TISH'S STORY BY TRICIA
This story is purely fiction for fun and fans. Nothing in this story is true.

 

TISH'S STORY
Just a fairy tale.
This never happened. It’s a myth, a fairy tale.

 
You do not get stuck in an elevator with a movie star.
Even in LA it doesn’t happen, where almost anything weird can and
does. He does not fall in love with you.
Not when you are a divorced mother of two. Even if you look great
that day. No matter how fast your mind works or how funny you are.
These things do not happen in real life.
Everyone on the planet knows these facts.
These are well understood facts. But we need our fairy tales.
So, for all the lonely hearts and all the ugly ducklings, this will be the
exception to the rule. The triumph of the little fella’s of the world that
need to be watched over. Inspiration, romance and even porn for the
middle age housewife.
Our souls need to be taken care of.
To the famous actor who will be recognizable in this tale, my
apologies if any toes are stepped on. It’s not meant to offend. It’s only
meant to bring a smile to faces here and there. This is a lift some up,
get through the day, the week or the month tale.
And you were the man for the job.
And if it still bugs you, stop being so adorable. And charming. And
intelligent. And funny.

************************************************************
chapter one
you can take the girl out of the elevator
but that doesn’t mean she’ll go out with you
A stalled elevator can make anyone nervous. Especially if you aren’t
alone and the stranger in the car with you seems to be shady.
Sunglasses, inside, an elevator? Come on! Long trenchcoat, all black.
Tish took a deep breath and reached for the control panel at the same
time Mr. Shady did. She stepped back and let him at it.
’Don’t panic.’ She told herself. Not good that she had seen a rerun of
“Speed” recently. She wondered if she should get a good look at this
guy. She could describe him to the FBI later, or the CIA or whoever
was in charge lately. Or thought they were in charge lately.
“ ‘cuse me, Miss?”
“What!” Tish jumped. She needed to pay attention and turned to
look at the suspect.
“Do you want to know what they said?” he asked. He was holding
the emergency phone.
“Yes, yes sure,” she replied and began to study him.
She recognized the voice.
He explained that all four elevators were stuck and something about
an electrical problem and they would get to them as soon as possible.
She listened and tried to take it all in, but she was struggling. Who
was this man? He was famous. She knew that voice.

“OK,” she said. He stopped talking and she kept her eyes on him.
Tall, very tall. Big shoulders, big hands. This was a big guy. A
God-awful hat over black hair. The nose was big and was the sort that
looked like it had been broken. He hadn’t shaved in about 3 days
from the look of it And the mouth, well she almost got it when she
looked at the mouth but it was just beyond her reach. He slide his
shades down and peered over them at her with his famous black eyes
and grinned at her. Tish snapped her eyes shut, `I am in so much
trouble here.’ she thought. Then she opened them quickly. She felt dizzy.
“How long?” she asked.
“How long, what?”
“How long are we going to be stuck in here?”
“I don’t know....an hour or so, maybe. They said they’d call back.”
He cleared his throat and pulled out his cell phone.
She was not going to stare at him. She needed to keep centered. No
distractions, her rule.
“I’m gonna’ be stranded in here with you for an hour?” Tish felt a
panic attack starting.
“Well, it’s not gonna’ be THAT terrible. We can ....”
And Tish interrupted him, “No, no, no..... I’ve got to get out of here.
Can’t you do something?”
“Me, what can I do?”
“I don’t know, some kind of McGuyverish thing or something.?”
He laughed, “No, I’m McGuyvered out. I have no McGuyver up my
sleeves. I am McGuyverless.”
“OK, OK, it’s just, ...claustrophobic... and it’s hot in here. Are you
hot? It’s stuffy in here.
Isn’t it stuffy to you? And I get really, really nervous at times like
this.”
“Times like what?”
“You know nerve-racking times.”
He took that horrid little hat off a head of messy black hair
and looked down at his feet. He had a grin on his face that he was
trying to hide.
“This is not funny.” Tish was starting to get mad.
“I know. I know, it’s just that it’s so nerve-racking.” He said,
grinning.
“Stop it!”
“I’m sorry, really I’m sorry. I’m not making fun of you.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Well, yeah I am, but, I’m sorry, O.K.?”
He still had a smirk on his face that he tried to wipe off and suddenly
Tish felt stupid and silly. She didn’t know the age of this famous actor
but she knew she was a few years older. She just felt like an idiot. A
hysterical middle aged female. A geeky hysterical female.
“Look,” she glanced up at the elevator numbers and back to the
control panels, as if that would help get the car started. “Look I’m
sorry, I’m a idiotic, hysterical geek, here....and I’m not all
“super-cool” like you, but ..................and you know.........” Tish
looked back at him and he still had that self-satisfied grin on his face.
“Where did you get that voice? I don’t get it. Did you make a deal
with the Devil? Nobody should have all those, ....have so much, so
many great ...what? features, eyes, hair,...qualities...characteristics?
Nobody should have so much and be allowed to walk around like
that! It should be illegal.
You should have a disclaimer attached .....`caution, come within 2 feet
and swooning will occur!’”
“Tish stopped, mid-rant and tried to wrap her mind around what she
had said.
She was furious to be stuck here with this man.
It couldn’t have happened on a worse day. And why him? Couldn’t
it have been some ordinary Joe.
No, it had to be Mr. Big Shot Movie Star. There was complete silence
in the small space.
“Swooning? Is that a word? Swoon, swooned, swoonable?” He asked.
“I’m sorry! I’m .........I'm hysterical, so I’ll just go over here in the
corner and you use your little cell phone and just pretend I’m not
here. I’ll have a breakdown as quietly as possible.” and Tish retreated
to the wall. She turned her back to him and leaned her head on the
side of the elevator. She felt like banging her head on the wall like
they do in cartoons. She felt like a cartoon. She dropped her tote in
the corner. Then she took her shoes off.
He would admit, being stuck in this elevator was not on his list of
‘top 5 things, I’d love to do today.’ He had things to do, places to go.
But, as she turned around, he looked her up and down and decided,
if he had to be stuck with someone he was glad, she was cute. If he
had to guess he would guess around his age, maybe, at the most a
few years older. She was small and thin, but not the movie star thin
that he was used to. This one had curves. He liked that. She had on a
simple blue dress. And she had that wild curly hair that was not in
fashion at the moment and it was stuck up on her head, casually as if
she were getting into the bath.
He noticed she had blue eyes, he always noticed the eyes, especially
if they were big, pretty and blue.
He was glad she was not a 300 lb. telephone repair man, named Earl.
“Although Earl, might be able to get us out of here.” he said looking
at the doors. “Earl, might be McGuyverish.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Hey, let’s start over, OK? Actually, let’s just start. Hello,
my name is....”
“I know your name.” she mumbled from the corner. “Everybody
knows your name.”
That drawl. Did he mention she was southern? He’d never heard
anything like it.
‘What a hoot.’ he thought.
“OK, and you are?”
“Tish. Tish Griffith.”
He moved over to the corner, right beside Tish, and attempted to see
her face.
Then he held out his hand as if to shake hers. She stood with her
arms crossed frowning.
“What did I do? Are you mad at me? Why are you mad at me?” he
asked.
“It’s not you. Well, not completely.” Tish said
“WHAT?” He asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“OK, fine.” He turned away.
“Fine.” She said
“I’m going to call my assistant, now.”He was irritated.
“OK, go ahead.”
“I will.” And he attempted to find his cell in one of the pockets of the
trenchcoat. Couldn’t find it and pulled the big coat off, got his arm
stuck in a sleeve and finally wound up wrestling it to the ground.
Now, Tish was the one trying not to smile. She pointed over by the
controls where he had left his phone on the floor.
He retrieved it and frowned at her.
“You know, you are nerve-racking.”

He began punching numbers.
“You must have tons and tons of assistants?” she asked
“Yes, I do! But I’m only calling Lissie.
She’s my ‘What to do when you’re trapped in a stalled elevator with a
nutty southern blond who’s giving you a hard time assistant.”
He looked directly at her with a serious _expression.
And finally she smiled.
A grin started breaking on his face as he looking back at her.
He thought to himself, ‘Forget the elevator, man, I’m the one in
trouble, here!’
“So, what’s with all this pent-up anger? What is it, that I’m not
completely the cause of?” He asked.
“It’s complicated.” Tish didn't really want to talk about it.
They were sprawled out on the floor on top of the dangerous
trenchcoat.
“Well, I do happen to have a few extra minutes, free,” he said.
Tish tried to pull her little skirt down. It was hard being lady-like in
this situation.
She sighed and lauched into it, “It’s just that, well, before those
elevator doors closed, I was kinda’, I don’t know, on top of the
world. I’ve accomplished so much in my work and all by myself and
it was feeling great and ........”
“What do you do?”He asked.
“I write," Tish said and then added, "I'm a writer."
“What do you write?”
“Training manuals for new Entertainment Hollywood hosts.”
“Before or after the lobotomies?”
“After. Before they’re almost untrainable. They actually question the
validity of the job.” She said with a straight face.
“You’re funny.”He was smiling.
“Yeah, yeah, .......so everytime, I’ve made significant progress on my
“life’s journey’, so to speak...BAMM, out of nowhere I get knocked
down.”
“Well, we all do, unexpected life’s little....” He said.
“No, no, no......not just by the life stuff, I can handle that. It’s always
been something I could control, if I kept focus and you know,
centered. So, I’ve been very cautious and I’ve been able to steer clear,
and today was a big day for me, I was coming to a meeting and
then....BAMM!”
“Bamm?” He asked.
“The elevator doors closed!” Tish said.
“Not following.”
“BAMM! YOU....men....relationships. They suck the life out of you!
Drain all your creativity. Take up all your time. Do you have any
idea how much time and effort women put into attracting a man,
‘catching a man’, keeping man, getting rid of a man? And not only do
I get stuck in a stalled elevator with a man. ...............................it’s
THE man ................it’s YOU.
What woman could resist you? It’s as if the powers that be, are
playing this big joke. AH-HA, Tish ....... steer clear of THIS!”
Somewhere in this rant, Tish stood up and started pacing in their
little space.
“So, you think, that I am going to, what? Ask you out? What? Want
to date you?”
“Hey, no flies on you!”Tish said.
He started laughing then.
“What makes you think, that? I mean you are very cute and I’m
flattered .....” and he was still laughing as he stood up and stopped
her mid-pace.“Wait, wait.”
She looked up at him. And she didn’t say anything. Just stood there
with her arms crossed in her bare feet. Looking up at him with those
blue southern eyes.
He stopped laughing.
She patted him on his arm, “That’s OK, don’t worry about it. I’ve
always had this effect on men. I mean, I know, I’m not movie star
glamorous but it’s the whole boobies, blond cheerleader thing.” And
she walked around him and tried to start pacing again, “and you’re
married, aren’t you or there’s some kind of teeny-queeny steady of
yours ...so all this is besides the point. See, it’s not that you would ask
me for a date. It’s that we’ve still been stuck here, together and that
will never change and I’ll always have to .............”
“I’m not married.”He said.
“See, there will always be this thing .......wow you were stuck....in the
elevator ...”
“I’m not married.”He repeated.
“So, this will always have gotten in the way of this ......meeting and
I’ll probably get
all these mushy feelings going on....”
He stopped her again and grabbed her arms and turned her
around.“Stop! I’m not married, teen-queen’s gone, been gone.”
“And?” Tish simply looked at him.
He just paused for a minute. “Boobies?”
“Yes, you know they’ve always gotten in my way, literately and
figuratively.....and I guess symbolically, also.....hadn’t thought about
that one, so men just fall all over themselves, like idiots
...............Oh!”
She stopped and looked at him with pity ..........Oh, I’m sorry. Are
you gay?”
“WHAT! No, I’m not gay! Where’d that come from?”
“Are you sure?” She looked so concerned.
The top of his head was about to explode. She as driving him batty
and, at the same time, he wanted to kiss her.
He wanted to just grab her and lay one on her. She was maddening.
He went into attack mode.“I’m sure.”
And he kissed her.
He leaned down, put one arm around her waist, almost picking her
up off the floor and gave Tish, a great kiss, it was a
`Some-Kind-Of-Wonderful,’ knockout of a kiss.
He broke away and they both took a deep breath, staring into each
other’s eyes.
`Oh, my,’ Tish thought, `I’m going to swoon!”
But aloud she said.
“Are you sure. You know some guys......," and he stopped her with
another kiss.

He started kissing her neck and put his other arm around her waist.
“Whoa, whoa, slow down there movie boy! OK, OK, so you’re not
gay.”
And it took everything Tish had to pull herself away.
She backed up until she felt the wall against her back.
He stood in the center of the elevator with his long legs spread apart
and the man was breathing heavy.
His arms were at his sides and he did not take his eyes off of her.
`He’s looks ready to pounce.’ Tish thought
And she also thought, 'That is without a doubt, a very nice looking
man.’
The emergency phone rang.
Tish answered.
“OK, thank you.”’ she said, and then
“Another hour or 30 minutes.”
“I am going to smoke a cigarette!” and Mr. Movie Star was back into
his movie star attitude.
“I’m s......” Tish started
“DON’T” he held up his hand, “just don’t."
`ewwww, he’s mad.’ thought Tish, `he’s movie star mad!’
He was mad. Mad at himself for being in this situation. He did not
even know this strange girl. She could be some weird stalker for all he
knew and he had jumped right into ... Into what? What were they
doing anyway. He tried to calm down and start thinking straight.
Alright. Back to business. They’d be out soon and he had a meeting,
although they’d probably cancel that.
He had a meeting on new scripts with the creative head of the studio.
Ken had a new script that he was fairly excited about. Written by,
what had Ken said....`this funny little southern lady with a warped
and strange sense of humor. '
“I think it could be great, but I’m warning you, she is cute and I want
you to promise me right now to leave her alone. I need her to do
some more rewrites and not get distracted.”
He put the cigarette out and rubbed his face with both hands. He
groaned.
When he turned to look at her, she was sitting by the wall.
He went over and sat down, but not too close.
“So, about this important meeting?”

She had the script with her. He read enough to realize it was great
and he’d love to do it.
Or produce it. Or help with rewrites.
“Well, meeting’s over. It’s good.”
She still was not talking. At least not the way she had been.
“Thank you.”
Then they sat silently for awhile.
Bizarre sounds were coming from around them. Help was on it’s
way. They’d be out soon.

`I’m not going to do this.’ he said to himself.
He waited another 5 minutes.
“I know better than to do this.” He thought as he turned to look at
her.
She looked up at him with those eyes.
“Alright, so let’s go out.” he finally blurted out.
“Oh, that’s suave.” She said.
“Well, you know, I ......would you like to go out, to say, dinner
or..........”
“No.” Tish said.
“Well, what would you like to do. We could....”
“No.” She repeated.
“You won’t go out on a date?" He was confused.
“No.”
“With me?”
“No.”
“I don’t get it.”
“You’re right about that. Look I’ve already explained it to you.” Tish
thought she had been clear about that.
He tried again.
“I know, but this is kinda’ a wild thing that’s happening here. I mean
don’t you want to, you know, see where it goes.”
“Oh, I know where it goes.” she said and stood up.
He stood up.
“You’d never go out with me?”
“No.’
“Never?”
“Never.”
“Ever?”
“Ever!”
“Can, I kiss you again?”
“No!”Tish couldn't believe he asked that.
“Why not? I mean if this is the last chance we ever have.”
Tish studied this man for a moment. And she thought about the
situation.
How do you handle a man like this?
Well, you don’t. That’s the answer. Tish couldn’t even imagine
competing with all the gorgeous women that he came in contact with.
She didn’t want to. He would break her heart and be off to the next
gal in a New York minute. Or, in this case, an L.A. minute.
No woman, in her right mind would start a relationship with this
man.
You would never get out alive.
But to get another kiss? To take advantage of the moment? Granted a
weird and strange moment. And the damage had already been done.
It would already be months, maybe years for her to get past this little
episode.
“Make me a promise.”Tish thought she had a solution.
“What?”he said.
“Promise me.”
“I have to know what it is.”
“You, leave me alone when we get out of here.”Tish said.
“Why?”
“I’ve explained all that. I don’t have time for heartbreak and misery.”
“What makes you think it will be all heartbreak and misery.” He
frowned.
“Nevermind, then. Let’s just forget it.”
“OK, OK, OK! Now do what?”He asked.
“Tell Ken you’re not interested in the script. That’s too important to
me. Don’t ask me out. Leave me alone. Once we’re out of here, you
haven’t ever met me, you don’t know me.”
“I like the script.” he frowned. "I like you, too."
She frowned right back at him.
“OK. OK.”He still looked unhappy. “So, we can kiss, here now, but
you’d never go out with me?”
“Right.”
“Not ever?”He asked.
“Not ever.”She seemed to be firm on this one.
He smiled, then. His famous smile, the one that made women
worldwide swoon.”
“Well, we better make it a really, really good kiss then.”
And, it was.
Better than the first one, better than the second one had been. It was
soft and slow at first and built into a very deep, very long and very
sweet kiss. This was the kiss of a lifetime.
Tish thought her toes would fall off.
This was a kiss worthy of statehood.
Later, after the repair men and security guards had seen them out
safely Tish slipped away and started down the hallway.
She looked back to see her movie star surrounded by a crowd and he
was looking over heads for her.
She simply smiled and turned away.
As she was rounding the corner, she felt someone grab her arm.
Tish looked up into those black eyes again.
“You promised, not ......”
“No, I didn’t.” he said and grinned down at her.
This was his `Oh, I’m so proud of my self grin.’
“I never really ever SAID I promised anything, not really!”
“So, you were.....never going to ..........” Tish was confused.
“Hey, to get another kiss at that time, at that moment,
from you, sweetie? And now, to get you to go out with me?”
And here’s where he pulled all the stops out and let her have it right
between the eyes.
No mercy.

“I’ll just about say anything!”
fin

*******************************************
chapter two
or
you can't just say anything,
it's got to be really, really good.
Summer in the south.
How had she forgotten? That soft sweet atmosphere and the
magnolia scent in the air.
Tish paused on the clubhouse trail and looked over the lush greens of
the golf course.
`LA has been sapping the southern right out of me.' Tish thought.
Coming home had been a good idea. Here she could regroup. Get her
bearings back. Priorities straight. Ducks all in a row. Here she could
forget about that insane encounter with the world famous movie star.
It had been unbelievable. Maybe it hadn't really happened. Maybe
she had hit her head or passed out when the elevator had stalled.
That's what she thought at first. She dreamed it. What an
imagination! Well, if you're going to have a dream that one was a
dozzie! She had been to Oz and seen the wizard. A six foot, three,
gorgeous hunk of a tall, dark and handsome wizard. A wizard that
could kiss like a muther. Or like a, well like a wizard. Only, the
wizard had started calling her. She had clicked her heels and gone
home and thought she was safe. But the wizard, having the magical
powers he had, got her phone number anyway.
Getting out of LA and away from his phone calls had been her first
step. She didn't think the wizard's powers could find her in
Birmingham, Alabama. It was further away than Kansas. She'd
gotten a girlfriend to stay with her children and she'd come south.
She'd almost let herself, get carried away by the romance. Granted,
Oz had been pretty spectacular, and one phone call after another had
been flattering. But he wouldn't stop calling. `He's a nut.' Tish had
decided. `Does he not understand the word, no?'
She had discussed the nut with friends and Hollywood "know-it-alls"
in LA and had come to several conclusions.
First, he was single again, after several years with a steady. That part
was true.
Second, he was quite the playboy, with a reputation for loving 'em
and leaving.
Third, unlike most major stars, who always seemed smaller and less
impressive when you met them, he was taller, larger, more
charismatic and even better looking in person than he was in the
movies. She could vouch for that one.
Fourth, he was very smart, very funny, and even though at times a
little full of himself still basically a very nice person.
The fifth conclusion, Tish had come to by herself.
Run, like h e l l, as fast as you can, away from this man.
When she wouldn't take her calls, he persuaded Ken, her current
boss, to call for him.
Ken did not enjoy his role as Miles Standish.
"Tish, he can not get it through his thick skull that you won't go out
with him, or meet him for coffee! He's not used to hearing NO. He
keeps saying, 'I know she likes me Ken, I know she does.' This is like
high school. Why don't you just go out with him, get it over with and
leave me alone. Tell him to his face that you don't like him and get it
over. You are both driving me crazy!"
"Oh, Ken you love all this drama. You're enjoying this!"
"I am not! Well, maybe a little bit! I love seeing someone say 'no' to
him like this.
Don't you dare tell him I said that!"
"Ken, the truth is, of course I like him, who doesn't like him? All the
more reason to steer clear. This has disaster written all over it. This is
for my own sanity, the sanity and well-being of myself and my
family! It wouldn't end pretty, so why even start? And he's just
re-acting to this because he can't get his way. And I quote, 'We
pursue that which retreats from us.' "
The truth was, she couldn't get him out of her mind. It was if she
were under some sort of spell. A wizard's spell. This man just wasn't
human. He was too perfect, too wonderful and could kiss far too
good. She decided he was from another planet. He was just
unrealistically perfect.
An alien that had her locked in some sort of mind melt. An alien
wizard.
Her son Burk and her daughter Maddie were in shock that he even
called. "Go out with him Mom," Maddie said hysterically over and
over again "Look who it is. For Christ's sake! How bad could the date
be?"
She smiled, remembering the expressions on their faces.
Still she couldn't shake the image of those black eyes and that
wonderful, wonderful smile.
And he had been pretty terrific to her. And he kept calling trying to
convince her to go out with him.
And he had kissed her.
But he had kissed many women and he was a charmer and it was
ridiculous to dwell on it.
`Stop it, stop it, stop it Tish.' she said to herself and she felt like
slapping her own face.
She had arrived at the clubhouse and was standing in the main hall of
her mother's country club.
She thought it wise not to slap herself here. Her mother's friends
already thought she was insane.
` That poor little Griffith girl who's run away to Hollywood to find
fame and fortune.'
`Well Courtney Cox did it. Why can't I?' Tish thought to herself.
`But, oh, not me, I have to run into "One of the s e x iest men alive ",
and get side-tracked with a mind melt.'
OK, back to reality and a normal relationship. As if Steve had ever
been normal. She had a date tonight with an old boyfriend, and he
was quite a character. She was actually looking forward to that.
Tish would have to drag herself through this strange thing that
happened. In time she would get past it.
In time she would forget how those arms of his felt. And how those
kisses made her feel.
`Well, it's only been six months,' Tish tried to justify it in her mind,
`In another six months, I might forget some of it.
Why, in six years, I'll be my old self again!'
She looked out on the golf course and noticed the sun was beginning
to set. Tish knew she had to get on with everything. Keep moving.
One foot in front of the other. She had even tried to play some tennis
this afternoon.
"Excuse me, Miss?" one of the porters walked up to her."There's a
gentleman waiting for you in the Grill downstairs."
Tish realized it would be the real estate broker she and her mother
hired. Her mom's house was to be sold and after that was put into
motion Tish was planning to return to L.A. Her mother had sent her
to the country club to stay while they packed the house and said she
would send the broker over to meet with Tish. "Great, thank you."
she told the porter and he held the elevator door open for her.
"No thank you, I'll take the stairs." She waved him on and started
down the stairs.
As she entered the Grill, Tish saw her old high school friend Chloe,
who worked there. She pointed her towards a table in the corner. The
broker had obviously gone to the little boy's room. She sat down to
wait for him. Chloe came over with a beer and put it down.
"Who is this mystery man you are meeting, Tish?"
"Oh, my mom sent him over ....."
Chloe interrupted her, "Well, tell your mom to send one over for me!
Tall, dark and handsome.
What do you want? Gin and tonic?"
"Yes, but that doesn't sound like the fellow I thought it was."
"Be right back. And if you don't want him, I'll take him."
Tish looked around for something to doodle on. She was no good at
simply sitting. She needed to get back to her cottage and get ready for
Steve. She thought they would have a good time. It would be fun.
Steve was a very funny man.
Someone leaned over her and put their hand down on the table.
Tish looked at it and tried to place that hand. She knew that hand.
The voice beside her ear was deep and soft, but Tish heard it clearly.

"I hope this won't be too `nerve racking' for you."

Tish jumped and so did her heart, as the wizard himself sat down
across from her.
"Hey!" he said and he sneaked a look at her over his dark glasses and
those coca-cola colored eyes were twinkling.
He was pleased with himself.
Tish heard the old Monty Python chant in her head, "Run away, run
away." She would have if she could have stood up. Or walked. Or
run. But she knew her legs wouldn't have supported the weight.
Doomed. Destroyed. No way out. Ambushed.
"Oh, uuuurrrrrrgghhhhhhhhhh!!!" Tish clenched her fists and her
eyes closed and realized that the only thing she could get out was a
strange growl. She opened her eyes just a bit and he was still sitting
there, playing with her racket. `Oh, my God, on top of everything
else, I'm sitting here in this dorky tennis outfit. If the earth would just
open up and swallow me now, please?'
"Urghhhhhhhhh?" he said. "Is that some form of swooning, I'm not
familiar with?"
He wore sunglasses and his trademark dark clothes with a baseball
cap on backwards. The Hollywood style of disguising oneself. Here,
it just looked shady. Again he seemed to have a three-day stubble of
a beard.
"Don't you ever shave?" Tish asked, acting like she was irritated,
when the truth was she adored it. She adored every single inch of this
man. She had forgotten how he made her feel. It came rushing back
the second she heard that voice and looked at those eyes.
"I will, as soon as we get to your place. You do have a room here?
And we really should get out of here, before anyone recognizes me."
and he took a drink of his beer and looked at her. Just seeing her
made him feel better. It had been a strange six months. He had not
been able to get her out of his thoughts. Something very strange for
him.
Tish just stared at him for a few seconds and then looked around the
Grill. Just several groups of golfers, busy telling tall tales at happy
hour. "Don't worry, they would only be interested in you, if you were
Bear Bryant. They would have no idea who you are. Their brains
stop at the state line."
"Great!" he said and took off his sunglasses. "Bear Bryant's dead isn't
he?"
"Not to them....But..............don't do that, because...." Tish turned to
see half of the kitchen staff leaning out the door. There was a
collective gasp as they recognized her companion. "..... because of the
staff."
He smiled and waved at them and they all seemed to jump at once
and then retreat to the kitchen.
He turned his smile, full beam on her, "Shall we go then?" and he
finished his beer.
"Me, be alone with you, again? Are you kidding?"
"No, I'm not. Look, I didn't come all this way to drink a beer and
drive back to the airport...."
"Why did you come all this way? And how did you come? How did
you find me? I've told you how I feel about us, about you." Tish
asked.
"I'll explain, but you know, we should go somewhere private. I have
a feeling you'll be yelling alot! I don't think you want everyone to
hear this."
He was right about that. She didn't want to cause a scene, although
she knew being alone with him was borderline psychotic, she didn't
want to cause her mother any problems with the country club."
Chloe delievered her drink and Tish took it as she stood up.
"We're going to my cottage. So, Chloe, could you please make sure
we aren't disturbed, although in his case it's probably too late." Tish
said and motioned to the big star.
"What?" Chloe frowned.
"He is already a very disturbed individual." Tish explained.
"Oh, oh I get it!" Chloe said, "You need to go on, Tish, before this
place fills up with everyone the cook is now talking to upstairs..."
"Right, right." Tish looked back at her movie star, who was checking
out her dorky outfit.
"What about the date, tonight?" Chloe whispered back. She was an
old friend of Steve's, as well as Tish. Tish just shrugged her
shoulders. Chloe was staring at Mr. Big Shot and he stood up and
introduced himself.
Tish looked at her friend and said, "Please Chloe, don't swoon, it only
encourages him. Talk to you later and thank you. I'll call you from
the cottage."
And she headed for the door.
"We've got a cottage? All right! Encourages me to do what?" the
wizard was right behind her.
"WE don't have anything. You can get a place here, somewhere
tonight. We are just going to talk at the cottage where I'M staying.
Encourages you to you-know, uh, you-know...I don't know! Continue
being s e x y. Continue to "think" you're s e x y."
They were outside now.
"You don't think I'm s e x y?" he was teasing her.
"No, I do not." Tish kept her eyes straight ahead and tried to walk as
quickly as she could. He, on the other hand, was sort-of bouncing
along beside her, like a puppy trying to play with her.
"Yes, you do." he said
"I do NOT."
"Yes, you do." he repeated.
Tish stopped in her tracks. "It doesn't mattter one way or another,
because I'm going to strangle you and you'll be dead very shortly."
"I'll be dead s e x y!" He smiled.
"Shut-up."
By the time they came through the woods to the cottage, which was
really a guest house, Tish was so upset, she couldn't even find her
key. She went around to the back and in through the french doors
that were open. She downed her drink and went straight to the mini
bar for another. She mixed a new drink and turned to face this nut
who was driving her crazy.
He was standing just inside the doors with overnight bags and her
tennis racket. He dropped everything, took off the sunglasses and
threw the baseball cap on a table. "Can I get something to drink?" he
asked.
Tish wanted to scream, 'NO, YOU MAY NOT!' but she was
southern, and if southerners are anything at all, they are hospitable.
She just nodded and walked away from the bar. She studied him
while he mixed a drink.
His hair was it's usual black mess and of course it looked great. He
looked like he was thinner, but she couldn't be sure about that. She
had forgotten how tall he was. And big. This man was much bigger
than you would think. Black jeans and a dark blue shirt with some
grey tee-shirt underneath.....pure Hollywood casual. And pure
Hollywood handsome.
"Lord, help me." she said under her breath as she sipped her drink.
She knew she would need all the help she could get.

He parked himself on the arm of the sofa, lit a cigarette and looked up
at her.
It was his turn to check her out.
He had been right. She was worth the trip. She was a cutie. He had
been worried all along that he had imagined this woman or that he
had given her credit for being more than he remembered. But now
he could see he judged the situation correctly. She was worth it.
Worth all the effort and all the phone calls. He hadn't met anyone this
interesting in a long time. All the starlets and Hollywood types he
knew were boring compared to this little southerner.
He started to grin.
He started to feel very good about all this. But now, how did he break
through all that 'negativity festering' in her. He was confident that all
he needed was to be with her and he could talk his way and charm
his way through. Surely she was no match for him. When it came to
the female s e x, he was spoiled rotten and he knew it. But, surely
she'd be no match for him.
"Is this the southern debutante look?" he asked as he looked her up
and down.
"Yes, yes it is! How did you find me?"
"Hey, this really is the deep South .....all magnolias and mint juleps. I
didn't know places like this still existed." He stared at her tennis skirt
again and then said, "you don't happen to have a cheerleader outfit
with you also, do ya?"
Tish just glared at him.
"....uh....Isn't your line here.............`You had me at hello?'," he said
forcing a smile.
Tish felt an intense wave of anger and she didn't know what to do.
She wanted to strangle him and at the same time she felt weak simply
being this close to him. He's magical powers were already begining to
work on her. Good-looking, charming, funny...it was true, what she
had told him before. Women should be warned ahead of time before
he walked into a room.
I don't need to be looking at him. She turned her back on him and
looked out at the greens. A storm was coming and there was low
thunder in the distance. A warm breeze was coming through the
open doors and the trees were beginning to bend with the wind.
She closed her eyes and tried to calm down.
"Ok, I'm sorry." he began," This is serious, I know. I'm sorry. So, why
am I here? How did I get here? Well I had to come. I wanted to see
you and talk about us, about what this is all about. And your son, he
told me where you were and got me in touch with your mom, who
sent me here. They both wanted us to get together to straighten
things out between us. Actually, I think your son was tired of my
phone calls. And your mother, she was great, she was all ' Well,
honey you go right over there and see her!' And I start filming in
New Orleans next week so, anyway here I am."
Tish waited and didn't say anything. Her family! They always
thought they knew what was best for her, no matter how she felt.
He cleared his throat.
"It's just that I can't stop thinking about you, OK? I can't stop...(and
he paused here), I can't stop wanting you. Since, the elevator, I
thought it would stop, you know? I thought, Ok I'll wait six months.
It will go away. I've never felt like this for such a long period of time,
without it going away! Especially someone I'd only been with for
what, one afternoon? Someone I'd just met once. So I had to give it
another try. I just had too. I understand how you feel. About who I
am. And I know I'm a hard person to date or have a relationship
with. But I'm still just a normal person....
She interrupted him then. “Wait, wait, wait..”
She turned around and walked over to where he was sitting. She took
his glass out of his hand and put it on the table with hers. Then she
took both of her hands and put them on his shoulders and looked
him right in the eye. Right in those gorgeous puppy-dog, matinee
idol, dark eyes and said, " Now listen to me carefully. Let me see if
you can absorb this and understand! YOU ARE NOT a normal
person. YOU ARE A GOD! That's how people, normal people see
you. That's how they treat you. That's how you've become
accustomed to being treated. That's how you'd want me to treat you
and I'm not about to do that. You'd be IMPOSSIBLE to have a
relationship with. Not hard, IMPOSSIBLE.
You have to be honest and good and work hard in a relationship.
They are NOT easy.
How could I ever believe a word you said. You are an actor....an
ACTOR. And a very good one. And a writer. You, know, you make
stuff up! For a living.
How do I know what you just said to me was the truth? How do I
know that all this isn't some act, simply to get something you want. I
don't know why you would put so much time and effort into wanting
me, but I suppose you're bored with the regular Hollywood airheads
and I seem like a welcome change. Oh course you can charm me and
romance me and I'm sure you can work your way into that bedroom
over there. But it wouldn't be real. It would be just another conquest
for you.
And it would break my heart."
Tish stopped. She had to catch her breath. She had not meant to say
all those things. But she had and it was the truth. And what else did
she have to fight with but the truth? And this was a battle. He
wouldn't give up unless she stopped it now.
She took her hands off his shoulders and all the time she was
thinking,
`Well, that was it. That's the last time I get to touch that man. My last
touch with greatness.'
Then she walked back over to the doors and stared out at the storm
as it was coming in. There was silence except for the wind and the
magnolia leaves rustling.
Lightening flashed at the edge of the greens. The humidity and
electricity were building in the air and she reached back to pull her
hair up off her neck. She stopped breathing. She honestly stopped
breathing and waited.
She felt him move up behind her.
He touched her.
Just lightly on her upper arm.
Then he withdrew his hand. And started talking to her in that voice.

Oh, my God, that voice.
"I'm sorry, you're completely right of course. I can be a complete a s s
hole. I could be a complete a s s hole to you just to get my way." She
heard him walk away across the room and then he came right back.
"But where does that leave me? Just continuing along my merry way,
leaving women by the wayside, taking advantage of everything and
everybody, just because I can do it? I don't think I'm like that. And if
I am, I don't want to be. I would like to be normal, did you ever think
about that?
I want to be good and honest and work at a relationship. I don't want
to be a God. I never did. I don't want to be all alone without a family
when I'm old and grey. I don't want to be chasing women around
when I'm 50. So, if there is something here, something that might
work out between us. I don't want to ignore it or just throw it away.
Can you please look at me?"
She stood her ground.
"Turn around Tish, and look at me. I'm not going to touch you
because if I do, I honestly don't think I can, without it leading
somewhere. So look at me, please?"
She did.
"Can't you tell that I'm not acting? Can't you tell that this is the truth?"
She looked up into his eyes and she thought she knew that he was
being sincere, but how could she ever tell? Did she know him well
enough? She felt, for some strange reason she did know him. She had
felt a strong connection between them, but how did she know or how
would she ever know if it was real?
He spoke and it was as if he could read her mind.

"How does any couple, any two people ever really know each other?
It all starts with taking a chance. I can't tell you that I'm sure about
what will happen with us, because I don't know. But I can tell you
that I don't want to be that monster that you just described. I know
that much. I'm sure about that."
Tish turned back around then and was at a loss of what to do or what
to say.
And then he placed his hand on her waist and started gently rubbing
her waist. He bent his head down and kissed her on the neck and
then proceeded to bury his face in her neck.
And then he murmured against her skin.
"I'm sure of this, too. I've been wanting you for six months. For six
months I've been thinking about you." His hands were both on her
waist now and very slowly, he wrapped his arms completely around
her, pulling her back against his body, and she could feel the strength
of him and how much he did, indeed want her.
"Can we just give it a chance? Come on. Can you give me a chance? I
promise I will try to do everything in my power not to hurt you. I can
promise you that. I can promise to try to be honest with you always
and try to be good and try to work at this. I can't promise I'll do it."
and he kissed her neck again, "But I can promise I'll try."
Tish was at a lose. Those were good promises. Those were excellent
things to say.
And he felt so fantastic to her. She had no doubts about whither or
not she was attracted to him.
"You'll try?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Are you telling me the truth?"
"Yes, I am. No one's ever said those things to me before. You are
right. I agree. And if you're gonna' take this chance with me, I'd be an
a s s hole and an idiot not to try."
She tried to pull away and he held her tightly, "No." he said into the
side of her neck.

"No, it's time to deal with this, Tish, please? I know you want me.
Please, stop saying, no." he whispered thickly.
He continued to caress her and moved his hands up to her breasts
and that was it. Tish couldn't possibly stop him now. She was lost.
Those big hands on her body. `Not fair,' she thought, `Not fair, at all.'
He kissed her neck and held her tightly.
Then he rubbed and played and teased her body until she stopped
thinking, she just felt. She felt all the desire she had for this man.
He turned her around to face him, leaned down until his lips met hers
and kissed her. It was a deep, long, slow kiss and she thought she
would die from the pleasure of it. He broke away from her and looked
into her eyes as if he had lost something and might find it there.
"Kinda' different from the elevator, isn't it?" he mumbled and Tish
could see he was just as affected as she. She couldn't even reply.
He ran his hand up to her cheek and down her neck and started
slowly unbuttoning her blouse. Then he pulled her blouse down and
off and simply looked at her. But oh, that look. He looked like he
wanted to eat her alive. She thought her heart would break right then
and there.
This world famous man, on the other hand was trying to think about
what he was doing and what he was saying. But it was difficult. She
had knocked him sideways with her cut-to-the-chase speech.
She was right of course, and he did feel like promising her the world.
He did feel like being honest and trying to work on this relationship.
He didn't want to be the jerk that she had described. But he was also
at a point where he might do or say anything because he wanted her
so badly. He couldn’t remember when he had wanted a woman so
much. Just looking at her with her blouse off was driving him crazy.
He wanted her in the bed, now. He pulled her up against his chest
and kissed her again and then with his lips only inches from hers, he
asked her,
"Don't you want me?"
He bent down and started kissing her neck and his black hair brushed
up against her lips. She buried her face in his hair, just kissing the top
of his head and breathed in the smell of him.
"Say you want me, tell me you do, sweetie?"
Tish melted. She felt she would have gone through the floor if he
weren't holding on to her.
"You know I do." it was barely a whisper but it was enough for him.
He picked her up and headed for the bedroom, kicking the half
opened doors wider as he went through. Somehow she wound up on
the huge feather bed with no clothes on. His shirt was unbuttoned
and he pulled it off. Then he paused long enough to rip his shoes off
before he climbed on the huge bed and onto her.
She looked up at this man, this insane, funny, gorgeous man and
realized how crazy she was about him. Tish ran her fingers along his
stomach, up his chest, up over his shoulders until they were buried
into his hair at the back of his neck.
"So you're giving us a chance?" he said looked down into her eyes.
"Or, are you just using me. For s e x?" He grinned. He was too cute,
He was just too cute.
Tish ran her fingers along the stubble on his face and she smiled back
at him.
"Oh, it's just the s e x I want. I've never done it with a God before! It
better be God-like too. No pressure though. Just do your best."
He smiled. She was starting to joke again. This was good. He bent his
head down and started kissing her neck and then concentrated on her
breasts. And between kisses he kept talking, "Now wait a second,
............we're gonna' be honest................ and good.......answer the
question..........Are ........you?"
Tish did not have the capacity to speak. He was driving her insane.
He stopped and looked back into her face, "Are you giving me a
chance? Seriously?"
Tish opened her eyes and looked him. "Yes, yes, yes, h e l l, yes!
Now shut up, John! Oh.......unless......."
"Unless, what? What is it now?" John's brows came together and he
frowned down at her.
"Are you absolutely, positively..............sure..." she let her hands run
down his chest, down his stomach.
"WHAT?"
Are you sure you're not gay? I mean I can understand if..........."
And Mr. Johnny Cusack, movie star and world famous playboy,
interrupted her little joke, then, and quite nicely answered her
question.
And not with a kiss nor any words.
There was no more talking,...... except for an occasional " Oh, John",
here and there from Tish.
And the rain fell steadily outside the open window.

Later, the rain was beginning to let up and darkness covered the
room.
They both lay quietly and Tish actually thought she was drifting off
to sleep.
John rolled over and pulled her to him and put his mouth up to her
ear.
"Bamm," he whispered.
Tish smiled. "You're right about that."

Later.......................the doorbell rang.
Jolted back to reality, Tish remembered her "date."
'Now what?' she thought.
fin
**************************************************************
Chapter three
the chaos of Steve and love in the
time of cheerleading.
Tish sat straight up in the bed.
She tried to clear her head and wake up.
She had completely forgotten about Steve and their date. She glanced
at the clock and knew it was him at the door.
She looked down at the black head of hair on the white pillow and
thought, `Maybe he didn't hear that. Maybe he will stay asleep?'
The doorbell rang again and John spoke. His voice was very deep
and hoarse and he was talking into the pillow. He had been asleep.
"Who IS that? Didn't you ask them to leave us alone?
She took a deep breath and decided there was no way around this.
And we are being honest. Honest is not going to be easy. But she was
the one to introduce these rules.
"Well, actually, that would be Steve."
John lifted his head up and looked around at her and then he looked
wide-awake.
"Steve?....................Who's Steve?"
She jumped out of the bed and raced to the bathroom to grab one of
the white terry cloth robes. As she hurried through the bedroom
again, he had turned on the light, and was sitting there with no shirt
on and his arms crossed. His black eyebrows were wrinkled into a
frown and he once again said, "Steve?"
"Oh, it's complicated. I'll be right back."
"Hey wait a minute!" His voice got louder.
She turned back and looked at him, "What?"
"You, know, now that I think about it, you write, too." And he just
stared at her.
"Oh, yeah. OK, I'll be right back. " she said, turned quickly and raced
out of the bedroom.
`That was almost a Cusackian move,' she thought. 'Like the
roadrunner would zoom off. I wonder if I left a little poof of dust?'
Then she looked at herself in the hall mirror. `Like a cartoon is right,'
she thought and tried to straighten her hair a little.`Errrrr...I look like
I've been, well doing what I've been doing!'
She pulled her robe together better and opened the door.

"Well hello. I don't think that you're dressed yet, Tish.
Is this a pajama party? No one told me." Steve smiled at her. He had
a great smile.
"You look good, half n a k e d and good." and he gave her a hug.
Tish had dated Steve on and off for many years. She had know him
since high school. It was a very long story, but basically.....he WAS
the lost love of her life. He was the one she should have married. He
was the one she had always been in love with. At least until now!
There was alot of history here.
The best way to describe Steve had always been: a cross between
Bruce Willis and Elton John, except he didn't have a gay bone in his
body, and what a nice body it was. He acted like David Addison,
from the old Moonlighting TV show. He had been David Addison
before Bruce Willis had been David Addison. When Moonlighting
came to TV, everyone she knew told her,"Have you seen that guy on
that TV show? He looks and acts exactly like your Steve!"
All her friends used to ask, "Why are you with Steve? All your other
boyfriends were so cute?" The long haired hippie types, James
Taylor, Jackson Brown, like "Russell" in "Almost Famous", those
were the types that were cool. Tish found them boring next to Steve.
She had always been completely crazy about him. He was always the
smartest one in the room as well as the funniest. Hardly anyone
caught his jokes and dry humor. But she did!
"You look good, too Steve," she said and meant it.
He had no hair left, just like Bruce Willis with a body that was still
very, very nice. Muscular but slim. And he had those "Kurt Russell"
eyes that were very blue and crinkled up when he smiled AND the
greatest smile ever!
'Wait a second....there is another smile I'm crazy about! What's wrong
with me!'
Tish shook her head as if to come back down to earth, .... back to
reality.
As if this having John Cusack in your bed was reality.

"So, how have you been, Steve?" she asked as she closed the door.
"Fix me a drink and I'll tell you," he put his arm around her waist and
walked with her back into the living room.
"These are great cottages. I think I stayed here during the last
tournament ....uh, hello...?!"
He paused and Tish looked up to see John standing in front of the
bedroom doors. He also, had on one of the club robes, his hair was
wilder looking than hers and he was calmly standing there in front of
them with his arms crossed.
"Hello," he said to Steve and without taking his eyes off of him,
directed this question to Tish. "Is anyone going to tell me what's
going on here?"
Steve paused maybe two seconds and then recovered quickly.
"Hummmmm.....Well, it appears that Tish's dates have overlapped a
bit, wouldn't you say Tish?" Steve replied and he also kept his eyes
on this other man.
Tish unwrapped Steve's arm from around her and realized this was
indeed a mess.
By the furrowed look on John's face it was not going to be easy to get
out of this.
"Uh, I'm sorry Steve, but John just sort-of surprised me, I wasn't
expecting him, ..uh...this afternoon.
And, you know," she said to the Johnny, "I haven't really gotten a
chance to tell you about my plans for tonight."
There was a heavy silence as both men studied each other.
"Could this be the man from LA that you were telling me about? The
man you were trying to get away from?" Steve asked and turned to
look at Tish. "You didn't do such a good job of it. I think he caught up
with you."
"Hey!" John was angry. "Hey that's between the two of us!"
"Oh, OK. Well get dressed then, we're late." and Steve turned and
grinned at her.
She couldn't help but smile. Steve was absolutely the funniest man
she had ever dated and the c o c kiest. Until now. She would put him
up against anyone in a game of wits. Actually she was doing that
now. Still, he would make the most of this situation and love every
minute of it.
"Well, Steve, under the circumstances, I don't think....."
"You don't think what......you made a date with me, honey! You
aren't gonna let me down are ya'?"
He started walking towards Tish and she backed up and tripped over
John's bags, almost falling until Steve caught her by the arm just in
time to steady her.
"Don't tell me you're gonna' leave me alone, to go to this party
ALONE..." His voice started rising as if he were getting hysterical...."
alone, ....alone, with half of this city's richest, most gorgeous and by
now, on their way to being very tipsy, single women there!!! I don't
think I can do it!!!!"
John appeared right beside both of them then and calmly took Steve's
hand off of Tish's arm. "Well, I think you'll do just fine, Steve."
He leaned down and grabbed one of his bags, "I'm getting dressed for
the rest of this show...." He went back into the bedroom, still
muttering under his breath.
Steve looked at Tish and she could see how much he was enjoying
this.
His eyes got wide and he had a shocked look on his face.
"I don't know if you realize this, Tish, but that's John Cusack!"
How could you give me up? How could you pick him over me?
how could you choose a ..a.. a world famous movie star over ME!
How COULD YOU?
"Yea, yea....," Tish was trying not to laugh or encourage him any
more.
He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss and when he pulled back he
had a serious _expression on his face. "See you, later, baby," and he
started towards the front door the front door, he glanced back at her.
"I was looking forward to tonight." he said in all seriousness.
"You didn't have to say that, about trying to get away from him."
Tish said.
"Sure I did. I'm gonna' bow out, but I don't have to do it gracefully!"
Steve said and then he asked, "You do want me to bow out, don't
you, Tish?"
"I'm confused here, Steve. But I suppose, well I suppose I am going
to give this thing between he and I, a chance after-all."
"You don't sound completely sure." Steve was frowning, now.
"I know, I was looking forward to tonight. Then he just showed up.
Dramatically. And well, we talked....."
Steve interrupted her, "Sweetheart, I really don't want the details. I'm
gone. We'll talk later if you want."
Then, with an excited look on his face, "The kids are gonna' love
hearing about this over at the club!" And then he was gone.
'Oh, my God, tell me he's gonna keep his mouth shut. No he would
not. Steve never keeps his mouth shut,' Tish realized.
I'm gonna get my mother kicked out of this place before this is all
over.
She glanced around quickly and saw her old clothes lying on a chair
by the door.
She threw on the shirt and pulled on her overalls and rushed out the
door after Steve.
She was barefoot, but the pine needles were soft under foot and the
humidity had almost dried the ground after the rain.
The trail to the club was lit with small lights. Tish looked ahead and
saw Steve by the benches ahead of her under a huge magnolia tree.
His lighter flashed in the dark and she could see he was lighting one
of his trademark cigars. He clicked his lighter closed as she walked up
and he blew the cigar smoke up into the humid sky.
"I knew you'd come after me, baby!" Steve said and grinned like a
cheshire cat!
He sat down on one of the benches and proped his feet up on another
bench.
"Cut it out" she said as she plopped down beside him.
He took another hit of his cigar and blew it in her direction. Of all the
people in the world, he was one of the few who knew how she felt
about a man and his cigar!!
She was probably the only woman alive who completely LOVED the
smell of a good cigar. She could not help herself, maybe it had
something to do with being such a MALE thing. She'd never
understood it, but one whiff of that heavy tobacco smell and she got
all weak in the knees.
"Listen," she started,"I just wanted to ask you, seriously now, Steve.
Please keep quiet about this, about you know who being here, you
know with me?
I don't want Mom to get kicked out of here and you know how stuffy
they are here. OK?"
"Sure, I got it."
They were quiet for a minute.
Steve put his arm around her shoulders and started rubbing her arm.
Tish realized it felt fantastic out here. The rain had cooled the air a
little and brought out all the sharp smell of the pines. You could also
catch a whiff in the air of the barbeque that had been cooking all day.
Added to that was the cigar scent lingering in the air. She had to
shake her head again to snap back to the matters at hand!

Steve spoke up. "It is great being able to see you again after all this
time. My life's been awfully boring without you."
She smiled at him."Well, we never were boring together. I can say
that about us!"
Tish asked him about his family, his son and his recent divorce. Just
small talk, but it was great to catch up. She told him about moving to
LA and he knew all about her divorce and her ex-husband. She heard
the door to her cottage open and close and looked up to see John
starting down the path towards them.
"So what about him? I can't believe your mystery man is John
Cusack." Steve said poking his thumb in the direction of the cottage?
"Is he an OK guy....really?
And that really is Cusack isn't it? Not a look-alike or something?"
"I'm pretty sure that's the real thing, Steve."
"I mean everyone seems to like him as an actor, I LIKE HIM as an
actor,but is he going to be OK to you. I gotta tell ya'...that was one of
the biggest surprises I've ever had! I nearly s--- a brick! What a hoot,
Tish." He was grinning from ear to ear at her.
"But, seriously, are you gonna' be OK with this guy?"
"I hope so. I really don't know Steve, I really don't know."
The big bad celebrity had reached the little rest area and he seemed
steamed. He had thrown on some old sweats, a teeshirt and some
sneakers. He was trying to be cool about all this but the minute he
had come out of the room and seen the robe on the floor and both of
them gone. Well, even 'one of the S E X I E S T men alive' could lose
it over that. Then he saw them both sitting so snugly on the bench
together!
"Now....wait, wait, wait.....Tish, who is this guy? This is getting
ridiculous."
Steve looked at her and grinned.
'Here, he goes.' Tish buried her face in her hands.
"Who am I? Who am I? She's never told you about me?" Steve
dramatically pulled himself up off the bench. "Well, I'm the love of
her life.....the one that got away.....that long lost lover that she will
always pine for...!"
He pulled another stogie out of his pocket and offered it to this
famous man, "Cigar, man?"
John took it and then Steve held out his hand to shake.
"Steve Jackson, nice to met you. Sorry this has been such a mess."
John had no choice but to shake his hand and introduce himself to
Steve.
"Right,........right....OK!" said Steve.
Johnny lit his cigar with his own lighter and Tish looked from one to
the other from between her fingers and decided that a weird peace
had been made.
They both stood there in the summertime night toking on those
cigars and Tish studied them trying to decide what to do next.
"So, you two have known each other for, how long?"
John asked, as if Tish wasn't even there.
"Since high school, John, since high school. Football games,
proms...parties at our parent's house, to college and concerts .....to
weddings, though not to each other, babies and divorces....we've
been through it all, my man...through it all!"
Johnny paused for a minute as he took this all in. He put the cigar in
the corner of his mouth and clenched his teeth on it and crossed his
arms.
Then through the clenched teeth he said,
"Let me ask you something then?"
"OK." Steve looked back at him.
"Was she a cheerleader?"

Tish made one of those snorting sounds that come out of you when
you burst into laughter and you don't expect to. She nearly fell off the
bench.
"Will you please shut up about the cheerleader thing!" she said as she
laughed.
"Yes! And with those little short skirts! Talk about hot!" Steve
sounded like he was in high school again talking to one of his
buddies.
'Oh, no. They're not gonna' become best buddies now?' wondered
Tish.
What had she done? These two, together. It would be like igniting an
atomic bomb.
"Well, look you two, I'm going to the big party now."
Steve, bless his heart, had decided to leave.
"But ya'll come down there, OK? Tish, you know we'll be there til 2
or 3.
You know how these things go. And we can dance. You know how
much fun these things are. We haven't danced in such a long time,
Tish. If that's OK with you, man?"
And then he was gone.
Tish looked up at Johnny and tried to decide what mood he was in.
He was too tall. She couldn't even see his face from where she sat.
She stood up on the bench and then looked over at him. He was still
chewing on that cigar, but he cut his eyes over to her. He took the
cigar out of his mouth and pulled his arm back ready to fling it out
into the grass.
"No....don't..." Tish started, but it was already sailing out onto the
greens.
He looked back at her and she said, "Actually, I love it, when a man
smokes a cigar. Weird, huh?"
"Not as weird as that ex-boyfriend of yours!"
How did things stand now? How did he feel now? This was
becoming a roller-coaster of emotions for Tish. Relationships, men
and women....everything could change on a dime.
Who had the upper hand? Who was mad? Who was not? Who
invented liquid soap and why?
She looked down at her bare feet and started rubbing the wooden
bench with her toe. It never gets easier. It was already getting messy.
She looked up to say something about all of this, but John was
already right in front of her.
"I do mind if you dance with him tonight. I mind very much," he said
and stood there with his arms crossed. " And here you were talking
all about being honest and good and your date was on his way over?"
"Well, I made that date with Steve, earlier. That was before you
showed up. That was before we were 'taking our chance' with each
other." she said.
Tish could see that his face had that smirk on it that he was famous
for. He was actually mad. Was he jealous? She didn't think she had
believed that he cared for her until then. Her heart jumped then, not
from being nervous or being near him, but from joy. He might be the
real thing. They might have something here between them that
might work. She smiled then, like she had never smiled for him
before.
"You're enjoying this aren't you?" he said.
"Well, yes I am Mr. John Cusack Yes, I am! Very much so!"
"So, we're through with Steve then?" he asked.
"Well, I suppose so." Tish answered.
John was still frowning.
She was almost looking him straight in the eye. They stared at each
other for it seemed like an eternity to Tish. Her thoughts flew back to
earlier that afternoon.
She looked down at his mouth.
'He was...' she though '....soooooo s e x y when he was mad.'
'Then she remembered that mouth on her, earlier. On her
neck...kissing her ear, kissing her mouth, kissing her everywhere.
She started to smile and then put her hands on his shoulders and
leaned in to kiss him. She caught the scent of cigar and Johnny mixed
together.
"Don't be mad now, come on .....don't be mad at me! I'm sorry!"
She started kissing him, teasing him the way he had her earlier.
"Wait a minute. There's something I don't get here. By your own
theory, wouldn't Steve be a 'bamm' thing too? Or was it just me? I
mean, how come you were going out with him, but you wouldn't go
out with me?" John's face contorted into all sorts of different
expressions and wound up just looking confused.
'You, know, I really don't have an answer for that.' Tish thought. 'I'm
not about to tell him I was trying to get over thoughts of him. Playing
games already.'
"Honestly?" she asked.
"No, lie to me! Oh course, honestly." John took her hands off his
shoulders and stepped back.
Tish began, "Well, I guess I was simply trying to get on with my life.
And, Steve has always been easy. We just get along so well. Steve
and I, well we've come into each other's lives on and off for years
now, never quite seeming to get the timing correct. He's just gotten
divorced and we ran into each other at......"
"OK, OK I get it. Your timings not right now either." And he came
back to her on the little bench and wrapped those long arms around
her and gave her one of those great kisses. "Come on let's get back to
the cottage. I need to shave, I'm tearing your face up and I don't plan
to stop kissing you."
"Don't you dare, John!" Tish said.
"Oh, you like the cave-man thing, huh?" he said and bent over and
threw her over his shoulder. He turned and started back up the path
to the cottage.
"And you can forget any party tonight. You'll be dancing with me,
not Mr. Easy Stevie."
'Oh my....I'll miss the party.' she thought smiling to herself.
She was happy! They had a chance. It was a small chance, but
sometimes that's all you needed. After all most people don't even
come this close. She grinned to herself again and put her hands on
that tiny butt!
And the last thought that Tish had before she landed in the middle of
that huge bed was.........
'Now if I could only figure out where to get a cheerleader's outfit!'
fin

*****************************************************************
Chapter 4
if you sound like a soap opera,
you are a soap opera.

John deposited Tish on the bed and stood back. He looked at her
lying in the middle of the wrinkled sheets and covers. She looked like
a kid with her overalls, bare feet and that wild curly hair. Her big blue
eyes looked back up at him and his eyes went down to her lips and
her cheeks that were red and swollen from kissing his scruffy face.
Kissing him. His desire for her was growing by the second. He took a
deep breath and thought to himself,
'Good God, I'm in trouble. I might actually be in love here!'
He was not used to having these deep feelings so quickly over a
woman.
Sure, he'd loved before. Sure he'd felt deeply and had plenty of great
affairs in the bedroom, out of the bedroom, all over the world with
his share of world-class women. He was definitely not inexperienced.
He'd even had two long term relationships. But this one, this was like
a train wreck. A train wreck that he had no control over.
"Wait a minute. Let me wash my feet,OK? I got them dirty out there.
Be right back." she said as she slipped off the bed. He heard her start
the bath water.
"Uh, huh." He murmured.

He stood there for a few minutes and then did that quick 180/turn of
his and strode out into the main living room. He needed a drink.
The king of cool needed to regroup and figure out what as happening
here. He grabbed his cigarettes where he'd left them on the dining
room table, mixed a drink and started to sit down but realized he
couldn't sit still. He started pacing. He was actually going to try to get
some perspective on this. Never, in a million years did he envision
this scenario for himself. A tiny blond, southern belle who, although
it didn't really seems like it, was older and had two children already?
What was he thinking?
He had thought he would come here. Convince her, they should date,
start a relationship and then they'd just take it from there. Simple, no
big deal. And he'd feel a lot better than he had. He'd been dying to
see her and you know, win her over and the only reason this had
been such a big deal to him, he thought, was because she'd kept
saying no. And then she had almost knocked the wind out of him
with her little speech. OK, he understood that, but what he didn't
understand was, why, he'd turned into such a complete idiot within
the last few hours. He'd made promises that maybe he shouldn't
have. And then had proceeded to act like some raging jealous bull
with that nut of an ex-boyfriend, which to be fair, he hadn't been
prepared for. Basically, he hadn't been prepared for any of this. This
intense emotion, this wave of what?
Was this the big one. Was this what everyone always talked about?
He stepped outside the doors and breathed in the sweet air. 'Maybe it
was all this intoxicating southern atmosphere.' he though as he took
a drink. He sat down on an outside chair. Maybe it's being with
someone who's different from the LA types he was used to? Was it
the blond thing? He usually went for brunettes. Jet-lag? Or,
hey.....Mid-age crisis?.....a "feeling of his own mortality and fear of
death" so to speak? Maybe she was an alien and had cast some alien
spell on him!
Or maybe, he slammed his glass down a bit too hard, on a small
garden table, he should just go jump in the tub with her. He decided
on the tub. He didn't move fast enough.
"Hey, you." she said from the door and then he felt her hand on the
back of his neck. She started rubbing his neck muscles and he
realized how wound up he was.
He moaned because the neck rub felt great.
"Here, I'll get you another drink" and she took his glass and went
inside.
When she returned, he heard the CD player start and realized she'd
grabbed one of his CDs and popped that in. Tish said that she'd
called the kitchen and ordered steaks but it would take about an hour
or so to get here.
"So, what else do you need? Wanna' watch some sports on TV? Any
basketball, or hockey or baseball games? Are the Cubs playing?"
Then she sat down in his lap and handed him his drink.
"Lap dance, maybe?" She was straight from the bath and had nothing
on but one of his big white shirts.
"Is this the way little southern girls are raised to treat their little
southern men?"
"Yes, But I prefer to think of it as being a nice person.....
........to another nice person."
He sighed then.
He felt tired. Tired of always being flippant and funny. Tired of being
extremely witty and smart and always having to be the coolest one in
the room. He leaned over and took his hand and wrapped it around
her bare foot. Her foot had to be a size 5, at least. His hand
swallowed it. All of a sudden he realized that he had an
overwhelming desire to protect this female. 'Where'd that come from?
That's random.' he thought. He wanted to make sure this woman,
this girl, was never hurt or in need of, or that she was just simply
"taken care of" and happy. He wanted her to be happy. He couldn't
stand the thought of anything hurting her. It was an overpowering
feeling and only confused him more.
Tish was quiet for a long time and sipped the drink she'd made
herself. She waited. It was so wonderful just to sit and enjoy the night
and the music and the man. She knew something was going on with
him. She waited.
He was rubbing his thumb up and down her foot and kept opening
and closing his hand around it. He had a look on his face, that Tish
had not seen before. He actually looked sad. Yet, she could tell the
wheels in there were turning like crazy.
"Look, it's just that I..............................that I..,"
This star, the big man himself, grasping for words. This was different.
"Look, I know you don't want to get...." she started and then he
interrupted her.
"No, you don't know what I was gonna' say!"
"You were gonna' say, it's all really great but, BUT...and the but
would be....."
"That's the point, sweetie, there is no but. No buts. I'm "but-less"
here!"
It was difficult NOT being funny, when funny just came out.
Tish smiled.
"Oh, I bear to differ, you got a very nice butt!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah...stop it and listen.
There's something so great, really, really great about this, about us.
And there's no but, there's no ...., see that's the thing. I don't know
what's going on.
This is like the fourth of July, and Christmas morning and fireworks
and all sorts of incredible feelings and I can't figure out...............I can't
figure it out...?" He finished.
"What? You can't figure out what?" Tish asked.
He had such a puzzled, pained look on his face that Tish didn't know
wheither to smother him with kisses or call the paramedics.
"Stop it. Stop trying to figure everything out and just simply enjoy
this. Enjoy us, now tonight, NOW. Don't worry anymore about
tomorrow or what all this means. It just is. It is wonderful. Let's just
be happy about it! It will all work out. We'll figure out what to do,
together. How long do you have, here? You have to be at the movie
set, when? And we haven't even talked about this movie either." Tish
said.
"Two days and then we start shooting and I don't want to talk about
the movie. I'm sick of movie-talk right now. Especially this movie!"
John sounded irritated.
"OK, before you leave we'll talk. OK? We've talked enough about it.
But for now....let's just enjoy this."and she leaned over and kissed
him and it was very sweet and tender.
His face looked like it was relaxing a bit.
"Just stop talking and stop thinking about it?" He said.
She put her drink down and wrapped both arms around his neck.
"Yes."
"Just stop talking? Me, stop talking?"
"Yes" and Tish decided to nibble on his ear .....and then his neck.
"Me.....stop......talking?"
"And thinking." she whispered in his ear.
He pulled his long frame up out of the chair and still held onto her.
She wrapped her legs around him.
"You're so small," he said.
"Yeah, well you're so big." She replied as she lay her head on his
shoulder.
He started towards the bedroom still carrying her.
"Wait, wait......the golf course, the grass has dried, the
moonlight....ever done it.........?" Tish started saying.
"Yeah, well I have......... and the moon is nice and all, but something
tells me your crazy "ex' would pop up from behind a tree or
something."
"You're right." Tish said as she slid down his chest and landed on her
feet. She turned around and headed for the bedroom.
He pulled his t-shirt up over his head and followed her, running his
hands through his hair and stopped by the bed. She had put new
sheets on the bed he noticed. A small thing, but he noticed.
The doorbell rang. Their steaks had arrived and Tish started back to
the front door.
"Sweetie, you only have on my shirt." John said.
"It's only Chloe." Tish said.
"I was gonna' shower." He started to protest and then realized how
hungry he was.
"I'll eat first." He put his t-shirt back on and followed her out of the
bedroom.
They ate at the dining room table and then sat back for a smoke after
the great meal. Tish stood up and got fresh drinks. When she came
back to the table John pulled her chair closer. She sat down and
propped her feet up in his lap.
"Wish, I had one of old Steve's cigars right about now. Talk to me
about your kids."
John said and he started rubbing her feet.
Tish was more than happy to talk about her children. He asked a few
questions and was interested to learn that Burk was working in film
back in LA.
"You seem crazy about both of them." He said and finished his
cigarette.
"Of course!" Tish smiled thinking about how lucky she was to have
such wonderful children.
John put her feet down and leaned in to her. He looked serious. "Do
you want more?"
"More what?"
"Do you want more kids?" John said.
"Right now?" Tish wrinkled up her brow.
"Well, it does take a while for one to get here, I know that much about
it, but basically, we could work on it. If you're interested, I mean." he
asked.
"Don't you think we have enough on our hands just figuring out us?
And yes, I am interested, I've always wanted more kids, but first
things first." Tish said.
"OK and first I'm in the shower." John stood up.
"And I'm cleaning up." Tish started clearing their plates.
"Leave that. Don't they clean up around here?" he asked.
"That's the 'God' talking isn't it?" she smiled and took their plates into
the kitchen.
Tish climbed into the bed and listened to him in the shower. She was
tired.
It had been an emotional day. She yawned and fell asleep thinking,
'That man in my shower is Johnny Cusack. Oh, I've probably just
dreamed this.'
He woke her a little later as he got in bed. Those long arms came
around her and she started smiling before she was fully awake. He
turned her over so he could kiss her and the sexy stubble was gone.
Tish realized she'd never kissed him without it.
She opened her eyes and put her hands up on both sides of his face.
Even in the moonlite bedroom she could still see his face. And what a
sweet face it was.
"Oh, sweet, so sweet." she said as she reached up to kiss him.
"Yes, you're right about that," he mumbled against her lips as he
pulled her under him, "This is definately very, very sweet."

The next day was full. She talked John into playing "gonzo" golf with
Steve. Any activity with Steve needed the word "gonzo" in front of it.
With a group of old friends and plenty of liquor it was a good time
had by the boys. They had more of Tish and Steve's old friends over
and the kitchen provided them with a southern barbeque of their
own. Laughter was heard on into the night and John seemed to be
having a roaring good time with these insane southerners, that Tish
had known all her life. Everyone seemed to truly like this man and he
was just so nice about everything that Tish didn't think she could
take much more perfection.
By 2:00 the next night, the men were deep in the middle of a long
poker game and Tish and several of her old girlfriends were outside
in the garden lounge chairs.
"It's not normal," one of the girls, Ginny, said.
"What?" Tish asked, although she was nearly asleep in the next chair.
"No man should be allowed to be that gorgeous", she said as she
peered in the window at John.
"You know that's the first thing I said when I met him." Tish laughed.
"Be serious, Tish , look at him, my word, what a MAN. And he's so
nice. I don't get it?"
"Well, he's in LOOOVE Gin. You know how men act when they first
fall in love. All nice and happy."
This remark came from Stephanie and then another friend Kim
chimed in. "That's right, they do that."
"Shut up, ya'll" Tish seemed to drawl a lot more around all her old
friends," and I did tell him that when I met him."
"Well, whatever you did it sure worked" said Ginny.
"Stop staring at him, Gin. Tish'll get mad," said Stephanie and Kim
came through again with a firm, "Stop it now Gin."
They all looked at Kim who was at that moment kicking one of her
shoes off. It sailed through the air and almost made it down to the
greens.
"Kim, how many of those margaritas did you have?" Step asked
"I don't know,.... but you know?" and Kim raised up to stare at them.
"I had to drink them all, they were sooooo good.! And Tish's new
boyfriend made them for me. He's a great bartender, Tish, he could
get a job here at the club, ANY DAY OF THE WEEK!"
"I'll tell him that. He'll be thrilled at the prospect!" Tish smiled and
settled back in her chair. It had been an extremely enjoyable day and
night. A wonderful visit here in the old south and tomorrow it would
be winding down. Tomorrow he would go. Last night had also been
enjoyable. Was it going to be this fine all the time with him? She
doubted it. How could it be?
"Look at him, just look at him!" Ginny started up again and all three
of the others said in harmony, "Shut up Ginny"
"Oh, here he comes," and Ginny flipped herself over trying to appear
uninterested.
John opened the sliding glass door and looked out at the four ladies.
He had one of Steve's cigars clenched between his teeth and he
grinned at Tish." Steve just told me something interesting about you
four," and he winked at Tish.
They all stared back at him. " He said you were all cheerleaders, back
in high school."
"Well, of course we were, honey what so interesting about that?" Kim
said.
"Nothing specific ............just interesting." and he closed the door and
went back to the game.
"I don't know, I know he's a movie star and all that Tish, but he's
been saying strange stuff like that all day. Hon, you'd better make
sure he's all there before you start having his babies." and with that
Kim went sound asleep.
"Just look at him, .....look Step! Sorry Tish, but that's a cute behind on
a man!"
"Go right ahead, enjoy, I share the wealth, you know." Tish was
going to miss these nuts again back in LA. She'd made them promise
to visit.

Everything was so nice and tomorrow he'd be gone. Tish didn't want
it to end but she knew it had to. She looked through the window at
her "boyfriend" and thought she would have to agree with Ginny.
'Just look at him.' she thought and then went to sleep in her chair.
About an hour later, after everyone had drug themselves out and
home, he came out into the garden to pick up Tish and take her in to
bed. When, he laid down beside her, she just kind of cuddled up next
to him and fit into that nook. That nook, that's up by a man's side,
with his arm around the woman and her head on his shoulder.
He looked down at her and thought how well she fit there. He
couldn't get over the fact that he thought everything she did was
great. Adorable, cute.................'Oh, my God', he realized something.
He remembered once, years ago, he had asked his good friend Tim,
"How do you know when you're really, really in love. How can you
tell?"
"Well, everything she does, you think, is simply fantastic and you
start using those mussy, mussy words to describe her. That's one of
the major, major tip-offs. You start sounding like a f------ soap opera."
He covered his face with his free hand. 'I'm a goner.' he thought.
How was he going to tell her that they cast Nell, his ex, in this new
movie? They'd e-mailed him yesterday on his laptop. The other
young actress,he couldn't even remember her name, had dropped out
and they'd signed Nell on short notice. She was doing them a "huge"
favor by stepping in at the last minute and they'd hoped he was OK
with it! Yeah, RIGHT!
He couldn't say no. He could, but then he'd have been the jerk and
have screwed up production, cost the studio money and he actually
didn't care. But, Tish might. He felt she would. Well he'd just figure it
out. Along with everything else. And he wouldn't tell her about it
until Nell was through shooting and gone from New Orleans. That
wasn't being dishonest. It was a small part and they'd be finished
before Tish got to New Orleans.
'I'm in so much trouble,' he thought.
Tish murmured in her sleep and stirred. His hand was buried in her
hair and he felt a tug at his heart just looking at her there beside him.
He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
'Yep, there's no doubt about it. I'm in a lot of trouble.'

fin
**************************************************************************
Chapter 5
basic training
southern style

Being without John for one week was driving her crazy.
Tish had been without him for six months before, but now
everything was different.
They never had their talk. They agreed she would come to New
Orleans, after her visit in Alabama, before she went back to LA.
Neither of them, wanted to spent their last few minutes together
talking. In the early hours of the morning before he left, they made
love. She had woken to the feel of his hands on her, moving over her
body as if he couldn't wait for her to wake up and had started without
her. Tish blushed and turned a bright red, just thinking about it, as
she was packing her car for the airport a week later.
"Are you feeling alright, honey?" her mother asked, "You're all red
and look flushed."
"I'm fine, mom, really."
He had called her every night and he was very funny and
entertaining when he wasn't tired. But he was starting the film and
there seemed to be a lot on his mind. He emailed her reservations
and arranged for a car to pick her up at the airport. She got into New
Orleans on a Monday afternoon and was taken straight to the hotel in
a limo, no less, and the day's shoot would end at 6:00, unless it ran
over. Three hours or more to wait. She had been anxious, excited
and, for want of a better word, scared, by the time the movie crew got
to the hotel.
She heard him, before she saw him. It sounded like a freight train
coming down the hall, she heard the door unlock and with several
other people trailing him, and John came into the room.
" Tish are you here?"
Six people were talking at once. John was busy trying to answer each
one and at the same time, introducing her to this group, and she
knew she wouldn't remember their names, until later. He had on his
baseball cap backwards and a big smile on his face when he saw her.
There seemed to be some dispute about script changes and re-writes
and a re-shoot scheduled for tomorrow. All this registered somewhere
with Tish, but all she could think about was John.
"All right, all right, ...............everybody shut up!" he said loudly.
"Allison, give me that." He took a script from one girl.
"Jess, you figure it out, by yourself,...now go and take Lee with you!
Go,......go, go, go!"
"Everybody else go away. We'll finish in the morning ......except
Lissie."
"Lissie, you need to get with Tish about tomorrow............or just give
her your cell and I'm in the shower, OK?"
"OK!"
He seemed to be in control, even when things were out of control and
Tish remembered thinking, 'he's really going to be a great director.'
He reached past two crew members, Jess and Lee, she thought, and
took Tish by the hand.
"You, OK, sweetie? How was the flight?" and he gave her a quick hug
and then he was gone, leaving her standing with Lissie and her
clipboard.
Lissie was an attractive brunette, with army pants, a 'semper fi' t-shirt
and headphones on. She smiled at Tish and shook her head, herding
the group towards the door.
"I don't think they'll want us to use the same car, the one
from............you know, from the restaurant, behind the .........we'll
have to find.........", the arguments continued as the group left, the
door closed and Tish looked at Lissie.
Lissis started talking, "Is it always like that? Yes, always, people and
questions. As if they can't use common sense, every where he goes, if
he's not talking about the movie he's on, he's on the phone, or on two
phones about the next film or the one that's in post-production........."
"Lissie, hey, forget that, I understand! And you forgot about the
sports, checking out the sports scores, right? But listen, I'm Tish,
OK." she re-introduced herself. "What are you and I supposed to do?
Sit down, unwind. You want a drink?"
" Yeah, how about a beer? Just a beer." and Lissie sat down.
"We are to spend the day together " and she started looking at her
clipboard .." shopping, I quess. Tomorrow is a wild one and the boss
just thought I could entertain you. It's just that the set will NOT be a
fun place to be tomorrow." she trailed off as Tish handed her a beer.
"Great!" Tish said, " you know New Orleans?"
"No, I haven't been anywhere but to the set out on Canal Street."
"And you were going to show ME around?" Tish asked.
"Well, I quess we can explore together?" she said as she drank her
cold beer.
"My sister lived here for 10 years, and I know it pretty well and can't
wait to get back to some of my favorite spots, but what's happening
on the film that's such a mess?" Tish asked.
Lissie stood up, "I'll let "de boss' explain that." She pointed to the
bathroom and then took her empty bottle back to the mini bar."And
I'll see you, tomorrow, at what time?"
Tish opened the TV cabinet and, picked up the controls and clicked
onto the sports channels just as the boss came from the shower, with
a robe on and a towel over his head and planted himself on the sofa,
taking the controls out of Tish's hands. "Good-bye Lissie," he
mumbled in her direction. "Go away now, please. Bye." At the same
time, Tish suddenly had a drink in her hand which she handed to
him, without missing a beat, and Lissie noticed this. They had this
sort-of short-hand together as if Tish knew just want he wanted
without him asking. Tish walked Lissie to the door. Another 'nicety'
she wasn't used to. Must be a southern thing.
Lissie started to walk down the hall and then she paused. She turned
and came back to Tish who was still standing in the doorway.
She leaned over and sort-of whispered this to Tish, "You know I like
you, I do, even though we've just met. Here, call my cell in the
morning when you're ready. I'm in room 210." she looked at Tish as
she was handing her the number.
"And don't worry about anything, it will be all right, we'll have a
great time tomorrow."
Tish closed the door and glanced over to the sofa. 'What did she
mean by that? That was weird.'
She closed the door and finally, she was alone with John!
She could see John had his hand up waving her over to the sofa.
"Come here, NOW! " he said and when she reached him, he grabbed
her hand, clicked off the TV and pulled her down by him. Oh, it felt
so good to be in his arms again. Tish reached out and put her arms
around his neck and then she pulled back.
"What happened to your hair?"
"It's gone." he grinned at her, "Well a lot of it is. We all had to get this
haircut for the movie. You should see Jeremy.......course he didn't
have much to start with. You haven't met Jere yet, though. Don't you
know anything about this movie? A company of marines in the
1950's and the murder of a prostitute ......."
She interrupted him, "But, baby, your hair?"
"It grows back." he laughed and started kissing her neck, " Too, ugly
for you?"
"Yes, you're hideous now, get off me. I suppose, I'll have to look up
Ben Affleck now! Or Harrison, or, ........Gabriel Byrne,
or.......oh.....OH...Tommy Lee Jones!"
"Tommy Lee Jones, that ole coot?" he grinned back at her, "Come
on!"
"Bet you wouldn't say that to his face." Tish said.
He pulled her down further into the sofa so they were lying side by
side and Tish ran her fingers through the short new haircut thinking
to herself, 'Yeah, right, you know full-well you still look great.'
Actually he looked awfully good.
Very, very s e x y. This man could NOT look bad. It was impossible.

Tish thought about what Lissie had said and she felt she was missing
something, something that should be obvious. She put her hands on
Johnny's neck and started rubbing his neck and his shoulders which
were very tight as usual. Especially when he was tense, worried
about something it seemed. He moaned and let his head rest on her
shoulder.
"No, I guess I hadn't even thought about the movie. I haven't even
asked you
about it at all. And what's all this about having problems on the set?
And.......also..."
"Baby."
"What?" She answered back.
"Shut-up."
"OK." she sighed.
He kissed her then and it reminded her of that first time he kissed her
back at the cottage, the day it rained, the first time they made love.
That kiss like this one, so full of longing. Would it always be like this,
when they had been apart? Then somewhere in the middle of this
kiss, Tish stopped. She pulled back and started pushing him away.
'I DON'T know anything about this movie!' she thought again.
"Wait, wait........" she said.
"What?" he stopped and then tried to pull her back closer to him.
"Wait just one minute, there Mr. Macho-Marine Guy! Wait a
minute!!" and she felt as if she had been struck by lightening.
"So, just WHY are you trying to keep me away from the set
tomorrow?"
"What?............What are you talking about?"
"Tell, me, 'Mr. I'll try to be honest!' "
"Tell you what, baby?" and he leaned over to kiss her arm.
"Stop it!"
He didn't stop.
"Come on I haven't seen you in a week, let's talk, later."
"Stop it, stop it .................................stop it," and with that Tish rolled
off the sofa and stood up and he rolled forward and fell off onto the
floor.
"Ouch, God that hurt! Tish why'd you do that?" She heard him from
the other side of the sofa, because she was already on her way to the
bedroom.

"I can't believe it. Here I am in the middle of this....this...........thing
that we've never even discussed, mooning away like a schoolgirl and
........................do I really look that dumb? I guess I do, stupid curly
blond hair! How could I have been that stupid. He's already lying to
me and there's no telling what's going on." She thought she was
thinking these things, but she was actually muttering under her
breath. "How could I, an intelligent woman have gotten mixed
up......if Lissie hadn't tipped me off, I wouldn't..........."
"What are you doing?" he asked from the doorway. He stood there
rubbing his elbow and tried to decide what to do. He was tired. He'd
just spend three days in 'H E L L ' fighting with Nell and the
director, and the producers and had been looking forward to a calm,
pleasant night with Tish. He'd been thinking about her all day and
could hardly wait to get back to the hotel tonight. To this sweet little
southern woman who was exciting to him and funny and seemed to
calm him down instantly. This sweet little female, that at this
moment, was acting like a wild cat. She seemed to be throwing her
things, in the direction of her luggage. He supposed she was
attempting to repack but it just wasn't happening. She was far too
mad! How had she caught on to this little plan of his?
"Hey, that's enough, Tish!" he said, "Come on this is silly, stop it."
He had selected the wrong word.
"Silly? Silly?" Tish was ready to explode. She looked up at him and
from the one look she gave him, John knew he'd made a mistake and
it wasn't going to be a calm, pleasant night after all. He immediately
crossed the room and completely picked her up, laid her on the bed,
actually got on top of her and was holding her hands down
........before Tish could explode, and then looked her straight in the
eye.
"OK! OK, I'll tell you what's going on! But you have to calm down
now, OK?"
No response.
"I'll let go if you promise me, you're going to listen......and calm
down."
The look of anger disappeared from her face and was replaced with a
pitiful sad look. He thought she was going to start crying. He swore
he saw her lower lip start to quiver and he let go of her hands
quickly!
"Oh, no don't do that. I'm sorry, really I a.................................." and
that's all he got out because she brought her "silly, little, knee up
between his legs very, very hard."
"Silly, SILLY he said 'yeah, I'll show you who's the sil".................and
that's all he heard her mumble as she left the bedroom and the front
door of the suite slammed behind her.

"Now, what went wrong, there?"
He asked aloud as he lay looking up at the ceiling.
Lissie was getting out of her shower when she let Tish in the door.
Tish was still muttering under her breath as she marched past Lissie,
planted herself on the edge of a chair and glared back up at this
assistant.
"OK, let's have it, what's going on.................what's he up to?" this
new girlfriend asked, ........... nah demanded!
Lissie was tickled. She loved to see John get in a hot spot. It livened
up the set but she also felt he needed someone to come along and
straighten things out. Somebody needed to! Maybe this was the one
to do it.
She pulled up a chair and launched into it!
By the time she had finished, she and Tish had drank at least 4 gin
and tonics each and he had called twice.
"No, she's not here" Lissie told him both times.
They had decided on a plan of action and Tish felt better. Lissie called
John on his cell and told him Tish had shown up after-all.
"Now, he'll be here in just a second so remember, we'll deal with this
all tomorrow. Just be sweet tonight and apologize, OK? I can't
believe you did that to him. But, if we get all this taken care of
tomorrow..."
"I don't know, Lissie, I'm not as mad as I was, but this seems
awfully.....awfully...." Tish wasn't sure what to think right now.
"Listen, we'll talk about it in the morning, OK? You wouldn't believe
some of the tricks, he's pulled on me in the past. Look, just don't
worry right now. OK? And really Tish, he really does care for you
and not her, truly. He's definitely through with her and he was just
trying to get through this last scene with her and get her out of here.
We all want her out of here, OK?"
There was a knock on the door and when Lissie opened it he was
leaning up against the door, playing with his keys."Have trouble
walking down here, JC?" Lissie asked innocently.
"Ha. Ha." he said and then watched as Tish walked, not too steadily
past him, out the door and down the hall.
He followed and let her in the suite.
"Been drinking there, kiddo?" he smiled.
She went into the bedroom and he followed. He'd cleared the bed of
all her flung items and she simply stripped off her clothes and
crawled into the bed. "Oh!" she sat upright and pushed her hair out of
her face and smiled at him very sweetly. "I'm so, so sorry I kicked
you, sweetie." He wondered how much Lissie had told Tish, if
anything. He didn't know if they were going to get into all of it
tonight or not.
"You and me both." he said, still swinging his keychain around his
fingers. He turned all the lights out and got ready for bed himself.
When he crawled into the bed and got under the covers, he realized
that his 4:00 call would be very early. 'Good God, help me through
this week,' he thought and then Tish cuddled up next to him and
threw her leg over his. He started rubbing her knee absentmindedly.
With his other hand he started to run his hand through his hair and
realized that was stupid. He started biting his fingernail instead. He
could debate with some of the biggest directors and studio heads in
the country and handle some of the toughest production problems
that come around, but this, this LOVE thing! This one small female!
This was getting to him. 'I'm too old for this stuff.' he thought. 'This
is wearing me out.'
"I'm not asleep." she whispered and he jumped.
"God, you scared me! I thought you were sound asleep."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Tish drawled, " but you should be the one asleep.
What can we do, what can I do to get you to sleep? " Tish asked and
he had to admit, she did seem to have returned to her sweet self.
"Well, there is one thing we could do, but can I trust you ?" he asked
"Try, me. But do you really think, you're up to any "activity" after
my little attack ?"
"Well, you know us Marines, when there's a job to be done................"
"Well, make your country proud, then, sweetie!" Tish whispered in
his ear.
fin
and
semper fi!
**************************************************************************
chapter 6
Do you really need Tony Randall if
somebody loves you.

Lissie and Tish sat in the bright sunlight that streamed through the
windows of the Camilia Grill. It was packed with local New Orleaners,
but was clearing out after the breakfast rush. They both had on
sunglasses but Lissie had a feeling Tish needed hers more. "Ugh,"
Tish moaned a little. "I just can not drink." She wanted to lay her
head down on the table. She couldn't remember the last time she had
been this sick after only 4 drinks. She could always handle 4 little
drinks. "I'm getting old!" she said. Lissie laughed at her.
"Come on, now, how about a Bloody Mary? That'll help." She
motioned for the waiter, behind the long counter to bring over some
of the tall drinks. The place was so small he had easily heard her
order from where he stood.
"Oh, no, I don't think so." Tish felt her stomach start to turn over.
But when he put the drinks down and took away their half eaten eggs
benedict, Tish thought, 'Why not? Surely I couldn't feel worse.'
She was sick this morning and it was not just the alcohol. The little
'scam' that John had tried to pull, the fact that as they were sitting
here, while he was 5 blocks away with Nell, his ex, filming a movie
together..............and oh yeah and all these horrid schemes that she
and Lissie were discussing! All these things were just making her feel
terrible.
"Lissie I don't know about any of this. I mean it's really funny to talk
about it but, you know I really do care about this fellow. I don't think
being dishonest in the start of a relationship........."
Lissie interrupted her, "Oh. blah, blah, blah.You know last night you
were so mad you were ready to cut his head off!"

"Well, yeah." Tish took a sip of the New Orleans specialty.
"And, if you don't do something to teach him a lesson, he'll just do
something stupid like this again."
"Well, probably. I don't know! I mean, I think love him and I really
want this to work out but I want him to want the same thing. I don't
want him to be tricked into anything."
Lissie jumped in with her rant, "All men are tricked into relationships
and other things. They just don't know it. See, that's the beauty of it.
If this is handled correctly, John will be the one begging you, to chose
him. And I care about him too, Tish, like a brother and I think ya'll
are perfect for each other. He needs someone to care about him, not
one of these Hollywood mama's who are only out for themselves.
And I've seen the way you are together.......just a little bit, but it looks
promising."
"You know yesterday, when you offered me something to drink? she
continued, "Well in all the years I've worked for John, never, not
once, has one of his 'ladies' ever treated me like that. They are usually
yelling orders to me and snapping their fingers."
"Why do I feel like you're Tony Randall and I'm Rock Hudson and
you're trying to talk me into a scheme to trap Doris Day?" Tish asked
from behind her sunglasses.
"Well it always worked didn't it?" Lis laughed.
"No, actually, they usually messed up somehow, I think." Tish
smiled.
"Well, they were always together in that last frame anyway, Doris
and Rock, I mean.....and it looked like they all had a great time while
they were getting there!"
"But, in real life I think Tony wound up with Rock." Tish said
"Well, we won't have that problem." Lissie said as she took a drink of
her Bloody Mary.
"And why is that." Tish asked
"Cause, you're not my type." she smiled.

"Are you from the south originally?" Tish wanted to know and when
Lissie shook her head, no, Tish said, "Well, we'll make you an
honorary member, then."
"Why?" said Lissie
"You 're just too good at this!" Tish said. She did feel better, now.
"Let's get "go cups" and stroll the Garden District on this fine summer
day." she stood up.
"This is alcohol................" Lissie started to protest
"THIS is New Orleans!" Tish looked at her over her sunglasses and
took the cups their huge black waiter was handing her.
He smiled broadly at both of them and said.
"Ladies, you have a fine day and come back for lunch, ya hear." he
said. "And, let me know how this plan of your's works out. I feel
sorry for that young man ya'll are gunning for. He don't have a
chance in H E L L!"
He walked off laughing and Tish left him a big tip.
When they left through the big glass door, both Lissie and Tish were
still laughing. They walked down the sidewalk under the lush green
trees and Lissie started in with her plan. It was her business to "make
arrangements" all day, every day. She was good at it.
"OK, so let me get this straight. You already have an ex-boyfriend,
that Johnny knows about, and he's jealous of him...."
Tish interrupted her, "Well, he was, I don't know if he would be
now?"
"Trust me, he will be again. And this ex would fly into New Orleans,
today, if you wanted him to and he would love to be a part of this
little scheme. Even if it took a week or two?"
"He'd do it for a month! Or two." Tish exclaimed. "He'd love it!"
"Is he crazy?" Lis asked
"As a bedbug! But not really crazy. I mean he's a great guy........he'd
do it for me. We might not even have to tell him what's going on.
He'd understand and he would love it! Seriously! And did I mention
he's independently wealthy?"
"And he'd come, just like that?"
"To New Orleans, to play, with me, you and a lot of other nuts
filming a movie during the summertime...........in New Orleans? Are
you kiddin?"
Tish pulled her cell phone out and punched in some numbers while
Lissie grinned and sipped from her cup.
"So, Lissie, you aren't dating anyone now, right? I mean you don't
have a boyfriend on the set or here in town?" Tish asked her,
although they had already covered this subject. " If we pick up Steve,
at 5:00, from the airport, you can keep him entertained until
tomorrow, OK?"
"Of, course. Now, step two........, I know you don't want to but we
have to go by the movie set now"......and they turned off St. Charles
Street and started walking towards the big trucks and vans parked
down the street.
Tish took a large drink from her Bloody Mary. It would take a lot to
get her on that set but she knew this was very important that they
show up here, right about now.
As they strolled down the beautiful old street she said to Lissie, " Did
you ever happen to see that old show on TV, "Moonlighting?"
Lissie answered, "Sure, I just loved David Addison
.........................loved that character! Why?"
"No, reason.They shot some scenes around here, I think......" Tish
smiled and then began to think about what she had to do next.
Lissie had the call sheet for the day and even if she didn't they knew
that on the set, it would be just about time to start shooting. Then
they planned to take the streetcar back to the Quarter and spend the
rest of the day shopping before picking up Steve.
"Alright, you don't have to do anything, but make your presence
known. It's important that JC knows you're well aware of his little
problem here and you could care less."
"I know, I know." Tish felt like such a jerk but she felt OK with Lissie
by her side.
As they got closer to the set she could see John and Jeremy sitting on
the steps of an enormous antebellum home. The crew and tons of
equipment were covering the lawn, front and side area of the home
with trucks, wires and lighting stretching out into the middle of the
street.
John just happened to look up and saw them coming. Both he and
Jeremy had on white t-shirts and marine khaki pants and Jeremy
seemed to be in deep conversation with a script girl.
"Oh, s---!" John said.
"What?" Jeremy looked up and followed John's gaze.
"What's wrong, who're ya lookin' at? Lissie? Oh......aha is that who I
think it is?......" and he trailed off as John jumped up and started
towards the two girls.
Jeremy followed him and left the script girl sitting there. "You
guys...........hey,...", then she got up and followed both of them.
"Hey, guys!" Lissie smiled.
"Hey, you two!" John smiled just as big as if this was the just THE
most wonderful surprise. He didn't stop smiling, but from behind her
shades, Tish could tell the smile was more of a grimace. "Hey, baby."
He directed to Tish. He reached down and wrapped his arm around
Tish's waist and kissed her on the side of her face. A very Hollywood
kiss, like everyone gave everyone. At, least he keep his arm around
her and then he turned his attention to Lissie. With that strained
smile still pasted on his face he said, "What are you doing here, Lis?"
"Is this Tish?" Jeremy wanted to know as he stood on the other side
of her.
"Well, we're just passing by, John, and thought we'd stop off before
we............"
"What are you doing here, Lissie?" John asked her again through the
clinched teeth of his smile.
"Is this Tish?" Jeremy asked again. Tish turned to smile at him and
tried to unwrap John's arm from around her, but he held on tightly.
"Yes, I'm Tish, and you're Jeremy, and I've got to tell you right now,
I just love everything you do! You know, I was a big fan of yours,
well I'm still a fan of yours, but I mean..........well before I knew you
were associated with this guy or......I'm not making any sense here!"
"No, you're doing good, doing good. I'm sure when I get to know
you, I'll like you too, regardless of how you feel about John!" Jeremy
smiled.
And Tish though she'd have to remember to ask Lissie, if Piven even
had a girlfriend of his own because he really was a cutie. Tish was
and had always been a match maker. In the bright New Orleans
sunlight in that white "army-issue T-shirt" Tish thought Jeremy was
looking just fine!
He reached over to shake her hand and said, "Come with, me, Tish.
Have you seen this house?"
And she tried to step away and John's arm was still gripping her like
iron.
"Let go, John," Tish said. He was still in conversation with Lissie and
Tish kept hearing him repeat,"Yeah, but WHAT are you doing
HERE Lissie?"
"Let go, John, "Jeremy said to him and actually tried to pry his hand
off Tish.
"John!!" this was from the script girl standing to the right of Jeremy.
"I'm Sally, by the way." she introduced herself to Tish and then
walked in front of Johnny.
"John!!! " she practicely yelled in his face.
"What!!" he yelled back at her.
"Let go of....what is it, Tish,....let go of Tish and we've got to go over
this one more time! OK?"
Johnny look down at his arm and got what they were saying to him.
"Oh, OK" and he relaxed his grip, removed his arm and gave Tish a
sick looking smile.
Jeremy put his arm around her waist then and directed her towards
the house. "And which one of my movies did you enjoy the
most......just kiddin', just kiddin'. So, how long are you here...."
He continued talking as they walked away.

John had a horrified look on his face as he watched them go.
Lissie watched them walk away.
"Gee, I hope they don't run into Nell today, John..........oh, she's still
here isn't she?"
"You planned this, Lissie. You're behind this!"
"Planned, what John?" she asked innocently. He growled under his
breath and stomped off in the direction of the director's trailer.
"You're evil, Lissie, you know that?, the script girl remarked.
"Yeah, ain't it fun!" Lissie wanted to cheer, her little plan was going so
good. She hoped it would work. She really liked Tish and didn't want
to see her hurt.
"Oh this is fantastic." Tish said to Jeremy in the main ballroom of the
great home. They had cleared the entire room and were busy
re-setting it for scenes later this week.
"Yeah, it's great isn't it!" he said, "So, tell me, how long have you been
seeing Johnny?"
"This week? A day and a half. " she answered him and started
walking towards the end of this long elegant room. She was busy
thinking about how this room was going to be transformed.
Movie-making was such fun, especially from an art director's
viewpoint. You could create your own world, your own vision of a
script or a book just like that. With a few million dollars.
When she reached the end of the ballroom a door opened and Tish
found herself face to face with the person she'd most like NOT to
meet. Miss Nell, the famous ex.
Nell, barely glanced at her and continued talking to her assistant
evidently who was in the room behind her.
"You'd think they would be ready by now! What's taking so long?
Oh, Hi Jeremy," she saw him standing beside Tish now and she
smiled for him and her voice became very little girl sweet.
"Hello, Nell! They said to give them 30 more minutes. There's a bad
lamp. I've just been showing Tish here around. Tish would you like
to meet Nell. Nell this is Tish. Tish this is Nell."
And for a split second, Tish thought he was going to turn and run like
a boy that had set fire to a firecracker and was getting out of the way
fast. But she was proud of him, because he stood his ground bravely
and stayed beside her.
"How are you? So nice to meet you. Would you like an autograph?
Got a pen....paper?" and while she was saying these things she did
not look at Tish at all. She looked past her out the windows.
Jeremy brought his hand up to his face and rubbed it trying hard to
hide his _expression. He put his arm around Tish and started to say
something but Tish's mouth started working before his did.
"No, no, I really don't get autographs, they seem so....so...I don't
know, what am I trying to say here, Jeremy?"
Jeremy raised his eyebrows."You're own your own, honey!" he said.
Nell finally looked over at Tish, "What, .......what are you saying to
me?"
"Well, I was just saying, I feel autographs are a worthless symbol of
how unnaturally Americans and others revere overblown celebrities
and support their narcissistic images of themselves."
Silence.

"If I had a pen I would drop it" Jeremy said, under his breath.
"Does that include my autograph?" John said from the doorway
towards the front of the house.
Nell's face lit up and she actually swept Jeremy and Tish aside as she
hurried over to John's side.
"OOOHH, Johnny, sweetie I've been looking for you. Tell them to
hurry up please? Please for me?" and she wrapped her hands around
his arm and Tish swore she has almost panting. Such syrup, such
drippingly sweet..............Tish felt her Bloody Mary was going to
come back up.
"And tell Jeremy to take his little friend away pluhleese, she's kinda
strange. I think she just insulted me." This last part was said low, like
a whisper, but was meant for all to hear, non-the less."
John covered his face with both hands and just started laughing.
"You're losing it man, don't lose it now.....................this is just getting
good!!"
Jeremy said as he took Tish by the elbow and pulled her over
towards Johnny and Nell.
"NO, stay away from the windows, man." John directed them back to
the other side of the room. That's why I came in here. There are
about 20 photographers out there. From People magazine and
you-know,.....everywhere. Someone sold us out here, they've been
arriving in droves. The jackals!"
"Oh, no." Nell murmured. All three of them turned to look at her.
Lissie came through the door with more crew members and the
production manager. The manager took over and suggested they go
back into the inner rooms back by the kitchen.They were going to
have to clear out the photographers before they could shoot on the
porch.
Lissie said to Tish, "Well we can go. And we have appointments
downtown anyway."
She called the manager back to discuss it with him and he realized
she was right. "Sure, Lis you can go and you," he pointed to Tish, "go
on with her, they won't bother you, if you're a 'no-body'. They want
John and Nell." He left the room.
It was probably one of the worse things that had ever been said to
her. It was as if the entire room felt it, except for the production
manager, who didn't know what was going on. He was always too
busy to be keyed in on the gossip and Nell who seemed to not have a
clue about anything, anyway. She was smiling and Tish thought she
might know more than anyone realized.
Lissie tried to sugar-coat it, "I love being a nobody! Come on, Tish,
we're free to go, see ya later, s u c k e r s."
"I'm a nobody, too. Can't I go, too?" Jeremy started.
But the damage had been done and Tish just wanted out of there.
She really wanted to throw up, then. She had not been fooling
anyone except herself. To think she could compete on a level with
John and a young "supposedly-glamourous" movie star or any of this
crowd.
"That a--hole is gone, he is so fired........" she heard John's rantings
begin but she was well down the hall and glad to be going.
"Tish, wait" she heard John behind her but she was out the door and
down on the lawn before he could catch up with her.
"Stop, man!" Jeremy grabbed John and pulled him back in the
shadows inside the doorway.
"What an a--hole!" John repeated.
"She'll be all-right. It'll be OK. Calm down." Jeremy stood beside him
in the dark foyer.
"They'll have a good time this afternoon and she'll forget all about it
by tonight. I want a cigarette. Want a smoke?" John's friend was
trying to shake him out of this. "Who's Steve, is that a boyfriend of
Lissie's? That's who they are picking up at the airport tonight and
then maybe we can all go............"
"Steve?" John put his face in his hands again, "Steve's coming to New
Orleans?"
John felt the top of his head was going to blow off. The
photographers would love that! He was so sick of everything at that
point and he had been steaming all day and felt he could not take
anything else happening! And now "Steve" was on his way.

"No, oh-uh...no way ........no more ............no!" he began and by the
time Jeremy could look up John was out the door onto the porch.
'It was over,' John thought to himself. He was sick of hiding from
photographers, putting up with Nell, worrying about what Tish
would think or do! He was tired of being famous and worrying about
his "image." Although he knew he couldn't do much about that! He'd
lived with that for a long time and would for the rest of his life, but he
could do something about Tish. He'd gotten physically ill when he
heard the PM talk to her like that. He loved her. He just flat out loved
her and he couldn't handle her being hurt like that and stand by and
do nothing. And now Steve was coming? Great! He was not going to
let her retreat back to Steve, because he knew that wvb ould happen
and he wouldn't blame her if she did. This was all a big mess and he
knew how to fix it!
"Tish." he yelled from the porch and it was as if the entire front yard
of 50 people froze and came to a stand still.
Tish heard him and she turned around in time to see him vault over
the porch railing onto the ground. He fixed his eyes on her and began
walking across the grass to her. She decided to meet him half way
and was so confused at this point that she didn't know what was
happening. John in that white t-shirt, dog-tags swinging around his
neck. She thought Jeremy looked good in this little military get-up
.........If Jeremy had looked good, John looked unbelievable. It was as
if the entire movie set was holding it's breath. The photographers,
came out of shock just in time to grab cameras and start aiming. They
started clicking away even before John had reached her.
They stopped in front of each other. John put his arms around her
and leaned down and said,

" I want you to remember this. OK?" and Tish sort of shook her head,
yes, but she was very confused.

"We're going to take this photograph and blow it up, 10 feet tall and
hang it over our bed and every time you look at it, you'll remember
this moment. For the rest of your life even when we're old and grey
and you can tell our grandkids this story. OK?"
She shook her head again, "Yes, John." she got out that time and
started smiling.
"I love you. I can't take anymore of these games, or hiding from the
press or ....or whatever! OK?"
"OK." Tish said.
"Do you love me?" He asked.
"Yes." Tish felt this was the moment to be truthful. "Yes, I do."
"Now, this is the moment, I was talking about. You aren't a nobody,
Tish. You are very much a somebody, especially to me..and from this
second on..........you're going to be an extremely, extremely famous
somebody."
He kissed her very, very well and bent her back in his arms and the
cameras went off like crazy. Tish remembered wondering if he was
only doing this for the cameras and realized he was of course, but
that was the point then, wasn't it? Then she thought,"Who the h e l l
cares," and lost herself in that kiss.
Everyone, from the crew, to the fans hanging out, to the press, started
cheering and clapping and there were cat calls, whistles and a lot of,
"Atta' boy Johnny"s!
The director hit his camera man on the arm and said 'Now, why
didn't we get THAT on film?"
John and Tish broke apart from the kiss and John took a few bows for
the crowd. He then took her back to the porch where Lissie appeared.
"Come on, We'll have to leave by the limos in the back, now" and she
punched John in the arm, but she was smiling. In fact everyone was
smiling. Everyone but maybe Nell, who was nowhere in sight, so
there was no way to tell anyway. Lissie took Tish's arm and walked
towards the kitchen.
"See, you tonight sweetheart!" John waved to her and you could tell
he was so proud of himself. He turned to talk to the director and at
the last minute she stopped following Lissie and walked back to John.
She stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear, "Do me a favor please?"
"Anything!" He was grinning from ear to ear.
"Could you please wear that little get-up home, back to the hotel,
tonight?"

Later, she was still in some kind of shock, but she remembered
asking Lissie how she could get one of the photographs of that kiss.
"Are you insane," Lissie said "that photo will be on the cover of
People tomorrow and who knows where else! Of course we'll get a
good copy. They'll be thrilled to give you a copy. By the way, Tish
.......Tish.........Tish....look at me" she laughed.
Tish turned to her as if in a daze, which she was, "Hummmmm,
yes?"
"Great job! I guess we didn't need Tony Randall after all."

fin
Continuations, confrontations and cliffhangers
**************************************************************
Chap 7
everything is not pertect so just
shut up and get in the shower.

John came back to the hotel that night, in his marine get-up, tired and
happier than he had been in a long, long time. It was like a gigantic
weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he could rest for a
while. They had wrapped the last scene with Nell and she had gotten
the H E LL out of there.
And out of his life. All he had to do now was go home. Back to the
hotel, with Tish. Peace! Quiet! Comfort! The Sports Channel! Drinks.
Dinner. Bed. It was so simple. He was so glad everything had turned
out right this time. He knew he had found the right woman, the right
partner and all was right with his world, suddenly. Just like that!
They had shot one extra scene with he and Jeremy. They wrapped at
8 and it was almost 9 when he stepped off the elevator onto their
floor. He pulled out his keys, whistling as he walked, or rather,
bounced down the hall. The closer he got to his door it seemed that
noise was coming from his suite's direction. He opened the door and
loud voices and laughter came streaming out.
He entered, to a full room of people and no one seemed to notice
him.
"Hi!, honey I'm home." he said weakly to the noise in general.

Lissie was on the sofa in the middle of several of his Public Relations
people. Steve was lounging in one of the overstuffed chairs, nursing a
scotch and soda.There were several people JC did not recognize
around the room with drinks and clipboards and everyone seemed to
be having a high old time. Ginny, Tish's Alabama girlfriend, he
recognized, walked out of the bedroom with Tish, who was on the
cell phone. They didn't even glance in his direction.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, and a drink was stuck in his hand.
"You know son, I wish you would have introduced us to your
'bride-to-be' before your PR department did. Your mother's not too
happy, but she'll live with it."

"Congratulations, by the way, she seems like a great girl." his dad said
and took a sip of his drink as he came around to stand beside his son.
"John, you've got that last script change, I need................" Jeremy
walked in the door behind John, and bumping into him. He stopped
talking as he looked around. "Whoa.....party, party! Who are all these
people? Huh, hello Mr. C, how'd you get here? Why'd you get
here?..........Who's that?" and he walked away in the direction of
Ginny and Tish.
"See, son, here's the thing about it. Once you get the ball rolling it
takes on a life of it's own. There's wedding plans, engagement stuff,
all this women stuff I don't understand. You just shut-up and hang
on because that's all you can do. Drink your drink and close your
mouth. And go get in the shower, we've got dinner reservations and
everyone's ready but you."
"But, I never said.....I never said anything about getting
....................married. I never.........I didn't................I don't
understand?"
"Oh course you don't! We never do! Just go get in the shower and
we'll talk at dinner. Ahhhh, here's Tish, " he said cheerfully as Tish
came in their direction. She was headed in John's direction but Dick
Cusack waylaid her and wrapped his big arm around her shoulders.
He was such a cute bear of a man and Tish had fallen in love with
him immediately, of course, when she meet him this afternoon. She
had wanted to meet John at the door but it seemed he had gotten
here before she noticed. Ginny appeared at Tish's shoulder and
grabbed her arm, "scuse me ya'll! I need her, hey John!" and dragged
her over by the bar.
"This is a circus!" John said and took a huge gulp of his drink!
They stood there and watched the party that was happening before
them.
"Do, you love her, John?" his dad asked.
"I'm insane about her, Dad."
"Is she smart.....she seems smart." Dick asked.
"Very smart." John said.
"Is she funny, does she have a good heart?"
"Yes, of course all of the above."
"Well, let's go eat then!" his dad said, slapping him on the back.
John looked at his father and opened his mouth to ask him what he
was doing here and then he remembered. His parents, had been
planning all along to visit New Orleans and the set this week. John's
brain had truly been in 'never-neverland.'
"Actually, Piven and I both changed into fresh clothes about 2 hours
ago..........we're ready, if Jeremy wants to go."
They glanced in Jeremy's direction to see Tish introducing him to the
smiling Miss Ginny.
"He'll go." they both said simultaneously
The room cleared out with Lissie organizing the move and right
before they left Tish was able to have two words with John. Actually
4 words.
"It's not my fault" she said as they finally kissed hello.
John was able to take in the way she looked for the first time and
noticed how different she seemed. The two girls had spent the day at
a spa in New Orleans. It had been a treat, before the media attack and
Tish had talked Lissie into buying and wearing a dress tonight. They
had to send a car for Steve, because of the press was all over the
hotel, Steve had brought Ginny with him from Birmingham. Then
Mr. and Mrs. Cusack had arrived and Lissie had to get them settled.
And they all went to eat at this wonderful retreat by the Lake and
didn't get back til around 2:00. The night was wild and weird and
there was a lot of laughter. Lissie and Tish were able to tell him about
the crazy public relations explosion that had followed the very public
kiss and John felt a little better about all this. The press had finally
been told:
One, this wasn't an engagement announcement.
Two: there was not a wedding planned. (Even if the Cusack parents
had just arrived in town.)
"Well, what do we tell them, " Lissie asked Tish finally while the PR
people for John and the studio were in heavy discussions earlier in
the hotel.
"This is silly, Lissie." Tish said.
"This is Hollywood. Welcome to the circus." Lissie replied.
Tish thought about it. "We love each other."
"That's it? They're gonna want more than that."
"That's all there is." Tish told her, "We haven't talked about anything
more.....my gosh, Lissie we haven't even been alone, together for
more than 40 hours. In our entire lifes! We've got a lot of talking to do
about all of this."
So, the press had to be happy with details about who Tish was and
they fed them the elevator story which, romantically in a twisted
sort-of way they were all thrilled with. They wanted a juicy story to
go with the photos. John Cusack had never given the press an inch on
his private life. This VERY public show had thrilled them and they
were hungry for more.
Tish was shocked at all the attention. John should have expected it.
Well, he had expected it. Just not within five hours!
"You should have expected this, John." his mother was saying to him
as the table had been cleared after dinner.
"Yeah, I know, I did. It's just still, after all these years, it just blows
me away that these ........these press people are such ...................such
predators! It still amazes me."
"Are you sure you did the right thing?" she asked him as they sat
there, by themselves, while the entire party danced to big band
sounds on the dance floor.
"I'm not sure I did it the right WAY," he said watching his dad and
Ginny dance together. The entire night did have the feeling of a
pre-wedding party.
"I know she's older, but not that much. I know she's got two kids
already. I know we're going to have some rough times, but all
couples do, don't they?" he glanced back at his mom.
"You know I've always worried about you more than the rest of the
children, John. You got so much so soon, so quickly. It's always
worried me. But you've done wonderfully, so far, and your dad and I
are really proud of that." She said. "I just hope.............well, this was
so quick."
"I know but, well you know I've always wondered how I'd know if
I'd find the right person and if I did how would I know? Well, now I
just know. It's her." and he searched the group in front of them til he
saw Tish dancing with Jeremy. They appeared to be having a great
time.
Laughing and whispering to each other and John was sure Jeremy
was busy telling tall tales about himself. He thought Tish looked
fantastic in a short black dress and her hair was perfectly straight
tonight with only a pair of tiny diamond earrings as her jewelry.
'Classic, she's just a classic girl!' popped into his head. And how on
earth had he found her?
John leaned back in his chair and got close to his mother and said,
"Now don't go getting unrealistically excited here but if you really
want to know how I feel," .........."Just the idea of having a family, of
bringing our babies, ........like home from the hospital, wondering
what they'll look like, thinking of spending time together at home,
just all the little stuff married people do. Now to me, that's sounds
like THE most fun in the whole world, with Tish. Mom you know,
you KNOW, I've never felt like THAT before. And I'm simply happy
when she's in the room. She does things, ordinary things, like making
up the bed and actually cooking for us .......I've never had a girlfriend
that did everyday things at all ....and those things, as silly as it
sounds, they're important. But she does extraordinary things also,
she writes and she's great at it, she paints and she knows the movie
business and works in it and can talk about it,... a must with me. I
can't imagine a better mother for my children and she's so nice to
people........"
" John," his mom interrupted him, "You've sold me, honey!"
And he turned around to see his mom was getting choked up.
"You've sold me, you don't have to go on. I've been waiting to hear
you say those things about a girl for years, now!"
"Ah, don't start getting mussy on me!" he said as he put his arm
around her. "You want to dance?"
The music started picking up the beat and John heard the beginnings
of "Sixty Minute Man!"
'Thank you son, but I think I'll wait on my old ball and chain, if I can
tear him away from some of these gorgeous young girls. But, John
answer one more guestion, please?"
"What, mom?"
"Who is that Steve character?"
"Oh, him. He's a Martian I think."
Ginny plopped down in the chair next to John.
"Now we're really going to see some dancing." she said excitedly "I
haven't seen Tish and Steve dance in years and it's such a treat."
"Why?" John asked this strange friend of Tish's who always seemed
to be staring at him. He also wanted to ask her what on earth she was
doing there but realized, the way things had been going there was
probably some sort of bizarre reason that made sense.
"They're champions at this, won all the dance contests back in
college. The Panama City Beach Dance Champions, on the boardwalk
......you know? Shag, the movie...you know?"
John saw Steve and Tish, across the dance floor and she was kicking
off her shoes.
They danced to "Sixty Minute Man" and it was great!
They were great!
John turned to his mother and said, "She can dance, too."
"I see." his mom said grinning "but if I were you, John, I think I'd go
dance with her yourself."
"I get your point." he said as he turned back to see his girl and the
Martian begin another dance, this time to "My Girl" by the
Temptations.
John got through several people dancing and happily tapped Steve on
the shoulder.
"That's enough, I'll take over, now" and he did.
They danced a long time that night. Other people at the retreat,
noticed that John Cusack was on the dance floor, but everyone left
them alone. They were in a world of their own.
John had a starched white shirt over his white army t-shirt. He was so
much taller than she and when Tish was barefoot it was even more of
a distance between them, but it didn't matter to them. The evening
wound down with some great old slow dance tunes and Tish felt like
they had slipped back in time. It was wonderful.
"You know tommorrow's going to be insane, too." he said
"And the next day and the next........" Tish replied
John leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Let's go before I attack
you right here on the dance floor."
At the hotel they walked Mom and Dad back to their suite,
exchanged good nights, all the time not being able to keep their
hands off each other. On the elevator to go back to their floor John
backed her up against the wall and the kissing began. She had a
thought that they might not make it back to the hotel suite. She was
right. They didn't.
She heard John snap out " scr--- this!" and he reached over and hit the
emergency button, hard, stopping it between floors.! The elevator
slammed to a stop and buzzers sounded. Somehow Tish wasn't
bothered by the noise or the stalled elevator. When they started the
elevator again and the doors opened on their floor, several people
watched them exit as Tish tried to straighten her dress. John glared at
the small group gathered there and said, "We never have luck on
those things, do we honey?" and they both took off down the hall to
their room.
"Wasn't that........................," a lady trailed off as they disappeared
down the hall.
'"No, it couldn't be." her husband said.
Inside they collapsed on the soft carpet and lay there staring up at the
ceiling in the dark.
"Elevators, I love them now." Tish said after she'd caught her breath.
"We've discovered a cure for panic attacks! At least mine."
"I'm not on call until around noon tomorrow." John yawned and
added, "We've got alot of things to discuss!"
"We never seem to get around to that part, though, do we?" Tish said
as she pulled herself up and stood beside him.
John put his big hand around her ankle and held it.
"You're they one wearing the s e x y black dress and stockings and a
garter belt, AND black high heels ....................what'd you expect?"
Tish smiled, "I suppose they would look silly on you!"
"Come on." she reached for his other hand as if to pull him up off the
floor.
"Let's get serious or we'll never get all this straightened out."
John took hold of her hand and pulled her back down to him.
"What's to straighten out? I love you." he kissed her mouth softly and
looked into her eyes.
John had a way of changing moods quickly. She supposed that's what
made him a great actor, but sometimes it was unnerving. He could go
from funny, to serious, to romantic, to angry and then back to
humor....all within a blink of an eye. They had been cutting up and
laughing and now suddenly, he wanted to gaze into her eyes, and get
all mushy.
It hit Tish suddenly, at that moment everything that had occured that
day.
"I love you, too." she said and her voice cracked, "but it's not that
simple."
"Yes, it is, of course it is!" and John jumped right into the grumpy
mode, "What are you talking about?"
'Why do I feel like crying now?', Tish thought as she answered him.
"Nobody, nobody has anything this wonderful......this great happen
between them....without...........without.."
and then she did start crying. She burst into tears and through the
tears she blubbered like a baby,
"It's..........it's........just.....so,...so...............perfect!"
And then John started laughing and she was crying. He got more
tickled and laughed more.
He got up and pulled her up. He carried her into the bedroom and
dropped her on the bed. "We're going to bed. We're both exhausted.
We've had too much to deal with today. And we're not superhuman."
He paused and then said, "Well I am, I'm a God." He grinned and
looked at himself in the mirror.
Tish glanced up between her tears and instead of laughing, she said,
"You are John, you are perfect." and burst into new tears.
He took his coat off and began undressing her. As he did he told her,
"Everything's not perfect, I promise you! I'm not perfect!"
"Yes it is! Yes, you are. How come you always have one of those
'Llyod Dobbler' coats just laying around? Where do they come from?
Do they just appear? And you always know what to say....to
anybody, anywhere, anytime....but especially to me?" Tish was
murmuring through her tears.
"What? Well I....well I don't always...." He sat down on the bed taking
his shoes off.
"And why, of all the women in the world .................why do you want
me?" she asked.
"I don't know all the women in the world, not yet." He was smiling.
"See, see, that was the cutest thing to say right there. See, the perfect
thing to make me laugh."
"But you're not laughing." John took off his shirt and went to turn off
the lights. He came back, took off his pants and crawled into bed. He
finished helping her get undressed.
"And, you know one of the most important things about women.
Something 99% of all men don't know." Tish was still sniffing.

"Good, God what is that! Now you've really got my attention!" He
said, as he pulled the covers over them both and started wiping the
tears off her face.
"I don't know if I should tell you. You're already too dangerous. But
you already know it."Tish paused here, "But do you know you know it? That's the thing.
How thought provoking." She finally smiled.

She looked over at John. He had laid down on the pillow and was
simply staring at her. She could see him clearly from the light of the
bathroom.
His hands went up Cusack style, "What? What! You're not gonna tell
me?"
"No I'm not. You'll have to figure it out."
"Tell me!" he almost yelled it and then he lungeded for her and Tish
jumped back quickly.
She was on her knees almost to the edge of the bed and had on only
one of his t-shirts.
She was tickled now. She was very amused.
John propped himself up on one elbow, taking in the sight of her.
He spoke. "I want you, instead of any other woman on the face of the
earth because, you are smart and funny, you're gorgeous, you're kind
and sweet and fair. You understand me and when you disagree with
me, you debate when need be, but it's never a mindless idiotic fight.
You always surprise me and you do not bore me. We like almost all
of the same things. You take care of me when I need it and somehow
know how to back off when I need that too. I feel better when I'm
around you...when you're in the same room....."
During this speech, Tish started across the space between them and
somehow wound up with her head on his shoulder and her arm
around his chest. She started kissing his neck.
"And I could go on and on ....but I'm also, bottom-line, crazy about
you and feel for the first time in my life, simply.......at peace and
happy."
Tish had tears coming out of her eyes again and she knew
emotionally she was way over the top. This was too much. It was too
right. To have this man ......'THE man', as she had called him before,
say those things to her! Can you imagine?
"See, baby. It's just too perfect. We're too perfect. It scares me." She
was crying again.
"Don't, come on now....we aren't that perfect. We'll mess up.....don't
worry." and he hugged her and just held her til she was through
crying.
She snifted one last time. "You promise?"
"Yes, I promise........we aren't perfect............it'll be a mess soon. We'll
have problems soon, I promise!" John didn't realize how soon that
would be.
And what was it that he knew that, that not many men do?
To let a woman cry when she gets started. Just go on about things
and pat her on the head and let her cry it out. Don't take offense,
don't get mad and whatever you do, don't try to find out what's
wrong....just let her go with it! It seems like such a simple thing.
But again, it was one more amazing thing about this man that Tish
loved.
"But, actually it's the 'boobies'.
That's really what it's all about." John said in the dark just as she was
almost asleep.

fin
************************************************************************
Chapter 8
is that a Harlequin Romance in your
pocket or you just happy to see me?
andget out your hankies ladies....
drinking times begun.

The phone rank at 7:00 the next morning and Tish reached for it and
realized it was one of their cells ringing. By the time she had found
hers, John's was ringing and that was the start of the day. And the
start of several days of phone calls, press, family, friends and in the
middle of it all, there was still a movie to be made. The weekend
would bring no relief, neither John nor Tish were going to have two
seconds to themselves, much less together.
Tish found herself talking to her daughter again, late Friday
afternoon.
"So, we're millionaires now aren't we. Seriously." Maddy said to her
Mom. Maddy was 15. Her brother, Burk, who was far more
responsible, was 19. She could trust Burk to take care of Maddy, but
they were both extremely reliable and great kids! Their grandmother
was with them now, but Tish knew she needed to get back, next
week.
"No, that's not what this is all about. I've raised you better than to say
that!"
"Oh, come on Mother, is John Cusack a millionaire or not? How much
money does he have? You are getting married aren't you? The
wedding we are gonna' plan, .....oh, how much fun? Are we going to
live in Beverly Hills,or Malibu ....hmmmmmm Malibu. Malibu
Beach!"
"That's enough! I've told you nothing's planned or going to be
planned, yet."
Tish rubbed her forehead and the doorbell to the suite rang again for
the 5th time that afternoon.
"Look, let me go sweetie and kiss your brother for me. I'm coming
home by Tuesday."
"Why are you coming home? And you know there have been
photographers hanging around here, too. At least that's what Burk
says."
"What photographers? Are they bothering, you", Tish frowned.
"Nah, it's OK, don't worry, And you can stay there with your
'boyfriend', Mom and kiss him all you want! I can't believe those
photos. It's so embarrassing, Mom and on TV, too. So, at least tell me
we're gonna' be rich to make up for embarrassing me to death! But,
stay. We're fine."
"There's something called work! I'm do back on Wednesday, honey.
I'll call with my flight plans so you and Burk can pick me up. I love
you." Tish said.
"Can't you just take a limo from the ...."
Tish interrupted her...."Goodbye Maddy!"
She hung up and answered the door. Thankfully, it was Lissie and
not anyone else.
"They're shooting until 10. Do you want to go eat with me?" Lissie
asked.
"I don't think so. I'd rather have some quiet time to myself, actually."
Tish sighed.
Tish felt bad. She had not had any time to spend with Lissie, for three
days.
"But, if you want me to, sure, let's go." she tried to sound a little
perkier.
"I think you need some time to yourself." Lissie sounded concerned.
"Do you think things will calm down, soon?" she asked Lissie.
"A little, but honestly, not really." Lissie said and sat down on the
sofa," I mean the 'jackals', as David Letterman, calls them, will back
off when some other nutty "cele-BRAT-ty happening" comes around
but it's always like this, sort of, if you're around John. He's very
famous, Tish you knew that."
"I knew that, Lissie, that's not what's bothering me........I mean it is,
and it is like becoming famous over-night. Well actually I did, didn't
I?" Tish said.
She sat down by Lissie on the sofa and continued. "How could this
have happened? I just met a guy. I fell in love with this cute, funny
guy I met on an elevator and then we were sitting around trying to
make him jealous like high school girls and the next thing you know.
Bamm! This thing it's like it has a life of it's own. A living breathing
monster. It doesn't have anything to do with who we really are."

"It's the way it's always been, Tish. I'm surprised more celebraties
aren't totally insane. I mean most are total looneytoons and
sometimes you get guys like John and Jeremy who have handled it. I
don't know why or honestly how they have. I will admit this is the
worst media frenzy I've seen. You'd think they would have better
things to do."
Tish said. "Well, regardless of that, at the center of all of this psychotic
c r a p,.......I need to decide what I feel about John. Not, how we feel,
we know that, but I mean what we should do now, what I need to do
that's the best for my children, my family, me. What's best for John
and his family and his future. What if I can't ever have any more
children? Would I want that for him? No."
"Well, actually, Tish, I think John's already made his own decision
about all this. He wouldn't have pulled that little stunt if he hadn't.
He knew that was a no-turning back situation. He knew what going
public meant. I don't think he realized how famous he has become
these last few years until this happened but neither did I. But I think
the main thing about all this is John is in love. The press likes the
romance. It sells magazines. Everybody loves a lover!"
"Well, I've got to get some control on this puppy, or at least some
understanding."
Tish decisively got up and started moving to pack some things.
"Lissie, there's a bed and breakfast down in the Quarter and I'm going
to spend a few days by myself and sort things out, before this gets
worst. Before this all goes bananas! I want you to call my kids and let
them know they can get me, through you, is that all right? And I
don't want anyone to know where I am but you. OK?"
"John's not going to put up with that...." Lissie began, until she saw
the look on Tish's face.
"John will 'put up with this' and he'd better not harass you about it!
I'll write him a note and explain and tell him to leave you out of it.
This is all my idea. Who do you think he is? John Cusack!"
And Tish was able to enjoy New Orleans in the Quarter, which was
the true Big Easy....not the Hyatt and the antiseptic walls of a hotel
suite. And she could think and rest and clear her mind. She didn't like
to leave John to deal with the chaos alone, but he was used to it in a
way, and someone had to start using their mind. And he had brought
all this on, after all and hadn't asked her permission! Not that she
didn't love what he had done. She did. She stood by the doors to the
patio that night and took her first relaxing breath in two days....or in a
week.......or maybe even in six months. What a rollercoaster ride this
had been.
Now she could think. She had to make sure when she sat down to
discuss all these things with Johnny that she had her head on straight.
It was very easy to do or say whatever he wanted her to. When she
was in the room with him and he spoke to her or put those big hands
on her, her brain just sort-of floated out the window. "An alien! A
wizard. What powers that man has over me!' she thought again, ' A
true alien! I was right all along.' she ran over to the great antique bed,
barefoot and climbed in. 'Paradise!' she thought as she listened to the
late summer katydids outside. But it would be nice, if a certain tall
dark haired man kicked in the door at this moment and seeing her in
her white linen gown all alone in that big bed.................
.................."Stop it Tish!" she said to herself. 'Your thoughts are
sounding like a Harlequin Romance. It's time to think rationally and
sensible. Maybe space aliens ARE the ones behind Harlequin
Romance books, infiltrating the minds of women worldwide through
their books slowly over the years. Mind control, through romance.
That would make Johnny their leader! God, it's been a rough week,'
and then she fell asleep.
John told himself he was not angry when he came in that night. He
read the message she had left him on his lap-top and then slowly and
calmly got up and mixed himself a drink. 'OK, now let me think this
through and not freak out here. I'm a grown man. I can handle this!'
he told himself. There was a knock on the door and he knew it would
be Jeremy and he calmly let his buddy in.
"Hey, man what do you think? Does Tish want to go? We won't stay
out too late, I promise because Ginny has to leave tomorrow. And,
get this man, this is wild and a little incestuous somehow, I
think....guess what her maiden name is, guess man. It's Slater, bizarre
huh. BIZARRE. She didn't even get it? She hadn't even seen the flick.
Man, do they not have movie theaters in Alabama? Where's Tish,
huh? Hey Johnny, where's Tish?"
John simply pointed a finger to the lap-top with the message on the
desk.
Jeremy read the message and turned back to the sofa.
"Well. That's not a bad thing is it? She's just, you know, getting her
thoughts together. Right?"
"Right, right, right." John said and started rubbing his neck as if he
had a crick in it. His leg was doing the nervous jittering thing he
always did when his patience had worn out and Jeremy, who knew
his friend all to well, recognized the signs. He was going to blow at
any minute now.
Jeremy started counting down under his breath, five, four, three, two,
one!
He crossed his arms and got ready for the show.
"She's getting her thoughts together about what?
What..........What,.......WHAT?
Was there some sort-of confusion in the words, "I love you"? Did I
mis-pronounce anything?" John came up off the sofa and his arms
flew out into the air.
Jeremy just moved his friend towards the front door and picked his
keys up from the table as they left. "Come on, you're going with us.
We're gonna' tear up Bourbon Street two-night!"
"I mean, I know it's ssssoooooo painful to be in love with me, the
hardships of the best hotel suites in town and the limos and dinners
and party's with friends. I know it's painful. I'm such a cruel, ugly,
heartless, bastard and oh...oh......she realized, she would have to live
in Malibu .......MALIBU!"
"Yeah, yeah........well you've got a point there." Jeremy pushed him
out the door.
"OH....oh, I know........she found out that I drive a Jag. That's it! And
that I'm good friends with Clint Eastwood and Julia Roberts and
George Clooney...................
I tried to hide it from her, I did.............but.......she found out!!!!"
"What am I, chopped liver?" Jeremy asked as the door closed.
John raged on for a good part of the evening and Jeremy knew he
needed to blow off some steam so he let him go with it. The bars in
the French Quarter of New Orleans where the perfect place for that.
Small and sleezy, the real down and dirty, 'let's get drunk' kind. And
although Lissie went with them, John could not get her, to tell him
where Tish had gone. He told her many times that night that she was
fired, but she knew better and she let him rant and rave as much as
he wanted. Steve, Ginny and a lot of the crew were in this party, and
they would all have to pay for it in the morning. John almost stopped
his mutterings, when Steve showed up with Lissie, but Steve offered
him a cigar as usual and said, "Go right ahead, man I bin'
there............and over the same girl, too."
Lissie and Jeremy quickly pulled Steve aside and suggested he sit a
little apart from John, for his own safety.
No more than 3 blocks down on the end of Bourbon Street, Tish
sleep quite well all night long.
The next day, at 11:00, Tish got out of a taxi in front of the hotel. She
didn't care if any photographers caught her. She didn't care about
hardly anything at that point. There couldn't have been a happier
woman on earth at that point and she knew all problems were solved!
All worries could be put to rest, at least her biggest worries. She
couldn't wait to see John. Although if she knew him, he'd probably
be steamed, but that wouldn't matter, now, not now.
She had dealt with all the issues, thought things through. She'd done
what she knew was the right thing and now, well things were just
dandy! In the early morning hours, as she sat drinking her Cafe Au
Lait on the little garden patio, Tish had gotten all her ducks in a row,
all her thoughts straight.
Tish had called her sister last night and her sister had called her old
GYN here in New Orleans, who had agreed to met with Tish early
this morning. It was a wonderful favor he had done for Tish and she
thanked him several times before she left his offices. She simply
wanted to know how she really stood on the "having more children"
issue. She had not talked to a doctor about this in several years, the
matter had not come up until now. The most important question she
wanted to get past was whether or not she could have more children.
She would never continue on with John, if the answer were no. She
wouldn't do that to him. He was a person that should have kids and
she wouldn't take that away from him. All the other problems could
be solved after that. The doctor had been very nice and asked about
her sister and her nieces and nephew, all three he had delivered. He
checked everything out and then they returned to his office to talk
and he proceed to tell her that not only did he feel she could have
more children, he also thought she was already pregnant.
"What?" Tish didn't think she had heard him correctly, "That's
impossible."
"Why?" he asked her.
"Well, I've only been uh.....active for what.......2-3 weeks?" she started
counting days.
"Well, thats enough time, but I've got to tell you I can't be sure. You
need to come back in two more weeks and we can be positive, but I
kinda' know my business when it comes to this sort of thing."
Tish didn't hear him say one word after that. It all blurred together
and then when she was leaving his office he was busy talking about
vitamins and all the other pregnancy details and she interrupted him.
"But if I'm not....I can still get pregnant?"
"Of, course I don't see any problems.You just, of course have to be
careful, but many women today are having babies at your age and
older. We can do a sonar now if you'd like, and we could be sure but I
really think in two weeks you'll see I was right, anyway."
She explained she'd probably be back in LA in a week and he said his
nurse would coordinate every thing with her LA doctor and then she
left. In a daze. And she'd stayed in a daze until the taxi stopped at the
hotel.
As she let herself into the hotel suite, Tish smiled to herself, 'He IS an
alien, with super, super super powers for this to have happened!'
Then, after that, everything she remembered seemed to be in slow
motion. She rounded the corner to the bedroom and said," John?" she
remembered saying that, saying his name. She remembered seeing
his face and his eyes opening and he had been asleep.
Then the bathroom door opened and Nell stood in the doorway in
John's white shirt.
Later, much later, Lissie told her how she had come to Lissie's door
and she had gotten Tish back to the little room down in the quarter
and stayed with her. Tish never remembered much about those first
few hours. Just a lot of pain. That 'kicked in the stomach pain' that
makes it hard to breathe.
That pain, that makes you think you're not going to live.
fin

********************************************************
chapter 9
cold-blooded old times,
the enthusiastic idiot and
shrewd market penetration
It registered with John, that he saw Tish standing in the bedroom that
morning, but he didn't want to believe it.
He forced himself awake and sat up quickly. He thought he said,
'Tish, wait!', but at the same time a pain shot through his head. He
moaned, and flopped back down.
It was a very bad hangover. The kind that hurt's so bad if you move
an inch.
He groaned loudly and with his hands on his head and his eyes
closed, he spoke.
"Tell me you aren't standing there in my shirt, Nell?"
"But I am."
"Get out Nell!"
"But John........." she started.
"Get out Nell." He said again and tried to get up again, but slower this
time.
"I can't believe you did that to her, Nell. Well, yes I can believe you
did that.........."
And she interrupted him, "I didn't do anything.....she just walked
in........!"
"Get out!" He wanted to yell but didn't.
"But we need to talk...." she said in that sweet tone.
He might get sick just listening to that voice.
"We don't have anything to talk about, at all, ever!"
"But last night, we...!"
"Nothing happened, Nell, don't give me that. I'm not that stupid.
You were both in the other room when I came in to go to sleep. I
told you both to leave. I remember that......just, just get out, Nell!"
She got out but she left with a smile on her face.
John tried to think clearly and went as quickly as he could into the
next room in search of his cell phone.
He punched in Lissie's number but her voice message was on.
"Lissie, get up, call me! And if Tish is down there, stay there! I'll be
there in 2 seconds."
John threw some pants on and grabbed his keys and left the suite
with no shoes on. He thought if he moved fast enough he wouldn't
have to think about what just happened to Tish.
'Just find her, fast.' he keep saying to himself,' that's all I need to do,
just find her, and I can explain!'
Lissie came out into the hall when John knocked, and told him, she
hadn't seen Tish. She was whispering and told John to lower his
voice.
"John, you know I've got a life, too, it's not all you, you, you and
Tish." she said and nodded to her room.
"Oh, oh,... I'm sorry... I'm sorry, it's just I've got to find her fast, right
now.....you won't believe what happened, God it makes me sick, and
I know Tish will freak........I don't blame her."
"Calm down, what happened?" Lissie sked.
"Well, she came into the bedroom this morning and God, Lissie
nothing happened, I swear nothing happened......"
"WHAT!" She demanded.
"Well, Nell was standing there ........and,"
"Nell?" Lissie's eyes got big.
Yeah, but nothing........" John was getting desperate.
"In your bedroom?" Lissie asked.
"Yeah, but.." he said.
"This morning?"
"...NOTHING happened, Lissie!"
"And Tish saw her?" Lissie was now getting sick herself.
"Yes."
Lissie shut her eyes and then she looked John square in the face, "
You are an a--hole, John! HOW, after everything that's
happened........COULD you possibly......"
He broke in, "Nothing happened, I can explain it....it was all Nell.....I
mean I shouldn't have, well last night...."
"I don't even want to hear it! There IS no explanation...It doesn't
matter........You shouldn't have allowed anything!" and Lissie held
her hands out to signal, she had had it! "You know what, John, I quit!
I no longer work for you. Just go, just go. And if I see Tish, believe
me, I wouldn't let her anywhere near you again!"
She slammed her door and left him standing there.
He realized that this was not going to turn out well. Where had he
heard that before.
Tish had said that to him in an elevator six months ago.
She had said, "Heartbreak and misery."
John slid down the wall and just sat on the floor in the hallway. He
felt he had been kicked in the stomach and hit over the head with a
baseball bat. He put his face in his hands. She had been right. The
only thing she didn't foresee was what would happen to him. She
didn't expected him to get hurt over something like this, because she
hadn't expected him to care. He hadn't expected himself to care. He
had not expected to fall in love.
And what had he said to her only two nights ago.
"We'll have problems, soon, I promise."
He had made good on that promise.
And he had brought it all about.
It was all his fault. He'd known better than to let Nell in his room last
night. Of, course he'd had too much to drink, but John rarely got to
the point that he wasn't aware of something like that. Besides, that
was no excuse. Nell had been crying. She and her new "friend", their
camera man, no less, had shown up at their little crew party last night
at some point. He remembered that and being irritated than she was
still in the city. He ignored them and couldn't even remember what
had happened to them, but he was sure word had gotten' to Nell that
Tish had disappeared, to "think things out." He sure wasn't being
secretive about it. 'Which, I should have been. That was really our
private business. But, NO.... I was too busy running my big mouth,
trying to get sympathy.'
So, Nell had planned her little visit to John's room and then the
camera guy, Max, was his name, ( he thought), showed up and they
started arguing and John just went to bed. What an idiot. He knew
her well enough to know she would have pulled something like this.
He told them to leave and take their soap opera somewhere else. He
should have known better.
"S---!" He said aloud into the hallway. He stood up and started back
to the room.
"S---, s----, ..S---!" He continued down the hall. "I am an a---hole!" A
photographer roaming the halls could have really done some damage
if they had seen him at this point. They'd had to dodge the 'jackals'
last night. Although John wasn't sure how much he cared anymore.
He got back to the room and sat. He didn't even feel like finding
aspirin for his hangover.'I deserve to feel this way', he thought. 'And
I'm not going to feel any better any time soon.'
He thought of Tish, wherever she was and how bad it must be for
her. Lissie was right. Who would ever believe what really happened.
Who would ever buy a story like that? He wanted to find Tish to
explain. Explain, what? That he was an a--hole and an idiot. That was
obvious.
He looked down beside him on the table. The cover of People glared
back at him. A few days ago he'd had that new-found,
'love of his life' in his hands. He hadn't taken care of it. "What an
idiot." he said outloud. "It's official. I am now, without a doubt, the
world's biggest idiot."
Tish, of course had been in Lissie's room and hadn't told Lis what
was wrong, before John knocked. She sat in the dark, on the edge of
the bed and tried not to listen to them. She remembered hearing John
say over and over ..."Nothing happened"...but she didn't want to hear
anymore. It hurt just hearing his voice. She was aware there was
someone in Lissie's bed, so when Steve spoke and asked her what
was wrong she whispered to him, "Nothing, sweetie, just go back to
sleep."
"Tish, is that you?" Steve did lower his voice as John and Lissie got
louder and louder.
Tish turned around and crawled up in bed by Steve like a child who
doesn't want to hear their parents arguing anymore.
"What is it, what's wrong? Did you and John fight?"
"Yeah, sort of, I don't want to talk right now, OK?"
Steve sat up in bed beside her. "Want me to go punch him out?"
"Yes, please," she muttered and Steve could tell by her voice that
something horrible had happened.
He reached out and just took hold of her hand, "Ahhhh, kid, it'll be
OK." he said and yawned.
"No it won't." she said and then Lissie slammed the door and
marched back in.

"Whoops, ............you caught us," Steve said but Lissie was so mad
she didn't even glance their way.
"Of all the low-down, nasty.................Tish, I am so, so sorry ......let's
get you out of here just as soon as he's gone. Don't talk loud, he's still
right outside the door and I will not let him anywhere near you." She
whispered," I'll get dressed and then we'll go back to the Quarter."
"What about me?" Steve said. Lissie jumped on the bed from the
other side and gave Steve a kiss.
"Well, you'd better be good! The ladies are going to be on the
warpath for the next few days!"
"How did I wind up with both of you and pretty boy out there gets
nothing?"
"Shrewd market penetration!" Lissie said as she went into the
bathroom.
Steve looked back at Tish, " That's got to be a guote from a
John Cusack movie?"
Tish's face puckered up and she started crying.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Don't cry......come on now....."
The girls got back to Tish's little room as soon as they could. Steve
wanted to take them to dinner, but Lissie just wanted to wait and
make sure Tish was all right. The rest of the day was a blur and Tish
was able to stop crying but she still hurt. She started to tell Lissie
about the fact that she might be pregnant but something stopped her.
Actually she couldn't bear to think about it.
'One thing at a time,' she thought to herself, but she did realize that
might be the answer to these fits of crying. Besides having her heart
run-over by John!
Lissie had cooled off and wasn't as mad as she had been. "Tish, I do
not think anything happened between them. I really don't, if that
makes it any better."
"Nothing makes it any better, Lis. I'm sorry I know you want to help,
but even if nothing happened she was still there. Let's not talk about
it. I just want to go home, now."
"Well, I'm going with you. I told, John I quit this morning."
"What? You shouldn't do that, not for me."
"I did it for me, Tish. I can get a job with anyone after being JC's
assistant for so long. But really, I know this is going to sound so
Hollywood, but....I've always wanted to produce. I've been talking to
several studios and other folks. It's time to do this and stop saying' I
want to'."
"Produce for me! Produce WITH me! That's what Ken and I have
been talking about on MY screenplay. I want to produce it. He says I
have great instincts but I don't have enough experience...............but
you do."
"No I don't, Tish, I've never produced." Lissie said.
"No, you've run around in circles and done all the leg work that
involves producing for the 'producers' when they couldn't or didn't
want to do it. Right? Probably, or especially for John, right? You have
experience! You have connections, now. You have produced."
"Well, it's the decisions they have to make, you know it's really not
that simple."
"Please, Lissie are you gonna' sit there and tell me, John always
makes the best decisions, always knows what is the best thing to do?"
"Well, I see your point. You know he really can't stand Nell anymore.
I know he screwed up in there somewhere but....."
"I'm not listening! How did we get back on this? But we'll get to LA
and we'll talk. Have your people get with my people."

Then they both just cracked up, which was amazing to Tish, that she
could even smile or laugh at all.
She felt better. Lissie helped her just by being there and talking.
She persuaded Lissie to go out with Steve and leave her there. She
knew it would be hard but she still needed to be by herself. She
might just cry all night and get it over with. She did not want this to
crush her and she wasn't going to let it. Lissie tried one more time to
stick up for John or at least get Tish to see things weren't as bad as
they seemed.
"Lissie, it's more than that............there's more going on than that. I've
still got a lot of thinking to do."
Lissie looked confused and Tish decided to tell her, "I'm pregnant."
she told her and Lissie's look turned to shock.
"Well, I might be, we can't tell yet, for sure." and then told her about
the doctor visit this morning.
"So, even if there's a tiny little chance I might be. I need to be careful.
I don't need to be in the middle of one of the years biggest
"Hollywood" scandals or " love affairs" or spend time arguing with
John about what happened. Or run from photographers. I don't need
to cry anymore or get anymore upset. I need to calm down, go home,
take care of my kids and just take care of myself. And that may mean
not seeing John right now. That means not settling this thing right
now. I don't know. Don't tell anyone and let me think this through,
please." Lissie's cell began ringing and she glanced down to see who it
was.
" Steve? Do I tell Steve? I mean he's sorta' in on all this with us. And
you know he's totally on your side about everything? And it sounds
like you need all the help you can get at this point."
She answered her cell. "Just a minute, hold on."
She looked at Tish.
"Well, OK but tell him to keep his mouth shut." Tish wondered if that
was a wise decision but she knew Steve was on her side and always
would be. She watched Lissie talk to him and secretly crossed her
fingers for the two of them. Now, if she could just get Piven a new
girlfriend.
'What am I thinking, I can't even help myself in this mess.'

John saw his parents off to Baton Rouge that afternoon, where they
were meeting some old friends. He told them Tish had an
appointment and she was out with Lissie somewhere.
He didn't want to get into it with them. He knew they would not be
happy. He called Piven about six times and couldn't find him. He
couldn't bear hanging around their room and seeing little bits of
Tish's things. He was at a loss about what to do. He couldn't sit still
and he still felt hung over. He was basically a wreck. Now, he no
longer had Lissie on his side and therefore he couldn't begin to find
Tish.
Someone knocked and as John opened the door he thought, 'Maybe I
should have checked to see who it is before I open the door.' but he
was still operating on idiot mode, evidently.
And he was met squarely in the face with a fist and went down just
like an idiot.
"God,............aaaaaah ahhhh! Why'd you DO that, man? Ah!" John
moaned.
Steve stood there rubbing his fist and had to admit he felt great at
that moment. He was grinning when John finally squinted up at him.
"Do you know how much..ahhhhrrrrrgh, you just cost the studio with
that shot?" John sat up.

"I'll pay. Will they take a check?"

"Well, I deserved it. Maybe I'll split the bill with you. Matter, of fact,
why don't you just finish the job,.... just beat me to a pulp. Maybe I'll
feel better then."
Steve reached out his hand and started to help John up, "Oh, no, that
would be the easy way out. Nah, you're gonna' have to face the
music, my man!"
"Let's get some ice and then I'm going to do you the biggest favor of
your life!
You'll be forever in my debt! You'll thank God for the day you met
me! You'll name your first born after me! Ah, little Stevie Cusack!
Cool!!"
Tish felt better after she took a bath and put on one of her new
gowns.
The bed felt so soft with white lace sheets. She turned off the lights
and settled down in the big bed although she didn't think she would
sleep well if she slept at all.
'Well, I'll be extremely comfortable as I toss and turn all night and
worry!'
Those were the last things she remembered until she woke later. Tish
looked at the bedside clock and saw she had been able to sleep three
hours. It was midnight and she felt something had made her wake
up, something was not right. She sat up in the bed and looked out
into the garden. The moonlight was brilliant. It was beautiful here.
She might be coming back here in the future, whenever she needed
to recharge.
It was time to get up wander around and do all those things you do
when you can't sleep. Tish poked her bare feet over the edge of the
bed and got off the bed. She stretched her arms up over her head and
yawned. She started into the courtyard and then stopped in her
tracks. Someone was sitting outside looking in. She saw the shape of a
man sitting at the patio table and he had his legs propped up on
another chair. She saw him raise a cigarette up, take a hit of it and
then flick it off into the bushes and for a moment she remembered
John tossing his cigar away at the club that night. She thought she
might be dreaming and then he cleared his throat. Tish walked to the
door and stopped. They were no more than five feet from each other.
"I'll go if you want." he said.
Tish told herself to just simply stay calm. Stay or go, whatever he
did, she needed to stay calm.
"I think, I've been out here for an hour just watching you sleep." He
said.
"Well, you're hard up for entertainment then."
And she wished she hadn't said that. She didn't want to be ugly or
catty. She just wanted everything back the way it had been. And it
was far from it.
He put both of his feet on the ground and leaned forward. He ran one
hand through that short hair and started rubbing his face.
'Please don't stand up.' she thought, 'Just stay right there and don't
come any closer.'
And of course he stood up, all six foot, three of him. And of course he
came to her and stopped in front of her, right outside the door.
"Oh,Tish."
Her name said in that voice.
"No, John," she didn't sound very convincing.
He reached out and took her by the waist and she knew that was the
end of her objections.
She was a grown woman. She was smart and felt she was fairly
mature and responsible. But one touch, or look, or her name said in
that voice and she always felt like she was sixteen again. She just felt
immediately and completely female. All the talks they were always
supposed to have and now, when they should be discussing his
screw-up and he should be apologizing....Tish being hurt and mad
......all that flew out the window, the minute he touched her. He
brought her towards him and he didn't even kiss her. He took his
hands, those big hands of his, ran them around her back and up into
her hair and he just sunk his head down in the crook of her neck and
just buried it there and held onto her. It was as if he were apologizing
with his entire body and he didn't even have to put it in words. It
was just a hug, but it was a great hug.
"John, we hav..............." Tish tried to take a deep breath.
"Uh, huh....I know baby, I know." and he keep holding her and then
very slowly she felt his lips on her neck and there was a kiss. It was
so gentle and sweet. She could feel his beard scratching her neck. It
felt so good. Tish thought, 'We'll just stand here, for the rest of our
lives, ....we can just stand here like this and I'd be happy. I don't care.
Just as long as the rest of the world leaves us alone.'
"How'd you find me?" she asked quietly. "Steve." he answered and he
bent down and picked her up to carry her to bed.
"Steve!" Tish's brain cleared a little. "Steve told you I was here?"
"Steve BROUGHT me here. Who'd uh thunk it, ole Steve!" John said
as he put her down and sat on the edge of the bed. He pulled off his
shoes and Tish asked, "and what else did he tell you?"
"Nothin'. Just to get down here and apologize and beg your
forgiveness or he'd punch my lights out. Which he nearly did
anyway!" and John laid down by her in the moonlight.
"That's all he told you?"
"Yes, Tish that's enough, don't ya think." and he began unbuttoning
the tiny buttons on her gown. Tish couldn't think any more after that.
He finish with all the buttons and then pulled her gown back. He put
one of his hands on her stomach and Tish caught her breath. He
pushed her over and leaned his dark head down to kiss her belly
button and continued up slowly to her neck.
"I am so, so, so sorry. Can you forgive me?"
He told her the story of how Nell came to be there that morning. He
explained as best as he could and the whole time he talked, he didn't
take his hands off of her. He knew if he were to get forgiveness for
this he would have to pull out all his tricks. It's not that he wanted to
trick her or munipulate her, he just wanted things back the way
they'd been. As fast as they could get that way. He did not like the
way he had felt all day. And he hated the fact that Tish had gone
through this pain. So, whatever he had to do to make it right, he'd do.
And what was the use of learning about women and what they liked,
if he couldn't use it when he desparately needed it?
"So, forgive me. I've been sick all day thinking about how bad you
were feeling, how hurt you probably were."
Tish was silent.
"I was stupid. I should have known better. I won't let something like
that happen again. All the things you want to say to me, I've already
said to myself a thousand times today."
Tish leaned over and put her arms around his neck. She buried her
face in his neck and just held on. She had a lump in her throat and
thought if she said anything she'd start to cry. She'd cried enough that
day and she didn't want to get started again.
"So, you forgive me?" John asked.
She simply nodded her head and he held her for awhile. He was
surprised. There was no screaming fits or ultimatums or lectures
about what not to do ever again. With a finger pointed at his face.
"You forgive me just like that? You don't want to fuss at me awhile?"
He pulled her away from him and looked at her face. He felt awful.
She looked so pitiful. He would much rather be yelled at.
"You're a grown man Johnny. You know the difference between right
and wrong. You know what will hurt me and what won't." she said
simply."You know not to let something like that happen again. All the
nagging and whinning in the world wouldn't help.You do what you want to do. If
what you want is to take care of me and what we have, you'll do it.
OK?"
He stared at her. He still felt uncomfortable. But what she said made
perfect sense. Maybe that's what was wrong. Maybe he wasn't use to
a woman making sense.
"OK." he said.
She snuggled back up against him.
"So, did you get all your thoughts together? Before this happened?"
he asked. "Get some privacy? Some peace and quiet?"
"Yes I did. Everything is very well together, now." She smiled.
He pulled her back to look at what he could see of her face in the
dark.
"You're OK, then. Everything is full steam ahead? With us, I mean?"
he asked.
"As long as we keep the teen-gueen out of your bedroom and your
shirts." She said, "Yes, I suppose we can go out on a few dates. See
what comes of it, you know."
He looked down at her in the moonlight with her gown unbuttoned.
"A few dates, huh?" he said.
"Sure, I might go out with you now, just to see." Tish was teasing him
and it made him feel better. He felt they might be getting through
this mess.

"I've got a better idea." Johnny said. "Why don't I toss you back onto
this great big bed and make wild, passionate love to you until the sun
comes up?"
"Or that.
We could do that." Tish replied.

And he did. And it was wonderful.
Tish realized that night, he didn't know anything about the supposed
pregnancy. And she didn't want him to know. He might not have
been so wild and passionate.
And they might not have had, the
number one, of the top, all time greatest nights of lovemaking.
fin

**********************************************************************
Chapter 10
which doesn't have a title
because it's so darn sweet.
The next morning Tish woke in that fantastic antique bed. She felt
like Scarlett O'hara after Rhett carried her up the staircase. Only Rhett
didn't take a shower in the bathroom the next morning. And if he
did, she didn't think he would sing that bad. John was a wonderful
man, great at most things, but the man could NOT sing.
'But, he's so enthusiastic about it.' Tish grimaced as his voice boomed
out over the noise of the shower.
She got up, put on her gown and stuck her hair up in a pony tail and
the knock on the door brought their morning coffee and Cafe Du
Monde beignets. She started to ask for some fresh fruit and decided
not. She decided, 'Today we shall be decadent. Do what we want,
see what we want and eat anything fattening that we want! You must
to do that in New Orleans. I think it is a law!'
As they sat out on the patio, with their coffee, she thought about the
questionable pregnancy and realized she'd just have to wait to find
out.
She examined his eye and agreed with him that there would be
problems with production!
" Unless your character, who is your character anyway? After all this
and I still don't know much about this movie...............unless he could
get a black eye. Write it into the script!" She thought, 'See, I can
produce...it's not hard!'
"What is it with Steve, anyway? He's like your guardian angel with a
cigar." John said, as he began to read the newspaper.
Tish sat back and relaxed, something unique, just sitting and doing
nothing. "You know, this is maybe the first time we've had to just
simply relax and be together, you know without phone calls or..."
"Let's do that then." he murmured from behind the paper.
She picked up her coffee cup and then remembered she did not need
to drink a lot of coffee, now. She pushed that aside. She looked over
longingly to John's cigarette in the ashtray. No more of that either.
She drummed her fingers on the table. She started thumbing through
the extra sales pages of the paper, gave that up, sighed and pushed
that aside.
"Tish?"
"What?" She asked.
"Let's just be quiet, OK? I want to read this......."
"Okey Dokey." she said and tried to pull another section of the paper
out from under his elbow!
"WHAT? What is it?" John dropped his paper down and Tish
jumped. "Can you not sit still? I'm trying to get through the Sports."
His hair, still wet from the shower, was sticking out everywhere and
his poor eye looked so bad. Swollen and black and blue. He was
frowning and terribly intent on finishing the paper.

She tried not to smile and she really didn't mean to, but he did look,
well, silly.
"Nothing, nothing! I'm just over here .............relaxing!"
He jerked the paper back up and buried into his reading again.
Tish sighed again and started humming a little and glanced around
the garden to see if anyone else was outside this morning. She
pushed her chair out, turned it around and sat back down. Then she
decided to stack up the dishes from their breakfast.
John jerked the paper down again and he didn't say anything. He just
gave her that stare.
She didn't say anything. She sat perfectly still and then started
examining her fingernails.
Again, he pulled his paper back up in front of his swollen and angry
face.

"Well you really shouldn't get so upset..........." Tish said almost in a
whisper, but before she had it out, John had the paper smashed down
on the table and was around by her chair. His hands were in balls
down by his side and he glared down at her.
"Eew, you're so quick, so fast, you should do more action roles!" Tish
said.
He reached down and pulled her chair out, "...and so strong, so
virile," he picked her up, "so intent on the news!" He carried her into
the bathroom, "... a man driven, towards knowledge," he set her
down, "that nothing will stop him," he started the bath water "from
his quest"..............
And when he bent down to pick her up again, he was smiling. He
couldn't help it.
"No, John not in this new gown. It's linen.." and then she landed in
the tub.
"Now, finish your bath, get dressed and we'll go."
Satisfied and smiling he left the bathroom saying, " ......and I'll finish
reading my paper!"

They had the entire day to themselves and it was great! They
dressed like regular tourists and no-one noticed them. Except, when
they bought something and Johnny pulled out his credit card. Tish
got a kick out of watching faces as it dawned on each sales person,
who their customer had been. Tish would stand there by the counter
and watch them from behind her sunglasses and Johnny would be
pulling at her to leave the store. They rode the streetcar back out for
lunch to the Camilia Grill and JC could not understand why their
waiter was so happy and tickled to see Tish. He also slapped John on
the back several times and keep winking at Tish, especially after he
interrupted them kissing.
For one day, Tish let John buy her anything he wanted. He took her
to some great shops and she tried on clothes and let him pick out
what he liked. It was very 'Pretty Woman' and she felt it was OK to
do this one day. Just one day. Besides this was probably the last time
she'd have a man do this for her. John was more than happy to be on
this little excursion, but she was realistic. It wouldn't be like this
forever. They bought presents for people and Tish got gifts for her
kids. The Quarter and other sections of New Orleans, had some of the
best shops in the world. John even insisted on buying her some
unbelievably expensive lingerie, that he particularly liked and she
didn't tell him they might not fit in the near future.
Back at the tiny room, with all their packages laying around they both
collapsed on the bed and John made some phone calls. Tish laid
down and went to sleep. John broke the news to the director that he
had a big fat black eye and then he held the phone away from his ear
and away from the screaming. They decided to check it all out in the
morning and he told him he would met him at 5:00. Nobody could
find Jeremy and when John called the producer he found out that
no-one had known where he was either.
"I've had my cell phone off all day and it's been great. And I'm going
to turn it off now too and I'll see you in the morning!"
John laid down next to Tish and thought he would sleep also. He
wrapped his arm around her. His nose was buried in her hair and he
closed his eyes. God, what a great day. He had needed a break from
all the psychotic madness. Thank heavens, Steve had stepped in
and.....well he could have skipped the black eye.
It still hurt like h e l l!
But at least he had Tish back. That was a miracle. He took in the
smell of her hair, the sweet smell of her. What was he going to do
with her? Marry her, he knew that, he knew that much. He liked
having her around. He liked being around her. It was so simple with
Tish, so easy, so nice. And exciting and fun, and they laughed so
much. She really seemed to get him, to understand him. She felt like
home, like he was finally home. But he hated the thought of all that
wedding junk. He supposed every man did. And he quessed every
man put up with it because they knew the women wanted it, just like
he would.
Well, still, he was a happy man, no he was more than that .......he was
"satisfied!" Can you image that?
'Time for this idiot to grow up.' he thought and feel asleep.
That night they went to a wonderful restaurant in the Quarter.
Afterwards they walked in the streets until they found a great club for
dancing. But did they talk? No. Did they discuss the future or their
relationship or their careers? No. They just danced. They just danced
in this tiny little club, down in the Quarter on this hot summer night.
The club was packed, with a lot of strange and wild people there and
there was a 'Maudi Gras' feeling to it.
'Mr. Cusack could not sing. That was a fact. But the man can dance!'
Tish thought and she almost wanted to sit down and watch him!
Dancing with him was more fun.
She didn't understand at first, that she didn't feel too well. After-all it
was very crowded and hot.
And she remembered getting very dizzy and she leaned her head on
John's shoulder, and the next thing she knew she was outside with
several people and John staring down at her. She was laying on a
garden bench but it had pillows on it and they were all talking about
her. John had his arms crossed and was saying to one man,
".........well she just got too hot that's all." And then, "I'll get her some
water..." and then someone said to John " Is your wife pregnant?" It
was so dark in the club and out here they didn't recognize him.
John looked down and saw she had her eyes open and sat down next
to her. He looked her straight in the eyes, and said, "No, no she's not
......................," and then,"Are you OK, baby, you scared me."
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" she began to sit up and still felt strange. "I'll be
OK, just let me get cooled off out here."
She wanted all these people to go away.
" John, make these people go away!" she said. He did.
"What's going on, Tish? he said and put his hand on the side of her
face. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing.......I overheated....I got too, hot......."
"And you aren't drinking, and you aren't smoking cigarettes ," and he
lowered his face closer to hers and then kissed her.
"Don't start with that ....I'm supposed to be cooling off.....and
nothing's wrong and nothing's going on. Sometimes, I don't want to
drink...or smoke...that's all." Tish said.
"OK, have it your way."
Tish wanted to get away from this line of questioning.
"But, it is time we started talking about everything, sweetie. You just
scared me. Kinda' knocked me serious."
He was very jumpy.
John stood back up and was still sort of bouncing around to the
music.
"Oh, John dance for me! While I sit right here and sip this water. I'll
make sure I'm OK, which I am, but entertain me, please!"
"OK." and he just started smoothly doing some moves, some little
steps, very Tapeheads and Swanky Modes-wise. He said to
Tish......."I don't do this for just anybody, baby!" and she knew that
was true. He was so much fun to watch. There's something about a
man, a very masculine man, who can dance.
Tish had always loved to watch a man dance who could do it well!
She sat up and smiled at her man. Her dancing man!!
"You know Tapeheads is still my favorite movie of all you've ever
done!"
"No sh--!?, ....... that's bizarre ....." and he keep moving very nicely, "
NOT Serendipity, or LLoyd, or ..."
"Nope, I'll take Ivan, anyday." Tish smiled. "Any day!"
John did a few more twists and turns and landed on the bench next to
her.
"Now you have to do something for me." He put both hands on the
back of his head' leaned back and stretched his lanky legs out crossing
them.
"Anything." Tish felt that was a true enough statement.
She would do anything for this man.
This sweet, fun, happy, adorable, good-hearted man.
"Marry me."
fin
****************************************************************************
Chapter 11
you can't teach a new
bride old tricks
put the boombox down
cause she can't hear it.
"Well, what did she say?" Piven asked as he looked at himself in the
mirror.
"She said, 'Hold that thought.'" John said from his spot on the small
sofa.
"Hold that thought? What do you mean?" Jeremy asked again and he
straighten his tie and turned to look at his friend. "That's not an
answer. I don't get it."
"Yeah, well evidently, I don't get it either." John was frowning and he
pulled himself up and reached for the jacket on the back of a chair.
There was a knock on the trailer door and a muffled "It's time guys."
John turned the knob on the trailer door and gave it a little kick.
"Come on, they're ready for us."
He stepped out into the New Orleans night and Jeremy followed.
They followed the script girl down a side street into what was
supposed to be a dark alley, but was really well lit. Jeremy always
seemed to have to hurry a little to keep up with John's long legs.
"Hey, wait a minute," he grabbed John's coat sleeve. John turned to
look at him.
They had known each other for a long time, had been through a lot
together. From the look on John's face, Jeremy knew this whole
experience with Tish was wearing him down. He looked sad and the
black eye didn't help improve his appearance.
"Explain." he said to John.
"I wish I could, I wish I knew what was going on. We'll talk later, let's
shoot this and get out of here. Who knows. With Tish tonight, well I
quess we'll get it worked out."
"John, Jeremy....................over here." they both looked towards the
director's voice.
"I hate this movie." John said.
"At least we're supposed to be sad and depressed in this scene. That's
a plus."
Tish had not expected the request John made last night. She actually
thought he might want to see her do a cheer. When she heard those
words come out of his mouth, she panicked.
'I told him to hold that thought. What an idiot, I am. The most
gorgeous, sweetest proposal ever and that's how she responds! Yeah,
hold that thought about four or five months, John....I'll get back to
you then.' She looked out the window of the plane and could see her
reflection looking back at her.
"What a mess I've gotten myself into. What a mess I've gotten us all
in!'
The night before she had simply walked out of the club.
"Hold that thought." she said to this wonderful man and then she
stood up, handed him, her empty glass and walked out.
She stepped out onto the street and pushed her way through a group
of people and started back to the hotel. She was half-way up the block
before John grabbed her from behind.
She had seen him mad before. They had cut-up and argued and had
little fights, but this was serious business and his face reflected that.
He was extremely mad. She couldn't blame him. She couldn't blame
him at all!
It was horrible what she was going to have to do to him. What she
was going to have to do to both of them.

"Look, I'm panicked here, John. The minute I heard that word, it's
throwing me into this weird ...panic."
"What word, marry....marriage?"
"Yes! I thought we were going to talk about all this. I wanted to tell
you how I felt on the subject, before you , before you.................."
"What? Popped the question? What? Did you want me to do it some
other way?"
"No, no, no. You did it absolutely and totally the best way, the
perfect way it should have been done, For us. That was perfect, John,
really."
He let go of her and walked away a few steps, raking his hands
through his hair, turned back and approached her with his hands
waving and he did look like he wanted to strangle her.
"So? If it was so perfect, what's the problem?"
"Well, OK, let's see." suddenly Tish felt so tired. She just wanted to
give up, give in and stop fighting everything. Just marry John. Just
pretend everything was alright. But she knew it wasn't. She knew
there was a lot of heartbreak and problems ahead. Maybe, maybe not
but she couldn't be sure yet.
"Let's get back to the room, John. There's alot to talk about."
He could see something in her face that told him something was
terribly, terribly wrong and he got that "gut-kicked" feeling again.
"All right, let's go."
There was a tiny chill in the air as they started up Esplanade Street.
The start of September and the end of summer. Tish knew it was the
end of something that night and it made her unbelievably sad.
John wanted to have everything out in the open, right then and there
as soon as they got into the room.
"Let's get ready for bed and then we can talk all night, John, OK?"
"No." He was determined.
He was actually pacing up and down the little room and Tish though
he would tear the rest of his hair out by the end of the night if he
didn't calm down.
"Here," he said and walked over to her, took both of her hands, lead
her over to the big over-stuffed chair in the room and sat her down.
"Now, what's going on?"
He continued to pace.
Tish felt like she was in the principal's office.
"John, come here, I can't talk to you like that."
He came over, she stood up, he sat down and Tish sat back down in
his lap.
"I can't talk to you like this either." she said.
And then quickly, very quickly, before his head ignited, she
apologized.
"No, I'm sorry. That was mean. I'm sorry. You're just so funny when
you're mad like this I can't help it."
"Well, when I have my massive coronary that you're bringing on,
you're really gonna have a blast."

He waited and looked at her with those eyes and she put her hand
out to the side of his face that was swollen and she remembered what
this was all about.
She plunged in.
"I love you. I do. I want to marry you more than anything. Anything.
Don't ever think anything but that.
I can't even breathe sometimes when I think about how much I love
you. I don't think it's normal to love this hard, this much. It amazes
me. And it's not just the all the physical stuff either. I mean that's
great, that's fantastic. It's, it's,......... " Tish tried to find some new
words to describe it.
"I know, I know." John said and took her hand away from his face
and began rubbing it. He still looked miserable and sad, like he knew
something bad was coming.
"But I love your heart, the way you are with people, your talent, your
intelligence,....everything John,...just everything. You know this don't
you?" Tish asked.
"Then, what is it baby? What is it? Why are you acting so weird?" he
said.
"I just panic when I think about getting married. You know when
you have a dog on a leash and you're trying to get him to move and
he sits down and you start dragging him across the floor? Well, that's
me when I hear the word marriage. Marriage to me has been pure H
E L L. I've been through some pretty horrible things, experiences
with marriage and I can't live through that again. I wouldn't live
through it again.
I KNOW we wouldn't be like that. I KNOW it would....no it WILL be
great. There's just some tough stuff I've got to get through first."
"What stuff?" he sighed.
"For starters, the big weddings ....to be the bride .....I love to go to one
but to be THE center of attention, to be under that much pressure,
been there, done that. I can NOT do it again.
"That's not a problem. I hate that stuff too. We won't do that. There
problem solved. Next one." He said.
"Yeah, but, John you need to do it for your mom, your family....don't
you know a lot of this stuff is for other people?"
"Not if you're gonna' have a breakdown over it." He was frowning.
"Well, we'll talk about that one later. Secondly,
"engagement"...........can't do it. I had one of the worst
engagements............." Tish stopped and said, "You know what, come
to think of it...I hate all of it...I break out in hives just thinking about
it. What difference does it make why. I'm just not gonna' do it. You
can't make me!"

John had his face in his hand leaning on the arm of the chair. He just
stared at her.
"That's it."
"John, I just need some time to...deal with everything...."
"But, that's it." he repeated.
"Basically. I want to be married to you. I want us to be married for
the rest of our lives and I will NOT ever get another divorce. But it's
the getting there part..." Tish was rambling.
"Sounds to me like you're just scared."
"I am." Tish started getting teary now, which she hadn't wanted.
He pulled her into those big arms.
"I'm scared to death." She said.
They didn't say anything for awhile.
John cleared his throat, "I'm scared, too" and he pulled back and
looked into her face.
"But, we have to do this. We have to be grownups about this. You,
know.....that's how you grow, the tough parts are what define us as
humans....all that stuff."
Tish said, "Just give me some time, please, I can work all this out, just
give me some time."
"We don't have that much time. I want to start a family. And I've
waited a long time to say that. I've waited a long time to WANT that
with someone. And I want that with you."

Tish put her arms around his neck and she hurt so bad. She couldn't
look him in the face. He'd know if he could see her face.
"Just a little time, please? It's complicated." She whispered.
How could she ever tell him? She couldn't, she just couldn't. How
could she tell him what she had just realized herself, this afternoon,
today? It broke her heart to think about it. How could she have been
so stupid? To think they were going get away with this. To think that
this perfect thing that had happened between she and John would go
ahead without any problems. That they would be the one couple to
find perfect love and live happily ever after. It never happened like
that. No, God always seemed to throw in these little tid-bits to keep
things lively.
Everything she had told John about marriage was true. She did have
a big problem about it. That was all true.
But she knew, she knew they could get around all those things.
But how would they ever get around the fact that the baby she was
carrying, and she was now sure she was pregnant, ...............how
could John ever get around the fact that it might be Steve's and not
his?
They went to sleep that night and they were both involved in their
own thoughts and worries. John, knew something was wrong. No
matter what she said, he could tell. Something was terribly wrong.
The next morning, after John's driver picked him up, Tish packed
and left. She took John's things back to the hotel suite and left him a
note. She wanted to write him a long letter, she wanted to say so
much but she knew it needed to be short and sweet. She just said she
had to work some things out and she was going home. Tish finished
the note with an "I'll call you."
She picked up Lissie and they got to the airport and were gone by 11.
Tish was relieved to see her children and her Mom. She was glad to
be home. Lissie was excited at the prospect of working together. Tish
accomplished what she needed to do today. She would just go day by
day and work this thing out. But without Johnny. She would take
care of her home, her kids, her work and this new baby if everything
went well. She would have the testing done as soon as possible to
make sure the baby was healthy and who the father was. Then she
would decide what to do. She would see John then, if the baby was
his and if it wasn't she knew, she would never see him again.
'I've done the right thing,' Tish thought, ' I've done the only thing I
could do. And somehow I'll keep walking and talking and doing what
I need to do for my children. But I'll be dead inside.
I feel like there isn't a heart inside my chest anymore. I don't have it
anymore.'
She'd left it on a little patio in New Orleans with a dark-haired
dancing man.
fin

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These links do not work, but I do not want to remove them. Molly
BOOK 1 CHAPTER 1-5

BOOK 1 CHAPTER 6-11

BOOK 1 CHAPTER 12

AUTHOR NOTE..... NO CHAPTER 13

BOOK 1 CHAPTER 14

BOOK 1 CHAPTER 15

BOOK 1 CHAPTER 16

BOOK 1 CHAPTER 17

BOOK 1 CHAPTER 18

BOOK 1 CHAPTER 19

BOOK 1 CHAPTER 20

BOOK 2 CHAPTER 1-3

CHAPTER 4-6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

AUTHOR NOTE..... NO CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

BOOK 3

BOOK 3 CHAPTER 4

BOOK 3 CHAPTER 5

BOOK 3 CHAPTER 6

BOOK 3 CHAPTER 7

BOOK 3 CHAPTER 8

BOOK 3 CHAPTER 9

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ALL ORIGINAL MATERIAL. COPYRIGHT 2002 TRICIA
ANY ATTEMPT TO REPRODUCE WILL BE DELT WITH SWIFTLY.