Impossibly Tongue-Tied (29 page)

“Do you really know what I want, Nathan? Well, I'll tell you. I want us both to be
happy
.” She searched his face for the comprehension she sought. “And that's not going to happen as long as we're together just to save your career. Nathan, face it! We're over!”

“Nina, you can't walk away from me!” He pulled her to him again. “Right now, the media loves us.
All of us
. You, me, Jake—don't you get that?”

He ignored the look she gave him, which seemed to imply that he was crazy. “Okay, look Nina, if that's what you really want, I'll go along with another separation…
but later
, okay? After Hugo's movie comes out, and people see what I'm really capable of doing without all this bad-boy media crap hanging over my head. I swear I'll keep a very low profile until then. I'll be—you know,
discreet
.”

He brushed her forehead with his lips, moving slowly down for a kiss. “And you can do the same, too, if you want…”

She couldn't believe her ears.

He wanted her to play along, live a sham, for the sake of his career
.

To hell with
that
.

She shoved him off her. “I'm out of here. Don't try to stop me.”

This time, he knew better.

Just as Baxter had promised, the Beetle was right out front. Jake hopped in the backseat so that he could wave good-bye to his daddy.

“Daddy's crying,” he said forlornly.

“That's okay, sweetie. Ylva will know how to make it better.”

When Baxter picked up the car at Casey's later that afternoon, he found the camera in the glove compartment, with a note: “Happy scoop. Love, Nina.”

 

By the time Nina reached Sam's place, it was sunset.

Everything was just as she remembered it those few weeks past, although it was as if a million years had passed since then.

She walked through the front gate, which had been left open. The front door was unlocked, too. She took this as a good sign: that he was ready to forgive her, to hear her admit that she'd made a horrible, horrible mistake about Nathan.

About herself.

About the two of them.

Then she saw them:
Sam and Kat
.

Making love, right there in front of the picture window, just the way Sam loved it: Standing up, with Kat's legs wrapped around him, both of them moaning in rapture as he pounded away at her to the beat of the surf as it hit the sand…

So, Nathan had been right about one thing after all
.

Numbed and emotionally drained, she walked back out to the car.

After picking up Jake at Casey's house, she headed straight
up Highway One. She didn't know yet where she'd end up, except that it was going to be as far away from Los Angeles as she could possibly go.

 

Kat just knew she'd seen someone peeking in on them from the doorway.

Frightened, she slapped her grunting young lover, a former soap actor who had just signed on to a
CSI
spinoff, on his very high, very rounded bum, to get his attention.

Because he'd do anything to please the woman he'd fantasized about since he was, like, twelve or something, he took that as a sign to take it up a notch and slammed into her even harder.

She sighed, then pinched his ass hard, in order to get him to look up.

“What! What is it?” he moaned exhaustedly. They'd been at it, standing up like this, for what, two hours? Hell, didn't she ever get tired?

“Someone's snooping around! Out there!” she hissed, and pointed to the door. “Go find out who it is.
Now!
”

He nodded and bolted for the front door, naked. She sighed again, and shook her head in wonder.
It's the price I pay for picking them so stupid, barely past jailbait, and testosterone-driven
, she reasoned. Well, he'll learn quick enough, maybe after his first
People
cover.

Hopefully, not naked. And with her at his side, of course.

Besides, a shot of Barely-Past-Jailbait outside Katerina McPherson's new Malibu bungalow, and bare-assed at that, would go a long way toward erasing the public's memory of Nathan's brat biting Kat's thigh while his wife was knocking her silly.

She prayed the photographer snooping around outside had a telephoto lens. Ha! As if the kid's cock wasn't big enough!
Mmmm…

By the time he sauntered back in, she was primed and ready to go again.

“It was nobody. Just some girl in a wedding dress. Funny, huh?”

“Yeah, a real hoot.” He could tell that he'd disappointed Kat. That was okay. He certainly knew how to make it up to her…

 

It was only on Sunday night, after he'd fought his way up through San Diego, past Irvine, and onto the Four-o-Five, that Sam reluctantly turned on his cell phone.

That was when he learned that Nina loved him after all.

No, not just loved him, but wanted him, and in fact desperately needed him…
Now
.

Of course, he needed her, too.

As fast as his fingers would let him, Sam punched in Nina's cell phone number and heard:

“We're sorry, the number you have dialed has been disconnected…”

GENTLEMAN CALLER: Hello, my ladylove. So, have you missed me?

NINA: Of course I have, handsome. (
She gives him a deep, husky laugh
.)
My God
. As I live and breathe! I never thought in a million years I'd ever hear your voice again, Sam Godwin.

SAM: You would have heard it a lot sooner if you had given me a clue as to where you were headed…So how do you like living across the border?

NINA: It's fantastic, really. Stunningly beautiful, wonderful folk, great schools for Jake. And a heck of a lot of voice-over work for me, so I can't complain. Great theater community, too…How did you find me, anyway?

SAM: (
With a coy laugh
) I have my sources, too, you know. Hey, don't be too disappointed. Just think, it took me this long to find you, and that was with my looking every day since you left town.

NINA: Every day, huh? (
She pauses thoughtfully
) So bring me up to speed with the latest. Not that we're so much of an outback that I'm totally out of the loop. Hey, we even get
Hollywood Reporter
up here. And every now and then I look at Baxter's column on the Internet. Of course, if that fails us, there are always the tom-toms…

SAM: Oh, that's cute. Considering how many movies are made in Vancouver, I'd say you're almost back in the thick of it…In fact, Hugo's in Vancouver making a movie as we speak.

NINA: Oh, he is, is he? (
She laughs
) I have to give him credit for how he salvaged
Forever and Again
. That was sheer genius, his concept of putting hidden cameras all around the set to capture all the angst and double-dealings of Nathan and Katerina! And I loved the way he let the other actors and the crew in on it, so that they could give commentary, and improv without those two lovebirds knowing about it. Then intercutting their shenanigans into the scripted footage—I never laughed so hard! Considering all the press the movie got even before it was distributed, audiences couldn't help but love watching it unfold. Gee, I'll just bet Archie Hardaway wishes he'd hung in there instead of yanking his money.

SAM: Well if he had, I wouldn't have gotten my opportunity to produce it myself. But you're right. Hugo is a genius. Or, as he puts it, “If what you're stuck with is a bunch of god-dam rotting lemons, then pulp the shit out of them and make some juice.” Always the master of the paraphrase, right? Of course, when Kat saw the final cut, she went ballistic over it. Nothing she could do about it, though. Still, she threatened to sue us into the Stone Age.

NINA: Surprise, surprise. How did you finally get her off your back? I meant that euphemistically, of course.

SAM: Why, of course you did…What else? We cut her in for a larger percentage of the gross. Believe me, she was a very happy camper. It's been her biggest box office take to date.

NINA: Somehow that gal always comes out on top, doesn't she?

SAM: Well, she does like that position best…euphemistically speaking, of course. Not that I would know from personal experience…

NINA: Oh? Look, Sam, let's not go there, okay?

SAM: What's that supposed to mean?

NINA: I'm not blind, Sam. I know what you like…I've experienced it firsthand, remember? At the beach house.

SAM:
(Sadly)
Damn, the beach house! You had to mention it, huh? Boy, I miss that place.

NINA: What do you mean, you miss it?

SAM: Sold it. Hey, you'll never believe who bought it, either.
Kat.

NINA: Wait—
Kat
bought your place? But—when did you—? How—

SAM: Over a year ago…I used the money to finance Hugo's distribution. I guess even selling Malibu worked out for the best…since I—I couldn't live there anymore.

NINA: (
Somewhat shocked
) Why not, Sam?

SAM: (
After a long pause
) Because I didn't want to live there…without you and Jake.

NINA:
Oh…my…God…

SAM: You're telling me. Yep, in fact, I saw the face of God
several times that weekend, during a four-day binge down in Tijuana…Well, the good news is that, when I came out of it, I found out you hadn't married Nathan after all.

NINA: Yeah, my eyes were opened that weekend, too, and just in time…Well, almost, I guess. Frankly, I owe Baxter for that one. (
She sighs, and gives a sad laugh
) Gee, I guess
Forever and Again
will be the best thing Nathan will have ever done, what with that lousy agent he signed with after he dumped Riley…what was that creep's name? Randy Zimmerman, right?

SAM: Yeah, well, Randy has a knack for taking raw talent and pummeling it into primo B-movie fodder. Then again, from what I hear, Nathan has been taking whatever he can get these days…you know with the new baby and all. I think it's a girl.

NINA: Yeah, Jake told me. Or, to put it in his terms, “Ew yuck! What happened to that baby brother Daddy promised me?” Oh, well, maybe the next one.

SAM: I don't think there will be another one. Baxter's column predicts trouble in paradise.

NINA: That's a shame. I always suspected that Ylva was only in it for the green card. Too bad for Nathan. Both his personal
and
his professional life are going into the crapper at the same time. He would have been smarter keeping you as his agent. Although it certainly worked out better for you. Speaking of your recent successes, congratulations on
Mendocino
. I fell in love with it when I saw it. It certainly deserves a few Oscar nominations. I'm proud of you Sam, I knew you could pull it off…producing, I mean.

SAM: Thanks, Nina. You don't know how much that means,
hearing that from you. Hey, but don't write off Nathan so quickly. In fact, Hugo is considering casting him in his next film—which, by the way, he plans on shooting in Vancouver, too. So if it all works out, Nathan will get to see Jake while he's there.

NINA: Wow, now that would be wonderful! Jake misses his daddy so much, and he's growing up so fast…Hmmm, I'd like to seal
that
deal. Maybe I should stop by and see my old buddy “Wilbur.” Do you think he'd remember me?

SAM: (
He pauses before answering
) Frankly, I don't think he'll ever forget you. I know I won't.

NINA: (
Softly
) I feel the same way about you. (
She sniffs
) Jeez, Sam, you sure know how to make a girl cry.

SAM: I'd prefer to make you happy. Would it help if I talked dirty to you?

NINA: (
Laughing uproariously
) Just the thought of that is enough to keep me in chuckles for some time to come.

SAM: Hey, come on, now! I don't think I'd be
that
bad at it. In fact, I remember that one time you encouraged me to do so, I actually had you all hot and bothered and rarin' to go.

NINA:
Mmmm
. How could I forget? Still, I'm sure that was just beginner's luck.

SAM: Maybe. But we'll never know for sure if you don't give me another shot at it.

NINA:
(Laughing seductively)
Believe me, it's tempting…Okay, sure, go for it. So, what would you say?

SAM: Well…I'd start off by telling you that not a day goes by that I don't think about you…that I don't imagine you lying beside me. Just the mere touch of your sweet, soft skin arouses me. I can't control the urge to run my hands over
your body, to kiss the nape of your neck, to let my lips meander down between your sweet, plump breasts, taking my time with one first, gently flicking my tongue over it, until it gets hard, then allowing my tongue to roam over to the other breast, so that it, too, can enjoy the way my tongue makes it stand at attention—

NINA:
(Laughs softly)
I just love the way you treat them both so fairly.

SAM: Well, thank you, Nina. I pride myself on never playing favorites with any of your body parts…As I was saying, as my hands roam gently over your body, I tempt you with sweet whispers of all the ways in which I'd make love to you…all the ways in which
I love you…

NINA: Sweet…I—I'm impressed, Sam. I think you've been practicing, haven't you?

SAM: No, Nina. I'm rusty in that department. I guess I'm a one-man woman. The only person I'd ever want to share my dirty little secrets with is you. To tell you the truth, there's a lot I want to share with you.

NINA: (
Wistfully
) Me, too, Sam. But we're both leading different lives now, in different places.

SAM: So, move back home.

NINA: (
Laughs
) Los Angeles isn't my home anymore.

SAM: I didn't mean L.A. I meant me.
I'm
your home, Nina.

NINA: There was a time I truly believed that was the case, Sam. When I felt that wherever you were, that was where I should be, too…But I just can't do L.A. again. I'm too notorious there. It will be awful, both for me
and
for Jake.

SAM: That's all in the past. You know that the town has a very
short memory. Heck, you may be a pariah one moment, but have your own reality show the next.

NINA: (
Laughing
) I don't think so…Besides, I made a promise to myself never to go back. Believe me, a reality show would certainly be a deal buster.

SAM: Good, we'll nix the reality show then. Which means the rest is doable, right? Hey, this is a once-in-a-lifetime offer that will be withdrawn at the end of this call, so, if I were you, I'd jump at it…I can't live without you. I love you, Nina. And I want you to—

NINA: Sam, will you excuse me? (
She covers the phone partially with her hand, muffling her words
) Jake, honey, will you get the door? Someone is ringing…I'm sorry, Sam, you were saying?

SAM: Only that I can't live without you. Will you ma—

NINA Oh! I—I'm sorry, Sam, but Jake needs me. Can you hold on a minute…He's—he's got…
a dog! (She puts down the phone
) Jake? Jake, sweetie, where did that dog come from? Yes, I see that he's friendly, but that doesn't mean…
What
man says he's yours? Omigod—
SAM!

SAM: As I was saying, Nina Harte, will you marry me?

 

Unlike the rest of Hollywood, in Sam and Nina's household, there was no pecking order. Everyone got to vote on everything. Believe it or not, even Jake.

For example, Nina was outvoted on her stance that she would never, ever again step foot in Los Angeles. In making his case, Jake pointed out that he missed Ben too much. In fact, he even missed Plum. And he ached to be close enough in proximity to Nathan that they could resurrect Team Harte again.
So Nina compromised: As long as they could spend summers in Vancouver, she was open to winters in Los Angeles.

Being the great negotiator that he was, Sam called it a done deal.

Another mandate in the Godwin-Harte household: No one was to keep any secrets from anyone else. However, if a secret did need keeping (as invariably was the case), there was an ironclad rule: Don't come running to Sam with it, because he was no longer the keeper of the realm. From now on, that was Towser's responsibility.

Besides, Sam had a more important job: to keep Nina happy—something he did to her complete satisfaction, both on and off the telephone.