We talked for a few moments about the winners, and which one of us had picked the correct winner for Best Picture. Max got that one right, while I had managed to win the Best Actor and Best Actress guesses.
The limo hadn’t moved. There was obviously a traffic jam due to all of the other limos, and probably more so due to people taking their sweet time getting to their rides.
But soon we were on the way.
“How long is the ride?” I asked.
Max said, “Hungry?”
I laughed. “No. Well, yeah, I kind of am. I’m just wondering if we have a few minutes.”
“For?”
I didn’t answer verbally. Instead I lowered my head to his lap and pressed my lips against his cock, feeling him grow instantly harder. I lightly nibbled at his erection through his pants.
The privacy shade was up, so the driver had no view of the back of the limo. I wasn’t sure if I was going to take full advantage of that, though, and unzip Max’s pants and free him into my mouth.
So instead I decided to keep doing what I was doing. With my hand, I squeezed his pants around the bulge of his length and traced the outline of the tip.
I kissed it there, then managed to lift his cock up a little bit, just enough to take the tip into my mouth and breathe hot air through his slacks.
“Tease,” he said.
“Mmm hmm,” I replied with my mouthful.
By his physiological reaction, I know Max was enjoying my teasing play, but he suddenly put his hand on my head, lightly turning it to face him, and said, “Liv, let’s save that for later.”
I lifted my head. “What’s wrong?”
I felt the limo coming to a stop as I looked out the window and realized that we were not in front of the Beverly Hilton.
“Nothing,” he said, pulled me up to his face. “Nothing at all.” He kissed me deeply, his tongue sweeping through my mouth, arousing me more than I already had been. “Come with me.”
Max opened the door, stepped out and turned around to take my hand as I exited the limo. “Where are we?”
The heels I was wearing weren’t the best for trying to stand on the gravel, but I managed as I turned around to discover we were at the top of Mount Lee, where the Hollywood sign overlooks Los Angeles.
The view from the top of the hill was amazing — a million twinkling lights, like looking at a constellation of stars, in more ways than one.
Max held me from behind, squeezing me tightly, kissing my neck. “I haven’t been up here in a long time.”
“When was the last time?”
He nibbled my earlobe. “Shortly after I first got here. I had to sneak up here, of course, and risk getting arrested, but it was worth it.”
“Sneak? You couldn’t drive up here then?”
“You could,” he said, “but not where we’re going.” As we started to walk, the driver popped the trunk and Max reached in, pulling out my sneakers. “You’ll be more comfortable in these,” he said.
I leaned on the car as he changed my shoes for me, then we walked down a short few steps to a gate, where I saw a sign that read: “Restricted Access. No hiking to the Hollywood sign,” followed with threats of prosecution, jail time and fines.
A man was standing there, and he greeted Max. “Good night so far?”
“Hey, Todd. Great night so far. Give us maybe thirty minutes,” Max said.
“Take your time. I’ll be in the truck.”
We walked through the gate and I asked Max who that was.
“Someone I know. LAFD guy.”
“You have contacts in the Fire Department?” I said, incredulously.
“I hired him as a technical advisor on a movie. I paid him tonight, too, and that cost me more than the fine, but saves us from having to see our mug shots on the Internet.”
We ended up sitting on the edge of one of the letter L’s.
“If you think I’m going to finish that blowjob on the Hollywood sign,” I said, “you have a more active imagination than I thought.”
Max laughed and pulled me closer to him. “I’ll let you finish it later.”
“How generous of you.” I looked up at his face, searching for his reaction to my sarcasm, but only saw him gazing out over the city. “What, you didn’t like my joke?”
He continued to look out toward the city. “I did.”
“You didn’t laugh. Didn’t even crack a smile. What’s up? Something on your mind?”
“Everything we’re looking at right now. The thousands of people down there scurrying from one after-party to the next, desperately trying to shoulder their way into a conversation they think will change their lives forever, the glee of the winners, the letdown for others…I love it all. It’s what I dreamed of being a part of my whole life.”
“And here you are,” I said. “You made it.”
He nodded. “I did. I mean, I don’t have a golden statuette — ”
“Yet,” I added.
“Right,” he said. “Yet. But I’m doing what I always wanted to do. Living the dream. But it’s not enough. Not nearly enough. Someday I know people will remember who I was and the work that I did.”
“Of course they will,” I said, detecting a note of sadness in his tone. “You know, you’re a little too young to be worrying about your legacy.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about. Actually, I’m not worried about anything.” He shifted, and at the same time he moved me so we were sitting facing each other. “I’m doing what I always wanted to do, and for the most part I’ve already done it. I know the game. And that’s exactly what it is. A game. One I know how to play.”
His eyes were darting back and forth, searching mine. Wherever he was going with this, I was feeling like the point was escaping me.
“Liv,” he said, taking my hands in his. “The only important thing to me…is you.” He pulled a ringbox out of his pocket and held it in front of me, unopened, as he continued to speak. “I can’t imagine the rest of my life without you by my side, and if you give me the chance, I’ll prove that to you every day. Marry me.”
ELEVEN
Two weeks later, on what was inarguably the biggest Sunday of my life, I found myself being dressed by two stylists Max had surprised me with. I had initially planned to spend most of the morning and early afternoon out, getting my hair and makeup done, but the two women showed up shortly after 10 a.m.