Disclaimer: This story is purely for fun. I do not own the characters nor any referenced script/scene from CW's Beauty and the Beast. I do not make any profit from this story. This is purely for fun only.
** WARNING: Contains adult content. This is rated M for adult audiences only, and may contain vulgar language and sexual content. **
CHAPTER 10
"Alright Vincent," the lead special FX artist, Glen, was finishing up on the prosthetic covering Vincent's face as Vincent sat quietly to allow the mix to set. "We're gonna have to ask you to chill in this chair for a couple of more hours. You can get up and move around if you want, but move slowly so nothing shifts. Or you can just recline and take a nap."
Vincent nodded and through gritted teeth said, "I'll take a nap."
Glen laughed and patted Vincent's shoulder, "Go for it! I'll be right back, dude."
Vincent nodded slowly and closed his eyes. He could definitely use a nap right now. The first thought that came to his mind was of Catherine. How peaceful she looked sleeping in his arms. He didn't want to leave her side this morning but he quietly got up from the bed, took his shower, and got ready all while she slept soundly in his bed. He kissed her gently on her lips before leaving and for a brief sad moment, he wondered if that might be the last time he would be able to kiss her outside of whatever the show would demand of them in the future. He thought about them being together last night and he wondered if she woke up regretting anything. He decided he wasn't going to push anything with her, he would keep the ball in her court, he didn't want to pressure her. After all, she was still in a relationship with Gabe. Damn, he's not a bad guy, either... but there's something about that guy... and why would he want to be in an open relationship with her.. is he crazy?! Vincent and Catherine weren't on the schedule to shoot any scenes together today but they both had a long day ahead. Maybe they'll run into each other but it was highly unlikely. Then Vincent remembered Alex, he would need to see her right after work to spend time with her before she leaves for California. Damn.
"So... last night wasn't so terrible, huh?" Tess asked Catherine as they settled into hair and makeup. Catherine hadn't told Tess anything about what happened after leaving the Pub and was debating whether she should. Maybe later.
"Yeah, it was great!" Catherine smiled, almost blushing thinking about Vincent. "It was definitely a lot of fun!"
"Hmmm..." Tess looked at Catherine suspiciously. "Well, I'm glad you're obviously over the whole 'meeting Alex' thing then."
"Yep," Catherine nodded. "Totally."
"How much longer did you guys stay out after Joe and I left?"
"Not very long at all. We pretty much left right after you guys. Gabe and I dropped Alex and Vincent off at her hotel."
Tess raised her brows and looked at Catherine. "Oh, reeaally?"
"Yep, it was on the way to Gabe's place."
"Well, I bet they rocked that hotel last night," Tess smirked, looking at herself in the mirror.
Catherine took in a breath and bit her lip. Tess looked at her and touched Cat's arm.
"I'm sorry, Cat, I was just kidding. But hey, you are okay with Vincent and Alex, right? I mean after what we talked about at the bar last night... no more blurred lines, right?"
"Yeah, ofcourse!" Cat nodded. Maybe I won't tell Tess after all. "Let's just focus on the pilot and having fun." She looked over at Tess and gave her a reassuring smile.
"That's my girl!" Tess laughed and they continued on with the make-up artists and stylists.
Vincent's work day ended a little after seven in the evening. After working with the special FX guys and removing the mask they made, he shot several scenes that didn't require the beast mask. They shot the scene of Ryan as a resident doctor in the hospital when his brothers were in the Towers, and the intro scene of him getting the booster shots in the military, as well as the shot of when Ryan was a soldier hiding to escape the military's order to destroy the soldiers that were part of the Muirfield experiments.
He responded to an earlier text from Alex and let her know that he was leaving the studio and on his way home. He told her he'd pick her up at her hotel after he washed the day away. To his surprise when he walked into his apartment building, Alex was seated in the lobby waiting for him.
"Hey!" she smiled and ran up to him, giving him a huge hug.
"Hey," he smiled and hugged her back, then let go to look at her. "I thought I told you that I'd pick you up at your hotel?"
Alex shrugged, smiling. "I know, but I got tired of waiting."
"Well then, come on up. I'd still like to wash up real quick and change."
"Okay! Then we can go and grab some dinner. I'm starving!" she hooked her arm around his as they walked towards the elevators and went up to his apartment.
As soon as they stepped into his place, he turned the lights in the livingroom on.
"Alex, I'll be real quick. You can turn on the telly if you'd like. Here," he handed her the remote.
"Okay," she smiled cheerfully."Don't be too long!"
Vincent grinned then walked quickly to his bedroom and closed the door. He smiled when he saw that Catherine had made his bed but then he quickly pulled the sheets down and messed them up a bit because he knew how nosy Alex can get. Afterwards, he went to the bathroom and jumped in the shower.
Alex heard the shower running and after a few minutes, she opened Vincent's bedroom door. She wasn't surprised at all to see his bed unmade. She picked up his cellphone that was on his dresser but his screen was locked. Then she walked to the opposite end of the dresser and took a look at herself in the oversized full length mirror leaning against the wall. She had bought new high-heeled sandals while shopping with her friend earlier today and she loved the way they looked with her jeans. As she looked at the reflection of her shoes, something caught her eye at the corner of the mirror on the floor, nearly hidden behind the mirror. What is that? Alex bent over to get a closer look. It looked like black fabric, she pulled the rest of it out from behind the mirror and held it up.
"Well today was a whole lot of fun!" Tess laughed moving her finished plate to the side for the waitress to pick up. She and Cat were finishing up dinner together downtown before calling it a day.
"It was, wasn't it?! I'm feeling really good about this pilot! Hopefully the network will decide to pick it up for a few seasons." Cat smiled enthusiastically and pushed her plate to the side as well.
"I have no doubt they will, and if we get a solid fan base from it, even better! I'm totally excited about this!"
"Me, too!" Catherine looked down, a huge smile on her face.
"Okay," Tess said after taking a sip of her drink. "Spill it."
Catherine looked up confused but still smiling, "Spill what?!"
Tess side glanced her. "Oh, come on! You've been giddy all day long and don't think I didn't notice how flushed you looked this morning."
Cat rolled her eyes. "Whatever. That was the makeup and I'm just excited about finally shooting this pilot. Can't a girl be happy about work?!"
"Yes but work doesn't make a girl glow, if you know what I mean. And besides, you were glowing long before you sat in that make up chair this morning." Tess crossed her arms and sat back in her chair. "So, spill it!"
Catherine sighed, debating whether she should confide in Tess about Vincent. Then decided not to, she needed to speak with Vincent first. Not to ask him if she could tell Tess, obviously, but to see what the next step with them would be, if there was even going to be a next step. She knew that after last night, she wanted to be with him but she needed to make sure she wasn't just a fling to him. He sent her a text earlier in the day letting her know that he had to spend some time with Alex before she left for California . Catherine had texted him back that she totally understood and that she would see him on set tomorrow.
Tess snapped her fingers, "Earth to Cat, hello?!"
"Tess, let's just say that I had a really great time last night and I finally think things are starting to head in a better direction. Trust me, that's all you need to know right now!"
"Fine, I can totally work with that. For now." Tess sighed in defeat, then smirked. " But I got to say, the way you glowed this morning, Gabe must have really made your toes curl last night!"
Catherine just shook her head, "I assure you, he didn't!" Yep, HE certainly didn't.
Vincent stepped out of the shower, dried off, and put his change of clothes on. As soon as he opened the bathroom door, he was confronted by a very upset Alex.
"Whose is this?!" she threw something at him and he caught it.
It was Catherine's black lace thong. Oh shit. She must not have been able to find it before she left. Where the fuck did Alex find it then? Vincent had to think quickly.
"What the fuck, Alex?!" he decided to play dumb.
"Don't play dumb, Vincent." Alex was seething, "Whose fucking thong does that belong to?"
"Alex, you need to calm down." Vincent took in a deep breath. "I'm telling you, I have no idea."
Alex shook her head in disbelief, her hands on her hips. "Seriously, Vincent? I found it on the floor nearly hidden behind your fucking mirror over there. You really want me to believe you don't know who that belongs to?"
"Alex, I don't even make my fucking bed! Do you think I clean behind the goddamn mirror?! For fuck sake." He shook his head angrily and threw the thong into the empty bathroom waste basket. I'll get it later when Alex is gone.
Alex stood there for a moment, quiet, her arms crossed. "You're not lying to me, Vincent?"
Of course I'm fucking lying. "No, Alex. It must be from whomever stayed in this apartment before me. Since I've been here, I haven't had anyone come in to clean. I might tidy up a bit here and there, but come on, you know me."
"Fine." Alex sighed and rolled her eyes. " I believe you."
"Good. Now let's go and have some dinner, I'm starving, too." Shyt. I'm seriously going to have to have a sit down with Alex about us... she deserves to know how I really feel so she could move on.
Vincent and Alex were strolling downtown deciding on a spot to have dinner at when Alex's phone rang.
"It's my cousin, the one getting married." Alex told Vincent as she glanced at her phone's screen.
They stopped walking so she could answer it.
"Hey, Christy! What's up?!" Alex answered excitedly, smiling wide. Suddenly her smile disappeared and an exteme look of worry and concern was written all over her face. "What? What happened?" she listened on and said, "Oh my god... oh my god... okay... is she going to be alright?"
Vincent was suddenly concerned but kept quiet so that Alex could finish her phone conversation. Alex looked like she was about to cry.
"Okay," she continued on. "Yes, I'm flying out early tomorrow morning... I'll see you then... okay... give my love to everyone... Okay, bye." Then Alex disconnected the call.
"What happened?" Vincent immediately asked.
"Vincent." She threw her arms around Vincent, holding tightly to him. He held her, concerned.
"What did Christy say?" he asked still holding her. Alex withdrew from Vincent to wipe her eyes.
"Her mom, my Aunt Terri, got into a bad car accident a few hours ago. She's in intensive care right now. "
"Oh wow, I'm so sorry... is she going to be okay?" Vincent asked. He knew Alex was quite close to her Aunt Terri and Alex thought of her as her second mother.
"The doctors seem to think so. Depending on how she does the next couple of days, they may postpone the wedding." Then Alex started sobbing.
"Hey, hey, come here." Vincent pulled Alex into his arms, holding her tightly. "If the doctors think she'll be okay, then she'll be okay." He kissed the top of her head as Alex sobbed quietly against his chest, her arms holding onto him for support.
"I wish you could come with me, Vincent." she sniffed.
"I know, Alex. I wish I could, too." He meant that. After all, she was one of his best friends and he wanted to be there for her. Hearing her sniffling, he continued to hold her, rubbing her back. Then he leaned back to look at her face. Alex looked at him, her expression still sad. With one arm still around her, he used his free hand to gently wipe her tears away.
"It's going to be okay, Alex. You know I'll always be here for you." He kept his hand at the side of her face, his thumb brushing her cheek.
"I know, Vincent." She leaned up and placed a kiss on his lips, then said, "Thank you."
Vincent nodded his head and they hugged again, holding onto each other for another minute.
"Alright then, let's go get some food in you." Vincent said light-heartedly.
"Yes, let's do that." Alex smiled, feeling a little better.
Tess and Cat stepped out of the restaurant laughing and giggling about some story JT told Tess.
"Hey," Tess stopped, looking across the street.
"What is it?" Cat stopped in her tracks.
"Isn't that Vincent and Alex?"
Cat immediately looked in the direction of where Tess was staring. She blinked twice to make sure she wasn't just seeing things. Her jaw dropped and her heart sank. She saw Alex hugging Vincent and his arms were wrapped around her tightly. She saw Vincent touch Alex's face lovingly and Alex leaned up and kissed him, then they continued hugging.
"Should we go say 'hi'?" Tess asked about to step off the sidewalk and get their attention.
"No!" Catherine quickly grabbed Tess's arm.
"What?" Tess stopped and turned around.
"I, uhh... I just think, you know, we should just give them privacy. " Catherine forced a smile on her face. "You know, she's leaving tomorrow and all."
"Oh yeah, that's right. Well then, let's get out of here!" Tess laughed and they continued walking down their side of the street in the opposite direction of where Alex and Vincent were heading. Catherine glanced back to look at them again, they were already walking away, Vincent's arm around Alex's shoulder, her arm around his waist. Catherine shook her head is disbelief. Gawd, I'm such an idiot.
Catherine lay in her bed, curled up in the fetal position, thinking about the past 24 hours. How could I be so STUPID... giving all of myself to Vincent so quickly... so easily...
"I'm so embarassed..." Catherine said to herself, sinking her face into her pillow. To see Vincent and Alex together, holding each other affectionately, was like getting sucker punched HARD. She wasn't angry at Vincent, how could she be? She was technically still Gabe's girlfriend. Oh god, I cheated on Gabe. I'm such a horrible person. I have no right being upset seeing Vincent with Alex. I have no right at all.
She thought about the intimacy she shared with Vincent. She truly never felt such incredible intimacy like that with any other man... the way he kissed her, touched her. She closed her eyes remembering that touch, the feel of his arms around her, the feel of him inside her. Catherine sighed. She had fooled herself into thinking that last night actually meant something. Clearly, Vincent was very experienced in how to make a woman feel extaordinary intimately like the way he made her feel. Gawd, I'm such an idiot. She decided she would tell Vincent tomorrow that last night could never happen again, that it was a mistake and that she just wants them to continue being friends. I'm sure he won't care, he has Alex after all... and I have Gabe. We can pretend it never happened.
It was early morning and before heading to the studio, Vincent took Alex to the airport. He stayed the night with her at her hotel because she was still so upset about her Aunt. He slept next to her but just held her, he didn't have any intention of getting intimate with her.
Now inside the airport, he walked with her to the security line.
"Alright then, this is as far as I can go." Vincent said to Alex. She turned to face him.
"Thanks for putting up with me, Vincent. Next time, I'll definitely let you know when I come to visit you." She smiled.
"No worries." He smiled back at her. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to spend much time with you while you were here. I'm even sorrier that I can't go with you to California."
"It's okay, Vincent."
"Take care, Alex. Everything will be okay." Vincent opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace.
"I know." Alex responded, holding him tightly. "See you back home in a few weeks then?"
"Yeah, I'll see you soon. Let me know when you get to California." He squeezed her one last time.
"Okay, I will. Bye Vincent." She smiled and he watched as she went through security.
Vincent took his cell out and thought about Catherine. During the time he spent with Alex, Catherine was still on the back of his mind. He wondered how she was doing even though he knew he would see her later on set today. But he wanted to see her now, he decided to send her a quick text.
Catherine was already awake even though she didn't have to be at the studio for another couple of hours. She just finished doing some yoga and was about to take a shower when her phone chimed for an incoming text. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw it was from Vincent.
V: Good morning, Catherine. I was wondering if you were up for having some coffee with me before heading to the set.
Catherine contemplated her response. Should she pretend she was still sleeping and just ignore his message? Come on, Catherine. Might as well get it over with. She typed in her response.
Cat: Good morning, Vincent. Coffee sounds great. I can meet you at the coffee shop around the corner from the Studio.
V: How about in an hour, does that sound good?
Cat: Sounds great!
V: Awesome, see you soon!
Well, that wasn't so bad. Now all I have to do is stick to my guns, I can do this. I CAN do this. Catherine tried to assure herself.
A little over an hour later, Catherine made her way into the coffee shop. It wasn't crowded and she was able to get her coffee quickly. She spotted Vincent sitting at a table in the corner looking at his phone. I can do this, I can do this. Be strong, Catherine told herself. She took a deep breath and made her way over.
"Hey!" Catherine tried to sound cheery. She quickly took a seat at the table across from him. Vincent's face seemed to light up when he saw her.
"Hey," he replied, a huge smile spread across his handsome face. "How are you?"
Why does he have to be so damn good-looking. Ugh.
"I'm good! And you?" she couldn't deny she was really happy to see him again and to see him smiling, her resolve started to rapidly decline but this did feel somewhat awkward. I guess this would be our delayed 'the morning after' conversation.
"I'm good," he smiled that sexy grin of his. "Thanks for joining me this morning."
"Thanks for asking me to," Catherine smiled sweetly.
"Catherine, I -" he started and attempted to reach for her hand but she pulled back.
"Vincent, wait." She cut him off. If she didn't take control of the conversation now, she knew she wouldn't find the strength to later. She needed to make it clear to him that the night before was a huge mistake. She embarrassed herself enough as it is by giving all of herself so quickly to him, she didn't need to embarrass herself further by having him tell her that he was with Alex.
"Vincent, I need to say something."
He sat back and crossed his arms, his brows furrowed. "Okay."
She looked down at her coffee then began, "The other night - "
"Was amazing," he cut her off this time. She looked up at him.
"Please, Vincent, let me finish," a pleading look in her eyes.
"Okay, sorry."
"I really didn't mean for things to get that far. And yes, it was amazing... extremely amazing," she looked up at him, he smiled softly. She could lose herself in his gaze. She shook her head and continued, "but that's not the kind of person that I am. I'm not some slut and I don't sleep around. I'm with Gabe... and that night, it just, it shouldn't have happened... I just want us to be friends. I really like you, and I don't want any weirdness between us while we're filming this pilot... and I'm sorry..." her voice trailed off, she stared into her coffee.
"Catherine, look at me." Vincent's raspy voice was soft, "Please."
She lifted her face and looked into his warm brown eyes.
"First of all, I know you're not a slut and I know you don't sleep around. I respect everything about you, Catherine, and I don't regret anything about the other night."
"Vincent - "
"Wait. Let me finish."
Catherine nodded, still looking into his eyes.
"Catherine, I know you're with Gabe, I do. But if I had my way, you'd be with me, but I'm not going to pressure you into anything you don't feel comfortable with. If you just want to be friends, then fine, we'll be friends. It'll suck for me, yeah, but..." he stared deep into her beautiful green eyes, "I'd rather be your friend than lose you completely. But please, don't regret what we shared the other night. I don't want you to think that it meant nothing to me, because it did mean something."
Catherine was quiet, taking a moment to soak in his words. She knew deep in her heart that he was being honest and his words were truthful. She felt a weight lifted off of her shoulders. It didn't even bother her anymore that she had seen him holding Alex yesterday, because she understood Vincent and Alex had some kind of relationship, even if they couldn't really define it themselves. She knew that even if she and Vincent weren't going to be 'together' that they could atleast be good friends.
"Thank you, Vincent. You can't imagine how good that makes me feel... and I won't regret what we shared together, ever. I just don't want anyone to get hurt because of it. So... if we could just keep it our secret? "
"Ofcourse, I completely understand." Vincent nodded, although his heart sank a bit but he did tell himself he would keep the ball in her court. If this is the route she wanted to go, he wasn't going to pressure her. Suddenly he remembered one thing. "There is a little something I should tell you."
"Oh yeah? What's that?" she smiled.
"I found something of yours..."
"Oh gawd!" Catherine immediately covered her face with her hands, embarrassed. My panty!
Vincent laughed, "Don't worry, I didn't bring it with me! It's still back at my place."
Catherine's cheeks were flushed with embarassment, "Oh my god, Vincent. I swear, I looked EVERYWHERE for it! I'm not even going to ask where you found it, just go ahead and throw it away."
"Throw it away? Are you sure?" Vincent asked, still laughing at how embarassed she was.
She nodded, "Yes, definitely yes!"
"Alright," Vincent grinned, "I will." Maybe.
"Anyway,"Catherine laughed, enjoying this time with Vincent. She was really feeling good that they could be so comfortable like this even just being friends, regardless of the fact that they had mind-blowing sex the other night. She didn't even feel weird asking about Alex. "So, did Alex leave already?"
Vincent nodded after taking a sip of his coffee. "Yep, I dropped her off at the airport this morning. I told her to let me know when she arrived in California, just so I know she made it there safely."
"That's good. I'm sure she'll have a safe flight." Catherine took another sip of her coffee.
"I feel bad that I couldn't go with her. We found out yesterday that her Aunt was in a car accident."
"Oh no, what happened?" Catherine was genuinely concerned.
"I don't know the details, really. But she's in the ICU. Her Aunt is like a second mother to her, so she took it really hard." Vincent finished his coffee.
"Wow... I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope she gets better soon." Catherine looked down at her coffee, her brows furrowed. Is it possible that's why I saw Vincent so affectionate with Alex yesterday? Was I jumping to conclusions? Oh jeez. I just pushed him away for probably nothing. Dammit.
"Yeah, I hope so, too." Vincent noticed Catherine's change in demeanor. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Huh?" Catherine looked up, still lost in thought.
"Are you okay?" Vincent asked again, a little concerned.
"Oh," Catherine snapped out of it, then smiled. "Oh yeah, I'm fine. I just, I was thinking about Alex. It's hard when something horrible happens to someone you love. So, I truly hope her Aunt has a speedy recovery."
Vincent nodded, "Thanks. I'll let her know you said that."
Catherine smiled at Vincent, their eyes locked onto each other's gaze, a sense of mutual respect and understanding between the two of them.
"Well, well, well! Let's get this party started!" the sound of JT's voice caught their attention. Catherine and Vincent looked up to see a smiling JT, Tess, and Evan heading towards them.
"Good morning, guys!" Tess greeted them with a huge smile on her face.
"Fancy meeting you guys here!" Evan laughed and pulled a chair up for Tess to sit down.
"Thank you, dahling!" Tess joked as she sat down next to Catherine. JT and Evan opted to keep standing.
"Long day ahead for you guys today, huh?" JT asked.
"I know we're shooting the scene with you in the warehouse JT." Catherine mentioned.
Tess nodded, "Yep. When we first meet Austin at the warehouse. So you have a short day today, JT."
JT nodded, "I might stick around to watch Cat's, excuse me, Belle's fight scene though. I heard that's going to be pretty bad ass."
"Yeah, I'm going to stick around for that, too." Evan said, taking a sip of his coffee.
The group of them continued chatting about the scenes for today and their schedules for the week. Among the chatter, Vincent and Catherine glanced over at each other and shared a sweet smile for a moment. They didn't need to say anything. Almost as if reading each other's mind, they both knew this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Filming of the pilot was completed in less than a week and a half. The production company threw a party for the cast and crew and at the end of the night, Vincent offered to drive Catherine home since she had not driven herself to the venue. The ride to her place was the first time they were alone together without any of their cast mates/friends and crew around since having coffee the morning Vincent dropped Alex off at the airport.
"Tonight was really fun. I can't wait to see the final edit of the pilot!" Catherine was beaming, a huge smile on her face.
"Yeah, me too." Vincent was smiling as well. "But I guess we have to wait along with everyone else to see it."
"Actually, maybe not. We might be able to screen it this summer. Cross your fingers!"
"That's right, we've got all those studio events to attend, yeah?" Vincent asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Yep! But atleast we have a couple of months to relax before those happen." Catherine glanced over at Vincent. "I'm assuming you're heading back home to New Zealand tomorrow?"
Vincent nodded. "Yeah, I've got an early morning flight, a couple of connecting flights, then finally back home. How about you? Any plans?"
"Nah," Catherine shook her head. "Alteast none yet. I'm thinking about traveling down to South America with a couple of my girlfriends. Not sure yet."
"Well, you can always add New Zealand to your travel plans." Vincent grinned.
"Hmmm... that's a possibility! I have always wanted to travel there. So don't be surprised if I show up at your doorstep!"
"I'd certainly love to show you around." Vincent looked over at her and smiled.
"I'd like that." Catherine smiled back.
Vincent pulled into her parking garage and parked his car.
"Oh Vincent, you don't have to walk me up. "
"That wouldn't be gentlemanly of me if I just dropped you off. Besides, I really need to use your restroom!" Vincent grinned.
Catherine giggled, "Okay! Let's head upstairs then!"
Once inside her building, they greeted the security guards at the desk and made their way to the elevators.
"This is like deja vu, huh?" Catherine smiled at Vincent. He nodded.
"Yep, but you're not going to pass out on me this time around are you?"
"Don't worry," she let out a small laugh, "I won't!"
Standing next to each other as the elevator climbed its way to her floor, there was that familiar pull between them, but neither said anything.
"So, are you already packed and ready to go?" Catherine asked to break the silence.
"Yeah, pretty much. Once I get to my place, I'll take a quick nap, then head out to the airport."
"And your apartment is all cleaned out?"
"Yeah. I'm gonna miss that spot. It was in a great little area." Vincent glanced over at her, making eye contact with Catherine.
"Yeah," she smiled. "It was a nice little spot." They held their gaze until the elevator dinged and the doors opened up to her floor. Now in her apartment, Catherine kicked off her shoes and Vincent went ahead to her bathroom. A few minutes later, Vincent came walking back down the hall towards her.
"Well, I'd better let you get to bed now," he half smiled at her. "Thank you again for the use of your restroom."
"You're very welcome, Vincent," she smiled up at him. "Thank you for being such a gentleman and making sure I got home safely."
"Ofcourse. You know I have to make sure my on-screen lady love is always safe," he winked.
"Yeah, that's right and don't you forget it!" She giggled.
They stood there a moment, looking into each other's eyes. A quiet comfortable understanding was shared between the both of them. Familiar feelings they both shared for each other, but kept well hidden, threatened to come out yet they maintained control and there they stood with words left unspoken. Vincent held his arms open and gave her a knowing smile. Smiling back, Catherine stepped forward into his embrace, her head leaning against his chest.
It was meant to be a friendly, quick hug 'goodbye' but they both found themselves holding onto each other, neither wanting to let go, their hearts beating a little faster. It felt so comfortable. So natural. So right.
Vincent knew he had to let go. Catherine knew she had to let go. They both held onto each other a moment longer and with a final gentle squeeze, Vincent whispered softly.
"Take care, Catherine. I'll see you in a few months."
"Take care, Vincent," she whispered back to him.
Without thinking, he gently kissed the top of her head before releasing his grip on her. It took an effort from both of them to let go. She didn't mind his kiss. She smiled up at him, "See you in a few months." He smiled back and nodded.
As she watched him begin to walk down the hall, he turned his head back and gave her a quick wink. It made her smile and a huge grin spread across his face, then he faced back towards the elevators and continued on.
I'm really going to miss him, Catherine thought as she closed her door.
I'm really going to miss her, Vincent thought as he walked away.
On the plane back to Auckland airport, Vincent was thinking about the past few weeks he spent in Canada, from training to filming the pilot, and the new friendships he made with both cast and crew. He smiled as he thought about the many goof-ups on set, the joking around, hanging out after work hours, bar hopping, house get-togethers, the many laughs. They all got along together so well. Vincent was a celebrity in his own right back home, and he's worked on many sets. But nothing like this cast and crew. No one comes to the set with an ego or thinks they're better than the next actor. He was looking forward to when they all get back together in three months to start filming the first season. He was already looking forward to seeing Catherine again.
He shook his head. I need to stop thinking about her. She made her decision.
His thoughts went to Alex. There was no doubt they had been drifting apart romantically the past few months, way before he even heard about the BatB audition. They were still great friends, that would never change, but he's had to admit his feelings for her had changed. He rememberd she wanted to talk to him about something before he even left for the BatB audition that day. They never did discuss their 'relationship' when she visited him in Canada.
Vincent rented a beach house for a couple of weeks to celebrate coming back home. Alex and a bunch of their friends joined them on their vacation. It was the first morning at the beach house and Vincent was sitting on the back porch, looking out at the beautiful clear blue water. Once again, the thought of Catherine flashed through his mind, she'd like it here. I would love to show her our beaches some day. He imagined seeing her beautiful smiling face looking back at him.
"What are you smiling about?" Alex startled him, causing him to almost spill his coffee.
"Ah hey," he grinned. "I'm just happy to be home. " He looked back out towards the ocean.
"We're all happy to have you home." Alex pulled a seat up next to him and sat down. "How long are you home until you need to head back to Toronto?"
"Just for a couple of months. Then I have to attend some CW events in Hollywood and the Comic-Con in San Diego."
"The Comic-Con?"
"Yeah, yeah. They have one here but not as big as the one in California. Here, check it out." He hands her his tablet showing her the web page for ComicCon.
"Wow, that's huge... and intense! Looks like a lot of celebrities and production big wigs will be there," she flipped through the photos of past ComicCons. "Did you see the costumes some of those fans wear? Amazing!"
"Crazy, yeah?" he smiled. "It should be fun. Then after that, I head to Toronto to keep up with my trainer."
"Why can't you just train here at home?"
"I suppose I could do that but I don't mind heading over there that early before filming starts. It'll give me a chance to find a temporary place and settle in."
"How long is filming?"
"They want to start around mid-July and finish by mid-December, before the Christmas holiday."
"That's quite some time." Alex grew quiet. Vincent wondered if this would be a good time to discuss their relationship.
"Alex..." he began, softly. " Alex, I - "
He was cut off by a loud crash coming from the kitchen, they both jumped up.
"Sorry!" yelled one of their clumsy friends, from the kitchen. "I accidentally broke a plate and dropped a pan at the same time! I'll clean it up!"
Vincent and Alex glanced at each other, smiling and shaking their heads. Alex walked into the house towards the kitchen to help their friend clean up. Vincent walked back out to his seat on the porch. I guess Alex and I can talk about us later...
"Catherine, I'm sorry... I just..." Gabe paused before continuing, "I just have a lot going on right now."
"Gabe, you don't need to explain anything to me. I get it. I've been wanting to talk to you about us for some time now. I've got a whole lot going on right now myself." She felt annoyed.
"So... I guess this is it then?" he asked hesitantly. "Are you okay?"
No, I'm not okay. We've been together for eight years and now we're officially calling it quits. I gave you the best years of my life.
"Ofcourse I'm okay with this. I'm just glad you brought it up. Things have been different between us for some time, I don't know why we haven't talked sooner." She paused a moment, then said, "Take care of yourself, Gabe."
"You, too, Catherine. Stay in touch, okay?"
"Yeah. You, too." she replied then hung up.
She sat there for a moment, no longer feeling annoyed. Now just feeling... lonely. She knew she would have to deal with the many questions her friends and family would ask about their breaking up. She thought about how good they used to be. How she once dreamed of planning their wedding, having kids together. But Gabe never wanted to talk about marriage, never wanted to even think about kids. She realized a few years back that the things she eventually wanted, he wasn't remotely ready for, wasn't even willing to talk about and she stopped thinking about marriage and having kids with him long ago. She should have known when he brought up the whole 'open relationship' dribble. She knew it was going to end between the two of them, she just wished it had happened sooner than waiting until now. Regret crept in and she realized how much time she wasted with him hoping things would change. Tears started to well up in her eyes, she put her hands over her face and cried herself to sleep.
It was late and everyone started winding down after having so much to drink, they all pretty much called it a night and started to head back to the beach house. Vincent was still watching the bonfire on the beach, comfortably sitting in his chair nestled in the sand.
"Are you coming?" Alex asked him.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be on in a bit." He assured her.
"Vincent," she started. "I think we should have a talk soon, don't you?" He knew she was referring to them. He looked up at her, a slight frown on his face, then nodded slowly.
"Yeah... but not tonight, aye," he looked back out towards the bonfire, brows furrowed. ".. tonight, I just want to chill for a bit."
He was being honest. He didn't want her to get upset and he didn't want the rest of the time at the beach house to be uncomfortable for either of them. He knew she understood him. She always understood him.
"Yeah, alright then. I'm tired as hell anyway," she nodded, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I'll see you back at the house." He looked back up to her and nodded. Then she turned and left to follow the others.
Vincent took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. He gazed up at the stars, they shined so brightly. He was soothed by the sounds of the waves rolling onto the shore, and the quiet crackling of the wood in the bonfire. But as calming and peaceful all this was, something was nagging at him. Something didn't feel right and for some reason, Catherine popped into his thoughts. He looked at his cell phone, contemplating.
It was around 9:30am and Catherine was sipping her hot tea. She decided to lounge around this rainy day and get caught up in a book she was meaning to finish reading but never got around to. After a night of sobbing into her pillow, the swelling of her eyelids finally went down and she was feeling okay.
Today is a new day, the beginning of a new me, she tried to convince herself. Her mind almost wandered back to her failed relationship with Gabe. She was about to choke up again when suddenly her phone chimed, indicating a text had come in. A huge smile immediately spread across her face when she saw the sender's name.
V: Hey there. Thought I'd check in on you.
Perfect timing, Vincent Keller. Oh my god, it's got to be like 1:30am in New Zealand. She texted him back:
Cat: Vincent! How are you? I'm ok. What are you doing up so late?
She found that she couldn't stop smiling. He had that affect on her.
A few seconds later, her phone chimed again.
V: I'm good. Right now I'm staring at a perfect bonfire on a beautiful beach and listening to the rolling surf. The stars look pretty amazing, too.
She wished she could be there. With him. Wait, what? With him? She shook her head, trying to brush off any romantic thoughts she might conjure up.
Cat: That sounds amazing! Much better than the rain outside my window. I really wish I could be there with you.
She hoped that didn't sound anything other than friendly. A few seconds went by, then a minute but still no response. I hope he didn't read too much into that. But deep down, she honestly didn't care if he did, it was how she was feeling at that moment. He always made her feel good. She liked that about him. Several more minutes went by and Catherine guessed maybe he was busy with Alex, so she put her phone down and realized she was actually feeling disappointed. She couldn't explain why she had mixed emotions about him but she didn't want to ever risk losing his friendship, especially after the intimacy they had experienced together. But that night was something she drilled into her head that she would never re-visit because she convinced herself it never happened. She had to. It was the only way to not feel guilty while she was with Gabe. Come on, get it together . Vincent is a really sweet guy and a very good friend. He has a girlfriend. I'm glad he's happy. Atleast one of us is.
She opened her book and was a few pages into the chapter when several minutes later, her phone chimed again. She quickly picked it up. It was Vincent.
V: Sorry about that. Had to stop one of my drunken mates from going night surfing. Gonna take him back to the house now.
She smiled and could easily imagine him helping a friend. He was that kind of guy.
Cat: Ha, ha! Okay then, take care Vincent.
V: You as well. G'night Catherine.
"Good night, Vincent." Catherine said aloud and put her phone down. She enjoyed that sweet exchange and just to hear from him, for some reason, she felt so much better. She didn't feel so depressed anymore. She was about to reach for her tea when her phone chimed again. She picked it up wondering who it might be. Another huge smile spread across her face as she read the new incoming text.
V: Btw, I really wish you were here, too. Sweet dreams.
Sweet dreams, Vincent. Catherine thought, with a smile. Wait, he wishes I was there, too? Maybe I'm the one reading too much into anything. But a girl, a now single girl, can fantasize can't she?
Vincent grinned after sending his last text to Catherine then put his phone in his pocket. Leaning down, he helped pull his sand covered friend off the beach and away from the bonfire.
"Alright, mate. Let's get you back inside. Come on, now."
"Yeah, yeah... lesh go.." his friend slurred, stumbling along next to Vincent back to the house.
"Hey, that chic you work with, what's her name?"
"Who? Catherine?" Vincent asked trying to keep his friend from falling.
"Yeah, yeah! Catherine Chandler! She's fucking HOT, mate!"
"Yeah, she is." Vincent grinned. She most definitely is.
"You lucky bastard, when do you get to kiss her? You should tell 'em to write that shit in quickly, fuck yeah."
"Nah mate, I don't have control of the script. I'm sure it will happen eventually."
"Do you get to tongue kiss?" his friend then whispers, "Oh sorry... I don't want Alex getting pissed. "
"No worries, you're drunk. Let's just get you inside."
Once inside the house, his friend made his way to the couch and immediately fell asleep. Vincent put an empty waste basket next to him just in case he might get sick, then headed down the hall to his room.
Alex was asleep, her back was turned to him. He quietly laid down next to her, staying close to the edge of the bed. Jumbled thoughts ran through his head. He was glad her Aunt recovered after the accident. If she hadn't, he knew Alex would have been a complete wreck. His thoughts drifted back to Catherine. He would have liked it if she would have given him a chance but she was hell bent on making things work with Gabe. Maybe I should make things work with Alex. He had to make an honest decision. He stared up at the ceiling, eventually falling asleep.
It was morning and at some point during the night, they snuggled close, their legs entwined together.
"You are so beautiful," Vincent said and gently brushed his thumb along her cheek. She smiled at him.
"I don't want to be anywhere else but here... with you," she whispered and moved in closer to him.
He closed his eyes as she placed gentle kisses on his neck, then along his jaw line. He could feel the warmth of her breath as her soft, pillowy lips brushed ever so slightly against his. With heavy lids, he opened his eyes. He wanted to look at her. She was looking back at him, her eyes full of want. How did he ever doubt his feelings for her?
"I've missed you so much," he whispered.
"I'm here now," she whispered back.
He pressed his lips against hers. "Yes, you are. Come here."
Their lips met again. She opened her mouth to him and he gently pushed his tongue in, meeting hers. Their tongues latched together, danced together, tasting each other. Their kisses grew more passionate, full of want, full of need.
Breathless, he moaned her name.
"Catherine."
Vincent opened his eyes. It was morning. He looked to his side and saw Alex still heavily asleep. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was a little after 7am. What a dream, he thought taking in a deep breath. What the hell is going on with me? Why am I dreaming about her? But deep down, he knew why and it was time he remedy his situation.