s comment has given me an idea. It's not ideal but it's better than spending the holiday week apart.
“What about a compromise? Come home with me to Texas and meet my family,” I impulsively implore her. “Come on, please.” I shoot her my best puppy-dog eyes. While this is much less fun than a vacation for two, I only have a week with her. I’ll gladly spend Thanksgiving with my family if it means that I get to spend the holiday with Carlisle.
Well,gladlyis pushing it, but I’ll do it, nonetheless.
“What? No way! Don’t feel sorry for me. I’ll be okay here by myself. Besides, there is no way I can afford a last-minute airline ticket.”
“Don’t worry about the ticket. I’ve got you covered, Carlisle.”
“No, Ben. You lead a much different life than I do, but I want things between us to be as normal as possible. If Harper invited me home for the holidays, I wouldn’t expect her to pay my way.”
“Is your only hesitation that you don’t have the money for a ticket?” I ask, trying to identify her exact rationale, so I can best provide a counterargument.
She hems and haws before admitting that it is, which makes my job incredibly easy.
“Good, then get your bags packed. It’s a quick trip because I have work commitments. We’ll leave Wednesday morning and come back on Friday mid-day.”
As she gapes, I give her a quick kiss on her cheek and stroll towards the living room, ending the discussion. Plopping onto the couch, I grab the remote to scroll through Netflix to find a show for us to watch, but Carlisle is hot on my tail.
“Wait, what? Ben!” Standing over me with her hands on her hips, she looks irritated. I put my hands on the curve of her waist and pull her towards me so that she’s standing between my legs.
“Jo chartered a private plane for me, so I have the whole plane to myself. It costs the same no matter how many people fly on it, so there’s no need to buy a ticket. Even in first class, traditional airlines will be slammed and chaotic with all the holiday travelers.” I shrug my shoulders. “So, private plane. And before you protest, you’re doing me a giant favor.”
I pause, wondering how much to tell her now. Eventually I’ll have to tell her everything, but I don’t want to unload the details of my family drama yet. If I do that, then she’d probably run for the hills.
“When I see my family, things are tense, so your presence will be a welcome buffer.”
17
Carlisle
Over the past few days, I’ve been splitting my time between my apartment and staying with Ben. But now that Harper has gone home for Thanksgiving, I’ve stayed the last two nights at Ben’s.
Staying at Ben’s house is akin to a vacation at a five-star resort. He has a private chef who comes by every few days to stock his fridge with delicious meals. His house features a well-equipped personal gym, movie room, walk-in wine cellar, and a sauna. And don't get me started on his backyard. It could best be described as an outdoor oasis, complete with an Olympic-sized pool, hot tub, waterfall features, swim-up bar, and a full-sized tennis court.
To keep myself busy when Ben is working, I’ve been cooking up a storm and posting new content on social media. While I haven’t told Ben about my social media accounts, he knows that I enjoy cooking as a hobby. Joanna pops into the kitchen occasionally to chitchat and keep me company when Ben’s gone.
And… I’ve also started watching all of his movies while I cook. It’s surreal to reconcile the guy I know with the actor I’m watching on the television.
Ben and I leave tomorrow for Austin, but we’re going out on a date tonight. A real date! While we've been spending lots of time together, we haven't ventured out into public yet. I'm apprehensive about it, especially since he's told me stories about getting harassed by fans and paparazzi when he goes out in public. But he seems resolute about wanting to take me out. He's assured me that he has a plan to keep us out of the spotlight and emphasized that he wants to surprise me.
And surprise me he does when he strolls into the living room after his latest studio meeting.
