Starburst (27 page)

Alley
plopped back to the pillow without a response. She did want to sleep and not
talk about it anymore.

Trevas
returned down stairs and was extremely happy to see his mother and Peyton had
hit it off, and were talking like they had known each other for years.

“I’m
going to drink a beer, would you ladies like a beer?” he asked, sounding like
he was ready to go off the deep end.

“Sure,”
Peyton replied, cautiously. He brought both of them a beer to the table and chugged
about half of his in one drink. He started pulling vegetables and meat from the
refrigerator.

“What
are you doing?” Peyton asked.

“I
need to cook something,” he replied.

“Are
you going to tell me what the heck is going on?” Peyton asked.

Trevas
dangerously chopped a sirloin steak in half. “You really don’t want to know
Peyton,” he assured her and chopped the meat again.

“What
did she do Trevas?” she wanted to know.

“She
got a tattoo, not a cute little butterfly or tiny little hummingbird. She got
it all the way down her ribs.”

Peyton
covered her mouth with her hand. “Her dad is going to freak.”

“Yes
he is, right after he has me knocked off.”

“What
is it a tattoo of?”

“It
says ‘Evil Princess’ all the way down her ribs, in some fancy writing and then
‘Rebellious’ is going through it in a wave.”

“What
the heck would she get that for?”

“It’s
a sick joke. It’s what I call her when she is acting like a little bi…” Trevas
stopped himself before saying it, and continued to take his anger out on the
meat in front of him.

Trevas,
Peyton, and Kay were out at the pool when Alley emerged two hours later. She
vigilantly opened the door, and all eyes were on her.

“Come
in here Trevas,” she requested, pushing her hair from her face, looking rough.

Trevas
got up and followed her in with a good luck from Peyton.

“She’s
your daughter, you deal with her.”

“Uh-uh,
you handle her, a hell of a lot better than I do.”

“Traitor,”
he replied, and went to the kitchen where Alley was waiting.

“Do
you want something to eat?” he asked, her as she stood in the kitchen with her
arms crossed holding a glass of water.

“No,
I want you to scream at me and tell me how stupid I am,” she replied, feeling
guilty about her adventurous day.

“I
wanted to do that earlier. Why do you think I wanted to get away from you?”

“Are
you ever going to forgive me?”

“Yes,
but I’m probably going to get mad all over again every time I see that tattoo.”

“I
really do like the tattoo Trevas,” she admitted, and he growled as he took her
plate from the refrigerator to warm it up. She slid across the counter a couple
of steps toward the microwave and looked up to him.

“Please
kiss me,” she said, softly and even though his mind was telling him not to, he
was still mad, his eyes went to her lips and he moved closer to her. He could
give her a quick peck so that she knew that he still loved her, he thought, but
she had other plans, and as soon as she parted her lips his tongue relished her
mouth, and he pulled her closer to him.

“I’m
sorry,” she said resting her hand on his chest, and her head on his chin.

“You
need to call your dad. How did the paparazzi know you were there?”

“One
followed me from here, and I guess he just called his f---,” she stopped before
saying it. “His buddies,” she finished.

“Promise
me that you are done with stunts like this,” he requested. “If you feel the
need to get drunk and smoke weed, do it with me. I will get it for you. I don’t
want you going there again.”

“Trevas
they are not bad people. They smoke weed that’s it. They don’t do anything
harder than that.”

“I
don’t want you going there Alley.”

“Fine,
okay, I won’t.”

“Promise
me.”

“I
promise,” she said and moved away from him.

“Where
are you going? Your food is ready.”

“I
have to go suck up to your mom,” she replied, and Trevas smiled.

Alley
walked out the door and right up to Kay. She bent down, and hugged her, and Kay
hugged her back.

“I’m
so sorry Kay,” she apologized as Kay rubbed her back.

“It’s
okay Alley, your mom has been remarkably good company. I can’t believe I’m
sitting here drinking beer with Peyton Paxton,” she admitted, excited as Alley
pulled away and smiled a weak smile.

“I’m
sorry to you too mom,” she said, sitting at the table with them.

Peyton
smiled, not used to her daughter accepting fault. “You know your dad is going
to come unglued when he finds out about the tattoo.”

“Yes
I know,” she admitted, and Trevas brought her plate.

She
didn’t think her stomach would let her eat it, but after she took a couple of
bites of the beef and vegetables it seemed to settle it, and she almost ate the
whole thing before pushing it away.

“I
want to see the tattoo,” her mom requested.

Alley
stood up and pulled up her shirt.

“I
kind of like it, it suites you,” she admitted, and Trevas gave her a dirty
look.

“Great
Peyton, let’s encourage her,” he offered, and she laughed.

“Don’t
ever leave me Trevas,” Alley whispered, laying in Trevas’s arms once everyone
had turned in for the night.

“Why
would you say that? I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me to,” he told her
and moved her to the side so that he could look at her.

“Because
I do stupid things, and I don’t want you to get tired of me screwing up.”

“Alley,
we all do stupid things. I was ready to go to prison when I was your age. I’m
not going to stop loving you because you make mistakes. I don’t think you
realize how much I love you. I couldn’t breathe without you, my heart couldn’t
beat, and I wouldn’t want it to without you.”

Alley
smiled a weak smile. “Kiss me,” she whispered, and he did and then he made slow
passionate love to her and was surprised when her normal flamboyant self didn’t
come out, and she moaned in pleasure instead of profanity.

They
all ate breakfast together outside by the pool and Alley almost choked on her
food when her dad opened the door and joined them. Trevas smiled a deviant
smile when she looked to him for support. His look told her that she was on her
own, and he wasn’t helping. She knew she deserved whatever he said but still didn’t
want to tell him. Trevas got him a plate, and he sat with them.

Kay
couldn’t believe that not only was she eating breakfast with Peyton Paxton but
also the famous director, Nicholas Fletcher. She was pleasantly surprised at
how normal they were, and she felt like her and Peyton were best friends.

“Alley
has something to tell you,” Trevas told him twisting the knife a little, and
loving every minute of it.

“What’s
up princess?” he asked. “Hmm, this is good,” he added taking a bite of the
breakfast casserole.

Trevas
laughed. “Evil Princess, Rebellious Evil Princess,” he rephrased, and Alley
gave him a daggered look.

“I
kind of snuck off yesterday while Trevas was picking Kay up from the airport
and did something that you are not going to be happy about.”

Fletcher’s
eyes widened. “What the hell did you do?”

Alley
stood up and pulled up her shirt, revealing the tattoo that glistened from the
lotion she had just applied to it before coming out.

Fletcher
dropped his fork to his plate and stood up.

“What
the fuck Trevas?” he asked, looking to him instead of Alley.

“Of
course, it’s my fault,” he countered, but he did feel somewhat responsible, and
wished he would have made her come with him.

“Dad
you can’t blame Trevas. I’m the one that did it, not him.”

“Alex
May, you have a nude scene. Do you have any idea how hard those things are to
cover up? What the hell were you thinking?”

“I
don’t know. I’m sorry.”

“You’re
sorry?” he asked, sarcastically. “Well since you’re sorry,” he added, smartly,
and Trevas watched as Alley pressed her lips together and twisted her mouth to
the side. He knew she was dying to tell him off, but surprisingly she didn’t
and didn’t answer.

“Um,
you might want to take a look at this too,” Payton said, offering her smart.

It
was a picture of Alley in her very short shorts with her head covered with a
hood, wearing dark sunglasses, walking into the tattoo parlor. The caption
read, ‘Bets circling through Hollywood on whether or not the daughter of Peyton
Paxton will be able to finish the movie, directed by father, Nicholas Fletcher.
And then there was another one that said, ‘what tattoo did little Alley get?’

Alley
dropped her head and hated the trouble that she was causing. She wasn’t sure
why she cared. She never had before, but for the first time in her life, she
didn’t want to be a disappointment.

“Why
don’t you sabotage the whole fucking movie before we even get started?”
Fletcher yelled at her.

“Fletcher,
Uh-uh,” Trevas stepped in, surprising Peyton and himself for standing up to him,
but wasn’t about to let him talk to her like that.

“I
gotta get out of here,” he said but turned to Alley before he left. “Should I
just find someone else for this Alley?” he asked.

“You
do whatever you have to do,” she demanded, yelling.  She spun him when she got
up to go inside, contacting his shoulder with hers.

Peyton
and Kay sat and watched without a word until Fletcher left, and then Trevas
went upstairs to go to Alley.

She
was digging through her backpack and pulled out the bag of weed when he
entered. She turned to look at him with tears in her eyes.

“Come
here baby,” he spoke softly, and she was in his arms sobbing as he took the bag
from her hand, and stuck it in his pocket. “He’s just mad Alley, he’ll get over
it.”

“My
dad has never talked to me like that,” she stated, from his chest.

“Give
him a little time. He has a right to be mad, but he doesn’t have the right to
talk to you like that, even though I have heard you talk to him like that.”

“I
have, haven’t I?” she realized, and also realized, she didn’t like the way it
felt.

“Get
dressed and let’s go shopping with our parents,” he kissed her on top of the
head.

“I
wanted to smoke that,” she said, looking up to him.

He
kissed her, “No, you don’t need that. Get dressed,” he replied, and smacked her
on the butt.

“Are
you shopping with us?”

“No
way, I’m just the driver,” he replied, and she laughed.

“I
love you Trevas.”

Trevas
kissed her again. “I love you too.”

“Is
she coming with us?” Peyton wanted to know when Trevas descended the stairs.

“Yes,
she’s coming,” he replied.

“Trevas
I love your mom. She is so much fun,” Peyton told him as they waited for her
and Alley to get ready.

“Thanks
Peyton, I know you have made her year by having her here. I will hear about
this for the next ten years.”

“Your
mom is welcome here anytime, and I don’t think we will be strangers. I invited
her to London with me next month for the red carpet event.”

“Are
you serious? She would love that.”

“I
would love it too, and don’t you let her change her mind. It won’t cost her a
penny.”

“I
don’t think she is worried about the money. I am very proud of her. She has
done well for herself, my sister and me.”

“I
don’t doubt that for a second.”

Trevas
drove the big black SUV with the darkened windows and Peyton, Kay and Alley all
rode in the back seat.  Trevas followed Peyton’s orders, and they started on
Melrose Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. He waited on the sidewalk as they put
bags in the back, going from store to store while he inched the vehicle along
following them. It was only a matter of time before cameras were starting to
bombard the sidewalk and Trevas was pissed. The ladies were having a grand time
and Alley was laughing and happy. He wanted them to be able to spend the day
without worrying about the media.

“Hey
guys, come on, leave them alone,” he pleaded, with the three men waiting to attack
when they came out of the store.

“This
is public property,” one of them stated, not about to leave Payton Paxton or
her daughter alone, and Trevas knew it, when more and more people started to
congregate with cellphones held up, ready to get a shot.

Trevas
text Alley and told her not to come out until she text or called because the
sidewalk was full of fans and papz.

“Are
you fucking kidding me?” she said, calling him.

“No,
I’m not kidding, and the longer you stay in there, the more will assemble.”

“Okay,
we are coming now,” she said after telling her mom.

Trevas
went to the door and held his arm out as a barrier from the screaming people.
He opened the back door and made sure Alley was in first. She would be the one
to say something as he heard them ask her what tattoo she got. Once he had them
all safely in the vehicle, he had to pull out slowly because they swarmed the
car, still snapping pictures.

Kay
was beside herself and watched as Peyton and Alley held their heads down, and
she knew that they had endured this a time or two or a thousand.

“Put
your head down Kay. Don’t give the bastards the time of day.” Alley laughed,
but they were already in traffic and sitting backup.

“This
is crazy,” she exclaimed, but felt bad that they couldn’t even go shopping
without dealing with this.

“It
is ridiculous,” Peyton replied.

“Sorry
ladies but shopping is done. I have about seven cars following me right now,
and the only place we are going is home.”

“Is
it always like this?” Kay asked, curious and intrigued with their lifestyle.

“Only
since I was like three,” Alley admitted.

No
wonder Alley was pissed at the world she thought. The poor girl didn’t have a
chance at a normal life.

Trevas
carried in their bags, and even though they didn’t get to spend the whole day like
they had planned, they did end up with the whole backend full of stuff. Kay
came out to help and was glad for the alone time with Trevas.

Trevas
smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek. “What do you think of all this?”

“I
think its nuts. I understand Alley a lot better now that I see what she has had
to live with her whole life, and I understand why she wouldn’t want to be in a
movie. I thought she was crazy when you told me she didn’t want to do it.”

“I
understand you are going to London with the famous Peyton Paxton,” he teased.

“Do
you think I should go? I mean I don’t think I would fit in very well.”

“I
think you would fit in just fine, and Peyton loves you. I think you should go.
When will you ever get another chance to go to London with your idol?”

“Never
in a million years,” she admitted.

Trevas
changed into khaki shorts and a t-shirt and waited for Alley to come down to
join Peyton and Kay in the pool. He watched her with hungry eyes descend the
stairs in her white bikini, and she went straight into his arms.

“What
would happen if I pulled this string right here?” he teased, taking the thin string
on her hip and twirling it around his finger.

“I
would be naked,” she smiled and kissed him.

“I
better stay inside,” he admitted.

“No,
come out with us, I like tormenting you.”

“You
are such an evil princess,” he ran the backside of his finger down her tattoo.
“Does it hurt?” he asked.

“A
little,” she replied, and he bent down and kissed it. “It doesn’t hurt anymore,”
she smiled.

Alley
did torment him every chance she got. He wouldn’t get in the pool because of
being afraid of paparazzi, and sat on a lounge chair, and watched. She eyed him
and purposely dove under the water in front of him, pushing her breast out
toward him as she put her head back in the water.

Peyton
and Kay floated around on rafts and Trevas kept their drinks filled. Alley got
out first, and again eyed him as she walked toward him to retrieve a towel. She
bent and gave him a quick kiss, letting the water from her body drip onto his.

“I’m
all wet,” she whispered. “Follow me,” she added, and left him sitting with his
mouth hanging open.

“Hey,
where are you guys going?” Peyton asked when he got up to follow her.

“Wherever
Alley tells me to go,” Trevas answered, not turning around, afraid they would
see in his face what he was really up to.

“I
have never seen Trevas like this Peyton,” Kay told her, amazed at the
infatuation her son had for her daughter.

Peyton
took a drink of her ice tea from the cup holder in the raft. “Believe me, Alley
has made like a three sixty since he has been around. I know what you mean, and
I have never seen anyone handle her like he does. All of the other help we have
ever had for her has bowed down to her like she was some sort of evil princess.”
She explained, throwing in the evil princess on purpose. “Trevas doesn’t care,
he will put her in her place in a heartbeat, and not care what she or anyone
else thinks, and she listens to him, that is what baffles me,” she laughed.

“He
did fight his feelings for her really hard Peyton. He didn’t want to fall in
love with her, and he does love her with all of his heart. I know my son, and
he is head over hills.”

“I
know he didn’t want to fall in love with her, but I’m almost glad he did. Can I
tell you a secret, between you and me?”

“Of
course.”

“I
tried to get Trevas in bed a couple of weeks ago. Well not really, I wasn’t
going to sleep with him, I probably would have thrown him out of my house. I
did it because Fletcher was sure he was in it for sex, and bet me that he
didn’t love her, and I could get him in bed. He totally freaked out on me,” she
laughed, remembering their encounter. “I’m almost forty years old, and have I never
been turned down for that.”

Kay
smiled a warm smile, feeling proud of her son. “I’m surprised that he had the
will to say no myself, I mean you are absolutely beautiful.”

“Thanks
Kay but I think you are pretty hot yourself,” she replied, and they laughed.

“Is
there a significant other?” Kay asked, and then wondered if it was too personal,
and wished she could take it back.

“There
is not. There is James who is the hottest freaking lover on the face of this
earth,” she joked, “but no, not anyone that I would put any roots down with.
How about you?”

“No,
I have a James too, but his name is Ken. He is one of my sales reps and stops
by on occasion. I really need to put a stop to that,” she added, thinking about
the situation.

“Yeah
me too, but I’m like some stupid teenager when he calls. No matter how many
times I tell myself that I’m telling him that we are not doing this anymore, as
soon as he calls I’m like, yes come over, please come over.”