Not Enough (Now a Norman Reedus story)

The Cat is Out of The Bag

Chapter 26—The Cat is Out of the Bag

The small jet comes to a full stop on the tarmac, parking in front of an airplane hanger. A large brightly colored sign on the hanger says, "Welcome to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport". This small airport to the north of San Diego proper is a busy hub for private and corporate flights in and around San Diego. It would have been easier to land at San Diego International because its closer to the convention center but Montgomery-Gibbs offers a little more privacy for the jet's occupants.

The door opens and the steps flip down as the attendant gets everyone ready to deplane. Slowly the cast and their close friends (who have hitched a ride) empty out of the plane and walk into the nearby hangar, where there are several dark colored SUV's waiting for them.

Mia gazes down at the steady waves of the Pacific Ocean from the balcony of their beachfront hotel room. She looks back through the open glass door into their room as she watches Norman. This whole floor has been reserved for the Walking Dead cast and crew so Norman has their door propped open as he stands in the hallway talking to Cookie and Greg.

Mia is still getting used to Norman's security guy, Stacy Roberts AKA "Cookie". Cookie has been nothing but nice to Mia but having him constantly in the background for the last 24 hours has been nerve-racking for her. She isn't sure she'll ever get used to the fact that Norman now needs a personal bodyguard. She prefers to think of Norman as the quirky artist and sometimes actor, not the huge celebrity he's become over the last few years.

She watches Norm slap Cookie on the back as they part ways with a laugh and Greg waves to both of them as he walks down the corridor to his room. Norman walks back into their room, leaving the door open. Mia turns her attention back to the waves and her thoughts. She hears Norman's footsteps as he comes out onto the balcony but she doesn't turn around. She feels his strong arms wrap around her, pulling her against his chest as he nuzzles her neck and whispers, "You're awfully quiet little girl."

"I know" Mia sighs as she gazes out at the water.

Norman hugs her tight as he gently prods her for an answer, "You want to talk about it?"

She shrugs, "I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Norman's a bit confused and asks, "What do you mean?"

"I feel like something big is going to happen but I'm not sure what it is. I don't know if it's going to be a good or bad thing" she quietly admits.

He kisses her gently right behind her ear as he softly assures her, "Whatever it is we'll get through it."

She cracks a small smile and relaxes, "I know. It's probably just me worrying about how long it will be before your fans figure out we're together."

Norman looks out to the waves from behind his ever-present Rayban sunglasses as he answers her, "My fans are already talking about those pictures from dinner last week. I figure by the time we touch down in Georgia again, everything from this trip will have hit all the major gossip columns and blogs. The cat is out of the bag Mia, no turning back now."

"I know and I'm ready for whatever happens," Mia tells him.

The couple looks out at the view, not saying another word to each other. Mia lost in her own thoughts and Norman's thinking about the woman in his arms. He looks down at her and his only thoughts are about how much he loves her. He knows that she's right and once the public gets wind of their romance it will be chaotic, to say the least, he just hopes he can protect her from the nastiness that always happens when the world finds out.