The Farmer and the Actress

Almost two hours later, Chet stood with the escort and wiped his eyes with the napkin that he had been squeezing. He don't know or care what anyone else in the room thought about the film, Rachel had nailed his vision as if she had read his mind while he was writing it. As his escort lead him to a room on the far side of the main room, the audience stood and began a long and loud ovation that rung in everyone's ears. The escort took him to a table in the back of the new room and sat him down and told him that Megan would come to get him when she was ready for him. He nodded and thanked her. She smiled and disappeared with the grace of a ballerina.

Chet didn't have to wait long as others began filing into the room where a staff of waiters was waiting with trays of champagne and other drinks. Somewhere in the throng, he saw Megan and then Rachel enter. Rachel was more or less forced to the center of the room where she was surrounded while Megan was able to work the room until she was standing next to him. Her face was beaming.

"She did good, didn't she?"

"Both of you were marvelous; I am speechless."

"Well find your voice because you have some questions to answer, asshole."

"Asshole! I'll have you know that I am personal friends with both the director and the star of this thing."

"The star of this thing won't be your friend until you answer her questions. Now come with me and pretend that you are having fun." He stood and took her arm as she led him on a circuitous journey to the center of the room. When they stopped, Megan was standing next to Rachel/Jillian and slipped her arm around her waist.

"Oh here she is; where did you go..." Rachel's eyes met Chet's and she stopped. Megan slipped his hand into Rachel's and then moved forward and began talking to the crowd of reporters and others. She worked the room like a professional while Rachel and Chet looked at each other as if they were the only people on the planet. Slowly, he pulled her gently toward him until his arm was around her waist and her body was touching his. A few of the gathered throng noticed a tall guy in a tuxedo standing close to Jillian but otherwise basically ignored them.

Slowly, she pulled him down until her mouth was near his ear. "Chet, I have done the best that I can possibly do. Do you approve?" These last words were filled with both tension and a touch of fear.

He smiled at her and then whispered in her ear, "You could have not done a better job in any way. I had tears in my eyes; it was like you had read my mind. You did everything I wanted and more." Then he kissed her cheek. When he pulled back, her face was beaming and there were a couple of tears in her eyes.

Somehow, Megan got the throng to focus on another part of the room and the three of them were left standing in the middle but alone. Megan grabbed three glasses of champagne and then turned to the two and said, "Rachel, have you told him?"

"Yes, I did."

"Is he pleased with your work?"

"Yes, I think that he is satisfied."

"Chet, are you ready to answer my questions?"

He took a deep breath and said, "Yes, Megan, I am scared but I promised."

"Good. Now what do you think of Rachel?" Rachel looked startled at the question.

Chet wasn't sure of who to look at but he chose to look at Rachel. "I love her." Rachel looked even more startled as her mouth hung open.

Megan continued, "Now for the hard one; what are you going to do about it?" Rachel gasped and tried to turn to Megan. Megan turned her back towards Chet.

This time, Chet looked at Megan and said, "I want to ask her to marry me."

"So why the hell are you looking at me; look at her and ask her, dumbass."

He turned to Rachel and she already had tears in her eyes. "Rachel, um...crap...Rachel, I fell in love with you that first weekend and you have been constantly in my mind ever since. I...I can't imagine going on without you in my life. Will you marry me?"

The tears continued to run down her face as all she could do was nod. Then she buried her face in his chest. All he could think of was how much the rental company was going to charge him to clean the shirt and jacket. But then, he really didn't care. Rachel was in his arms and she was nodding that she accepted his proposal.

Finally, Megan said, "The vultures are returning. Rachel, say yes and then we have to make our exit."

Rachel understood that and looked up at him and said, "Absolutely yes. Now, you made me look like a wreck so you are going to have to walk out with me on your arm and Megan on the other one, asshole."

"Asshole, I'll have you know that only my wife has the right to call me an asshole."

"Fine, when can we get married?"

Megan replied, "The wedding is set for Tuesday at your parent's lake house. Now put on your plastic smile and let's make America happy."

As they started moving towards the door, the reporters and photographers started crowding closer and closer. Rachel on one arm and Megan on the other led Chet out onto the red carpet and he got his first close up look at what mayhem looks like in person. He just walked along escorting the two stars as if he knew what he was doing. People were throwing questions at them from left and right. Someone threw out the question, "Who is that guy?"

Megan replied, "Wouldn't you like to know?" and kept on walking toward the limo waiting at the curb. It was probably only one hundred feet from the theater door to the car but it felt like it was over a hundred yards. The driver opened the door and Rachel slipped inside followed by Megan. Finally, Chet stepped inside and found himself being wrapped in Rachel's arms before the door was even closed. There was only one thing to do and that was to kiss her.

He didn't know how long the kiss lasted but he never wanted it to end. Unfortunately, it did and Rachel looked at Megan and asked in a firm voice, "What do you mean Tuesday? We don't have a license and he has to live here for six weeks and he doesn't have a ring and we haven't planned a honeymoon..."

"Shut up, slut. The wedding is Tuesday at your parent's lake house. Here is the marriage license application; both of you sign it. My dear lawyer husband will file it tomorrow morning and the license will be issued Tuesday morning. He has lived here for two months. If your asshole boyfriend doesn't have a ring yet, the two of you can get one Monday morning. As for a honeymoon, that is up to you but you have to be back here and ready to work in two months."

"Wait just a damn minute. What do you mean he has been living here for two months? Why didn't you tell me?" Then she turned to Chet. "Why didn't you tell me, asshole?"

"You can't call me that until after Tuesday."

"Hey slut, who do you think has been cooking your lunch every day for the past two months? I told him that you wouldn't eat while you were editing this and he insisted on hiding a way and preparing your lunch every day. He wants you healthy for the honeymoon. I am pretty sure that he has plans for you and you need your energy."

Then Rachel asked, "And why do I have to be back in two months? I want to get away for a long time."

Megan grinned and said, "Because in two months, we start shooting the sequel and I am going to work your ass off just like you did me."

All Rachel could do was sputter and mutter unintelligible sounds. Finally, she stopped and turned to Chet and looked him square in the eye. "All right, smart ass, what about a ring and this honeymoon thing. You said that we could go away for awhile; so what is your plan? I've got two months."

"As for the ring, I have one I'd like you to wear but it isn't huge or spectacular or anything like that. It is just important to me."

She stuck out her hand, "Put it on me. I don't care if it is a cigar band." I took the ring from my pocket and slipped it on her finger. It fit like it was made for her. She looked at it and smiled, "It is beautiful and I don't like big flash jewelry. Why is it special to you?"

"It was my mother's engagement ring and the wedding band that goes with it slips under this arch."

She started crying, "Oh it is wonderful. I will wear it proudly and forever." She kissed him tenderly.

The limo pulled up to the house where Chet had been staying. Megan said, "Ok you two; out. I'm going to the release party and make up stories about why you aren't there."

"Where are we?" Rachel asked.

Megan replied, "You know damn well where this is and you better get inside because it has been almost four hours since Goldie has been outside. Unless you want to spend your first night together cleaning up dog pee, I'd go take care of that first."

The driver opened the door and Chet stepped out and held his hand out for Rachel's. She stepped out and broke into a smile. Then the limo was gone and they were left holding hands in the driveway.

Rachel asked, "Do you know what this house is?"

"No; Megan just said that she borrowed this from a friend for a couple of months and to not make too much of a mess."

"Honey, this is my Rachel house. This is where I come to get away from all of the Hollywood crap. Let's go let Goldie out."

Goldie was beside herself. She ran outside and then came back to get Rachel to scratch her. Then she ran out and took care of her business before she came back for a good Rachel scratch. It was while she was out that Rachel noticed the travel trailer in the driveway.

She grinned and asked, "Is that for our honey moon?"

"My intention was for us to take a week or two and go on the road to see those places that you have always wanted to see. If that is a good honeymoon for you, then that will be our honeymoon."

"That would be a perfect honeymoon for me. Are...are you sure that you are ready to get married to me this soon?"

"The last three times you have left, I felt hollowness inside and I cried each time. I am more than ready for you to be in the middle of my life. I know that we both will have to make adjustments but I am ready to start all over again with you as the centerpiece of my life. So yes, as long as you are ready; I am ready."

"I always felt funny letting myself thinking about a life with you. I am a big star and all that crap but all I want is to be a wife and lover to my man at our home in Texas."

"But you have this life here and..."

"That is why God invented airplanes. I want to live with you at the farm. When I want to work, I or we can stay here at Rachel's house. If we need to do a big production, we can use Jillian's house or we can get rid of it. All I want is to be happy with you." They kissed again and for the umpteenth time, he told himself that this was the perfect woman for him. Now he just hoped that he was the perfect man for her.

Goldie finished her outdoor explorations and came to lead them into the house together for the first time as a couple. He had been staying in the guest bedroom since the master bedroom was obviously a woman's room. Rachel led him to the master bedroom and smiled nervously as she said, "My love, will you take this dress off of me please?"

He smiled at her and just as nervously unclipped and unzipped the dress until it slipped to the floor. She actually acted very nervous as she covered her breasts with her arms since she was naked except for her panties and hose.

"Chet, I want you to know that you are the first man to see or be with me like this in over six years. I'm nervous and more than a little scared. I want to be a perfect lover for you, but I am really out of practice. Can you be patient with me?"

"Rachel, I have shut myself off from everyone for ten years until I met you. I think that we both need to re-learn togetherness. So I need you to be patient with me too."

"Then the first thing you need to learn is that everything you have read or know about me is probably false. Most of the nude scenes and pictures that are around are of a body double, not the real me. It is part of my contracts that I don't do nude scenes. What you see now is the real me and not many people have ever seen the real thing." She dropped her arms and slowly peeled off her panties and turned slowly. "This is what you are getting."

Chet pulled off the tux jacket and shirt and dropped his pants to the floor along with his underpants. "This is what you are getting Rachel; scars, flaws, and everything else good or bad."

She smiled shyly, "I don't see anything but good things. " They looked at each other and then she was in his arms and they were kissing like they were high school kids. One thing led to another and they ended up on her king sized bed and slowly found their way into the most natural position for a man and woman to share their love with each other. In spite of their mutual lack of practice, both of them responded to their actions as long lost memories came flooding back. It would be unfair to try to recount the details of their first sexual encounter but suffice it to say that by the time they fell asleep at four in the morning, neither of them felt neglected at all. They slept in each other's arms like they were made for each other. Actually, everything became natural sometime early in the morning when Goldie found her way onto the bed and lay across both of their feet.

On Saturday, they never left the house. They made love three more times; the first time in bed and the others were where the mood struck them. Megan called and she and her husband came over for dinner and to go over the plans for the wedding. She also brought over the news that the reviews from the movie were generally positive and that the distribution company was very happy. Her husband was the attorney for the distributor and said that they planned on a big campaign to get the film on the awards list. It reminded Chet that quality wasn't what earned awards; it was politics and image. So he quit worrying about the future of the film.

The wedding was going to be small and intimate which pleased both of them. On Sunday, Megan stole Rachel away to buy a wedding dress. Rachel told Chet that under threat of death, he could only wear a pair of his new jeans and a sport shirt. That made him wonder what she was going to be wearing for the wedding but as a dutiful husband to be, he wasn't going to start an argument with his wife-to-be over what he was going to wear.

On Monday, they loaded the trailer with their things and locked up the house as Rachel led them out of town towards the north and the mountains. Four hours later after a long pit stop for Goldie to relieve herself and Rachel and Chet to express their love for each other again, they pulled up to a log cabin on the shore of a mountain lake and Chet met Rachel's parents for the first time.

Rachel's mother was very warm and friendly but he felt a certain reserve on the part of her father. He began to loosen up as they sat on the back deck and had a margarita while the sun was setting. Finally, he asked, "What do you do, Chet?"

"I have a small farm where I grow things for market and do other projects." That was his standard answer to the standard question. Chet wasn't sure what he was fishing for.

Then Rachel said, "Daddy, stop the protective father thing. Chet is also known as Oliver Franklin but he doesn't tell people that very often. He isn't after my money or career opportunities." That pretty well nailed his concern as he looked at Chet and smiled and the tension was gone.

"Sorry Chet; I have become very protective of Rachel because...well there are a lot of gold diggers in her business." Then he and Chet quickly found a positive relationship. Rachel beamed as the they continued to hold hands. By the time Rachel and Chet along with Goldie retired, he was sure that his new in-laws were very supportive of him and their wedding. Actually, Goldie had mixed feelings about coming to bed with them. Rachel's mother proved to be a dog's best friend as she always found a tasty tidbit in the refrigerator for a starving dog.

Megan and her husband as well as four other of Rachel's close friends appeared Tuesday morning by helicopter. The minister arrived at noon and they were man and wife when everyone sat down to a marvelous lunch prepared by Rachael's mother. The wedding cake was made at a local bakery and featured the bride and groom in jeans and western shirts. The reality was that Chet was in Jeans and shirt but Rachael was in a western skirt and filly silk blouse. They looked very much like a couple that was going dancing at the Hall on any Saturday night. The pictures from that day show two people deliriously happy in their new state of existence and their attire was seldom noticed.

That night in their room, Chet smiled at his new wife and said, "I didn't get anything exotic for you as a wedding present but I prepared this for you." He handed her a notebook with maps, photos, and notes of places all across the western half of the United States. "We have two months for a honeymoon. Pick the places that you want to go to most."

She thumbed through the notebook and pointed to four places and then smiled at him. "Chet, I have been looking for you all of my life. My honeymoon will be in making a home and life with you. Let's stop at these four places on the way home. I want to be there and have the neighbors over for a cookout."

Chet smiled and said, "Spoken like the woman I have been looking for all of my life. We can leave in the morning."

"Yes we can. We will go to all of the other places later. Now come here; I haven't had a kiss since the ceremony."

For two people who once had everything, they now had it all and they lived the rest of their lives cherishing every moment and event even the ones on the red carpet.