Body Heat

by Mia Ford

  “Since I came out of rehab I’ve avoided socializing. It tends to lead to temptation. As much as I say that I'm not going to drink, for some reason whenever I go out. I can't say no. I fucking drink over time.”

  That’s the only bullshit that I can think to come up with, it’s partly true, and the other part is mainly because the dark-haired blue eye that I need to fake being attracted to in the next few scenes is here and I need to fucking avoid her like the plague.

  “Fuck, I feel like a prick for saying anything.”

  I smile, “Don’t sweat it, man. I’ll be there. Just tell me where and what time?”

  He nods, “Cool, we’re only here for another week, so I think that it’ll be a good thing. It helps with the vibe of the movie and everything.”

  I sigh, “Sure.”

  It’s all bullshit, everyone gives this illusion that for the movie to be a success we all need to connect in one way or another, but that’s not true. They just like turning the set into an offscreen orgy and use the movie as an excuse to do it. I’ve been in the industry long enough to know the drill. I don’t want an orgy, I just want one lady but the problem is staying away is becoming harder every fucking today. I have a feeling that tonight it’s going to be even harder and that makes me want to go to the party. Not to mingle with them, but just her.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Valentina

  A few of the guys are going to a party, the good part about it is the fact that Eric won’t be going. He didn’t go to the one on the first night, and I’m sure that he’s not going to be going to this one. I pick up the phone and give my usual update to Harper which entails, ‘Did you talk to Eric off-screen?’ my reply’s always the same, ‘No.’ Then we move on to other topics. The crew, the people, being in a movie and anything else the doesn’t revolve around Eric.

  “Hey Harper,” I beam as I’ve got something really important to tell her tonight.

  “You sound happy. What’s happened? Oh God, please tell me that you didn’t talk to Eric off-screen today?”

  “No! Can you stop tripping about that? Besides he hasn’t even made any effort to talk to me. I told you that.”

  “Yeah, but he’s a snake. He’ll try it eventually mark my words.”

  I giggle at her being the expert in everything and always wanting me to send her pictures of the set. Just so that she can feel that she’s part of it all.

  “Anyway, I've got big news. The director said that I did an excellent job today and he feels that I'm a born natural. He said that he's worked with a lot of newbies and none of them have been as professional as me. And if at any time I need a reference, he'll be happy to give me one.”

  “Really?”

  She squirms, and she can probably feel my excitement on the phone.

  “I was so nervous about it all and then being here Harper, well it made everything feel natural. It’s as if it's all fallen into place. Without me even trying.”

  She sighs, “That’s good, and it’ll stay that way as long as you don’t let Eric anywhere near you.”

  “Okay, okay. I get it. So, tell me what gives?” I slump down on the bed again. I’ve been sleeping since I came in the room. Crap! I never checked the time before I called her. I didn’t even take my clothes off. I was exhausted we had an early morning start today, but it’s all good because we’re not shooting tomorrow.

  Sometimes I don’t want to talk about me. Right now, I don’t want to jinx it all. I did catch Eric looking at me a few times today. But there’s no way I’ll tell her and make her panic about it all. Eric’s spent seven days ignoring me and treating me as if I’m a stranger. I’ve been doing the same. Apart from yesterday when we had a break. I swear that he was coming towards me. That’s when Florence left. It was as if he was good at keeping his distance when she was around, but then again maybe that’s what I want to think. That he’s regretting the last few days, because of as much as I keep telling myself that he’s a jerk. There’s another part of me that keeps saying that it's all in my mind.

  “Are you listening to me?”

  Crap!

  I was too busy thinking about Eric that I even forgot that I was still on the phone to Harper.

  “Sorry, I need to get ready, and the bar sounds as if it’s lively as always.”

  “Valentina…”

  I know exactly what she’s going to say next, but I don’t want to hear it.

  “Tony’s asking about you. Should I tell him that you say hi?”

  “No, I said after that night with Eric. He gives me the creeps. Don’t say anything. Please?”

  She starts to tut which means that she’s thinking about it. But, I can’t deal with that, not when I have a party to get ready for.

  “Harper?”

  “Yeah. Yeah. I get the message. I’ll tell him that you say hi. Bye.”

  Then she hangs up. I’m just about to ring her back when there’s a knock at the door. Shoot! Is that the time already. I haven’t even showered or changed. Florence took me shopping last week, and she went all crazy as she picked up clothes that I see on the shop front and can never afford to buy. It was nice to be spoiled, and I’ve got a nice collection going on for the first time in my life from dresses, skirts, pants, and jeans. It was as if she was enjoying the shopping trip just as much as I was and it made me feel less guilty.

  “Coming!”

  I shout out as I jump over the bed and then head towards the door. I drop my phone on the bed, and I’m annoyed by the person on the other side.

  Eric’s wearing black pants and a matching shirt just drove me wild. His strong musk has sexy written all over it has my panties doing somersaults. There’s no denying that I’m attracted to Eric, and my school girl crush isn’t a thing from the past.

  He comes closer to me, “Valentina.”

  Shoot!

  It has been over a week since we’ve been here, and he hasn’t said a word to me. Just like that he comes close and our lips are so close. They’re not touching, but enough that I can smell the beer that he must have been drinking before he ended up at my door.

  My breasts turn tender and start to crave his touch. My nipples feel hard as they start to remember the slickness of his tongue. He didn’t say anything as he drew close to me. I didn’t back up as I held on to the door. Not for protection, but just for balance. Our lips are so close. They weren’t touching, but I could smell his breath.

  It wasn’t the best smell in the world. A mix of beer and cigarettes, but I was so damn attracted to him that I still wanted to stick my tongue down his throat.

  My breasts were tender, craving his touch. My nipples were hard, pressed against his chest, and desperate for his tongue as they rub against his shirt. He’s waiting for me to make a move or something, but then I come to my senses and ask him, “What are you doing here?”

  I blink furiously wondering if we’re on screen or if this is happening?

  I’m not going to fall for the charms of Eric Turner in a flash. This time he can’t tell me that we’re going to fuck and I follow him like a puppy dog.

  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 distance, 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.