He was grilling Katie Holmes.
I told him my true life story up until coming to New York City, looking to put my journalism degree to work. Everything from that point on was a twisted version of the truth. It made me feel like shit. He was being so honest and transparent with me, but practically every word coming out of my mouth was a lie.
“So, what’s Hef really like?” he asked.
“Hugh Hefner?”
He gave me a sideways grin. “Is there another Hef?”
I giggled like a silly school girl. “No, of course not. Um, yes, he’s awesome. I met Hef at the Playboy Mansion.”
“I’ve always wanted to go there,” he said. “What’s it like?”
“Um… it’s big…”
He chuckled and shook his head. I bit my lip and looked out the window, praying we’d finished the subject. The road sign ahead read “New Haven 5 miles”. Sean slowed and took the exit without bouncing me around the cab.
“Are we in Connecticut?” I asked, alarmed.
I turned to look out the window. We were on a two-lane road covered by woods on both side.
“We’ve been in Connecticut for a while,” he said with a smile. “You wanted to meet the real Sean Donovan. This is where you have to go. Relax, we’re almost there.”
I settled back in the seat and wondered what I’d gotten myself into. We drove down the winding road for a few miles, then turned off onto a narrow lane that cut its way through a couple of miles of dense forest. The trees canopied above us, nearly blocking out the sun, making the road ahead look dark and ominous.
“It’s beautiful here,” he said. I glanced over to see him smiling at me. “You’re going to love this.”
After a few minutes, the trees parted above us and the sun shined through and I let go of the breath I’d been holding. The lane ended at a small cabin next to a lake. The place looked ancient and deserted.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“This is where the real Sean Donovan lives,” he said with a sigh. He shut off the truck and stared through the windshield at the rustic cabin and the calm lake beyond.
“I’ve never brought anyone here before,” he said quietly. “You’re my first visitor.”
“Why me?”
Sean turned to look into my eyes and smiled. “I don’t really know. There’s just this little voice in my head telling me that I can trust you with the truth.”
“There is? I mean, you can…”
He grinned and reached for the door handle.
“Come on, Katie Holmes, let me show you around.”
Sean
When I held out my hand and told Katie to come with me, I could see a look of fear and wonder in her eyes. Fear that this insane bad boy had brought her to the middle of nowhere, and wonder at what he might do to her. I gave her a reassuring smile to let her know that I was harmless, more or less. As to what I might do to her, well, that remained to be seen.
As we walked to the edge of the lake, I felt her fingers tighten around my hand. Her hand felt good in mine. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d held a woman’s hand without dragging her onto the dancefloor or into my bedroom. This was just sweet, innocent handholding. It felt… good.
“This was my dad’s cabin,” I said wistfully. “He used to bring me here when I was a boy. We’d fish all day or swim in the lake, then build a fire and sit around it all night just talking and looking at the stars.”
“Sounds wonderful,” she said. I heard her sigh.
“It was.” I swept my hand through the air. “Some of the best fishing in Connecticut is right here in this lake.”
“It’s beautiful,” she said. “And you own all this?”