Perceptions

Diane ran out of steam, and Tanya seemed to be deep in thought. The silence between them lasted a few minutes, until Tanya replied simply, "Okay."

Diane wrapped her arms around her friend, comforting her. Tanya eventually broke the embrace, smiling at her long-time friend.

"What would I do without you?"

"I have no idea how you survived before you met me," she replied with a smirk.

"Jerk," Tanya mumbled.

*****************************

Two days later, Tanya found herself standing in front of a market flower and vegetable stand, seemingly looking for the perfect tomato in the pile. She still felt silly for all the cloak and dagger stuff Diane had planned, but she also enjoyed watching her friend having fun. Diane coughed twice, her signal that Tanya should make her hasty exit.

The 28-year old's stunt-double crawled out from under the vendor's table, and Tanya got down and took her place. She hid under the table for two minutes, allowing the doppelganger to go with her friend back to her house. Tanya lifted the tablecloth, peaked out, and saw no one looking for her. She quickly crawled out and put on a floppy hat and sunglasses as she stood up. She ran to the parking area, jumped into the rental and left for the airport.

She pulled over about mid-way there and changed clothes. After that, she put on a long hair wig, added some fake glasses and makeup, and even went as far as to put in color contacts. She felt like she was one of Charlie's Angels, on some top-secret mission. Once the look was complete, she continued her drive to the airport.

When she got there, she was extremely nervous that someone would spot her, blowing her cover. Miraculously, she made it all the way through security with the same amount of fuss that everyone else in line did. She was stunned, but wasn't going to question her good fortune. Thankfully the TSA Agent didn't put together the star's identity from just reading her name on the ID. That could have been the one point where all their scheming failed. She decided that her friend deserved a very special present for her birthday coming up.

Tanya sat in coach, which was fine, but like millions of other passengers she put up with the tight space begrudgingly. During the flight, she reflected on that. How different had her life become, that she nearly forgot her roots. She was proud of herself for having a paper route when she was twelve. Getting her first job, working at a fast-food restaurant, just to pay for gas and car insurance in high school. As she sat in coach, she felt a little more like she belonged. It was vastly different than a chartered private flight, but she enjoyed it.

As the plane was emptying out, she just looked out the window. The ground crew was busy unloading bags to the truck that would carry them away. Those men and women were working, and probably had a family they went home to every night. Sitting at a table, eating together, spending time as a group. Eventually, she got up and moved on. At the security exit, Diane and her husband Marcus, were waiting for her with smiles.

"Aloha! Welcome to Hawaii!" Diane said happily. Marcus just waved, still smiling.

"How the heck did you get here before me?" asked the actress.

"We flew first class and left about an hour before you did on a different flight," her friend answered with a smirk.

"I love you," Tanya said, wrapping her arms around her long-time friend. "Thank you, so much for caring about me."

"Don't thank me, you're the one that's paying for everything," her friend chuckled.

"So, what's the plan?" Tanya asked, still smiling.

"Well, from here, we go to meet up with Howard on his yacht," answered Marcus. "Once we get there, we've asked to go spend a couple nights on a private beach, forgetting about civilization."

Tanya remembered the older gentleman from their numerous business meetings. He was trying to pressure her into becoming his partner in something, but thought he was otherwise just a very nice older man. She still had no idea of his real identity.

The trio enthusiastically met up with Tyrone and his husband Michael. Tanya gave her agent a tough time about Tyler, as they all rode in a van heading to the marina. He agreed to let her handle her own love life. They pulled up alongside a long white yacht and watched as Howard came to greet them.

"Aloha! Welcome to Hawaii, Tanya. Diane told me that you needed a secluded vacation, so I figured why not offer my help," Howard said, meeting them at the van.

"Thank you," replied the actress, smiling. "I'm sure this week will be just what I need."

An hour later, she had unpacked her things and joined everyone in the main lounge. Howard was talking with a different man that Tanya hadn't been introduced to yet. She decided to introduce herself.

"Hi there, I'm Tanya."

"Shawn," the man said simply, nodding once. "I was just telling Howard here, that his Belgian Ale is no match for a good Irish Stout. What do you think?"

She immediately broke into laughter. "I think you guys are idiots. There's nothing better than a shot of Jack Daniels! At least HE'S reliable," she exclaimed, laughing again.

As they continued to joke, a new voice called out from the dock. "Ahoy, Howard! May we come aboard?"

Tanya went to greet them, meeting James, his daughter Madison, and her friend Sarah. "Come on up. Howard and Shawn are in here debating the finer points of beer. Personally, I think all beer is the same and tastes like shit, but that's just me."

As they came aboard, Tanya introduced herself. "My name is Tanya, Tanya Pierce. My friends and I are just spending the week here in Hawaii, trying to ignore real life for a while, to pretend like we're normal."

Eventually James found his voice, "Pleased to meet you Tanya. My name is James, and yes, I know who you are. You said that Howard and Shawn are debating beer? This I gotta see."

"Sure, follow me."

She led them back to the lounge, where Howard and Shawn were still debating. She shook her head, and then cleared her throat rather loudly. Howard finally took notice.

"Oh, welcome back James. I assume one of these lovely ladies is your daughter, Madison?" He was all charm.

"Yep, this one is my pride and joy," pointing to Maddy, "and this one is Sarah, her girlfriend. They are going to be staying with me for the week. Ladies, this is Howard, my good friend. This other guy is Shawn, my best friend and mechanic, although sometimes I think he just sits around and only pretends to fix things," James said, winking.

Shawn flipped James off, then turned to the rest of the group. "Welcome ladies. Don't mind your dad, he's delusional, thinking that he's the world's greatest pilot, or something like that."

"Thanks," Madison and Sarah replied almost in unison.

"So, James, now that you're here, you can help settle the debate. Shawn here seems to think that the darker stout is better than my wheat beer. What do you think?" Howard asked.

"I think that you are both nuts to be sitting here arguing the "finer points" of beer, when we could all be out enjoying the sun," James replied, exaggerating with air quotes. He looked over at a smiling Tanya, and asked, "How about you Tanya? Do you feel like getting out in the sun and enjoying this beautiful day?"

"Hell yeah. Let me change into a suit and get the others from below deck. We can all go out on the bay and swim or something." With that, she moved into the belly of the large craft.

She got the attention of Tyrone and Diane, telling them to join everyone in the lounge. When everyone met up later, they got under way. Howard took them to a secluded area, where they dropped anchor. It amazed everyone that Howard still captained his own yacht, instead of having a crew do it all for him. Howard told his guests that he paid to have cleaners come aboard, but that was all. It was unorthodox, at the very least. He did ask James and Shawn to help with removing the mooring lines when it was time to set sail.

Once the large craft settled, Tanya introduced her four friends to James and his family. Eventually, everyone chased off to do what they wanted, including a few who jumped overboard and splashed into the water.

Tanya sat next to James and was genuinely interested in talking with him. "So, how do you like living out here?" she asked, waving to the island nearby.

He shook his head slightly, and they ended up talking for nearly two hours. After the first few minutes, they started talking about his history. Tanya was shocked to hear the details of his divorce, but glad to hear that he and his family were doing better. She allowed him to change the subject, so they talked about her for a while. She was open with him, and they talked about her youth and her loving family. Eventually, they discussed the group's plans for the week, and ended the conversation with Tanya inviting James to visit her in California sometime.

The next morning, James sailed the group back to port, as Howard was already starting on his daily intake of alcohol. Everyone disembarked and went their separate ways, with an arranged time to meet back up for the short flight out to another island. The plan was to spend a few nights on a secluded beach, and James was taking them to an uninhabited island that he knew of.

*****************************

Later, they were all standing on the beach, getting a safety briefing from James. He was warning them to not wander off too far into the trees, and some other tips about what to watch out for. As everyone separated to do their own thing, Tanya approached James, who'd just sat in a chair to relax.

"Do you always just sit around, or do you ever actually walk around these beautiful islands?" she asked, smiling with her hands on her hips.

James returned the smile, responding, "Sometimes, depends on the company I guess. Why? Would you like to go for a walk?"

She bit her bottom lip, "Yeah, that would be really nice."

She walked with James down the beach, and they only turned around to head back when the water started lapping at their toes, announcing the change in the tide. The conversation flowed freely between them, not feeling forced at all. Tanya was more relaxed than she had been for a long time.

They got back to camp, and the whole group was just enjoying telling stories around the campfire. Tanya had to listen to her friend Diane tell everyone the story of how Tanya had a huge crush on a boy back in middle school. It was such a refreshing change for her, that she felt almost like a new person. She missed that feeling of family, of the caring and love that she had grown up with.

When everyone went to their tents for the evening, James joined Tanya in her tent, and after they made eye contact, James kissed her passionately. It felt right to her, and they shared in more of that passion throughout the night.

She was like an animal, filled with a desire to claim her mate. She took charge, and climbed on top of him. She teased him by rubbing her panty covered mound over the top of his aching erection, but she ended up teasing herself more. She groaned, and quickly pushed the fabric to the side, allowing her to fully seat herself on him.

As soon as she was fully impaled, she immediately rocked herself up and down on him, and leaned forward to put her hands on his chest. She grabbed ahold of his sparse chest hair and rocked on top of him. He reached for the bottom hem of her shirt and pulled it up and over her arms as she rose up to allow it. She came back down on top of him, rubbing her hard nipples across his chest and pushing her perky breasts against him. She continued the rocking motion, and kept him buried as she moved up and down just a few inches at a time, maintaining maximum contact on her love button.

She moved faster and faster, until she slammed herself down on his groin, moaning out very loudly, "JAMES!!! UHhggggg... Oh my god!"

She buried her face into his neck at this point, and just lay on top of him panting. He wrapped his arms around her, putting her pliable ass cheeks in his hands, and started to thrust upwards into her. The angle from beneath set off another wave of euphoria for her, making her moan continually.

"Ohhh... Ohhh God, James... James... JAMES!!" She went into the stratosphere again, shaking and pulsing as the waves washed over her. His own tidal wave was approaching, quickly, and he pumped faster and harder. Her velvety walls were still pulsing, and the sensations were just what he needed. He grabbed her rear end and pulled her down onto his cock, pumping his cum up into her, rope after pulsing rope.

They both finally collapsed down, her still on top, James still buried deeply in her. She lightly kissed his neck, and he gently rubbed her ass and lower back in small circles. Eventually, he softened and slipped out, and she slid off to lie on his side with her leg draped over his. She fell asleep with her head on his chest, and he fell asleep with his arm around her.

The next few days were much the same, with Tanya and James sneaking into the tent as many times as they could. Her friends were all giving them shit about it the whole time, but they didn't care. Tanya enjoyed every moment she could get alone with him. When it was time to pack up and head back, she didn't want it to be over. Sadly, it had to end. She had to return to L.A. for some new picture she was about to start shooting, and James had more tours to give. When it came time to take them to the airport, she was a little emotional.

"James, I don't know what happened this week, but I felt something with you that I haven't felt in a long time. I really wish you could come with me."

"I know, I felt it too, whatever it is. Tanya, I can't leave just yet, but I WILL come visit you in L.A. soon. How about I come up in two weeks, and spend a week with you? You can show me your place, and we can hit the town..."

"That sounds nice, aside from the waiting part." She smiled at this, and went on. "Promise me you'll come."

"I promise I'll come visit you, and we'll continue to melt the sheets." He winked, giving her the OK to start laughing, which she did.

"Here is my home number, and my cell number. The printed number on the front is my agent Tyrone's number. You can call him if you can't get ahold of me, ok?"

He gave her a card as well, and they hugged one last time. The group flew back to L.A. on a chartered plane, Tanya deep in thought the whole time. Diane came to her, shortly before they got close to their destination.

"Hey, girl, you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, just have a lot to think about," she replied solemnly. After a silent minute, she asked quietly, "You ever wonder how things would have turned out, if we were still back home?"

"All the time, actually. I miss home, but wouldn't change anything now," replied her best friend.

The beautiful actress looked down, not responding.

"Tanya... I thank God every day of my life for the wonderful things that I enjoy. I have great friends, a loving husband, and a family that still sends me Christmas cards every year. What's got you thinking about that right now?"

"I'm not sure I want to keep going the way I have been. I don't feel like myself, and it scares me," she confessed, looking up into her friend's eyes, with moisture building in her own.

"This doesn't have anything to do with James, does it?" she asked smiling kindly.

"Yeah, I think it does," Tanya said, starting to smile.

"Oh, girl, you just need to tell him how you feel. That man seems like the real deal. I know, I gave him shit the day we met," she admitted, to an astonished looking Tanya.

"You did WHAT?" she asked.

"Calm down, T, I was just making sure he wasn't thinking of trying to get something from you, like money or something."

After taking a few breaths, Tanya closed her eyes. It always calmed her, when her friend used her childhood nickname. "Thank you, I know you're just looking out for me. I've grown tired of feeling like I'm pretending to be a person. I'm not talking about work. That acting I enjoy, it's the other times, like at parties and events. I feel like I'm just pretending to be myself.

"James, he made me feel like a real person. I don't think I've ever felt this way about a man before."

*****************************

Two days later, she still hadn't heard back from James. She figured he might be more traditional and wait for the 3-day rule on a callback. She decided to try to call him, and when Shawn told her that he'd not reported in, she got worried. Thankfully a few days later he called her, and they talked for a few minutes. She quickly convinced him to visit her in L.A.

He agreed easily, as he had to wait for the plane to be repaired anyhow. Somehow, he never really got around to filling her in on all the details of his time stuck on that island. They had a great time, and neither wanted it to end.

The only wrinkle during their time together, was being hassled by the paparazzi, when they went out to dinner. He spent every night in her bed, and Tanya was beyond happy. They went from making tender love, to hard animalistic fucking. Between the week on the beach, and the nights he spent at her home, she felt loved.

Naturally, his time got short and he had to head back to his home. They parted with her promise to call him. Two days later, she called and told him that shooting for her current picture was going beyond the original schedule, as they were days behind. She would come visit him in about two weeks.

Tanya wasn't lying about the extra filming. That day, the director had yelled at the entire camera crew for screwing something up. The next day, the camera crew announced that they had fixed the problem, and restored whatever it was that set the director off. The whole crew was ecstatic, so of course there was a party. It started off at a club, and by the end of the night, they decided to crash at Tanya's place.

She woke up next to Tyler, and groaned. Tanya swore under her breath, and slowly tried to extract her arm from under his head. Now she had firsthand knowledge of a Coyote Ugly situation.

"How the fuck did this happen?" she asked herself a minute later, staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.

She decided what was done, was done. She would tell Tyler that it meant nothing, and that they weren't getting back together. That was when disaster struck her. She had been sitting on the lounge poolside, getting ready to tell Tyler to leave and never come back, the moment Skip Cruz came walking out, James following along behind him.

"Hey babe, this guy says he's a friend of yours," Skip announced.

She blinked hard, and gasped. "James, oh god, what are you doing here? I thought you were still in Hawaii? No, no, no," She cried, covering up with a towel, and ran for the sliding door.

"What gives, babe?" asked Tyler, who had just joined them on the patio.

James turned to Shawn, and said, "Let's go. I guess showing up unannounced really was a bad idea." He turned to Tyler and said, "She's all yours, man."

Tanya chased after him, running out the front door. "JAMES, WAIT!"

He stopped at his rental car and turned around. "Tanya, you don't need to explain anything to me. I should have known better."

"James, this isn't what it looks like. Tyler... He's my ex-boyfriend that just comes around every now and then. Nothing happened with him!"

"Then what happened to your clothes, and why was he only in boxers?" After an uncomfortable silence, "I thought so. Tanya, I was glad to have gotten the chance to know you. I hope you have a happy life here."

"Please, James. Can't we just talk about this? I don't want it to end like this. I really like you!"

Shawn had gotten into the car, and James opened his door. "No, I think we've said enough. I really liked you too, but can't be with anyone that lies. You said you were still shooting for a picture, and couldn't come to visit me. At least you could have done the decent thing, and told me that your ex was keeping you busy. It would have saved me the trip. Goodbye, Tanya."