The Truth of It

“The Great Massi?”

“hmm?”  Lexi answered into the phone, blinking at the glowing numbers on her alarm clock. 7:52 am. 

“You could’ve texted me!”  Lena squealed regardless of her sister’s obvious sleeping state.  “I mean, Massi!

“Lexi?”  Lena asked, seeming to realize she was the only one excited here.  “What are you doing?”

The call would have been unwelcome on a normal morning.  As it so happened, Lexi’d been out late the night before.  She dragged her arm back to her ear with a sigh at the effort.  “Lena.  Do you know what time it is?”  It was a hard and fast rule with Lexi.  No calls before 9:00 am.  None.  She had scripts to read or lines to memorize.  Especially no calls from Lena, who got worked up every time Lexi’s name was in the paper, still. 

“Yes, yes, early.”  Lexi all but saw her sister flick her hand excusing her digression.  “But you know I love Massimo Rapheallo!” 

Who didn’t? 

It was true, Lexi had met Massimo Rapheallo at a cocktail party and probably should have told her number one fan and self-appointed scrapbook keeper before the gossip columns picked it up.

“Oh. My. God.”  Lena spilled.  “He’s still there?”  The phone dropped right from her hand and clattered loudly in Lexi’s ear.

“What?”  Lexi said to the air.  “What are you talking about?”  She sat up and asked again when her sister’s happy dance included putting the phone to her ear again.  “He bought me a drink Lenee. Nothing more.”

“Eeeek.  That’s not what it says on Page One and everywhere else.  Scrapping this will take all day!

“How was it?”  Lena couldn’t help asking in the voice she reserved for the most confidential, scandalous details of her sister’s Hollywood life.

Lexi rolled her eyes.  Sleep was out of the question for the rest of the day.  “You know better than to believe everything you read.”

Lena wanted to believe.  Massimo was the most eligible bachelor in the sporting world and on more than one occasion, he’d made it known he had a crush on her sister!  Finally.  “You don’t have to hide from me sister.”

“One drink. Lena.”  Lexi said, tying her robe and padding downstairs for coffee.  “If it makes you feel better though, he is as good looking in person and also very nice.”

“Nice?  Very nice?”  Lena sneered.  “Who cares?  Don’t hold out on me, can he kiss?  Are his arms as hard as they look?

“Tell me everything.”

“I hate to disappoint, sis.  He knew about Todd and walked me to my car.”

“Where he had his hands all over you and followed you home!”  Lena finished for her.

Lexi shook her head.  “Believe what you like.”

Flipping on the tv while her coffee brewed, Lexi found herself and Massi on the Today Show.  Six pictures faded in and out as the hosts speculated with great relish.  “Hollywood’s Hottest and Soccer’s Sexiest:  The Highly Anticipated Hook-Up.” 

That wasn’t so bad, Lexi thought.  Every time she talked to a man, there was a hook up rumor, despite never having strayed from her college sweetheart, Todd.

It was the tip of the iceberg.  Every news channel had their version of the Hunky Athlete and Sexy Starlet headline and the same six photos.  TMZ had an additional eight photos, including one where Massimo’s hand was obscured as he helped her into the back of her limo.  Clearly and tantalizingly, it was a “promise of things to come,” according to the source.  The remaining file of pictures followed Massimo to his own vehicle where he is convincingly seen leaving in the same direction as Lexi, mere moments later.

Not even 8:30 am and Lexi’s phone was blowing up.  Her agent, her mother, her friends.  Lexi was astounded at all of them, giving her a digital high five or in her mother’s case, admonishing.  Both Massimo’s and her social media accounts were crashing under the congratulations and wedding date speculation.  Wedding dates!  By 8:45, paparazzi were actually outside her quiet neighborhood gates for the first time ever yelling to the Great Massi.  She was at a loss.  She almost wished they’d exchanged numbers so she could text him for moral support.  How did the man live under such scrutiny?

Minutes later, her coffee cup shattered on the tile of her bathroom floor when she spotted a man fall from a ladder in her backyard under the weight of his camera.  She was going to have to call the police.  One drink and this circus!

At 9:00 am exactly, her private cell phone rang.  Lexi answered in exasperation.  “Todd.  Are you seeing this?”  She asked expecting his usual gruff, ignore those idiots line.

“Yeah babe.”  Todd said instead.  “Something you need to tell me?”