Picking up the elastic off of the counter, Maya pulled her long hair off of her shoulders. Her makeup was still perfect and fresh as she swirled her hair into a high ponytail. Leaving out the long bangs that hair and makeup cut into her hair she smiled, feeling satisfied with her appearance. Looking at herself in the mirror, she traced her bottom lip with her thumb, feeling really confident and good about herself. She was a little sad that she had to take off the dress from earlier but the clothes she had here would do. A knock at the door brought Maya's attention away from herself and to whoever it was wanting entry. "Come in!"
Maya turned as to face the door as Alexis walked in with her iPad in tow. "Great work tonight. You should be proud." Maya smiled at her in thanks as she went on. "Tonight all the cast members are going out for drinks. TJ has already let me know that Josh has decided to go and has asked us to inform you of that decision. Should I confirm with TJ that you're going?"
The truth was Maya didn't really feel like going. She was tired and just wanted to spend time with Josh. Although, the idea of going out and socializing did seem fun in theory she wasn't sure that she'd want to stay the whole evening. As Maya opened her mouth to answer Alexis, Josh busted through the room door, startling both the girls. Maya's eyes widened in surprise but then furrowed her brow as she realized Josh was shirtless. She traced his body down to his feet and took another mental note. He also had no shoes. She looked over his face and could tell that something was off. She turned to Alexis, yet didn't take her eyes off Josh. "Could you give us a second?"
Alexis looked between the couple and slowly nodded her head before leaving the room without uttering a single word. Josh looked at Maya and just stood there, not saying anything. Maya walked towards him and placed a hand on his cheek as a wave of concern washed over her. Her eyes softened as she could practically feel his distress "Baby what happened?" He didn't answer. "Where's your shirt?" Still nothing. "Your shoes?" Again, nothing. Maya placed her other hand on his other cheek and stared him dead in the eyes. "Josh, you're gonna have to say something. What happened?"
Josh opened his mouth slightly and barely made a sound. His heart was racing. How could I let something like this happen? Maya is never going to forgive me. She's going to hate me and never speak to me again and I will have lost the best thing to ever happen to me. "I-" but he couldn't finish. He just wanted one last evening with her before everything went to shit. So that's what he decided he'd do. He'd take her out, make sure she knows he loves her and then he'll tell her. He would waste no time in doing so, so he had to move- fast. He leaned in and kissed her lips softly. Truly, taking his time. She kissed him back. Hesitantly at first but accepted it nonetheless. "Let's go out tonight. Just me and you. We can do something with the cast another time."
Maya stared up at her boyfriend and sighed. She knew he was hiding something. She just couldn't out her finger on what. "Are you sure? Because we can stay here and talk about what's bothering you." Josh started to protest but she cut him off. "And don't say that nothing is wrong." She licked her lips and placed her hands back down at her side. "But if you want to talk about it after, we can do that too. I know sometimes you need to work through stuff in your head before you're ready to talk."
"Thank you. Now let's go."
Josh took her hand in his and started for the door but a slight tug from Maya stopped him. "Um Josh?" He turned to face her. "You still need the rest of your clothes."
Looking down at his body Josh remembered that the rest of his stuff was still in his trailer, potentially with Cassie. He did need his stuff. Sighing, he pulled Maya in one more time and kissed her eagerly. "I'm gonna go get the rest of my stuff and I'll come back here and pick you up okay?"
Maya nodded one last time as Josh kissed her forehead and exited the room. Something was sincerely bothering him and that wouldn't stop bothering Maya until she knew what was exactly going on.
.:.
Alexis leaned waited outside on a bench in between all the trailers and sighed as she waited for Josh and Maya to finish up before heading home for the night. Her straight brown hair sat just above her shoulders as she pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose. She tapped her foot on the ground and hummed to herself as she watched and waited. Hearing a door close, she looked up, expecting it to be Josh or Maya walking out of a trailer but instead saw Cassandra Carpenter walking out of Josh's. Her eyes instantly widened as she realized that something had to have happened that made Josh run into Maya's trailer like that.
Normally timid and professional, Alexis usually never spoke up. But she cared about Maya and she knew that Josh wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Anyone could see that. If anything, that ghostly look on Josh's face confirmed to her that whatever happened scared the living daylights out of him. Riddled with determination, Alexis narrowed her eyes and walked up to Cassie and frowned. "What did you do?"
Cassie jerked her head back, flabbergasted. "Who do you think you are speaking to me like that?"
Feeling her nerves rise up in her throat, Alexis pushed through and persisted. "You heard me. I just saw Josh. He never looks like that. Everyone has seen you fawn over him and act like his girlfriend isn't right there, so it's obvious you had something to do with whatever is going on." She raised a hand and pointed a finger towards Josh's trailer. "And now I see you walk out of his trailer alone? What were you doing in there?"
Cassie scoffed pushed a finger into Alexis' chest. "Look glasses, I was just looking to invite him to drinks with the rest of the cast. I don't know what you're talking about," she lied. "Besides, Josh is a grown man. He can handle himself and anyone that comes his way. So stay out of it," she finished in a low, threatening voice.
Cassie's red hair whipped around as she walked away from Alexis. Alexis, still shocked that she even had the nerve to say something, let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Taking a deep breath, she caught a whiff of something else besides the cool, evening air. Lavender.
.:.
Warm patio lights surrounded Maya and Josh as they sat outside at a beautiful restaurant by the sea side. Josh was filling the air between them with mindless chatter, trying to distract his mind from what happened earlier that night. "Josh?" Josh's attention turned towards the beautiful woman in front of him as she reached out and touched his hand. "Are you sure you don't want to talk now?"
As Josh shook his head in response Maya sighed and pulled her hand into her lap. She desperately wanted him to just say what was on his mind. It was driving her insane. He was never like this when it came to talking about what was on his mind. Usually he was the one trying to coerce her into talking. Not the other way around and honestly Maya wasn't a fan of it. Is this really what he has to deal with when I'm like this? This was sincerely bothering her. "Maya?" Maya's eyes darted up to his. "I asked what you wanted to eat."
"Oh um." Maya looked down at the menu in front of her. Quickly tracing it with her eyes she made a split decision, not really caring what she got. She was focused on one thing. What on earth was bothering Josh. "Not that hungry so I just want some fries."
"Fries? Really? We've been working all day. I figured you were hungrier than that. Are you sure you don't want something else? Cause there's this great chicken here that I-"
"I can't just sit here and pretend like you busting into my trailer earlier was normal!" She raised her voice slightly making a few people around them turn their heads. Feeling their eyes on her Maya leaned forward and continued talking in a hushed tone. "I know when you're not okay. We've established that something is wrong, but what you're not telling me is how wrong this is. We both know you're not one to not say what's bothering you so I'm going to ask you one more time. What. Is. Wrong?"
Josh looked at her face and could see just how serious she was. Her forehead had this little crinkle in it that she only gets when she's determined and her blue eyes grew darker as she waited for him to answer her. He could see as she grew more and more irritated. His panic started to grow as he wanted to just wait a second longer before discussing this topic. Then, as he saw Maya get up and start to walk out of the restaurant he went into full blown panic mode. "Maya wait!" Josh chased the blonde as she neared the exit of the entrance. Just barely making it to her as she stopped by the door, he grabbed her hand. "Can you just slow down? I thought you'd wait until after we ate to talk!"
Maya whipped her head around, her ponytail sharp like wire. "And normally I would wait Josh but you're being weird about this and you're starting to worry me. What is going on that you won't talk to me about it?"
At this point patrons and staff alike were staring at the couple as they went back and forth at the front of the restaurant. "Excuse me." A tall middle-aged man stood in front of the couple. "I'm going to have to ask you both to leave. You're making the other guests uncomfortable."
Maya took that as her cue and pushed her way out the double doors they entered not too long ago. Walking out into the cool air goosebumps ran up Maya's arms before she was met with numerous bright flashes in her face. "What the-"
"Maya! Maya! Over here! Flash a smile for us!"
There were about five photographers with huge cameras snapping countless pictures of Maya and soon Josh as he came up behind her. "Oh you can't be serious right now," Josh groaned as he took Maya's hand. "Come on let's get out of here."
Maya grasped his hand tightly and started to move but felt a pull on her other arm from one of the photographers. "Hey! Let go of me!"
Maya tried to yank her arm away but the photographer wouldn't lose his grip. Josh turned his head to see Maya struggling with the man and all he saw was red. The bass really hit deep in his voice as he moved Maya to the other side of him and pushed the photographer down on the ground. Bending down to his level Josh's anger seethed from every inch of him. "Don't you ever touch her again."
Josh grabbed Maya's hand and led her away down the street, away from the other photographers. He looked her up and down, checking for marks. "Josh I'm fine," Maya breathed. "That guy was just a dick."
"Maya are you sure?"
Maya nodded and pulled Josh in towards her, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm sure. I don't even want to talk right now. I just want to go back to the hotel and sleep."
Josh nodded, realizing that tonight he wouldn't get to tell Maya but what happened but the next moment he could, he had to tell her what happened, or else it might just eat him alive.
.:.
Josh sat in the corner of the room next to a lamp while Maya slept a few feet away from him. He tapped his foot nervously on the ground as he wracked his brain trying to understand how Cassie's lips ended up on his. Why the hell didn't I just leave the room when she came in? With his elbows resting on his knees he held his head in his hands as he thought. No matter how many times he recounted the events he still couldn't wrap his mind around it. Guiltily, he looked over at Maya who lay asleep, clueless at what was going on. "How do I tell you another woman kissed me without ruining everything we have?"
He shook his head as his question fell to empty ears. Running his fingers through his hair Josh sat back and sighed as he heard his phone ring from across the room. He got up quickly to answer it, hoping it wouldn't wake up Maya. Reading over the caller ID he looked confused as he answered. "Alexis?"
"Hi," Alexis breathed on the other side of the line. "I'm sorry to call you so late but I needed to talk to you about something."
Looking at Maya again Josh walked into the bathroom and closed the door so he could talk louder. "Can't this wait? I'm pretty sure its almost one in the morning."
"It really can't. Look, I saw Cassie leaving your trailer tonight. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened."
Josh leaned against the counter and cursed under his breath. "Fuck. Alexis I can explain-"
"Wait. Let me finish. I know you love Maya. There's no doubt about it but from what I've gotten to know about Maya while working with her is that she craves genuine honesty. I don't think she'll be as upset as you may think. Yes, she'll surely have her feelings about it but I have a strong feeling that you didn't initiate that kiss."
Josh listened intently with his phone pressed up to his ear as he listened to every word that left Alexis' mouth. "Go on."
"If you want my advice, I'd say tell her as soon as possible because after my experience with Cassie tonight, I don't think she'll hold on to to that information for very long."
Josh smiled sadly to himself and thanked her. "Thank you."
"Good luck Josh. Everything will work out just how it should."
With that, the call ended and Josh stood there by himself knowing exactly how this was going to go down.
