Chapter 11
I started the car and drove it to a stop in front of my apartment. I looked everywhere but had no umbrella as the rain fell heavily. I turned off the car and got out. But then I saw some lights behind my car and someone getting out.
I hurried my steps to my apartment.
—Elizabeth! —and I stopped in the middle of the street at the mention of my name.
I turned to face that person.
It was him.
He had followed me, and like so many other times already, I froze there, unable to move as I saw him approach in my direction.
He stopped in front of me, both in the middle of the street as the water fell heavily on us.
—You need to listen to me, nothing you saw is real... —but I interrupted it.
— What was not real? — I shouted furiously at him. —Were not your hands on that woman's body, or your tongue in her mouth, real?
—You don't understand, I... —and I interrupted him once more.
—Yes, I understand, Max, I understand perfectly. I understand you're just like the rest of the men who leave with the first one that makes you laugh.
— You're getting it all wrong! —he said in exasperation as he ran his hands through his hair.
—Then answer me. —I said to him now, getting closer to him. — You were or you weren't caressing and kissing that woman.
—Yes, but no... —and I slapped him with my left hand.
He put one hand on his cheek and stared at me.
—"Cut."
The water stopped falling at that moment and the lights went on. It was fortunate that it was summer, otherwise it would be frozen. Grace approached us.
—Christian, don't react to the slap and Anastasia give it to him with your right hand. Understood? —we both nodded our heads. —Very well we took up again in the line of Anastasia before the slap.
The lights went out again and the rain began to fall.
—"Scene 69, take 2, Action."
—Answer me then. —I said to him now, getting closer to him. — You were or you weren't caressing and kissing that woman.
—Yes, but no... —and I slapped him with my right hand.
He just stared at me.
— Will you let me finish explaining?
— Why, to give you time to invent a story that I will end up believing and forgiving you, forget it, this is over.
I told him turning around and walking towards my apartment. But I hadn't taken a step when I felt his hand grab mine and turn around. His hands clutching mine and pushing me back.
I didn't remember this anywhere in the script. I stared at him wondering what the fuck Christian was doing. I was supposed to corner against the door of my building.
—You're going to listen to everything I have to say. —he said to me while my body hit something, I imagined it was the car. — Even if I have to handcuff you to do it. —he whispered in my ear.
—Let go of me, Max, I told you it's over between us.
—Baby, ours isn't over until I say so.
And at that moment I felt his lips on mine, urgent, hot. And while he held my hands and dipped his tongue in my mouth, I let myself be carried away. His body stuck to mine and let go of my hands as he rested his hands on the hood of the car on both sides of my body. He cornered me. And a groan escaped me against his lips.
I felt his hands slide down my body, carrying me, and sitting on the hood of the car. I opened my legs and wrapped them around his waist while Christian, without abandoning my lips, leaned on the hood of the car.
—"Cut."
And only then did he separate his lips from mine. The water stopped falling on us. And the lights went on. But he did not separate himself from me. I unraveled my legs from his body and sat on the hood of the car.
— Christian! His mother came to where we were walking at a fast pace. — Why did you change the scene?
—I thought it would be more sensual if instead of the door of the building he did it on his car.
—I liked it, but I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know next time before making sudden changes to the script.
Changes in the script? Did he have the power to do that?
—All right, I'll let you know. —he said as he smiled at her.
—All right, all of you for an hour's rest, you two take off those wet clothes.
I got out of the car and left the set for my trailer and entered this one quickly feeling my heart racing. On the bed was the clothes I had brought this morning, two towels and a hair dryer.
I took off all my wet clothes by throwing them on the floor and began to dry myself with the towel. I tangled one in my hair and was drying with the other when the trailer door suddenly opened. I quickly covered myself with the towel as Christian walked in and closed the door behind him.
— Christian, get out of here! —I said to him as I clutched the towel tightly against my body.
— What don't you want to repeat? —he said, taking a step inside the trailer.
God! I did, but I wasn't going to ruin my career for him.
— NO! —I shouted at him loudly while he froze at the door without taking another step.
—But your body told me something else on the set.
If he knew that I desperately wanted it.
—You hit the nail on the head, on the set. Can't you tell the difference between performance and real life?
Christian looked at me without believing what I was saying. And I didn't believe it myself. What happened on the set had taken me by surprise and I had let myself go. No acting, with him, kisses and caresses were not acted.
— Long Christian! I'm not going to lose the job I've been fighting for so long because of you. Get out! —I yelled at him while he looked at me seriously.
— Are you serious?
— Do you see me laughing?
—I thought there was something between you and me, but apparently I was wrong. —I can't believe what I'm hearing. —I'm not coming back here, baby, you know what you're doing. —he said to me as he opened the door and left.
I fell into the bed with my heart racing at thousand. What did I just do? —Save your career and lose the man of your dreams. — My subconscious repressed me and I decided to ignore it and stop thinking about Christian. I had to concentrate on work and what I had left for the rest of the day. I got out of bed, got dressed, and after my break I headed back to the set. This time we only filmed a few scenes of myself and with other actors, there was no sign of Christian all over the set.
At six o'clock in the afternoon I was on my way to my apartment at Grace's house. I was passing a market when I remembered Christian's gift. I stopped and smiling, I went to buy him what he had asked for. When I asked to have it wrapped for a gift, the saleswoman stared at me in amazement at my request.
When I arrived at the house there was movement all over the place, finalizing the preparations for the feast.
—Anastasia, here at 8:00 pm. —Grace said to me as I walked to my room.
To be the first day, it had been exhausting. I dropped into bed as I looked at the ceiling without thinking of anything at all. And suddenly Christian's serious look on my trailer came to my mind.
I know I had been hard on him, but it had been the only way to get rid of him once and for all. I got out of bed and went to take a bath and get ready for the party.
When I came out of the bathroom with a towel tangled around my waist, I started looking for the clothes I would wear. And in the end I decided on a simple black strapless dress, which fitted the front, like a corset and fell with mid-thigh flights. Yes, this was perfect. I put on some black stiletto heels and I got my hair curled, but at the last minute I decided to pick it up and leave some loose locks.
At eight o'clock I was around the pool when I met Grace.
—Hello Anastasia, you look beautiful.
—Thank you. —I replied with a smile.
— Is that for Christian? —she asked me, pointing to the gift box I had in my hands.
—Yes.
—You can put it on that table along with the other gifts. —she said to me as I looked where she was pointing.
The huge pile of gifts practically covered the table. Mine seemed insignificant next to the huge boxes there.
—Excuse me for a moment. —Grace left my side as I continued to look up to that table.
I went there, I was about to put my gift with the others on the table. But I didn't want my gift to get lost in the midst of so many. I stretched out my hand to leave it several times, but in the end I decided I wouldn't leave it there. I turned to get out of there and hit someone.
—Excuse me, I didn't look where I was going... — and then I got lost in his gaze.
And I found green eyes that looked at me with curiosity.
—The last time I checked you had grey eyes.
—They are lenses for filming. —That explained it better. — Is that my gift?
—Yes, I thought I'd leave it on the table, but I changed my mind. —Congratulations! —I said, holding out the box. —I hope you enjoy it. —I said to him with my best smile.
At that moment his mother called everyone for dinner and Christian went in one direction while I went in another. Most of the people gathered there were relatives, close friends and filmmakers. At least it was lucky not to be sitting next to him. And he practically ignored me. But he knew it was best to nip the evil in the bud.
Everyone had fun and talked by the pool.
—Remember, I don't want anyone with a hangover tomorrow. —Grace fried while everyone laughed.
The truth was that I had only had one drink along with dinner. Dinner, which I had hardly touched. I had lost my appetite.
At 9:30 pm I left the house, took my car and drove to the club to pick up Kate and head to the party. Maybe at the other party I would manage to forget about Christian. When Kate got into the car she had a mask on her face and was wearing something strange. Then she stared at me.
— Where's your costume?
— What costume?
—The one I told you to look for tonight.
—If you had told me, I would have looked for it.
—But I told you, it was an exclusive party in his house, that you were looking for a disguise.
—I'm sorry to tell you, you missed the last part.
— Really? Where would my head be?
—I guess between Elliot's legs. —I said too short so he wouldn't listen to me.
—I listened perfectly what you said, Ana.
—I'm glad you heard it. I think the party is canceled then, at this hour, where am I going to find a costume? —I said to her as she stared at my clothes for a moment.
— I've got it! —she said as she quickly got out of the car. —Wait for me here. —she said to me, closing the door and heading for the club.
—I'm not going anywhere. — I shouted at her as she got lost through the club doors.
Five minutes later the copilot's door opened and Kate sat next to me with a velvet box in her hands.
— What have you got there?
—I know you'll tell me it's a bad idea, but that's all I could think of.
—Open the box, Kate. —I asked her while she was doing it.
I looked inside the box where a familiar mask was showing. She couldn't be serious.
— Is this your idea?
—Come on we'll have fun, no one will recognize you, you just have to...—he paused while removing the hooks from my hair. —...Just let go of your hair.
The hair cascaded down my back while I continued looking at the box without being able to believe what I was going to do.
That mask brought back so many memories.
— Well? —Kate asked me as she showed it to me smiling.
I looked up from the mask as I smiled at her.
— Where did you tell me the party was?