Chapter 35-39
Chapter 35
Rissy…call me. –Brunz
“Oh my god.” Arissa said to herself closing the browser window. She grabbed her purse running out the door.
“Bye, Arissa!” Tatiana said watching her run out.
She dialed her phone frantically as she got to her car. The phone rang several times before going to his voicemail. “I’m not picking up my phone…leave me yo name and numba!”
“Brunz…what happened in Milan? Call me, please.” She turned off her phone banging her head against the wheel. “This is so dumb. I just need to stop. Go home. Go homeeee….” she started to cry. Wait…Ryan can make him call me.
Tell your boss to call me, please.
She dropped her phone on the passenger seat about to drive away when her phone buzzed.
--Rissy, he’s at an interview. What’s wrong?
---Just go to TMZ. I need to hear his voice.
----Shit.
-----Were you there?
------No. I was still in the restaurant. I didn’t know that happened. I would have told you.
Her phone rang after that text.
“Baby doll….what’s wrong?” Bruno asked with a concerned tone.
“Don’t tell me….” she paused through her tears. “that you haven’t seen it….” she regained her composure to ask him about the events of that evening. “Why didn’t you come to get me? You almost got arrested!” she yelled.
“Rissy…I did try to get you. I ran after you. You left. You ran faster than I’ve ever seen you run in my life. When I found out you left the house I cried. Like really. I don’t know what you want me to say. I love you. I love you more than anything in the world…”
“Bru…I love you too….but what do I do when people find me? What do I say? I don’t know what to do.”
“You tell them whatever you want to, sweetheart.” he answered trying to figure everything out.
“That’s not helping!” she yelled at him.
“I know. I’m sorry….do you want everyone to know we’re…”
“We’re dating? Not engaged.” she was quick to remind him that she was slowing things down.
“You don’t have to….” he started to talk to her seriously. “Arissa…I’m waiting for you to tell me when you’re ready. I’m ready to marry you today, yesterday, the day we met. “
“Aww…that’s sweet. But you still haven’t told me what I say when someone finds me and starts taking random pictures of me…or those crazy girls on twitter and tumblr find me. Oh god. Oh god. I had so many people start following me today….” she started to go on about her fears.
“Ris…you’ll be okay. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“But you’re still not telling me what to say if someone that I don’t know or ever want to know asks me about you.”
“What do you want? Do you want people to know we’re together?” he asked her continuing his serious tone.
“I don’t know, Bruno. I don’t know.” she started to cry again.
“I will go to the highest mountain and the lowest sea to tell every single one of the 6 billion people in the world that I love you.” he explained to her.
“You’re so full of crap, Brunz! Come on. What do you say during interviews? How are you going to respond to the question? I worry about you, too.”
“Rissy….I will be truthful. When have I ever told a lie? Okay..don’t answer that….but I will tell everyone you are the most beautiful, amazing, smart, classy, most beautiful…”
“You already said that last one…” she interrupted.
“You are beautiful, baby doll. So beautiful. There’s no one that compares to you….and that’s what I’ll say. My girlfriend is beautiful and no one in the world can compare to her…unless you count me….”
“Oh, geez. You think you’re so darn funny, Bruno.” she told him feeling slightly better at that moment.
“And you say yes, we’re dating and nothing more. That’s it. End of story. Unless you want to bring up how darn amazing I am in bed.”
“That’s between you and me to know.” she laughed.
“Fine. You don’t have to tell anyone I’m a freaking sex god.”
“Bruno…we haven’t been together in a long time. You could of lost it…”
“You don’t lose those skills, Arissa. You don’t lose those skills…” he repeated.
“Okay. I like that, though. Just say yes and move on.”
“And you’ll leave them wanting more because you’re so mysterrrioouusss.” he responded to her decision.
“Hmm. mysterious. I like that.” she thought out loud.
“I like it too.” he told her.
“Thank you, Brunz.” she wiped a tear off her cheek.
“I will see you in two weeks. Pencil me in…” he told her.
“I will.” she responded.
“I love you Arissa.”
“Good night, Bruno.” she told him finishing up the call.
“Well, good morning doesn’t make sense when it’s 5 o clock in LA, does it?” he laughed at her. “Good night, Arissa Henderson.”
Chapter 36
Arissa parked her car in the swanky Hollywood gym she had been frequenting.
“Hi, Jason!” she spoke to the employee at the front desk.
“Hi, Arissa! How are you today?”
“Fabulous. And how about you?” he asked.
“Great, great. Have a great work-out. You’re looking hot for the wedding!”
“Say what?” Arissa turned around to ask him.
“Yeah..we were all talking about it.”
Jessica, a personal trainer, popped in to the conversation. “Yeah. For real. You are so lucky.”
“Oh..yeah. That. Umm. It’s going to be a long engagement…” she said unknowingly grabbing her empty ring finger. She touched her neck with her right hand where the emerald and diamond necklace used to sit.
“We want invites…” Jessica said as Arissa headed to the locker room.
Well shit. How do I respond to people I know? I don’t tell them everything. They don’t need to know anything…but really. It’s so weird.
Arissa jumped onto her designated treadmill in the back of the gym by the wall. She had a perfect view of the bench press. Shit. I need to get laid…she thought to herself as she started to run at 6.5. Her eyes wandered throughout the gym as she caught a girl in her early twenties eyes. Arissa smiled at her returning back to her world. About 0 minutes into her 5 mile run she saw another few people start looking at her. God. This is weird. Maybe I should just cool down and leave. This is annoying as shit. I mean, I’m at a celebrity gym. Come on. Get over it. Arissa leaned over to the college guy running next to her who wasn’t wearing headphones. “Are people looking at me?” she asked him.
“Yeah..who are you?” he asked.
“I really don’t know…” she laughed at him. He finished his run walking away. I want to be normal again. And it hasn’t even been 4 hours…
After finishing her run she walked over to the stretching area of the gym to roll out her it band. As she was wandering a trainer she had never spoken to tapped her on the shoulder.
“Arissa?” he asked her.
“Hmm?” she turned around wiping some sweat off her face.
“Why are people looking at you like that?”
“I’m dating Bruno Mars. That’s why.” she said bluntly.
“Oh…okay. You’d think people could stop their shit at the gym.” the trainer replied.
“I know. I mean…Apolo Ohno comes in here..and a lot of other famous people. Get over it.” she answered.
“Well if stuff gets too weird let us know. We’ll take care of it.” he told her.
“Thanks..” she trailed off to finish her stretching.
After finishing her stretching she ran back into the locker room.
“I don’t know why they’re out there. I didn’t see anyone here when I got here…” an older woman said to her daughter.
“I heard them say something about Bruno Mars. But he’s in Argentina…” her daughter answered.
“Hmm. That’s weird.” the mom answered.
“Oh…shit.” Arissa said under her breath. How did they find me? That’s so creepy. She picked up her phone to call Bruno.
“Well I missed you that much too, sweetheart.” he said answering his phone. He sounded half awake.
“I’m sorry I called you so early..or is it late?” she told him. “There are people out there…” she told him.
The mother and daughter glanced over at her as she grabbed her bag walking out.
“I’ll stay on the phone with you until you get home…” he reassured her. She waved to Jessica and Jason as she opened the door. She took a deep breath as he started to talk about his show. She smiled at what he was saying. God, why isn’t he here? She thought as several flashes went off.
“Arissa…did you dump him? What really happened that night? When did you start dating? How did he propose?” she heard the questions come at her faster than the flashes.
“Don’t say anything, baby. Just get in your car.” he calmed her down. She closed her door putting everything down on the passenger seat.
“That was crazy…” she told him.
“They’ll forget about you in a few days…” he told her.
“Wait what?” she asked. “Oh. I get it. You’re right.” she caught herself being dumb.
“What did you think I said?” he asked her.
“I don’t know. I was being stupid.” she told him as she started to drive out of the parking lot. “I thought I heard you say you’ll forget about me in a few days.”
“Shut your sweaty face, Arissa Eve! You are crazy. There’s no way I could forget about you.”
“I know..that’s why I stopped myself.” she laughed at his sweet comment.
“I can’t wait to see you again, sweetheart.” he started. “I miss you so much. I missed you.” he continued.
“Quit being so sappy. You’re going to make me cry.” she told him.
“I’m sorry!” he cried.
“Oh my goodness. Quit being so dramatic, Brunz. You’re too funny.” she replied.
“Didn’t you know I’m a actor too?” he asked through a yawn.
“Baby…” she started. “I think I’m okay now. You don’t need to stay on the phone with me. I’m on 405 stuck in traffic…and it’s late.”
“I know…but this is the longest we’ve talked since Milan.” he told her.
“Hmmm…you’re right.” she thought smiling at his response. “But we have plenty of time to make up for it…” she told him.
“You’re right…” he said. “But I want every moment I can get with you.” he explained.
“There you go, being sappy again!” she said slowing down to exit.
“I can’t help it…” he continued complimenting her and saying how much he missed her.
“Bruno….she interrupted him.
“What?” he asked.
“I’m home…” she said opening her door to find a dozen red roses sitting on her kitchen counter. A small jewelry box sat next to them. She grabbed the card reading it out loud. “You dropped this.” she opened the box slowly to see her emerald and diamond neck lace in the box. “Oh, Bruno! Thank you!”
“You’re welcome.” he answered.
“That’s why you insisted on staying on the phone with me! You’re so sneaky. Your pants wouldn’t stand a chance of staying on if you were here.” she told him.
“We have time to make up for that…” he told her.
“You’re right. And you need to go to sleep.” she insisted.
“Okay, okay.” he laughed at her. “Good night, Rissy.”
“Good morning, Bruno. I love you.”
Chapter 37
Bruno sat at Arissa’s small kitchen table in mid November. He saw a printed piece of paper from Orbitz under her planner she used for work. He slipped it out from underneath the notebook making a slight noise. She turned around from the stove where she was taking bread out of the oven. “What are you doing? Mr. Nosy-pants…?” she asked pulling off the bright pink oven mitt.
“You’re going home for Thanksgiving?” he asked.
“Yes, I am. The 3-6th.” she answered him.
“Why? I thought we were all going to New York…” he asked confused.
“Bruno…” she paused looking at him. “I haven’t seen anyone in my family since September…I miss them. You’re lucky that your family can drop everything to come to LA. Mine can’t.” she explained.
“But, Riss…” he walked over to her. “I haven’t seen you in so long…” he said grabbing a piece of her hair to play with as he stood in front of her.
“Don’t try to seduce me, Mr. Mars. I’m going home for a few days.”
He made a sad face continuing to play with her hair. “I know you haven’t seen them..it doesn’t mean I can’t be sad I won’t have you for those days…”
“Bruno…you aren’t even going to be here….if I’m going to fly during the holidays its going to have a purpose…”
“Purpose?” he backed up from her.
“I mean….I love being with you. I love seeing you perform and the fans are great and everything..but I just need to lay on the couch next to my mom and watch really bad football games…then not eat turkey because Cami hates it…and then try my hardest to wake up in time to see the parade watching it by myself…just like last year…”
“Ohh, sweetheart…” he responded sweetly rubbing her arms to comfort her. She started to cry.
“I just miss home….” she told him through her tears.
“I know you do, baby. I know you do. Did it sound like I was mad at you for not wanting to go with us?” he asked. She nodded her head slightly. “I could never be mad at you, Arissa. Never. I’ll even pack for you. You need to go home.” he finished leaning in to kiss her.
**
“Phew…I had no idea I had this much stuff, Mom…” Arissa said throwing her suite case in the back of her parents’ Ford truck.
“It is really heavy…are there rocks in there?” she asked starting to change gears to leave the airport.
“I honestly couldn’t tell you what’s in there. He packed for me…”
“Are you sure you don’t want to open that to see what’s in there before we get home? The mall is right there….” her mother motioned to the other side of the highway.
“No. It should be good.” Arissa said as they flew past the mall at 75 miles per hour.
She grabbed the suite case out of the backseat dragging it into the house. “Wow. Now I do need to know what he put in there….” she said after the dogs attacked her with kisses. She sat down on the floor unzipping the bag with her family watching. “He just packed a ton of stuff…” she said pulling out sweaters, jeans, pajamas and t-shirts. “Aww..and look he packed his Thrashers shirt…” she told everyone.
“What a buzz kill.” Cami sighed. “I thought there would have been something amazing in there.”
“I haven’t looked in the pockets yet. But I’ll save that for later. Are we going out tonight?” Arissa asked.
“Umm…yes! We’re going to Silo.” she told her.
“Well let’s go!” she responded getting up to put her clothes away.
**
“Anna banana!” Arissa yelled across the dance floor.
“Rissy pie! I missed you so much!” they both embraced. “You look so hot! Who is that dress by?” she asked.
“Umm…I have no idea…check the tag. I just pulled it out of my bag…” she responded.
“Shit you girls are finnne…” a guy walked by them flirting.
“Dude…no.” Arissa said under her breath.
“It’s Stella McCartney…” Anna finished looking at her tag. “Oh my god…”
“Wow. He knows how to pick a dress…” Arissa responded. As she started to open her mouth she felt a tap on the shoulder.
“Excuse me?” a guy about 5’8 with dirty blonde hair and an infectious smile tapped her on the shoulder. Arissa turned around to see what he was going to say.
“I’m sorry, I’m out with my friends…and…”
“Well, no problem. If you’d like to dance my name is Andy and I’d love to see your moves.” he smiled. “Because these girls here have nothin’ on you…”
“Woah, woah, woah. Don’t ever use that line again.” she laughed at him.
“Why? It usually works.”
“Well, not on me…” she almost about died laughing.
“Why was it so funny?” he asked her.
“Because you’re Andy Patrick…all around hot shit who played DIII football and is an assistant coach at a different university…all because your dad was a head coach. Not to mention Bruno is the only person that can say that right…”
“Arissa?” he asked
She smiled at him. She had the biggest crush on him in high school. They never spoke more than a few words to each other, but she knew he had something. By senior year, though, the reality of the whole thing hit. He was only the school’s starting quarterback because his father was the assistant coach, he was short, not that cute, and later she found out he slept with half the dance team. She started to laugh at him. “Well it’s nice to see you.” she responded.
“It was nice seeing you as well, Arissa. And Anna..you’re stunning as always…” he said heading back to his group.
She heard him talking to them loudly. “I told you it was her! Pay up, dude!”
“What the hell?” Arissa asked walking over to them.
“Honestly?” he asked.
“Yeah. Lay it on me.” she was surrounded by a group of people she knew from high school, but swore she would never see again.
“Clay thought you were hot. Josh swore he knew who you were….but he couldn’t place it. Carrie found you on TMZ. But, none of us thought it was true…so we had to find out.”
“God. Go fuck yourselves. How do you even live? Will you ever grow up? Because I sure have and well, childish people like you don’t belong in my life. I fucked him more than you fucked Hilary, Clarissa, Amy and Erica combines. And let me tell all of you…” she pointed to each and everyone one of them. “He’s a lot better than a Division 3 NAIA quarterback who lost both state and a national title within two years of each other.”
“Arissa…” Carrie interjected. “Don’t be upset…we just…”
“No. I am upset. How dare you even bother? Really? And you of all people. I know you started those horrible rumors about me in middle school. You remember those…”
“I’m sorry, Ris…” she said looking down. The boys were shocked by the exchange. Ryan, Natalia and Eddie had joined them.
“No, I’m sorry for you. Look at all of you. Have you even made friends that you haven’t known since birth? I mean really. And I doubt you’ve been out of the state. You know…Paris is a beautiful place. And I know I’m not the only one you still talk about from high school. Thanks for being my best friend in 3rd grade. That was the best quarter I have ever spent….” Arissa turned around to walk away.
“Shit…” Andy said. “She is hot.”
Carrie smacked him on the head. “She’s a bitch. Just because she’s doing Bruno Mars…please. I bet she’s shit in bed.”
“You wanna call him and ask?” Anna asked her almost about to start fighting.
“Yeah. Let’s call him.” Carrie propositioned.
“Riss, call Bruno.” she yelled.
“He won’t be able to hear us…”
“Let’s go outside…” Anna told her.
The two groups walked outside in a hurry. They stood by the side entrance where people were coming in and out. Arissa opened her phone to show her it was Bruno’s 808 phone number. He better answer. This is so embarrassing.
“Babbbby!” she heard his voice. He sounded slightly drunk.
“Brunz! I have a question for you.”
“I’m all yours sexy.” he said. The other group gasped at what they were hearing.
“That really is him! Oh my god…” another girl, Kaitlin swooned.
“Best sex you’ve ever had. I mean ever – even if it wasn’t me. “
“Am I on speaker?” he asked hearing voices in the back.
“I’ll tell you about it later. Just answer the question.” she answered bluntly.
“After work-out sex. Then I proposed and then I burnt your hand to pieces. Best, ever. We should do it again…like right now…” he said in slightly slurred speech. Arissa! We missss yooou she heard screamed in the back.
“And could anyone do it better?” she asked him.
“Arissa…you’re a sex demon. I couldn’t ask for anything else.”
Carrie sighed loudly in defeat. “Whatever.” she walked away from them in a tizzy.
“Can you believe her? He was just saying that…” she trailed off.
Arissa turned off the speaker phone to start to talk to him. “You are too funny, Bruno. Thank you.”
“I wasn’t kidding about what I said. We should do that again.” he told her.
“When I get home. When you get home. We can do it over and over and over again.” she said flirtatiously.
“I love you, Ris.” he told her. “You are so….so…”
“Drunk.” she laughed.
“Well, I am too, but I still know that you’re the only one for me.” he told her. She sat down on the sidewalk away from everyone. Her group of friends had gone back inside. He rambled drunkenly for another few minutes. She listened to him laughing several times not realizing she was sitting in a Stella McCartney dress.
“Yes. The pink one. The Stella McCartney dress.” she told him pulling her head away from the phone sending him a picture of her and Cami getting ready in their dresses.
“I have to go Ris. You are driving me so crazy. I just wish I could have you right now.”
“You’re so gross, Bruno! God.” she giggled.
“I’m just being honest…” he said in a sad tone.
“I promise you. When we both home. I won’t disappoint you. And if I do you can do worse things to me…” she told him.
Arissa saw a bright flash go off as she finished talking to him.
“Arissa! Are you talking to Bruno? Why aren’t you with him?” she heard several questions being thrown at her.
“I have to go, Bruno. I’ll call you later. Or not…” she trailed off.
“Good night, sweetheart. I love you…” he switched back to his sweet voice.
“I love you too, Good morning, baby.” she clicked the phone off not responding to the photographers.
Chapter 38
Arissa laid on her bed in a pile of clothes. “Shit. I have to unpack…but there’s no one or any reason to put these clothes away…: “ she started talking to herself. She took off her sweater wearing only wearing a cami and her jeans.
“Riss…” she heard behind her. She jumped about 10 feet in the air shocked by whoever was behind her.
“Woah!” she exclaimed turning around to see Bruno wearing a navy pea coat, green sweater with a red plaid button-up underneath it. “You weren’t supposed to be in LA for another two days…” she looked at him shocked running to him hugging him tightly. “But that’s okay…” she whispered in his ear.
“I didn’t think you’d be upset about it….” he pulled away smiling at her.
“But how did you get in?” she looked at him confused.
“You’re so predictable…it was under the mat. Silly. I could break in anytime I wanted to…” he laughed at her.
“Oh. I guess I need to move that….” she thought out loud. “But then I’d forget where I put it when I need it…”
He stopped listening to her opting to kiss her instead of answering her thoughts. I don’t remember what I was going to say. I have no idea what I was doing before this. Oh my god. Arissa thought to herself as he wrapped one arm around her pulling her closer running his fingers through her hair with the other. “You smell like mangos….” he told her.
“You smell like earth…” she answered giving him quick kisses on his lips bringing him closer to her. She moved her hand up to throw his hat off his head grabbing a fistful of his hair as his head lowered to kiss her exposed collar bone. She moved her arms to get her shirt straps to come down slightly.
“Woah. How did you do that?” he asked her as he moved his head up to look into her eyes.
“Practice…” she told him seductively. “Well, no…I think the shirt’s too big….” she told him honestly.
“No, babe. It was practice.” he said running his fingers against her arms making her tingle. “You really turn me on…” he told her moving back to take off his sweater.
“More like I’m making you hot…” she bit her lip moving in to unbutton his shirt. After the shirt came off he pulled off her shirt to see her nude bra. Woah. I think she’s lost a ton of weight. That bra is so hot….
“You are so hot…” he said moving in toward her to kiss her again. His arms went up her back unhooking her bra. As they pressed against each other she felt his heart beating faster than she ever had felt it beat before. She pressed herself into him as he moved her to her bed.
“There’s too much on my bed…” she told him.
“We can change that….” he turned around pushing all the clothes onto the floor.
“You’re doing my laundry…” she responded pulling him onto the bed on top of her. His hands went over every part of her body. She pulled him as close as possible without being together. “Brunnnoooo…I love you. Oh my god.” she told him quietly.
“Rissss…you are so amazing.” he breathed between his passionate meaningful kisses.
“Bru…please. I need you….” she pleaded with him. He pushed himself up slightly to please her. She screamed loudly as he moved towards her. She could feel every last bit of his body on and in her. Oh my god, oh my god…”Ohhhhhh.Do it again, Bruno. Do it again….” she instructed him. He answered her by moving in against her over and over again. He felt her tense up in the same way that she did in the shower. She laid her head toward his shoulder biting gently on it keeping herself from screaming again. He rolled over off of her kissing her lightly.
“Riss….you are so good at that.” he told her.
“No. You are.” she answered him.
“Fine…we’re both good at it…” he kissed her again, this time slowly and romantically. She melt her legs melting from underneath the sheets.
“You make me melt…” she told him as he finished kissing her.
“Well, I think I already knew that…” he licked his lips getting up throwing her his shirt. Arissa put on his shirt running to the bathroom. When she got out of the bathroom she saw him off to the side of her bed folding the clothes they had thrown off the bed.
“You don’t have to do that, Brunz. I was going to do it in the morning…”
“When at like 5 in the morning? You work tomorrow.” he responded continuing to put away her clothes neatly. “Lay down..I know you’re still two hours ahead.” he patted the side of the bed she was on to lay down.
“But you’re 4 hours ahead..how are you not tired?” she asked looking for an explanation.
“I’m Bruno Mars. I can do anything….” he said walking over to the other side of the bed laying his head on her stomach. “But right now….” he started. “I just wanna lay in bed with my girlfriend who I haven’t seen in weeks.” She ran her fingers through his hair as he looked up at her in his button up shirt.
“I don’t want to be away from you for that long, ever again, Bruno.” she told him. He sat up to look at her.
“Arissa…we won’t ever be apart that long again.” He ran his fingers through her messy hair again looking into her bright green eyes. :Never.” he finished. “No turn off. Your back is really tight.” he told her. “I’m gonna give you the massage ever known to man.” he told her.
She laughed at him turning over. He always did that when she was at his house. He made everything feel like it should. But, they weren’t getting married. Whatever. She thought to herself as she closed her eyes falling asleep as he pressed his hands against her back.
“Rissy…” he interrupted her shallow breaths.
“Hmm?” she answered opening her eyes.
“Hawaii will be the best trip ever.”
Chapter 39
What is she doing? Bruno thought to himself watching Arissa stare at herself in the mirror. She moved around a little, almost dancing, to get a glimpse of herself from another angle. She was still so mysterious. There were things he would never understand about her. Whereas she knew every thought coming from his head, she was like Bella Swan. There was some type of force field around her thoughts. He couldn’t get in. He walked up behind her careful not to scare her. She smiled at him as he walked up behind her wrapping his arms around her. She fell back into his arms. “What are you doing?” he asked her.
“I still can’t believe that I look like this.” she pointed to herself to emphasize her weight. “Like, I look in the mirror some days just shocked that I’m a size 4 today and a year ago I was a 14. Oh and yes, there’s this hot guy standing behind me who says I’m beautiful every single day…” He kissed her head showing her that she was beautiful. She slipped out of his hands grabbing a sweater to put on over her shirt and shorts she had one.
“Baby…” he came back to her. She stood next to him listening to what he had to say. “You were beautiful before then….”
“No, I wasn’t. She looked up at him. “You wouldn’t have noticed me that night if I was a 10. You wouldn’t have. The girls in front of us were hot..and the girls behind us.”
“What’s wrong, Rissy?” he asked her bluntly.
“Nothing. Nothing is wrong.” she told him leaving the room.
“You never talk like this….something is wrong.” he continued to follow her gently hugging her from behind. “And you’ve been quiet. You’re never quiet, baby doll. I just don’t understand.” He heard her sniff holding back tears. He took his arms off of her coming to face her. He wiped a tear off her cheek. “Whatever it is…it’ll be okay…” he told her. She laid her head on his shoulder crying. It’s like Las Vegas. When is she going to tell me? That drove me crazy. How have I lost her again?
“They called me fat, Bruno….and the comments are horrible. Like ‘how is he with such a fat cow’? ‘What is he thinking’? ‘She’s a fat bitch….’” she cried harder sitting down on the couch burying her head into her hands.
He knelt down in front of her in between the couch and table. “You are the most beautiful girl I have ever met in my life, Arissa. I don’t care what anyone in the world says about that…” he paused moving her hands from her head. She didn’t move her head, defying his intentions.
She shook her head no. “It’s not easy…” she lifted her head up looking at him. “It’s way harder than I thought it would be.”
“Fuck ‘em.” he told her.
“I try, Bru. I try to ignore it. But it’s like I have to sift through thousands of tweets to get the ones that relate to work…and my google alerts have gone from being all work related to all of this….I need a break from people.” she finished standing up again to go into the kitchen.
“Yeah. Fuck it. I’m going to eat a cookie…or five.” she said grabbing a handful of Oreos out of the pantry.
“Can I have one?” he asked.
“You can have as many as you want, Brunz.” she smiled licking the cream out of one of the cookies she had handing him a few.
“There are no words to describe how in love with you I am…” he said watching her finish the cookie.
**
Arissa woke up on a plane with her head on Bruno’s.
“I didn’t drool all over you did I?” she asked him.
“no, you sleep like Sleeping Beauty. There is never any drool.” he complimented her.
She punched him in the shoulder. “Don’t lie.”
“A little..but it was cute…” he confessed. “Look outside…” he pointed to the window next to her. “We’re home…” he had the biggest smile on his face that she had ever seen. They had seen each other happy and sad, but this was a different type of smile. She had never seen him that way.
“Bruno..I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy. It’s adorable.” she said to him.
“It’s the most amazing place in the world.” he told her. “And I’m with the most amazing girl in the world. It’s perfect.”
She blushed at his response. “You’re dumb.” she answered.