No More Wasted Time (20 page)

“Okay. I never drink too much.”

Lisa hesitated for a minute. “Tess, on a scale of one to
ten, how confident are you?”

“Maybe an eight. It depends on the moment. I don’t know.
Why?”

“I know Tommy is crazy about you, but you need to be a ten
at the premier.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not trying to upset you, but I think I should warn you.
It’s no secret that women constantly pursue him.”

Tess gave a begrudging shrug and folded her arms across her
chest.

Lisa patted the tuft silk dressing bench, encouraging Tess
to sit beside her. “You’re different, Tess. He’s been chasing you since the
moment you two met. He’s probably been chasing you his whole life, he just
hadn’t found you yet.”

Tess smiled biting her lip. “Am I really that different for
him?”

“You have no idea.” Lisa said sarcastically.

“He makes me feel incredible.” Heat flooded her cheeks.

“Good, you’re going to need to be incredible, Tess. You need
to be prepared.”

“What are you trying to tell me Lisa? Just spit it out.
You’re making me nervous.”

“There will be a lot of women at the after party, a few he’s
probably dated. Not that it means anything to him, believe me it doesn’t, but
you need to be confident. A ten in confidence, Tess.” Lisa held up ten fingers.
“These women don’t care who you are. They want to go home with him and they
won’t be shy about it either. They don’t play nice, and you’re almost
too
nice.”

Merely the thought made her angry. Tess’ eyes narrowed.

Lisa pointed at Tess’ frown. “That’s what I’m talking about,
that look right there. This is why we’re having this conversation now, because
it won’t do you any good to get angry with these women or pissed at Tommy.
They’ll sense it like a shark smells blood and it’ll make it worse. They’ll
notice your jealousy and play off it. They’re going to flirt with him and paw
on him and try to dance with him. It’s pathetic, but they do it, so you need to
be able to handle yourself.”

Tess nodded as she absorbed Lisa’s advice.

“Tommy’s not going to want you being all pissed off and
jealous. It will ruin your night and his if he has to constantly reassure you.
Babysitting someone’s hurt feelings all night is a complete drag, especially
when you haven’t even done anything wrong. He wants to show you off. That’s why
he brought you here. He’s proud to have you with him and this is a huge, huge,
huge
deal for him. So basically, don’t fuck it up. Benny and I like you. I’ve never
seen Tommy this happy. He’s been on cloud nine since the day you two met, and
from what I can see, you’re just as crazy about him.”

“I am,” Tess agreed.

“Check your emotions at the door and claim him as your own.
You need to be confident. A ten, Tess.”

“Are they really going to be that bad?” Her palms started to
sweat and she waved them in the air.

“Yes, Tess. Some of them are. Look, he’s been pursuing you,
right?”

“I guess. He likes to surprise me all the time.”

“Turn it around, seduce him for the evening. Everyone there
is going to be beautiful, so don’t be insecure. You are the incredibly gorgeous
woman he wants to be with. The way he ogles over you constantly, he probably
won’t notice any other women.”

“Ten, I’m a ten.” Tess straightened herself very tall,
looking into the mirror. “I can do this. You’re right. I won’t freak out. No
babysitting.” 

“Can you dance?” Lisa asked.

“Oh yeah, I can dance.”

“I mean can you really dance?”

Tess tried to keep a straight face as she showed Lisa her
best moves in the dressing room in her thong and strapless bra. “Running man,
the sprinkler, I can even do the superman.”

“You had better be fucking with me,” Lisa groaned, looking
scared to death.

“I am.” Tess showed Lisa her best Las Vegas style dancing
and they both laughed so hard they had tears. “How do you do this?”

“You have to tune it all out and ignore the negative. Benny
and I learned the hard way. It took many ruined evenings to figure it out, and
that’s why I’m warning you.  Now Benny’s a ten in confidence and me… I’m an
eleven!  No other woman in a crowd of hundreds is going to get Benny’s
attention over me.”

“They wouldn’t stand a chance,” Tess agreed, hugging Lisa,
unconcerned that she was half-dressed. “Thanks. Seriously, thanks for
everything.”

Lisa sauntered on her tippy-toes back to her own dressing
room. She turned back to Tess, flashing her ten fingers, mouthing, “Ten.”

They headed to a spa across the street. “What are we having
done?” Tess asked.

“Everything.”

They got massaged, waxed, rubbed and scrubbed. Lisa even
hooked Tess with someone to do her hair for the premier, declaring, “Thank
God
I came a few days early. You’d be walking the red carpet in shorts and a
ponytail.”

It was late in the afternoon by the time they returned to
Tom’s house. Benny and Lisa left to have dinner with the producer for photo
ops. Tess curled up next to Tom on the sofa.

“Are you going to show me your dress?” he asked wishfully.

“Nope, I’m going to make you wait.” She smirked, biting her
lip, thinking of being a ten. “You’re going to like it.”

Sunshine gleamed through the windows, warming Tess’ toes
poking out from under the sheets.

It was a beautiful day. Tom took her for a ride through the
verdant wooded canyons near his home. The cool, fresh air whipped through her
hair while they listened to classic rock, talking about California and places
he loved. They stopped for lunch at a bar all but hidden in the dense pine
trees. Row after row of motorcycles lined up perfectly in front of a red neon
sign, blinking
Mom’s
. Bikers dressed in full leathers gathered in small
packs, checking out the latest and greatest motorcycles.

Tess shook her head and let out a snicker. “Well aren’t you
just full of surprises?”

His eyes glimmered with boyish charm. “This is one of my
favorite bars. No one takes pictures here.”

As they stepped into the dimly lit bar a deep husky voice
hollered, “Well, look what the cat drug in!”

Tom chuckled, heading straight for the end of the bar.
“Hello, Codge.”

“I wondered if I’d be seeing you soon. Rumor has it you
finally got yourself a girlfriend.” Codge stroked his long braided goatee and
brushed his hands down the front of his chest, as if smoothing out wrinkles in
his sleeveless black Harley T-shirt. He gave Tess a polite once over. “Hell,
you look more like a woman to me. Bout time, Tommy.” He grabbed Tom by the
shoulder, giving him a firm whack on the back.

“Tess, I’d like you to meet Codge, short for Old Codger.”

Codge stood at least 6’4” with broad shoulders and biceps
most men would consider guns. She leaned forward over the bar to see if he was
standing on a step. Tess stared up at the man who had to be at least seventy
and extended her hand. “Holy crap, you’re tall,” she muttered in amazement at the
sheer size of him. “Nice to meet you.”

“He only looks tuff, Tess. Codge is a big pussy cat.”

Codge let out a deep thunderous laugh as he took Tess’ hand
and seated them at a booth. “Let me get somebody to cover the bar. I’ll be
right back, honey.”

Tess giggled, catching a glimpse of a tattoo covering his
arm of a biker pin-up girl with
Mom
scrolled in a halo above her head.

“
Mom
is Codge’s wife. He swears she’s a saint for
putting up with him. He looks intimidating, but looks can be deceiving. He’s a
great guy.”

“Looks
can
be deceiving,” Tess agreed. Codge looked
like a Hell’s Angel but seemed more like an adorable grandpa, dimples and all.
“I thought you were going to be a complete ass the first day we-”

“He has asshole written all over him, till you get to know
him.” Codge interrupted from behind, roughly clasping Tom’s shoulder and
scooting next to him at the booth. “It’s cause he’s so
pretty
.” He cut
loose another boisterous laugh. “Nah, this guys all right, Tess. He’s one of
the best friends I got. I’ll vouch for him.”

Tom cleared his throat and rolled his eyes. “I don’t need
you to vouch for me old man. I just wanted her to taste one of your famous
turkey burgers.”

“Turkey burger my ass. Don’t let him fool you honey.” Codge
eyes him suspiciously and then raised a wary eyebrow. “Some people go to church
to find solace, Tommy comes to
Mom’s
.”

Tom smirked. “Comparing church to
Mom’s
is a bit of a
stretch, don’t you think? They might not let you into heaven if you keep
talking like that.” 

“Hah! Hell, Saint Peter will be guarding those pearly gates
with a shotgun the day I die, Tommy.” The two men gripped in another manly
embrace, both wearing huge smiles. “I’ll go put your order in.”

Amused by their camaraderie, Tess’ smile broadened across
her face as Codge left the table. “Are you two related?”

“Not by blood, but he is like family to me. I’ve known him
for thirty years.”

He went on to explain that Codge had helped him out of more
than one bind when he was younger, including bailing he and his brother out of
jail after a fight in his bar. Tom’s older brother left home in Tennessee and
moved to Hollywood to be an actor. Two years later Tom followed. His brother
had a knack for drinking too much, fighting too often and finding any trouble
in a thirty-mile radius.

Unfortunately, his brother’s bad choices ultimately ended
what could’ve been a promising acting career. Tom got lucky and landed a roll
in film that started his claim to fame. It drove a wedge between them that only
got worse over time.

“Shayla’s his daughter?” she asked, and he nodded in reply.
“How did she wind up working for you?”

Tess couldn’t help but notice a change in Tom. He was
relaxed and openly talking about his family. He had only mentioned his brother
once before, briefly saying he was closer to Benny than his own brother.

“My brother wasn’t any better at acting like a father than
he was in front of the camera. Worse actually. I went back home to visit my
parents before they died and spent time with Shayla. She was a senior in high school
and-” his lips drew taut with anger. “I told her if she ever needed anything,
money, a place to stay, a job, to call me.”

“So she called?”

“I’d been out of town for a month, and when I got home,
she’d been waiting for me for three days. My neighbor took her in until I
showed up.” Tom frowned. “My brother’s a piece of shit. Anyway, I put her
through college and gave her a job. She’s a great girl.”

The waitress brought out their lunch. Tess ran her hand over
the top of his. “That was a really nice thing for you to do. I’m sure she
appreciates all you’ve done for her.”

“I wish I could’ve done more for her, when she was younger.”
Tom climbed out from his side of the booth and sat beside her. “Speaking of
brothers-” he flipped her hair behind her shoulder. “Do you want to have John
pick us up at the airport or do you want me to arrange a ride?”

Her glance drifted down to the table and she smiled to
herself thinking her heart might beat right out of her chest. When she lifted
her gaze, his dark eyes stared back intently. “Did you bring me all the way out
here in the middle of nowhere to tell me that you’re taking me home?”

“I was working up the courage,” he admitted self-consciously
with a smirk.

She planted a big kiss of appreciation right on his lips. “When
do we leave?”

“Sunday afternoon. Three days,” he said regretfully.

“I’ll call him later, just to make sure he can pick us up.”

“If it’s going to be uncomfortable or too difficult for you
once we get there, and you change your mind, we can stay downtown. But, I want
to stay with you.”

“I’m not even going to try to convince myself or you that it
won’t be difficult, but I don’t care what it takes, I still would like you to
stay.”

After enjoying one of the best turkey burgers Tess had ever
eaten, they said their goodbyes to Codge. He advised Tess with a gentle bear
hug, “You be careful of that one. He’s always up to no good.” Codge followed
with a warning to Tom. “You’d better be good to her, Tommy. I’d hate to have to
have to come looking for you.”

“Yes, sir, old man.”

“Old man? You ain’t gettin’ any younger Tommy,” Codge roared
as they strolled out the door.

They drove back through the canyon and stopped at a fairly
private beach. The strong surf kept them out of the ocean, so they spread out a
blanket on the warm sand.

“You don’t ever get to do this, do you? Chill, relax, go
where you want.”

“No, I don’t, not in a long time. I miss doing this kind of
stuff out in the open. It’s nice to be normal.”

“Are you referring to me as normal?” she teased. 

“You know what I mean, and you are
far
from normal.”
He traced the small of her back with his fingertips to tickle her. She giggled,
covered in goose bumps.

“I’m sure you get to do a ton of incredibly fun, interesting
things that make up for missing out on some of the normality’s of life.”

“True. I’ve had some great opportunities. I like being able
to use my celebrity to help charities. I enjoy taking advantage of the media to
benefit an organization that needs help. Plus, I’ve been able to travel places
I never thought I would ever see.”

“Out of all the things you’ve gotten to experience and all
the places you’ve traveled, what’s your favorite?” Tess played her fingers
along his ribs.

“You, Tess.
You
are my favorite,” he answered
sincerely.

Tess held her breath, holding back the tears stinging her
lashes. “I don’t want to do this now. I don’t want to cry and dwell on saying
goodbye to you, Tom. I’ll cry and miss you later, but not yet.”