Acting Out: Chapter 9
As arranged, the couple went to the counselling session where they met Sophie.
"Hello Mr and Mrs Cooper. How are the two of you today?" Sophie questioned them as they sat down opposite her.
"Actually I'm still going by Monroe." Sonny informed her.
"Why's that?"
"For my career." Sonny replied, "I don't want to confuse the younger fans."
"How do you feel about that Mr Cooper?"
"Call me Chad," the actor replied, resting his arm behind Sonny on the top of the couch, "I'm fine with it."
"So tell me about how you met." She instructed them.
"Well, we were teenagers and I joined the 'So Random' cast. We bickered a lot and ended up dating for a while actually."
"And why did that end?" The counsellor asked them curiously.
"Our schedules conflicted a lot," The brunette admitted, tucking some hair behind her ear, "We didn't get to see a lot of each other."
"And I've read that you started dating again last year and got married around six months after going out."
"That's correct." Chad replied.
Sophie continued asking the two questions and Sonny replied most the time.
"How's your sex life?"
"It's great, we have sex quite regularly," Chad replied before Sonny could get a word in, "My baby is wild in the sack." He winked at Sophie.
Sonny was annoyed that Chad could say that to someone; especially when there was no sex life.
"Did you just wink at her?" Sonny asked, feigning shock.
"Yeah, why?"
"What do you mean, why? You are totally hitting on our marriage counsellor!" She falsely accused him, raising her voice.
"Mrs Monroe, I'm sure that he wasn't."
"No, he is like this all the time," Sonny sobbed, "He is always looking at other women."
"I do not!" Chad yelled.
"So I sense we have some issues here. Sonny, how do you feel when you see Chad showing interest in other girls?"
"It makes me feel ugly and fat because he is always looking at the pretty, skinny girls...like you." Sonny complimented the counsellor. Why and not try and score some extra points with her?
"Chad, have you considered that Sonny may feel this way?"
"Sonny knows I love her, she is just being a little jealous. I am Chad Dylan Cooper after all." He stated proudly.
The rest of the session was interesting to say the least.
...
It was when they got home that Chad was on the phone to one of his many contacts, "What do you mean you can't get me courtside seats? " He shouted.
"I'm sorry Mr Cooper, but we can only hold seats for a certain amount of time; the game is in two hours. I'm sorry but you left it too late this time." The man apologized, "Zac Efron called in this afternoon."
At this Chad hung up his phone; Zac Efron had nothing on him.
"What's wrong?" His wife asked coming into the room, looking at the expression on his face.
"Zac Efron got the last front row tickets." He mumbled.
"Wait for tonight?" Sonny asked.
"Yeah, I refuse to sit a few rows back like some common person."
"Well tonight is your lucky night, I was going to go with Tawni but I'm sure she'll understand." Sonny smiled at him.
"Wait, you got tickets?" Chad asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, ages ago. Right in the front."
"I could marry you right now!" Chad exclaimed happily, bringing his wife into a hug.
"You already did." She laughed, "Now go get ready, we are going to have one amazing evening!"
Maybe having a wife wasn't such a bad thing; Sonny sure came in handy sometimes.
...
"I'm going out tonight-I'm feelin' alright
Gonna let it all hang out
Wanna make some noise-really raise my voice
Yeah, I wanna scream and shout
No inhibitions-make no conditions
Get a little outta line
I ain't gonna act politically correct
I only wanna have a good time
The best thing about being a woman
Is the prerogative to have a little fun (fun, fun)
Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy-forget I'm a lady
Men's shirts-short skirts
Oh, oh, oh, really go wild-yeah, doin' it in style
Oh, oh, oh, get in the action-feel the attraction
Color my hair-do what I dare
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel
Man! I feel like a woman!
The girls need a break-tonight we're gonna take
The chance to get out on the town
We don't need romance-we only wanna dance
We're gonna let our hair hang down
The best thing about being a woman
Is the prerogative to have a little fun (fun, fun)
Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy-forget I'm a lady
Men's shirts-short skirts
Oh, oh, oh, really go wild-yeah, doin' it in style
Oh, oh, oh, get in the action-feel the attraction
Color my hair-do what I dare
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel
Man! I feel like a woman!
The best thing about being a woman
Is the prerogative to have a little fun (fun, fun)
Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy-forget I'm a lady
Men's shirts-short skirts
Oh, oh, oh, really go wild-yeah, doin' it in style
Oh, oh, oh, get in the action-feel the attraction
Color my hair-do what I dare
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel
Man! I feel like a woman!
I get totally crazy
Can you feel it
Come, come, come on baby
I feel like a woman"
Sonny was dancing and singing along to Shania Twain.
Chad currently wanted to kill himself. Sonny had purposely mislead him and made him believe that they were going to the game he wanted to see.
Instead, she had dragged him to a concert where there was nothing but women everywhere singing about how great it was to be a woman.
He was seriously tempted to stab himself right then and there.
"Isn't she amazing?" Sonny gushed to him, "I told you I had the best seats!"
Chad contemplated getting out of his seat and leaving but he would be swarmed by everyone most likely.
"Yeah." He mumbled, watching his wife happily sing along to the next song that had begun.
This was torture, pure torture.
...
"How good was she? It was such a good show wasn't it?" Sonny asked Chad as they got into Chad's car.
Sonny knew that Chad hated the entire thing, yet she was so pleased with herself that she had tricked him into coming.
"It was bearable." He muttered.
Sonny knew he didn't mean that so she went on.
"I think she has such an amazing voice, I am putting her c-d on right now." She decided, reaching into her bag and pulling out a c-d.
She heard Chad groan as she popped it into the sound system and soon 'From This Moment On' began playing.
Sonny began singing along and it surprised her to see a smile appear on Chad's face.
"Why are you smiling?" The brunette asked, intrigued.
"You have a good voice." He complimented her.
"You think?"
He nodded, "You do. I am being serious."
Sonny smiled happily and continued on singing.
...
"This morning we have none other than Chad Dylan Cooper with us, how are you doing Chad?"
"I'm doing great, Brian." Chad answered the radio host as he watched Sonny dust the living room from his spot on the couch.
"So how are you doing this wonderful Saturday morning?"
"Well," The actor begun, switching his phone to his other ear even though he had the phone on speaker, "I am just laying here with my gorgeous wife in my arms."
"How is Sonny?"
"She is good, half-asleep right now though. She is a little worn out." Chad laughed, making Sonny glare at him in response. He knew she knew what he was implying.
"How is the married life treating both of you?"
"It's good, admittedly sometimes Sonny can drive me crazy but it doesn't make me love her any less, it makes me love her even more."
He mentally laughed as he watched his wife roll her eyes in response to him making himself look good for the media.
He had years of experience in doing so and easily would make himself more likable than Sonny.
After hanging up he immediately went on a gossip site to read what everyone was saying.
There were numerous comments already about him being a good husband and such and he grinned satisfied. He looked like the better partner in the marriage to the public.
"It's my grandma's birthday next weekend." Sonny said abruptly, making him put his cell phone away.
"And?" Chad asked, wondering why this had anything to do with him.
"She is turning sixty-five and we are having a huge birthday party for her and I'm expected to attend."
"Okay, have fun then." Chad told her, disinterested.
"My family wants to meet my husband."
"Take a poster of me then, I'm not going."
"Come on Chad," She whined, how he hated when she whined, "It's just three days in Wisconsin; anyone can handle that. Please?" She whined again.
Chad weighed his options; go and be completely bored, or stay in LA and attend some killer parties.
"No." Chad responded simply.
"Well," Sonny sniffled, obviously faking it, "I guess I could go to Mr Condor and tell him I'll be attending on my own."
Chad rolled his eyes, how she frustrated him sometimes.
"Fine!" He relented, "But we stay at a five-star hotel in separate rooms and we don't spend every second with your family."
Sonny grinned happily, obviously satisfied with his response, "Deal. We'll find somewhere to check in when we get there. There always rooms available in you turn up. Plus, I know you will make us switch hotels if they aren't up to your expectations."
The actor chuckled; it was exactly something he would do.
"Why are you cleaning anyway? I do have a maid." He reminded her.
"I'm expecting some people over here tonight after meeting them for dinner. You will be coming."
"I won't be doing any such thing." He assured her.
"You will be," She repeated herself, "Just trust me on this one, you have to come."
Chad let out a dramatic sigh, "Fine, but the food better be good and these people better not be losers."
His wife let out a small laugh, "Whatever you say, Chad. Just be ready by seven."
...
Sonny was all smiles as Chad and her arrived t the restaurant; they were instantly met by the paparazzi after the valet went to park their car and Chad reached out to interlace her hand with his own.
Making their way inside, Sonny instantly saw who they were meeting sitting at a table on the other side of the restaurant waiting for them.
She grinned as Chad froze to the spot as he saw who they were.
"Why aren't my parents in New York?" He asked in a hushed whisper, "Why didn't I know they were coming?"
"I answered your home phone last week and it was your mother who says you have been avoiding her calls and was mightily surprised to find out you had gotten married without you telling her. So I arranged dinner for all of us." She explained.
She knew Chad loved his parents yet they hardly ever spoke because he was always so busy.
"Sonny...can we please act civil for them?" He pleaded with her softly, "I don't want them to know that this isn't real."
Sonny considered what he was asking of her for just a few seconds, "Fine, but be nice to them. They are your parents."
"I know...my mum has been asking me for years when I am going to settle down and get married. I think it will hurt her if she knows this isn't real."
Sonny smiled as she realised Chad's parents had spotted them.
Chad put on a smile too and led her over to the table they were at.
"Thank you." He whispered.
"You're welcome."
