Keep To The Script (Complete)

~ Chapter 7 ~

‘Yup, what had she gotten herself into’, she questioned yet again as they drove to the beach just four hours later. He said he had someplace there or something and when he asked about her joining him for the weekend, she didn’t know it meant a private house on the beach. However, as she unpacked her few items and stared at the water that was her backyard for the next three days, she really couldn’t find it in herself to go on being upset.

It’s not like the house was tiny with only one bedroom. It was a slightly bigger house with three bedrooms, although there wasn’t nearly as much space as she would like, but she could make do. She just had to keep telling herself that they were friends. And honestly, what did it matter? It could just be that she was totally misreading the whole situation. It wasn’t like she had tons of experience in the love department, really, so she could be blind.

“Ready?” She jumped back from the window and glanced at Angel in the doorway.

“For what?” she asked.

“To hit the beach. You are not spending the whole time in this room or on the patio. You need to enjoy the sun and the waves.” She wanted to protest; she really did. But she glanced out the window and the water that was calling her name. Besides, how can one come to California from the Midwest and not enjoy the beach, right?

“Fine, I’m coming,” she told him, walking over to him but he held up his hand.

“You are not enjoying my beach in jeans and a tee shirt. Didn’t you bring a suit of some sort?”

“Well, no, I wasn’t expecting to sunbathe! Come on, let me go.” He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. With a frustrated huff, she clearly saw how determined he was, and she rolled her eyes. “Fine. Give me five minutes to at least change!” He chuckled and backed out of the doorway, shutting it behind him. She went through her suitcase and pulled out a tank top and a pair of shorts. At least she thought to grab some stuff since it was warmer. With a shake of her head, she quickly changed and slipped on her flip-flops before yanking the door open. “Will this suffice now?” His eyes slowly trailed over her, and the corner of his lips lifted up into one of the wickedest smirks she had ever seen.

“I’d like a little less on you, but this will work. Come on,” he told her, not giving her time to process what he just told her. Okay, she might be limited in the areas of love, but she wasn’t dumb, and he was flirting with her! Why? But she didn’t get a moment, again, to toss that around in her mind before he was heading outside into the gorgeous sun and the serenading sounds of the waves. She stopped, closed her eyes, and just allowed the whole moment to wash over her. Yes, this was exactly what she needed to recharge those creative stems in her brain.

“Wow, it just feels amazing. Is it cooler by the beach or something?” He stood beside her, allowing her to de-stress for the time being, and nodded.

“It actually is. A lot of people don’t think about it, but the wind coming off the ocean makes things cooler. Besides that, all the buildings in and around LA obviously keep the heat in and gets hotter.”

“I should have known that.” After another deep breath, she waved her hand for him to keep walking. “Is this your place?” she asked, pointing out the house.

“It’s a family home. I bought it, sure, but anyone in my family can come to stay. They just have to let me know and get the key.”

“You sure spoiled yourself with your money when you got big huh?” He chuckled and shook his head.

“To some degree. I did a lot of other stuff as well. Like helping my brother. I also took care of some things at my parent’s house. Helped my sister take care of her baby when the dad left.” She stopped to look at him and slowly shook her head. “What?” he asked.

“What 27-year-old does things like that? You’re really like your namesake huh?” He chuckled again and linked his arm with hers.

“Hardly! But I have to admit, I was raised in a typical Mexican household. We didn’t have a lot of money and my parents struggled to take care of us. So, when it came to school, they pushed me as hard as they could to finish and then go to get my degree. I had a passion for acting, even back in middle school and it didn’t shock one person in my family that I was going to be an actor.

“I promised mom that when I got my first decent paycheck, I was going to fix a couple of things around the house. Mom told me not to, to spoil myself. But I promised and I wouldn’t be the man I am if I didn’t help them. After I fixed up what I needed, I got my car. My mother was happier after that.” She chuckled and thought about that. Somewhere deep inside, she really wanted to meet his mom, she sounded like an awesome lady and someone that she would get along with.

“I think any parent wants that for the kids, to spoil themselves. You put the time in, focus on you, you know.”

“Oh, I agree, and I did. But when more money came in, I couldn’t see not paying back those that helped me along the way.” She couldn’t help but lift a brow at him. Yeah, what young man did she know that talked and thought like that? Because none of her brothers did when they were that age.

“Right. I swear you’re still like your namesake. So, you’ve given me the high points about your personality, what’s some bad ones so that I can get this image of someone younger being near perfect while I’m totally on the opposite end, here.”

“I’m not a morning person, grumpy as f**k when I’m forced to wake up way too early. I love too long of showers.” Judith could do nothing but roll her eyes at that. That’s the best he could come up with, really? “I’m possessive, that’s a trait a lot of females don’t care for.” That made her pause and look at him.

“How so?”

“I can be a bit demanding on time. I want to see you, not just talk every once in a while. So, when I’m with a woman, I’m with her. Phones are put away, dates are private, and it’s just us. I don’t take kindly to exes jumping in and I for sure don’t want that to become a three-way relationship.” She crossed her arms and just stared at him.

“Do I get more to that story? Because by the way, you said that I’m going to assume it’s happened, and it wasn’t pretty.” He plopped down in the sand and she kneeled next to him.

“I guess you could say it wasn’t. My ex, Jennifer, a great lady, had a lot of fun with her. But she had an ex that she still babied. She would help him with his money problems, or would cook for him, and would still take care of him. Halfway through our relationship, the guy practically lived at her place, and it ended up becoming almost the three of us rather than the two of us. When I would talk to her, she would always throw it in my face that he was an only child, he didn’t have a lot of friends, and his parents lived on the other side of the States.

“I found out his mother lived with his two siblings on the other side of the city. She had broken off their relationship because he was a cheating, lying bastard, and yet, he wanted her back and conned his way to get it. When I broke it off, she got all upset, said I was a jealous asshole and that no one would find my traits particularly romantic and wouldn’t want to date me. But that was just one chick.”

“Oh, please, don’t let me stop you. Do go on, I’d love to hear more.” He chuckled at that.

“I had another girlfriend, about a year ago, fairly young herself who was an upcoming star as well. She loved to be seen by the press and I didn’t blame her, so we’d go out a lot to fancy places or places where the spotlight might be. Which wasn’t horrible, but the moment we got alone, the phone would be out, pictures would be taken and posted, or she’d be talking to friends. At one point, right before I broke up with her, I grabbed her phone and put it in her water glass. Once more I was called an asshole, but I just shrugged it off. I’m me, I want someone who wants to be with me like I want to be with them.”

“That’s not a hard request. In fact, I would think someone would want the same. Why be in a relationship for name only? What fun is that?” He rested his arms on his legs and shrugged.

“That’s my problem. That’s why I learned something else about myself.” She looked at him for a second before lifting her eyes back to his eyes, her brow raised.

“Please do share, I’m dying to know,” she told him, and she was. There was just something about him that drew her in and she wanted to know more. He slowly turned and looked at her, his eyes holding something that she couldn’t quite figure out.

“I learned that all the ladies I was dating were either my age or younger and I was always told I had an older soul and the things I valued, I wasn’t going to find in a young woman. The moment I had a brief fling with an older woman is the moment I realized that older ladies suited me a whole lot better. Besides the fact that they respected the men they were with, they also knew how to please the men, in all ways. And remember, JD, I am a man who likes to fuck.” f**k!