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“No and that’s my fault. I forgot about the show being recently aired and didn’t think we’d need any security. It won’t happen again.” I pull her closer, angling my body toward her, and kiss her on her forehead. Even now that we’re on the transport, people are taking videos and pointing at us.
Once we get to baggage claim, airport security is there to meet us, as well as our driver. Of course, the sign welcoming me to Alabama isn’t helping matters. Maybe it’s time I develop an alias and start traveling under that. If I do, I want something cool that makes people do a double take.
We’re taken right out to the car, with our bags already secured by security, and finally closed in once the door slams shut. The quiet is somewhat comforting, but the agitated state my wife is in isn’t.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“It’s fine, Josh.” Placing her hand on my cheek, she pulls me into a kiss. “I wasn’t mentally prepared and I should’ve been. I’ve seen the crazy pictures coming from LAX. I guess I didn’t think it’d happen at all the airports.”
“Can I point out that it was you that got us noticed? Not me!” I jab myself in my chest to send the point home, but all she does is laugh.
“Does that make you jealous?”
“Hell no. I only worry about how you’re going to react.”
“I got this,” she says, gracing me with a beautiful smile. “I knew what to expect, and now that I’ve seen it firsthand I’ll be more prepared.”
The driver pulls us into the car rental location and helps us with our bags. At the counter, we hand over our driver’s licenses and wait.
“We need to change yours,” I tell Joey.
Joey looks at me with the most serious expression I have ever seen. “What if I don’t want to change my name? The producers never even asked if I wanted to take my ‘husband’s’ last name. I mean can you imagine if you had the last name Hoey and now I’d be Joey Hoey?”
“Are you saying you don’t want to be Joey Wilson?” As much as I try to hide the hurt in my voice, I can’t and it’s stupid. I never wanted to be married in the first place, but now that I am, now that I’ve had her in my life for the past four, almost five months I want her to be a Wilson. I want the world to know that she’s mine.
Her face morphs into a huge smile causing my heart to beat faster. “I’m just giving you a hard time. I think once I have a permanent address I can get my license changed.”
Draping my arm around her shoulder, I shake my head. “I have a feeling you’re going to keep me on my toes.” Maybe that’s the key to a happy marriage: the jokes, pranks, and reminding ourselves that we can’t take everything so seriously.
When we’re finally on the road and heading toward Daphne, I drop the bomb. “So you know how you love Sweet Home Alabama?”
Her eyes light up, instantly making me feel like a dick. “Yes, such a sweet second chance love story and Josh Lucas. . .” She sighs, making me feel about ten inches tall.
“Do you have something for actors named Josh?”
“Yes, but just one mostly. Wilson’s his last name. Have you heard of him?” She winks and I can’t fight the shit-eating grin that spreads across my face. I’ve never felt this way before when receiving a compliment from a beautiful woman. Maybe it’s because I always thought there were ulterior motives and they were only saying these things to get something from me. It’s not like that with Joey. Every time she compliments me, it feels genuine.
“You’re a smooth talker, Mrs. Wilson. Anyway, your favorite movie wasn’t exactly filmed here. There are a few scenes, but most of it was filmed in Georgia.” I try to watch for her reaction and notice that her mouth drops open and shuts quickly.
“Hollywood is such a lie.”
I laugh because it’s true. “I know. I’m sorry that I’m killing all the magic for you.”
“Eh, it’s okay. So you’re filming in Daphne, which is where my movie was ‘filmed’, but where is yours based out of?”
“Some coastal town in Texas,” I tell her, trying to recall from my script.
“Unbelievable,” she says, laughing.
The drive is only about an hour from the airport to the hotel, but it ends up taking us almost three. We decided to drive along the coastal line as much we could, stopping in as many towns as possible so we can sightsee, capture memories on our phones, and make out under the Spanish moss covered oak trees like the newlyweds we are.
When we finally pull into our hotel, we’re both tired from traveling. I shouldn’t be staying in Daphne, but I want to be close to Joey and the thought of having to drive or be driven an hour or so away to some ritzy ass hotel doesn’t appeal to me. It’s my hope that our location can remain on the down-low so we can enjoy our time together.
“Don’t feed the alligators?” Joey slams the car door and points to the sign, her eyes wide with a mix of terror and ‘what the fuck’.
“You’re in the south. Stay out of the water unless it’s a pool and you can see the water clearly.”
“But alligators, Josh? Come on? What if one comes ashore and tries to eat me?”
