Page 93 of Beyond the Spotlight Discreet Version
Fuck. I think I’m in love with this woman.
But as much as I want to tell her right now... I’m scared she’ll think it’s too soon.
Chapter 22 - Savannah
It’sbeentwomonths.Two wonderful months of being Reynold’s girlfriend. The announcement of our relationship calmed down after a couple of weeks. Articles showcased all the pictures taken of us on our date and even some from fans who spotted us. I looked fantastic in most of those photos. And the way Reynold couldn’t keep his eyes off me... it was as if I was the only one in the world, despite being surrounded by chaos.
He’s accustomed to that chaos. Me, not so much. My sexy black dress and perfectly styled hair couldn’t hide the concern, doubt, and fear on my face.
The video of my interaction with the fatphobic paparazzo went viral. I refused to watch it, experiencing it was enough. I also refused to read the comments. I knew a lot of them were bad. However, Reynold read me dozens of positive messages from people with bodies like mine. They thanked me for inspiring them to be confident and fight back against body shamers.
I also did an interview with Entertainment Now before reporters dug into my past and found my criminal history. I confessed every arrest and why I don’t regret them. That article also went viral. People cheered my defiance and instead of becoming a villain, I’d become an unintentional role model.
Two months seem like a long time, but in Reynold’s world, the days flew by. He was gone more than he was home. He’d film long hours and sometimes six days a week because they’d gotten behind schedule. We barely had time to see each other.
I’d fall asleep in his bed—our bed. Our room. It’s been our room for two months. He made space in his closet for my clothes. I added pictures of my family and friends next to his.
Addy hasn’t been waking up at night either. I have a feeling she only did that at the beginning to push me and Reynold together. As soon as we told her we’re in a relationship (which she was super excited about), her late-night wakeups magically stopped.
Reynold would return home from set late and cuddle with me. We’d wake wrapped in each other’s arms and make love before starting the day. I’ve never craved sex so much in my life. With this man, I never make an excuse not to have sex, and I definitely don’t fake an orgasm.
Reynold hired a part-time nanny to watch Adeline so we could go on date nights. He began interviewing people the moment we made our relationship official. He even asked me and Addy to help. The woman we liked is older. Nadia’s a grandmother whose grandchildren have all grown up. She nannied for rich and famous families before and loves spoiling young ones. One of Reynold’s co-workers recommended her, only letting her go because their kids grew up.
Addy fell in love with her the minute she showed up with candy and a stuffed toy dog that looked like Banana.
Last week, Lana returned to New York City to visit for a few nights before heading back to L.A. for some events with the Tyler’s Team Foundation. We met up with her and Mylan for karaoke at a bar in Midtown East called Cornerstone Tavern. They wore their silly disguises—telling us it’s tradition. I sangWannabe,by the Spice Girls, with Lana, who is a phenomenal singer, so I knew her voice would overpower mine.
No one paid us any attention until the boys decided to act up. Reynold requested the songMirrorsby Justin Timberlake. He placed a stool in the middle of the bar and brought me over to sit me on it. I was so confused at first but didn’t question what he was doing. He had Mylan hold his phone up with the flashlight on to imitate a spotlight. Then he serenaded me with his velvety voice. It was sexy but also embarrassing because he rubbed up against me like he was the star ofMagic Mikeor something. The song wasn’t even meant for lap dances, but Reynold didn’t care.
Then it was Mylan’s turn. He choseDon’t Stop Believin’by Journey. He also tried to sit Lana on a stool in the middle of the bar, but she refused. He started off singing directly to her. Unlike Rey, Mylan’s a horrible singer, but because he performs, the crowd ate it up. They sang along with him as Mylan walked up and down the bar—since there was no stage—and pointed the microphone in people’s faces.
Mylan had brought on so much attention, people finally realized who we all were. They bombarded Lana, Mylan, and Reynold, asking for selfies. They even asked me to be in a few.
Lana and I stayed in touch over the past two months. We texted nonstop about the press and spotlight surrounding me becoming Reynold’s girlfriend. I gave up all my social media pages. It was too overwhelming. I also had to change my number again because reporters somehow found it and called nonstop, asking for interviews. This time I only gave it to Reynold, his inner circle, and my parents. I told my best friend, Justine, if she needed to get a hold of me, she could email me. She understood.
The sudden fame wasn’t the only reason I needed to change the number. Despite being blocked, my ex kept texting and calling me. Every week, he’d try using a different number. I thought eventually he’d run out of numbers, but nope. Now he can’t call me at all.
His last text before I cut him off threatened to come to NYC and find me. I knew he was just blowing smoke out of his ass because Reynold has eyes on him in Silo Springs. He assured me that Brad was staying put in Arkansas. Probably because Justine told me that Cara Calloway is pregnant with his child now. Better her than me.
Reynold has six weeks of filming left. Today, Adeline and I are going to set to see him, which we’ve been doing all summer. We’d go at least once a week, sometimes twice, depending on how many days he was working. With Addy starting school again soon, Reynold wants to spend all the time he can with her.
He’s missed out on a lot while filming this movie. The regret in his eyes when suggesting we carry on without him made my heart break. Like the day we took the train out to Coney Island. Addy and I hung out at the beach and in the water for hours and went on the rides at Luna Park. We played games and won stuffed animal prizes. Then we stopped at Nathan’s and bought one of their famous hot dogs topped with chili and cheese.
That night when he came home, Reynold asked about our day, and we showed him pictures and videos. He’d swipe through, smiling and tearing up at the same time. Addy saw. She’s such an observant little kid. She told him not to be sad. She told him she got to spend the first five years of her life with him and now it’s my turn.
“Dad, I’m only five,” she said. “We have plenty of time to hang out.”
He wasn’t so hard on himself after that day.
The paparazzi haven’t been too horrible. They’ve yet to track down Reynold’s home. Or maybe they have, but it’s off limits. I really don’t know how it works. I just know they never show up outside the apartment building. They only seem to find us when we’re out in public. Coney Island was a mess because they hovered like seagulls waiting to steal our food. Sarah and Henry did a great job keeping them back.
One day, Addy and I tried to wear disguises like Lana and Mylan do, but that rarely works for them anymore and the rats found us pretty quickly.
Adeline had a blast trying to trick them, though, so we wore disguises a few more times just for fun. Thankfully, Reynold’s overprotection kept us safe. He has four bodyguards for us, but I only ever see Sarah and Henry.
“Savvy,” a woman calls the moment we walk into the holding area. Victoria Bedford, the woman playing Rey’s wife on the big screen, walks towards us.
I only met her once in the handful of times we’ve visited set because she isn’t in a lot of scenes. Today they’re filming on location at a pier near the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s a flashback scene featuring Rey and Victoria’s characters talking about her new job and how she has a bad feeling about her boss. Rey tells her it’s probably ‘new job’ jitters. Then, this afternoon, Rey and Mylan will shoot flash forward scenes at the same spot. Mylan’s character, the detective, will try to convince Rey’s character not to do anything stupid like go after his wife’s killers.
