by Mia Ford
“I bet.” She takes a deep breath and says, “You got carried away being star struck by the one guy that you’ve got photos off. Valentina get out of there and just come home. I’m getting off the bus now. I’ll pay for the cab back home, don’t sweat it. Hearing the juicy details will be payback enough because I want to hear every last dirty detail..”
I sigh, “Sure, I’m just going to get something to eat and then I’ll be on my way. It’s okay. I’ll be there soon don’t worry.”
“I’m not worried I just need some sleep and you need to get over the fact that you’re with a star. Because you’re not. He’s a fading star that you had a major crush on, and you need to get rid off. Keep the night in your mind, but don’t think of it as anything more than one night.”
“I know, soon I’ll be on my way.”
“Valentina, you better be, because I need to sleep. I’ve got a shift in about six hours, and once I hit the sack, I’m out like a light.”
“I know, I usually hear you snoring from next door. Night get some sleep.”
“What? I thought that you were coming home?”
“I am. Soon. Just get some rest. It’s okay. I don’t need the money after all. It’s all good.”
I look up and see Eric. Not the man that came to the bar, but a completely different one. A man dressed in a red polo shirt with jeans and most of all he’s showered and nothing like the man who just threw a bottle at the wall.
Chapter Nine
Eric
“I was hoping that you would still be here.”
I nod my head, “Yes, I was just talking to my friend.”
“About leaving right?” I drop some bills on her purse which is lying on the table. She’s a struggling actress and the only way for her is for me to give her a lift and hat’s not an option seeing as I don’t have a car.
I head over to the stove, “How do you like your eggs?”
She nods as if she’s in a fucking trance.
“Well done.”
It’s as if she’s speechless and then she moves towards me. No longer do I feel angry or even upset about all that’s taken place today. I can’t fucking go on like this anymore. Not if I need to make a change, maybe knowing that she’s downstairs ready to heal my wounds made me feel like getting changed. Not just physically, but mentally too.
“Good, because I don’t know how to do anything else.”
I smile at her, but I’m not used to doing that. Being nice and planting a smile on my face. Something that I’ve rarely done.
“Where’s Rosetta?” Valentina asks as she comes to sit closer to me on the stool by the workspace. The place that I used to sit when I had nothing better to do but watch Rosetta cook something up for me. She even showed me how to make a couple of things in the kitchen. The time that she had to spend time with her sick mom and I refused to have anyone else in the house while she was gone.
My short smile turns into a frown as I think about her bringing up Rosetta, the one who left my house a few minutes ago in tears.
“She had to leave!”
I lie as I turn to the fridge and put my non-culinary skills to a test. I’ve spent as much time in here lately as I did in her bar yesterday. But, it doesn’t mean that I can’t fry an egg, put some bacon and sausage on the grill. I can do basic things even if I’m not on the big screen.
“Do you need me to do something?”
I stare at her for a minute, as if I’m seeing her for the first time. I’m not slightly tipsy, and she’s not naked. I laugh at the irony of us not being able to keep our hands off each other only a few hours ago to sitting down at a table and having a conversation. It’s not that I don’t want her, but right now I’m just not in the mood but to do anything but eat.
“No, just keep me company if you don’t mind?”
I wink at her, and she smiles back, “But I need to be heading back soon. I’ve got to go to work.”
I nod, “Sure, I even went upstairs to get you some money for a taxi home.”
She shakes her head, “I can’t accept that.”
I sigh, “You have no choice. I’m not taking no for an answer. Besides I can’t take you home.”
“Oh, is your car in the workshop?”
I’m thinking of a story to tell her, anything to save face when she points, “I think that the eggs are burning. “
I take the pan off the stove and then put on the extractor. Something that I should have done before I started cooking. The breakfast that seemed so simple ends up in the trash as Valentina smiles and says, “Maybe it’s better if I just go.”
“Can you cook?”
She nods, “A lot better than you can.”
Well, that’s not fucking hard. I move out of the way after putting the burned bacon in the trash and command, “You cook, and I’ll lay the table.”
“I think that’s the best thing to do.”
God, what is it about her that makes me want her to stay. She has to go to work, and I need to get a drink, later on, I’m hoping that Florence is going to call. But it’s a Saturday, the likelihood of that happening is next to none. No, I need to face the fact that this is it. I’m not getting that role. It doesn’t matter if it’s happening, I just know that it’s not happening for me.
***
“Fuck that tasted so good!”
Valentina laughs, “It’s just eggs, breakfast and a bit of bacon.”
I nod, “But compared to what I was making earlier it’s fucking perfect.”
She shrugs, “It wasn’t hard to do. Anyway, I need to get going my room mate’s waiting for me.”
“I thought that you said that you lived alone?”
She points a finger at me as if surprised that I was paying attention to her talking in between eating. I was hungry and just thought that she loved to talk. She was drinking like a fish, and I knew that was due to all the screaming she was doing all over the house.
Last night there were no boundaries, we were lovers, friends and everything mixed up together. Now we're sitting down at the table and having a conversation. It should feel natural, and I wonder if I’m getting old because I don’t want her to go. It seems nuts thinking about her that way, but I want to ask her to spend the weekend. I have that nagging feeling inside my head telling me that I can’t cross that boundary. Not now. I need cash, and I need to focus on getting a job. Valentina’s a distraction that I can’t afford to have in my life right now.
“Yes, she’s not exactly my roommate. It’s a big house, and it’s all divided into rooms. Rental prices are getting expensive, and so this was my best option. It means that I get to paid cheap rent, not that there's such a thing in LA. Anyway, not compared to the small town that I lived in. I could rent a house like this back there for the amount I’m paying for my room. Well, not quite. Anyway, I’ve only been here..”
“A year. I know you said and I heard you when you said it.”
She turns around and avoids eye contact with me. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything to her, but she’s said it so many times I wonder if there’s a reason behind it. I thought that it was to see if I was listening, but now I think that she did it for another reason.
“Why do you keep saying that?”
She shakes her head, and I think what the fuck? I’m not supposed to be feeding and entertaining her. I must be getting old or desperate for company? Either way, she’s got to go now. I pick out my phone and start logging on to the app, the one I use once in a while when I want a taxi, and I book her one immediately. I would use my card to pay for it, but then they took my card. Fuck they could have frozen my accounts too. I feel as if everything’s coming to a dramatic end and I’m entertaining as if there’s no tomorrow.
“It’s just that I had my first audition yesterday and I know that to someone like you, it sounds silly. You’ve been for millions.”
She takes a deep breath as she plays with her plate. Anything to distract herself from my stare. She stands up and says, “Anyway, it was a big d
eal to me, and I need you to know that you made it special.”
I’m about to say something, but then I keep my mouth shut because I have a feeling that she hasn’t finished saying what’s on her mind.
“You brought me here.”
Fucked you like crazy.
“Made me feel special like I was part of this world.”
She takes both our plates and then heads to the kitchen. It’s as if she’s lived here and then she pauses as she puts them in the dishwasher.
“Everyone’s been telling me that I shouldn’t have high expectations about anything in the city. There are so many actresses who went to the right drama school, colleges and they’re all out of work.”
I’m starting to get angry because for a second I thought that she was having a dig at me. But as she puts the plates in the dishwasher and says, “Well, I just wanted to say that knowing that I have a small chance of hope is enough to put a smile on my face.”
Then without warning my phone rings and the bell goes at the same time.
She stops and looks at me, “Are you expecting anyone?”
I nod my head, “Your taxi’s here. I thought that you needed to get going and I thought that I’ll help you along.”
She sighs, “Sure, I need to get going.”
I feel like a jerk for doing it while she was talking, but she did say that she had to go. Maybe I need to learn how to kick a girl out of my house without making them feel like shit. She grabs her purse and runs out off the door. I want to stop her and tell her bye, or maybe kiss and say that I’ll see her again.
Shit, only a guy would do that. Someone that she deserves to be with as I press the button to open the gates. She doesn’t turn back. It’s best for her, but most of all it’s even better for me.
Chapter Ten
Valentina
I’m sitting in the taxi only a couple of blocks from my room. The one that I have to sleep in tomorrow after I finish my shift today. I can’t believe that he did that to me. I feel so damn cheap. When he asked if I was hungry and offered me something to eat. Silly me thought that he was talking about maybe getting to know each other better. I didn’t think for one minute that he was desperate to get me out of the house.
“Here we are. Eighty dollars and twenty-five cents!”
The driver says as he turns to face me. I look in my purse at the notes that he left on top of my purse. I can’t believe that he only gave me fifty bucks, which means that I’m really out of pocket. He paid seventy, but then again maybe he didn’t have any money. I did out the bills out of my purse and then reluctantly give it to the driver as if I’ve given him a kidney or something.
I can’t believe that things are going from bad to worse in the space of a short time.
That’s when I see Harper crossing the street, and I jump out of the taxi and then tell the driver to keep the seventy-five cents change. He doesn’t even say anything as I slam the door shut.
“Harper!”
I shout even though it’s the last thing that I feel like doing right now. I’m tired, angry and so darn frustrated right now. Why did I think that Eric Turner would be a nice guy? One that would offer me more than a ride home.
“Hey,” she says as she comes running up to me.
“Considering you’ve been getting down and dirty with the one man that you’ve idled for so long you look as if you’ve just come back from a funeral.
I shake my head, “That’s because I was stupid. You were right I got carried away, and then he just called the taxi and told me that it was outside waiting for me.”
“Wow, not even a goodbye kiss?”
She purses her lips together and closes her eyes. I walk past her not feeling in the mood to laugh about it.
“Hey, Valentina wait up. I was only kidding.”
I sigh, “Yeah, yeah I know it’s just that I thought that he would string me along a little you know.”
“Exchange numbers?”
I nod my head feeling silly for even thinking such a thing.
“Well, you know he’s a bad boy with a crappy reputation. Remember the court case last year?”
I sigh as she starts to open the front door.
“The one where he pretended that he needed an operation and couldn’t shoot for another couple of weeks,” she says as we start heading towards the shared kitchen. The one where we tend to avoid going in because we never know what kind of mess it is in at the best of times.
I sit on the stool and say, “Or the time that his mom died and he said that he was going to the funeral and needed compassionate leave, but was caught in the Bahamas sunning himself with his last leading lady.”
I nodded remembering the news like the back of my hand.
“Yeah Sandra Hanson.”
“Valentina, does it matter? The thing is the guy’s hot to look at, but he’s pretty arrogant. He thought that his reputation was enough for him to keep doing all these kind of stunts and as a result of it. I don’t think that anyone wants to hire him.”
“You know the weird thing?”
She blurts out, “What?”
As she stops in her tracks and hands me a drink. I didn’t feel like eating, let alone drinking but I grab the bottle of beer as if my life depends on it and take a swing of it.
“When we got to his house, his car was parked outside. But then he said that he couldn’t take me home because his car was in the garage.”
She sits next to me, “Maybe the garage came to take it. Does it matter?”
I frown, “I suppose not. Just weird that’s all. Anyway, all I can say is that I had a birthday of a lifetime.”
“Good, because Janice’s pissed with you.”
“Shoot, I was going to buy her a bottle, but after paying for the taxi, I’m short.”
She waves her hand and takes another swing of her beer.
“Don’t worry about that as long as you tell me every dirty detail about last night. Even if you look as miserable as hell, you look tired. Someone who’s been sexed up.”
“You can tell that by my face.”
“Uh-huh. You look different that’s for sure. Now are you going to put me out of my misery or are you going to keep me guessing.”
I nod, “Okay, okay as long as you let me finish my beer first.”
“Finish it then spill. I want to know all about it. Seeing as I haven’t had any for a while.”
“One week doesn’t constitute as a while,” I smile at her before taking another swing of my beer.
She laughs, and I soon forget the way that I left Eric’s house. I just focus on a good time that we had last night and I hadn’t had a chance to tell her about the audition. I have a feeling that things are going to change for the better. Even if Eric didn’t act as if he wants to see me again. I have a feeling that we would do. Maybe it’s destiny, and things have a way of changing, he knows where I work. He’ll want to see me again. I know he will. I can feel it.
Chapter Eleven
Eric
Fuck, I feel like shit right now. I had one too many cocktails last night at the bar after four weeks of waiting for the fucking phone call to confirm if I got the role. I fucking got it. Not even the first one that I wanted, but the second one too. I took the first one because it was the best one. It had the best options and I had to celebrate.
I need another drink to get over this hangover, I pick up my flask and have a few sips of the gin that I poured in it to help me sleep when I came home in the early hours of the morning. Not even sure how I made it into bed.
I need to the drink to loosen my nerves before I get a flight. Shit, I hate flying, but my reputations down and no one wants to hire me in Hollywood. Not anymore. Not after the court case, even though the case was dismissed and we settled out of court.
No one wants to work with me. After I’ve been seen to be unreliable on more than one occasion. Going to jail is even fashionable these days, going to jail guarantees a job, but when it comes to fucking up contracts no matter how
much of a star you are, that’s a no-no.
“Eric, you ready?”
Florence, my manager, shouts out, she stayed over to make sure that I make it to the airport. I can’t believe that I have to fly all the way to fucking Aspen to shoot this movie.
I expected her to dump me, like everyone else. But she’s been loyal from the start ever since, but most likely because like me she has a hard time keeping the stars intact. The industry’s getting so fucking competitive it’s unbelievable.
“Eric! You’re not drinking again are you?”
She takes the flask away from me; I’d stopped and started more times than I cared to remember. When they took the car and my bike, I started once again, but then I stopped when I had another audition. Another wait. Another chance of not getting the job, I started again.
“Jesus! I didn’t even hear you creeping up behind me. Don’t fucking do that.”
“Don’t get drunk!” Her rouge lipstick flashes in front of me.
“I need this to work and so do you. No one’s knocking at your door. No one! You’re nearly dead in this industry, and this one movie could be the one that brings your name back into the spotlight.”
“Not my fault that people are so touchy.”
She came back towards me, “I’ve worked with you when you were a kid. A spoiled brat that thought that his big blue eyes and dark hair could keep him in work for life. But this industry isn’t like that. Do you know a number of wannabe actors there are out there?”
I nod my head, thinking that I’ve heard this speech so many fucking times that it’s giving me a headache. One caused by her shouting and my desperate need to finish off my gin in the flask.
“If you know then why did you do it?”
I feel like a kid in the principal’s office being told off for not doing his homework.
“Seemed like a good idea at the time. I needed to celebrate. Fuck, I thought that I wasn’t going to get the role. My bank account’s nearly zero; everything feels as if it’s on a downward spiral and for once I’ve been giving a fucking ray of sunshine. I had to do what I know how to do best. Drink!”