by Mia Ford
Once bitten, twice shy.
I’ve learned my lesson once, I don’t need to sit in class to know better this time. I know what he’s really like and I don’t like it.
Chapter Seventeen
Eric
I smile thinking that my charm will work on her, but as she crosses her arms. I know that I’ve crossed a line. One that can’t be broken by simply being charming. I need to do some groveling or maybe a little more than that.
“Kevin said that you were going to the party and I said that I'd pick you up,” her sea-blue eyes are avoiding mine as she’s backing into the room and I turn to firmly shut the door. There’s no escaping me, even if she does try.
“Oh, so now you want to talk to me? Eric really, I’m not in the mood for games. I have a headache.”
“So, why were you going to the party?”
She may be a good actress, but she’s a pretty shit liar. I’ve seen her in action, and it’s always painful. She starts to bite her lips and then her eyes dart from every angle of the room. Away from the person that she’s talking to and anyone else would find it childish, but I find it sexy as hell.
“Because I didn’t have a headache then,” she puts her arms on her hips. “Eric, I don’t know what you came here for?”
“To take you to the party. I said that already.”
I can see that she’s getting flustered and I never meant to be rude or even make her feel small. She asked a question, and I just told her the answer to it. But, I can tell that she’s starting to get even more annoyed.
“Anyhow. I just know that you’ve been here for how long?”
“Eight days.”
She sighs as if she’s trying to make a point and as much as she’s trying to do it. She’s failing miserably. I want her so fucking badly, but I can’t. I won’t. It wouldn’t be right and as much as I hate to admit that I’m in the wrong. I know that I have to start right here and now.
“Valentina. Can we start again?”
“What just like that? You expect me to bend over backward when you haven’t even tried to speak to me. Not once.”
I sigh, “I know, and this is fucking hard for me. I don’t apologize for anything. Never in my life. I've always been the one to sulk or make it that it's someone else's fault. But I know that what I did to you was wrong. I don’t even know where to begin, but I do know that I want to try and make things right."
“Let’s start Eric with why did you call the taxi that day? You didn’t even tell me that one was on the way and you just shoved me out of the door.”
“Can I sit down?”
She’s rolling her eyes, her arms are folded, and she’s pushing her breasts to the front. I know that she’s not doing it for my benefit, but it feels as if it’s going to take a lot more than an apology for her to forgive me. I don’t blame her. I was an ass, and she deserves better than that.
“Sit!”
She points to the bed, and I want to ask her to sit down too. Just so that we can talk. Nothing else.
“My cars had been repossessed that day, and I’d just found out. I was talking to you and getting distracted, but I was frustrated.”
“I see. And when we started shooting. When you saw me at the airport. Why then too?”
“Because we both needed this job. We needed to focus, and I just thought that if we did…”
We’re both quiet at this point; I know that I don’t need to elaborate any more on this part. She knows what I’m about to say.
“Anyway, I just thought that it was in our best interests not to talk or get distracted.”
She nods her head, “That’s why you need to leave here and not go to the party.”
“What?”
“We have just over three weeks until we leave Aspen. I can go on another three more without seeing you unless it's in front of the camera. We don't need to be friends or try and make-up. We spent one night together; there were no promises, so we can just leave it like that.”
I sound like a broken record as I repeat, “What?”
“Eric you thought that you were going to come here. Seduce me, maybe because you’re bored and I would fall for you. Again. No, not this time buster. If you insist on going to the party, then I can stay here. I’m not bored; I have lines to learn and books to read, I don't need to socialize.”
Fuck! What's got into her?
She doesn't wait for me to say anything, but then starts pacing the room and blurts out, “I don’t need company right now and especially not yours.”
She turns her back on me and then heads into the bathroom. The only place that she can get away from me. I sit on the bed. Then I get up and pace a bit more. She’s not coming out. Fuck, this isn’t the way that I’d envisaged this apology. Not one bit.
“Valentina, are you coming out or what?”
“No, not until you leave!”
Fine! I’ll fucking leave if that’s what she wants. I’ll go to the party, they’ll be plenty of girls to satisfy my needs, and she’s not one of them. That’s her loss, not mine. I don’t know what I was thinking about coming over here like this. Apologizing and making out that I was in the wrong. There was a time that she could come and speak to me. She could have done that little effort. She didn’t want to. As usual, it’s always the guy's fault. Even when he’s not completely in the wrong.
Chapter Eighteen
Valentina
I fucking hate him!
My blood’s boiling at the idea that he can come in here and just expect me to kneel down to him. What does he think he is? Some God or something? That no one has feelings, only he has them, and those are more important than anyone else’s.
I have my phone in my hand, and I’m so tempted to call Harper, to tell her about him. But, I know that she’ll freak and then tell me that I won’t be able to handle anything that he does. Accept, I just threw him out of my bedroom by locking myself in the bathroom. I locked it to make sure that he didn’t attempt to come in.
Crazy!
It took every last ounce of me to say no to him. It was so hard, but I did it and I’m proud. I should be thinking about getting out there, especially after hearing the door slam. But there’s one problem. I just don’t trust him. I think that the second I open the door. He’s going to be out there. Waiting for me to come in.
I sit on the floor and play Candy Crush for a while until I think that maybe he’ll give up and then head out. I never had time to play games; I didn’t have time to do anything. Everything was all about work. That’s been the best thing about working here. Sure, it’s hard work, but at least I get to chill for a minute.
Not long and not often, but enough to get a decent night’s sleep in a bed that has fresh sheets which aren’t the cheapest from the local Walmart. These are the kind of sheets that stars sleep in. Something that I hope to be one day, I’m just not sure when that day starts or ends at the moment.
My phone rings and I automatically pick it up by accident. I just hope that it isn’t him.
“Hello,” I say quietly debating whether to hang up instantly if it is him.
“Hey, Valentina. Are you not coming?”
I don't recognize the voice on the other line.
“What?”
“This is Kevin. Eric just got here, and he said that you refused to come.”
Oh, did he now! Why didn’t he tell Kevin that I was just sick? That’s exactly what I told Eric.
I start to cough, “No, it’s just that I’m not used to it being so cold. I think that I’ve caught a cold or something.”
“Really? Sorry about that, you seemed fine earlier. I suppose you’re used to the hot LA climates now. Shoot now I feel bad. Eric never said that you were sick.”
That’s Eric for you! I told him that I had a headache and he went and said a completely different story. What is it with him? He ignores me for days and then all of a sudden he wants to be my best friend, lover or whore? I don’t care; things have been working well lately. He’s kept his di
stance, and I’ve kept mine. It doesn’t have to change, it’s out of his control because I’m not going to let it.
“Maybe I should get you something. You know to make you feel better.”
His voice is changing, and if I didn’t know better, then I would think that he was flirting.
Holy crap!
Why am I so slow at times? Kevin’s asked me out so many times, but always with the other guys. I just didn’t think that he was interested, but then again I’ve spent most of my time trying to learn my lines and keep away from Eric. I’m not on the look out for a relationship, I’m twenty-two and so far I live in a box. I’ve only slept with one man, and I need to make my life better. Not only to prove something to myself, but to my parents too. They think that I’ll sell myself or do something unethical to make it big. I don’t even need to do that. I just need to follow my heart. That’s acting and what I have with Eric is just lust. It needs to fade like a bad dream. I wish it will just go away.
“No Kevin. Sorry, I need to be left alone. I just..”
“I know, small town girl. Missing home. I’ll be over in about twenty minutes. I know exactly what you need.”
Before I can say another thing, he hangs up. It looks as if he’s coming to join me. Whether I like it or not!
Chapter Nineteen
Eric
Fuck!
I can’t believe Valentina. She told me that she’s not coming to the party and she’s invited Kevin back to her room. That's what he just told everyone as he's walking out of the door. Winking and telling people not to expect him back.
Okay, so she’s right. We’ve been here for a week. One long, painful week, but the majority of that included Florence keeping a watchful eye. I couldn’t do anything when she was here. Now, I can, and she wants to punish me, for not talking to her.
Well, she didn’t exactly make an effort. But every girl under the sun wants to be my friend at this party. There’s Gia the makeup artist, Rachel the stylist and Isobel who has a small role in the movie. I think that Isobel’s more interested in fast-tracking her career rather than keeping me company tonight. Their beautiful. Fucking stunning either, but they’re not Valentina. She’s the girl that I can’t get out of my fucking mind and yet she’s ignoring me.
Kevin’s been gone for twenty minutes. He must be in her room right now. I take a swing of my beer and grab hold of Gia, “Come on, let’s dance.”
As we start to dance, I realize that nothing about Gia is real. From her silicon breasts to her over inflated lips that make her look as if she’s been stung by a bee. To her blonde hair. Fuck! It’s as if she’s a real-life Barbie doll. And it starts to dawn on me, why I like Valentina so much. Everything about her is real.
From the fact that she bites her lips whenever she’s nervous, that she’s got the role of a lifetime and she doesn’t take it for granted. I’ve worked with girls that are just starting out in the industry. They get the one role and all of a sudden their treating their old friends as if they’re their slaves.
Valentina’s not like that, and even when her name goes up in lights, she’s not going to change. I know that for sure. Gia’s rubbing up against me and I feel that if she does it any more than her silicon breasts are going to cause a fire. I can’t stand it, and I growl, “I need to go and pee!”
She smiles and then continues to dance to her beat. Even her moves look fake. Fuck it; I’m going to see Valentina. I’m going to say what I should have said the moment; I got to her room. This time I’ll do it properly. I won’t take no for an answer, no matter how long she decides to lock herself in the bathroom for.
***
I feel like a caveman ready to kick Kevin out of her room if he’s in there and ready to fight for Valentina. She can’t say no to me. I won’t let her. As I step out of the taxi and head towards the hotel door. I hear my name being called out.
“Eric!”
I take another step and then I hear my name being called again. I stop dead in my tracks because I’m sure that the voice that’s calling it is Valentina.
“What the fuck?”
I say as I see a hand waving in the bushes near the hotel side window.
“Shh, come here,” Valentina says as she’s hiding behind a bush just by the front door.
“But what are you doing out here? It’s freezing.”
She’s shaking in my arms, and she has a hat on and some boots, but it’s not enough. Not to be stuck out here.
“I had a feeling that Kevin was up to something, so when he said that he was coming, I decided to hide out here.”
“Okay?”
I had the same feeling, but she could have hidden in the bar or something, not outside in the cold.
“Why out here? I don’t get it.”
“Well, if we go to your room then I’ll explain it to you.”
I nod my head and then take her hand, even with her gloves on I can tell that they’re as hard as ice.
“I don’t understand why…”
“Shh, fewer questions. Let’s get up to your room and then we’ll talk. Right now, I just want to get warm.”
Really?
What would she have done if I hadn’t come along?
She would have been at one with the bush, yet she wants to tell me what to do. I suppose I’ll let her, because maybe then I’ll get back into her good books. If she has one, I want to feature in it. As we walk through the hotel, I can tell that she’s shaking and so I turn to pick her up.
She waves a finger at me and says, “No you don’t. I can walk by myself. I don’t need you to carry me.”
I sigh at the thought of her being so cold, but then I have to remember the reason that I came back. I came to claim her, whether she likes it or not.
“Suit yourself.”
“I do actually. I’m only in need of your help because I’m desperate.”
I start to walk the opposite way, sure I deserve some slap on the cheek, but she’s going too far.
“Wait, where are you going?”
“To get Kevin!”
“Shit, no Eric don’t. I’m sorry. Look it’s been an eventful day. First I thought that I was going to the party and you weren’t going, then I find out that you’re going..”
I shut her up with a kiss; I don’t try anything sexy. I just want to kiss her pale blue lips which need warming up and then I hold her in my arms and growl, “Do you ever shut up?”
She shakes her head, as she looks at me. Those blue eyes that got me from the start are staring at me with the same innocence that they did from the start. As much as I want to take her right now. I won’t. I’ll talk to her and appeal to her good nature. She has one; I know that I can get to it. I just need to give her time.
Chapter Twenty
Valentina
Oh my God, as if tonight couldn’t get any worse. First Eric comes to my room expecting me to forgive him at the drop of a hat and then Kevin was on his way. I knew that he wasn’t coming to talk. Or even keep me company, I just had a bad feeling about being in the room when he came over.
Maybe staying behind the bush wasn’t the best idea, but I just didn’t want him to Kevin to know that I was around. I had visions of him trying to get me drunk at the bar. He’s cute. The type of guy that could have been my best friend back home. The type that I would confide in, but this is a different type of reality. The people here on set. Talk about each other. I’ve seen a couple of the girls flirting with one guy and then go up to the guy and do the same thing. They’re either bitching or just making up stuff just to get the other one in trouble. This is why I go to the party’s and smile too much and say a lot less. I don’t want to be caught up in the web of lies that they love to bathe in. I may want to be an actress, but I don’t want to surround myself with all the crap that comes with it too. Then again, maybe I’m kidding myself and they both go hand-in-hand.
“Okay, so are you sure that you don’t have frostbite or something?” Eric asks as he gets to the front of his door.
/>
I shake my head, “No. I’m just cold.”
He nods frantically, “Right let’s get you warmed up.”
I want to agree with him, the way that he would have done it before. Getting me all dirty between the sheets. But there’s something different about his tone. Then again we’re now different people. No longer are in my bar and ready to fuck.
We’re starting in the same movie, and both of us have something to lose if it doesn't work out. I think that slowly, but surely I’m starting to realize that now. He’s so damn gentle that it makes me feel bad for throwing him out earlier.
“Hey, just get in the bed, and I’ll get some covers and get you warm.”
I nod my head like a little child, being looked after their dad as he starts to peel off my gloves and says, “You are crazy. Standing out there. You could have gone to the bar or something?”
“Yes, but I had a feeling that if he saw me, then he’ll drag me to my room.”
He laughs, “He couldn’t do that. Unless you drank a bit too much.”
I shake my head as he cups me in his arms, he’s stroking my back, and the covers are between us, but I know that he’s keeping me warm.
“Do you feel better?”
“Yes,” I whisper as I close my eyes.
“I’m sorry about the way things ended up between us and I should have apologized better and explained to things to you.’
I choke, “Why? You’re acting as if we were an item or something? It was just one night.”
He kisses my head and sighs, “Keep telling yourself that Valentina.”
I want to say something, but I’m lost for words, as he holds me tightly in his arms.
“But why tonight. Why now?”
“Why did I come and talk to you tonight and not before?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I don’t know; it just felt like the right opportunity to do it. It’s not that I haven’t thought of a doing it before, but Florence was on my back about not drinking or doing anything and even after she left….I still didn't want to let her down. She’s more my agent. She’s been there for me when everyone turned their back on me and when Kevin said about the party. I thought one night. One time just so that we could talk. You know.”
