Episode eighty-three: Spago

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Next: Episode 84

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Episode Eighty-Three: Spago

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That morning I woke up early to work out with Edward before we took a steamy, though sadly nonsexual, shower together. Afterward, I made breakfast for everyone. He left Demetri and I at the dinner table after giving me a breathtaking kiss. He stood over me, holding my face in both of his big hands as he showed me exactly how much he was going to miss me throughout the day. I hummed in pleasure as I watched him go, smiling to myself as I put my chin on my fist. 

“You look like you’re ready to just melt for him at any minute,” Demetri teased when we were alone. I could hear Edward’s engine as it came to life, and it made me miss him a little. 

“Girl, because I am,” I laughed playfully, a little embarrassed to be caught. I let out a breath and put my hand on my fluttering heart. Fanning my face, I smiled like an idiot. “Can you blame me?”

He let out a breath, too. “Not in the least. I want me one.”

“You got one,” I laughed and he just shrugged. “I’m going to tell Riley.” 

“Go ahead. He’d want one, too.”  

We got massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, and our hair trimmed. They styled it for me so that it was piled up high on my head, the curls slipping down. We had a quick lunch before going shopping. I had most of what I needed, but I did buy a couple of things. Some new lingerie and a new dress for the evening. My sweet friend went nuts, though. He was going to have most of it shipped back to New York. 

Once we got back to the house after our long afternoon out, Demetri did my makeup. The dress that I had gotten was a pretty, gauzy white bohemian-style with long loose sleeves and a flared skirt that cut off at my knees. I put on a pair of my new white high heeled shoes from Edward’s shopping spree. For once, I felt like I belonged somewhere in Hollywood.  

We had reservations, of course, for Spago. Edward would be meeting us there once he got off of work and got cleaned up. There were paparazzi outside, but none of them noticed me this time. I wasn’t surprised but extremely grateful. I might have felt like I belonged, but I still didn’t want them to take my picture. It was just awkward.  

Demetri and I sat at a beautiful table in a corner, and both of us ordered a cocktail while we looked at the wine list together. There were many over a thousand dollars. We just snorted at them because we would have been happy with a ten buck one.   

I sipped on a ruby red fruit-flavored martini, and it didn't taste of liquor at all. It was so easy to drink. "If these were cheaper, things would get trashy so quick," I whispered to my friend. He laughed over his and nodded. “I need this recipe so we can get wasted at home for less.”  

“I know that’s right,” he mumbled, taking another long slurp. His eyes got wider. "Oo, your man, is coming, and he has a rose." 

Before I could even turn around, I felt his lips press to my temple before he presented me with a single peach-colored rose. I turned my face slightly to the side, pressing a quick kiss to his jaw before taking it from him. 

“For my queen,” Edward whispered in my ear just so I could hear it.  

“Oh, how lovely. Thank you. I love the color,” I answered as I brought it to my nose. It smelled magnificent. “You are so wonderfully thoughtful.” 

“I do try,” he smiled playfully before pulling another rose from behind his back. It was hot pink. He bestowed it to Demetri and it matched his outfit perfectly. I wondered if he did that on purpose. He probably knew what he was wearing from whatever my friend had posted last.  

“AW!” He said too loudly then giggled as he took it. “Thank you. What a gentleman. Oh, my god! I haven’t gotten a flower in ages!” He gushed to me. Edward had literally made his night all the more extra. 

I couldn’t help but smile. Once again, I felt like melting. “He’s showing off for you, and I kind of love it,” I admitted to them both with a scrunched up nose. My love chuckled, sitting beside me.

“It’s not that hard, and it’s obviously making you very happy,” he replied.  

“You’re always a little too much. You know that?” He nodded, winking at me. I laughed as I passed him the wine list. “You pick.”

“With pleasure,” he said cheerfully, opening it up with one hand while reaching over to hold mine with the other. “I was actually looking at the menu on the way here for dinner, and I think I really want that grilled prime New York steak.”

I hummed softly as I mindlessly rubbed one of his knuckles. “Me too actually,” I answered. “You pick up to six things for the table, right? And everyone shares? Everything looks so good.”

“I’d like some of that gnocchi,” Demetri added in. I nodded my head in agreement. “And the asparagus.”

"Oh! Yes,” I concurred. “I'm going to overeat so much." I smiled over my drink, squeezing Edward's hand as I relaxed back in my chair a little. I was almost done with it and really wanted another. "Have you seen the dessert menu? How do you even pick?" 

Edward leaned his head from one side to the other, playfully considering it. “We each get something different and share?” He offered with a chuckle. “Though, I may get us a little something extra to take home with us for later. Have it by the pool after a nice relaxing smoke.”

“It is a good thing we’re both active,” I teased, setting my empty martini glass down. A waiter instantly took it away as they passed. 

He ordered a nice bottle of German white wine, and Demetri asked about the movie he was about to start filming. It was a bit of a dark comedy that involved a vampire and a human psychic. Eddie was playing the vampire, and he was very excited about it. He loved that it was a gloomy character in a funny movie. He kept referring to it as witty.   

After we finished that bottle and I had yet another fruity martini, my boyfriend ordered one of those thousand dollars plus bottles of champagne to go with our dessert without any warning. I gasped loudly. 

“Edward!” I laughed as the waitress walked away. “What are you doing?” He didn’t have to be that extra. We were all halfway to drunk. It was a good thing that he decided to drop the car off at home when he quickly got changed. No one could drive. 

“Celebrating,” he said blithely, his chin high in the air. 

“What exactly?” I put my cheek on my knuckles as I looked at him teasingly. He had an impish little grin. 

He licked his bottom lip, smiling all the more brightly. “Well, we are celebrating the fact that I was offered another lead role today.”

"Yes!" I applauded instantly, reaching for him. He took both of my hands into his large one, squeezing them tightly as he pulled me towards him for a kiss. Edward had waited all evening to perfectly spring it on us before dessert. "That's so awesome! Okay, yeah. We definitely do need some good champagne for that," I agreed, his smile very satisfied. I brought his hand to my mouth and quickly kissed it lightly. "Well, I think it's been an extremely good day for all of us." 

“I think so, too,” Demetri agreed, raising his martini glass. “Congrats, sweetie. I cannot wait to watch everything you make. Break a leg.”

“Me too!” I said with a drunk little giggle. 

Edward chuckled. “Thank you. And tomorrow will be even better because I get to spend most of it with my girl.” 

“Yup.” I winked at him. 

When we left Spago with our extra dessert, a dozen flashes went off in our direction at once. No doubt Edward’s name was in the news not only because of his upcoming awards and premiers but his future movie and voiceover work. At least a dozen people cried out ‘Eddie!’ while we waited for the car, all of them asking him questions at once. Some of them called to me as well, just trying to get someone’s attention. He didn't say anything this time, too many people to try to appease at once. Thankfully, the car arrived quickly to pick us up, and we were only on the curb for a minute.

On the drive home, I laid my head on my boyfriend’s shoulder and chatted with Demetri. 

He went to bed once we got home, feeling really tired from all his traveling and our long day together. I couldn’t blame him. Demetri was probably a little drunk as well. Edward had to finish some business emails before he could go to bed, so he left me outside with a joint while he went to work in his office with the promise that he would finish up as quickly as possible. 

I checked my messages on the phone, sending one to Alice and replying to Jasper’s from earlier in the day. It was a little after eleven in the evening when he called me. He had probably just gotten off of work.

“Hey there, dove. How are you?” He said sunnily. 

I bit my lip, spinning my ring around my finger again. "I'm good," I said lightly, but I paused, and he sensed my hesitation right away. 

“What’s bothering you?” He asked softly. 

Taking a breath, I thought about it. Nothing should have been, but I could still feel anxiety in the back of my head. It gnawed on me quietly. “Oh… Um, I guess I’m just nervous about tomorrow. It’s just getting real… this celebrity thing. Edward is obviously enjoying it and steering fully into it. Which he should. I’m just not sure how good I’m going to be at it. I mean, I’m having fun, but you know...”

I heard him make a little noise of understanding. "It's overwhelming, isn't it? I remember the first time he got recognized when we were going out in Sydney. He was over the fucking moon, and I hated it." 

“A cute little girl wanted my autograph the other day. It was so strange. I don’t know why she would want it,” I admitted to him. 
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“I heard,” he replied with a little chuckle. “It pleased our boy greatly.” 

I laughed a little softly before pausing. I sighed, looking out onto the beautiful view. “Jasper, what if I’m not good at this?”

"Well, then you can stay at home with me, and he can go by himself," Jasper said in a no-nonsense sort of way. I laughed again at his answer. He chuckled as well. "It's okay to be nervous. You'll do marvelously, I promise," he breathed. "I can't wait to see all the pictures. I bet you're both going to be so beautiful." 

Jasper was so kind. I thought about the video in Sydney that Edward was working on. I hated that I didn’t get a chance to make any with him. With clothes on, anyway. 

“Don’t worry,” I promised in a whisper. “I’ll send you tons.” 

He chuckled again. “Oh, I know Tony will,” he said dreamily. “He’s going to show you off at every angle. Not that I can blame him. Lucky bloke.”

“You’re a sweetheart.”

“Mm,” he hummed softly. “You’ll do fine, my dove. Don’t worry.”  

I bit my lip as I thought about a question that I wanted to ask him. “Have you ever gone to anything like this before?”

“I’ve gone to a couple of award shows and a premier. He wasn’t as big then though so we pretty much just strolled through. I didn’t love it. The premier was more fun. It was just a party. Awards are boring. They remind me of an assembly at school.”

“We won’t stroll through tomorrow,” I replied. 

“Nope,” he agreed before giving a little sigh. “Bella… I promise that you don’t have to do any of this stuff if you really don’t like it.”

I lit the joint again, bringing it up to my lips so I could take a hit. Gazing out at the mountains, I thought about the things I wanted and what I was capable of. I knew there was a difference. "I know. It's not that I don't want to. It's just… scary. I craved this so badly as a teenager, and I don't know what to do with myself now that I have it. I just want to be perfect for him." 

“He doesn’t need perfect. He just needs you.”

I nodded a little to myself. "You're right, and I know that, but still," I sighed.

“Don’t worry,” he repeated.  

I heard the glass door open, and I looked behind me to see Edward coming out to join me. He began to smile when I turned around. "Speaking of Tony." I brought my phone down from my ear and put it on speaker so he could be a part of the conversation.  

“Hello, love,” our boyfriend said happily as he sat beside me. He put his arm around my shoulder and pressed a quick kiss on my cheek. “How are you this evening?” Taking the joint, he drew in a deep breath. 

“Better now that I get to talk to both of you,” Jasper answered sweetly. 

I suddenly remembered something. “Oh, someone has some good news to share with you, actually.” I poked Edward with a small smile. 

“Oh?” Our boyfriend questioned. 

He blew out the smoke, nodding his head proudly. “Yup. I do have some great news. I was offered another lead role today. Just out of the blue. I was their first choice,” he told him smugly. “They’re doing a remake of Dangerous Liaisons. It’s a period piece.”

“Oh, you didn’t tell me that!” I said excitedly. We had been distracted by champagne and desserts before we got to that part. “Wait… So, you’re playing the main guy.” I started to laugh excitedly. “Oh, my god. All those sex scenes!” I pretended to be scandalized. 

“What?” Jasper said in confusion. 

I’m not sure he knew what the story was even about. I saw his eyes get wider. “Oh, I didn’t think about that… They didn’t mention sex scenes,” Edward mumbled almost to himself. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah? Of course,” I laughed again at his worried expression. “Who’s your costars?” I was way too amused. I knew it was going to be super awkward for him. He probably wouldn’t mind being naked in front of someone, but pretending to get nasty with them was another matter. 

“I don’t know, actually. I’m the first they’ve cast,” he answered, his cheeks a little flushed with color as the idea finally sank in. “I’ve only ever done a kiss. Crap, how do I fake that?”

"Don't look at me," I said dryly. "I mean, I can try to do it later if you want..." 

Jasper laughed loudly. “I’ve seen your acting, dove. I don’t think he’ll be able to tell.”
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Edward instantly made a horrified face. “No!” I snapped at our boyfriend quickly, playfully. “Don’t try to make him paranoid on purpose, you mean thing!” I actually heard his evil giggle as I said it. I clicked my tongue. “Well, what makes you think you’d be able to tell?” That stopped him. Edward laughed wickedly in return. “You’re both terrible.”

“Well, I just have to make sure you’re actually getting off when I get you off,” Edward mumbled as he leaned in to kiss my neck. “You can fake it with him if you need to. I understand.”

“Stop,” I snorted, leaning my head to the side to get away from him. “I’m too easy to have to do that, and you both know it.”

“That’s true,” Jasper agreed teasingly. “Tony, I can’t wait to see you try to fuck about in a frilly shirt and a wig.”

“Me either,” he agreed with a laugh before reaching for the silver box of joints on the coffee table in front of us. The first was almost done, and he wanted more. “Maybe you can both come on the set and watch me make a fool of myself.”

I passed him the lighter. “You won’t make a fool of yourself, I promise. But I’d love to watch you,” I informed him enthusiastically. 

“Me too,” Jasper chimed in.  

Edward lit the joint and took in a deep breath. He smiled at me. "Mm, I can’t wait… Well, I hate to do this to you, darling, but I'm afraid I'm going to steal our girlfriend away now. It's almost time for bed, and I have a black forest torte that I want to feed her first," Edward said flirtatiously. 

Jasper grumbled for a moment. “I am so jealous for so many reasons.”

"Then maybe you should have come with us!" He answered a bit too proudly. "We would make sure that there would never be a reason for you to be jealous ever again.”

“Oh, really?” He responded back just as seductively. 

“Mm, I intend the spoil you just like I do her,” our boyfriend answered. “In every way that I can. You’ll see.” There was so much warmth and desire in his voice. 

“I sincerely can’t wait,” Jasper repeated, the wanting apparent in his tone.     

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