She Will Be Loved - Fearless
Title - She Will Be Loved
Author - viper209n
Fandom - --
Pairing - --
Status - In Progress
Rating - T
Chapter - 2/?
I'm tryin' so hard not to get caught up now
But you're just so cool
Run your hands through your hair
Absent mindedly makin' me want you
And I don't know how it gets better than this
You take my hand and drag me head first
Fearless
And I don't know why but with you I'd dance
In a storm in my best dress
Fearless
- Fearless - Taylor Swift
She felt those high school feelings again. The excitement of being with someone new and getting to know them. The desire to spend all free time with them. To know everything about them.
For their first ‘real’ date, he took her to a fancy restaurant that she could tell he wasn’t completely comfortable in. She watched, impressed, as he showed no sign of discomfort and focused all attention on her. While his piercing gaze had a tendency to make her blush, it also flattered her and made her feel like the most important person in the world.
Their second date she chose a restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere. Aaron wore a casual button down shirt and Kelly was sure he was more attractive in this wardrobe than when he was all prim and proper. He told so many funny stories Kelly was sure her face would be sore the next morning from laughing. They talked about their families and friends. They compared hometowns and discussed dream cars. Kelly marveled at how easy it was to talk to him. There were very few lulls in their conversations.
For their third date they went to a showing of an independent film which Aaron’s friend, Jerry Davis, was in. They arrived separately and entered through different doors away from the main entrance. They casually sat next to each other and did not speak until the lights went down and the picture started. His hand reached toward her with an offering waiting inside. Kelly gathered the gift in her hand and almost immediately recognized the contents as three Hershey’s kisses. She looked up at Aaron with her eyebrow slightly cocked. He simply smiled at her and turned back to the movie. A few minutes later, Kelly noticed Aaron fumbling in his pocket for something. Finally, she realized he was trying to text without being distracting. Soon, Kelly felt a vibration from her phone. Subtly, she opened the text message and read it.
‘I swear I am not being presumptuous. I wanted to bring you chocolate and grabbed M&Ms b/c everyone loves M&Ms, yes? But then I thought with your ‘diet’, you might not even eat M&Ms. So then I assumed just pieces of’
Her phone vibrated again as she received part two of the message.
‘chocolate would work. Only seconds ago did I think of their name and how you may not appreciate me giving you ‘kisses.’ I hope I haven’t made you uncomfortable or anything. I’m sorry.’
Kelly smiled at his rambling explanation. She looked toward him to catch his eye and explain that everything was fine. However, he refused to look at her. She chuckled as she rolled her eyes and turned her attention back toward her phone.
She sent a reply saying that everything was fine. However, Aaron insisted on apologizing once the movie was over and they were alone. They had decided to grab coffee at a tiny hole-in-the-wall café.
“Honestly, I never thought about the name of the candy until then,” Aaron said as he stared at the table.
Kelly could tell he was frustrated with himself. “It’s okay. It was really sweet and not presumptuous at all.”
“Are you sure?” He asked, finally looking up at her.
“Yes,” she chuckled. “I was flattered that you went through all that trouble and worry over little old me.” Now it was her who was looking down at the table.
“You’re worth it.” The way he said those words made her look up into his eyes which caused his lips twitch into a small smile. She could not help but smile back while a blush crept into her cheeks despite her best efforts to stop it.
“So how did you like the movie?” Aaron asked, breaking the trance.
“Mmm.” Kelly mumbled through a mouthful of coffee. She swallowed before answering. “It was very good! How do you know Jerry?”
“Oh, we shared an apartment when we were first starting out. He’s very talented. Actually, he’s an aspiring actor, writer, director, and producer.” Aaron said, rolling his eyes.
“You’re not interested in writing or directing?” Kelly inquired.
“Not really. I never pictured myself a writer really. And directing...” Aaron thought about it for a moment. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll get bored with acting and want to do something more but for now…” He looked at her. “Okay, scratch that. Let me be completely honest with you.” He paused. “It doesn’t interest me. Maybe that makes me a bad actor or whatever but I’m just not interested. I like the acting aspect and yes, it is interesting to watch the director and how the camera works and moves and all. But it’s also interesting to watch,” he paused to think. “How a car is put together. That’s interesting. But I don’t want to put together cars. And I don’t really want to direct or write either.” He shrugged. He knew Kelly was interested in those things and he did not want to hurt her feelings but also he did not want to lie to her.
She was giggling as she responded. “I understand.” She smiled at him before shaking her head.
“What?” He asked, grinning.
“You’re just…” She started before shaking her head again.
“What? I’m what? Crazy? Neurotic? Insulting? Presumptuous?” He was still smiling as he guessed.
Kelly continued to laugh. “No! You’re just… cute. And sweet. And charming, endearing. Honest. You’re just you.” Now he was the one blushing. “That’s very refreshing. To be around someone who doesn’t pretend to be someone they’re not.”
“Well, it’s easy to be myself with you.” He admitted smiling at her for a moment before looking back at the table. “Sometimes I have to do a lot of pretending.” Kelly noticed the change in Aaron’s voice as he confessed the latter. It was the first time their conversation had ever taken a more somber turn. Kelly thought about his statement and knew where he was coming from. She knew he felt the pressure to be so many different things for so many different people. He was looked up to and wanted by hundreds of people.
“It’s our job, right?” Aaron looked into Kelly’s blue eyes, surprised that she understood without him having to explain. She smiled up at him.
“So, when are you going to be behind the camera?” He asked, wanting to change the subject back to a more enjoyable topic.
“Oh, I don’t know.” She paused. “I think I’ve gotten to a certain point where I think - and I don’t want to sound terribly self-centered -,” he shook his head to say he understood, “but I read a script and actually see how the scene would look. Like, I see how the room would be set up and what light would be used. But so often I then go to the set and it’s something totally different and I’m just like…” She paused, “I don’t want to be rude but I’m just thinking ‘I really like my idea better. I could have done this right.’” She stopped again and looked at Aaron. “That makes me sound so terrible though.”
“No! It makes you sound inspired and…” He tried to think of the best word. “Brilliant. I don’t give much thought to the set or scenery. I read the script, learn the lines, and wait to be surprised. Really I’m envious. I wish I had your drive.”
Kelly looked down at the table. “Why, Mr. Taylor, you are making me blush.”
His heart leapt as he saw the rosy hue on her cheeks once again. Eyes dancing, he remarked, “Maybe one day you’ll direct me.” He smiled and she laughed.
Two days later, Kelly knocked on Aaron’s trailer door.
“Come in.”
She let herself into the trailer and looked up to see a shirtless Aaron in khaki cargo shorts, drying his hair with a towel. His shoulders and chest was catching droplets of water from his hair and they were racing down his body toward his shorts. Kelly was sure she was drooling.
“Oh, hey!” He smiled widely upon seeing her.
Kelly kept telling herself to quit staring at him but her eyes would not listen to her brain.
Aaron quickly followed her eyes with his own.
“Oh! Sorry,” he said as he walked toward the back room of the trailer. As he reappeared, tugging a red t-shirt over his abdomen, he explained, “Me and Shawn filmed the scene in the pool today.” He put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a quick hug.
“So how was your day?” he asked, pulling out a bar stool out for her.
She could only sigh loudly at the question.
“Uh oh,” Aaron interrupted. “That’s not a good sign.” He smiled at her, leaning against the counter with a glass of water in his hands.
“It’s just John.” She sighed at the thought of the actor who portrayed her husband.
“Oh. I understand. I’ve worked with John before and he’s a great actor, don’t get me wrong. But he’s just not the best co-worker.”
“Exactly! And I don’t want /to be rude but sometimes… he just really irritates me.”
Aaron laughed. “That’s John for ya.”
As he finished his water, Kelly mentioned, “I thought we could go to Mr. Chow tonight unless you have other plans.”
“Kelly, do I ever have plans?” He laughed before turning to the sink to wash the cup. “You know that before we started seeing each other, I was the most boring person ever.”
She smiled to herself when he mentioned them seeing each other. Sometimes, it still felt unreal. “Well, it's kind of fancy so I wasn't sure if you would want to go.”
“You know I only have one suit!” He chuckled
She started to justify herself.” They have great steak and I have a craving for it and...”
He interrupted. “Well, I know enough to know that when a lady wants something, I need to do my best to get it for her.”
Kelly laughed out loud. “I hope I'm not like this all the time. Just making you do my bidding.”
“You’re not.” He chuckled back. “But I'd put up with it if you were.” He winked. She smiled back and stood as he grabbed his keys. They began the walk to her car as they had for the past week. He quickly took her travel bag which also contained her bag for lunch but let her carry her own purse, deciding it would be a bit demasculating otherwise.
Her left hand held her purse secure while the right relaxed by her side. She felt his hand brush against hers lightly and gently take hold of it. He held the delicate hand carefully, testing the waters. Kelly hid most of her smile but the edges of her lips twitched. She figured Aaron had been watching because he squeezed her hand ever so slightly and his hold became just a little tighter.
They reached the car and Kelly opened the trunk of her car.
“So I'll pick you up around 6:30?” He asked as he placed her bag in the trunk as she got in the driver’s seat. He shut the door for her and leaned through the open window.
“Sounds good,” she smiled up at him through sunglasses. Aaron smiled back at her and for a moment, she swore he was going to kiss her, to which she would not be opposed. She had wanted him to since their second date. But he did not. Instead, he leaned out of the window and waited for her to leave the lot before he followed.
She sent him a text around 6:15 saying she was not going to be completely ready at 6:30 and to come on in to her house and not wait in the car. Aaron sat in the living room waiting on her. Around 6:40, he heard the bedroom door open and he stood up. He suddenly felt his heart flutter with nervousness.
Kelly entered the living room with her hair in soft waves and a simple but stunning red dress on. It was a silky material and glowed in the light. The straps were thin and the dress stopped just an inch below her knee. The sight took Aaron’s breath away.
“Wow,” he breathed. Kelly smiled at him, pleased with herself. She wanted to turn the tables and receive appreciative glances from him since she had embarrassed herself earlier by staring at his bare chest and stomach.
“You look absolutely gorgeous,” Aaron said, his voice still quiet.
“Thank you,” Kelly kept her voice quiet as well.
“You sure it’s me you want to go out with?” He chuckled.
“Who else would I want?” She flirted. Aaron smiled and looked back up and down Kelly’s dress before staring straight into her eyes.
“C’mon, beautiful.” He said as he put his arm out for her to loop hers through it. “Let’s go.”
They arrived at the restaurant in a few minutes and Aaron began to turn to find parking.
“You don’t just want to give it to the valet?” Kelly inquired.
“I prefer to retain some normalcy to my life,” he said as he winked. “But I can drop you off at the front.” He let her out at the front door of Mr. Chow and quickly parked.
When he entered the restaurant, Kelly had already been seated and Aaron joined her. Their table was private without being totally secluded. The restaurant was quiet and a man was playing soft piano music. Occasionally, he was accompanied by a saxophonist, who kept the mood equally as peaceful. A few couples were dancing.
They spoke for a while before their meals arrived and they ate the delicious food. They shared a dessert and entered a comfortable silence. They looked into each other’s eyes for what felt like a lifetime. Suddenly, Aaron began to smile and Kelly cocked her head to the side.
“What?” she asked softly.
“You are just… This might be out of line but… the way the light is hitting you… and your hair… and the dress… you are taking my breath away.”
Kelly blushed and looked away for a brief moment before staring right back up at him. “If I could count the times you’ve made me blush…” she let her sentence trail off.
Aaron smiled back at her for a minute before looking around the room. He noticed that there were quite a few couples on the dance floor. He gazed back at Kelly who was looking into her glass of water, working the lemon with her straw.
“Kelly,” she looked up into his soft brown eyes. “Would you like to dance?”
She smiled sweetly at him and looked to the dance floor. They both knew it was dangerous for them to do something so intimate in public with the media everywhere. Satisfied seeing there were enough couples for them to disappear into, she looked back up into his eyes and answered, “I’d love to.”
He stood and offered her his hand, which she took and let him lead her to the dance floor.
“I’ll warn you. I’m not too good at this.”
She smiled, “That’s okay.”
“Watch your feet,” he chuckled. She laughed at him as he fixed one hand on the small of her back and the other held her hand tightly. Her free arm wrapped itself on his shoulder and they began to sway to the music.
Originally, they had a safe distance between them but as the music wore on, the two became closer and closer. With eyes burning bright, staring deeply into blue and brown, Aaron placed her hand that he was holding on his shoulder and relocated his hand, joining the other on Kelly’s back. His eyes asked if this was okay and Kelly’s answered back that it was perfectly fine. His arms slowly pulled her closer and she decided to lay her head on his chest.
They closed their eyes as they continued to sway. She could hear his heart beat in her ear; the sound mixed with the music and produced the most beautiful harmony. He could smell her hair and her perfume. She smelled exquisite and he felt like the world was standing still. She felt chills throughout her body as his hands would gently move across her back.
He picked his head up off of hers as he felt her moving away from his chest. As she pulled back, their noses grazed and their breaths mixed. She looked up into his eyes, their faces an inch apart. The blue eyes locked with the brown and they could hear their heartbeats pounding in their ear drums.
Suddenly, applause broke through their personal silence. The song had finished and the dancing couples had clapped for the musicians. Slowly, Kelly and Aaron extracted themselves from one another and lightly joined the clapping. As the clapping subsided, Aaron rubbed Kelly’s arms.
“Ready to go?” He asked softly. She nodded and felt his hand on the small of her back, leading her out of the restaurant.
They stepped out of the front door and realized that it had started to rain since they had been inside.
“The valet may have been a good idea,” Aaron admitted. Kelly giggled at him.
“I’ll run and get the car and come get you.”
“Or I could just come with you,” she offered.
Aaron looked at her for a moment like she was deranged.
“What?” she asked.
“It’s just…” He paused; never had he thought she would want to run through the rain in a formal dress. “Won’t it ruin the dress?”
“Maybe, but it’s just a dress. And you should know that I can be impulsive.”
He smiled at her and offered her his hand. “Well, c’mon. I hope you are ready to sprint because I’m making a mad dash!”
She chuckled. “I think I can handle it.”
Aaron counted to three and they took off. He was holding her hand, guiding her, when he heard her yell out and stop running. He looked back to see that one of her high heels had come off of her foot.
“Running in heels might not have been the brightest idea.” Aaron laughed through the rain at her. She agreed as she stooped to put the shoe back on.
“We’re kind of close so I’ll carry you if that’s okay.” He offered. “I don’t want you twisting an ankle or anything.”
Kelly threw her arms in the air. “I’m light as a feather,” she giggled. He bent down and lifted her with ease. He smiled as he heard her squeal and laugh.
Once they reached his Jeep, he set her down and opened the door. As he set her inside the vehicle, their faces were once again inches apart. Looking at Kelly now with her hair stuck to her forehead and grinning from ear to ear, Aaron was sure it was the most gorgeous she had ever been. He wanted to lean in and kiss her but stopped himself and shut her door before moving around to get in the driver’s seat.
Aaron smiled across at Kelly as water cascaded down their faces and dripped from their hair.
“How spontaneous, are we?” Kelly asked, laughing.
They arrived at Kelly’s house in a few minutes and Aaron walked her to her door, despite the rain that was still steadily coming down.
“I had a great time tonight,” she told him.
“Me too,” he smiled. “I’d hug you but I’m soaking wet,” Aaron said, motioning toward his clothes.
Kelly laughed. “Well, so am I!”
Aaron smiled at her. “Can’t beat that logic!” He moved toward her and hugged her tightly. They held each other for a moment longer than usual before Aaron began to move away from her. As soon as they were far enough apart, Kelly pulled Aaron back toward her and kissed him. She could not help but kiss him with all the passion she felt for him. Her lips remained closed but the way they were pressed to his communicated to Aaron the feelings she was having.
Aaron’s whole body stiffed as he felt her lips on his. It took him a few seconds to process what was happening and what he wasn’t doing. He shook the confusion from his mind and kissed her back with all the passion she was kissing him with. His hands wrapped tighter around her waist and pulled her even closer.
Upon feeling Aaron reciprocate, Kelly broke apart for a breath and began to smile. He smiled back and gave her only a second to breathe before he was kissing her again. Their passion escaladed and soon their mouths parted and welcomed one another.
After breathless minutes of making out on her front porch, Kelly took her mouth away from Aaron’s.
“Would you like to come in?” She spoke in a breathless whisper and it was impossible not to know what she was insinuating. She felt Aaron get very tense and his arms slowly released her.
“Uh,” he searched for words. “I… I can’t.” He thought she knew.
“Oh,” Kelly quickly moved toward the door. “Sorry.”
“It’s not that I…” he should not say that. “It’s just I…”
“It’s okay. It’s fine. I’ll uh, see you tomorrow at work, I guess.” She fumbled with her door lock.
“Kelly, let me explain.”
She turned from the door, still unable to look him in the eye. “I understand. I just thought…” She paused and finally looked at him. He looked very uncomfortable. “Never mind.” She turned back and finally got the key to work.
“Kelly, wait.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Aaron.” She tried to smile before walking through her door and shutting it.
Aaron waited on the door step for a minute trying to process how so much had gone wrong in such a short amount of time and after such a great night. Kelly leaned on her side of the door, not able to believe she had just been so bold. A few tears slipped down her cheeks, angering her further. She could not fathom why she was crying and that fact made her mad. She shivered and realized that she had forgotten that she was completely soaked to the bone. She got in the shower and tried to forget about what had happened on her doorstep. However, Kelly’s attempts were in vain. Their incident was all she could think about. Needless to say, sleep was not very sound that night.
The next day, Kelly slowly made her way to work, in no rush to contact the awkwardness that would surely follow her for a while. Within a minute of her arrival, she heard a knock on the door of her trailer. Figuring it was better to get this over with early, she shouted for the visitor to enter.
No surprise, it was Aaron.
“Hey,” she started, refusing to look at him.
“We need to talk about last night.” Aaron began. “Technically, you just need to listen about last night.”
“Look, Aaron, I get it. I’m fun to be around but just a little too old and boring for something else. It’s okay. I’m okay with it. I just wish I had thought of that before I hauled off and shoved my tongue down your throat and then invited you in for sex.”
Aaron looked at her like she was insane. “Too old and boring, huh? Why are you so hung up on that? Did I not kiss you back? Was my tongue not down your throat?”
“Aaron, look. I don’t deal with rejection well. At least not right away so please just…”
Before she could finish, Aaron put his hands on her face and kissed her in such a way that made her knees go weak.
“I guess it’s a good thing I am not rejecting you then.”
Kelly was breathless as she replied, “You are really confusing me.”
“I am very interested in you, Kelly. I think about you constantly. I want to make you happy. I want to kiss you. But there’s something you apparently don’t know about me that I thought you did.”
“How would I know something you did not tell me?”
“Well, any article you could read about me…”
She snapped at him. “Do you really want me getting to know you through interviews and talk shows?”
“No, of course, not. I just, if you knew anything about me before now, I figured…” Kelly looked at him, oblivious. “I can’t have sex. I mean, I can. I just don’t.”
“Why not?” Kelly sounded incredulous and immediately knew she needed to explain herself. “I mean, not that I’m sex-crazed or anything, I just… not often do I meet people who choose not to have sex. I mean, how do you have that self-control? Anyone I’ve ever met, after they do it, they pretty much never stop or at least never want to. Some really never stop and oh my god. I am rambling about sex. Wow.” Her cheeks were incredibly red now. “I’m gonna stop. Now.”
Aaron smiled at her. “Well, a good way to maintain self-control is to never start in the first place.”
“Are you saying that you are…?” Kelly could not manage to say it until Aaron slowly nodded his head. “A virgin?”
“Yes. I made a decision when I was young to wait until I get married. I’m not ashamed or anything and it is the topic of a lot of interviews and that’s why I thought you knew. But you didn’t and then it would have been just weird for me to blurt out ‘I’m a virgin!’ on your doorstep so I didn’t and then you locked me out before I could explain.”
Kelly took a moment to process all this. “So you don’t think I’m too old?”
Aaron rolled his eyes. “No!” he stated firmly.
“And you do want to kiss me?”
“All the time,” he answered, sincerely. He stepped closer to her.
“That sounds nice,” she said with a chuckle, taking a step toward him.
When they were inches apart, Aaron whispered. “Doesn’t it?” he leaned down and kissed her the way he did the night before. Kelly wrapped her arms around him and returned the passion.
Minutes passed before a knock on her door broke them apart. Kelly was needed in make up in five minutes. Aaron smiled down at the beautiful woman in front of him.
“I guess I’ll see you later.” He whispered and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“You better,” she called to him as he walked toward the door to leave. He turned and smiled at her before stepping out.
As soon as the door was closed, Kelly did a tiny spin as she squealed with excitement and grinned from ear to ear. She knew she looked like an adolescent but, right now, she did not care. She felt herself falling and was happier than she had ever been.
Author - viper209n
Fandom - --
Pairing - --
Status - In Progress
Rating - T
Chapter - 2/?
I'm tryin' so hard not to get caught up now
But you're just so cool
Run your hands through your hair
Absent mindedly makin' me want you
And I don't know how it gets better than this
You take my hand and drag me head first
Fearless
And I don't know why but with you I'd dance
In a storm in my best dress
Fearless
- Fearless - Taylor Swift
She felt those high school feelings again. The excitement of being with someone new and getting to know them. The desire to spend all free time with them. To know everything about them.
For their first ‘real’ date, he took her to a fancy restaurant that she could tell he wasn’t completely comfortable in. She watched, impressed, as he showed no sign of discomfort and focused all attention on her. While his piercing gaze had a tendency to make her blush, it also flattered her and made her feel like the most important person in the world.
Their second date she chose a restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere. Aaron wore a casual button down shirt and Kelly was sure he was more attractive in this wardrobe than when he was all prim and proper. He told so many funny stories Kelly was sure her face would be sore the next morning from laughing. They talked about their families and friends. They compared hometowns and discussed dream cars. Kelly marveled at how easy it was to talk to him. There were very few lulls in their conversations.
For their third date they went to a showing of an independent film which Aaron’s friend, Jerry Davis, was in. They arrived separately and entered through different doors away from the main entrance. They casually sat next to each other and did not speak until the lights went down and the picture started. His hand reached toward her with an offering waiting inside. Kelly gathered the gift in her hand and almost immediately recognized the contents as three Hershey’s kisses. She looked up at Aaron with her eyebrow slightly cocked. He simply smiled at her and turned back to the movie. A few minutes later, Kelly noticed Aaron fumbling in his pocket for something. Finally, she realized he was trying to text without being distracting. Soon, Kelly felt a vibration from her phone. Subtly, she opened the text message and read it.
‘I swear I am not being presumptuous. I wanted to bring you chocolate and grabbed M&Ms b/c everyone loves M&Ms, yes? But then I thought with your ‘diet’, you might not even eat M&Ms. So then I assumed just pieces of’
Her phone vibrated again as she received part two of the message.
‘chocolate would work. Only seconds ago did I think of their name and how you may not appreciate me giving you ‘kisses.’ I hope I haven’t made you uncomfortable or anything. I’m sorry.’
Kelly smiled at his rambling explanation. She looked toward him to catch his eye and explain that everything was fine. However, he refused to look at her. She chuckled as she rolled her eyes and turned her attention back toward her phone.
She sent a reply saying that everything was fine. However, Aaron insisted on apologizing once the movie was over and they were alone. They had decided to grab coffee at a tiny hole-in-the-wall café.
“Honestly, I never thought about the name of the candy until then,” Aaron said as he stared at the table.
Kelly could tell he was frustrated with himself. “It’s okay. It was really sweet and not presumptuous at all.”
“Are you sure?” He asked, finally looking up at her.
“Yes,” she chuckled. “I was flattered that you went through all that trouble and worry over little old me.” Now it was her who was looking down at the table.
“You’re worth it.” The way he said those words made her look up into his eyes which caused his lips twitch into a small smile. She could not help but smile back while a blush crept into her cheeks despite her best efforts to stop it.
“So how did you like the movie?” Aaron asked, breaking the trance.
“Mmm.” Kelly mumbled through a mouthful of coffee. She swallowed before answering. “It was very good! How do you know Jerry?”
“Oh, we shared an apartment when we were first starting out. He’s very talented. Actually, he’s an aspiring actor, writer, director, and producer.” Aaron said, rolling his eyes.
“You’re not interested in writing or directing?” Kelly inquired.
“Not really. I never pictured myself a writer really. And directing...” Aaron thought about it for a moment. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll get bored with acting and want to do something more but for now…” He looked at her. “Okay, scratch that. Let me be completely honest with you.” He paused. “It doesn’t interest me. Maybe that makes me a bad actor or whatever but I’m just not interested. I like the acting aspect and yes, it is interesting to watch the director and how the camera works and moves and all. But it’s also interesting to watch,” he paused to think. “How a car is put together. That’s interesting. But I don’t want to put together cars. And I don’t really want to direct or write either.” He shrugged. He knew Kelly was interested in those things and he did not want to hurt her feelings but also he did not want to lie to her.
She was giggling as she responded. “I understand.” She smiled at him before shaking her head.
“What?” He asked, grinning.
“You’re just…” She started before shaking her head again.
“What? I’m what? Crazy? Neurotic? Insulting? Presumptuous?” He was still smiling as he guessed.
Kelly continued to laugh. “No! You’re just… cute. And sweet. And charming, endearing. Honest. You’re just you.” Now he was the one blushing. “That’s very refreshing. To be around someone who doesn’t pretend to be someone they’re not.”
“Well, it’s easy to be myself with you.” He admitted smiling at her for a moment before looking back at the table. “Sometimes I have to do a lot of pretending.” Kelly noticed the change in Aaron’s voice as he confessed the latter. It was the first time their conversation had ever taken a more somber turn. Kelly thought about his statement and knew where he was coming from. She knew he felt the pressure to be so many different things for so many different people. He was looked up to and wanted by hundreds of people.
“It’s our job, right?” Aaron looked into Kelly’s blue eyes, surprised that she understood without him having to explain. She smiled up at him.
“So, when are you going to be behind the camera?” He asked, wanting to change the subject back to a more enjoyable topic.
“Oh, I don’t know.” She paused. “I think I’ve gotten to a certain point where I think - and I don’t want to sound terribly self-centered -,” he shook his head to say he understood, “but I read a script and actually see how the scene would look. Like, I see how the room would be set up and what light would be used. But so often I then go to the set and it’s something totally different and I’m just like…” She paused, “I don’t want to be rude but I’m just thinking ‘I really like my idea better. I could have done this right.’” She stopped again and looked at Aaron. “That makes me sound so terrible though.”
“No! It makes you sound inspired and…” He tried to think of the best word. “Brilliant. I don’t give much thought to the set or scenery. I read the script, learn the lines, and wait to be surprised. Really I’m envious. I wish I had your drive.”
Kelly looked down at the table. “Why, Mr. Taylor, you are making me blush.”
His heart leapt as he saw the rosy hue on her cheeks once again. Eyes dancing, he remarked, “Maybe one day you’ll direct me.” He smiled and she laughed.
Two days later, Kelly knocked on Aaron’s trailer door.
“Come in.”
She let herself into the trailer and looked up to see a shirtless Aaron in khaki cargo shorts, drying his hair with a towel. His shoulders and chest was catching droplets of water from his hair and they were racing down his body toward his shorts. Kelly was sure she was drooling.
“Oh, hey!” He smiled widely upon seeing her.
Kelly kept telling herself to quit staring at him but her eyes would not listen to her brain.
Aaron quickly followed her eyes with his own.
“Oh! Sorry,” he said as he walked toward the back room of the trailer. As he reappeared, tugging a red t-shirt over his abdomen, he explained, “Me and Shawn filmed the scene in the pool today.” He put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a quick hug.
“So how was your day?” he asked, pulling out a bar stool out for her.
She could only sigh loudly at the question.
“Uh oh,” Aaron interrupted. “That’s not a good sign.” He smiled at her, leaning against the counter with a glass of water in his hands.
“It’s just John.” She sighed at the thought of the actor who portrayed her husband.
“Oh. I understand. I’ve worked with John before and he’s a great actor, don’t get me wrong. But he’s just not the best co-worker.”
“Exactly! And I don’t want /to be rude but sometimes… he just really irritates me.”
Aaron laughed. “That’s John for ya.”
As he finished his water, Kelly mentioned, “I thought we could go to Mr. Chow tonight unless you have other plans.”
“Kelly, do I ever have plans?” He laughed before turning to the sink to wash the cup. “You know that before we started seeing each other, I was the most boring person ever.”
She smiled to herself when he mentioned them seeing each other. Sometimes, it still felt unreal. “Well, it's kind of fancy so I wasn't sure if you would want to go.”
“You know I only have one suit!” He chuckled
She started to justify herself.” They have great steak and I have a craving for it and...”
He interrupted. “Well, I know enough to know that when a lady wants something, I need to do my best to get it for her.”
Kelly laughed out loud. “I hope I'm not like this all the time. Just making you do my bidding.”
“You’re not.” He chuckled back. “But I'd put up with it if you were.” He winked. She smiled back and stood as he grabbed his keys. They began the walk to her car as they had for the past week. He quickly took her travel bag which also contained her bag for lunch but let her carry her own purse, deciding it would be a bit demasculating otherwise.
Her left hand held her purse secure while the right relaxed by her side. She felt his hand brush against hers lightly and gently take hold of it. He held the delicate hand carefully, testing the waters. Kelly hid most of her smile but the edges of her lips twitched. She figured Aaron had been watching because he squeezed her hand ever so slightly and his hold became just a little tighter.
They reached the car and Kelly opened the trunk of her car.
“So I'll pick you up around 6:30?” He asked as he placed her bag in the trunk as she got in the driver’s seat. He shut the door for her and leaned through the open window.
“Sounds good,” she smiled up at him through sunglasses. Aaron smiled back at her and for a moment, she swore he was going to kiss her, to which she would not be opposed. She had wanted him to since their second date. But he did not. Instead, he leaned out of the window and waited for her to leave the lot before he followed.
She sent him a text around 6:15 saying she was not going to be completely ready at 6:30 and to come on in to her house and not wait in the car. Aaron sat in the living room waiting on her. Around 6:40, he heard the bedroom door open and he stood up. He suddenly felt his heart flutter with nervousness.
Kelly entered the living room with her hair in soft waves and a simple but stunning red dress on. It was a silky material and glowed in the light. The straps were thin and the dress stopped just an inch below her knee. The sight took Aaron’s breath away.
“Wow,” he breathed. Kelly smiled at him, pleased with herself. She wanted to turn the tables and receive appreciative glances from him since she had embarrassed herself earlier by staring at his bare chest and stomach.
“You look absolutely gorgeous,” Aaron said, his voice still quiet.
“Thank you,” Kelly kept her voice quiet as well.
“You sure it’s me you want to go out with?” He chuckled.
“Who else would I want?” She flirted. Aaron smiled and looked back up and down Kelly’s dress before staring straight into her eyes.
“C’mon, beautiful.” He said as he put his arm out for her to loop hers through it. “Let’s go.”
They arrived at the restaurant in a few minutes and Aaron began to turn to find parking.
“You don’t just want to give it to the valet?” Kelly inquired.
“I prefer to retain some normalcy to my life,” he said as he winked. “But I can drop you off at the front.” He let her out at the front door of Mr. Chow and quickly parked.
When he entered the restaurant, Kelly had already been seated and Aaron joined her. Their table was private without being totally secluded. The restaurant was quiet and a man was playing soft piano music. Occasionally, he was accompanied by a saxophonist, who kept the mood equally as peaceful. A few couples were dancing.
They spoke for a while before their meals arrived and they ate the delicious food. They shared a dessert and entered a comfortable silence. They looked into each other’s eyes for what felt like a lifetime. Suddenly, Aaron began to smile and Kelly cocked her head to the side.
“What?” she asked softly.
“You are just… This might be out of line but… the way the light is hitting you… and your hair… and the dress… you are taking my breath away.”
Kelly blushed and looked away for a brief moment before staring right back up at him. “If I could count the times you’ve made me blush…” she let her sentence trail off.
Aaron smiled back at her for a minute before looking around the room. He noticed that there were quite a few couples on the dance floor. He gazed back at Kelly who was looking into her glass of water, working the lemon with her straw.
“Kelly,” she looked up into his soft brown eyes. “Would you like to dance?”
She smiled sweetly at him and looked to the dance floor. They both knew it was dangerous for them to do something so intimate in public with the media everywhere. Satisfied seeing there were enough couples for them to disappear into, she looked back up into his eyes and answered, “I’d love to.”
He stood and offered her his hand, which she took and let him lead her to the dance floor.
“I’ll warn you. I’m not too good at this.”
She smiled, “That’s okay.”
“Watch your feet,” he chuckled. She laughed at him as he fixed one hand on the small of her back and the other held her hand tightly. Her free arm wrapped itself on his shoulder and they began to sway to the music.
Originally, they had a safe distance between them but as the music wore on, the two became closer and closer. With eyes burning bright, staring deeply into blue and brown, Aaron placed her hand that he was holding on his shoulder and relocated his hand, joining the other on Kelly’s back. His eyes asked if this was okay and Kelly’s answered back that it was perfectly fine. His arms slowly pulled her closer and she decided to lay her head on his chest.
They closed their eyes as they continued to sway. She could hear his heart beat in her ear; the sound mixed with the music and produced the most beautiful harmony. He could smell her hair and her perfume. She smelled exquisite and he felt like the world was standing still. She felt chills throughout her body as his hands would gently move across her back.
He picked his head up off of hers as he felt her moving away from his chest. As she pulled back, their noses grazed and their breaths mixed. She looked up into his eyes, their faces an inch apart. The blue eyes locked with the brown and they could hear their heartbeats pounding in their ear drums.
Suddenly, applause broke through their personal silence. The song had finished and the dancing couples had clapped for the musicians. Slowly, Kelly and Aaron extracted themselves from one another and lightly joined the clapping. As the clapping subsided, Aaron rubbed Kelly’s arms.
“Ready to go?” He asked softly. She nodded and felt his hand on the small of her back, leading her out of the restaurant.
They stepped out of the front door and realized that it had started to rain since they had been inside.
“The valet may have been a good idea,” Aaron admitted. Kelly giggled at him.
“I’ll run and get the car and come get you.”
“Or I could just come with you,” she offered.
Aaron looked at her for a moment like she was deranged.
“What?” she asked.
“It’s just…” He paused; never had he thought she would want to run through the rain in a formal dress. “Won’t it ruin the dress?”
“Maybe, but it’s just a dress. And you should know that I can be impulsive.”
He smiled at her and offered her his hand. “Well, c’mon. I hope you are ready to sprint because I’m making a mad dash!”
She chuckled. “I think I can handle it.”
Aaron counted to three and they took off. He was holding her hand, guiding her, when he heard her yell out and stop running. He looked back to see that one of her high heels had come off of her foot.
“Running in heels might not have been the brightest idea.” Aaron laughed through the rain at her. She agreed as she stooped to put the shoe back on.
“We’re kind of close so I’ll carry you if that’s okay.” He offered. “I don’t want you twisting an ankle or anything.”
Kelly threw her arms in the air. “I’m light as a feather,” she giggled. He bent down and lifted her with ease. He smiled as he heard her squeal and laugh.
Once they reached his Jeep, he set her down and opened the door. As he set her inside the vehicle, their faces were once again inches apart. Looking at Kelly now with her hair stuck to her forehead and grinning from ear to ear, Aaron was sure it was the most gorgeous she had ever been. He wanted to lean in and kiss her but stopped himself and shut her door before moving around to get in the driver’s seat.
Aaron smiled across at Kelly as water cascaded down their faces and dripped from their hair.
“How spontaneous, are we?” Kelly asked, laughing.
They arrived at Kelly’s house in a few minutes and Aaron walked her to her door, despite the rain that was still steadily coming down.
“I had a great time tonight,” she told him.
“Me too,” he smiled. “I’d hug you but I’m soaking wet,” Aaron said, motioning toward his clothes.
Kelly laughed. “Well, so am I!”
Aaron smiled at her. “Can’t beat that logic!” He moved toward her and hugged her tightly. They held each other for a moment longer than usual before Aaron began to move away from her. As soon as they were far enough apart, Kelly pulled Aaron back toward her and kissed him. She could not help but kiss him with all the passion she felt for him. Her lips remained closed but the way they were pressed to his communicated to Aaron the feelings she was having.
Aaron’s whole body stiffed as he felt her lips on his. It took him a few seconds to process what was happening and what he wasn’t doing. He shook the confusion from his mind and kissed her back with all the passion she was kissing him with. His hands wrapped tighter around her waist and pulled her even closer.
Upon feeling Aaron reciprocate, Kelly broke apart for a breath and began to smile. He smiled back and gave her only a second to breathe before he was kissing her again. Their passion escaladed and soon their mouths parted and welcomed one another.
After breathless minutes of making out on her front porch, Kelly took her mouth away from Aaron’s.
“Would you like to come in?” She spoke in a breathless whisper and it was impossible not to know what she was insinuating. She felt Aaron get very tense and his arms slowly released her.
“Uh,” he searched for words. “I… I can’t.” He thought she knew.
“Oh,” Kelly quickly moved toward the door. “Sorry.”
“It’s not that I…” he should not say that. “It’s just I…”
“It’s okay. It’s fine. I’ll uh, see you tomorrow at work, I guess.” She fumbled with her door lock.
“Kelly, let me explain.”
She turned from the door, still unable to look him in the eye. “I understand. I just thought…” She paused and finally looked at him. He looked very uncomfortable. “Never mind.” She turned back and finally got the key to work.
“Kelly, wait.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Aaron.” She tried to smile before walking through her door and shutting it.
Aaron waited on the door step for a minute trying to process how so much had gone wrong in such a short amount of time and after such a great night. Kelly leaned on her side of the door, not able to believe she had just been so bold. A few tears slipped down her cheeks, angering her further. She could not fathom why she was crying and that fact made her mad. She shivered and realized that she had forgotten that she was completely soaked to the bone. She got in the shower and tried to forget about what had happened on her doorstep. However, Kelly’s attempts were in vain. Their incident was all she could think about. Needless to say, sleep was not very sound that night.
The next day, Kelly slowly made her way to work, in no rush to contact the awkwardness that would surely follow her for a while. Within a minute of her arrival, she heard a knock on the door of her trailer. Figuring it was better to get this over with early, she shouted for the visitor to enter.
No surprise, it was Aaron.
“Hey,” she started, refusing to look at him.
“We need to talk about last night.” Aaron began. “Technically, you just need to listen about last night.”
“Look, Aaron, I get it. I’m fun to be around but just a little too old and boring for something else. It’s okay. I’m okay with it. I just wish I had thought of that before I hauled off and shoved my tongue down your throat and then invited you in for sex.”
Aaron looked at her like she was insane. “Too old and boring, huh? Why are you so hung up on that? Did I not kiss you back? Was my tongue not down your throat?”
“Aaron, look. I don’t deal with rejection well. At least not right away so please just…”
Before she could finish, Aaron put his hands on her face and kissed her in such a way that made her knees go weak.
“I guess it’s a good thing I am not rejecting you then.”
Kelly was breathless as she replied, “You are really confusing me.”
“I am very interested in you, Kelly. I think about you constantly. I want to make you happy. I want to kiss you. But there’s something you apparently don’t know about me that I thought you did.”
“How would I know something you did not tell me?”
“Well, any article you could read about me…”
She snapped at him. “Do you really want me getting to know you through interviews and talk shows?”
“No, of course, not. I just, if you knew anything about me before now, I figured…” Kelly looked at him, oblivious. “I can’t have sex. I mean, I can. I just don’t.”
“Why not?” Kelly sounded incredulous and immediately knew she needed to explain herself. “I mean, not that I’m sex-crazed or anything, I just… not often do I meet people who choose not to have sex. I mean, how do you have that self-control? Anyone I’ve ever met, after they do it, they pretty much never stop or at least never want to. Some really never stop and oh my god. I am rambling about sex. Wow.” Her cheeks were incredibly red now. “I’m gonna stop. Now.”
Aaron smiled at her. “Well, a good way to maintain self-control is to never start in the first place.”
“Are you saying that you are…?” Kelly could not manage to say it until Aaron slowly nodded his head. “A virgin?”
“Yes. I made a decision when I was young to wait until I get married. I’m not ashamed or anything and it is the topic of a lot of interviews and that’s why I thought you knew. But you didn’t and then it would have been just weird for me to blurt out ‘I’m a virgin!’ on your doorstep so I didn’t and then you locked me out before I could explain.”
Kelly took a moment to process all this. “So you don’t think I’m too old?”
Aaron rolled his eyes. “No!” he stated firmly.
“And you do want to kiss me?”
“All the time,” he answered, sincerely. He stepped closer to her.
“That sounds nice,” she said with a chuckle, taking a step toward him.
When they were inches apart, Aaron whispered. “Doesn’t it?” he leaned down and kissed her the way he did the night before. Kelly wrapped her arms around him and returned the passion.
Minutes passed before a knock on her door broke them apart. Kelly was needed in make up in five minutes. Aaron smiled down at the beautiful woman in front of him.
“I guess I’ll see you later.” He whispered and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“You better,” she called to him as he walked toward the door to leave. He turned and smiled at her before stepping out.
As soon as the door was closed, Kelly did a tiny spin as she squealed with excitement and grinned from ear to ear. She knew she looked like an adolescent but, right now, she did not care. She felt herself falling and was happier than she had ever been.