Hollywood Remake (A Celebrity Love Story)

Chapter 28: Not The Wedding Singer

“Hey Aidan! Over here!”

No point being embarrassed. Aidan broke into a grin for the cameras and put his hands on his hips, striking his best model pose.

“Thanks,” he called back at the crowd that had assembled around him. “I’m thinking about starting an underwear line.” Actually not a terrible idea. Annette should be able to work with that.

But now was not the time to think about merchandising. He’d missed Kate. He needed to get back into his room to get his car keys, but it was going to be hell making his way through this crowd – and then he’d have to get someone from security to let him back into the suite. No, there was no time. He needed to get to the airport now if he had any hope of catching her.

The paps were still firing off questions as their cameras clicked away. “Hey Aidan,” one of them shouted. “Where’s your underwear gonna be for sale?”

He turned his head and looked straight at the photographer who had asked the question. It was the guy who’d pulled up on a motorcycle a few moments before, leaving his bike propped at the side of the road. A motorcycle. That could work.

“Hey man,” Aidan said to the pap. “There’s an exclusive interview in it for you if you give me your pants and the keys to your Harley right now.”

That got his attention. The photographer lowered his lens and stared back in surprise. Aidan could see the wheels turning inside his head, mentally calculating how much he could make from the deal.

Aidan gritted his teeth in impatience. He didn’t have time for this. “C’mon,” he said, snapping his fingers. “Tick tock. Offer expires in 15 seconds.”

Without another word, the photographer reached down and began to unfasten his belt.

***

“I should have asked for his phone,” Aidan  muttered, mentally kicking himself as he sped south on the 405 freeway, weaving in and out of traffic. This was just like him, wasn't it? Full throttle, barrelling down the highway before his brain finally slowed down enough to think.

Calling her would have been a hell of a lot easier. Then again, she probably wouldn’t have answered her phone. Not if she was pissed enough to be heading for the airport.

He assumed that was where she was going. Where else?

He should have kept his mouth shut this morning. Everything had been going so well the past few days. Why did he have to go open his big mouth and ruin everything? Caught up in the moment, like usual. That was always his downfall, wasn't it? It had always driven her crazy, back when they were young. How many fights had started because of some crazy impulse he got in his head? And now here he was, seven years later, still making the same mistakes. Caught with his pants down, yet again.

He had to salvage it. If he could only catch her before she got on a plane, he knew he could talk her out of leaving. It was going to be tight, though. There were always tons of flights departing around this time of day from LAX.

There was the airport now. He gunned the engine and swerved recklessly onto the exit ramp, just barely keeping the bike from careening off the side of the road into a guardrail. A helmet – that’s another thing he probably should have asked to borrow. Now was not the time to sustain another head injury. Then again, he did have the home number for the Cedars-Sinai Chief of Neurology on his phone. If only he had his phone….

Aidan pulled up moments later to the main LAX departures terminal and ditched the bike at the curb. He hustled inside and stopped just past the doors, looking around for a moment. Then he made his way over to the first open airline counter he saw.

“Hi there!” he said to the airline worker, typing briskly at her computer terminal.

She didn’t bother to look up. “I’m closed. Next window, please.”

Aidan leaned his elbows on the counter and planted his most charming smile on his face while he waited for the girl to notice him.

“Did you hear me, sir? I said—“

She broke off as she pulled her eyes away from her screen and caught sight of his face. Her annoyed expression gave way to a look of shock. “OHMIGOD!” She let out an ear-piercing shriek. “You’re—you’re—Aidan Sands!“

“Yes,” Aidan nodded. “I am.”

“I love you!”

Perfect, Aidan thought. Maybe I should ask her to marry me. “Could you possibly help me?” he asked instead. He cocked his head to give her a better view of his irresistible dimples and perfect, movie-star chin. “I need to page someone. It’s life or death.”

She nodded, bouncing in her seat as she picked up the intercom phone from the desk in front of her and held it to her ear. “Do you know what gate?”

“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “I don’t even know what airline.”

“Hold on,” she said, pressing a button on the intercom. She turned sideways and covered her mouth with her hand as she spoke into the receiver, but he could hear what she was saying clearly enough. “Stacey! You’ll never guess who’s standing in front of me right now.…”

This could take a while. Aidan suppressed a groan and looked around behind him. Maybe he should just try to call her. His eyes lit on a bank of payphones at the other end of the departures hall. He put his hand in his pocket, fishing for change, but he came up empty. Money, he thought. That was another thing he might have thought of when he was striking his little bargain with the pap.

 “I know!” the airline worker was gushing into the phone. “I know! I know! He wants to page someone…. He doesn’t know.… Wait, what?”

Aidan looked back toward her, and she put her hand over the intercom for a moment as she addressed him.

“Stacey wants to know if you’ll sing Grow Old With You?”

“Huh?” Aidan wrinkled his forehead in confusion. “That’s not one of my songs.”

The girl shrugged. “Why?” she asked, speaking into the receiver again.

“Like he did for Drew Barrymore!” Aidan heard the voice say on the other end of the line. "Most romantic airport scene ever!"

“Drew Barrymore?” He squinted his eyes, trying to make sense of the request. “I never had a thing with Drew Barrymore—“

He broke off, suddenly realizing what movie they were talking about. The Wedding Singer. “OK,” he said, his shoulders slumping. “That was Adam Sandler. I'm Aidan Sands.”

The girl in front of him clapped her hand over her mouth.

“It’s OK,” he said, laughing. “Happens all the time.”

“No, really,” she said. “I’m a huge fan. Huge! Could I take a selfie with you?”

She whipped her purse out from behind the desk and pulled out a cell phone.

“Yes!” Aidan said, eyeing her phone with sudden enthusiasm. "Yes, you can definitely take a selfie with me. But first I need you to let me make a call.”