This Thing We Call Love

“I can do this, I can do this,” Jake keeps repeating to himself as he pulls his third slice of french toast from the stack on his plate.
Yesterday he offered me a ride and we’d agreed to go out for breakfast before we headed to the studio since I still didn’t have a car and I didn’t want to inconvenience Allison more than I had to. Jake had ordered an endless amount of orange juice and french toast and was now regretting that decision.
I laugh, “If you’re full, you’re full, Jake. You don’t have to stuff yourself. You’ll get sick.”
He sighs, putting the slice back on the stack. “They’re just so good,” He moans.
I continue to laugh, but then double over and groan as I rub my belly affectionately, full from the pancakes, bacon, and eggs that I’d had myself.
“So what’s up between you and Andy?” Jake asks suddenly.
I look up at him surprised. “Nothing,” I say too quickly.
He looks at me doubtfully, “Come on, Charlie. I’ve seen you around him. You get all tense and stuff. It makes me worry.”
I sigh, “It’s really nothing, Jake. He just likes to get on my nerves.”
He continues to look at me, skeptical, but says nothing more on the subject.
“Come on,” I say, getting up from the seat before stretching my arms over my head and yawning. “We’re going to be late.”
I’m about to pay when he slips his credit card in front of me, practically shoving it into the waitress’ hand to beat me, and I give him a small glare but can’t suppress my smile for too long. He’s so cute. The waitress hands him back his card and we head out to his car.
“Thanks for breakfast,” I tell him as I open the door.
He smiles, “No problem.”
-----
When we get to the studio someone calls Jake’s name and he looks at me apologetically before waving a quick goodbye to me and jogging off to where his name was called.
When I reach the entrance, there’s a sign that reads ‘USE BACKWAY ENTRANCE’ with an arrow pointing to the right.
I don’t mind walking around the huge building. I need to burn off the calories that I’d gained over breakfast anyway. Normally, I wouldn’t be so health conscious, but unfortunately, like douchebag said, I have to look the part for my character.
When I turn the corner, I see him standing right there. Well, leaning, against his Corvette as he puffs away on his cigarette. Needless to say, his eyes are covered by those stupid sunglasses.
I must say that the fact that he’s smoking outside and actually being considerate of others makes me gain at least a good 3% of respect towards him; that’s about it though.
I keep my head down as I try to sneakily make my way past him to avoid any small talk that I know would just end up in me saying something that could get me fired, or Andy belittling me like he’s done both yesterday and the day before that.
“Chloe,” He calls out once I’ve past him, making me flinch but I don’t turn around. I know that he’s talking to me. And I’m pretty sure he just calls me the wrong names to get under my skin. That, or he really couldn’t bother to learn ‘Charlie’.
I see the entrance at the end of the building, and I pick up my pace a little.
Suddenly, I hear footsteps following behind me and I can only conclude that it’s him since there was no one else in sight. I continue walking anyway.
“So you ignore me now as well?” Andy scoffs, “What else are you going to do to completely piss me off?”
“You didn’t call me?” I say, using a confused, innocent tone, looking straight ahead as we approach the entrance.
“Are you fucking deaf?” He spits.
I stop dead in my tracks, turning to my side and staring at him coldly, “My name is Charlie. Not Marcy or Chloe or anything else that starts with a ‘C’ or rhymes with my name!”
He fakes a gasp, “She rhymes,” Before dropping his cigarette to the ground and crushing it with the toe of his boot.
I huff and continue walking until I’m almost inside of the building, but he quickly passes me, blocking the doorway.
“Why do you feel the need to be so difficult?” He narrows his gaze at me.
“What do you want, Andy?!” I ask him, just now realizing that he’d shaved, defining his sharp jawline even more.
He folds his arms, “Answers.”
“To what?!” I ask as if he’s crazy.
His eyebrows raise when I raise my voice, “Oh, Charlie. You naïve amateur.”
My jaw clenches. Yeah, I am an amateur, technically speaking. But the fact that he feels the need to point it out just makes me want to scream. I’m an amateur, yeah, but he uses it as an insult, as something to just throw around whenever he gets angry and wants to feel superior and above me.
“Why don’t you tell me how you managed to get this gig?” He narrows his gaze at me, trying to intimidate me. I almost roll my eyes.
“If you must know, I knew some people and they hooked me up. There, now can you stop harassing me?”
“Harassing you,” He repeats mockingly, “As if I have that kind of time. Give me some names. They’d have to be pretty big to get you in on this movie.”
Oh, how I hate this man.
“Well, Andrew, if it bothers you that much…”
He clenches his teeth but only nods, his head inclining towards me, waiting for me to continue. But I just give him my bitchiest smirk.
“Then I guess it’ll be more fun not to tell you.”
His jaw tightens and I duck under him swiftly.
-----
“Where’s Andy?” Ash asks, pacing back and forth, instructing anyone he sees to go and find Andy. I stand awkwardly next to Ben, whose character ‘Leo’ also makes an appearance in this scene.
I roll my eyes. So much for being professional.
“I’m here,” Andy walks in at a leisurely pace, not giving a single fuck as everyone gawks at him and Ash glares daggers into his back.
“You’re late,” Ash snaps at Andy.
Andy gives him a momentary glare, and Ash looks like he instantly regrets his remark. As if he doesn’t have the power or the say in this, but he does. Who is Andy to just boss the directors around?
“I’m here now aren’t I?” He asks as he strolls over to us.
Johnny is a good guy. How someone as horrible as Andy can portray a character like him is a mystery to me. He must be a really good actor, because wow.
Ash rolls his eyes in annoyance and mocks Andy to the cameraman once he’s past.
Andy approaches me with an impassive face.
“Hope you learned your lines… Leah.”
I ignore him, not in the mood for his bullshit, as I blow out an anxious breath.
“Places!” Ash yells and we get into our positions.
I couldn’t think -- couldn’t breathe. I was so excited, so nervous--
“Annnd, action!” Ash yells, and immediately I’m in character as any other thoughts or worries drift away.
“You will be loved. Feared. Despised. Worshipped. All the masses will congregate around your music like the ultimate opiate.”
I stare into Andy -- Johnny’s eyes as he stares into the man’s in the van. I can do this.
I watch as his eyes harden and he clenches his jaw.
“Let him burn.”
I smile.
“All your desires will be fulfilled.”
“You are The Relentless!”
I smile wickedly as we watch the van be encased in flames, the man inside cries’ causing a light chuckle to escape my lips.
I glance at Johnny who looks into my eyes for a moment before shaking his head. He grabs the key from the ground before running to the van.
“Johnny, what the fuck are you doing?” Leo calls.
“We came here to play music, not God,” He says, struggling to pull the man from the van before setting him on the ground.
“True colors will always fade in the right light,” I say, watching calmly as the scene unfolds.
The man starts to run and Ben groans, chasing after him. He didn’t have to. The man reached the fence at the end of the alley, pulling himself up onto it. I smile as no one notices the sign on the fence that reads “DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE”.
As his hands reach the barbed wire, the electricity cackles, shocking him. He shudders convulsively for what feels like forever, his hands glued to the wiring, before tumbling to the ground, limp.
I laugh, clapping my hands as I walk over to the man's body. Johnny and Leo hover over him in shock.
“Electrifying performance, gentleman,” I wrap my arms around their shoulders enticingly. “When opportunity knocks, make sure you answer.”
“And, cut!” I hear Ash call out, “Beautiful!”
I sigh as I lean back a little, smiling.
“But…”
Oh gosh.
“Let’s shoot it from a new angle. And this time, Charlie, more expressions.”
“Yeah, you’re not Kristen Stewart,” The cameraman jokes making everyone laugh, and so do I. I’m surprised to see that even Andy is chuckling, and as he’s distracted, I take this time to take in his perfect features, intensified as he smiled. My eyes trail over his face, to his jaws, and down his neck.
Then my eyes land on his chest, covered only by a leather jacket hanging loosely around his shoulders.
I take advantage of our close proximity, and my eyes rake over his lean frame yet delicious abs.
Now, if only he wasn’t such an arrogant bastard, he’d be the full package.
His attention is elsewhere, as he converses with someone behind us, so my eyes trail down to where his V lines show only slightly. Oh yum.
My eyes roam back up to his and I jump slightly with a gasp when I realize he’d been watching me gawk at his body. A cocky smirk seemed like it was forever glued to his face.
“Like what you see?” He teases.
I push away from him, “I need a water break.”

Notes

Yay, Charlie filmed her first scene! What do you guys think? Comments are always appreciated <3