Page 133 of One Last Time
“Mom!” Aubrey hisses. “You’re embarrassing us. God, sometimes I can’t believe I’m related to you people.” She huffs and crosses her arms. “I’m almost glad I couldn’t bring a friendnow.”
Oh, the peril of a fourteen-year-old girl. I swear the attitude started at twelve and each year she becomes more pleasantly awful. It doesn’t help that her father and Noah spoil the shit out of her. I’m the badguy.
“Yell at Noah. It’s his fault we’rehere.”
She tosses her hand up in the air and keeps walking. “Whatever.”
Noah looks at me and we both start laughing. It’s a running joke in our home that he can do no wrong. As much as it’s annoying, I’m glad my kids love him. He’s truly a second father to them, and when he goes on set, we all miss himterribly.
“I love teenagers,” Imutter.
We get through the entrance, and a few people snap pictures as we pass. It’s easy to forget how famous he is. To us, he’s just Noah Frazier, the man who leaves his underwear inside his jeans, doesn’t know where the hamper is and likes to fart when it’s too quiet. To the world, he’s a two-time Academy Award Winning actor who can do nowrong.
Tomorrow, we’ll have photos all over social media with hundreds of questions about why we aren’t married, if we’re really in love, and speculation that the only reason I’m with him is to further my career as aneditor.
“Yo!” Finn yells. “Old people, keepup!”
“I’ll give him old people,” Noah threatens, and Ilaugh.
“If the shoe fits,” I teasehim.
Noah still looks almost the same as when I met him. He’s that asshole guy who doesn’t have any gray hair, where I have to go to the salon every four weeks to keep myself from looking like I could be his mother. His body is still hard in all the right places, and all his equipment is in working order. Me? I’m lucky I can fit in my leggings without busting aseam.
“You’re lucky I love you,” he says before swatting my ass and jogging to thekids.
My butt doesn’t feel solucky.
We get back into Harry Potter world, and it’s clearly big news that Noah Frazier is here. People flock to meet him, take photos, and well, touch him. I get it. I want to touch him, too. He’s pretty freaking hot for an old guy. Plus, he’s gotten ten times more famous since we met. The movies he does now are blockbusters, and he’s definitely an A-listernow.
He looks at me with the I’m-sorry-I-hate-people face, and I smile back with my I-get-it-you’re-kind-of-a-big-deal look. Finn walks over, clearly detesting this aspect of ourlives.
“And this is why we can’t go anywhere.” He huffs andpoints.
“You know he hates this as much as you do. But it’s been almost a decade, time to get overit.”
Then I remember at eighteen, your life is really all thatmatters.
“Finn!” Noah waves himover.
Oh, this should beinteresting.
Aubrey is, of course, next to him, soaking up the attention that Noah Frazier is her almost daddy. Yes, she actually calls him that. I have no words for that girlsometimes.
“Oh, my God,” a flock of girls start squealing. “You know NoahFrazier?”
Finn turns, and a cocky smile that I’ve never seen before spreads across his face. “Yeah, I do. Did you want to meethim?”
“Yes!” They giggle and bounce up and down. “How do you knowhim?”
“He’s practically my stepfather.” He lifts his chin withpride.
Dear Lord. I can’t believe I’m watching this. “Finn, you should probably save him,” I say, reminding him I’m righthere.
“Right. I’ll save Noah, no problem.” He pops his elbows out and smirks. “Ladies, care to joinme?”
Oh, for fuck’ssake.
My son, the player in training. I should apologize now to the females of his future. I take no credit for thatone.
