Hey all! Happy 2016! So, this is the last chapter that deals with My Friend Irma. The date is August 16th, 1949, the day the movie was premiered. At this point, Dean has turned 32 (one of these days I'll have to do a birthday chapter), Sandy is 29, and Jerry is 23. Sandy and Dean have been together for around 7 months. They will be living together because I feel like that's just something they would do in their relationship, even though it may seem a bit fast. There will be some innuendos and a few more mature references (nothing too bad), so there's my warning. Hope you all enjoy the chapter!
-OBG98
"Dean? Dean honey where are you?" Sandy called out, glancing into the bathroom mirror and applying the last of her makeup. She glanced at herself critically in the mirror, making sure every detail was in order. Glancing around, Sandy picked up her hairbrush and gently combed out her hair once more, making sure it looked absolutely perfect. Tonight was the movie premiere of "My Friend Irma," and Sandy wanted to look her absolute best.
"In the bedroom!" Dean called out, his voice sounding muffled, like he had something in his mouth. Sandy laughed and shook her head, turning her attention back to looking over herself in the mirror. Dean was probably stuffing his face with the tray of cookies Sandy had mistakenly left out from earlier. Dean had a major sweet tooth, and if it weren't for his frequent trips to the gym, Sandy wouldn't know how he stayed so thin.
"Your tie is hanging on the bedpost," Sandy called out, fiddling with one of her earrings. If she didn't remind him, then he would probably never get around to getting dressed. Dean wasn't a huge fan of large public events; he preferred to spend his time in the company of good friends or family. He had tried more than once before to wheedle his way out of attending a gala or press conference, and Sandy practically had to drag him out the door most of the time. However, this was one event that even he was excited about.
"You look beautiful..." A deep voice murmured, startling Sandy out of her thoughts. She glanced into the mirror to see Dean standing at the doorway of the bathroom, still only in his boxers and an undershirt. His hair was tousled in every direction, and his stubble was beginning to grow more and more apparent. After filming had ended in April, Sandy and Dean spent most of their time in the small apartment they had rented, enjoying their time off. There had been some interviews, and a few pitches promoting both the radio show and the movie, but for the most part Hal had left the two of them alone, content with the amount of publicity the two had reaped by making their relationship public. Jerry frequently came over, having rented a place of his own, and would often bring George and John along. Needless to say, it had been quiet for the whole lot of them, and Dean hadn't really placed too much stock in personal appearance when it came to shaving. Despite her constant teasing, Sandy had to admit that Dean was extremely appealing to her when he looked like this; and had shown him countless times just how attractive she found him.
"Are you planning on going like that?" Sandy teased, raising an eyebrow at Dean's nonchalant demeanor. Dean grinned back and walked towards her, placing his hands on her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder blade. Sandy smiled at him fondly through the mirror, placing her hands on top of his.
"That depends...this outfit is much easier for you to get me out of at the end of the night," Dean growled, placing light kisses on Sandy's neck. Sandy closed her eyes and enjoyed his attentions, wanting nothing more than to drop everything and spend the rest of the day in Dean's arms. Finally regaining her senses, she wriggled around in his grasp and turned to face him, brushing a hand through his hair as she did so.
"Yes...but then I would spend the whole evening attempting to control myself and keep my hands off of you," Sandy replied, looking at him pointedly. Dean winked at her and placed a kiss to the tip of her nose, wiggling his eyebrows rakishly at her implication.
"You say that like it's a bad thing," Dean smirked, watching her fondly as she turned a delicate shade of red. Slapping him in the shoulder, she turned to face the mirror again.
"Dino Paul Crocetti, you and I BOTH know that the sort of publicity we would gain from THAT kind of a spectacle isn't the kind that we're searching for," Sandy quipped, slapping his hands away as they began to travel further down her waist. Dean let out a whimper of protest, making him look like an adorable puppy who just had its bone taken away from them.
"Oh stop it. Help me with this will you?" Sandy laughed, gesturing to the zipper on the back of her dress. Dean happily obliged, his warm hands traveling up her back as he slowly zipped her dress up. When he was finished, he stepped back to admire her once more, the love and adoration in his eyes apparent as he gazed at her. Sandy turned towards him and noticed his expression, smiling at him fondly and placing her arms around him. She pulled him in for a lingering kiss, letting her lips rest on his as he enveloped her tightly in his arms.
"Is that to tide me over?" Dean asked cheekily once they had broken apart. Sandy laughed again and patted his cheek before walking out of the bathroom.
"Get dressed and comb your hair," Sandy lectured as she walked into the bedroom, heading towards her nightstand to grab her purse.
"Yes mother," Dean shot back from the bathroom. Sandy chuckled to herself as she heard the faucet turn on, wondering how this whirlwind of a man became hers in the first place. She heard Dean singing as he got ready, and his voice made her heart melt, just like it always did.
"You almost done in there?" Sandy called out after about 20 minutes. Almost instantly, Dean appeared in his tuxedo, looking every bit like the debonair gentleman that he was. He had a red handkerchief in his jacket pocket, and his hair was gelled to perfection. Sandy stared at him a moment before striding across the room and pulling him into a heated kiss.
"So I guess you approve," Dean teased once they had broken apart, earning yet another kiss from Sandy. She stepped away from him and looked him up and down once more, trying desperately to quell the lustful fire that was building within her.
"You look...ridiculously handsome," Sandy finally responded, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt in order to place his tie on just right. Dean noticed her flushed cheeks and smirked, and settling on watching her intently as she straightened out his tie. Once she finished, he placed his hands on hers, sending her a hopeful look.
"It's not too late to change our minds about this you know? I'd much rather spend the evening doing.... other things," he growled, his eyes turning dark as he held her gaze. Sandy's eyes darkened as well, and she had to breathe deeply in order to keep herself from ripping the tie off of him...and his shirt along with it.
"Dean...as tempting as that sounds, we have to attend the premiere for our first movie. Let's just get out of here and go, and before you know it we'll be back home and we can spend the whole rest of the night doing what we BOTH so desperately want to do," Sandy managed to spit out, pushing herself away from her boyfriend and straightening herself up. Dean pouted for a minute, but slowly the implications of what she had said settled in and a wicked grin spread across his face.
"You promise?" Dean whined, batting his eyelashes teasingly when Sandy gave him an exasperated look. Sandy marched back over to him and kissed him as roughly as she could manage, nipping at his lower lip when she pulled away from him.
"Does that answer you're question? Now, let's get this over with so we can come home," Sandy growled, trying to maintain what little self control she had left. Dean noticed her struggle and grinned, kissing her very chastely on the cheek before stepping out into the kitchen. Sandy composed herself for a moment before double checking that she had everything that she needed. She heard the door bell ring and she jolted, startled by the shrill sound.
"Well look at you! Got all nice and cleaned up. Where's Patty? Ah...there she is!" Sandy heard Dean say jovially. She grinned and walked out into the kitchen to see Jerry standing there, his arm around his new girlfriend, Patty. He looked dapper as well, with a black jacket and spotted bow tie. Sandy hugged both Jerry and Patty, admiring Patty's dress with a smile. Dean quickly grabbed his coat and glanced down at his watch, gesturing to the time.
"Oh look at him...trying to be punctual. I'll bet you he just got ready before we walked in the door," Jerry teased. It was no secret that Dean despised these large public events, and more often than not Jerry used to have to drag a half dressed Dean out the door and make him finish getting ready in the car to get them there on time. Dean shot Jerry a sour look as he threw his coat on. He winked at Patty when she giggled, and held out his arm for Sandy. Sandy smiled and took it, before the four of them walked brusquely out the door.
..................................................
"Over here Mr. Martin! Look this way Mr. Martin! Mrs. Lawrence! How about a quick picture of the two of you?" Voices chimed out from either side of the slim walkway that led to the movie theatre. Sandy looked around in awe as Dean once again posed for a picture. This was beyond anything she could have ever imagined. There was press all over the place, each one with their cameras and their notepads and their pens, frantically taking pictures and jotting down notes as the cast and crew made their way past them. All the girls were in their most elegant attire, with most of them clinging tightly to a dapper looking gentleman's arm. The cast and crew were all there, with some of them bringing along a date or a family member. There were other stars as well, the majority of them belonging to Paramount and had been invited by Hal Wallis to attend the movie. Some were good friends of John, Marie, and Don, but most were probably there to promote Paramount and get a little publicity.
"Dean! I was worried you wouldn't show up!" Hal Wallis exclaimed, running up to Sandy and Dean with a nervous expression on his face. A short woman with curly brown hair appeared behind him, shooting Hal an indignant look as she adjusted her dress in irritation. Sandy looked at Dean with a barely concealed smirk, gesturing to the woman slightly with her eyes. Dean winked at her and turned his attention back to Hal to keep himself from laughing.
"And miss all of this?" Dean quipped sarcastically, letting go of Sandy's hand momentarily to gesture to the madhouse around them. Hal flinched visibly, motioning for Dean to keep his voice down.
"It all comes with the trade my friend. You'll get used to it eventually," Hal responded, trying to shoot his two stars an encouraging look. The woman next to him cleared her throat impatiently, raising her eyebrows as she looked both Sandy and Dean over.
"They your superstars?" The woman asked obnoxiously, her thick New York accent dripping with contempt as she eyed Sandy. The woman then proceeded to bat her eyes at Dean, and smiled flirtatiously. Dean weakly smiled back, ignoring the little purr of delight she gave when he kissed her hand.
"Yes Sheila, this is Sandy Lawrence and Dean Martin, my future power couple," Hal responded, his eyes lighting up at the prospect. The woman paid him no mind and continued to gaze at Dean, as if she were thinking about eating him for dessert. Dean visibly gulped and backed away slightly, obviously uncomfortable. Before the woman could do or say anything else, George appeared from the crowd and clapped Hal on the back, startling the entire group. Jerry and Patty followed close behind him, looking like they were having a wonderful time.
"Hal good buddy! A Mr. Humphrey Bogart is here and wants to talk to you. I told him that you would be on the way shortly," George said cheerfully. Hal's eyes widened and he glanced at George quizzically, opening his mouth to protest.
"Hallie!! I wanna meet Humphrey Bogart!!!!" Sheila screeched, pawing at Hal's sleeve. Hal sighed in annoyance and looked at his cast before being suddenly towed away by the anxious woman.
"Don't forget to mingle!" Hal shouted as he disappeared into the crowd, leaving an amused George chuckling to the group.
"Humphrey Bogart's here?" Sandy asked breathlessly. Dean looked a little star struck himself, and craned his neck to see if he could catch a glimpse of the acclaimed actor. George looked at them in bemusement and winked at Jerry and Patty, who seemed to be in on the joke.
"Well, it looked like you two were a little...bored in Hal's company. Besides, the screeching hyena he had on his arm was getting a little too cozy with our main man here. So, we came up with a significant star that would pry Hal away. By the time he figures it out, we'll all be inside and it'll be easier to hide from him," George grinned, shrugging his shoulders. Jerry and Patty both burst out laughing at Sandy and Dean's grateful expressions, before the whole gang found themselves convulsing in laughter.
"George pallie...you're a lifesaver," Dean sighed, finally catching his breath. The group spotted John and Marie at the top of the steps, motioning for the gang to hurry it up. George looked at his watch quickly, before nodding his head in the direction of the movie theatre.
"We'd best get going. Lord knows the press is going to slow us down," George said, before straightening his tie and walking into the crowd once more.
"We'll catch you in there," Jerry said, grabbing Patty's hands and making a beeline after George. Dean took Sandy's arm and they began their walk again, posing from time to time for a picture or an autograph.
"Leave it for us to get caught in the mob," Sandy joked as she held onto Dean's hand tightly. Her nerves were growing as more and more media members began to focus on them, and she couldn't wait to get inside the theatre. Dean noticed and squeezed her hand in assurance, though he seemed to be pulling her a little closer to him with each step. Both were relishing the moment a bit, excited and afraid over the reaction their movie was going to get. The critics that had been through the pre-screening adored it, and had been passing along rave reviews to an anticipating public. Now, it was the moment of truth, and Dean, Sandy, and Jerry all knew what a hit could do to skyrocket their careers into stardom.
"Mr. Martin! Mrs. Lawrence! A quick word if you please," a journalist called out near the top of the steps. Sandy came to a halt, with Dean right along side her.
"Sure thing," Dean answered coolly, his natural charisma and good nature bringing a smile to the journalist's face. A few photographers were taking the opportunity to take multiple shots, and Sandy was momentarily blinded by the flashes coming from the cameras.
"We all know about your onscreen relationship with Mrs. Lawrence that's about to debut, but what's it like offscreen? Your relationship was made public a few months back...what's it like having to separate work from your home life? Do you two have any trouble with your romance being in the public eye?" The journalist spat out, looking at the couple expectantly. Dean looked at Sandy and smiled, his eyes shining brightly for everyone to see.
"I can't speak for Mrs. Lawrence over here, but I couldn't ask for a better partner; both onscreen and off. This woman is by my side constantly, and I adore her and would do anything for her. I don't really have to separate work from home life much, because in both instances I'm having fun with my best friend. Whether my relationship with this wonderful lady was public or not...my feelings wouldn't change," Dean answered earnestly, earning some wistful sighs and cheers from the crowd. Sandy looked at him, her eyes sparkling with love and awe.
"The same for me," Sandy said firmly, resting her head lightly on Dean's shoulder.
"How about a kiss?" A photographer called out, earning some enthusiastic support from the rest of the crowd. Dean grinned at Sandy, who was blushing slightly, and cocked his eyebrows. Sandy nodded with a grin and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as Dean pulled her close. She lost herself in the safe bubble of Dean's lips, oblivious to the cheers and the cameras flashing. They finally pulled apart and went inside, waving to the crowd as the walked through the door.
"That wasn't too bad..." Dean mused teasingly as they moved into the theatre. Sandy laughed and leaned into him, lacing her fingers through his.
"It just made me want to go home faster," Sandy smirked, watching as Dean's eyes darkened. He looked at her with a wicked smile and took his seat, pulling her next to him and placing an arm around her shoulder.
"You and me both sweetheart," he whispered, getting a laugh from Sandy. Dean looked over at Jerry, who was sitting on the other side of Sandy, a grinned at him in excitement.
Jerry responded by crossing his eyes and sticking his tongue out, getting Dean to laugh. Sandy glanced at Jerry fondly, and got a smile on return. The lights suddenly dimmed, and the projector turned on, silencing the room.
"Here we go kids," Jerry whispered to his friends, before sitting back in in his seat as the opening credits began to roll slowly across the screen.
Sorry this has taken forever to post. Like I said in the authors note, it's been a little crazy. Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter. We'll be doing some jumping around for next chapter, I'll explain more later. Sheila is an original character from yours truly. Hey, someone's gotta come up an annoying bimbo for Hal. :). Patty is based on Jerry Lewis's real wife...Patty. I didn't want them to be married quite yet, but they are together at this point. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can. Hope you enjoyed it!
-OBG98