It looks like Adam and I will continue to move our separate ways, pulling even further apart. That’s not what I want but what can I do? I love the guy but he’s too engrossed in his career to see that there are other things to life.
Anyway, that’s why I’m in New Jersey, spending some time with the director, James Butler. He’s disappointed that Adam isn’t on board because he would have been a big draw for viewers. Now though, we’re discussing who’s going to step into his shoes. Neither of us has come up with anyone yet, so it’s a bit of a conundrum. I’d promised James that Adam would do it. You can imagine my shame at having to admit that he wouldn’t even look at the script. In the end, James accepted it and we agreed to go ahead without him.
Oh, there goes my phone again! I know exactly who it’ll be at this time of day. Tina is a creature of habit and seems to want to call me at eleven every morning. She’s driving me nuts because I’m in an in-between place with Adam. This is one of those times when I can’t go running to him, but neither can I give him the middle finger to tell him where he can shove it.
“Hi, Tina, how you doing?” I ask upon answering her call.
“Tessa, darling, I can’t seem to leave you alone, can I?” she states the obvious.
“I thought you were busy with Adam’s script, Tina?” I hint. “I’m surprised you’ve got time to be bothering with the likes of me.”
“Now stop that, dear, you know how much I love you,” she reprimands. “Hang on, I’m going out in the living room area because this hotel bedroom’s too stuffy.
The phone makes some odd noises as I hear her walking and then she starts to bellow in my ear, “Here I am, Tessa, darling. Can you still hear me?”
“I’ll say I can, Tina. You almost burst my eardrums,” I reply, holding the phone at least six inches away from my offended ear.
“What’s that you say, Tessa?” Tina continues to talk with a loud and very exaggerated voice as if she’s acting out a scene.
Then I hear Adam’s voice and it dawns on me what she’s up to. I hear them share a muffled conversation and before I know it, Adam’s voice is singing at me over the other end. I feel a sudden panic and cut him off, without thinking.
Chapter 6
Adam
“I can hear you, Tina!” I shout from the balcony where I’m still lounging around in my PJs.
My mother has taken it upon herself to contact Tessa on my behalf. I had no idea she was going to do it but she started the phone conversation in her bedroom. Now, she’s strolling into the lounge area talking out loud so I can hear her. It’s a trick she’s devised to try and get Tessa and me back together again. Mothers can be so annoying.
“You can hear what, darling?” she asks popping her head through the open balcony doors.
“I know who you’re talking to, Tina. You don’t need to pretend I can’t hear!” I say, feeling a little irritated that she’s taken it upon herself to interfere.
“I wasn’t aware I was doing anything,” she says, trying her very best to look offended. “Why don’t you talk to Tessa for a minute, I don’t mind,” she says, pushing the phone into my hand.
“It’s not as if I have a choice, is it, Tina?” I say, a little sardonically.
“Hey, Tessa, you willing to talk to me?” I ask as I put the phone to my ear. “It seems Tessa doesn’t wish to speak to me after all. She’s hung up on me.”
“No, I doubt that’s what’s happened, my dear,” Tina says, looking at me as if it’s my fault. “I’ll call her back. It’s most likely the phone line got cut off.”
“Tina, you shouldn’t be doing this. Stop it!” I tell her sternly, and then the phone starts buzzing in her hand.
“See, I told you,” she snaps with a smug smile. “It’s Tessa calling back. This stupid phone cut her off.”
Shaking my head in exasperation, I look away on the hope that she won’t bother me anymore.
“Here, sweetie,” my mother says to me. “Tessa wants to speak with you.”
As the phone’s rammed back into my hand again, I put it to my ear, “Hey there, honey. Did we get cut off?”
“Don’t you honey me,” Tessa’s voice snaps back at me. “I only called back because I don’t want to upset Tina. Make it look like you’re actually enjoying talking to me, so she doesn’t call me back again.”
“Why, how many times has she done this?” I ask.
“She keeps trying to get me to call you. Only this time she put you on the other end so I have no choice but to speak with you. That’s why I kind of panicked and cut you off,” she admits.
“Ooh, baby, that sounds painful.” I smile as I look at my mother who finally seems content to see us talking together on the phone. “I tell you what, let me take this call through to the bedroom, so we can talk in private.”
Tina smiles at me, believing that if I want privacy, then all must be well.
“Okay, I’m in the bedroom now so you can put the phone down if you want. I can continue by pretending to talk to you so she can still hear my voice and think we’re okay,” I tell Tessa, in case she really doesn’t want to talk to me.
“That shouldn’t be a hard role for you to play, seeing as you’re so happy with your own company anyway.”
At this point, I realize that Tessa’s crying at the other end.
“Oh, baby, whatever’s the matter?” I ask, feeling really bad. “I wish I was with you so I could rub that sexy spot that you like so much.”
“Damn you, Adam, I miss you like hell, and...yes...you can talk dirty to me if you want to...”
“You know that we haven’t made love in ages?” I point out to her to see if she realizes the seriousness of our situation.
“Of course I know that, Adam. But...but...you’re so pig-headed,” she sobs.
“I prefer the names you call me when I’m tweaking your naked breasts. You know the ones I’m talking about, when you’re begging me to do it harder,” I remark. As I do so, I feel the stirrings of an erection in my pants at the thought of being in bed with her.
“I don’t call you names when I’ve got your dick stuck in my mouth though, do I?” She laughs at her own crude joke.
“What an exquisite thought,” I respond. “I wish you were here in my arms right now, Tessa. I miss you, honey.”
“Well, it’s a good thing that I’m only in New Jersey, isn’t it? I could be in New York later today,” she offers.
“Wow! That’s why I’m feeling so horny. I can sense your nearness.”
“Stop being so rude.” She chuckles. “Do you want to meet up, or not? Be serious.”
“It would be perfect if you could come and stay in New York for a bit. Brett and Sarah are still here, and Kylie’s coming in tomorrow. You know how much you girls love to get together. Oh, and my mother’s here, of course.”
“What a great idea. You know me too well. I do love a girlie get-together. But, I also want to get together with you too, baby.”