He was by far the sexiest, most incredibly intriguing lover and man I’d ever been with.   Not because of who he was, either.  He was just so fucking…intense, you know?  One thing was certain, my life was changed, forever.  No doubt about it.

The bathroom had a huge shower with dual shower heads.    He went in first, and I studied him from the doorway.  The glass and mirrors started getting steamy, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was from me feasting my eyes on him or the hot water streaming down his hard body onto the slick glass.  He ran his fingers through his hair with one hand while he leaned forward with the other hand on the tile wall.  The pose he struck was almost one of a Roman statue, so chiseled and sexy.   I had to pinch my self again.  Yep, since no one answered, it was all still real.

He shot a glance at me.

“A  voyeur, eh, luv?”

Busted!  What was I supposed to say?  This might have been the only few private moments I had to take in the real Russell Crowe as I had only dreamed of.

“No, uh, well…, well, maybe.  Only because it’s you.”

“Well, why don’t ya come in and join me, luv?”

“Sure…”

I doesn’t get more erotic than the most fantastic sex of your life than  following it all up by soaping it off each other under a hot rain shower a couple more times.  I just wanted him to relax, he seemed so damn tense.  I wanted to please him, not having to worry about me.  He sat back on the tile  in the steam of hot running water from the rain-like fixture that showered us from above.  There was a strong flowing waterfall right behind me.   I stepped back into its coldness and stood there, letting the colder temperature make my nipples hard for him.  He smiled and touched them gently.  He closed his eyes.  This was the chance I was waiting for. I knelt down in front of him, and took his handsome member into my mouth slowly, feeling his temperature grow hotter his cock grow larger and larger as I sucked him. I had both of my hands behind him on his ass, which I have to say, felt out-fucking-standing.  He had no control over this situation, and I loved it. Based on his silence, and occasional loud moans, I was pretty sure he did too.  He came so fucking hard and long.  I drank every single drop of him that he shot into my mouth.

No woman had ever been able to sustain every inch of me in her mouth while I came.  Holy…I think I was falling…bloody….fuckin’…hell.

I brushed my teeth really quick and ran back into the hot water. He stood up and kissed me, licking every square inch of my mouth ever so slowly.  Unbelievably fucking sexy, this guy is!  I turned around as he kissed my neck.  I pressed my hands into the glass of the waterfall, holding onto some conveniently placed rocks.  He slid into me from behind so fast and made love to me so slowly, I was in ecstasy.  It didn’t take us long to come together. We smiled at each other, as we turned and faced each other.  We leaned back on the other wall and each caught our breath.   I turned my head, and grabbed the soap.   I was facing away from him once again, and he tapped me on the shoulder.   I turned and he grabbed my chin and kissed me sweetly on the lips.

Unfucking real.  I don’t know what to think about this girl.  That was some sweet cherry pie right there!  Could I be?  Falling?  Not allowed.  No fuckin’ way.  Bollocks!  It can’t be.  Maybe?

“That was…fucking… lovely, Jaeden...Thank you…”

“Um, well, you’re welcome.  Hey Russ?”

I was about to put myself out on a limb like I had never done before.  Not since Timothy.  Tears started to fall.

“Yeah?”

I paused.

“That really was my pleasure.  I don’t think I could have dreamed a better scenario for me to do that to you.”

This sheila!  Am I bloody dreamin?

He took his fingers and shushed my lips’ words with his fingers and gave me a very serious look.  He slid his tongue into my mouth ever so quickly and deeply, as if to quash what I was about to say, telling me ‘thank you’.

We finished showering and got dried off.  I put a robe on, and really didn’t feel like putting that dress back on.  I was a jeans and t-shirt girl.  I was like, well, uncomfortable.

He stood there with a towel on, looking incredibly fucking sexy, I might add.  He dried off with a second one, and grabbed a robe.

“What’s wrong luv?”

“I don’t feel like wearing that girly crap dress anymore.”

“Um, I wasn’t planning this, luv, just so you know.”

“I’m sure you weren’t, Russ.”

“Can I get something for you to wear then?”

“Um, no.  Well, if it’s no trouble, can you?  Would it be too much trouble, please?”

I felt like a complete unprepared tramp.

“Not at all.  Something comfy, or another dress, baby?”

“Uh, jeans and a t-shirt with some sneaks would be best.”

“My kind of girl!”

“Really?”

“Yep.  You betcha, luv!”

He made a phone call and spoke with someone for a couple minutes while I was in the bathroom.  I came out and we both sipped on bottled water and watched TV.

“Baby, would you like to get your hair or whatever done down at the salon or something?”

“No, no, I’m good.  When my clothes get here I’ll be good to go.  That’s so very sweet of you to offer, Russell. Thank you.”

She looked hot enough for me in that robe alone with her hair all wet.  Bloody hot!

About 30 minutes went by and there was a knock on the door.

“I believe it’s for you, Jaeden.”

“This isn’t my room, Russ.”

“Go answer the door, baby.  It’s Rosalyn, my publicist.  She’s expecting you to answer.”

Obviously not his first rodeo.  I answered the door, and met Russ’ publicist, Rosalyn.  She was very sweet, and kind of protective of Russell and his, um, predicaments.  Not the first time she’d done this either, I‘d obviously gathered.  She handed me a box, and didn’t stay very long after she chatted with Russ briefly after I went into the bedroom.

I opened the box.  A pair of blue faded Levi’s, a dark blue Tommy Hilfiger t-shirt, and some white Nike Shox.  Nice!  Underneath it all was an envelope.  I opened it and it was a legal looking document with  “Confidentiality Agreement” at the top, along with a note.

“Dear Ms. DiSimone, please review this agreement. If you have any questions, please contact me. It will protect not only you but Mr. Crowe as well.  Sincerely,  Rosalyn Richardson”

Well, certainly direct, she was.  Probably had to be with him as a client.  I wasn’t sure if I should  sign it, and put it back in the envelope.  I didn’t give a shit.  It’s not like this was actually gonna go anywhere.  I changed into the clothes, and when I came out Russ had gotten dressed as well.  He had a dark blue hoodie on that said “South Sydney“ on it,  with matching sweat pants.   He handed me a dark blue hoodie in my size that was the same.

“Here luv, this is for you.”

“Wow.  Thank you very much, it’s…very nice. And thanks for the threads; I‘m much more comfortable now.”

My own custom SSFC hoodie, yo!

“You’re welcome, luv.  Souths fan, are ya then?”

“Yes, yes. Very much so.”

“Because of me?”

“Well, I sure had no clue about them til I got interested in you.  But I took the time to learn the game a bit and stuff, and try not to miss a game online, if I can help it.”

Russ had bought a large stake in the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the team had done very well, almost capturing a premiership last year.

“I gathered that by your tattoo; don’t think that I missed it. It’s very original,” commenting on the tat I had.  You don’t like American footy then?”

“Thank you. I got it a few years ago.  Oh, yeah, it’s alright.  But after discovering rugby while I was stationed in the UK, American football bores me.  All the nonsense: pad, timeouts, challenges, and such.  Rugby is just so much more straight forward. It’s 80 minutes of ‘let’s get this shit taken care of,’ ya know?”

“Hoping to impress someone with it the tat, were ya?”

“Nope, but apparently I might have impressed a big wig of the team...”

“Smart ass.” (laughs)  I’m glad you like  Souths.  Are you a member then?

“Yep, a B.S. graduate from ‘Smartass University’.  Yes sir!  A proud life member!”

“Very nice.  Are you hungry, smart ass?”

“Famished, actually, Johnny Hotshot…we were supposed to go to dinner hours ago…”

“Johnny Hotshot.  You seem to fancy that, ‘D-Rock.‘  I can’t imagine why you‘d be hungry, for fuck’s sake. How about that dinner then?”

“Who told you about that?“

“No one.  I heard your mate call you that.  What does it mean?”

Good grief, I guess I had to tell him...How fuckin’ embarrassing.  Mr. ’Drink Around the World’ has to know my secret now?  Shit.

“It’s kind of late, won’t the restaurant be closed?”

“Yes, luv, now.  And I’ll handle it.  Aren‘t you forgetting something?”

“Huh?”

“Huh?” and he gives me a goofy look.

“Ok, I’m down for it, if you are.”

“Well, let’s go then, luv.”

I’ll get her to tell me later.

He made a quick phone call and we walked to the elevator.  Right before we stepped out of the elevator, he turned to me, kissed me, and then  grabbed my hand.  We walked through the casino, and it dawned on me:  I was holding hands with Russell fucking Crowe! Was anyone watching?!  Holy shit!  Well, of course no one was watching!  Story of my damn life.  But I think Russ had come to appreciate moments no one noticed his business.  I would come to know soon enough.

***

We reached the restaurant, and were seated at a table for dinner.

“Do you like wine, luv?”

“Yes, sort of.”

“Red? White?”

“I don’t know much about them, actually…which ever you think.”

“That could be loaded.”

“And so is my gun...”

He laughed as the waiter approached.  He ordered a bottle of red wine, some fancy name I’d never heard of, from Italy.

The waiter returned and poured the wine.  Russ took a sniff, and the waiter said,

“Is it to your liking, sir?”

“Yes, mate, thank you very much.”

“Jaeden, this toast is to you: thank you for a wonderful weekend, and hopefully…much more.  Cheers.”

I couldn’t say anything.  All I could do was blush.  The weekend wasn’t even half over yet.   I held up my glass and toasted it with him.

“Cheers, indeed,” I said.  Good stuff.  He knew his vintages, I think.
I felt as if I was in a movie that had not yet come to fruition.  “Bad Boy Running Wild,” if you will.  And I was the unexpected guest, ala Jerry Springer.  But, to the contrary, it only got better.  We had a wonderful but quick dinner.  Neither of us were that tired.  For him, probably the norm.  For me, I was in knots.

“So…?”

“It’s your world, Mr. Crowe. I’m just along for the ride.”

“Really, now?  You gonna drive me crazy then?”

“Well, um, kind of..  If ya want…”

“Oh, that’s so loaded, luv…”

I had an idea. I heard that he fancied driving fast cars.

“Wanna go for a drive?”

“What have you got up your sleeve, my Little Enforcer?”

“I might have to cuff ya, Mr. Crowe.”

“Don’t threaten me with something I’ll enjoy…”

We both laughed.

“Well, I think there’s a nice pony out in the garage we could take for a joyride.”

“Let’s go.”

We headed out to the garage post-haste. Until…

***

“Excuse me, Mr. Crowe, would you please?”

Two beautiful young girls spotted him and were all giddy, and one handed him a marker.

“Sure, luv.  Where would you like me to sign?”

“Here, please.”  She took off her jacket and all she had on was a white tank top, and pointed to her chest, and smiled.  What could he say?

“Um, all right then, there it is,” as he signed ‘Russell.’

“Thank you so much!  Lisa, would you take a picture of us, please?” as she handed her girlfriend her camera. I stood aside and let them handle their business.

The girl snapped a picture of them with her phone.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Crowe.  Loved you in “Twisted Destiny.”

“My pleasure. Thank you, luv.  Appreciate it.  Have a nice eve’ning.”

And on we went, giddier and laughing.

My first fan encounter.   But hell, that was me until a couple days ago.  Sort of.  Was it still?

Russell  looked at me, perplexed.

“What did you think of that?”

“Honestly, no biggie.  It’s your world, I’m just a squirrel…”

“You didn‘t mind?”

“No.  Why would I?  That was me a few days ago.  Was that my ‘welcome to the jungle?’ ”

“Ha!  Not hardly…”

She seemed to take it all in stride.  Interesting…

We finally reached level 5 of the garage.  As we walked down the aisle, he asked:

“So what do you have, a cute pink car or something?”

“Russ, be serious.  I‘m  a car chick. I wear jeans and t-shirts. Do you think ANYTHING that I drive would be cute, let alone pink?”

“Hell, I don’t know, luv…”

“Well, think again, Johnny Hotshot.”

“Johnny Hotshot, eh? That’s how it’s going to be?”

“Maybe…”

“Hmmmmpppph.   We’ll see about that.”

“Here’s the keys.  Drive me wild, tough guy.”

“What am I driving?”

“Figure it out, movie star.”

He scanned the aisles.  Most prominent rides that stuck out were a blue Mercedes sports turbo, silver Porsche Carerra, and a yellow Ford Mustang GT.

“Well, judging by the yellow key fob, I’d say it’s this little Mustang right here.”

“Very observant, detective.  Promotion for you!”

“Aren’t you just the witty one, Little Enforcer?” as he encircled my neck with his arm and gave me a kiss on my head.

“Yep, witty, hot and super model sexy.  That’s me alright. Well. One outta three ain’t bad, huh?  Look, get in, sit down, shut up, and make me hang on, handsome...”

“You want me to drive?”

“Well, who else? I invited you, didn’t I?”

“It’s your car, sweetheart…”

“And…”

“Well,  alright then, luv.  Get ready for the ride of your life.”

“I think I had that earlier…”

“Oh, not quite.  You haven’t seen anything yet, baby.”

“Put your money where your mouth is, Johnny.”

“Buckle up, buttercup.  What year is this?”

“It’s a 2005 GT.  Carbon fiber hood and deck lid, chin splitter. Head light splitters, carbon fiber mirrors, and a Shelby spoiler.  Outside is finished.”

“Well!  What’s next?”

“Ford crate racing engine, or a super charger…”

“Fuck me swingin’,  Jaeden, you don’t mess around, do ya, luv?”

“Nope, I’m a very serious adrenaline junkie car chick.”

“I fuckin’ guess…”

“Are ya good at guessing, then?”

(pause, no answer) “Drive, Russ,” I said as I tossed him the keys.

“Yes, ma’am!  You handled that situation well, back there, by the way.”

“Thanks.”

It was almost midnight.  There was no place to drive other than the freeway that we wouldn’t get traffic trapped on a Vegas weekend.  So we drove north to Utah via the I-15.  He liked the torque and horsepower of the ‘Stang as we wound in and out through the curves of the Virgin Gorge.

“What do you drive at home, Russ?”

“In Sydney, a BMW and a Merkur.  On the farm, a Range Rover, truck, quads, or whatever’s there.”

“And your preference?”

“On the road?  Anything sexy and sporty.”

“Oh so, like you then.”

He laughs.  “No, like you.”

“Shut the front door?  Seriously?”

“Yeah, luv.  Seriously.  So do you know your way around this way then?”

“Dee dee dee.  Kind of. I only grew up here…what are you looking for?”

“Ok, comedian.  Find us a spot to view the stars.”

“Stop.  I’m already looking at one (looking at him).”

“Very funny.  I was serious.”

“Okay, keep going north a bit and we’ll look for the signs that say ‘Cedar Breaks’.  It’s beautiful up there, with great look out spots.”

“At night though?”

“Yup.  Trust me, I know Utah.”

He threw the trans in fourth, punched it, and then threw it up to fifth.  He knew how to drive.  Nice!

“I sure love the power of this little American hot rod.”

“Thanks.  Glad you like me…”

“The car, luv, the car...”

“Oh, my bad,” I said as I smiled with a shit eating grin.

“With you, it‘s…”

He paused, long and hard.

“With me it’s…what?“

“I like going slow with you, does that make any sense?”

He had a damn serious look on his face and it unnerved me.

“For someone who’s alleged to have such a temper, you sure are a patience preaching guy...”

“Wow, don’t beat around the bush, luv…”

“Well, I call it as I see it, Russ.”

We arrived and enjoyed the silence.  We gazed at the stars and each other. He grabbed my hand and put it under his jacket over his heart.

“It’s so beautiful.  Is there skiing around here, then?”

“Yeah, about an hour up the freeway north, at Brian Head Resort.”

“Have you been?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve skied there a million times.  I try and ski every winter.  You?”

“I’ve skied, yeah.  It’s refreshing.  Being out there in God’s country among his natural creations is very inspiring, refreshing, and calming.”

“I feel the same way, how interesting.”

He wanted to go to the top of the Breaks.  We got back in the car, and drove up the winding road slowly in the darkness, and he held my hand tighter and tighter.   I wasn’t sure if it was due to the curves or nerves.  Once at the summit, we parked the car at a lookout area about seven miles past the last turn off.  It was quite chilly, and Russ held me close to keep me warm.

I figured this time was as good as any.  My head was clear and so were my thoughts, as well as my heart.  I’d never done this so soon before.  First time for everything, I reckon.  Rosalyn is gonna kill me for not discussing this with her.

“Jaeden, what I’m about to discuss with you is very important.  I want you to know I don’t have this conversation with just anyone, alright, luv?   I want to you to understand that before I tell you this, okay?”

“Okay.  What’s this all about, Russell?”  I stood there and wondered and looked at him in amazement.

“Oh, ‘Russell’ now is it?”

“Well, it sounds serious, and it’s making me a bit nervous.”

“No worries, luv, not meant to be like that.  I just have to ask you a few things, so that I know…”

“Know what?”

“Luv, have you ever dated someone ‘high profile’?”

“Uh, not really.  A captain on my department for awhile, that’s about it.”  Oh yeah, I date movie stars every weekend.

“And how did that go?”

“It was a train wreck, and I broke up with him.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh, you mean the ‘high profile’ part?”

“Yeah, luv.”

“It was cool.  People knew, but were cool about it.”

“How were you about it?”

“I told a few folks, only people that were close to me. Partners and stuff, and my family were the only ones who knew.”

“Alright then.”

I examined the thinking look on his face as he processed what I had just said.  I didn’t know what to say.

“Can I trust you, baby?”

I looked at him inqusitively.  I was caught off guard with his question.

“Jaeden?”

“Yes, Russ, you can trust me.  But why all…”

“Look, I fancy you very much Jaeden.  You’re real.  From the moment I first saw you with your mates, I knew you were different.  You’re not some celeb-bitchy sheila looking to put me on her arm for attention, press, or to further her career.  You didn’t ask for anything, luv.  I asked you.  And the reason I ask you all this stuff is because I’m interested in you.”

“How interested are you?  Like a ‘romp in the sack this weekend’ interested?  ‘Cuz that’s not how I roll, Russell.”

“No, luv.  Not like that at all. I’d like to be with you, and you to be with me.”

“What?  Be with me how? Like, like, like a girlfriend?”

“Yes, luv, just like that.”

“Holy shit, Russ!  Don’t you think this is, kind of, um, well,  fuckin’ sudden?  I mean…”

“I understand, Jaeden.  But this weekend has not exactly been a normal situation for me either.  Please believe me…”

“Uh huh.  So, now what?”

“Well…um…”

“Well, what?  Spill it…”

“Rosalyn insists I have people sign a confidentiality agreement and do a background check…”

“Uh, yeah that.  She sent it with the clothes in the room.”

“She what?”

“I wasn’t sure what to do with it, so I just kept it.  Um, I’m just wondering….where are we gonna go from here?”

Fuck!  Always meddling in my life!  Damn her!

“Not sure…“

For a quite a few moments, my life stood still in time.  My whirlwind life had been brought to a screeching halt by a sheila.   A sheila who was a fuckin’ cop, in Las Vegas of all places, no less.

“Baby?” he looked at me, as if stunned.

“Yes, Russ?”

“Nothing…”

We walked to a lookout area at the top of the Breaks.  He put both his hands on my ass and pulled me so close to him, to the point where my hips met his.  He kissed me deeply, not like the other times.  This time was, well, very…sensuous, like it had much more meaning than the previous.

“Wow, Russ, I don’t know what to…”

“Don’t.  Jaeden, please promise me that you will try and handle all this as best you can.  I know it will be very difficult at first.  I’ll try and make it as comfortable for you as possible.  My life is a suitcase that’s never closed.  I’m hard to handle.  Do you think you can…”

“Yes, Russ, I think I can handle it.”

“I feel I can really trust you, Jaeden. I really do.”

“You can, Russ.  But I have to tell you, this all still seems a bit surreal to me still.  I hope you understand.”

“I do understand, luv.  It’s been a fast two days for ya, and for me as well, luv.  That’s why it’s so important that we completely trust each other from the beginning.”

“Agreed.  Please don‘t go telling things to your mates about my job that could get me in a jam at work, okay? They don‘t need to know who I‘m seeing, okay?”

“I promise, I would never.  Hey, it’s late.  Let’s get you home.  What time do you have to work tomorrow?”

“Oh, Christ, I forgot about work.  Shit, in 3 hours, at 6 a.m.,” as I looked at my watch at the late 0300 it had fast forwarded to.

“We better hurry and get you home, then.”

“Russ, please,  let me drive, please. I can haul ass; I’ve driven it hundreds of times.  And if we get stopped…”

“You think they’d give me a ticket?  (laughs) Sure luv, anything that gets you home quicker.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t put it past the fuckin’ highway patrol.”

“Yeah, but you know all of ’em anyhow, right?”

“Ha. Not really.”

I fired up the car and we flew down the I-15.    As we crested the hill into Vegas from the Gorge, I wondered…was the confidentiality thing for everyone who slept with him, or what?  How the hell was I gonna make it to work on an hour’s sleep?

I sat in silence and just watched the way she handled her car.  It was magnificent:  like she was one with it, born to drive it. The way she judged the traffic and the road down right fascinated me.  I put my hand on top of hers on the stick shift.

“I can’t do this, Russ.”

“What, luv? You can’t do what?”

“This…I‘m too…”

“But I thought we already…”  He felt his heart sink.  Seriously.

“I know, but...”

“So what are you going to do?” he said, anxiously.

“Call in.”

“What?”

“Call in.  Call in sick.”

“Damn, luv, ya had me going there for a minute.  I thought you meant…something else.  Are you feeling alright then?”

“Oh, shit, sorry Russ.  Didn’t mean to scare you.  Yeah, I feel okay, just really tired.  I’ll be way too tired to be on my ‘A’ game tomorrow.  So I better call in.”

I felt relieved immediately, thought that something special had almost been lost in an instant.  I had to condition himself to remember that Jaeden  wasn’t like the others.  She had a normal job, with responsibilities, and that was pretty fuckin’ cool.  And, for some reason, she had a hold on me already; a very strong hold.
It was pretty late.

We pulled into my driveway, exhausted.  I opened the front door and Russ followed me inside.

“Now mind you, I don’t have a personal assistant to run out and get you something to wear,” I said.

“That’s alright, luv.  No worries.”

“I’m beat and going to go change into my pj’s.”

“Can I watch?”

“For real?”

“Why not?”

“You intrigue me, Mr. Crowe.”

“Likewise, Ms. DeSimone.”

After I got changed, I crawled into bed.  We faced each other with our faces on the multiple fluffy pillows.  He looked so cute with his dark hair against the bright white sheets.  His skin was warm to the touch and he just oozed sexy laying there next to me with nothing on but his boxers.  He was hard to resist just jumping on, but I was dead freakin’ tired.

“So I guess you’re going to stay here tonight then?”

“If you’d like me to be a gent, then it looks that way, luv.”

“That makes me feel very secure and warm inside...”

Being with Jaeden made me feel the same way.  She was so strong and independent, but something was calling ‘protect me’ with her, probably unbeknownst to her at all.  I wanted to be that man for her.

He curled up behind me.  I could feel him pressing through his boxers, but he knew how tired I was.  We lay there talking, and he ran his fingers through my hair.     My Mom used to do that to help me go to sleep when I was little.  If he only knew.  I fell asleep with a smile on my face within minutes.

I kissed her gently on the forehead and watched her as she slept.  I’d downright fucked it up with so many others, that I had just given up. My heart needed a second chance.     I hoped Jaeden could be the one I could get it from.   I happily dozed off with a shit eating grin on my face.

***

I awoke to the smell of coffee but wondered, how?  I didn’t set it. I rolled over and Russell was gone.  What the hell?  In his place was a bouquet of red roses and a note that read:

‘Jaeden, I had a wonderful weekend with you.  Call me when you wake up. –Russell’

Holy fuckin’ shit.  This was no joke now.  Red roses.  But damn, no wake up with Mr. Crowe.  Crap!

I looked at the clock; it said 11:12 a.m.  Shit!  I forgot to call in!  I was going to be in so much trouble at work.  I grabbed my cell and quickly called my boss.  He understood, figured I was sick because I didn’t call.  Whew!

Leaving? Oh no!  He can’t!   Just when things started to get good.  I felt a bit possessive all of a sudden.  I didn’t want to let him out of my sight.  I wanted to be with him 24/7, but knew I couldn’t.  He was Johnny Hotshot, the movie star.  This sucked.  I’d never been in a long distance relationship before, let alone a relationship of this magnitude.  I guessed there was a first time for everything.  Was I really now Russell Crowe’s girlfriend?  My heart and stomach sunk at the thought of him leaving.  Fuck!

I poured myself a cup of coffee, picked up my cell phone and dialed his number.

“Good morning, luv, how are you?” he answered.

“Good morning.  Fine.  I have a bone to pick with you, Mr. Crowe...“

“Oh jeez, I’m sorry I had to cut out, luv.  I had an appointment to be at this morning…“

“Hmmm…Thank you for the beautiful flowers and making the coffee for me…”

“You’re welcome, baby.  I apologize for disappearing like that.  I had some business to tend to before this afternoon.”

“Not a problem;  why didn’t you just tell me that last night and I would have taken you to the hotel straight away?”

“Because you were tired and I didn’t want you to drive all that way before coming home.”

“Well, aren’t you sweet?”

“Shhh.  Don’t let that get out.  It’ll be headline news.” (laughs)

“Stop the presses!  Russell Crowe, famous movie star, is not only a hottie, but a sweetie too!” I belted out.

“Always with the snappy comebacks, you’ve got…”

“Look, Russ…don’t act like you can’t be a smart ass too.”

“Touche’.  You got me on that.  So am I coming to get you for lunch, or what, luv?”

“I like the ‘or what luv’ option.”

“Ahhh I see.  I will have to make sure we have a private limo for the ‘or what luv’ part.”

“Promise? Hee hee. I can be ready in about an hour, so one-ish?  And what do I wear?”

“Sounds great.  Dress casual, baby.  See you then…”

“Looking forward to it, Mr. Crowe.”

“Bye, Officer DeSimone.”

“Bye.”

So, technically, I was supposed to stay home on a sick day.  Fuck that!  I had a lunch date with, with…my boyfriend?  I guess I will have to clarify that at some point.  I hadn’t had a real boyfriend in really long time.   Timothy broke my heart so long ago.  It still stung.  A lot.

We grabbed a cab and Russell took me to a nice little Italian café called ‘Lucca’ at The Pinnacle Hotel, which was in City Central, a new development on the famous Las Vegas Strip. I hadn’t been there yet. It was very posh and exclusive; I felt a bit out of place.   Lunch was just delightful.  Turned out Russ knew more about Vegas than I had previously thought.   As we strolled around a bit, it was bright in there. I was glad I had sunglasses and a hat on, as did he.   Although we were dressed down casually, he didn’t go unnoticed.  Unfortunately, there were a few journos snapping at an event nearby, and someone spotted Russell.  Photos of us were taken.  Too late.