She Will Be Loved - Chapter Five : 'With Friends Like These'
Title - With Friends Like These
Author - viper209n
Fandom - --
Pairing - --
Status - In Progress
Rating - T
Chapter - 5/?
Friday night:
"No! Not like that!" she exclaimed for the umpteenth time.
"What?"
"They've got to be sliced. Not…" She searched for the perfect word to describe what he was doing to the celery. "Diced?" she guessed.
"That's it!" Aaron grabbed the phone. "What's the number for Mr. Chow?"
Kelly grabbed the phone. "C'mon, Aaron!" He held the phone just out of her reach. After bobbing on her tiptoes several times, she gave up and stood beside him, smirking. "You said you wanted me to teach you how to cook my way."
"Well, I didn't think it'd be so hard to prepare food for a raw diet."
"I didn't figure you as a quitter," she tapped him in the ribs with her elbow before picking the knife up and beginning to fix the celery.
Aaron cut his eyes at Kelly. He knew what she was doing. He was shocked that he was letting it work.
He slid up beside her, opening a drawer for another knife. He began mimicking the way she was cutting the vegetable.
"So why does it need to be sliced?"
"Well, I love pasta but I don't eat it very often. So when I slice the celery, I put it in the soup and it sort of acts as the noodles."
Aaron looked at the celery. "I'm not sure I can act like celery is pasta."
"It does take some practice," she giggled.
"So…" Aaron began as they continued preparing dinner. "How were my reviews?"
Kelly chuckled. "They were great."
"Really?"
"Don't seem so shocked," she told him. "You're quite charming, you know."
He grinned and looked back down at the counter.
"You won Ben over with football and the girls melted with your good looks." She winked at him. "Although, Rachel may just want you to stick around to hear you say words like 'y'all'."
They both laughed. "Yeah… Maybe you shouldn't say that word," Aaron teased.
"What? Do I not say 'y'all' good enough? Y'all, y'all, y'all," she giggled.
"Well, that hint of Canada in your voice is murdering the word a bit. And it's 'well enough', not 'good enough.'"
"Oh my. I just had my grammar corrected by a redneck. What would my fellow Canadians say?"
"Hey!" He turned toward her quickly. "I take offense to that term!" He began tickling her sides.
She turned in his arms, wriggling for freedom and pleading for him to stop.
He chuckled as she squealed and struggled.
Finally, his fingers relented but his hands didn't move, keeping a grip on her sides. He rested his forehead on hers while she regulated her breathing. She smiled up at him breathlessly. They gazed into each other's eyes until he finally leaned down and kissed her lips gently. They enjoyed the moment before Kirsten broke away.
"Food," she reminded him simply.
He reluctantly released her and they returned to their 'slicing'.
They spent a few moments in comfortable silence before Kelly giggled.
"What?" Aaron asked quietly.
"Oh," she answered in a sweet drawl. "Nothin'."
"'Nothin'?" he questioned. "Where's that 'g', Canada?"
"Oh," she said in her normal voice. "I thought if my first 'y'all' wasn't satisfactory maybe I could do better." She reverted to using her accent. "How y'all doin'? How 'bout some fried chicken and sweet tea?"
Kelly smirked, happy to see Aaron smile.
"Other than the insulting stereotypes, I'm quite impressed. Where'd you learn that?"
"Well, I've taken a few voice classes here and there." She paused, unsure whether or not to mention the second part. "And I also played a character with that accent on a television series once upon a time."
"What kind of series was this?"
"A Western."
"A Western?" He repeated, his eyes wide. "You were in a Western? And had an accent?"
Kelly already knew where this was headed.
"Do you think they have it on eBay?"
"Aaron. No."
"You know what? You're right. I bet Megan already has it; I bet she'll ship it to me."
"Aaron," Kelly whined, unsure how serious he was. "Come on."
"What?"
"I don't want you watching me with my short hair and mediocre acting. " She shook her head, keeping her attention on the food.
"Oh, c'mon, Kelly. We'd watch it together."
"Oh. That'd be even worse."
"C'mon, sweetie."
Kelly was glad she wasn't facing him at the moment. Aaron hadn't realized it but that was the first time he had called her by any kind of endearment. She was sure her cheeks were bright red while her heart fluttered wildly.
"Kelly…" he said her name in a cute little whine and, even though she wasn't facing him, she could see his puppy dog eyes. She felt his hands gently rest on her sides as he approached her. She couldn't dare to look at him, knowing her resolve would falter.
"No. I hate watching myself on film."
"Oh, so do I."
"But you keep copies of your work?"
"Of course. Helps keep me humble. Reminds me how far I've come." He paused. "You don't? Keep your work, I mean?"
"Well, yeah. But they're packed up in a box in a closet. I don't watch them."
"Oh, Kelly. You have to be able to laugh at yourself." He thought for a moment. "How about this? What if for everything we watch of yours, we'll watch one of mine?"
"Well, that's not fair. My resume's longer than yours."
He looked at her with wide eyes. "Wow, Kelly. You're not afraid to rub that in, are you?"
She giggled at him.
"Well, to make it fair," he continued. "For every two shows of yours we watch, we'll watch one of mine."
She laughed. "That does not make it fair." She looked up at his face, his head cocked to the side as he tried to hide a grin. "Aaron," she tried to persuade him. With another glance at his face, she knew she couldn't say no to him. "O-kay," she relented and was rewarded with a broad grin spreading across his face.
"But no laughing."
"I wouldn't dream of it," he promised, looking at her in adoration.
She thought for a moment. "But I get to laugh at you."
Aaron's eyes smiles at her. "Fair's fair," he said simply before pressing a kiss into her hair.
"Oh," Kelly said, suddenly realizing what she had forgotten. "What are you doing Monday night?
"I'm supposed to go to a movie premiere with Jerry."
"At what time?"
"Um, around 9, I think. Why?"
"Could I swing by here before you leave? One of my best friends is coming in from New York and she's dying to meet my secret boyfriend," Kelly winked.
Aaron chuckled. "Which friend is this?"
"Kelly."
"Wait, Kelly. You have a best friend name Kelly?" He chuckled as he repeated her name. She smirked. "So self-centered," he teased.
"Ha, ha. I've never heard that joke before. Anyway, she and I are supposed to have dinner but if we could stop by here first…"
"Yeah, that'll be great." He paused for a moment. "Does that ever get confusing? Having the same name as your best friend?"
"Sort of. It's a bit strange to say my own name when I'm talking to her. We use nicknames usually."
"I thought you hated nicknames," Aaron responded, a little too quickly.
Kelly rolled her eyes. "You mean what Peter said?" She shook her head. "Oddly enough, the only one I don't like is the one he calls me."
"'Wife'?" he guessed.
Once again, Kelly rolled her eyes. "He doesn't actually call me that. He calls me 'Kel'. I mean, how lazy. How long does it really take to add the 'y'?" Aaron chuckled. "He noticed that I don't like it and took that to mean that I don't like any nicknames at all. But Adam calls me 'Mom' sometimes and I don't mind that."
"What kind of nicknames do you and the other Kelly use?"
"Um, sometimes she calls me 'Canada', or we use last names, but a lot of the time we use our characters' names."
"I hope I'll be able to keep track of all this," he teased her.
"I have faith in you," she quipped.
After a delicious dinner, as they cleaned the kitchen, Aaron asked. "So how 'best' of a best friend is Kelly?" After receiving a puzzled look from her, he reprised his question. "Who is your absolute best friend? If you have one."
"Well, as far as friends I met as an adult, Kelly is. But, I'm still close friends with my best friend from high school."
"Oh, ok. Does she live in Toronto?"
"She lives close to Toronto. She works in the city but lives in a small suburb about ten miles out."
"Oh, cool. So you get to see her when you go home?"
"Mmhmm."
"That's good." He paused for a second. "So Melinda's not your best friend?"
Kelly thought for a moment. "Well, from work, she is. Kelly and I are friends by pure choice. Melinda and I work together and became friends that way."
"You value that less?"
"Not necessarily. It's just-"
He interrupted her. "Because you know, we met at work."
"I didn't mean anything by it. It's just Kelly and I have things in common. Melinda and I have work in common. When I met Kelly, we were both single. Both of us were struggling with our careers. When I met Melinda, I was single and she was married with a daughter. Our job is what introduced us. We probably wouldn't have met any other way."
Aaron didn't seem convinced by her explanation. Kelly cleaned her hands on a dishtowel and walked over to him. She reached her hands toward him, running them lightly up his back before resting them on his shoulders. She put her forehead on his back and called his name softly. He turned to face her.
"I don't care how we met. I just care that we did." She wrapped her arms around his middle and was relieved to feel his strong arms tighten around her. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize how my explanation would sound. How it would make you feel."
"I know you didn't mean to." His chest rumbled in her ear as he spoke. "But it did sound that way."
She looked up at him, remorsefully. "I'm sorry." She pouted a bit and couldn't help but smirk at the way he looked as he tried not to smile at her. "You know…" she started. "Kelly and I were introduced at the premiere of an independent movie. Who knows? If we hadn't met on set, maybe we would have met somewhere like that, with you being good friends with Jerry and all."
"Kind of like fate?"
Kelly smiled at him. She put her arms around his neck, pushed herself onto her tiptoes, and embraced his lips with her own. She enjoyed the sensation before pulling away just long enough to whisper.
"So are we okay?" Before he could answer, her lips were on his again. "Or do I need to make it up to you?"
He smiled into their kiss. "Definitely, the last one," he mumbled.
"Mm," she smiled back at him.
As they kissed, his hands gently moved down her back before slowly making their way back up and cradled her neck. Their journey left a trail of fire on her skin, making her knees feel weak. Her head became cloudy and her breathing was shallow as he held her closely. She failed to realize that her hand on his back was what pushed them so close together.
Regrettably, she broke away from him, trying desperately not to gasp for breath.
"You've got a couch, right?" She hinted with a giggle.
He smiled sweetly at her, their faces mere inches apart. "Yeah, I've got a couch. You hintin' at a relocation?" He asked, desperately hoping she didn't want to stop.
She smiled sweetly at him before silently taking his hand and leading him to the living room. They were still grinning at one another as they sat on the couch together.
He leaned in gently, cupping her face in his hand before kissing her softly. The soft kiss became more urgent. One of his hands moved to cradle her neck while the other held her side firmly. His kisses slowly became more pressing and Kelly was eager to reciprocate.
When she felt the tip of his tongue softly stroking her lip, a surge of excitement shot through her and her breathing picked up again. She smiled and his tongue accidentally hit her teeth. She giggled as she remedied the possibly awkward situation and quickly teased his tongue for a second with her own. He smiled at her for a moment before returning to their kisses.
Their tongues continued playing their slow game, nudging one another teasingly. Eventually they had to break apart to regulate their breathing. They stared at one another, panting, chests heaving. Aaron watched as the edges of Kelly's mouth twitched upward. They began a game of poker, matching one another grin for grin. Eventually, they both wore ear to ear grins and chuckled together as their breathing finally slowed.
This moment felt too unreal to Kelly. She felt like a teenager, making out on the couch with her hot boyfriend. She wanted this man so badly but knew she had to wait, which she respected. Yet she wondered how far he would let her go.
Her eyes were still locked with his. She gave him a look she hoped he could read. He responded with the slightest smirk. It was so small Kelly was sure she was the only one who could have ever noticed it. She hoped she was reading his signals correctly.
She moved quickly. Her hands flew to Aaron's face and held him while her lips crashed against his. She opened her mouth, inviting him in. Their tongues finally met one another. Feeling daring, Kelly pushed Aaron back so he could sit straight on the couch, never ending their kiss. She straddled his waist, being careful to keep a distance from him.
He kissed her back passionately with no desire to stop. It occurred to the both of them that they hadn't kissed quite like this since their very first kiss on her doorstep. They began to realize what they had been missing.
Kelly suddenly felt Aaron pushing her away. Unable to hide her disappointment, Kelly ended their kiss and began working on her breathing once again. Aaron was panting too. However, he wasn't meeting her eyes as he had done before.
Instead he was focusing on something else. Something Kelly couldn't place. Suddenly, she realized that he was still moving her. He was twisting them both and putting her on the couch beside him. He moved himself over her and it was impossible to question what he wanted.
Kelly lay down on the couch and Aaron hovered above her for a moment before crashing his lips back into hers. Within a second, however, he had pulled back and was looking around the room.
"Aaron, what-" Kelly started, breathlessly, just wanting to get back to it.
"Hold on a second," he interrupted. He quickly leaned down and grabbed a pillow. "Here," he lifted her neck and placed the pillow under her before returning to her lips. She mumbled her appreciation into their kiss.
Kelly marveled at the compatibility of their kiss. It felt as if his lips were made to kiss hers, like they had been kissing each other forever. But then, Kelly figured, that was probably just a perk of dating an actor. As a result of his job, Aaron had plenty of practice.
As they kissed, they both lost themselves in one another. Aaron held himself up off of her, worried about his weight crushing her as well as his own self-control. He formed a canopy over her which was new to Kelly. Most men became a kind of heavy blanket in these situations. Of course, they were trying to get further than Aaron was.
Another difference was the way he looked at her in the brief moments when they pulled apart. His dark brown eyes were darker due to dilation and they had a smoldering haze about them. It quickened Kelly's heart.
He embraced her in another searing kiss, causing all other senses to fail.
A shrill ring pierced the room's revelry. The two groaned as they broke away. Aaron got off the couch to answer the phone. Kelly sat up and ran her hands through her hair, despite knowing it was ruined from being pushed into the pillow.
Aaron checked the ID on his phone before turning back to Kelly, leaving the phone to keep ringing. He stood beside the table, torn between two choices. He needed to get this call but he didn't want to end his evening with Kelly.
He ran his thumb slowly over his bottom lip, the shining evidence of their encounter disappearing. Kelly read him well.
"Do you need to get that?" She asked softly.
"Yeah," he said, an apology mingled into the word.
"Okay," she said as she straightened herself completely and stood up to get her purse. Aaron moved with her, his eyes never leaving her. As she gathered her things, he put a hand on her back.
"I had a great time tonight."
"You better say that," she teased him gently. He smiled at her.
"Be safe," Aaron said, after they had hugged. "I'll still be on the phone when you get home but send me a message? Let me know you're safe?"
"I will," she assured him, squeezing his hand gently as she walked out the door.
Sunday afternoon:
"You can't possibly be nervous?" He asked incredulously.
"A little," she admitted quietly.
Aaron scoffed. "Don't be. They're guys, Kelly." She looked at him. "You're gorgeous. You've already won them over."
"Oh, really? Who says men are superficial?"
"Hey! It's just…" He tried to figure out how to explain it. "Not that looks are all they care about but when they see you… It's just… It's a guy thing, Kelly. We're not as judgmental as a group of women is." He noticed Kelly's glare. "Ok. As a group of women can be."
Kelly still seemed uneasy.
"Look. When I met your friends, they all sized me up and judged me for the sake of your 'protection'. My friends aren't going to do that to you."
"They don't think you need protecting from me?" She teased.
"Well," he started thinking. "I don't know maybe they will. It's not like I date a lot."
"Mm," Kelly mumbled.
The car turned into a long driveway. The house was far from the road and, more importantly to Aaron and Kelly, anyone thinking of taking pictures.
The large house belonged to Aaron's friend, Arthur. Arthur had recently finished a movie in which he was an actor as well as a co writer. To celebrate, he was throwing a party.
Aaron had met Arthur early in his career. As Aaron had described him to Kelly, Arthur was an acquired taste and could only be taken in small doses. He was very driven and quite talented but he could also be selfish and arrogant.
As they pulled up to the mansion, Kelly smiled to herself. As an actor and producer, she had been to plenty of parties where she didn't know anyone.
That would be easy right now, compared to this. She felt she had several reasons to be nervous but, as Aaron drove up to the valet, Kelly swallowed her nerves. She trusted that Aaron would take care of her.
He opened her door and helped her step out of the Jeep. He smiled and she felt her stomach jump. In that tiny moment, Kelly knew she could do this with him beside her.
As Kelly was preoccupied, Aaron had leaned over and whispered in her ear. She only caught the end of the sentence.
"So gorgeous," he whispered. Kelly rolled her eyes as she blushed. She was dressed very casually. Aaron had insisted dressing up was unnecessary.
So she wore a pair of blue jeans, a V-neck black sleeveless shirt, and a pair of black boots. She felt she looked too simple but Aaron's reaction when he saw her sealed the wardrobe. He always told her she was beautiful and it always made her blush. Aaron himself wore a black Polo shirt, jeans that Kelly tried to stop admiring, and a pair of trainers.
Kelly couldn't help but admire how they looked together. They were coordinated without even trying, their heights even complementing one another. But Kelly couldn't help but wonder if their age difference was very visible, especially with them side by side like this.
She shook the thoughts from her head as they entered the party. Upbeat music flowed though the house. Aaron's grip on her hand tightened as he led her though the crowd.
Kelly was relieved there weren't too many people to weave though. Not yet, at least.
She followed Aaron into a room that stood off a bit from the main crowd. The volume of the music was also a bit subdued in this room.
When they entered, two men had turned from their conversation and grinned largely upon seeing Aaron.
One hollered, "Taylor!", and the other yelled, "Hey!"
"Guys," Aaron answered with a smile. They greeted each other with handshakes that somehow didn't seem impersonal. Kelly could explain it only one way: It's a guy thing. No woman would greet her best friends with handshakes. But with these guys, it seemed to fit them.
"Aaron, where you been, man?"
"Yeah, long time no see."
"Sorry about that, guys. I brought someone for y'all to meet," he said, looking at Kelly.
His friends followed and it felt like they had been waiting for Aaron's permission to look at her. Kelly wondered if it was a respect type of thing, as if they respected her as Aaron's and they weren't going to act without his invitation.
"This is Kelly," Aaron said with a large grin. "Kelly, this is Jerry and this is Dan."
Jerry was the man to the right, closest to Aaron. All three men were similar in height with Jerry as the shortest by a mere inch or two. He had shaggy black hair that lay halfway down his ears. He wore black square framed glasses, dark jeans, and a faded yellow t-shirt with letters too faint to read. He was thin but not fit, skinny without being scrawny.
Based on his looks, Jerry didn't seem like someone Aaron would be close friends with. On the other hand, Dan looked more like Aaron. They were both muscular and athletic. Dan's hair was a dirty blonde, shaved close to his head. He was wearing khaki shorts that went past his knees and a dark green sweater.
"You remember Jerry -" Aaron started but Kelly interrupted.
"Of course," she said as she accepted his hand.
"And this is Dan," Aaron repeated. "For a while, all three of us were roommates," he explained.
"Woah, why 'of course'? You tell her all about Jerry but not me?" Dan exclaimed as he smiled and shook Kelly's hand.
"Well, one of our first dates was at Jerry's movie."
"Yeah, man. When you make a movie, people talk about you. People remember you. That's how it works. You should try it sometime," Jerry teased.
"Ha. Ha." Dan laughed sarcastically.
"So," Jerry moved his attention from picking on Dan back to Kelly. "You're what's been keeping our friend so occupied."
"We were worried he'd been abducted or something."
"He doesn't call. He doesn't write," Jerry said dramatically.
They all laughed.
"Well, do you really blame him, Jerry? She's much prettier than us," Dan chuckled.
Kelly blushed from all of the attention.
Aaron smiled at her before asking. "Can I get anybody a drink?"
"I'll help you," Dan offered.
"Jerry, don't scare my girl away," Aaron winked.
They walked to the bar, leaving Kelly and Jerry to themselves.
"I really enjoyed your movie," Kelly started.
Jerry, who seemed so confident before, now looked at the floor.
"That's a compliment," Kelly giggled.
Jerry laughed as well. "I know. I don't take them well," he admitted.
"Well, you should learn how. I have a feeling you'll be getting them a lot."
"I don't know about that but thank you. I'm very glad you liked it. Although, I think you probably enjoyed the company you were with more than the actual movie…" His voice trailed off. He was watching Kelly and she looked down at her hands. She hadn't expected him to jump into that topic so quickly.
Jerry continued after a moment. "He's a good guy."
Kelly looked back up at him. "He is," she said softly. "One of the best I've ever been with."
"You seem like a good person," he pressed softly.
"I try to be."
Jerry smiled. "Good answer. Dan and I haven't ever seen Aaron with anyone. I was just a little concerned. He didn't tell us your name so we couldn't research you."
Kelly laughed at that and Jerry smiled, happy she wasn't freaked out.
"I was just worried he might have found a girl who would take advantage of him when given the chance."
"I wouldn't do that," Kelly said quickly.
"I hope not," Jerry added just as Aaron and Dan returned with drinks.
"What are y'all talking about?" Aaron asked as he handed Kelly a martini.
"How much I liked Jerry's movie," Kelly answered casually.
"Yeah, yeah. It was great," Dan interjected. "Is there nothing else to talk about?"
"Aw, does Danny Boy have little brother issues?" Aaron pressed.
"In all fairness," Jerry stated. "I can't take much of the credit. Between the other actors, the crew, and everyone else, my job was easy and almost unnecessary. Actually Dan helped a lot in editing the script."
"Ehh," Dan shrugged. He had only wanted to tease Jerry about his success, not get any credit for his own work.
"Well, both of you did great. The movie was wonderful," Kelly assured them.
"So you two met on the set of your new movie, right? When can we expect to see that?" Dan asked curiously.
Before either could answer, a man entered. Kelly correctly assumed him to be Arthur.
"Things always get so busy so fast, don't they?"
If Jerry didn't look like someone Aaron would be friends with, Arthur without a doubt seemed like someone Aaron would be enemies with.
Despite everyone else's casual attire, Arthur was wearing a suit.
He was average height with an average build. He had dark hair which he was wearing slicked back. Kelly was sure he had more physical qualities but she didn't notice them. She was too preoccupied with his loud personality.
"You wouldn't believe the headache that caused."
"How did you deal with all of that pressure, Arthur?" Jerry asked sarcastically.
"Well, Jerry, some of us are just capable of handling chaos."
"You've got a great turnout," Dan added, trying to keep the peace.
Arthur glanced around and admired the rooms which were filled to capacity. "I do, don't I?"
The other three men looked at one another and rolled their eyes.
"Don't let it go to your head or anything, Arthur," Aaron snorted.
"Oh, you know I wouldn't."
Arthur's eyes widened briefly as they landed on Kelly. He composed himself before looking from her to Aaron.
"My, how rude of Aaron," he said, with a slight air of arrogance. "I'm Arthur." He put his hand out and Kelly slid hers into it.
"I'm Kelly," she smiled as she shook his hand. However, she was caught off guard as he squeezed her hand tightly before letting go.
"Aaron, you didn't tell us she was such a fox," Arthur said with a small poke to Aaron's ribs.
Determined to not allow the night to become awkward, Kelly joked, "You didn't?"
"No," Aaron answered stone-faced. "I believe I described you as a lovely basset hound," he finished sarcastically.
Everyone laughed.
"That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard," Kelly added.
"You're a true romantic, Aaron. Well, guys, have fun. I've got to go back to my people but I'm glad you all came. Kelly, lovely to meet you," he winked at her.
He was gone as quickly as he had arrived.
"So… that was Arthur," Aaron said, unsure of what else to say.
"He's an acquired taste," Dan said to Kelly.
"That's what Aaron said," Kelly mentioned.
"That's what we all say," Jerry laughed and his friends joined in.
The party continued into the night. Their room remained more subdued than the rest of the house, which they were all happy for since it allowed them to sit, talk, and get to know each other.
Kelly enjoyed being around Jerry and Dan. She could easily understand why Aaron would choose them as friends. They were funny and smart, but also, they were welcoming and didn't take themselves too seriously.
After numerous stories about life as roommates, Aaron started looking at his watch. Truth be told, he was eager to have Kelly to himself. He wanted to know what she thought of his friends but more than that, he knew the closer they were to 'goodbye', the closer he was to her goodbye kiss.
As if reading his friend's mind, Dan spoke up.
"Well, guys," he started before looking at Kelly. "And girl. I've had a great time but uh…" His gaze moved to a redhead across the room. "I've spotted someone I'd like to spend the remainder of my evening with," he finished cheekily.
"You mean, you think she'd offer better conversation than we would?" Jerry asked with a grin on his face.
"I'm banking on little to no conversation actually," Dan replied with a small smirk as his friends laughed at him
"Kelly, it was great to finally meet you." He said genuinely before looking from her to Aaron. "I hope you stick around, keep him in line," he said with a small pat to Aaron's shoulder before getting up and making his way across the room.
Jerry looked down at his watch. "Oh, I didn't realize the time. I've got to go too."
"Let me guess. You've got a better conversation to get to," Aaron chuckled.
"Actually, yes." Jerry said with a chuckle. "I've got meetings tomorrow morning."
"Uh-huh, meetings. Sure," Aaron said, sarcastically.
"No. Legitimate meetings, Aaron."
"Hey, whatever, man. Have as many meetings as you want."
Jerry rolled his eyes.
Aaron turned to Kelly and asked her quietly. "You ready to go?"
She nodded her head.
"We'll walk out with you, Jerry." Aaron said, as he searched the crowd. "Well, I'd say goodbye to Arthur… but…" he didn't finish his thought.
"You know he won't know the difference," Jerry said, a hint of annoyance in his tone.
Aaron chuckled, knowing it was true.
The valet pulled the Jeep around to the front.
They were barely pulling out of the driveway before Aaron asked, "So… what did you think? They weren't too bad, were they?"
Kelly couldn't help but giggle at him. "No, they weren't bad at all. They were great. I can see why you are friends with them." She paused for a moment. "Except maybe Arthur."
Aaron chuckled. "Yeah, I think Arthur keeps us around just to diversify the people he's acquainted with. It's like his mindset is 'Ask not what you can do for your friends, ask what your friends can do for you.'"
"Who said that?" Aaron looked over at her quickly. "The original, the one about country."
"John F. Kennedy… he was President," he answered, with an incredulous tone.
"Hey! I'm Canadian," she defended. "I don't have to know," she said, a laugh in her voice.
"Oh," Aaron chuckled with a roll of his eyes. "I guess I kind of forgot you wouldn't know. I'm sorry."
"I at least recognized the quote! I've got to get points for that, right?"
"You do. You definitely do. In all honesty, there are plenty of Americans who wouldn't even be able to finish the quote much less know who said it."
"Well, working in this country, you pick up on some things," she winked at him.
"So, you did like Jerry and Dan?" He asked, still not fully believing her answers.
"Yes. Aaron, your friends aren't as bad as you seem to think they are," she teased him. "Jerry and Dan seem like great people and I had a really good time talking with them.
"They are funny and you three have a great rapport with one another. It was fun to listen to you guys mess with one another and those stories were hilarious. They were nice and welcoming. I had a great time."
She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. "I mean it," she said softly.
"Okay," he relented. "I've just never introduced anyone to them and with how Arthur was… I got scared that he had ruined it for everyone."
"Please. The night was not ruined by him, at least not for me."
"Good." Aaron finally smiled. "I had a great time too. I know they like you." He squeezed her hand and they rode in a comfortable silence.
Within ten minutes, the Jeep was pulling into Kelly's driveway. Aaron parked the car and turned toward Kelly.
"I'll see you tomorrow night," he said softly. "With Other Kelly," he smiled.
His Kelly giggled. "She'll love being called that."
Aaron smiled at the sound of her laugh before leaning toward her, eager for the goodnight kiss he had been thinking about for so long.
"Aaron," Kelly whispered, moving her head in the opposite direction.
He pulled away from her. "What?" Surely she wasn't shy after Friday night's performance.
"We agreed that we didn't want this to go public before we were ready." He still had the same look on his face so she continued. "If someone gets our picture…"
"But. But you kissed me on your doorstep…" He defended.
"The doorstep has high bushes around it." She pointed out of Aaron's window. "The road is right there. Anyone could see us."
"Well, if they see us in the same car, they'll think the same thing-"
She interrupted his argument. "So I guess we shouldn't go anywhere together then," she finished, knowing that's not something he would want.
He closed his mouth and sat back in his seat, looking straight forward.
"Aaron, I'm sorry," she said softly. "I know this is unorthodox. But privacy is really important to me. It's an unfortunate consequence of our jobs. I just… I can't…"
"I know," he interrupted her softly. "You're right." He told her as he grabbed her hand. "I don't want my family finding out about us through grocery store tabloids. You're right. Not that I like it, mind you. But… you are right."
"Thank you," she said, softly. "I'll still see you tomorrow?"
"Of course," he answered. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand before getting out of his Jeep. He waited until she was safely inside before he pulled away from her house.
Monday night:
As Aaron walked toward the front door, he chuckled at his girlfriend. He had left the door unlocked for her when she said she was on her way. But she was knocking on the door, polite as always.
"Hey," he welcomed the two women into his apartment. His eyes were stuck to his Kelly. He smiled at her, wanting to tell her how beautiful she looked. She smiled back before turning to her friend.
"Aaron, this is my best friend, Kelly Rutherford."
He looked from his girlfriend to her friend. He smiled and extended his hand to her.
"It's great to meet you," he told her.
"You, too," she smiled as she shook his hand.
"So, how long have you known each other?"
The Kellys looked at one another, trying to figure the exact date. "15 years?" They agreed.
"Oh, wow," Aaron said.
"And the two of you?"
"A month… and a half," Kelly answered, slowly.
"Well, almost two months, right?" Aaron mentioned.
"Yeah, that's right," Kelly agreed, after thinking again. Her friend nodded her head.
"And the Other Kelly and I have known each other for about 40 seconds," Aaron joked.
"The Other Kelly, that's nice," she said with a smile. "I guess it'll have to do for now."
"Until I can think of a better nickname, I think so," Aaron shrugged apologetically.
"Well, it's not like neither one of us has ever been called that before," the Other Kelly mentioned.
"So you have been in New York?" Aaron asked.
"Yes, we just started filming a series," she answered.
"Oh, cool."
"Hey! Kelly's from Kentucky."
Her boyfriend and best friend looked at Kelly after her sudden outburst. It had taken them by surprise and there was an odd pause.
Aaron tried to fill it. "Oh, that's interesting. I've never been."
Kelly realized no one knew why she'd just blurted that out. "Well, Aaron's from Alabama." When they didn't immediately start talking, she knew they were still confused. "You're both Southern!"
Kelly had been trying to find something they both had in common and that had finally popped into her head.
"Kentucky's not the South," her boyfriend and best friend stated firmly in unison.
"Wow. I'm sorry. It seems close enough; I didn't know Kentucky had been kicked out. They don't tell Canadians these types of things, I guess."
Aaron smiled at his Kelly. "You've really become America-educated these past two days, haven't you?" He chuckled and she smiled sweetly at him.
"Well, now you know. Kentucky is not the South," the Other Kelly stated firmly.
"Hey. Kentucky only wishes it was considered the South." Aaron defended. "And it is considered Southern when it comes to college athletics," he ended matter-of-factly.
"There's nothing wrong with the South," she conceded. "Unless you count marrying your cousin."
Kelly was becoming increasingly concerned. She really didn't want her boyfriend and best friend to start off hating one another.
Much to her relief, Aaron chuckled. "Yep. Cause we all do that." He said sarcastically. "I'm only dating this one until I can get home and marry my cousin, Ellie Mae."
"I knew it. Kelly, it's best you know now."
"Well now, it didn't take me long to figure out a nickname for you, Mason," Aaron smiled.
After a moment, she understood and laughed. "And you've got one too, Dixon."
They laughed together before looking at Kelly, whose face was blank.
The Other Kelly smiled at her. "I'll explain in the car."
She nodded. "We can go. I just need to get something from the kitchen. Aaron, will you help me find it?"
"Sure," he said as he tried to catch up to her. He had no idea what she was looking for. "Kelly, what are you-"
She interrupted him with a kiss once he was in the kitchen and out of her best friend's view. "This," she answered his unfinished question.
He was shocked at her advance but recovered quickly. His hands held her face, keeping her connected to him.
"I owed you from last night," she smiled into his mouth. He grinned back as his hands moved down her back.
After a few minutes, the Other Kirsten grew impatient upon hearing her stomach growl.
"C'mon, Kirsten! Quit making out with your boyfriend and let's go."
"Coming, Edwina," she called, still in Aaron's arms.
"Hey, no fair! I only called you Kirsten, Lydathia!"
"Lydathia?" Aaron asked. "What show's that from?"
"One you'll never see." She placed her hands on his chest and kissed him gently. "Have a great time."
"You, too," he said, following her to the front door. "It was great to meet you," he said, extending his hand toward the Other Kelly.
"You too," she smiled and shook his hand.
"I'll see you later," his girlfriend promised, grabbing his hand quickly and squeezing it firmly.
"Be safe," he wished them off, closing the door behind him.
The two women arrived at the restaurant and had their drink order taken. Finally, Kelly could wait no longer.
"Well," she let the question linger on.
Her friend giggled. "Well, what?'
"You haven't said one thing about him."
"Well, he's very cute."
"That's it?"
"I just met him and it's not like we stuck around for a long time. What do you want me to say?"
"I don't know. What's your first impression?"
"Honestly?"
"Of course."
"Well, he's obviously good looking. He was polite and he seems like a nice guy. But they all do at first."
"He's kind of quiet but he loosens up after a few minutes," Kelly defended him. "But he is a great guy and he makes me laugh." She looked down and fumbled with her napkin. She hadn't explained her feelings about Aaron before, not to Melinda, not even to herself. She felt incredibly vulnerable but forced herself to keep talking. "I feel comfortable around him and safe." She paused before looking back up at her friend. "And he's so different from anyone else I've dated."
The Other Kelly had listened to her best friend gush about this guy. But once she heard the last part, she had to scoff a bit.
"What?" Kelly asked, walls going up.
"Nothing." She could see her friend wasn't convinced. "Well, in all fairness, he's different from other guys you've dated? Kelly, you don't date."
"I've been a little short on time, thank you," she snapped. She wasn't sure why she was being so defensive.
"Woah, I'm sorry." Her hands shot up in a sign of surrender. "I know you've been busy. But you have to admit it was an odd thing to hear from you." She paused before asking, "How is he different?" She knew the obvious answers but she wanted to hear her friend's explanation.
"Well, he's not remotely Canadian; most men I date are. I've never dated anyone from the South or a former football player. The last time I dated a virgin I was 18."
"Whoa, what?" The Other Kelly asked, shaking her head. "He's a virgin?"
"Um, yeah. He's waiting for his wife."
"Huh. That's interesting."
"You seem surprised."
"I am. He doesn't really look like someone who would stay a virgin." She elaborated after seeing her friend's face. "I mean, he must have had plenty of more-than-available girls around him for the past ten years."
"I'm sure." Kelly said, not ever giving it much thought.
"So, what else?"
"Well, he's ten years younger than me. I've never dated anyone who was less than a year younger than me."
"Cougars are in," she teased. "Does that ever come up? Your age difference, I mean."
Kelly paused. "Not yet. But surely it will eventually. When things get more serious." She noticed her friend's smirk. "What?"
"You said 'when', not 'if'. You know things will get more serious. I think they will too. Actually," she paused. "I think things are already there."
"What does that mean?"
"I'm just… concerned. All this seems so fast."
Kelly was quiet and her friend was afraid she had offended her. Finally, Kelly spoke. "Does it?" She asked very quietly, looking up at her friend. "Please be honest. I want to sound like the 35-year-old I am. I want to know the answer to my own question, but I don't. When I stop and think about it, things do seem to be moving fast. But when I'm with him... it feels right." She took a sip of her drink, an excuse to stop talking.
"Well, I think that answers your question. Do what you feel, Kelly. Love is taking chances." She paused before softly speaking again. "But please, be careful. I don't want to see my best friend get her heart broken."
Author - viper209n
Fandom - --
Pairing - --
Status - In Progress
Rating - T
Chapter - 5/?
Friday night:
"No! Not like that!" she exclaimed for the umpteenth time.
"What?"
"They've got to be sliced. Not…" She searched for the perfect word to describe what he was doing to the celery. "Diced?" she guessed.
"That's it!" Aaron grabbed the phone. "What's the number for Mr. Chow?"
Kelly grabbed the phone. "C'mon, Aaron!" He held the phone just out of her reach. After bobbing on her tiptoes several times, she gave up and stood beside him, smirking. "You said you wanted me to teach you how to cook my way."
"Well, I didn't think it'd be so hard to prepare food for a raw diet."
"I didn't figure you as a quitter," she tapped him in the ribs with her elbow before picking the knife up and beginning to fix the celery.
Aaron cut his eyes at Kelly. He knew what she was doing. He was shocked that he was letting it work.
He slid up beside her, opening a drawer for another knife. He began mimicking the way she was cutting the vegetable.
"So why does it need to be sliced?"
"Well, I love pasta but I don't eat it very often. So when I slice the celery, I put it in the soup and it sort of acts as the noodles."
Aaron looked at the celery. "I'm not sure I can act like celery is pasta."
"It does take some practice," she giggled.
"So…" Aaron began as they continued preparing dinner. "How were my reviews?"
Kelly chuckled. "They were great."
"Really?"
"Don't seem so shocked," she told him. "You're quite charming, you know."
He grinned and looked back down at the counter.
"You won Ben over with football and the girls melted with your good looks." She winked at him. "Although, Rachel may just want you to stick around to hear you say words like 'y'all'."
They both laughed. "Yeah… Maybe you shouldn't say that word," Aaron teased.
"What? Do I not say 'y'all' good enough? Y'all, y'all, y'all," she giggled.
"Well, that hint of Canada in your voice is murdering the word a bit. And it's 'well enough', not 'good enough.'"
"Oh my. I just had my grammar corrected by a redneck. What would my fellow Canadians say?"
"Hey!" He turned toward her quickly. "I take offense to that term!" He began tickling her sides.
She turned in his arms, wriggling for freedom and pleading for him to stop.
He chuckled as she squealed and struggled.
Finally, his fingers relented but his hands didn't move, keeping a grip on her sides. He rested his forehead on hers while she regulated her breathing. She smiled up at him breathlessly. They gazed into each other's eyes until he finally leaned down and kissed her lips gently. They enjoyed the moment before Kirsten broke away.
"Food," she reminded him simply.
He reluctantly released her and they returned to their 'slicing'.
They spent a few moments in comfortable silence before Kelly giggled.
"What?" Aaron asked quietly.
"Oh," she answered in a sweet drawl. "Nothin'."
"'Nothin'?" he questioned. "Where's that 'g', Canada?"
"Oh," she said in her normal voice. "I thought if my first 'y'all' wasn't satisfactory maybe I could do better." She reverted to using her accent. "How y'all doin'? How 'bout some fried chicken and sweet tea?"
Kelly smirked, happy to see Aaron smile.
"Other than the insulting stereotypes, I'm quite impressed. Where'd you learn that?"
"Well, I've taken a few voice classes here and there." She paused, unsure whether or not to mention the second part. "And I also played a character with that accent on a television series once upon a time."
"What kind of series was this?"
"A Western."
"A Western?" He repeated, his eyes wide. "You were in a Western? And had an accent?"
Kelly already knew where this was headed.
"Do you think they have it on eBay?"
"Aaron. No."
"You know what? You're right. I bet Megan already has it; I bet she'll ship it to me."
"Aaron," Kelly whined, unsure how serious he was. "Come on."
"What?"
"I don't want you watching me with my short hair and mediocre acting. " She shook her head, keeping her attention on the food.
"Oh, c'mon, Kelly. We'd watch it together."
"Oh. That'd be even worse."
"C'mon, sweetie."
Kelly was glad she wasn't facing him at the moment. Aaron hadn't realized it but that was the first time he had called her by any kind of endearment. She was sure her cheeks were bright red while her heart fluttered wildly.
"Kelly…" he said her name in a cute little whine and, even though she wasn't facing him, she could see his puppy dog eyes. She felt his hands gently rest on her sides as he approached her. She couldn't dare to look at him, knowing her resolve would falter.
"No. I hate watching myself on film."
"Oh, so do I."
"But you keep copies of your work?"
"Of course. Helps keep me humble. Reminds me how far I've come." He paused. "You don't? Keep your work, I mean?"
"Well, yeah. But they're packed up in a box in a closet. I don't watch them."
"Oh, Kelly. You have to be able to laugh at yourself." He thought for a moment. "How about this? What if for everything we watch of yours, we'll watch one of mine?"
"Well, that's not fair. My resume's longer than yours."
He looked at her with wide eyes. "Wow, Kelly. You're not afraid to rub that in, are you?"
She giggled at him.
"Well, to make it fair," he continued. "For every two shows of yours we watch, we'll watch one of mine."
She laughed. "That does not make it fair." She looked up at his face, his head cocked to the side as he tried to hide a grin. "Aaron," she tried to persuade him. With another glance at his face, she knew she couldn't say no to him. "O-kay," she relented and was rewarded with a broad grin spreading across his face.
"But no laughing."
"I wouldn't dream of it," he promised, looking at her in adoration.
She thought for a moment. "But I get to laugh at you."
Aaron's eyes smiles at her. "Fair's fair," he said simply before pressing a kiss into her hair.
"Oh," Kelly said, suddenly realizing what she had forgotten. "What are you doing Monday night?
"I'm supposed to go to a movie premiere with Jerry."
"At what time?"
"Um, around 9, I think. Why?"
"Could I swing by here before you leave? One of my best friends is coming in from New York and she's dying to meet my secret boyfriend," Kelly winked.
Aaron chuckled. "Which friend is this?"
"Kelly."
"Wait, Kelly. You have a best friend name Kelly?" He chuckled as he repeated her name. She smirked. "So self-centered," he teased.
"Ha, ha. I've never heard that joke before. Anyway, she and I are supposed to have dinner but if we could stop by here first…"
"Yeah, that'll be great." He paused for a moment. "Does that ever get confusing? Having the same name as your best friend?"
"Sort of. It's a bit strange to say my own name when I'm talking to her. We use nicknames usually."
"I thought you hated nicknames," Aaron responded, a little too quickly.
Kelly rolled her eyes. "You mean what Peter said?" She shook her head. "Oddly enough, the only one I don't like is the one he calls me."
"'Wife'?" he guessed.
Once again, Kelly rolled her eyes. "He doesn't actually call me that. He calls me 'Kel'. I mean, how lazy. How long does it really take to add the 'y'?" Aaron chuckled. "He noticed that I don't like it and took that to mean that I don't like any nicknames at all. But Adam calls me 'Mom' sometimes and I don't mind that."
"What kind of nicknames do you and the other Kelly use?"
"Um, sometimes she calls me 'Canada', or we use last names, but a lot of the time we use our characters' names."
"I hope I'll be able to keep track of all this," he teased her.
"I have faith in you," she quipped.
After a delicious dinner, as they cleaned the kitchen, Aaron asked. "So how 'best' of a best friend is Kelly?" After receiving a puzzled look from her, he reprised his question. "Who is your absolute best friend? If you have one."
"Well, as far as friends I met as an adult, Kelly is. But, I'm still close friends with my best friend from high school."
"Oh, ok. Does she live in Toronto?"
"She lives close to Toronto. She works in the city but lives in a small suburb about ten miles out."
"Oh, cool. So you get to see her when you go home?"
"Mmhmm."
"That's good." He paused for a second. "So Melinda's not your best friend?"
Kelly thought for a moment. "Well, from work, she is. Kelly and I are friends by pure choice. Melinda and I work together and became friends that way."
"You value that less?"
"Not necessarily. It's just-"
He interrupted her. "Because you know, we met at work."
"I didn't mean anything by it. It's just Kelly and I have things in common. Melinda and I have work in common. When I met Kelly, we were both single. Both of us were struggling with our careers. When I met Melinda, I was single and she was married with a daughter. Our job is what introduced us. We probably wouldn't have met any other way."
Aaron didn't seem convinced by her explanation. Kelly cleaned her hands on a dishtowel and walked over to him. She reached her hands toward him, running them lightly up his back before resting them on his shoulders. She put her forehead on his back and called his name softly. He turned to face her.
"I don't care how we met. I just care that we did." She wrapped her arms around his middle and was relieved to feel his strong arms tighten around her. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize how my explanation would sound. How it would make you feel."
"I know you didn't mean to." His chest rumbled in her ear as he spoke. "But it did sound that way."
She looked up at him, remorsefully. "I'm sorry." She pouted a bit and couldn't help but smirk at the way he looked as he tried not to smile at her. "You know…" she started. "Kelly and I were introduced at the premiere of an independent movie. Who knows? If we hadn't met on set, maybe we would have met somewhere like that, with you being good friends with Jerry and all."
"Kind of like fate?"
Kelly smiled at him. She put her arms around his neck, pushed herself onto her tiptoes, and embraced his lips with her own. She enjoyed the sensation before pulling away just long enough to whisper.
"So are we okay?" Before he could answer, her lips were on his again. "Or do I need to make it up to you?"
He smiled into their kiss. "Definitely, the last one," he mumbled.
"Mm," she smiled back at him.
As they kissed, his hands gently moved down her back before slowly making their way back up and cradled her neck. Their journey left a trail of fire on her skin, making her knees feel weak. Her head became cloudy and her breathing was shallow as he held her closely. She failed to realize that her hand on his back was what pushed them so close together.
Regrettably, she broke away from him, trying desperately not to gasp for breath.
"You've got a couch, right?" She hinted with a giggle.
He smiled sweetly at her, their faces mere inches apart. "Yeah, I've got a couch. You hintin' at a relocation?" He asked, desperately hoping she didn't want to stop.
She smiled sweetly at him before silently taking his hand and leading him to the living room. They were still grinning at one another as they sat on the couch together.
He leaned in gently, cupping her face in his hand before kissing her softly. The soft kiss became more urgent. One of his hands moved to cradle her neck while the other held her side firmly. His kisses slowly became more pressing and Kelly was eager to reciprocate.
When she felt the tip of his tongue softly stroking her lip, a surge of excitement shot through her and her breathing picked up again. She smiled and his tongue accidentally hit her teeth. She giggled as she remedied the possibly awkward situation and quickly teased his tongue for a second with her own. He smiled at her for a moment before returning to their kisses.
Their tongues continued playing their slow game, nudging one another teasingly. Eventually they had to break apart to regulate their breathing. They stared at one another, panting, chests heaving. Aaron watched as the edges of Kelly's mouth twitched upward. They began a game of poker, matching one another grin for grin. Eventually, they both wore ear to ear grins and chuckled together as their breathing finally slowed.
This moment felt too unreal to Kelly. She felt like a teenager, making out on the couch with her hot boyfriend. She wanted this man so badly but knew she had to wait, which she respected. Yet she wondered how far he would let her go.
Her eyes were still locked with his. She gave him a look she hoped he could read. He responded with the slightest smirk. It was so small Kelly was sure she was the only one who could have ever noticed it. She hoped she was reading his signals correctly.
She moved quickly. Her hands flew to Aaron's face and held him while her lips crashed against his. She opened her mouth, inviting him in. Their tongues finally met one another. Feeling daring, Kelly pushed Aaron back so he could sit straight on the couch, never ending their kiss. She straddled his waist, being careful to keep a distance from him.
He kissed her back passionately with no desire to stop. It occurred to the both of them that they hadn't kissed quite like this since their very first kiss on her doorstep. They began to realize what they had been missing.
Kelly suddenly felt Aaron pushing her away. Unable to hide her disappointment, Kelly ended their kiss and began working on her breathing once again. Aaron was panting too. However, he wasn't meeting her eyes as he had done before.
Instead he was focusing on something else. Something Kelly couldn't place. Suddenly, she realized that he was still moving her. He was twisting them both and putting her on the couch beside him. He moved himself over her and it was impossible to question what he wanted.
Kelly lay down on the couch and Aaron hovered above her for a moment before crashing his lips back into hers. Within a second, however, he had pulled back and was looking around the room.
"Aaron, what-" Kelly started, breathlessly, just wanting to get back to it.
"Hold on a second," he interrupted. He quickly leaned down and grabbed a pillow. "Here," he lifted her neck and placed the pillow under her before returning to her lips. She mumbled her appreciation into their kiss.
Kelly marveled at the compatibility of their kiss. It felt as if his lips were made to kiss hers, like they had been kissing each other forever. But then, Kelly figured, that was probably just a perk of dating an actor. As a result of his job, Aaron had plenty of practice.
As they kissed, they both lost themselves in one another. Aaron held himself up off of her, worried about his weight crushing her as well as his own self-control. He formed a canopy over her which was new to Kelly. Most men became a kind of heavy blanket in these situations. Of course, they were trying to get further than Aaron was.
Another difference was the way he looked at her in the brief moments when they pulled apart. His dark brown eyes were darker due to dilation and they had a smoldering haze about them. It quickened Kelly's heart.
He embraced her in another searing kiss, causing all other senses to fail.
A shrill ring pierced the room's revelry. The two groaned as they broke away. Aaron got off the couch to answer the phone. Kelly sat up and ran her hands through her hair, despite knowing it was ruined from being pushed into the pillow.
Aaron checked the ID on his phone before turning back to Kelly, leaving the phone to keep ringing. He stood beside the table, torn between two choices. He needed to get this call but he didn't want to end his evening with Kelly.
He ran his thumb slowly over his bottom lip, the shining evidence of their encounter disappearing. Kelly read him well.
"Do you need to get that?" She asked softly.
"Yeah," he said, an apology mingled into the word.
"Okay," she said as she straightened herself completely and stood up to get her purse. Aaron moved with her, his eyes never leaving her. As she gathered her things, he put a hand on her back.
"I had a great time tonight."
"You better say that," she teased him gently. He smiled at her.
"Be safe," Aaron said, after they had hugged. "I'll still be on the phone when you get home but send me a message? Let me know you're safe?"
"I will," she assured him, squeezing his hand gently as she walked out the door.
Sunday afternoon:
"You can't possibly be nervous?" He asked incredulously.
"A little," she admitted quietly.
Aaron scoffed. "Don't be. They're guys, Kelly." She looked at him. "You're gorgeous. You've already won them over."
"Oh, really? Who says men are superficial?"
"Hey! It's just…" He tried to figure out how to explain it. "Not that looks are all they care about but when they see you… It's just… It's a guy thing, Kelly. We're not as judgmental as a group of women is." He noticed Kelly's glare. "Ok. As a group of women can be."
Kelly still seemed uneasy.
"Look. When I met your friends, they all sized me up and judged me for the sake of your 'protection'. My friends aren't going to do that to you."
"They don't think you need protecting from me?" She teased.
"Well," he started thinking. "I don't know maybe they will. It's not like I date a lot."
"Mm," Kelly mumbled.
The car turned into a long driveway. The house was far from the road and, more importantly to Aaron and Kelly, anyone thinking of taking pictures.
The large house belonged to Aaron's friend, Arthur. Arthur had recently finished a movie in which he was an actor as well as a co writer. To celebrate, he was throwing a party.
Aaron had met Arthur early in his career. As Aaron had described him to Kelly, Arthur was an acquired taste and could only be taken in small doses. He was very driven and quite talented but he could also be selfish and arrogant.
As they pulled up to the mansion, Kelly smiled to herself. As an actor and producer, she had been to plenty of parties where she didn't know anyone.
That would be easy right now, compared to this. She felt she had several reasons to be nervous but, as Aaron drove up to the valet, Kelly swallowed her nerves. She trusted that Aaron would take care of her.
He opened her door and helped her step out of the Jeep. He smiled and she felt her stomach jump. In that tiny moment, Kelly knew she could do this with him beside her.
As Kelly was preoccupied, Aaron had leaned over and whispered in her ear. She only caught the end of the sentence.
"So gorgeous," he whispered. Kelly rolled her eyes as she blushed. She was dressed very casually. Aaron had insisted dressing up was unnecessary.
So she wore a pair of blue jeans, a V-neck black sleeveless shirt, and a pair of black boots. She felt she looked too simple but Aaron's reaction when he saw her sealed the wardrobe. He always told her she was beautiful and it always made her blush. Aaron himself wore a black Polo shirt, jeans that Kelly tried to stop admiring, and a pair of trainers.
Kelly couldn't help but admire how they looked together. They were coordinated without even trying, their heights even complementing one another. But Kelly couldn't help but wonder if their age difference was very visible, especially with them side by side like this.
She shook the thoughts from her head as they entered the party. Upbeat music flowed though the house. Aaron's grip on her hand tightened as he led her though the crowd.
Kelly was relieved there weren't too many people to weave though. Not yet, at least.
She followed Aaron into a room that stood off a bit from the main crowd. The volume of the music was also a bit subdued in this room.
When they entered, two men had turned from their conversation and grinned largely upon seeing Aaron.
One hollered, "Taylor!", and the other yelled, "Hey!"
"Guys," Aaron answered with a smile. They greeted each other with handshakes that somehow didn't seem impersonal. Kelly could explain it only one way: It's a guy thing. No woman would greet her best friends with handshakes. But with these guys, it seemed to fit them.
"Aaron, where you been, man?"
"Yeah, long time no see."
"Sorry about that, guys. I brought someone for y'all to meet," he said, looking at Kelly.
His friends followed and it felt like they had been waiting for Aaron's permission to look at her. Kelly wondered if it was a respect type of thing, as if they respected her as Aaron's and they weren't going to act without his invitation.
"This is Kelly," Aaron said with a large grin. "Kelly, this is Jerry and this is Dan."
Jerry was the man to the right, closest to Aaron. All three men were similar in height with Jerry as the shortest by a mere inch or two. He had shaggy black hair that lay halfway down his ears. He wore black square framed glasses, dark jeans, and a faded yellow t-shirt with letters too faint to read. He was thin but not fit, skinny without being scrawny.
Based on his looks, Jerry didn't seem like someone Aaron would be close friends with. On the other hand, Dan looked more like Aaron. They were both muscular and athletic. Dan's hair was a dirty blonde, shaved close to his head. He was wearing khaki shorts that went past his knees and a dark green sweater.
"You remember Jerry -" Aaron started but Kelly interrupted.
"Of course," she said as she accepted his hand.
"And this is Dan," Aaron repeated. "For a while, all three of us were roommates," he explained.
"Woah, why 'of course'? You tell her all about Jerry but not me?" Dan exclaimed as he smiled and shook Kelly's hand.
"Well, one of our first dates was at Jerry's movie."
"Yeah, man. When you make a movie, people talk about you. People remember you. That's how it works. You should try it sometime," Jerry teased.
"Ha. Ha." Dan laughed sarcastically.
"So," Jerry moved his attention from picking on Dan back to Kelly. "You're what's been keeping our friend so occupied."
"We were worried he'd been abducted or something."
"He doesn't call. He doesn't write," Jerry said dramatically.
They all laughed.
"Well, do you really blame him, Jerry? She's much prettier than us," Dan chuckled.
Kelly blushed from all of the attention.
Aaron smiled at her before asking. "Can I get anybody a drink?"
"I'll help you," Dan offered.
"Jerry, don't scare my girl away," Aaron winked.
They walked to the bar, leaving Kelly and Jerry to themselves.
"I really enjoyed your movie," Kelly started.
Jerry, who seemed so confident before, now looked at the floor.
"That's a compliment," Kelly giggled.
Jerry laughed as well. "I know. I don't take them well," he admitted.
"Well, you should learn how. I have a feeling you'll be getting them a lot."
"I don't know about that but thank you. I'm very glad you liked it. Although, I think you probably enjoyed the company you were with more than the actual movie…" His voice trailed off. He was watching Kelly and she looked down at her hands. She hadn't expected him to jump into that topic so quickly.
Jerry continued after a moment. "He's a good guy."
Kelly looked back up at him. "He is," she said softly. "One of the best I've ever been with."
"You seem like a good person," he pressed softly.
"I try to be."
Jerry smiled. "Good answer. Dan and I haven't ever seen Aaron with anyone. I was just a little concerned. He didn't tell us your name so we couldn't research you."
Kelly laughed at that and Jerry smiled, happy she wasn't freaked out.
"I was just worried he might have found a girl who would take advantage of him when given the chance."
"I wouldn't do that," Kelly said quickly.
"I hope not," Jerry added just as Aaron and Dan returned with drinks.
"What are y'all talking about?" Aaron asked as he handed Kelly a martini.
"How much I liked Jerry's movie," Kelly answered casually.
"Yeah, yeah. It was great," Dan interjected. "Is there nothing else to talk about?"
"Aw, does Danny Boy have little brother issues?" Aaron pressed.
"In all fairness," Jerry stated. "I can't take much of the credit. Between the other actors, the crew, and everyone else, my job was easy and almost unnecessary. Actually Dan helped a lot in editing the script."
"Ehh," Dan shrugged. He had only wanted to tease Jerry about his success, not get any credit for his own work.
"Well, both of you did great. The movie was wonderful," Kelly assured them.
"So you two met on the set of your new movie, right? When can we expect to see that?" Dan asked curiously.
Before either could answer, a man entered. Kelly correctly assumed him to be Arthur.
"Things always get so busy so fast, don't they?"
If Jerry didn't look like someone Aaron would be friends with, Arthur without a doubt seemed like someone Aaron would be enemies with.
Despite everyone else's casual attire, Arthur was wearing a suit.
He was average height with an average build. He had dark hair which he was wearing slicked back. Kelly was sure he had more physical qualities but she didn't notice them. She was too preoccupied with his loud personality.
"You wouldn't believe the headache that caused."
"How did you deal with all of that pressure, Arthur?" Jerry asked sarcastically.
"Well, Jerry, some of us are just capable of handling chaos."
"You've got a great turnout," Dan added, trying to keep the peace.
Arthur glanced around and admired the rooms which were filled to capacity. "I do, don't I?"
The other three men looked at one another and rolled their eyes.
"Don't let it go to your head or anything, Arthur," Aaron snorted.
"Oh, you know I wouldn't."
Arthur's eyes widened briefly as they landed on Kelly. He composed himself before looking from her to Aaron.
"My, how rude of Aaron," he said, with a slight air of arrogance. "I'm Arthur." He put his hand out and Kelly slid hers into it.
"I'm Kelly," she smiled as she shook his hand. However, she was caught off guard as he squeezed her hand tightly before letting go.
"Aaron, you didn't tell us she was such a fox," Arthur said with a small poke to Aaron's ribs.
Determined to not allow the night to become awkward, Kelly joked, "You didn't?"
"No," Aaron answered stone-faced. "I believe I described you as a lovely basset hound," he finished sarcastically.
Everyone laughed.
"That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard," Kelly added.
"You're a true romantic, Aaron. Well, guys, have fun. I've got to go back to my people but I'm glad you all came. Kelly, lovely to meet you," he winked at her.
He was gone as quickly as he had arrived.
"So… that was Arthur," Aaron said, unsure of what else to say.
"He's an acquired taste," Dan said to Kelly.
"That's what Aaron said," Kelly mentioned.
"That's what we all say," Jerry laughed and his friends joined in.
The party continued into the night. Their room remained more subdued than the rest of the house, which they were all happy for since it allowed them to sit, talk, and get to know each other.
Kelly enjoyed being around Jerry and Dan. She could easily understand why Aaron would choose them as friends. They were funny and smart, but also, they were welcoming and didn't take themselves too seriously.
After numerous stories about life as roommates, Aaron started looking at his watch. Truth be told, he was eager to have Kelly to himself. He wanted to know what she thought of his friends but more than that, he knew the closer they were to 'goodbye', the closer he was to her goodbye kiss.
As if reading his friend's mind, Dan spoke up.
"Well, guys," he started before looking at Kelly. "And girl. I've had a great time but uh…" His gaze moved to a redhead across the room. "I've spotted someone I'd like to spend the remainder of my evening with," he finished cheekily.
"You mean, you think she'd offer better conversation than we would?" Jerry asked with a grin on his face.
"I'm banking on little to no conversation actually," Dan replied with a small smirk as his friends laughed at him
"Kelly, it was great to finally meet you." He said genuinely before looking from her to Aaron. "I hope you stick around, keep him in line," he said with a small pat to Aaron's shoulder before getting up and making his way across the room.
Jerry looked down at his watch. "Oh, I didn't realize the time. I've got to go too."
"Let me guess. You've got a better conversation to get to," Aaron chuckled.
"Actually, yes." Jerry said with a chuckle. "I've got meetings tomorrow morning."
"Uh-huh, meetings. Sure," Aaron said, sarcastically.
"No. Legitimate meetings, Aaron."
"Hey, whatever, man. Have as many meetings as you want."
Jerry rolled his eyes.
Aaron turned to Kelly and asked her quietly. "You ready to go?"
She nodded her head.
"We'll walk out with you, Jerry." Aaron said, as he searched the crowd. "Well, I'd say goodbye to Arthur… but…" he didn't finish his thought.
"You know he won't know the difference," Jerry said, a hint of annoyance in his tone.
Aaron chuckled, knowing it was true.
The valet pulled the Jeep around to the front.
They were barely pulling out of the driveway before Aaron asked, "So… what did you think? They weren't too bad, were they?"
Kelly couldn't help but giggle at him. "No, they weren't bad at all. They were great. I can see why you are friends with them." She paused for a moment. "Except maybe Arthur."
Aaron chuckled. "Yeah, I think Arthur keeps us around just to diversify the people he's acquainted with. It's like his mindset is 'Ask not what you can do for your friends, ask what your friends can do for you.'"
"Who said that?" Aaron looked over at her quickly. "The original, the one about country."
"John F. Kennedy… he was President," he answered, with an incredulous tone.
"Hey! I'm Canadian," she defended. "I don't have to know," she said, a laugh in her voice.
"Oh," Aaron chuckled with a roll of his eyes. "I guess I kind of forgot you wouldn't know. I'm sorry."
"I at least recognized the quote! I've got to get points for that, right?"
"You do. You definitely do. In all honesty, there are plenty of Americans who wouldn't even be able to finish the quote much less know who said it."
"Well, working in this country, you pick up on some things," she winked at him.
"So, you did like Jerry and Dan?" He asked, still not fully believing her answers.
"Yes. Aaron, your friends aren't as bad as you seem to think they are," she teased him. "Jerry and Dan seem like great people and I had a really good time talking with them.
"They are funny and you three have a great rapport with one another. It was fun to listen to you guys mess with one another and those stories were hilarious. They were nice and welcoming. I had a great time."
She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. "I mean it," she said softly.
"Okay," he relented. "I've just never introduced anyone to them and with how Arthur was… I got scared that he had ruined it for everyone."
"Please. The night was not ruined by him, at least not for me."
"Good." Aaron finally smiled. "I had a great time too. I know they like you." He squeezed her hand and they rode in a comfortable silence.
Within ten minutes, the Jeep was pulling into Kelly's driveway. Aaron parked the car and turned toward Kelly.
"I'll see you tomorrow night," he said softly. "With Other Kelly," he smiled.
His Kelly giggled. "She'll love being called that."
Aaron smiled at the sound of her laugh before leaning toward her, eager for the goodnight kiss he had been thinking about for so long.
"Aaron," Kelly whispered, moving her head in the opposite direction.
He pulled away from her. "What?" Surely she wasn't shy after Friday night's performance.
"We agreed that we didn't want this to go public before we were ready." He still had the same look on his face so she continued. "If someone gets our picture…"
"But. But you kissed me on your doorstep…" He defended.
"The doorstep has high bushes around it." She pointed out of Aaron's window. "The road is right there. Anyone could see us."
"Well, if they see us in the same car, they'll think the same thing-"
She interrupted his argument. "So I guess we shouldn't go anywhere together then," she finished, knowing that's not something he would want.
He closed his mouth and sat back in his seat, looking straight forward.
"Aaron, I'm sorry," she said softly. "I know this is unorthodox. But privacy is really important to me. It's an unfortunate consequence of our jobs. I just… I can't…"
"I know," he interrupted her softly. "You're right." He told her as he grabbed her hand. "I don't want my family finding out about us through grocery store tabloids. You're right. Not that I like it, mind you. But… you are right."
"Thank you," she said, softly. "I'll still see you tomorrow?"
"Of course," he answered. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand before getting out of his Jeep. He waited until she was safely inside before he pulled away from her house.
Monday night:
As Aaron walked toward the front door, he chuckled at his girlfriend. He had left the door unlocked for her when she said she was on her way. But she was knocking on the door, polite as always.
"Hey," he welcomed the two women into his apartment. His eyes were stuck to his Kelly. He smiled at her, wanting to tell her how beautiful she looked. She smiled back before turning to her friend.
"Aaron, this is my best friend, Kelly Rutherford."
He looked from his girlfriend to her friend. He smiled and extended his hand to her.
"It's great to meet you," he told her.
"You, too," she smiled as she shook his hand.
"So, how long have you known each other?"
The Kellys looked at one another, trying to figure the exact date. "15 years?" They agreed.
"Oh, wow," Aaron said.
"And the two of you?"
"A month… and a half," Kelly answered, slowly.
"Well, almost two months, right?" Aaron mentioned.
"Yeah, that's right," Kelly agreed, after thinking again. Her friend nodded her head.
"And the Other Kelly and I have known each other for about 40 seconds," Aaron joked.
"The Other Kelly, that's nice," she said with a smile. "I guess it'll have to do for now."
"Until I can think of a better nickname, I think so," Aaron shrugged apologetically.
"Well, it's not like neither one of us has ever been called that before," the Other Kelly mentioned.
"So you have been in New York?" Aaron asked.
"Yes, we just started filming a series," she answered.
"Oh, cool."
"Hey! Kelly's from Kentucky."
Her boyfriend and best friend looked at Kelly after her sudden outburst. It had taken them by surprise and there was an odd pause.
Aaron tried to fill it. "Oh, that's interesting. I've never been."
Kelly realized no one knew why she'd just blurted that out. "Well, Aaron's from Alabama." When they didn't immediately start talking, she knew they were still confused. "You're both Southern!"
Kelly had been trying to find something they both had in common and that had finally popped into her head.
"Kentucky's not the South," her boyfriend and best friend stated firmly in unison.
"Wow. I'm sorry. It seems close enough; I didn't know Kentucky had been kicked out. They don't tell Canadians these types of things, I guess."
Aaron smiled at his Kelly. "You've really become America-educated these past two days, haven't you?" He chuckled and she smiled sweetly at him.
"Well, now you know. Kentucky is not the South," the Other Kelly stated firmly.
"Hey. Kentucky only wishes it was considered the South." Aaron defended. "And it is considered Southern when it comes to college athletics," he ended matter-of-factly.
"There's nothing wrong with the South," she conceded. "Unless you count marrying your cousin."
Kelly was becoming increasingly concerned. She really didn't want her boyfriend and best friend to start off hating one another.
Much to her relief, Aaron chuckled. "Yep. Cause we all do that." He said sarcastically. "I'm only dating this one until I can get home and marry my cousin, Ellie Mae."
"I knew it. Kelly, it's best you know now."
"Well now, it didn't take me long to figure out a nickname for you, Mason," Aaron smiled.
After a moment, she understood and laughed. "And you've got one too, Dixon."
They laughed together before looking at Kelly, whose face was blank.
The Other Kelly smiled at her. "I'll explain in the car."
She nodded. "We can go. I just need to get something from the kitchen. Aaron, will you help me find it?"
"Sure," he said as he tried to catch up to her. He had no idea what she was looking for. "Kelly, what are you-"
She interrupted him with a kiss once he was in the kitchen and out of her best friend's view. "This," she answered his unfinished question.
He was shocked at her advance but recovered quickly. His hands held her face, keeping her connected to him.
"I owed you from last night," she smiled into his mouth. He grinned back as his hands moved down her back.
After a few minutes, the Other Kirsten grew impatient upon hearing her stomach growl.
"C'mon, Kirsten! Quit making out with your boyfriend and let's go."
"Coming, Edwina," she called, still in Aaron's arms.
"Hey, no fair! I only called you Kirsten, Lydathia!"
"Lydathia?" Aaron asked. "What show's that from?"
"One you'll never see." She placed her hands on his chest and kissed him gently. "Have a great time."
"You, too," he said, following her to the front door. "It was great to meet you," he said, extending his hand toward the Other Kelly.
"You too," she smiled and shook his hand.
"I'll see you later," his girlfriend promised, grabbing his hand quickly and squeezing it firmly.
"Be safe," he wished them off, closing the door behind him.
The two women arrived at the restaurant and had their drink order taken. Finally, Kelly could wait no longer.
"Well," she let the question linger on.
Her friend giggled. "Well, what?'
"You haven't said one thing about him."
"Well, he's very cute."
"That's it?"
"I just met him and it's not like we stuck around for a long time. What do you want me to say?"
"I don't know. What's your first impression?"
"Honestly?"
"Of course."
"Well, he's obviously good looking. He was polite and he seems like a nice guy. But they all do at first."
"He's kind of quiet but he loosens up after a few minutes," Kelly defended him. "But he is a great guy and he makes me laugh." She looked down and fumbled with her napkin. She hadn't explained her feelings about Aaron before, not to Melinda, not even to herself. She felt incredibly vulnerable but forced herself to keep talking. "I feel comfortable around him and safe." She paused before looking back up at her friend. "And he's so different from anyone else I've dated."
The Other Kelly had listened to her best friend gush about this guy. But once she heard the last part, she had to scoff a bit.
"What?" Kelly asked, walls going up.
"Nothing." She could see her friend wasn't convinced. "Well, in all fairness, he's different from other guys you've dated? Kelly, you don't date."
"I've been a little short on time, thank you," she snapped. She wasn't sure why she was being so defensive.
"Woah, I'm sorry." Her hands shot up in a sign of surrender. "I know you've been busy. But you have to admit it was an odd thing to hear from you." She paused before asking, "How is he different?" She knew the obvious answers but she wanted to hear her friend's explanation.
"Well, he's not remotely Canadian; most men I date are. I've never dated anyone from the South or a former football player. The last time I dated a virgin I was 18."
"Whoa, what?" The Other Kelly asked, shaking her head. "He's a virgin?"
"Um, yeah. He's waiting for his wife."
"Huh. That's interesting."
"You seem surprised."
"I am. He doesn't really look like someone who would stay a virgin." She elaborated after seeing her friend's face. "I mean, he must have had plenty of more-than-available girls around him for the past ten years."
"I'm sure." Kelly said, not ever giving it much thought.
"So, what else?"
"Well, he's ten years younger than me. I've never dated anyone who was less than a year younger than me."
"Cougars are in," she teased. "Does that ever come up? Your age difference, I mean."
Kelly paused. "Not yet. But surely it will eventually. When things get more serious." She noticed her friend's smirk. "What?"
"You said 'when', not 'if'. You know things will get more serious. I think they will too. Actually," she paused. "I think things are already there."
"What does that mean?"
"I'm just… concerned. All this seems so fast."
Kelly was quiet and her friend was afraid she had offended her. Finally, Kelly spoke. "Does it?" She asked very quietly, looking up at her friend. "Please be honest. I want to sound like the 35-year-old I am. I want to know the answer to my own question, but I don't. When I stop and think about it, things do seem to be moving fast. But when I'm with him... it feels right." She took a sip of her drink, an excuse to stop talking.
"Well, I think that answers your question. Do what you feel, Kelly. Love is taking chances." She paused before softly speaking again. "But please, be careful. I don't want to see my best friend get her heart broken."