by Mia Masters
“Isn’t that a little paranoid?” I said.
“You can’t be paranoid enough in these situations,” she assured. “That locked inner door will give you enough time to call someone.”
“You’re right,” I said, already standing and locking the door. “Good thinking, Mall.”
“I forgot to tell you that Naomi’s in town,” Mallory adds “Maybe you guys can finally meet. I’m supposed to call her here shortly.”
“Sure,” I said, faking enthusiasm while telling myself to sound as if I was actually excited.
“Yeah, I think she’s about done with that big job she’s been working on, because the politician she works for was voted out of office, or something.”
“That sucks,” I said, although I didn’t really think it sucked.
I wished Naomi would stay in Sacramento forever so that Mallory and I could always be friends. Especially now that I needed her advice more than ever.
But I told myself not to be selfish, and that maybe we could all be friends.
“She’s thinking of getting back into acting,” Mallory says. “Did I tell you that in college we were in acting class together? That’s how we met?”
“Yes, several times,” I told her.
“Okay. Yeah. Well, I told her I’ll see what I can find for her. But since I’m out of the loop these days, being on constant maternity leave, can you try to keep your ear to the ground and let me know if you hear of any minor parts that might be good for a newbie, or someone getting back into the scene, to play?”
“Of course,” I tell her.
“Awesome. Thanks. I’m gonna go so I can call her, but if you need me, you call me, okay? No matter what happens,” she insisted.
“I will, thanks.”
I hung up and was faced with the reality of my real life drama that was scarier than my friend drama. I thought about arming myself. Would Jim be that bold? I mean, if he was willing to basically hold Melissa hostage, would he hold me down and force himself upon me?
Maybe I should get a little knife or a gun. Could I still carry that on the set? Hmm, I’ll bet I could always carry the knife if it’s small enough.
That night, I went to bed, but my sleep was restless. My dreams were filled with nightmarish images of tough choices and men lurking in the shadows.
You didn’t have to be much a dream reader to understand what it meant. The basic thought was that I had a lot on my mind.
If I was going to survive this movie unscathed, I had to keep my wits about me. I had to guard my body as well as my heart.
Chapter Sixteen
Christian
After a nerve-racking week on set, I was looking forward to some time off and some time with Blythe. I felt confident that I had gotten out ahead of Monk and probably Zack.
I mean, it’s not like Blythe was going out on dates, right? She spent the whole week on the lot like the rest of us.
I got to her apartment and knocked on the door. A woman with glasses answered. She looked me up and down suspiciously.
“Hey,” she said. “Who are you?”
“I’m Christian,” I said. “Is Blythe here?”
“Why do you need to see her?” she asked warily.
“We have a date,” I explained.
“Blythe,” she called, without looking back. “There’s some guy here that says his name is Christian.”
“Let him in, Harlow,” called Blythe.
“Describe him first,” Harlow insisted, scrutinizing me again.
“Do you need to see I.D. or something?” I joked.
Harlow’s eyes narrowed. Fortunately, Blythe came to the door.
“Hey, sorry I’m late,” she said, rushing. “Bye, Harlow.”
“Yeah, bye,” said Harlow, still watching us carefully. “Have fun.”
We started to walk to my car.
“What’s the deal with that girl? She your sister or something?” I asked.
“No, that’s just Harlow, my roommate,” she explained. “She doesn’t trust anyone in this town.”
“Well, that’s probably wise,” I agreed. “This place ain’t exactly Butte, Montana, right?”
“Do you know Butte?” she asked.
“No, but I’ve read about it,” I said, holding the door open for her in my convertible. “I just, you know, was reading.”
“About me?” she smiled.
“The IMDB knows all, right?” I suggested.
I hopped into the driver’s seat without opening the door, slipped on my seat belt, revved the engine and peeled away. The Viper had great pick up.
“This is a sweet car,” said Blythe.
“Yeah, I actually bought it because I liked the look of the car in a video game,” I admitted. “It was this exact model, although they called it something else. The Banshee, I think.”
“How’s it handle?” she asked.
“Like a dream,” I said. “You drive stick?”
“I know my way around a stick, yeah,” she laughed.
“Ah, ha!” I laughed. “I like where this night is going already.”
“Really? Where is it going?” she asked knowingly.
She gave me a sexy smile.
“Mmm, someplace where you’re holding my stick, I hope!” I laughed.
I drove Blythe to this restaurant in Toluca Lake called Dream. You know the kind of place. It was really Spartan on the outside, just with the sign and nothing else on the building. Then you walk in and it had all custom furniture that was supposed to enhance the experience.
Lights hung down from the vaulted ceiling in uniform rows. Each light was in the shape of some kind of jellyfish or Man o War. The chairs were carved from a solid piece of wood or plastic. They kind of resembled giant marshmallows with backs stuck to them.
The tables were translucent and glowed various colors, slowly changing over the course of the meal. The idea was to create a surreal, dream-like atmosphere, I guess.
Quite frankly, I wished it wasn’t so dark so I could see all the expensive food and drink I was about to buy.
“Do you have a reservation?” asked the host.
“Christian, party of two,” I said.
“Right this way, sir. Madame,” said the host.
He brought us to an intimate spot away from the other diners. It was just as I had asked for. I shook his hand and slipped him a twenty in the process.
Nice job, host!
“This place looks pretty fancy,” Blythe said. “Are you trying to impress me?”
“Yeah, is it working?” I asked.
“Mmm, hmm!” she nodded. “What’s good here?”
“I’m not sure. This is actually the first time I’ve been here,” I admitted.
“Oooh, then this could be our place, right?” she suggested, giving me a wink.
“Maybe, yeah,” I said. “You know, if this all works out. Seems to be going well so far.”
The waitress came up to the table. She was wearing a weird translucent uniform, which had a white layer underneath. It shifted its colors along with the surface of the table.
“Hello, I’m Vanessa, welcome to Dream,” she greeted us. “I’ll be your server tonight. Is this your first time at Dream?”
“Yes, it is,” I answered.
“Well, the menu is based on whatever the chef dreams that week,” she revealed. “So, this week he dreamed about lions, and a steak is our entrée.”
“Oh, so what the lions would eat,” I said.
“Exactly, it’s a twenty ounce, aged, New York strip steak cooked however you like it. It comes with homemade mashed potatoes and asparagus and they are presented like the savannah in the chef’s dream.”
“Did the chef dream anything vegetarian?” I asked, laughing a little.
“Why, yes, he did,” said Vanessa. “Later, in that same dream, he saw a giant baby. So, the vegetarian choice is a large sweet potato puree, baby carrots, baby peas, and that’s all served with roast artichokes stuffed with cheese.”
&
nbsp; “And did he dream of any chickens?” I asked, also joking.
“No,” Vanessa replied, trying not to laugh. “But he did see an ocean, so we have monkfish on the menu and that’s served on a bed of Jasmine rice. We also have a lobster, prepared with ginger and it comes with a side salad. And those are our specials tonight. So, while you look those over, can I bring you some drinks?”
“I’d like a Mojito,” said Blythe.
“I’ll have a Manhattan, rocks on the side,” I ordered.
“Okay, I’ll be right back with your drinks,” smiled Vanessa.
“Are you upset that the chef didn’t dream about chickens?” joked Blythe, as she turned to me.
“I’m just glad he didn’t dream about cauliflower, because I hate that,” I joked back. “God, how do they keep up with this menu? I mean, it must be a stretch every week to keep thinking of something.”
“Yeah, like the pun burgers on Bob’s Burgers,” she added.
“That’s a cute show,” I said. “I sometimes watch that. Not that I’m much of a cartoon guy.”
“You ever do any voiceover work for cartoons?” she asked.
“No, but I hear it’s a great gig,” I said. “All inside. Sitting down. Script right in front of you. What’s not to like? Unlike this movie.”
“Why? What’s wrong? Things are going great,” she said, looking worried. “Mostly.”
“Ah, I don’t know,” I moped. “I feel like Monk is acting circles around me. You and the rest of the cast are so good. Do I even belong in this cast?”
“Jeez, what’s got you so down. I’m the one that’s—" she started to say, but then stopped.
“You’re the one that what?” I asked curiously.
“Uh, nothing. Forget it,” she dismissed. “You were great in that scene in the basement. The whole crew clapped.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” I said. “But did Hansley do me a favor or do a favor to my brother by hiring me? That’s what it feels like.”
“This is a multi-million-dollar production,” she said. “I mean, I know there’s nepotism in Hollywood, but c’mon. They have their limits. They have to hire someone that’s talent for a part like this. You’re on the poster, for God’s sake!”
“Oh, you saw the poster?” I asked.
“Yeah, it looks good,” said Blythe. “Me and you. It’s going to be a long promotional tour.”
“That’s the best part,” I said. “Free food and drink. And all you have to do is smile and answer the same question five-hundred times.”
She laughed, but she had never been on one of these promotional jaunts.
“I’m not kidding,” I said. “Literally, we’ll be giving the same answer five-hundred times.”
“What? Why?” she asked.
“Every local affiliate is looking to get an interview,” I explained. “There are hundreds of them, but the studio only lets them asked approved questions. And the approved questions are all the same. Trust me, once you get an answer, you stick with it. Then you just act like the response is spontaneous.”
“That sounds totally tedious and boring,” she said, frowning. “What’s fun about that?”
“Well, it is boring, at first,” I explained. “But the thing is, it’s just another acting job. And if you look at it like an acting exercise, it gets better with each take. By the end of it, you can really have some fun with it.”
“Sounds a little mentally taxing,” she said warily.
“Yeah, kinda,” I admitted. “But if you ever need a break, it’s usually easy to get one. And it’s not like reporters want to do a lot of work. Those guys are some of the laziest people I’ve ever met.”
Vanessa came back and we ordered. I got the steak and Blythe got the lobster. We shared bites of each other’s meals and had a couple more drinks.
The food was pretty good, but the dessert was spectacular. The chef made this rainbow layer cake that had different fruit flavors. It was amazing stuff.
After paying the check, we hopped back in the car and headed on over to a club called Historie. I’m not sure why they called it that. It was a pretty generic club, if you asked me. I liked that it was low key, and I had reserved a spot there as well.
We danced and the music got slower. I pulled Mallory in close for a slow dance. She looked great under the dim dance floor lighting.
She was wearing this body-hugging dress that was red and pretty short. It looked great on her, but I thought to myself how much better it would look on the floor of my bedroom.
I pulled Blythe in close for a kiss. It was magic or at least I thought it was. At first, she seemed to respond okay, but then she pulled back. She got a guilty expression on her face.
The song ended and she walked back to the table, with me trailing after her.
“Something on your mind?” I asked, after we got back to the booth.
“Yeah, actually,” she said. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you and I don’t know how to do it. So, I’m just going to come right out and say it.”
“Yeah, sure,” I said. “Open and honest is the way to be.”
Man, this sounds like a break-up already. And we had barely just gotten started. What the hell?
“I’m really attracted to you, Christian,” she said. “But I’m also attracted to Zack and Monk. I want to date all three of you. How would you feel about that?”
“How would I feel? How would you think I feel?” I said, outraged.
I got up. I felt like an idiot for doing all this. This whole date suddenly seemed like a waste of time. She ran after me.
“Wait, Christian,” she begged. “Don’t leave like this. Please. Talk to me.”
“What’s there to talk about? This is crazy,” I said. “I can’t share you with two other guys. You should just pick one of us.”
“I can’t,” she whined. “I have feelings for all of you. Please! I’m sorry. I wanted to talk to you about it on set, but you were busy. I was feeling so confused. But since talking to Mallory, I feel more clear-headed. And I can’t change how I feel!”
So it was Mallory Haywood who had put these ideas in her head, I thought. That figures. Women in Hollywood today were definitely taking risks and exploring relationships more than in the past, which was fine, but not when it came to Blythe.
Blythe was mine.
Or at least she was supposed to be.
Or at least that was what I had thought.
But who was I to think I could own anyone? I started to think.
“And the other guys— they’re okay with this?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she said. “Look, I know it’s not usual, but I’m not a usual girl.”
“It’s true, you’re not,” I said.
Looking into her eyes, I don’t know, I could tell she was being honest. And I didn’t want to cause her any pain.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. And I would get to be with her. Maybe I could try it. I took her into my arms.
“Okay, we’ll try it,” I said.
“Are you sure?” she asked me, but her eyes looked happy.
“Well, I’m not really sure of anything anymore,” I told her. “In fact, I thought Monk was gay…”
“I did too, at first,” she said. “And I’d heard that. But he definitely seems into me. It’s just that he doesn’t usually date co-stars while they’re filming. So I don’t know if he’s even down to do this. I’m just leaving it open, to be safe.”
It made me feel glad that Monk wasn’t interested. At least my competition was just down to Zack and me.
But I asked her out first, so the least I could get to have sex with her first, I figured. I was going to put on the charm like she’d never seen before.
I kissed her, passionately. I put more in that kiss than I had before. I swept her off her feet that night, dancing and seducing her.
That night, we ended up at my apartment. There was no question that we were going to end up in my bedroom.
I poured
us both a Scotch. We drank, staring into each other’s eyes. Then I kissed her, but now I was on my home turf. I had the lighting, the soft jazz and the silk sheets.
As we made out, we slowly made our way toward the bedroom. We began to discard clothes on the way.
Her dress did indeed make it to the bedroom floor where it belonged, and her curvy body was perfect. The moonlight from my skylight made her glow like an angel.
I was naked and she was naked except for her panties. I lay Blythe down on my bed, kissed her down the length of her body and then pulled her panties off with my teeth. Then, cupping my hands beneath her butt cheeks, I proceeded to lick her pussy.
I started with the thighs on the outside. I planted numerous tiny kisses all up and down the insides of her thighs. Eventually I made my way to her lower lips, parted them and stuck my tongue inside her.
“Mmmm,” she moaned. “Oh, that’s so good.”
I moved my tongue around in her tight hole. I fucked her with my tongue and then lifted the hood of her clit with my finger. I gently started licking and sucking it. She squirmed with each lick.
“Oh, my… Oh, my God!” she moaned. “Don’t stop! Don’t stop! Please!”
In no time at all she was cumming. Her hot juices washed over my mouth and face. She was wet, hot and wanting.
After a few seconds of enjoying the pleasure of the orgasm, she slid off the bed and onto her knees. She immediately took my cock into her hands and mouth. She sucked it with great enthusiasm.
“Mmmm, so good,” she said, slobbering on my shaft. “Such a nice, big, hard cock,” she said rubbing it across her lips. “Do you like that? Do you like when I suck your cock?”
“Oh, yeah,” I said. “It feels so fucking good.”
She held her mouth still and calmed her gag reflex while I gently fucked her mouth. The drool ran out of her lips and down her cleavage. I could feel myself getting ready to cum, but I held back. I didn’t want to cum yet.
I reached over to the nightstand and got myself a condom. Blythe was now licking my balls.
She took each one in her mouth one at a time and gently sucked on it. It felt great. Once she was done, I slid the condom on my steel hard rod and helped her to the bed.