Chapter Five
Bass was on his phone when we emerged from the club, but he stayed close to me with his strong arm holding my hips. A black Escalade pulled up in front of us almost immediately and a few cameras flashed out of nowhere, nearly blinding me.
Paparazzi were everywhere.
“Bass, who’s your date tonight? She’s hot!” a guy asked and flashed his camera at us.
“Good choice tonight, Bass. Is she fresh meat?” another one from the annoying goodbye party asked.
“Bass!” someone yelled at the top of his lungs.
Christ.
“Bass Cole, over here! Is she your new girlfriend?” another man asked.
A few security men came over and ushered us towards the waiting SUV. Who would have thought that getting into a vehicle a few feet away would take forever?
I was relieved once I got in the SUV. Once inside, Bass profusely apologized. “Sorry I didn’t warn you about the paparazzi. They can be very obtrusive sometimes. I should’ve prepared you for that.”
“It’s all right. I mean, you’re a celebrity; that comes with the territory, I guess,” I mumbled back to him.
“Where do you want me to take you, Sir?” the chauffer asked.
“Just take me back to my place, Lou. I need to pick up my car.”
“Right away, Sir,” Lou replied and focused on the traffic.
Shit, we’re going to his house to get his car. Shit. I had no f*cking clue where this night was heading. I certainly didn’t expect to end up with a f*cking celebrity, let alone with Bass Cole of all men! Hell, I was super nervous. With the leather seat and my short dress, I could feel my legs start to sweat.
Bass’ cell phone was constantly ringing and beeping. How did he live his life like that? It was disconcerting.
“Hey, Turner!” I heard him say as I watched the passing cars before me. “No, dude, can’t join the crowd. I’m with Emma.” I smiled at the way he said my name. He sounded like he’d known me for a while and not just a couple of hours.
I could just imagine this Turner dude asking, ‘Who the heck is Emma?’ because Bass replied, “My date for the evening. Now, if you don’t mind, go hassle someone else. Gotta go. Bye.”
“Are you okay?” he murmured as he moved closer, not touching me, but close enough that I could feel the heat of his body.
“I don’t know. I’m thinking ‘what the f*ck’ right now,” I answered him with honesty.
He chuckled at my retort.
“Try to relax. I won’t let you down,” Bass promised with seriousness.
I muttered ‘uhhmm’ and reverted back to looking through the glass absentmindedly. He was silent the rest of the ride and I was quite thankful that he was. I needed to gather my thoughts.
Lou drove up a long winding driveway and stopped in front of an impressive house made almost entirely of glass. When he opened my door for us to step out, I suddenly felt anxious. I am so out of my league here, I thought with a moment of insanity.
When Lou bid us goodnight and left, Bass held my arm and pulled me towards his home. Once he managed to open the door, the lights immediately flickered to life.
Wow, I thought as I took in my surroundings.
An entire glass wall panel was made into a waterfall. The open space was done elegantly in black, white and silver with cerulean blue accents that meshed quite chicly. It was all very masculine and I was impressed.
“I want to tell you that your house is gorgeous, but you probably hear that all the time,” I said, grinning from ear to ear.
“Thank you. I do, but it’s a first from you. So, it counts.” With his arm around my waist, he nudged me forward. My heels echoed loudly against the black marbled floor. “Come on, I want to show you the view from the patio.”
The view before me was simply amazing. Situated on a hilltop, the bright lights of Los Angeles sprawled before our eyes, vast and mysterious. It was utterly captivating. The famous Hollywood sign could be seen in the distance. Magnificent, was all I could think. My eyes took in the sight before me with great fascination.
“It’s marvelous, isn’t it?” he asked from behind me. I merely nodded in agreement. It was truly majestic. Bass cleared his throat and his dark, toe-curling voice asked, “You’re a new guest in my home, Emma Anderson. What can I get you for refreshments?”
“Red wine and water, please.”
Bass smiled lazily. “Right away, Miss.”
Charming, just charming… and he was disturbing my lucidity.
I followed him further inside the house and watched as he moved about his impressive kitchen. I leaned over the island as he gathered my drinks. He was nice to look at and I couldn’t seem to drag my eyes away from him. Okay, I conceded. He was more than nice to look at—he was epic. I could look at his smoldering eyes and his lazy smiles all night long.
“So, where did Cece go?” I lightly inquired. Did they exchange numbers? I wouldn’t put it past Cece.
I caught him hide back a smile. Goodness, that smile of his… Shit, why was it that I felt the urge to just jump on him and kiss him? Wow, I was really crushing on him big time.
“I knew what you were doing, you know. I have to tell you that I feel insulted—truly and deeply insulted—that you would ditch me and hand me over to someone else, but you weren’t that slick.” Bass shook his head, smiling. “I caught you at the right moment.” He made an emphasis of the word ‘caught.’
Ha! If only…
Bass handed me a bottle of water then opened a bottle of red wine and took out two wine glasses.
Such a yummy, fascinating specimen to look at…
“Whoops. Thought it was a match made in Heaven,” I jested back at his grinning face.
“Not even close. Not. Even. Close,” he murmured as he left for the patio, barefoot.
I followed him and watched as he placed the items on the table and turned on the huge outdoor marbled fireplace. He then went back inside to get something else. I walked towards the rattan chaise lounge and rested my aching feet.
The ambiance around here was getting cozy and downright romantic. Bass Cole, a true romantic? I wished, but I guessed that acting had taught him a thing or two about romance. This was a step more than what Carter had ever shown me. I should just bask in it and not over-think it.
My phone rang inside my purse and I instantly reached for it. Maybe I shouldn’t have because I gasped when I saw who my caller was.
Carter Mason’s name was flashing manically at me.
After a few more flashes, it stopped.
I had nine missed calls and two text messages from Carter. Curious, I hastily opened my messages.
Carter: Where the f*ck are you?
Great, so now he’s worried?
Carter: Cece just posted a video on Facebook of you and some celebrity guy dancing. What the f*ck were you thinking?
What the f*ck was I thinking? You have got to be kidding me!
Carter: Pick. The. F*ck. Up!!!!!
Bastard!
I didn’t even bother responding to his stupid texts.
A big part of me was delighted that he was affected by this. What girl wouldn’t be? It was a big slap in his face. Did he really think I would sit back and cry over him after how he treated me the last time I saw him? How he didn’t even have the decency to look me in the eye when he left me bedraggled and naked on his bed? It took him, what? Like a whole three minutes to f*cking ditch me for a shower after he came? Prick.
No! Carter Mason was history.
He was, wasn’t he? Then why did I feel a sudden pang of sadness?
My thoughts of Carter went on hiatus when Bass came out with a tray of food and placed it on the table. It consisted of fruits, brie and crackers, cold cuts, black and green olives, cherry tomatoes, dark and milk chocolates, a slice of strawberry cheesecake and chocolate cake, and a bag of Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream chips.
I laughed. “This is a very interesting mix you’ve got here, Bass.”
He blushed and placed his hands in his pockets. “I didn’t know what you wanted so, I, uh, guessed.” He really blushed! Maybe he wasn’t the playboy the tabloids portrayed him to be? Didn’t they like to exaggerate to get more sales?
Amused, I graciously thanked him as he handed me a glass of wine. He sat on the larger rattan outdoor couch to my left. Leaning back, he popped a cherry tomato in his mouth. So f*cking hot, I thought and quickly looked away, a bit bothered.
“So… what do you want to talk about Bass?”
“You, anything and everything about you.” His magnetic gaze studied me. My throat went dry as I felt the heated scrutiny of his blue eyes. God, help me. Why did this man affect me so much? I just met him for Pete’s sake!
I took a careful sip of the wine and savored the smoothness as it went down before I went on. “Let’s see, I’m a college student at UCSB, major undecided, for now. I love cheesy movies and have a thing for athletes. I get emotional—especially a week or two before my period. I treasure those who are dear to me and eject the people who aren’t. I stock up all of my fortune cookies until I have over twenty of them and eat them all in one sitting. I come from a loving home so I’m not emotionally crippled in that sense. The only issues I have with my parents are their persistent nagging for me to become a doctor. We have a family cat named Tumble, who I am chronically allergic to, but I love all the same. I have a ten-year-old pillow that I wash constantly, mind you, but can’t let go of. And yes, it is a tad ratty, but I just can’t part with it.”
He chuckled. “Ratty pillow, emotional, undecided and allergic to cats, gotcha. And you have a thing for athletes? Say, David Beckham?”
“Uh, who doesn’t have a thing for him?” I countered back, aghast at his question.
Becks was the prime hotness. Show me a single soul who didn’t pant and ogle at those delicious Armani ads, especially at that sexy package of his? Right? Exactly my point.
“So, actors… you don’t have a thing for?” he asked, his eyes peeked at me through his lashes, smoldering like the hot man that he was! His sex appeal was off the charts. If I got to see his hot, naked body, I would devour this lovely creature and lick every ridge of those dang abs of his.
Wait, was the great Bass Cole fishing for compliments?
“No, not yet.” I pressed my lips together, hiding a smile.
He grinned. “You are something else, aren’t you?” He placed his hands behind his head and I couldn’t help gawking at his muscular arms. “Are you dating anyone, Em?”
Being forward, wasn’t he?
I shook my head. “No, not anymore. It ended yesterday actually, if you really want to know.”
“Oh, wow. I didn’t expect that,” he muttered.
“Expect what?” I glanced at his boggled state. What did he mean by that?
“That you’re on the rebound.”
Uh, what the hell?
“Who said I was on the rebound?” I exasperatedly asked the mysterious man across me. Cece? It had to be Cece.
“That’s just a given. A person is on the rebound for a month after breaking it off with someone, especially if the person they broke it off with actually meant something, then that’s another shitload of shenanigans.”
Okay… he was complicated and odd to say the least.
“Can I just say that… you’re weird? I never thought Bass Cole would be weird until this moment.”
“Ha. You are too cute sometimes.”
Gee, thanks. Looking cute was what I had aimed for tonight—not. Cute? Cute was for kids, not a grown almost twenty-one-year-old woman!
Diverging from the touchy subject, he continued on. “What are your favorite films?” he asked as he prepared crackers with cheese and olives on them. Placing them on a cocktail napkin, he handed them to me. I murmured my thanks. The man had such gracious manners—so unlike Carter.
I took a small bite and spoke, “Eurotrip was a blast. The Notebook, Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Kingdom of Heaven, Defiance and Closer to name a few.”
“Interesting choices you have there. I like it. So, what did you like about Closer?” he inquired as he watched me eat and talk.
I shrugged. “What’s not to like? It was a great film with great actors. The story was moving and relatable.”
“So, you condone cheating then?” he pressed, figuring me out.
“No, I never said that. I don’t condone it. I meant it was relatable in a sense that our society has made it somewhat okay. If a famous celebrity cheats on someone, they publicize it to the hilt and it’s portrayed as acceptable to some, I supposed. I wish they didn’t though because it sets a bad example to others.”
“Good answer.”
“Thank you,” I murmured and downed my drink. Excellent choice of wine, I thought to myself.
This was surreal…
“Tell me, why The Notebook?” He was still pressing for answers.
“Because that movie was hella awesome!? But to answer your question, I loved how committed the hero was to his love. His unfaltering dedication to the promise he made years back was astounding. I mean, he truly, deeply loved her. It’s that kind of love that stays with you, you know? The kind where it haunts you and there is nowhere to hide…” I trailed off, my thoughts on Carter and my wasted love. My heart gripped me for a second. I thought back at how cold he was when he told me to gather my things and leave his house. I was instantly brought back to the present.
“Have you had that kind of love?” he inquired, pressing me further.
“I thought I did once, but it was a mirage… there was no point on holding on to it. Maybe one day I’ll get to have it. I would consider myself lucky if I ever did, not a lot of people can say that they have though.” I glanced at him and asked, “What about you? Have you ever had it? That kind of love, I mean.” I had to clarify it just in case he took my question as an innuendo.
He smiled at my inquisition as his eyes glittered at me.
“No, not yet, but if I do, I will embrace it and hold onto it for as long as I can. I haven’t loved a woman before. It’s not that I’m hiding from it, it just hasn’t happened. I do know that once I do, this woman would consume me and I would gladly surrender to it, to her. I would be enslaved to it and love her wholeheartedly, no holds barred.” Bass spoke with utmost depth and conviction.
That was quite intense and deep. That woman would be very lucky indeed. Imagine all this hot goodness as yours to conquer and behold.
Jealous much, Emma? I cringed at my stupid thoughts. Was I drunk already? Surely because my mind couldn’t be tamed. It just kept on wandering about.
“Do you want to drive somewhere, Em? We can go wherever you like,” he asked softly. His question was much appreciated, but unnecessary.
“It’s okay. I kind of like it here; it’s very peaceful. I’d like to stay here, if you don’t mind?” I didn’t want to leave the beautiful scene before me.
The scene was ‘the view on the patio’ and the beautiful man beside me.
“Throughout life you will meet one person who is unlike any other. This person is one you could forever talk to. They understand you in a way that no one else does or even could. This person is your soul mate, your best friend. Don’t ever let them go, for they’re your guardian angel sent from heaven above.”
~Author Unknown