#1 Fan Page 20

  “You do realize free rides and sex isn’t everything; right?

  “Bite your tongue woman.”

  “I mean it.” Sara stared at the ceiling thinking how much her life changed over the last eight months. She went from a New Jersey party girl to a New Yorker that stayed at home pining for her boyfriend. She never expected to live that kind of life, but couldn’t see herself without it. “I just want to spend some quality time with him this weekend.”

  “Then it looks like you have your answer. Go see him, and make the best of this weekend.”

  “But what if…”

  “If you have a shitty time, then come back home and we’ll party the whole weekend until you forget you have a boyfriend.” Sara sat straight up on the bed. Julie started laughing into the phone. “I’m just joking; relax. But we will go out for a girl’s night, just not as bad as the last time.”

  “Okay, deal.” Sara scooted to the edge of the bed and rummaged through her dresser to grab some clothes to pack.

  “You still have that little number I let you borrow?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Make sure you pack that. I guarantee he won’t ignore you.”

  Sara hung up the phone and finished packing her suitcase.

  The next day, Sara’s flight landed at one-twenty in the afternoon. It was a long five and a half hour flight. The dark circles under Sara’s eyes showed her exhaustion, but not the hours of enduring a bratty six-year old kicking the back of her chair for three hours. All she wanted was to find Evan and go back to the hotel. She grabbed her phone and sent a text.

  S: Hey, my plane just landed. Going to pick up my bag and will meet you outside.

  There was no response which made Sara feel uneasy. She texted Evan the night before to confirm her flight information and to make sure he would be there to pick her up. She waited by the carousel until her navy blue suitcase glided into view. She retrieved it before checking her phone again. There was still no response from Evan, and she was heading down towards the curbside pickup.

  She took the escalator downstairs, and saw a man dressed in black holding a white sign in his hands. He wore a black cap with a shiny black brim on his head. The sign said Ms. Reed.

  She cautiously approached, uncertain if the man was there for her. He stepped towards her, waving her towards him. “Ms. Reed,” he called out to her. He kept moving towards Sara until he blocked her path. “Ms. Reed, Mr. Taylor sent me to pick you up and bring you to the hotel.”

  “And where is Mr. Taylor?”

  “The time of his book signing changed. He sends his apologies for not being here in person.”

  “Oh, he’s going to be plenty sorry,” Sara replied. She watched as the driver gave an uncomfortable smile in return before reaching for the handle of her suitcase.

  “Please, allow me.” He took control of the suitcase and wheeled it out the doors with Sara following closely behind.

  She watched the driver pop the trunk of a ten passenger limo, allowing him to place the luggage safely in the back. He held the rear door open for her and motioned for Sara to enter.

  “This-this is for me?”

  “Ah well, technically, it is for Mr. Taylor, Mr. Waters and Ms. Stone. However, I was instructed to pick you up, and take you wherever you wish until the signing is over.”

  Sara’s sigh was uncontrollable. There was no need to explain herself. She knew the driver could see the annoyed look on her face. Her cheeks were red, her big brown eyes seemed like she was a million miles away.

  “Just bring me to the hotel,” she said while entering the limo.

  The driver brought her back to the hotel, handing her the keycard for the room. “Would you like some help with your luggage?”

  “No, I think I’ll be fine.”

  “Very well; if you need the car, please call me and I will be by to take you wherever you wish.” He offered Sara his card, which she reluctantly accepted before turning and taking her suitcase up the path to the main entrance.

  The hotel room was larger than she expected. The spacious king sized bed seemed small in comparison to the rest of the room. There was at least a foot between the bed and the dresser that held the T.V. A marble top desk sat closest to the windows and the door. Evan’s laptop rested on top of it. The temptation to look at the book he had been writing all week. The tips of her fingers rested on the lip, ready to open the computer.

  Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and decided to back away from the desk. I need to trust him. He’s doing this for us. She looked back at the suitcase and decided to unpack quickly and rest until Evan returned.

  The closet was filled with suits and dress shirts, all of which had Evan’s lingering scent. She inhaled it, almost drinking it in to remind herself she would see him soon enough. She took her clothes, setting them on hangars next to the suits. Emptying the contents from her small carryon, she brought her makeup bag and hair products into the bathroom. Inside was a large porcelain tub that reminded her of a small Jacuzzi. The temptation called out to her, begging for her to use it. Reaching for the handles, Sara turned on the water and placed a small amount of bubble bath at the base. She waited until the tub filled halfway before carefully removing her clothes. The steam rose as she dipped a toe, breaking the water’s surface. She pulled away instinctively feeling it lightly burn her skin. Something about it felt relaxing, causing her to step into the tub. Each body part flinched as she entered the scolding hot water until her body was submerged beneath the bubbles.

  The heat put Sara’s body into a submissive state. It was the serenity she craved. Nothing in the world could spoil the moment. All imposing thoughts were dispersed. She no longer cared about her job, or paying any bills. The annoying kid that kicked her chair on the plane was nothing more than a distant memory. And Evan…her thoughts turned towards punishing him for making her wait. She thought about surprising him in the lingerie Julie let her borrow, but she knew they wouldn’t be able to contain themselves. The more she thought about how to torture Evan sexually, the more she became aroused. Her thoughts betrayed her and grew her own frustration until the lights of the bathroom faded.

  She woke to the sound of someone banging on the hotel room door. “What the hell?” She sat up in the tub as the knocking continued. By the sound of it, whoever was at the door was not going away. “Hold on; I’m coming.” Sara grabbed the nearest towel and wrapped it around her body. Her bare feet hit the cold tiled floor, sending chills up and down her body. She hurried to the bed, finding a white cotton robe to wrap herself in before answering the door.

  A tall blond woman stood there in four inch stilettos. “You must Sara,” she said warmly. “You mind if I come in?” She entered the room carrying a garment bag and a smaller one with the rope tied around her hand.

  Sara stepped aside, letting the woman enter without plowing into her. She didn’t know why, but the woman at the door had a strange familiarity, as if she met her before.

  “I’m sorry; who are you?”

  The woman placed the items on the bed and turned towards Sara, extending her hand. “We briefly met when Evan had his book tour in Jersey. My name is Kat. I used to be Mr. Waters’ personal assistant.”

  Sara cautiously accepted her hand. “Used to be?” Evan never mentioned Kat by name or that anyone he worked with on his Jersey tour was let go. “What happened?”

  “I am not at liberty to discuss that matter. I can only say that it was a mutual agreement.”

  “Okay, so if you’re not working for him, then why are you here in Evan’s room?”

  “Evan and I have remained friends despite my disassociation from Mr. Waters and his company. He knew I was in town this weekend and asked me to help him with a little surprise for you.”

  “Surprise? What surprise?”

  “If I told you, then it wouldn’t be much of a surprise; now would it?” She moved towards the garment bag and slowly pulled on the zipper. “I see you have already freshened up a bit.” She
removed a royal blue studded cocktail dress from the bag and hung it up in the closet.

  “Is that dress for me?”

  “Yes, but we have a few appointments first.” Sara noticed Kat looking her over. “I suggest getting dressed and meeting me outside, unless of course you feel like parading around in a bath robe all day.”

  Kat had the brazen attitude similar to Evan’s publicist, but she was nicer and not nearly as bossy or demanding. She waited until Kat exited the room before removing the robe. At least she had the common courtesy to let someone have their privacy when getting ready, unlike Ms. Stone.

  Within minutes, Sara was dressed and out the door. Kat escorted her downstairs to the limo, finding the driver from before holding the door open for them.

  “Where are we going,” Sara asked.

  “Evan gave me explicit instructions to get your hair and nails done, and also bring you in for a massage.”

  “Hair, nails, the dress; okay out with it. What does he have planned? Is there some sort of business dinner or meeting he needs me to go with him to?”

  “I’m sorry; I’m not at liberty to discuss Evan’s plans. You will just have to trust him and see what he has in store for you.”

  Chapter 27-Evan

  Evan sat at a small round table surrounded by dark red Venetian plaster walls, lined with bookshelves and framed pictures. His focus lingered on the entrance while briefly checking his watch nervously.

  They’re late, he thought. He hoped that everything was all right, that they weren’t stuck in traffic, or that Sara didn’t decide to leave him when he no showed at the airport. He knew lying to her about being at the airport to pick her up was a mistake. But rearranging his tour schedule was a crucial part of his plan. He needed to make sure his late afternoon and evening was open, which meant the book signing needed to take place earlier than expected. Sending the limo was the best thing he could’ve done. Of course Mr. Waters wasn’t happy that Evan wanted to loan it out for someone other than the touring trio, but Evan expressed how important the night would be.

  Audrey wasn’t too happy about the schedule change either. She was the one who booked the tour, and didn’t like anyone interfering with it. Evan told her how important the night was, but held back the exact reason for the change. Reluctantly, Audrey agreed and called the bookstore they were supposed to be at and arranged for an earlier time to come in.

  There was a lot of tension in the room during the book signing. No one seemed happy and everyone, including the bookstore employees, seemed to be agitated by the inconvenient change. Evan was just happy to get out of there on time and without anyone hassling him. He wondered how much trouble his plan caused, but was hoping it would be worth it.

  Heels clicking against the stone floors alerted Evan someone was coming. He looked up to see the maître d’ escorting a woman in a blue studded cocktail dress. The long creamy white legs he was used to staring at were now tanned and placed in a pair of stilettos with straps that tied around the ankles. This had Kat’s name written all over it.

  Evan stood up and greeted Sara as she made her way to the table. Her long brown hair had been cut and styled in waves with the ends curling at her shoulders. Her nails had been carefully manicured, with the paint resembling the dress. He was in complete awe of his girlfriend, wanting desperately to take her back to the hotel.

  He approached Sara, seeing a different look in her eyes than usual. Knowing he was in trouble, he quickly smiled and held the chair out for her.

  “You have a lot of explaining to do,” she whispered while sitting down. The plastered smile never faded from her face as Evan walked to the other side. She waited until the maître d’ excused himself from the table before letting the smile fade. “Start talking, Evan.”

  “Look, I know you’re pissed about the whole airport thing, but I have a good reason.” The face staring back at him urged him as if saying this better be good. “I called Audrey and Mr. Waters the other day and asked if they could move the signing to earlier in the day.”

  “You did what?” Sara’s voice was louder than Evan expected. He tried to quiet her, but stoked the fire. “Why the hell would you ask to move the signing to earlier in the day? You knew what time my flight was coming in.”

  “I know you’re pissed, but I needed the extra time to get everything ready for tonight.”

  “Why? What’s so special about tonight?”

  “I need you to calm down and trust me.”

  “Evan, you lied to me, you had some random guy in a limo pick me up from the airport, you had some woman come to the hotel and take me out all day, and…” Evan saw the look in Sara’s eyes change from a woman gone mad to a woman in love. “You did all that to make my day special, didn’t you?”

  Evan nodded as he picked up the menu. “Now, can you please relax just a bit, and trust that I have something amazing planned for you?”

  “Okay, but you’re just lucky I didn’t call Julie first.”

  You didn’t, but thankfully I did. He hid the smirk behind the menu as the waiter came to take their order.

  Evan fidgeted in his chair for most of the night. His nerves made him shovel forkfuls of gnocchi down his throat, nearly choking several times because he didn’t chew enough. Sara cautioned him to slow down. He did so once the main course came out. A beautifully pan seared salmon and seared chicken breast was placed in front of them to share. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and moist. The salmon could easily be cut with a fork. It was the one of the best meals Evan had in a long time. It was becoming the special night he intended it to be. Stolen glances over the candle lit table set the mood. Not a single word was spoken while they slowly ate, sampling some of the food from the other’s fork.

  The waiter stopped by the table to take the food away, never asking if they wanted anything for dessert. He didn’t need to. Evan had put in a request earlier while he waited for Sara to arrive. Knowing her favorite desserts involved Nutella, Evan ordered a Nutella Budino.

  The waiter returned, placing two mason jars on the table. He gave a quick wink to Evan, letting him know the plan was set.

  “Um excuse me,” Sara said. “We didn’t order any dessert.”

  The waiter stopped and smiled at her. “Signore Taylor requested it.” He had a heavy Italian accent which made Sara swoon every time she heard it. “He ah said you love Nutella.”

  “He did, did he?”

  Evan nodded to the waiter, causing him to scurry away from the table before Sara could ask him any more questions. Nervously, Evan shifted in his chair, dipping his right hand into his pocket.

  “Sara, I wanted tonight to be perfect for you. I know it didn’t start out the way you had hoped, but I want you to know I did everything for you and for us.” A violinist played a soft melody in the background as Evan inched his chair closer. “My life changed the day I met you. I know our relationship hasn’t been what people would consider normal, but I love what we have and I love you.” He pushed himself out of the chair and lowered to one knee. His hand dipped back into his pocket, pulling out a velvet black box. “Our unconventional relationship has led me to the conclusion that I would love nothing more than to make you my wife.” He looked up into Sara’s eyes lovingly. “Will you marry me?”

  ******************************************************

  Sara

  Marriage? He wants to marry me? The look in Sara’s eyes was reminiscent of a deer in the headlights, or hearing a creaking sound in a dark and spooky house. She froze in her chair, staring at the enormous diamond ring that Evan presented to her.

  “Sara, are you okay,” Evan asked. “Please, say something.”

  “Are you sure about this?”

  “I’ve never been more sure in my life.”

  The ring was mesmerizing, almost begging the recipient to say yes instantly. Sara was tempted to blurt out her answer right away, but knew he was asking too soon.

  “Evan, we haven’t been together that long.”

&
nbsp; “I knew the first night we met there was something special about you. On our first date, I wanted to make you mine. Sometimes, you just know it’s right.”

  We already live together, she thought. How much different would marriage be? She took another moment to think it over. Feeling the eyes of everyone in the room glaring at her, eagerly waiting for her answer, she decided to announce her decision. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you.

  Evan slipped the ring out of the box and onto Sara’s finger. She stared at it for a minute before hearing everyone applaud. Her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment, but hid it well within the confines of Evan’s chest as she threw her arms around him. With the applause dying down, Sara and Evan returned to their seats. Sara’s eyes couldn’t look away from the ring. She was fixated on the sparkles from the center and side stones.

  “When did you…”

  “I thought about it for a while now. I just had to wait until I had enough to buy it. It’s partly why I agreed to the second tour.”

  “You went on tour so you could buy me a ring? Evan, you shouldn’t have. I would rather us spend the time together.”

  “I know, but the ring wasn’t the only thing I saved up for while on tour.” Sara didn’t know what else he planned on using the money for. Was he buying a house; a car; a dog? “Now that we are engaged, I wanted to hear your thoughts on when you’d like to get married.”

  Holy shit! He saved money to plan a wedding. “I don’t care when or where as long as my family and Julie can make it.”

  “Then I say we head back to the hotel, celebrate a bit, and then you give them a call. I know your parents and Julie are waiting to hear from you.”

  “They knew?”

  “I asked your father for his permission before I bought the ring. I clued Julie in the moment you told me you were coming down for the weekend.”

  “That bitch knew and didn’t tell me?”

  “She wanted to let me surprise you.”

  “Well, I’m surprised.” Sara’s mind was still racing, causing her to neglect her dessert. When she finally peeled her eyes away from the ring, she took her spoon and dug into the Nutella. “So Mr. Full of Surprise, was there a specific date you wanted to get married on?”