by Odette Botha
“He basically didn’t say much so don’t look at me like that,” I said holding up my hand.
“Katie can I be honest with you?” Dean asked looking more concerned.
“Sure you can, what’s wrong now?” I asked.
“I just want to know if you are willing to do this with Joshua. Clearly he likes you allot but you mustn’t be with him just because you were disappointed by your date last night, with the one who must not be named. All I am saying is if you mean what you said in the trailer about giving you two a shot you must be honest with yourself and him otherwise the tabloids will read Splits Ville in a week’s time.”
Dean made sense and all I could get out was a nod. I was disappointed with the date, but somehow I felt a connection to Joshua last night and when he kissed or held me I felt I belonged in his arms, I felt safe.
“Angry actress approaching twelve o'clock,” Dean said quickly looking away.
I looked up and saw Taylor walking fast towards me.
“O boy here it comes,” I said quickly putting a smile on my face.
“You win he loves you, I am ruined my career is dead thank you.”
Clearly this girl was furious with me and I couldn’t actually blame her. For months Joshua being on her arm helped her career, and she was right her being on her own might ruin everything.
“I am sorry you feel my happiness is the cause of your career ending. Maybe you shouldn’t rely on someone else to carry you in your career?”
I showed my claws for the first time, I decided that I will show someone that I am not a push over. It felt accelerating. She didn’t answer me she just turned around and walked away.
Chapter 9
It was very tense on set after what happened with Taylor, people were talking amongst themselves. I could feel their eyes on me and the fact that Dean had left, made me feel alone and exposed.
Dean couldn’t stay because he had his own events company and he had to attend a meeting that he couldn’t put off any longer.
Joshua didn’t mind the extra attention, he kept sneaking me kisses in between takes and to be honest I also enjoyed him showing me affection not worrying what the other people thought.
That day we only filmed for seven hours, we were ahead of schedule so everyone got rewarded with an early day.
The cast and crew had a couple of off days to rest, before we would continue filming further.
I decided to sit in my chair and wait for Joshua, I didn’t want to grab my stuff and run because I wanted to act cool.
As I was sitting there Wendy came over to me, she was Joshua’s leading lady in the movie.
“I am happy for you and Joshua if it’s true, I know the tabloids exploit the truth but there must be some truth to it?” she asked.
I could see she was unsure if she could open the subject with me.
“Thank you Wendy, I don’t quiet know what this is. But I know I like him and I would like to see where this goes. Thank you for saying that, I appreciate it. Everyone has been so weird around me today; I can just imagine the stories doing the rounds.”
I wasn’t fishing for information, although I would not have minded her telling me. “Actually everyone is happy for you, we all think it’s nice that you and Joshua ‘found’ each other. The blog's on the internet are going crazy and seventy percent of his fans actually like you. It helps that you are a published author.
There are some people who don’t like the idea but those are mostly the fans who think Joshua should marry them. It’s a crazy world this. You get involved with someone and the next moment you are married then you have babies from another person its crazy.”
I was taken aback with her reasoning she was so down to earth and I could hear she had some experience with this.
“I am glad some people at least like me, but I don’t like my feelings being so out there.”
I was honest with her, what ever she made of it was her story, if she told the others that was fine. I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
“You like him and he likes you, go for it. We are all happy on set that it’s you and not Taylor, she is very demanding and she thinks everyone is her personal slaves at least you treat us like humans.”
“Thank you it was a nice chat, I feel a bit more comfortable about coming back to work.” I said smiling.
She didn’t waste time saying goodbye she had a date with a guy she had met at a club two nights before.
I sat there and waited for Joshua to get out of his trailer.
As I was waiting, the people passing me greeted me as they left, even the people who never even noticed my existence.
“Hi pretty girl,” he said as he kissed me in my neck.
I didn’t realise that he wasn’t in his trailer, he snuck up behind me.
“You almost gave me a heart attack,” I said holding my hand against my chest.
He just smiled at me, I never realised I missed him so much during the day although we sneaked a kiss here and there.
Was it normal for me to miss him? We had only been dating officially for a couple of hours. For some reason he made my knees weak and I couldn’t wait to see him again or to be in his arms.
Chapter 10
The scenes where he had to kiss Wendy didn’t bother me because for the first time I recognised acting kisses from real kisses. When you watch a movie with an untrained eye, you never realise that the characters are just that, characters they don’t fall passionately in love as they go into character.
Granted allot of people do fall in love and eventually get married but you can see the chemistry immediately, it’s not a forced thing it’s natural.
Before today every time I saw Joshua kiss Wendy, I thought wow they are really good at it, it looked like they could have been a couple in real life.
To them it was just part of the script. Besides I had no right to be jealous; I didn’t know what we were to each other yet.
“I missed you today,” he said almost reading my mind.
“I missed you too. Joshua we should talk,” I said.
I had to get that out there because I needed to finish our discussion of earlier, before Taylor flew into the trailer.
“Yes we should, I asked you a question earlier and I am a bit unsure of your answer. You did say yes but it didn’t feel like that was what you wanted to say,” he said frowning while rubbing my hands in his.
“Can we go somewhere a bit more private? I don’t know if this set is bugged,” I said with a laugh but actually I wasn’t going to take any chances.
“Do you want to go back to your place or mine? By now the paparazzi are surrounding both my hotel and your apartment. You should see the discussions’ on the internet its amazing how they just take a story and plan our future with it.”
In a way he sounded sad, when he said that. He was smiling but I recognised his smile as an acting technique, it wasn’t his usual smile.
“Let’s go back to my place,” I suggested.
Chapter 11
He was right when we got to my place the paparazzi were everywhere, he just held on to me and his body guards helped us get into the lift. He kept on saying in a soft voice, “I am so sorry for this.”
I couldn’t understand why he was apologising; he didn’t have any control over it.
When we got in the elevator and I pressed three, I decided to lighten the mood. I couldn’t stand him being so stressed.
“I am sorry but if I press top floor here we will be on the roof and that’s not fun believe me, there are pigeons everywhere and they are always in a foul mood.
I tried writing there once, lets just say it was a bad experience and FYI, I never got good luck.”
I laughed trying my best to make him smile.
“That’s okay I will go anywhere with you, its better fighting off pigeons than paparazzi.”
I realised I might have made him fe
el worst.
The paparazzi were one thing but Mr Murdock living in the apartment across from mine was even worst. He was an old man, he always smelled of peppermint and cigarettes. He lived alone after his wife passed.
I heard his TV most nights wondering if it was on purely for companionship.
“Why are there so many people in the lobby? We should phone the police, I am too old for this,” he said grumpy.
He took one look at Joshua and coughed like he was about to die.
“Aren’t you that boy from the traffic department? You should tell your boss I am not at all happy with waiting in such long que's.”
I could see on Mr Murdock’s face that he recognised Joshua but of course he didn’t know who he was, he continued coughing.
“Yes I will tell my hmm boss tomorrow first thing. I am sorry about your bad experience. You have nice day further, you really should have that cough checked out,” he said apologetic and totally in character as we entered my flat.
I just couldn’t stop laughing as I closed my door, I heard Mr Murdock saying, “bluddy kids!”
Chapter 12
I looked into my flat and realised it was a bad idea inviting a Hollywood star to my run down beat up apartment. Before today I was proud of it but now it looked terrible in comparison to his beautiful hotel room.
“Sorry this place is not exactly what you are use to.”
The words left my mouth and I started thinking, should I apologise for being me?
Should I change who I was?
“Katie this is perfect, its so you. I love the décor; it feels like home, warm, loving and relaxed it was a great idea coming here. I feel more comfortable here.”
He just kept on surprising me, there was the questions in my mind answered.
I threw my stuff on the table and started walking towards the kitchen.
“Do you want coffee?” I asked as I walked into the kitchen.
He followed me, I thought he was in the living room sitting on the sofa.
“Yes please,” he said standing right behind me.
He made me nervous sometimes, my hands started to shake as I poured the water in the kettle. I tried my best to make it stop, but somehow it just made it worst.
I leaned up against him to get the cups behind him in the cupboard. He just stood there smiling at me, that amazing smile that made my heart melt all over again.
“You could move you know?”
“I am sorry but I am enjoying this,” he said straightening his body so that I am even closer to him.
“Do you want to make the coffee then?” I asked playfully.
“I have a confession. About the Irish coffees last night I kind of don’t know how to make anything, I can only boil water I did that once.”
He pulled up his eye borrows saying that almost as if I would be shocked.
“I figured,” I said not making a big deal out of it.
Joshua came from a family who had help. They never had to do anything for themselves.
I come from a family where the more you can do for yourself the better. No one was going to carry you. You get taught how to do something and if you needed help mom and dad will guide, help and give advice but sooner or later you would have to do it yourself.
He decided to contribute and take out the cups out for me.
“Teach me,” he said.
“You want to learn how to make coffee?” I asked wondering why he would even bother.
“Yes teach me. This way I can surprise you with coffee when you busy writing or if I should happen to ever spend the night,” he said winking at me.
“Spending the night hey? Well I think you will first get allot of practice in before that happens, so don’t think the reward for your enthusiasm is around the corner.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
I took out the sugar and coffee and started throwing it into my cup.
“Okay so the kettle does the boiling, you have seen this before so there is nothing new to that. Now I need to throw the sugar and coffee in, how many sugars do you take? Do you like strong coffee?”
As I asked him, I realised he really hadn’t done this before.
“I always get my coffee ready made, I don’t know how many sugars I like. Please don’t think I am stupid.”
He was clearly embarrassed.
“No don’t worry I will make your coffee like mine and if you don’t like it we can change the combination till you like it. Do you drink milk?”
That was clearly something he knew the answer to.
“No I don’t.”
I threw in one sugar with two spoons of coffee the way I enjoyed my coffee, all he needed to do was drink it and then we could adjust it till we could figure out what he liked.
“Alright then, here we go.”
I handed him his coffee cup, I took my cup and walked out towards the lounge.
I put my cup on the coffee table and patted my hand on the sofa next to me for him to sit.
“Is the coffee any good?” I asked after I saw him take a sip.
“It’s very sweet, and it’s not very strong,” he said taking another sip.
“Well then you don’t normally drink sugar and also you probably drink percolated coffee, you have never had the instant kind.
Do you want me to make you a different kind of coffee?” I asked leaning over to take his cup.
“No Katie its fine, it’s not bad, it’s actually nice. It’s just different,” he said grabbing my hand.
“Alright but if you want something else, I can make it for you.” I smiled.
“Katie about this morning, I asked you if you wanted to be my girlfriend, you said yes but it felt like you felt pressured.”
He certainly didn’t waste time. I was still wondering how I was going to open the conversation.
“Joshua I didn’t feel pressured I felt surprised. You have been with Taylor for so long and everyone believed you were an item.
I have been single for such long time.
Today Lucas asked me if I was willing to get onto the rollercoaster of being with a celebrity. Since I got onto set this morning it’s been a wild ride. Everyone had their opinions, my face was plastered all over the internet and I was just not ready for the bomb that burst on this story.”
I could see he was following me but it almost looked like he had expected me to tell him ‘Its not you its me.’ The good thing about Joshua was his face gave away what he was thinking, I could read him very well.
“I would love to be your girlfriend and I don’t care what other people say. I want you to be sure because if we go public as Lucas says, I don’t want us to be over by next week and I get described as the one night stand the famous Joshua Scott had.”
He got a hint of a smile on his face.
“You Katie Roberts will never be a one night stand. The first time I met you on set I liked you.
When you laugh you make everyone around you smile. When you are late or at a meeting when we are filming the room feels less.
I asked you out yesterday before I knew about your date, because I just wanted you to get to know me, Joshua Scott. I didn’t want you to see me as another actor.
“I was disappointed when you said no. No one has ever said no to me. It was refreshing.” He laughed.
I understood because I could just imagine everyone always wanted to please him, he had fans that would offer themselves on platters, just to be in the same room as him.
“So where do we go from here?” I asked.
“I have to return my agent’s phone calls; he has been phoning all day. And then we are going to forget about the world for one night,” he said kissing me on my forehead.
He got up and made the call, he wasn’t gone long when I started flipping through the channels on TV. There were photos of me with him on the entertainment segment of the news.
Obviously they followed Joshua to the restaurant and they had Jake and me on some of the photos, in the background.
They were trying to work out who Jake was and how he fitted into the picture.
It’s sad really because now Jake had to explain to his wife who I was and why was I dining with him.
Some of the reporters came close to the real story but the others drifted so far off that I wondered if they were only fictional writers themselves, creating this make believe story.
My jaw dropped when I saw they had an interview with Jake outside his hotel. I put the TV louder, I never thought of Joshua being in the other room.
Jake looked somewhat satisfied with all the attention.
“I am Jake Troy. Miss Roberts and I met for dinner last night. We were a couple many years ago and she wanted to see me again. I told her that I am happily married and that we can only be friends.
She was very upset and ran out the restaurant crying. I feel bad that I hurt her feelings but I can’t betray my beautiful wife.”
He smiled the entire time.
He started walking away but he just had to turn back and give me that last stab in the back.
“I must also mention that in the time I was there, Miss Roberts drank a whole bottle of wine out by herself, we weren’t even at the restaurant for half an hour, so I hope she gets the helps she needs. That’s all thank you.”
He waved to the crowd as if he was the president.
I felt the anger boiling up inside me. I felt sick he lied on TV. He made me out as this desperate alcoholic, how dare he?
“Wow this guy really has problems. Do you want me to ruin him?”
Joshua was standing behind me. I didn’t know he watched it too.
“I don’t know what to say.”
I couldn’t help it the tears rolled down my cheeks.
Twenty four hours ago I was excited to see him again now I felt like it would have been better if he was dead. It was harsh but he just ruined me and made the whole story worst.
“If you want me to take care of this I will,” he said as he sat next to me and held me against his chest.
“No what can you possibly do, the damage is done,” I said.
I knew that if Joshua were to ‘do something’ Jake would never work in the country again, he would probably make sure that all the social clubs scraped Jake’s name of their books. That wouldn’t make this situation better.