"You're in a good mood today." Said a voice from overhead.
He looked up to see his co-star Emilie smiling down on him, script in hand.
They were in a cramped apartment the studio was using for interior shots. There was too many people in one place, and Emilie was like a beacon of light amongst the chaos.
"Well wouldn't you be if you were filming in a broom cupboard with a broken camera..." He said jovially, pointing to the stressed out cameraman who was trying to fix his tools.
Emilie sat down beside him in the only free corner and sighed heavily.
"Will this day never end..." She mused, and would have looked out the window but there were only metal bars to look at.
"It'll end. Just probably not before you want it to." Rob replied sarcastically. "You're distracted today." He had noticed.
"Divorce stuff." She said, winking regretfully and flicking absently through the pages of the script. "I'm not even sure why we need to even go through this stuff, we both know which scene is coming up next."
Rob nodded. "Would you like me to sweep you off your feet or just go with the animalistic approach?"
Emilie managed to crack a smile, and he was glad he'd managed to share some of his sunshine.
"Well whatever you're having, I'll have some."
Rob smiled that cheeky smile he saved for times like these. "You will once they get that camera fixed."
Emilie raised an eyebrow. "Ahhh, I see how it is. I knew you'd got laid."
Her thick Australian accent sounded even stronger around that word. Laid. Rob liked her accent and never tired of speaking to her.
"You make it sound so....technical."
Emilie smiled. "Ah, so it's more than that. It's that girl that was here the other day isn't it?"
He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could confide in her the director came over and told them it was time for the next scene. It was as it always was with Emilie. Comfortable in each other's company, it was easy to switch off and become his character with her. For a few moments atleast, he didn't think of Seren and only of Tyler Hawkins, the name of the man he was playing. But still, the day was dragging. And when the final CUT of the day was called it was a relief to everyone there.
Rob slipped his jacket on and felt his cell phone hard and cool in his pocket. He pressed it with a light touch and it came to life. 3 missed calls....Kristen....His heart sank.
"She didn't call?" Asked Emilie, inquiring over the sudden U-turn in Rob's face.
"No...Nothing like that."
"Well whatever it is, it's got you bad." She teased, hugging him goodbye for the day.
"What are you doing tonight?" He asked.
Seren circled the last job vacancy she could find with the weak ink that was left in her marker. She was still dizzy from the morning, and knew she'd be even dizzier if she didn't start to make a life for herself. The little money she had was already starting to dwindle after paying her share of the monthly rent she now needed to pay. It was mind numbing, all these things she had to deal with now. Life on the commune had been so easy, she wondered how people sometimes preferred this crazy life in the fast lane. And then she remembered how life had been in the slow lane.
When India came home she was mentally exhausted, but managed to find that spark of excitement about seeing Rob. She found, strangely, that she had missed him and longed to see him again. India's exuberance was contagious and her girlish excitement was hard to ignore. She breezed around the house kicking off her work clothes and floated from the bathroom to her bedroom trying to make herself look A-list.
"You really needn't go to so much trouble." Seren told her. "Rob's friend, he's like hobo chic."
India tutted. "That's him. This is me. And if there's going to be any chance of paparazzi hanging around I want to look fresh."
Seren was already formulating her get away plan. It bothered her that India had no idea how infuriating it was with the camera lenses in your face.
"Whatever." She said, deciding not to make it hard for herself explaining.
"Where are we going?" India finally asked, as if that was the least important thing.
"I'm not sure, a bar somewhere. Rob said it was somewhere in the upper east side. It's quiet."
India's face dropped. "Quiet?"
"If you want party central you're out with the wrong people." Seren told her.
"No chance of bumping into Paris Hilton then?" She joked.
Seren drew a blank. "Paris who?"
India rolled her eyes. "Thank god you're here. You really have been on that commune too long!"
And there it was again, that momentary ache for what she had left behind. And then it was gone.
"I just want you to see the Rob I've come to know."
India smiled sweetly. "You really like him, don't you? Like...really like."
It was obvious as their eyes met across the room. There was a jukebox in the corner and Rob was sitting at a table right by it. It was a real biker's bar, with Harley Davidson memorabilia behind the bar. There was a group of men in leather jacket's standing by a pool table. They raised their heads as Seren and India walked in, but didn't pay them much heed. She recognised the back of Tom's head and the blonde girl sitting beside him.
"You didn't say anything about the blonde." India whispered, like she had been mis-sold her night out.
"Does it matter?"
India shrugged. "I guess not. Who is she?"
"She's his co-star."
India's face lit up. "Oh...Ok, cool. Shall we go over then or stand here like hookers?"
Seren winced at the metaphor and walked across the room. Standing, Rob came to meet them, his eyes twinkling in the dark. Introductions were made, conversation began to flow. But Seren was only aware of the line of Rob's body next to her. She could feel her body tense up, knowing what he looked like underneath his dark jeans and hoodie. As he spoke she noticed his jaw line and thought she'd never seen anything more handsome. She tried to concentrate, but soon she heard her name being called and realised she hadn't been listening to anyone.
"Serendipity?" India said, a little louder.
As if breaking from a trance, Seren addressed her cousin. "Don't call me that!" She retorted.
"You didn't hear a word of that, did you?"
Tom shook his head and repeated himself, "There's a group outside, it's getting bigger. It's gonna make it harder to get out of here so we should go back to the Hotel."
Seren looked at the window and saw the faces lingering outside. The barman looked annoyed, and she knew it was time they made their escape. As they came to the door there were a few paparazzi, not as many as last time but still Seren felt herself start to panic. India made sure she was the first out of the door, smiling subtley at the camera's as she got into the waiting taxi. Tom pulled his hood down and walked swiftly, Emilie moving closely behind him.
"You ready?" Rob asked, taking her hand. "There's another taxi waiting for us."
She drew a look of confusion. "What?"
Rob sighed. "There isn't enough room in one taxi for all of us."
Tom, Emilie and India had already left by the time Rob lead her out of the bar. He didn't smile, so neither did she. They slipped into the taxi seamlessly but she had to turn to get inside. It was then she saw the flash inside her eyes. They'd got their face picture. And she wondered how long it would be until it would be in print. But she didn't care. She wasn't afraid, or ashamed who knew. As the car pulled away she looked behind to see them still taking pictures. The flash of the camera's glaring into her eyes until she turned, and they were gone.
There was no hesitation as Rob pulled her into the curve on his body. She sunk into his chest and looked up at him, the street lights making his face look more beautiful. He leaned into a kiss but she was too eager and moved up to take him by surprise. She thought she heard him moan, but couldn't be sure.
"Suddenly I'm not feeling so sociable." He said, between kisses.
"We could go straight up...." She was about to say something she couldn't imagine herself saying.
But Rob already had that wicked look again. "Could we?" He asked, like he needed validation.
He looked up towards the cab driver. "Can we make a detour please?"
Seren began to get giddy. "What are you doing? We can't just ditch them!"
But Rob wasn't sorry. "It's ok, it's all part of the plan to get you alone."
He chuckled to himself in that way he did, when he sounded like an innocent child.
"Don't worry Emilie's in on it. She agreed to come out tonight so that there would be one too many and I would be able to get you in another taxi. She's awesome like that."
"That's....devilishly brilliant. But why didn't you just say you wanted to be alone?"
He shrugged. "It's more fun this way. Plus if Tom is with Emilie and India there wont be any interruptions."
The cab driver coughed. "Where to?" He asked in a thick New York accent.
"Where would you like to go?" Rob asked.
But she didn't care. As she looked at him in the dim light she knew it didn't matter. For a moment her breath caught in her chest. The whole world ceased to move as she watched his adam's apple flex as he swallowed. These small, immeasurable things made her insane for him. And as she looked up to meet his eyes she knew he felt the same. There was no way to hide it, he couldn't. He realised his mouth had gone dry and his palms were sweaty. He drew in the smell of her, the look of her beside him. The way her hair fell below her shoulders and laid above her collar bone. He watched her breasts rise and fall as she breathed, and in that moment there was nothing he wouldn't do for her. And it scared him. Never could he have imagined it could feel like this. So soon. He recalled the inevitable phone call he'd had with Kristen earlier. She asked why they had mistaken Seren for her, asked him if she was worth it. She was her usual cynical self. And for the first time ever, it had bothered him. And not because of her. He usually listened to her opinion and valued it. But this time, he didn't share her point of view. If he died tomorrow atleast he wouldn't die not knowing how it felt to touch her. And that, it seemed, was suddenly more important than waiting around for some unknown amount of time to pass before it was meant to be "right." But she had conceded to him, and agreed to be happy for him. And it mattered to him greatly that he had her blessing. Because, despite everything, He did love Kristen. Just not in the way the media wanted to believe. And it was important to him that she was on his side.
He realised neither of them had said a word, and the cab driver was waiting for a destination.
"Take us home." Seren whispered finally, and Rob smiled, giving the address to the driver before sinking his lips down onto Seren's.
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