HaileyI walked down the hall to Mandy’s office, excited to see her for the first time in what felt like forever. I felt like a horrible friend. I had been spending so much time with Terran, I had all but dumped her. I knew that was common, but I hated that I had done it.I knocked once on her door before pushing it open.“Hi, I’m sorry, have we met?” she asked with a grin.“Ha, ha. I know. I’m a terrible human being. Please forgive me.”She got up and walked around her desk to give me a hug. “I’ve missed you.”“I’ve missed you too. How’s everything going?”Mandy’s smile got bigger. “Good, great actually, but first tell me how it’s been with you and Terran. I’m assuming very good since you’ve disappeared the last few weeks.”I laughed. “It has been a lot of fun, and I really like being around him. We talk, laugh, eat, and… do other stuff.” Mandy laughed. “I had a feeling it would be like that for you once you got that first time out of the way. You’ve gone full nympho on me, haven’t
Hailey“Wow,” she said, scrunching up her nose. “Are we getting old? Is that what this is?”I laughed. “I don’t know if we’re getting old, but I think my life goals are changing a bit. I think I want a family, husband, picket fence, the whole nine yards. I’ve seen the world and done a lot of living. Now, I want something more stable.”Her mouth dropped open. “Holy shit, you are serious.”I slowly nodded my head, each nod making me even more sure of myself. “I am.”“Is he? I mean, is this something you guys have talked about?”I shook my head. “Not really. I guess you could say it’s just the feeling I get from him. He seems like he is looking for something real.”“And you’re hoping it’s you.”Did I? I wasn’t really sure. Things had been going so well. It was so easy and comfortable to be around him. I didn’t feel like I had to pretend to be anything but who I was. I had told him about my life, my fears, and my biggest secret of all. I’d given myself to him. I knew what that meant to me
TerranI sat at my desk, reviewing the notes for the meeting I was about to go into when the phone buzzed.“Your appointment is here,” Lena’s voice floated into the room.I checked my watch and realized the man was about ten minutes early. I quickly finished reviewing who he was and what his business was, preparing to pitch my company as the best one for the job.“Show him in, please,” I said, pushing the button on the intercom before standing and quickly buttoning my suit jacket.The door opened and a middle-aged man, not much older than myself, was shown in.“Mr. Drummond,” I said, extending my hand.“Mr. Maddox, thanks for seeing me on such short notice.”“Not a problem at all. Please, have a seat.” I gestured to one of the chairs before taking my own behind my desk.We got right down to business, which is what I liked, and I was sure it was what my clients appreciated. Time was a precious commodity that none of us had a great deal of.“Do you think you can give us that big launch
TerranI grabbed her free hand and squeezed it. “You’re not keeping me, Hailey. I wasn’t trying to be harsh when I said I needed to focus on work. I thought you understood. Please, I didn’t want you to take it the wrong way. Tell me you didn’t.”She squeezed my hand. “It’s okay. I know. I need the focus as well. You’re a bit of a distraction.” She winked.“Sit,” I ordered, taking the seat next to her.She moved to sit down, her short skirt rising up her toned thighs as she sat down. We were supposed to be taking a few days to take care of things in our personal lives that had been slightly neglected since we started seeing each other. Really, it was my call. I needed to take a step back from her and whatever it was that was happening. I was feeling a bit like an asshole with what I was thinking of doing. I knew Zach thought I didn’t owe her, but I couldn’t help but feeling like I did. Damn, if she hadn’t been a virgin, the whole thing would have been a lot easier.“How’ve you been?” s
HaileyI waved as I walked past Lena, not bothering to chat. I hoped she didn’t think I was being rude, but I wanted to get as far from his office as possible.“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” I muttered to myself as I walked down the hall, slamming my index finger against the elevator button.I felt like a complete moron. He’d asked for some time to focus on his work, and I’d come barreling into his office like a bull in a china shop. My coffee excuse had been weak. Even I knew it was lame. I had spent all morning trying to think of a good reason to see him and failed miserably. To make the situation worse, I had actually told him he owed me for the coffee. I had seen the look on his face and the complete change in his demeanor. He had not found it the least bit funny. It had been a joke, but I had come off sounding like a real bitch.Things were tense between us, and I had no idea why. I had thought everything was going so well, and then he changed practically overnight. It was what happen
Hailey“You’re going to do great. I don’t expect you to get the first few jobs you audition for. This is more about you getting your feet wet and knowing what to expect from an audition. Once you get some experience, you’ll know what to do and absolutely nail it!”“Thank you. I really hope so. I do have a sudden case of cold feet.” He waved my comment away. “I think this is going to be an easy transition. Models are hopping the lines and making movies all the time these days. Fans like the idea of their idol having many talents. You’re smart, pretty, and I know you’re going to do well.”“Thank you, really. I hope you’re right.”“I’m going to put you in touch with an acting coach. She’s great. I refer all my clients to her. She’ll give you tips and point you in the right direction for acting classes. I know you have an idea about the kind of work you want to do, but ultimately, it’s up to the casting directors and producers. Don’t get discouraged if you hear a lot of no’s in the begin
TerranIt wasn’t often I cooked dinner at home, but I was tonight. I wanted solitude away from everything. My phone’s ringer was off. I was focused solely on the chicken I was grilling and the rice I was cooking to go with it. I wasn’t a gourmet cook by any means, but I could get by.I had some jazz music playing on the surround sound and a cold beer in my hand. I had stripped off the suit and tie the moment I’d gotten home and stepped into a pair of basketball shorts and nothing else. It felt good to unwind and kick back.I flipped the chicken breast over, added a little seasoning before picking up my beer, taking a long drag, and finishing it off. I grabbed another one from the kitchen, feeling the stress melt away. The more beer I drank, the louder I wanted the music. Hell, I wanted something a bit more uplifting. I flipped through the satellite channels until I came upon some southern country rock.I went back to the kitchen to stir the rice and barely heard the doorbell over the
TerranI stood up, grabbing my empty plate then hers, carrying them into the kitchen. I grabbed the remote for the surround sound and turned it down a few notches now that we were back in the condo.“I’ll help you clean up,” she insisted.“No, don’t worry about it. You’re my guest.”She laughed. “And I crashed your dinner, which is why I can put the dishes in the dishwasher at the very least.”I rolled my eyes. “Because you don’t want to leave a mess for the housekeeper.”She grinned. “Nope.”Together, we rinsed dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher before tidying up the mess I had made in the kitchen while reading the recipe. I wasn’t a clean cook by any means. I wiped down the gray granite countertop that accented the stark white cupboards in the kitchen and looked around.“Clean enough?” I asked her.She wiped her hands off and pushed my utensil holder back a few inches before smiling and nodding her head. “Just like new. Although if your housekeeper is like mine, she is going
HaileyI laughed nervously. “A whirlwind, really. I was doing the modeling thing one day, and the next, I got the call I had landed this part. I am so grateful to my husband for putting me in touch with Gabriel, my agent. It was like everything fell into place at the exact right time.”“What is this foundation I’ve heard you are working with?” she asked from the preselected questions Gabriel had given her.I smiled. “It’s a foundation to help those kids who tend to fall through the cracks in the foster care system. So many kids are on the streets today because there is a shortage of quality foster homes that are capable of dealing with some of the issues kids are facing.”She smiled and nodded her head. “You were never in the system?”I shook my head. “No. My mother raised me by herself, working two jobs to keep a roof over our heads. It wasn’t easy. I hated how much she struggled, but she taught me that life isn’t about how much you have or what your zip code is. She taught me love i
HaileyOne Year LaterI was more than a little nervous as I sat in the chair assigned to us in the second row. Terran put his hand on my knee and squeezed. I looked at him and smiled. When Gabriel had called to tell me I had been nominated for best actress in a feature film, I had nearly passed out. Our film had barely met the deadline to be nominated for anything.“You look absolutely stunning,” Terran said, staring at me with eyes full of love.“Thank you,” I said, smoothing down the long fitted black gown I was wearing. Terran had bought me a new diamond necklace to go with the dress. My hair was piled on my head in a fancy updo, leaving my neck exposed and the necklace fully visible. I loved telling everyone on the red carpet that asked that my husband had given it to me as a gift for my nomination. I had made more than one of the female reporters green with envy.“You’ve got this,” Terran whispered in my ear.“I’m freaking out,” I gushed, my finger twirling the wedding ring on my
HaileyI had my legs spread wide, his knees clamping down on my bent knee when I moved to close my legs, hoping to rub them hard enough together to get the relief I was absolutely desperate to have. His hand slowly moved over my stomach, stopping to rest on my pubic bone, inches away from where I needed him to be.I whimpered in frustration.“Shh, I’m here,” he whispered.I felt a tear slip down my cheek. I loved him so much. He had my body taut as a bow by simply loving me and worshiping my body. When his index finger slid down my center, spreading my pussy lips, I cried out in earnest. It was the lightest touch over my clit that sent me over the edge. My body arched off the bed as a violent, earth-shattering climax tumbled me into a place with a million shooting stars overhead. I felt as if I had been electrocuted, every muscle in my body tensing as his finger slid inside me.He held me while I moaned and spasmed against him. When my body finally spiraled downward, he climbed on top
HaileyI was happier than I had ever been in my life, riding a high that just seemed to be getting better and better.“I’m going to jump in the shower,” I told him, heading toward his bedroom.It had been a long, busy day, and I was ready to unwind with the love of my life and a good bottle of wine. But first, I wanted to feel clean. I stripped off my jeans before turning on the hot water of his magnificent shower that was big enough to hold a small party in. The jets on the sides and the rainfall shower head made it a very enjoyable experience to shower in his bathroom. I thought about the house we had just visited and regretted not checking out the shower situation closer. I had been so overwhelmed by everything else, the shower slipped my mind.I stripped out of my clothes and stepped under the hot water, letting it cascade over my body. Suddenly, the room was filled with beautiful jazz music. I grinned, knowing that had been Terran. A few seconds later, I felt a cool blast of air
Terran“It’s okay. If I had been honest from the start, I could have saved us a lot of heartache. It was never about the money for me. I wanted you, and I wanted to keep the company intact, even if that meant I had to step away from it.”She nodded her head, fresh tears welling in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I should have believed you. I’m so glad you came back and made me listen. I love you.”“I love you, and I would have walked through fire to get you back.”“I’m so glad you did.”“Thank you for showing me this. You’ve really opened my eyes. I think we can do a lot more good together. I want to do more of this.”She was smiling. “Good, because I plan on giving a large chunk of my salary for the movie to charity. I think we should decide where it goes together.”“What about here?” I asked.She burst into laughter. “I think that check you gave them is going to go a long way. There are plenty of other charities and organizations that are desperate for funding.”“Maybe we could start a founda
TerranI took her hand in mine as we walked into the bank. I had her sit on one of the chairs in the center of the lobby while I spoke with one of the people sitting at an open desk. I rejoined Hailey, who was nervously looking around the huge bank with big black columns supporting the ridiculously high ceiling.“What are we doing here?” she asked.I smiled. “You’ll find out soon enough.”It wasn’t long before a man wearing an expensive suit was striding across the marble floor toward where we were sitting.“Mr. Maddox, it’s good to see you. I’m Con Steven, the manager here. I understand you have some business you need to take care of?”I stood and shook his hand. “I do. This is my fiancée Hailey Hollis.”He shook Hailey’s hand and then led the way to his office. We sat down in the chairs opposite his desk. He tapped on his keyboard, pulling up my account.“Okay, I see you have a large deposit made recently. What can I help you with?”“I would like to have a cashier’s check drawn up f
HaileyWe talked with each of the kids for a little while before it was time for them to have their outside time. When Mandy left to take the kids to the playground, Terran turned to look at me. “That was crazy.”I laughed, picking up scattered crayons and scraps of paper. “It usually is.”“They all know you, and love you,” he said with awe.“I like to come by and help out. Mandy has a lot of kids to contend with, and with budget cuts, she doesn’t have a lot of help. I come in when I can. It lightens the load so the other aides and caregivers can focus on other stuff.” He was nodding his head. “I see.”“Terran, I brought you here because I wanted to show you why I’m so passionate about giving money to charities. This place is funded by the government, but that barely keeps the doors open and the lights on. They have to fight to get every dollar they can. I know it’s like that for a lot of other organizations.”He nodded his head. “I’m not opposed to giving money to charity. Not at al
HaileyI wasn’t surprised to feel the bed empty beside me. We’d stayed at his house last night, as usual. We’d gone straight to bed, both of us tired after a long few days. Terran had tossed and turned all night. I had a feeling he was a lot more anxious about giving away the money than he was letting on. I had to assuage my own guilt. I walked into the living room to find him pacing the floor, his phone next to his ear as he talked about his schedule for the day.When he hung up, I smiled at him. He smiled back, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes as it normally did.“You didn’t sleep very well,” I said, walking to him to kiss him good morning.He shook his head. “No, I didn’t. I have a lot on my mind.”I nodded my head in understanding. “Was that the office?”“Yes. I was clearing my schedule for the day. I still need to do a conference call, but the rest can be taken care of from home. What about you?” “I’m free. I mean, I’m supposed to be learning my lines, but I don’t have to be
Terran“I mean, I would not blame you for wanting to keep some or all of the money for our own future. I know you’re a genuine person. You don’t have to prove anything to me. It’s a lot of money to give away.” There was a skeptical look in her eye. “Are you saying that because you don’t want to give it away?”I shrugged a shoulder. “I won’t lie that I haven’t thought about what I could do with that money. I could expand the company, set up trust funds for every one of the seven children we’re going to have.” I winked, trying to make her laugh.“You don’t want to give the money to charity?” she asked.“I’m not saying that at all.”“But you’re regretting telling me you would?”I shook my head. I could see the wheels turning in her head. She was jumping to conclusions and letting the thoughts run away. I could see the anger and hurt in her eyes, and I grabbed her hand again.“Hailey, I regret nothing. I told you I would give it away if that was what you wanted. I will do anything to mak