“You make my heart race, Josh. Every time you’re near, when you’re close and when I know I’m about to see you again after a long day of being apart. You know how I feel and how being married to you has been like a dream, a surreal moment in my life and I’m often wondering if I’m going to wake and find that this isn’t my reality. To me, you’re a dream come true, my Prince Charming and my happily ever after. Our relationship is unconventional. We didn’t date, you didn’t have to woo me, and because of our circumstances I was pretty much a sure thing so yeah, being in your room, where you slept each night before you and I started sharing a bed, is a big thing for me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve imagined where you live or what your room looks like.”
“You’re such a little stalker,” he says, tickling my side until I bat his hand away. Once my giggling fit subsides everything seems to shift.
“I can’t wait to see your room, Joey. I want to go to y
our hometown, walk Main Street with you, share ice cream and sit on your back patio and drink a beer with your dad. I want to meet all your family, carry your cousins around on my back, and take a walk with you in the woods.”
The way he talks about wanting to be at my house makes me question why we even flew to Los Angeles when we could’ve easily flown to Oregon. I want him to meet my family, be immersed in the love that we have for one another and cringe when my great aunt comes toward him to pinch his cheeks.
“So why are we here then?”
“I don’t know. I don’t start filming for another month and it’s local. Let’s go,” he exclaims, jumping off of his bed. He picks up our suitcases from earlier and sets them on the bed. “Do we need to even unpack?”
Sitting up, I look at him questioningly. “We don’t have tickets.”
He shrugs. “So what? We’ll go to the airport and buy them.” Josh crawls over the bags and toward me until I’m leaning against the wall. His lips are soft and eager against mine. “Let’s be spontaneous. I want to spend some time with your family before I have to start work again. I want to meet the people that created my wife and hear all about her childhood. Can we?”
Happy tears well in my eyes as I smile with an eager nod. “Yes, we can. My parents are going to be so happy.”
Josh hops off the bed again, but this time he’s pulling me with him. I laugh at how excited he is.
After Josh makes a phone call to get a car service, we grab our stuff and head back to the living room, where Rob is watching television.
“Hey, man, we’re taking off to the beach for a bit,” he tells him. The lie confuses me, but I play along.
“Yeah, man, I get it. You don’t want me hearing you bang against the wall.”
My cheeks flush red as Rob waggles his eyebrows at us.
“Something like that,” Josh replies. I want to hit him but realize this is guy talk. They’re best friends, not just roommates so they probably talk about crap like this. Girls do, too, believe me. If I still had my best friend I’d be gushing like a crazy fool about Josh.
Dread washes over me instantly when I think about her. Once she finds out we’re in town, she’ll be at my house wanting a piece of my happiness because taking Tony from me wasn’t enough. My extreme upgrade in the man department will have her claws out, I’m sure.
I’ve never been one to be spontaneous, but listening to Joey tell me about how she feels being in my room sparked something deep within me. I know shit is about to get crazy with Jules and right now I want the solitude of family around me before my life becomes a media storm.
I missed the opportunity to meet her parents after the show’s finale and owe it her and them to make this happen. I didn’t even give Joey a chance to freshen up or decide what she wanted to take—I called for a car, picked up our already packed suitcase, and said farewell to Rob.
It’s only after I bought our tickets and we’re through security that Joey tells me there isn’t a super easy way to get to her house. I mean, why would there be? Nothing since the show has been easy for us.
“Did you call and let your mother know?” I ask, as I’m loading the rental car with our luggage. This feels like déjà vu, except I’m not working and we’re not hiding from anyone. I’m going to kick back and enjoy a beer or two with my father-in-law before life rears its ugly head at me.
“No, I thought we’d surprise them.”
“What if they’re busy?”
Joey furrows her brow, wrinkling her forehead. “Gross.”
“Joey.” My voice has a warning tone. “Have I not been keeping you well sated?”
“What?” She looks around to make sure no one is listening.
I go to her and wrap my arms around her shoulder, keeping her locked in my arms. “You’re a dirty girl.”
“You said it, not me!”
“Tsk, tsk. I was merely mentioning we should give them a heads up that we’re coming. It would be the right thing to do.”
She narrows her eyes at me, trying to figure out if I’m full of shit or not. After kissing her nose, I release her with a swat on her ass.