by April Fire
I distantly heard Marie ask me whether my bladder was alright, having just gone an hour ago, but I didn’t reply as I quickly skipped past the others in my row and followed Fred up the stairs to the exit.
***
Chapter Thirteen
Julia
It was too hot in the theater. I felt as though my makeup was melting right off my face. I needed to cool down. The restroom seemed like the best place for that. Yet I never made it there. I felt a hand wrap around my wrist and I was suddenly pulled backwards, “Julia, are you alright?”
I turned to find myself all too close to Fred. He gripped my arm tight and I gritted my teeth against it.
“I’m fine,” I assured him, “I just needed to use the lady’s room.”
Fred’s eyes fell down to my cleavage and I felt my skin begin to crawl. The hunger in his eyes caused nausea to rise in my stomach and bile burned at the back of my throat.
“I’d really appreciate it if you would let go of me,” I told him politely, “You’re hurting me.”
“Oh really? When you said you were coming to the restroom I thought it might have been an invitation,” Fred winked at me and the bile continued to rise as my heart jumped into my throat.
“An invitation for what?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh, don’t be so innocent with me,” Fred grinned at me, “We both know you’re a little minx. I can tell by that dress of yours. You want to be looked at and admired and touched.”
Fred reached up and slipped a finger between my breasts. I tried to pull away - only to feel him press me up against the wall. His arousal was evident as he pressed himself up against me and I struggled not to scream. My mind fought between getting away from him and losing my job.
“What are you willing to do to become a star?” Fred whispered into my ear and he brushed my hair away from my neck so that he could stroke his lips down the side of my throat. I closed my eyes and held my breath just praying that, whatever this was, it would be over soon.
“Please, Fred, let go of me,” I begged him. His hand still gripped hold of my wrist tightly and no matter how hard I tried to wriggle free I just couldn’t seem to do it. He was too strong.
“You heard her, Fred,” a familiar voice hit my ears and relief washed over me. Fred didn’t seem to hear him at first. “Get off her, Fred.”
It was then that a hand clamped down on Fred’s shoulder and he was pulled away from me. His fingers were wrenched from my wrist and I gasped as the pressure was released, leaving my fingertips feeling slightly numb.
“Mind your own business, Hollywood - or you’ll lose your place on my set,” Fred threatened. I felt my entire body stiffen. The thought that Dean might lose his job for coming to my aid made me feel even more nauseous than before.
“Go ahead and fire me,” Dean shrugged, looking nonchalant and my anxiety hitched up a notch, “But just remember, if you try to take me down - I’ll be taking you down with me. We both know that I know more than enough to ruin you when it comes to this kind of shit.”
“You’ve got nothing on me,” Fred shook his head, but I could see the flush of his cheeks and knew that there was something between the two of them that I didn’t know.
“Do you really want to bet your career on that?” Dean asked and Fred didn’t say a word, “Maybe you should go and finish watching the movie?”
Fred skulked off and hurried back towards the screening room. Dean never took his eyes off Fred as the man went. His expression was unreadable until the door clicked shut behind Fred and he began to scowl, “Are you alright? Did he hurt you?”
“How did you know that he was following me?” I asked not answering his question.
“I know all too well the kind of man that Fred is,” Dean shrugged his shoulders, “He thinks he can take what he wants from women without consequences.”
“Sounds like somebody I know,” my words caused Dean to tense and he closed his eyes tightly as though he was struggling to control himself.
“Do not compare me to him,” he said through gritted teeth and the anger in his voice made me shiver.
“I’m sorry, I…” I didn’t have any idea what else to say, “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it,” Dean shrugged, “Did he hurt you?”
I lifted my wrist and rubbed at the soon-to-be bruises from where Fred had been holding onto me, “Nothing that won’t heal.”
“You know you should have kneed him in the balls or something, right?” Dean suggested.
“I’ll remember that for next time,” I shrugged.
“There won’t be a next time,” Dean assured me. I knew from the tone of his voice that he meant it. “If that man ever touches you again I’ll make him wish he was never born.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I shook my head, “I’m nothing to you, and you’re nothing to me. We don’t have to pretend like the other night meant anything. It didn’t mean anything to me.”
I saw the hurt flash across Dean’s eyes, but then he took a step away from me and turned his gaze down to the ground, “You should go to the restroom or whatever the hell it was you were doing before I so rudely interrupted.”
I couldn’t help but feel guilty at what I’d said to him but I knew it was the only way to keep him at arm’s length. I couldn’t allow myself to go there again. Dean Hollywood was off limits, now even more than ever. I had to keep my word to myself. I had to stay away from my co-stars.
With that in mind, I did just as he had told me to do and slipped into the restroom, out of his sight. Yet, as I went, I could feel his eyes on me, feel him watching me as though he longed to follow me into the room. I shivered at the thought of asking him to join me and all the things that could happen in a restroom while everyone else was preoccupied with the movie.
***
Chapter Fourteen
Dean
I had thought that the premiere was bad enough but the after-party was even worse. The large ballroom at the Palace Hotel was filled with familiar faces yet I wanted to see none of them, save for one. I glimpsed her several times moving throughout the crowd, doing what she did best, looking beautiful. She flipped her red hair over her shoulder and smiled whenever necessary. It all seemed to come so naturally to her.
I also had my eye on Fred, watching him wherever he went, unable to help but notice the way he kept glancing in her direction as though he wasn’t quite finished with her just yet. I knew from the past that he would make another move. I knew that he’d had plenty of young actresses in his time and a lot of them had been more than willing, but there were a few that had been pressured and I was not about to let Julia become one of them. Fred could have any woman he wanted. He would not have her.
“Dean, what the hell is wrong with you?” Marie’s voice grated against my ear drum as she slid up beside me and slipped her arm into mine, “You’ve been acting strange all night.”
“I told you earlier,” I shook my head, “I have a headache.”
“Those painkillers are still on offer,” Marie insisted, “And if that doesn’t work… I could give you a little sugar to make you feel better.”
By sugar I knew that she meant sex. This woman was always after my cock. She was just like the rest of them, always willing to jump on for the free fame my name got her whenever it was dropped into conversation or published in the gossip rags.
I pulled my arm out of her grip and shook my head, “Not tonight, Marie.”
She looked at me with a startled look on her face and I couldn’t help but feel proud of myself for turning her down. There was a time when the temptation would have simply been too great, but her charm for me was beginning to wear off.
“Are you serious?” Marie gaped at me and snapped her hand away as though I had stung her, “You’re turning me down? You’re turning this down?” She stepped back, pushing out her chest and running her hand down her hip.
“Marie, you might be a Vogue model but you’re hardly the most beautiful woma
n in the world,” I told her coldly. No, the most beautiful woman in the world is across the room - and she won’t let me anywhere near her, I thought to myself as I watched Marie’s face twist with anger. Her face turned ugly when she was angry, proving that beauty was only skin deep with this one.
“You’re going to regret saying that,” she promised me and I simply shrugged.
“Do what you will,” I told her before turning to make my way through the crowd. I wanted to put as much distance between me and her as possible. I couldn’t stand her for one more second.
***
Chapter Fifteen
Julia
Already on edge, I found myself standing next to the bar, keeping a steady flow of wine in my hand thanks to an overly friendly barman.
“Thanks,” I told him as he pushed another glass towards me. I picked up the glass and lifted it to my lips as I glanced around the room at the crowd. They all seemed to be having a great time. There was chatter and laughter everywhere, overlaid by the sound of music that boomed from the overhead speakers.
My eyes wandered over the crowd until I found myself lingering on the one man in the room I had determined to stay away from. I saw him standing across the room with his overly-hot date clutching his arm. She smiled up at him as she spoke and I watched as she leaned in closer to whisper something into his ear.
That’s when he noticed me and locked onto my eyes. My heart stopped as I watched him pull his arm away from his date. When he turned his attention to her and began to speak I watched her face begin to twist. I couldn’t help but stare as Dean walked away from the woman he’d so obviously just blown off.
I tried not to smile, not wanting to feel joy at the look on the woman’s face. I suddenly realized that Dean was walking right towards me. I turned quickly towards the bar in the hopes that he might get the hint. Looking down, I twirled my wine glass on the bar, I watched the red liquid swirl around and around with the swiftness of my movement.
“Julia,” Dean’s voice came from behind me and I tensed up. “Can we talk?”
“Please, just leave me be,” I told him as I gripped tight onto the bar, trying to keep myself steady. The way he said my name made my insides quiver. I struggled to control myself around him.
“Please, Julia, can we talk?” Dean pleaded. The sincere tone of his voice made me turn to look at him. There was a strained expression on his face, as though he was struggling to control himself just as much as I was. “Please, can we go outside and talk?”
“On one condition,” I told him through gritted teeth, “You keep your hands to yourself.”
“What’s wrong? Scared you might like it?” there it was - that over-confident charm that Dean Hollywood dripped with whenever he was talking to a woman. I forced myself to look away, not wanting him to see that I might actually be falling for him.
“Goodbye, Dean.”
“No, wait, please,” Dean reached his hand forward as though he was going to grip my arm, but then he seemed to think better of it and dropped it back to his side. “Please, I just want to talk to you.”
“Fine,” I said sharply and turned to follow him through the crowd. I couldn’t help but notice the way that several people in the room turned to watch us as we walked past. I knew the kind of rumors that would be going around by morning, but the truth was, I was slightly excited about it.
Oh god no, I thought to myself with a shake of my head, I’m becoming one of those women.
I was relieved as soon as we slipped out onto the terrace and found that we were alone. The railing was lit with fairy lights and the pool below was lit from within. The hotel had a beautiful atmosphere, one that would have been great if I had any intention of being romantic with Dean, but I didn’t. At least I told myself that I didn’t.
“What do you want, Dean?” I was determined to keep him at arm’s length.
“I wanted to ask you again to help me figure this whole thing out,” Dean ran his fingers through his hair. The pained look of his expression told me that he was struggling with some serious inner turmoil. I never thought a guy as confident as Dean could struggle so much with anything.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, “It’s not my fault if we have no chemistry on screen.”
“But you admit - we do have chemistry?” Dean stepped towards me and I noticed the way he kept his hands at his side, sticking to his promise to keep them to himself.
“I admit…” I said slowly, “there’s something between us, but I wouldn’t exactly call it chemistry.”
“Then what would you call it?” Dean asked.
“I have no idea,” I shrugged. I wouldn’t even allow myself to think about it for too long. If I did, I might actually begin to consider it.
“Maybe instead of keeping me at arm’s length - you might let us work on it and see if we can save both of our asses?” Dean asked, “I swear, I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“Run lines with me,” Dean said, “Let’s see if we can get things down together, before we go out and embarrass ourselves in front of the cameras all over again.”
The look on Dean’s face made me feel sorry for him. I knew that his entire career was hanging on this movie. Rumor was, his arrogant, spoiled-as-shit attitude was making people not want to work with him anymore. I also knew that my career was on the line as much as his.
“Fine, but keep your hands to yourself - or it’ll be over before it even begins.”
***
Chapter Sixteen
Dean
Sunday was rest day, at least on a normal day. But not today. Today was my first private reading with Julia, the one I had talked her into to try and figure things out. For the first time since the beginning of my career I was nervous as hell. Not because of the reading. No, the reading would be easy. I could do a reading in my sleep. What made me nervous was being so close to Julia and being unable to touch her, or worse, having to touch her in the scene and none of it being real.
It was so damned difficult to tell when she was acting and when she was being herself. She truly was a natural. Of course, in front of the camera I knew she was acting, but during a reading, things would be completely different. There would be no clear cut time for acting and reality. The two would merge, and if I put one foot wrong I would lose my chance at making things work forever.
I sat at a small table in my hotel room, with a bottle of wine and two glasses placed in front of me, running through the script again, even though I had already read through it a hundred times before. I checked my phone several times to see if she had texted me or maybe even called, even though I’d made sure that my phone was on loud so that I wouldn’t miss anything. I even glanced out the door, wondering whether she might already be standing outside waiting for me to let her in, but there was no sign of her.
Before long, I was beginning to get worried that she wouldn’t show. I was worried something might have happened to her. Julia didn’t seem like the type to stand somebody up when they had planned something, even if it wasn’t a date. I cursed myself for even thinking about that kind of thing. There was nothing at all that even remotely linked this kind of thing to a date.
Stop thinking like that, I told myself as I began to get frustrated at the fact that she hadn’t turned up yet. Looking at my watch I saw that she was fifteen minutes late, You’ve got five minutes, Julia, or I am coming to your room and dragging you over here.
There was no way I was going to miss this practice before we began shooting again tomorrow.
I almost jumped out of my seat when I heard the knuckles rap on the door. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself before I pushed myself up and headed over to answer it.
“It’s about time you…” I began, only to be cut off when I saw the face beaming up at me. My heart sank and my stomach clenched with nausea as I realized that it wasn’t in fact Julia, but Marie.
“I’m sorry, were you expecting somebody else?” she gr
inned at me, almost as though she realized exactly who I had been expecting.
“No, not at all, what the hell do you want?” I demanded. I was in no mood for her games. The last time we spoke she had all but said I wouldn’t be seeing her ever again and yet here she was. I simply just couldn’t get rid of her. I hated the thought that she was going to keep popping up everywhere. The last thing I needed was a stalker.
“I thought I’d come over and see if I can change your mind on how we left things,” Marie shrugged, and she pulled a bottle of whiskey from the over-sized handbag that was hanging from her shoulder. Her smile broadened as though the thought of getting plastered in my room was the solution to everything, but the fact was, the thought of it simply made me feel even more nauseous.
“I’m sorry, but, no,” I shook my head and began to close the door, but before I could, she placed her foot in the door-jam and blocked it from slipping shut.
“At least give me a chance before you close the door,” She insisted, “I forgive you for what you said.”
“That’s really good of you Marie, but I meant what I said - I have no interest in spending any more time with you,” I told her and I slipped my foot against hers to force it out from the door. I almost laughed as she stumbled off balance, looking more than a little shocked, “Please, leave me alone. While you’re at it, feel free to lose my number too.”
With that, I slammed the door shut to prove a point. I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath to calm myself. Simply seeing her face, on top of Julia being late, made me feel even more frustrated than I had been before.
“She’ll be here any minute,” I told myself aloud with another deep breath, “She won’t miss this chance for us to sort things out.”
***
Chapter Seventeen
Julia