Leave me your coments.
BirdsandStars
It's been a really exhausting day. We're sitting with the rest of the staff at a table in the study while we have a lunch of something they've ordered. I don't even know what time it is. All I know is that after the photo shoot we had to catch up on the delay we had from filming. And as Grace informed us over the next week it will be more of the same. So I had to memorize a lot more lines
Christian is sitting next to me, smiling at me from time to time and we exchange complicit glances.
—All right, guys, you can leave after you finish dinner. —reports Grace as she stops in front of us. —You two, the studio owners want to see you.
Christian and I exchanged a look. I think I just lost my appetite. I put the food aside and stand while Christian does the same. We intertwine our hands and follow Grace off the set and into a secluded office.
When we get to the office, Grace leaves the same way we came and we get passed. We are in a meeting room. At the top of the table are two people sitting with various papers in front of them. One of them looks up at the papers.
—Please sit down. —they point out to us.
Christian pulls out a chair for me and then sits next to me. He takes one of my hands under the table. And squeezes it over my thigh.
—Everything will be fine. —he whispers to me with a smile.
—You both know why you're here. —says a low voice from the tip of the table as we both look over there.
—Because we've violated the contract. —Christian says in a firm voice.
—And you're both aware of what that entails?
—Yes.
The two men dressed in suits, and very serious, look at me and Christian with a firm gaze.
—Christian... —he says as he leafs through some papers. —The clause in the contract they violated was there precisely because of your record. We wanted to make sure you wouldn't ruin another movie by having an affair with your co-star.
— Excuse me, but this is no mere affair.
—What's different about it this time?
—We're engaged. —he says as he lifts our hands together showing him the ring on my finger.
—That doesn't mean anything, considering your relationship history. —he says disparagingly. —The last time you were in a relationship... you were using drugs. —he pause to look up from the paperwork. —We're going to need to run some tests to make sure you haven't used drugs again.
I can't believe anything I'm hearing. Don't they think it's possible for a person to change?
—Why does everyone assume that a person can't change?—I yell at them as I stand up.
They both stare at me.
—Miss Anastasia, please sit down, it will be better for you.
—I can't do that, I can't let you talk about him that way, when you don't know him. How can you dare to say that a person has returned to his old life, simply because he has fallen in love and become engaged. You seem to be one of those people who believe everything in the gossip magazines about celebrities. Who, like his mother, doesn't believe a word his son says. —I say angrily as I place both hands firmly on the table.
They both stare at me. Christian pulls my hand, making me sit down again.
—Both of you will have to have medical tests to prove that you are not using drugs. In a week, when we have the results of the tests, we will call you again and let you know the decision we made regarding the breach of contract you have committed. You are free to leave. —he says as they turn their attention to the papers.
Christian gets up and pulls me out of the office. But before we leave, they call us back.
—Anastasia, we need to talk to you. Christian, please, wait outside.
Christian looks at me pleadingly and reluctantly, he comes out closing the door while I stand there.
— We just wanted to give you a warning. —Shit! This can't be good. —This is the first film you've ever made, and your financial situation is not very good, so we're going to give you some advice. Stay away from Christian.
—What!—I don't think I heard it right.
—We've invested a lot of money in him, in keeping his life as private as possible and hiding the undesirable things he did throughout his adolescence.
—What's that got to do with us?
—We're just advising you to stay away from him now that you're on time.—he pauses to analyze me. —We can pretend it was all a misunderstanding and nothing more. You don't have to get involved in a lawsuit that your bank account can't handle and that would ruin your career that's just begun. Leave it, end your relationship and it'll all be there, a misunderstanding.
I'm trying to talk, but he raises his hand and interrupts me.
—Think about it, you have 48 hours for that, if we don't get an answer from you, we'll take it as if you're going to continue with the situation you've created. You're dismissed.
And I go out, slamming the door behind me.
Christian is waiting for me outside and he's looking at my angry face.
—What happened in there?
—They tried to blackmail me with my financial situation. —I tell him while I can't control the tears that start to stream from my eyes.
Christian passes one arm over my shoulders protectively and with the other hand wipes the tears from my cheeks.
—You don't have to worry about anything Ana, I will take care of everything.
—They gave me 48 hours to think about what I was going to do, if I was going to go through with it.
Christian stops when we turn into the corridor. He holds me by the arms and sticks me to a wall while he stares into my eyes. He puts his hands up and strokes my cheeks.
—Do you want to go through with this, Ana? —he asks me suddenly as he holds my face in his hands.
And I can see the fear and doubt in his eyes.
—I'm not going to leave you, Christian, not again. —I tell him as he joins his lips to mine.
—So let's face this together then. —he says to me without hesitation.
—We will, but I have an idea to hit them in the nose and show everyone that we love each other. —I tell him while Christian smiles at me.
—I like that idea. What will we need?
—Not much, I'll call Kate and get her on it and most importantly, when we get the time and place we'll invite as many paparazzi as we can. —I'll tell him with a smile as we continue to walk.
When I get to my trailer I look for my phone and quickly open the search engine with a target in mind. Searching for where to celebrate an imminent wedding. And when the first option appears I turn the phone to Christian next to me.
—The Long Beach Chapel Weeding Center. What do you think?
—As long as we're together, perfect. —he says to me, stealing a kiss from me quickly.
—I'm gonna call Kate and have her take care of the arrangements.
— I'm going to calm down my mother.—Christian says as he leaves the trailer.
I call Kate who screams with joy on the other end of the line, very excited to hear the news. After that I go back to the set.
Christian gives me a knowing smile from his mother's side. But when I get to his side he doesn't make the slightest attempt to touch me.
We spend the rest of the afternoon and early evening filming the same scene over and over again. We hadn't rehearsed much, and this is the first time Grace had shouted cut so many times.
—"Cut." —she shouted for the eleventh time. —Let's call it a day, we're all exhausted.
At last. It's about time. I change my clothes and go to my trailer to get my phone to call Kate. She answers me quickly.
—Tell me you're on your way?
—We're on our way out. —I tell her as I hang up and with a smile I walk out of the trailer.
Christian waits for me outside and smiles at me as we walk to his car. As soon as we're sitting down he accelerates to get out of the studio. Right outside the studio, he stops next to the paparazzi who are quickly surrounding the car. Christian gets out momentarily. And I can hear what he's saying to them.
—If you want to take a good picture tonight, one you'll be paid enough money to take, wait at The Long Beach Chapel Weeding Center. You'll have the most spectacular pictures ever taken of me. —and get back in the car.
—Do you think they'll go? —I ask him as he shrugs his shoulders.
—Some will go directly, others will follow us from the house. But I assure you that the word will spread quickly, and we will have more audience than at a Justin Bieber concert.
And I can't help but laugh as he speeds home. He drives into the garage and as soon as I open the door I have Kate pulling my arm.
—Where are you taking her?
—Get away, Christian, you can't see the bride until she's at the altar.
—Good luck with that. —he yells at her as I'm dragged into the guest room.
And then I see him, on the bed there's a simple white lace dress. Next to it, some white heels as well.
—Where did you get the dress and shoes so quickly?
—From the club. The girls were so excited about the news that they quickly helped me organize everything.
—You invited them? —I ask her as I start to undress and walk to the bathroom.
—Of course. If you see the look on their faces when Elliot told them the club would be closed that night. But then they got excited when they found out why.
—Did you tell them who I'm marrying?
—No. —That'll come as a surprise to them. —she answers me.
Kate has moved all my toiletries into this bathroom. She's really put a lot of effort into this. An hour later Kate is finishing the last touches of my hair when someone knock on the door.
—I'm Elliot.
—Come in. —she screams at him as I feel the steps in the room.
—Ready. —she says to me as I open my eyes.
But Kate won't let me look at myself in a mirror.
Elliot's leaning against the door in a pair of jeans and a black shirt.
—It's ready. Whenever you're ready, we'll go out.
—Well, just the last detail is missing. —says Kate as she looks for something behind me. —Close your eyes, Ana.
I do what she has asked me to do and a few seconds later she is putting a handkerchief over my eyes so that I can't see anything.
—Are you kidding?
—Nope, you're not going to see him either until you're there. —she says to me as she pulls my hand out of the room.
—You're blindfolded, too? —I feel Christian's voice next to me.
—Stop protesting, both of you. —Kate scolds us as we laugh.
Kate is sitting between the two of us in the back of the car while Elliot drives the car.
—Can I at least hold her hand? —Christian asks her again.
—I said keep your hands to yourself, you'll have time tonight.
I'm both, nervous and anxious. This is not the way I would have wanted my wedding. I would have wanted my brother to be present and for Christian and his mother to get along, and she to approve of our relationship. But I know that not everything can be perfect. So for the moment I'm going to settle for having a man by my side who loves me and who I love unconditionally.