One Last Time(95)

“I love teenagers,” I mutter.

We get through the entrance, and a few people snap pictures as we pass. It’s easy to forget how famous he is. To us, he’s just Noah Frazier, the man who leaves his underwear inside his jeans, doesn’t know where the hamper is and likes to fart when it’s too quiet. To the world, he’s a two-time Academy Award Winning actor who can do no wrong.

Tomorrow, we’ll have photos all over social media with hundreds of questions about why we aren’t married, if we’re really in love, and speculation that the only reason I’m with him is to further my career as an editor.

“Yo!” Finn yells. “Old people, keep up!”

“I’ll give him old people,” Noah threatens, and I laugh.

“If the shoe fits,” I tease him.

Noah still looks almost the same as when I met him. He’s that asshole guy who doesn’t have any gray hair, where I have to go to the salon every four weeks to keep myself from looking like I could be his mother. His body is still hard in all the right places, and all his equipment is in working order. Me? I’m lucky I can fit in my leggings without busting a seam.

“You’re lucky I love you,” he says before swatting my ass and jogging to the kids.

My butt doesn’t feel so lucky.

We get back into Harry Potter world, and it’s clearly big news that Noah Frazier is here. People flock to meet him, take photos, and well, touch him. I get it. I want to touch him, too. He’s pretty freaking hot for an old guy. Plus, he’s gotten ten times more famous since we met. The movies he does now are blockbusters, and he’s definitely an Alister now.

He looks at me with the I’m-sorry-I-hate-people face, and I smile back with my I-get-it-you’re-kind-of-a-big-deal look. Finn walks over, clearly detesting this aspect of our lives.

“And this is why we can’t go anywhere.” He huffs and points.

“You know he hates this as much as you do. But it’s been almost a decade, time to get over it.”

Then I remember at eighteen, your life is really all that matters.

“Finn!” Noah waves him over.

Oh, this should be interesting.

Aubrey is, of course, next to him, soaking up the attention that Noah Frazier is her almost daddy. Yes, she actually calls him that. I have no words for that girl sometimes.

“Oh, my God,” a flock of girls start squealing. “You know Noah Frazier?”

Finn turns, and a cocky smile that I’ve never seen before spreads across his face. “Yeah, I do. Did you want to meet him?”

“Yes!” They giggle and bounce up and down. “How do you know him?”

“He’s practically my stepfather.” He lifts his chin with pride.

Dear Lord. I can’t believe I’m watching this. “Finn, you should probably save him,” I say, reminding him I’m right here.

“Right. I’ll save Noah, no problem.” He pops his elbows out and smirks. “Ladies, care to join me?”

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

My son, the player in training. I should apologize now to the females of his future. I take no credit for that one.

He inherited his stupid from his father. The other bad habits are from Noah. I gave him life, brains, and then they ruined him.

After a few minutes, Finn’s groupies get their photo and my—I don’t know what to call him anymore—comes over. I loathe calling him my boyfriend. I’m almost fifty, and I feel lame saying it. Not to mention we’ve been together for a long time and when we say almost ten years, people look at us as if we’re mental.

We’re married in every way other than on paper. We own our home, own the magazine company, and co-parent with Scott. Noah is as much their father as my ex is. I like Noah. Scott . . . not so much.

“You good?” I ask as he puts his arm around my shoulders.

“I am now. I wanted a normal day out with you and the kids.” He sounds dejected.

“This is our normal, Noah. Plus, it looks like Finn has found new friends.”

We both turn back, looking at him and his harem of hoochies. “That’s my boy.” Noah beams with pride.

I’m so on my own.

We walk along through the realistic town that lives in a novel that brought the men I love together. Aubrey is in the shop we’re outside of, probably with Noah’s American Express Black Card . . . the one I keep confiscating and he keeps giving back.

All in all, even with him overindulging her, she’s a great kid and gets straight A’s, is in the honor society, and is a member of the student council. Aubrey and Noah share a love of animals, and she volunteers at the ASPCA on the weekends. I may not love her mood swings, but she’s a good girl with a good heart.

“Hey.” Noah stops me.

“What?”

“Next week is our anniversary,” he says, wrapping his arms around my waist as he smiles. I’ve been with him for a long time, and he still makes my heart race.

“It is.” I grin, knowing it is. “Did you get me something good?”

“You’ll have to wait to find out.”

“Aww.” I rub the back of his neck. “You got a refill of Viagra?”

Noah’s mouth falls, and he goes expressionless. “You know I don’t, and will not ever, need that.”