From Now Until Infinity (2) (17 page)

It takes us longer than it should to get to the fried treat booth because we’re now surrounded on all sides about five fans deep. They’re yelling at Colin wanting his autograph or to take a picture with him. There’s even one girl who flashes us her boobs and screams her phone number at Colin. He pulls me tighter to him and whispers in my ear, “just ignore them.”

I’m trying to ignore this scene, but it’s kind of hard when there’s a topless woman not ten feet from you. I’m very thankful to Brad and Jenny that they hired us security. I had no idea that Colin was this popular.

I finally get my fried Twinkie, and it tastes like nothing more than a cream filled donut. I make tiny orgasmic noises anyway trying to tempt Colin into a bite. He gives my friend Twinkie a disgusted look and refuses.

Fortunately the VIP food tents are very close by so we escape inside, and leave Colin’s adoring public outside.

Colin and I both want bar-be-que. Butch leaves us to go make our food purchases while the other four security guys linger at the entrance to the tent finally giving us some privacy.

I look around and realize that I recognize some of the faces. For a girl who’s not real up on pop culture, I’m proud of myself. I take out my phone and pretend to be texting while I take a picture of an actor that’s on some sitcom that Brad watches.

I text him the picture with a message.

Me: We’re having a good time. Thought I would send you some eye candy.

Brad quickly responds.

Brad: You’re the eye candy. Y’all look hot together.

Me: What?

Brad: It’s breaking news on the Entertainment Channel. Colin is with a mystery woman, and it’s not Sasha.

I roll my eyes and put my phone down. Guess the cat’s out of the proverbial bag. Colin sits down with two plates of bar-be-que delivered to him by Butch. Mine is brisket, sauce, beans, and potato salad. His plate is filled with turkey and chicken with no sauce or any sides.

“Brad says that we’re breaking news on the Entertainment Channel.” I just toss the little grenade out there to see what Colin’s reaction is going to be.

His face doesn’t change. “What? No celebrity has gotten arrested today?”

“Not today.”

“You know, Mark says that I’m the Brad Pitt of football.” Colin’s sometimes too cocky for his own good.

“Hmm…” I pretend to think about him being the Brad Pitt of football. With just my eyes, I look up toward the top of the tent and tap my right index finger against my forehead. Then, I dramatically reply, “I think that you’re better looking.”

He takes a bite of his turkey and smirks at me while giving me a cocky laugh. “I think that you’re just slightly biased.”

“Maybe I am, but I could totally be your Angelina Jolie.”

“Wow! Charlie, I’m impressed that you actually know who Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are,” Colin teases me.

I throw my napkin at him. “I’m not quite as clueless about pop culture as you think that I am.”

Even in the VIP tent, our dinner is soon interrupted. Colin politely speaks to everyone that stops by our table. I wish I knew who these people are. Brad would so get a kick out of me actually meeting celebrities. When the sitcom guy that I took the picture of approaches Colin to talk football, I ask him if I can take a picture with him. He laughs and says, “Only if I can get a picture with McKinney.”

It wasn’t like this when we dated before. Fans wanted to congratulate Colin on a good season and get his autograph, but he didn’t have other celebrities vying for his attention. This’s a wakeup call for me that things are indeed very different for round two of our relationship.

I check my watch and realize that if Colin’s going to get to watch any of the rodeo, we need to get moving. I politely tell this to Colin in front of the sitcom star. He actually acts embarrassed and apologizes for taking up so much of Colin’s time. Yup! We’re in a different league here than last time.

Security escorts us into Reliant Stadium and up to the third floor. There are VIP suite boxes that we can watch the rodeo from. Then, when it’s time for the concert, we’ll be some of the lucky few that get to watch George Strait from the stadium floor.

Colin and I have a blast watching the cowboys ride bulls. We cheer on the chuck wagons that race around barrels. But, Colin’s favorite event is the calf scramble. High school students compete with one another to coax, catch, and halter one of the calves across the winner's line. The successful student receives money to purchase a breeding animal to be raised and shown at the rodeo next year. It’s really hysterical. The calves drag the poor kids all over the arena. They usually need help from another student to get the calf across the finish line.

I take a minute and enjoy watching Colin watch the calf scramble. He’s happy. Since our reconciliation, it’s been one stressful event after the next. Tonight, his eyes are not creased. He’s laughing more than I have seen him laugh. Colin’s carefree and that makes everything worth it. I’d do anything to ensure that we have more happy times like this.

When the lights go down, Butch taps us on the shoulder, and we follow him through a series of hallways and doors until we’re in the tunnels under the stadium. I lean over and ask Colin before we walk out onto the stadium floor, “Have you played here before?”

“Yeah a couple of times,” he replies with a chuckle.

I’m not sure if he’s making fun of me. I tried really hard for eight years to not know anything about Colin McKinney. That included watching him play football.

I lean over to Colin and explain that the rodeo concert’s not your typical concert. First of all, every performer uses the same stage. It’s circular and rotates so that everyone in the stadium can see the performer. The other major difference is there are no stage decorations or props. It’s a small stage so there isn’t room for sets. It’s a pretty intimate experience for such a large venue. Also, because a rodeo has just finished, there’s no floor seating. We’re handed a lawn chair and allowed to walk out on the sandy dirt floor. There’s no assigned seating so we’re free to put our lawn chairs wherever we like.

Colin and I set up our lawn chairs giving us enough dance floor around us. I sit down and relax for a moment. I know that my cowboy is going to make me dance every dance with him when George Strait starts singing.

“I can’t believe we’re seeing George Strait together,” Colin gushes like a little boy. “I’ve seen him a bunch of times in concert, but never with my best dance partner.”

I squeeze his knee and snuggle into him as close as I can get. However, the lawn chair does a good job of keeping us mostly apart.

The crowd erupts in yells, whoops, and screams as George Strait takes the stage. Colin and I jump to our feet.

When George Strait begins to sing, Colin grabs my hand, and he leans in and yells in my ear so I can hear him over the screams of the crowd, “May I have this dance, beautiful girl?”

I nod my head yes, and we begin to two step like the old pros we are. Nothing feels more right than being in his arms. He’s a strong leader, confident in his stance. I’m good at following his steps. We fit perfectly together when we’re dancing. The rest of the world melts away. It’s just Colin and me in our cocoon of happiness.

Finally, George takes a break so we can sit down. I reach into my purse and pull out a bottle of water and offer Colin a sip. We work to get our breathing under control and enjoy listening to George Strait sing the next couple of songs.

Then, he begins the first lyrics of the song that Colin sang to me last night when he thought that I was sleeping.
I Cross My Heart
is truly one of the most perfect love songs ever written. Colin grabs my hand, and we begin to dance together. He sings the words to me as I stare into his beautiful green eyes. When George gets to the lyrics, “And if along the way we find a day, it starts to storm. You've got the promise of my love. To keep you warm.” Colin stops dancing and looks at me with his piercing green eyes, “remember that, okay?”

“Remember what, baby?” I ask as I stand on my tip toes to yell in his ear so he can hear me.

He pulls me to him and attacks my mouth. It’s a toe curling kiss. Nothing PG about it. It’s so indecent that I’m a little sad that we’re in the middle of a huge crowd because it’s the kind of kiss that makes girls do dumb things.

When he pulls back, we’re both breathless and incredibly turned on. Colin speaks first. “Remember that kiss. I fuckin’ love you. If you ever doubt my love for you remember this moment and the words to this song.”

I grab him and pull him to me and kiss him back with the same ferocity. When I’m the first to pull away I repeat his words back to him. “Remember that kiss. I fucking love you, Colin. If you ever doubt how I feel about you, remember this moment and the words to that song.”

He flashes me the Colin McKinney half smile and says, “Touché, Doctor Collins, touché.”

By the time the concert is over, we’re sticky, sweaty messes, and it’s perfect. Security drops us off at my town home, and Colin and I quickly head to the shower to rinse the rodeo off of us. The smell of Colin’s apology roses is overwhelming that I politely ask him to put the flowers outside. While he’s making multiple trips down three flights of stairs, I grab our phones to put them on charge. When I turn them back on, they’re going crazy with messages. Even I’ve got numerous messages. “That’s odd.” I think. “I normally don’t have that many people texting me.” Then, I open the first message. It’s from my little sister Amy.

Amy: Why didn’t you tell me that you and Colin.Fucking.McKinney were back together? I have to find out on the Internet. Really???

The next one is from Rachael.

Rachael: I obviously need some Charlie time. What the hell? You and Colin look good together.

I put my phone down and don’t bother reading the rest of them.

“Colin,” I call. “We’ve made more than the entertainment news.” I remind him after he’s carried the last bunch of flowers outside. “Apparently, we’re on the like real news Web sites.”

He shakes his head in disgust and walks over to me taking me in his arms. “It’s okay. At least, it’ll be good press this time.”

We pull up one of the mainstream news Web sites. Sure enough, there’s a close-up picture of Colin and I on the Ferris Wheel, and we’re making out like crazy. You can’t really see my face, but it’s clearly Colin. The story is essentially Colin McKinney and another woman (besides Sasha Stone) are making out in public. I roll my eyes and close the site. Is Colin and I kissing really news worthy?

“Colin, I’m okay.” I reassure him. “No big deal, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Did you see how nice my infinity necklace looked in the picture?”

He smiles at me. It’s the Colin McKinney half smile that I love so much. “Now the world knows how I feel about my girl.”

He begins a delicious attack on my body. No part of me is spared his attention, and it’s fabulous. I own him right now. He’s mine. Colin makes sure that I spend the next couple of hours not obsessing about the text messages that are flooding our phones or the news stories that are now being written about us. It’s just the two of us, in our own world, and I am very grateful for the distraction.

I know that this is one of our last moments in our cocoon. Tomorrow, there’ll be speculation over who the girl is in the picture. Someone will figure it out. Then, Sasha’s article about their relationship will hit newsstands. Right now, I don’t care. Colin is mine, and I’m his. We’ll get through these next couple of weeks together, and then we’ll be old news.

Colin and I are snuggled in my bed. His long, lean naked body is pushed up against my back, and he’s holding me in a tight embrace.

“I have a photo shoot in New York in a couple of weeks. Do you want to go with me?” he asks in a sleepy voice.

“Sure, baby. Let Brad know the dates so he can put it on my calendar,” I reply as I slip off into dreamland.

Chapter Nine

SUDDENLY, I’M awaken by Colin yelling from downstairs, “FUCK!”

My heart plummets into my stomach and I race downstairs naked.
Please don’t let him be hurt.
When I reach the second floor, I’m relieved to see him pacing back and forth with his phone pressed against his ear. I reassure myself that he’s okay. Then, I hear the commotion outside. I gingerly walk to my living room window which looks down onto the street. I peek between the slats on my plantation shutters and see about thirty reporters and cameramen on my driveway.

At first, I’m confused. “The picture was great of us,” I say only loud enough for me to hear.

Then, it hits me.
Talk Magazine
must have released the Sasha Stone interview online early instead of waiting for it to come out in print on Friday. That’s the only reason that there would be this much attention on us.

Colin’s pacing back and forth between the kitchen island and my front door. I’m assuming that he’s on the phone with Mark because he’s yelling. I wonder if Colin ever talks to Mark when he isn’t mad about something. I make a mental note to ask Colin when he doesn’t look murderous.

I bite the bullet and walk upstairs to get my phone. Yup! It’s what I thought only worse. The Sasha Stone article went live before I could warn my family, and she did an interview with
Good Morning America
which aired this morning.

I throw on my yoga pants and tank top. My first call is to my office building. I give them the Cliff Notes version and ask them very nicely to keep the reporters on the sidewalk. They agree. My next call is to Brad. He, of course, knows what’s going on, and he’s furious with me for turning off my phone last night. He agrees to send out an email to the office employees warning them about the increased media attention and to remind them they’ve signed non-disclosure agreements and cannot talk about the patients or doctors in our office without penalty of termination and lawsuit.

God, it’s so harsh. I tell Brad to use my credit card to cater lunch for everyone. It feels like that it’s the least that I can do.