"So he just got on a plane and left?" Bella was incredulous. The unscheduled, unannounced, covert departure of a major star from the set of a film he was in the middle of filming? That sort of thing just didn't happen.
Alice sat back in her office chair and continued crushing the stress ball she had been abusing for the last 10 minutes. "I'm not sure why he didn't say anything to me beforehand. Apparently, Cullen informed his agent of the news last night but wasn't planning to go. McCarty had no idea he had left until I called."
Bella shook her head at the unprofessionalism. Still, she could hardly fault him. If it was her father…
"Damn. Stage IV stomach cancer," Bella whispered sadly.
"Yeah." Alice frowned. "I really do feel bad for him and his family, but he's on the crap list for walking off my set. He's not answering any calls, and I have no idea when the hell he's coming back!"
"Where does this leave us?" Bella wondered.
"Peter is working to rearrange the schedule and frontload scenes that Cullen's not a part of. Some of it is impossible or cost prohibitive to change, but we can keep busy for at least a week." Alice shuffled through a littering of papers and folders strewn across her desk. "If only we could move our Chicago shoot date," she muttered as tossed one thick folder onto an empty chair. "It would be so convenient…"
Alice trailed off as she noticed Bella's distracted expression. "Talk to me, Bella. I can see the mice running on the wheels in your head."
"Sorry," Bella murmured as she blinked out of her dazed state. "I just can't figure Edward out. He seems to hate me, and I have no idea why."
Narrowing her eyes, Alice nodded shrewdly. "You're such a sweet, naïve little thing – quite the rarity in this line of business, I might add – so I can understand why it might baffle your brain that there are some arbitrarily spiteful people out there. And yes, mean people suck."
Bella gasped in indignation. "Come on! Give me some credit. I've met my share of jerks, as well as experienced rather bitchy attitudes from those who have god complexes."
She gave a pointed look to Alice, who at first stared incredulously, then let out a peal of laughter. "Maybe you're not one hundred percent sweet after all, kid," the director amended with a smirk.
"Still," Bella remarked thoughtfully, "he seems to be harboring a special brand of dislike for me."
"I don't have any insight into that, and you've mentioned he won't talk to you about anything. I'm really not sure why you care so much about what he thinks, but I don't have any problem with your current, um, relationship. Sometimes, when you take two actors who don't get along, mix in a camera, and then add a little heat, you get some incredible sparks onscreen. You two, well, you make fireworks."
Bella blushed deeply and shifted the discussion to ask a question that had burning on her tongue since that morning. "So do you think he left – uh, what I mean is – was it just because of his dad?"
"Of course," Alice nodded firmly. "I'm sure of it."
Bella wanted to believe it, but she wondered if Alice truly was convinced…or if there was more than one actor in the room at the moment.
-o-o-o-o- OSC -o-o-o-o-
Demetri pulled out a chair at the intimate table for two, and Bella sat gracefully.
"I didn't know about this place being here," she commented while looking around the spacious patio that managed to maintain a cozy feel with soft lighting and an abundance of flickering candles.
"Rivabella opened early this year." Demetri gave her a sheepish grin. "I figured it might be apropos to come here given its name."
Bella returned the smile. She probably could count on one hand the number of restaurants she had visited in LA. Dining out anywhere was a novelty for her.
After sharing light conversation and placing their orders, Bella looked over her companion's face with a searching gaze.
"Are you really okay about the posted pictures, rumors, and general invasion of privacy that I'm causing you?" She bit her lower lip nervously and twisted her fingertips together. "Be honest, please."
"So far, so good," he replied with an easy shrug. "That sort of thing doesn't bother me, I promise."
Letting out a sigh of relief, Bella felt some of the tension leave her shoulders. "I'm glad and also a little surprised. It's hard enough for those who choose this lifestyle. You're sort of being dragged into all this."
Demetri reached over the table and took one of Bella's hands in his. "Relax. You're hardly dragging me, and I have worked with big names before." He smirked lazily as he nodded in the direction of kitchen. "Of course, this is the first time I've been allowed to use a restaurant's secret entrance."
Warmth spread over Bella's cheekbones. "Sorry about that. Esme thought it best to be discreet until the paps get bored or something more interesting comes along." She eased her hand from his grasp to dip a cocktail shrimp into the sauce.
Demetri raised his eyebrow in amusement. "I consider us fairly interesting," he teased.
Bella chuckled and gave her head a shake. "That may be a first for me, then. I think the gossips are making a fuss about this because I'm one of the biggest bores in the business. My life doesn't tend to see much excitement."
"It seemed like yesterday held some interesting events for you," he countered.
Groaning, Bella rolled her eyes. "If they're not making something up, they're blowing it out of proportion. Contrary to the rumors, there was no tantrum or property destruction or mental breakdown on set," she huffed. "He simply left the studio to go to his sick father!" Bella angrily bit into her shrimp and flicked the remaining tail onto her appetizer plate.
"Easy killer," Demetri laughed. He held his hands up in a placating manner. "I believe you."
There was a break in the conversation as the salads arrived, and Bella used the opportunity to change topics. She had no desire to spend any part of her evening with Demetri thinking of her erratic co-star.
Apparently, her head's desires and those of her body were not in concert.
After Demetri and Bella enjoyed their leisurely meal and relaxed over a few cups of decaf, they left for her home. She had a long day on set coming up, and he considerately made sure she was back early enough to get plenty of rest. Once again, they stood on the doorstep to say their goodbyes.
He didn't request her permission this time; as soon as they reached the landing, Demetri slowly turned and lowered his head. She didn't hesitate to meet his lips, and when his mouth opened to deepen the kiss, she stepped closer to him.
To anyone who might be looking on, it appeared that both participants thoroughly were engrossed in their actions. However, one of them had a very busy mind, and she was not focused completely on the moment.
Bella had been blessed with a large short-term memory bank and the aptitude to quickly assimilate and process vast amounts of input. This ability served her well when memorizing scripts, and it played a role in her getting a high school equivalency diploma from California at age 16.
The problem with her sharp mind was that it sometimes was difficult to control.
For instance, during her kiss with Demetri, she mentally reviewed their evening while thinking about how warm and comfortable his arms were. She considered how she had been alive for 20 years without making it to first base, and then suddenly hit singles with two different men in three days. She wondered how dating morphed into relationships and if or when it would happen for her and Demetri.
She also could not help herself from comparing this kiss to the one she experienced with Edward.
They were so different.
As she and Demetri explored each other's mouths, Bella felt flutters of anticipation coupled with a sense of safety and ease. She likened the sensation to the strong, steady push-pull of the ocean against her feet when she stood where waves broke on the shore. She enjoyed the movement and looked forward to experiencing it again.
Edward's kiss, on the other hand, was more like a tsunami that engulfed and swept her up in its midst. It was a raw, intimidating force of nature – one that threatened to conquer her if she revealed any hint of not being its equal. And yet, Bella recalled, those last kisses they shared held a different kind of natural, timeless power. They still encircled her being, but promised to renew instead of destroy. She wanted so many more, but the feelings they provoked made her afraid.
All of these thoughts swirled in her mind until Demetri lifted his head and broke their connection. He sighed contentedly and took a small step back.
"I wish we didn't have to work tomorrow." He brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. "When can I see you again?"
Bella recalled the rest of the week's agenda. "How about Friday night? The schedule is light this week because of the, um, changes in the shooting order."
Demetri smiled happily. "Great! How about we have dinner first, and then we could hit up a club. There's a new place that –"
Bella sighed theatrically. "Ugh, a club?"
Demetri sported a look of confusion for a moment. "Oh! Right, your movie." His face drew up in concentration as he pondered alternatives.
"Relax! I really don't mind." She chuckled. "I was just playing with you."
He gave her a cautious grin. "You're sure?"
"Yes, silly," Bella stood on her toes and brushed her lips against his. "Text me the details?"
"Of course," he replied as he reluctantly pulled away and walked the few steps to his car. He opened its door and paused with one leg inside. "See you soon, Bella. I can't wait."
Waving, she stood with one hand on the doorknob as he drove off.
The foyer was quiet and dimly lit when Bella pushed the door open, so she jumped in surprise to find Esme and Angela directly on the other side of it.
"Ahh!" She nearly dropped her handbag. "Were you guys spying on me?" she demanded once she calmed her stuttering heart.
"Of course not!" Esme retorted.
"Just a little-" Angela admitted at the same time.
Bella growled at them as she passed by to the kitchen. "You people need to get a life."
"But yours is finally getting interesting!" Angela whined. "Now on with it. We need the status update."
"We ate, we talked, we had a fun time. End of story."
"I think not!" Esme sat down beside Bella. "How do you feel about him? Are you going to see him again? Was there any 'us' talk?"
"How was the kiss? Was it a real one this time?" Angela continued without missing a beat.
Bella covered her head with her arms. "Um, good, yes, no, good, yes," she mumbled.
Esme and Angela looked at each other, then at Bella, and then back to each other.
"Izz, we'll accept the yes and no answers, but 'good' is not going to fly," Angela stated with her hands on her hips. "Do you like him? I mean like-like?"
"I don't know." Bella lifted her head. "I normal like him for sure, and I've had fun the TWO times we've spent together. But really, ladies, don't you think it's a bit soon to be dreaming about a happily ever?"
Angela slowly shook her head with wide, serious eyes. "It's never too early for that, and I'm somewhat shocked to be the girl with my head in the clouds for once."
Bella scoffed. "Please. You can't tell me you're already hearing wedding bells after, what, five days of knowing Ben exists."
Angela didn't break her gaze from Bella's. "I am. I know there are so many things we have yet to learn about each other, but I know he's the one I want to marry someday. Maybe we haven't said the words out loud yet, but I can tell he feels the same way." Her eyes flashed with quiet resolution.
Esme sighed dreamily. "Oh, Angela. I am so happy that I can live vicariously through you."
Bella hid a sad smile from her beloved friend. Two decades ago, Esme had married Charles Evenson, who began to physically abuse her shortly after they wed. She became pregnant after three years and fled home to protect the baby. Enraged at her defiance, Charles quickly tracked down and punished his wife for leaving. The beating was so severe that her unborn son couldn't be saved, and Esme nearly followed him in death.
Despite the horrors she suffered, her indomitable spirit carried through the long recovery and arduous trial proceedings. She divorced Charles, who had been sentenced to 50 years in prison, picked up the pieces of her life, and never lost belief in humanity's goodness.
Bella had yet to meet anyone with more capacity for love, and she hoped that she one day could nurture and guide someone as much as Esme cared for her.
She also wished that Esme's Prince Charming would hurry up and reveal himself. Although Bella was a rookie to the game of love, she tried to keep a look out for said Prince. She didn't want her friend to be relegated forever to the role of supporter.
"Esme," Bella passionately avowed, "your fairy tale will happen. If anyone deserves that, it's you!"
Esme waved her off with a toss of her caramel brown hair. "Try again! You can't get out of this inquisition so easily."
"I was being serious!" Bella insisted. She stuck out her tongue and fixed a mock glare on her friends. "You both have no sense of propriety," she declared in a British accent. Then she huffed at Angela. "All of the sudden, your idea to get my own place is gaining merit."
"Bella!" Esme exclaimed in delight. "That's a wonderful thought!"
A pang of hurt struck Bella. Esme immediately read it in her eyes.
"Oh no, no, no, dearest!" she soothed. "I didn't mean it like that. I love having you here with me. You two are the daughters I never had." Esme pulled both girls to her in a warm embrace.
"You know you're welcome to stay as long as you like." She paused then drew up a corner of her mouth into a smirk. "Well, at least until I find myself a man."
Esme continued thoughtfully. "It might be a good experience for you, Bella – having your own space, taking care of all those pesky adult bills, and…" she paused deviously, "…being able to practice your porn-worthy moans in private!"
Bella concurrently blushed, snarled, and ducked back under her arms. "I'm starting my search tomorrow," she hissed as she tried to cover her ears from the exasperating laughter of her so-called friends.
Edward's POV of his time away will be a future outtake.
He'll be back in the next chapter, so stay tuned!
Remember, reviews inspire me to write faster. ;)
