'I bet that was a lie.' Shawn said as soon as his sister was behind the door. And then side eyed Itika with a lopsided smirk as if sharing with her an inside secret.
'Excuse me?'
She frowned as she answered, a cute crease playing in between her brows. Shawn wanted to nuzzle that uneven surface of her skin, but then he looked slightly down and saw her sharp glare at him.
'That thing with the important call,' he sputtered at her sudden attention on him but quickly gathered himself. '… It sure was a lie. She must be talking to Jacob about how to audition you before signing… that's what she does. She's always too careful about who we sign opposite me. Kind of a nag you'd say.'
When Shawn finally was ready to face her glare head on, she was not looking at him.
'I don't think I'd say that. She is your sister and on top of that she manages your work, I'd be surprised if she wasn't skeptical.'
She said smoothly and in an understanding only a sister would have. He had read that she had a bother, was she seeing herself in Dina? He couldn't have that; there was nothing good that could come by Itika to see her own similarities to his sister.
'Hello, by the way.' He said hoping to change the topic and start the conversation anew. 'I was too distracted at that time and didn't introduce myself.'
Itika blinked her clear eyes at him in a moment of confusion and raised her brows with soft smile playing on her lips.
'Oh, I thought that's what pop-stars are supposed to do, you know… wait for the other person to say something first.'
No, that was not why he hadn't said anything, he was just…
Try as he might but he didn't find an answer that would sound good here.
'We have spoken before though. I did say hello then, before you did.'
Shawn said thinking of their first video call as he gave that one smile that had won him so many hearts.
'So we're even?'
Came the cool reply as if Itika didn't even see it. How could she talk to him like that and make him feel like that one teenager trying to ask out his crush for the first time?
'You might say.'
He answered and she ignored him again and instead picked up the small stacks of pages in front of her face.
'I thought contracts were supposed to be like twenty pages. This is just one.' She commented as if talking to herself and not to him.
'Well, the few important things that matter like money, confidentiality, promotions, and impeachment don't take that many pages. How much are they paying you?'
He didn't really care, if she was working in Allura, it would not be a small amount.
'Umm… Twenty grand. Way below what I was being offered for choreographing a stage performance.'
The number gave him a pause. Much below what he was expecting, in fact it was not even their standard fee.
'That's not right. They gave fifty to the last one. Are you going to say something?'
He said coldly that surprised even him. She looked up at him at his sudden change in tone and slowly kept the pages on the table.
'Not really.' Itika said with a sway of her hand as if it wasn't something that mattered. 'I'm more looking for an experience than money, so I'll let this pass. Twenty isn't bad for me.'
'Experience of working with me?'
Shawn smirked again, the playfulness back into his tone. But she didn't look like she was any in mood for it. She frowned and pressed her lips before answering. It was not an expression he was used to seeing on the ladies, especially directed on him but the strange new experience was offset by how sultry he found her when she was angry.
'Wow. You don't hold back, do you? Experience of working for Allura. That's got to be a big deal, and you're also there. I'm not gonna lie. My friends are going to be jealous.'
The sharp anger melted from her like it wasn't even there and a fond smile came to her at the mention of her 'friends'.
Shawn felt a strange tug at his heartstrings that he was not at all comfortable with.
'Hold back? Were you holding back when you were peering at me earlier?' Shawn said in more steel than he had intended.
'Uh, what?' Her genuine confusion only sparked the fire in him more.
'Yes, act dumb. That's what women do when they're caught.'
The words came out before he could stop, too late for regrets now.
'I may have looked at you for a little longer, but nothing compared to what you were doing.'
Itika's own words hardened as her face became as cold as stone.
'You started it, I was just playing along. I thought you wanted me.'
What else those subtle glances could mean anyway?
'Wanted you?' she scoffed like she just heard the most hilarious joke. How dare she?
But she wasn't finished. 'Is that what you got from my look? I…think we have entered a weird territory. I'm sorry if you thought I was into you. Because I know I never showed that. And if somebody looks at you unusually longer, it doesn't always mean they like you. You should know that, I think.'
Words, words, words and did he hear that she didn't like him?
'What do you mean? Are you saying you don't like me?'
He asked trying to confirm, it couldn't be right, he must have heard it wrong.
'Why will I like you? You're a stranger to me.'
'But everybody likes me.'
Because he was Shawn fucking Rayo. Ladies worshipped the land he walked.
'So? I am also supposed to, huh?'
What was wrong with this woman? It was like she was a completely alien thing acting like one.
'I… was about to ask you out so we could spend some time together before the shoot begins. But… I don't think you'd be interested.'
The words felt bitter in his mouth as he uttered them.
'Sorry. We can talk here somewhere if you like, but I can't go out with you.'
She was soft and didn't sound very apologetic to him. Just uncomfortable, like she wanted to be anywhere but near him.
'Because you don't like me.' Shawn bit his tongue, disgusted with that sentence.
'Because I don't KNOW you. And you don't know me either. We're colleagues. Here to work with each other, and then part ways.'
He didn't like her; he didn't like how calm she was when at the same time a fire burned inside of him, or how little she cared when he couldn't think of anything but her.
'What's wrong with you? Are you anti-social?'
He hoped she was, it would make some kind of sense then. Even though she would still be a freak to him, but at least he would understand it.
'Nothing's wrong with me. I'm new here, I can't say yes to the first guy who asked me out. Do you get me?'
No!
'That first guy is me. That's something, right?'
'Okay, Shawn. Tell me, what would you have done if I had said yes?'
He frowned and thought back, his plans he was sure would come true before he walked in here.
'First I would have invited you to my home,' he started softly, 'then I would have got the best chef to prepare a great dinner, then we could have watched some movies, and maybe… you know…'
What else was there anyway?
Itika derided. 'Thought so.' She got up from her seat. 'It's a No from me. If you don't mind I have to go find Dina.' She had that cold expression on her otherwise delicate face again. It took her less than ten seconds to slam the file shut and carry it with her and leave the room and him alone.
The abrupt end to their conversation had sent a bolt of anger from his core to his chest, and he felt a warm sensation under his nose. He was angry. Being walked out of had felt worse than he would have expected. Shawn hated that feeling. All he wanted at that moment was to wrench his throat, hopefully at her, but he had withheld his wince. Now wasn't the right time, but could be soon. He got up and without a movement in his forehead, walked out and went back the way he had come.
***
THE GIRL HAD SOME NERVES; all she had needed was five minutes to make him feel like shit. He was doing her a favor, and a big one at that. She couldn't go out with him just for that sake? No. That was not why he had got her the opportunity, but there should have been some courtesy in her to accept a fucking date. He was wrong about her. She was exceptionally beautiful, he would give her that, but with that face and body came a very stony psyche. He didn't care for it, not even a little bit.
What had he really expected? It was bugging him how unfinished he had felt, worse than an unspent pair of testicles. He was angry that he was angry at something so ridiculous. Okay. Maybe she had some other reasons of refusing him, but she should have said something. Anything to justify the flip in her attitude.
Shawn passed through a row of cubicles behind which all the employees were casually dressed. It didn't look like the headquarters of a big production studio. At least Allura didn't suck at creating a joyful office environment. The workers-most women than men, all below or around thirties-looked like they were actually enjoying their jobs. He didn't quite know what they did. Most of the projects came to Allura through the directors and producers' direct contacts, then what were these women doing behind those headpieces? Who were they talking to? How many of those could he bang?
The FUCK!
The vexed corner of his brain needed a distraction and that had to be the softness of a woman's ass. It was times like these when he saw how big of a bastard he was, or this industry had made him into, but that did little to stop him. Why must this be even stopped? He would once he had found the answer.
He had passed by the entire work space when an isolated, more modish desk came into view, and the skinny but tight ass that hadn't moved an inch from the chair since the last time he had seen it.
It was suddenly clear what he had needed.
Carrie.
And one last fuck in the parking lot in his about to be pawned SUV.