“I’m sorry you had to see that, Nate. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what to expect, and that watching it like that was so difficult you had to leave.”
I relax slightly at her words.
Trust her, Nate!
“I should never have left without telling you or letting you know I was okay. I wasn’t thinking.”
She pulls back, letting go of me and chewing on her bottom lip, eyeing me like she has something on her mind.
“Ria, talk to me.”
She sighs. “It’s just… this is my job. And I know that seeing me yesterday with Danger was horrible and confronting, him being your friend and all… but this is what I do. This is how I make my living, and if you can’t handle this, then we have a problem, Nate.”
“I know. I think the fact that it’s Danger made this extra hard. If you were doing it with anyone else, it would be fin—”
“Will it, though? I mean, this won’t be the last time I get it on with another guy, Nate. And in movies, it’s worse, much, much worse. There’s kissing, there’s full nudity…” She blinks tears away. “I just don’t know if we as a couple can handle this.”
I reach out, grabbing her hands. “Give me a chance, Ria. Danger’s different. Watching you with actorswill bedifferent. I trust you. I promise.”
She licks her lips and nods. “What about the fan girls? You’re a rock star. Girls are hanging off you all the time, too.”
I furrow my brows. “So you don’t trust me?” I ask, tilting my head.
“No, of course I do. I just… I guess we choose to either give this a shot or bow out now before our issues become a gaping chasm.”
“Our issues aren’t that big, Ria. I made a mistake by leaving last night with Lunar and not calling you. I’m sorry.”
She pulls back and looks into my eyes. “Were you drinking?”
I nod, and she exhales with a frown.
“I drove you to drink! God, I’m so sorry.”
“How did you know?”
She winces, wrinkling her nose. “You kinda reek of it.”
“Right, yeah, I came straight from Lunar’s. I had to crash the night, I was a little…”
“Wasted?”
I nod, and she exhales. “Nate, I never want you to get so anxious over me that it drives you to the bottle. If every time I do a movie, you get like this…” She pauses for a few seconds, and I’m concerned about what’s coming next. “It’ll worry me sick.”
“This won’t happen again. I wasn’t prepared. Next time, I’ll know and ready myself. It won’t be with someone I’ve known for years getting it on with my girl, either. Each time will be easier. I promise I can handle this.”
“Are you sure?”
“You gotta give me a chance here, Ria.”
“You’re right. You are new to this. Watching me with someone else… the first time is hard. And it was even harder for you, I realize, as it was your friend. You’ll do better next time.”
“I just have to remember that you’reactingand thinking about me.” I smile.
She grabs my hands and looks me dead in the eyes. “I am, Nate. The whole time, I was only thinking of you.”
“You looked sexy as hell, though.”
“Thank you. Now, come with me. I can’t stand this stench anymore.”
