Chapter 11 Date
As I stood outside his apartment block my heart rose up to my mouth. It was dark so nobody had seen me arrive, well unless the stalker paps had followed me from home. luckily I'd seen no evidence of them though.
I took a deep breath and drew back the last puff of my cigarette and squashed the butt to the concreate with the flat of my heeled black stiletto. It was freezing outside.
Why the hell did I think it would be a good idea to opt for the black dress?
Plunging my hand in my bag I found a polo mint. I suddenly felt sick with nerves, I thought hopefully the mint would help. Pleading with myself not to throw up I pushed the button beside apartment four. 'M.P'. Lord my nails looked a fright!
Why didn't I have a manicure?
"Hello?" His voice made my tummy turn somersaults.
"Hi, it's Jen." I muttered awkwardly.
"Come on in. Up the stairs and on the right." He sounded happy.
The door buzzed and I gave it a shove with my shoulder. This was it; I was on my first date. The sound of my heels echoed in the stairwell making me walk on my toes, embarrassed someone would come out to see what the racket was about. I headed round to the right and found door with the number four on it and knocked.
He swished open the door, looking mighty fine. "Hey!" He was dressed casually in black jeans and a red checked flannel shirt that covered a grey tee. Great, now I was overdressed as well. His apartment was surprisingly spacious, a real rabbit warren compared to how it looked like on the outside anyway. The smell of cooking wafted up my nostrils, it smelt divine and suddenly I was starving. "Hi. Something smells good." I said stepping inside; he closed the door behind me.
"Thanks! Hope you like curry?" He smiled. "It's nearly ready. Take a seat." He motioned a hand to the black leather sofa. "Oh, thanks." I perched on the edge of it delicately.
He disappeared and I heard chinking of glasses. He reappeared with a bottle of white wine and placed the glasses on the table. Filling them both he handed me one. "You look stunning by the way." He flashed his dazzling teeth reflecting the light from the room. "I suddenly feel very overdressed." I said looking down at my dress and winced. "Too much?"
"No. No, no. I'm just a slob." He flapped the edges of the unbuttoned flannel shirt forcing the smell of his aftershave to shoot right up my nose.
Oh god!
Smiling he said. "I'll just go plate up."
Whilst alone I had a nosy around the room, he had lots of family pictures on the mantle and canvases hung on the wall. One caught my eye. It was a black and white one of Marcus sporting a hot model look laid in the waves on a beach somewhere. It made my tummy flutter again.
"Ready?" He said returning with two plates of steaming food. He set them down on the table.
"Nice shots!" I said pointing my glass to the canvas of him. "Ah yes! My ego shots." He winced. I flashed him a 'tell me more' look making him groan. "My older sister is a professional photographer; she thought it would be great for my portfolio. I have to confess though; it is the only one I really like of me."
"It's very nice." I grinned hoping this light didn't show my blush. "Where was it taken?" Thinking he'd say Bahamas or Jamaica.
"Southend-on-sea." He laughed.
"Oh!"
"I was freezing my bollocks off in that water!" We both creased up.
"Shall we?" He nodded his head towards the table, referred to the meal. I smiled again and took my seat.
.
.
"That was awesome!" I said patting my sated stomach. "I'm stuffed." I really needed a cigarette but didn't want to seem rude. Instead I sipped my wine politely.
"I have a small gift for you, hope you don't mind." He grinned grabbing the two plates and disappeared into the kitchen. "What?"
No, not presents!
He returned with a small box. (No, not that kind of box.)
I hated opening gifts, especially in front of strangers. I got embarrassed. Opening it slowly I laughed aloud. He'd given me a new lighter bearing the Trenchcoat logo on it. "Oh, perfect!" I got it out from the box and tested it. "Thank you."
"I saw it and immediately thought of you, thought it would make you smile." It certainly had.
I chuckled. "And it did, thank you so much. You shouldn't have."
"Meh! It was free mechandise. Shall we retire to the smoking lounge?" He let me lead the way again.
Was this his way at staring at my ass in this now very tight dress?
"Thanks for that. It was delicious." I said again retrieving my cigarette packet from my bag and offered him one, which he took.
"That's OK, thanks for coming. I must admit I was shit scared you'd tell me where to go!" He let out a nervous laugh. "Why would I do that?"
"Well I know things haven't been easy for you recently and I didn't want to feel I was pushing you into anything." He leaned back against the back of the sofa and placed an arm along the headrest; shifting his weight he twisted slightly facing me.
Thinking how nervous I'd been before coming I smiled. "Well I did wonder what I was getting myself into, what people would think." I lit the Marlborough I had absent-mindedly been rolling between my finger and thumb then held out the flame of my new lighter to Marcus. "Cheers!" I exhaled as he pulled in deep to light his too.
After he'd lit it he said. "Do you care what people think?" Bringing his wine to his lips he swallowed a mouthful.
"Well it rules my life. I have to fight for my private life constantly."
"And yet you still accepted."
"Yes. I realized that for the last nine years I've jumped to everybody's demands, every whim. It's was about time I did something that I wanted to do. That made me happy." I shrugged my shoulders and crossed my legs feeling more at ease talking to him now.
"That sounds awful, and with a dick of a husband, that must have been a nightmare." He sneered at the mere mention of him.
"Yeah well guess my judgement on the male species isn't what I thought." I raised my glass to my lips and took a sip.
"Not all of them." He looked into his lap shyly.
"I hope not." I eyed him as he chewed the skin inside his bottom lip.
"Don't blame yourself. There is no excuse for that ever. It makes my blood boil, treating women like that."
"He manipulated me, gained my trust and screwed me over. I'm thankful to her now really. She did me a big favour."
"Inexcusable" He shook his head vigorously.
Eager to change the subject I turned it around on him. "So, how did you get into music?" I stubbed out my ciggie in the ashtray on the small oak coffee table in front of us. I don't know why I bothered smoking. It wasn't as if I enjoyed it, it was just habit I guess.
"My Dad played in a band many moons ago, so we were brought up with music constantly playing. We used to go watch him play every weekend. When I left school I got a job in a music shop in Regent Street. Many of my mates were heavily into music too and we did what a lot of kids do and started up a band. I played guitar and sang. Jimmy, who's my manager now. Saw us play and signed me up, which obviously split the band along with our friendships. But it was worth it. Three years ago Trench got our break and here we are."
"Sounds great." I grinned. "Is it wrong to say I'd never heard of you guys before Tasha dragged me to the gig?"
"No, not at all. You are a busy woman. You wouldn't be as successful as you are if you paid attention to every band that came out." He finished his cigarette now too. "What about you?" He sipped some more wine.
"Me? Oh, I always wanted to be famous since I was little. Mum made lots of videos of me following dialogue of movies. I loved drama at school and went on to study performing arts at college. Got my diploma and ended up getting a job as a runner on a T.V chat show."
"Like your friend." He interrupted.
"Yeah, we graduated together actually. She stayed on behind the camera and I left to go to Hollywood. I got some small parts as extras, and that's when my manager spotted me. Trent saw I wasn't leading my potential and landed me a bigger role in my first proper movie."
"Days of Dreams." He raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. I was terrible. I refuse to watch it now."
"Nah! I loved it. It's sat there in my DVD collection." He nodded towards his vast rack of movies.
"Oh please? Don't! You really don't strike me as a romance type though." I finished the last drop of wine watching him blush.
"This tough exterior is all false. I cry at four weddings and a funeral you know!" He held up his hands in defence, making me giggle. "How many movies have you done altogether then?"
"Six in total. The last being my biggest." I tried my best not to gloat.
"Vegas or Bust." He beamed.
"Yeah."
"I look forward to seeing it."
I cringed. "You really don't have to say that you know."
"Why not? Why wouldn't I want to see it? I love your movies."
"I guess I find it hard to believe it would interest male viewers. I see all my work as chick flicks." Greg never saw my movies. He had little interest except the pay check at the end of filming.
"Chick flicks are packed with insight into a females mind." He shrugged sneakily.
"Ahh, I see. So you pick up all your women using the scenes from chick flicks?"
"No! Yes! Well, having being single for three and a half years. I'd say I need a new avenue as that one clearly doesn't work." We both tittered.
"I have a feeling you will like certain scenes from Vegas then, if you have led a sheltered life for that long."
Wait what the hell was I saying?
"Yeah?" He raised an eyebrow with a cheeky lopsided grin. "Intrigued."
"I hated every minute of it. They are going to be my biggest bug bare from the whole industry!"
"Even with Tim Ford?"
I laughed aloud. "Yes."
"Answer me something? I've always wanted to know." He squeezed one eye closed curious.
"What? Do we really have sex?"
"Yeah? Cos some films I've seen they really go for it, and it looks extremely real."
"Most don't, unless its porn. I didn't. You get given modesty patches. It's up to you if you wish to use them though."
"That must take some pretty good acting then."
"They say the first is the worst, but I'm glad it's over every time. Probably like your first gig I should imagine."
"Except, thankfully I get to keep my clothes on!" We both laughed again. I finally felt calm and we were finally able to enjoy each others company. We chatted long into the night.
.
Stifling a yawn I apologized. "Oh, excuse me!"
"I'm sorry; I've kept you up late again Cinderella." He grinned shyly. "Thanks for coming round, I had fun."
"No worries, so did I. Thanks for the invite." I stood up, pushing down my dress as it had ridden up when I'd sat down.
Walking me to the door he put his hands in his pockets and looked shy and timid.
"I seriously enjoyed your company; I haven't spent so much time with a beautiful woman in a very, very long time."
Whether it was the wine hitting my lower half from standing or just his soft words, but my knees started to feel weak. Suddenly unable to cope with my weight. This was probably the most important part of the whole evening. I couldn't mess this up. Searching his eyes for words of inspiration, all I could see were sparkling green pools begging me not to leave. He reached up and lent one hand against the door frame trapping my exit.
Speaking in no more than a whisper I uttered. "Thank you for dinner." Then I did something that surprised us both. Leaning forward I placed a soft kiss on his lips. Electric sizzled through my whole body. My underwear twitched and my hands shook. Pulling back I worried I'd crossed a line far too soon.
Clearly he disagreed. A beam spread slowly across his face revealing his beautiful teeth once more. "Jen..." He began to speak before I placed a finger over his lips stopping him. "I have to go. Goodnight Marcus."
Without stopping for a reply I dipped under his arm and fled. I couldn't look back.
Because the last place I wanted to be going right now, was home.
A/N: Noooooooooo. She bolted! I think I know which picture Jen spotted. Do you? *dreamy sigh*
Thank you Twihard till I die for Beta'ing my chapters while poorly sick. Glad they made you feel better xx
Still no reviews, are you lot stunned into silence? Or just waiting for the sauce to flow. Hmm?
You will have to read on and find out wont you?
Love and Peace.
DeathToBeReborn. xx
