Page 106 of Reel Love

“We’re seeing how things go,” Rex smiles down at me and I smile back up at him.

Cameras flash incessantly.

“Alana, what made you give Rex another chance?”

This one is directed right at me, I can’t deflect. I answer as ambiguously and truthfully as I can. “Rex is a great man.Working together brings a closeness you don’t have when you’re on separate projects.”

We walk through the gauntlet, giving open-ended, vague answers all along the way. The media prefers those kinds of statements anyway. It leaves them more room to speculate and drum up drama. We take our turn in front of the step-and-repeat backdrop, stopping every ten feet or so for a new set of photos to be taken and more questions to be asked as we pose.

Finally, we’re in the theater and we’re ushered to seats off to the left, only eight rows back. I glance around and see my mother and father a few rows ahead in the center section. People greet one another in the typical Hollywood fashion, and then the movie begins, providing over two hours of distraction and relief before we move on to the rooftop party.

The transition from Grauman’s Theater to the Waldorf Astoria involves returning to our limos after the showing. Fans are out in droves, seated across the street on temporary bleachers and standing around the edges of the ropes surrounding the red carpet.

They’re shouting our names, yelling out questions, screaming, “Alana and Rex! We love you!”

We wave and smile all the way to the limo. Once we’re inside, I collapse into the leather seat.

“Are you okay?” Rex asks, sincerely concerned for me.

“I’m seeing someone. It’s new. But he’s someone I’ve known for a while. It makes all of this so different, knowing he’s at home while I’m on your arm.”

“I know.” Rex’s face is somber.

I study him. He does know.

“I’m sorry. I never realized how hard it must have been on you and Ingrid that whole year.”

“It wasn’t all bad. We were able to have a relationship off the radar. That’s kind of rare, as you know. It was good for us at the time.”

“Off theradar,” I repeat.

“Yeah. Keep this guy off the radar too, if you can.”

“That’s the plan.”

The following evening, I’m back on Marbella. Joel came to pick me up at the dock, and I tried to cloak my disappointment for his sake.

I’m comfortably hanging out in my favorite burgundy velour pair of Lululemon leggings and matching track jacket when Stevens knocks at my door.

I had texted him from the boat, saying,I’m not sad that Joel came to pick me up in Ventura. Nope. Not sad. Didn’t want you to be the one I saw when I walked down the dock after two days in LA. Just in case you were wondering.

My phone rang right after I hit send. Stevens was laughing when I answered, and I instantly felt like someone had given all my little inner fairies a dose of melatonin. Maybe I should be concerned about the impact he has on me and my moods. I don’t have it in me to drum up anything but gratitude. I’m riding the bliss for now, trying to keep reality at bay as long as I can.

We chatted for a few minutes, and he told me he was making me dinner. He didn’t ask, and I loved him taking charge and caring for me more than I could say.

When I hung up, Joel had a curious look on his face. I didn’t tell him what was up, and he didn’t ask. Sometimes an NDA comes in handy. Though, Joel would keep my privacy and confidentiality without the paper standing between us.

Stevens is on my porch holding two reusable grocery bags when I open the door. And he looks good enough to eat. I don’t know how I missed him so much over only two days’ time. I just did.

“Hey,” he says with a note of shyness, or maybe it’s caution.

“Hey. It’s so good to see you.” I take the bags from himwithout even looking at the contents, set them on my entry table, and turn back to him.

“I’m restraining myself from jumping into your arms right now,” I confess. “I want bonus points for that.”

“You’ll get no such thing,” he says with a far more relaxed smile. “Bonus points come for jumping in my arms, not avoiding me. Get the scoring system straight, Graves.”

I laugh like a giddy girl with a crush—since I am one. And then I take a flying leap into his arms and he, thankfully, catches me. I’m wrapped around him like a spider monkey and he’s grinning up at me like he won the lottery. I lean down and kiss his forehead, his eyelids, his nose, and finally those perfect lips.

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