I didn't have any scenes today infact no one did but we were supposed to get to know ourselves and familiarize ourselves with the cast and staff. So the moment my van pulled up to the Le Mina hotel & resort which was the filming site, I started to question why I agreed to come in the first place. Meeting Valentina like that had soiled my mood and as such, I was a lot more crankier than usual.
Ariel's stare was also getting to me, she was probably scared to initiate the conversation we were about to have. Okay.
"How long do you plan on staring?" I rudely and bitterly spat. She jerked.
"Well, aren't you getting out?" Her tone almost matched mine. She was a giver, whatever she received she always returned which had me questioning why I hired her again. Oh yeah, because she wasn't like my old self and she was very efficient, so she was forgiven.
"Oh I have no idea, I suddenly feel like jelly." I sang exasperatedly.
She looked unmoved. Probably because she was used to my gimmicks and I already pissed her off by dropping by the salon first. "My job is to make sure you always appear where you need to, your job is to make sure you feel whatever way you wanna, you've done yours now let me do mine." She gave flatly.
So in other words, she didn't give a shit about my emotions and I needed to get out of the car.
"Okay, okay." Chill the fuck out woman. "I'm getting out, see?" I pulled open the door and she followed after rolling her eyes.
It was a complimentary dinner. I was escorted by my assistant and a waitress into the exquisite dinner hall, yellow walls and intricate designs all over. My heels clicked against the floor syncing with the sound of cutlery coming from the table.
Joe the director stood up ungracefully his arms apart going in for a light hug and peck on to the cheek. "Ah, Martine! Glad you could make it." His voice echoed.
"You know I wouldn't miss it for anything." I pulled my face into a fake one of glee.
"But you can show up late, no hate dear." Sarcasm.
Joe cleared his throat.
I turned to face the owner of the voice, "nice to see you too Ten." I curtly responded.
Tenley Harrison. Two-time Oscar winner, rumoured to play the next James Bond, big flirt and all time playboy, two-time People's Sexiest Man Alive and the list goes on. He was also to play my love interest in the movie.
"Ouch, still a bitch. I guess some things never change."
Quietness loomed over the dinner table now.
I feigned pain, "you wound me, I created the word."
His eyes met mine, I bit the inside of my mouth for three seconds and...then we both burst out laughing.
We were bestfriends. And a rumoured couple according to E!.
Joe laughed carefully, probably not wanting to push it. I was rumoured to have a bad temper and attitude. Suffice to say they weren't just rumors actually.
Ten happily pulled out a seat beside his for me and I cheerfully took it. "Hi." I warmly and pretentiously greeted the rest of the cast. I didn't know them and could actually care less.
Ten smirked and whispered loud enough for me to hear, "what's with the change in attitude? Feeling nice today?" He took a sip of his drink.
I sweetly smiled at him. "Or maybe I suddenly like people."
He choked.
Causing quite the commotion.
"Oh my God, are you okay?" Grace Lindorn asked from across the table.
I mentally smirked.
Actually my eyes did. Get it girl.
"Yeah," *cough* "I'm fine."
"Looks like you have another admirer, and I've heard she's quite the sweetheart."
Ten glared at me.
What?
"You sure you didn't ingest something before coming here?"
"Why, do I look high?" I looked around the table to see if anyone else also noticed something.
"No, it's something to do with the attitude change." He carefully accessed. I knew what he was doing and now wasn't the time.
I tried to stall. "Maybe it's something to do with the atmosphere,-"
He saw through my bullshit, he picked a tendril of my hair and began to twist it around his finger. "Or maybe it's something to do with the new look."
At the mention of look, I remembered Valentina and I froze.
"Ding ding, and we have a winner." He whispered huskily in my ear.
I looked around and saw the uncomfortable gazes we were receiving, I imagined how weirdly intimate we probably looked.
I removed my eyes and cleared my throat. "Not here, too many eyes."
"Not a shit given."
"And I don't give a shit about how many shits you give either Mr. handsome." I pulled away.
He raised his hands in surrender, "okay mama bear."
I ignored him and indulged myself in small talks with the rest of the cast for the rest of the dinner. Also disregarding Ten's snide remarks every now and then.
"Okay Martini, what's up with you?" Ten caught up with me once we were outside the dinner hall.
My elbow nudged his side and he bent a little soothing his aching side, "Don't call me that." I hissed.
"Fine!" He almost yelled. "But what's up?" His strides matching my equally fast ones.
"Not now, later okay?" I whined. Because I knew if he asked again I'd spill.
And then the paparazzi flooded in. Sure they needed photos to follow the headline; Blue Tower cast meet up for a dinner before filming commencement.
I slowed my steps to appear graceful and not like a banshee running from a vampire, because Ten looked like a vampire. Well to me at least. My assistant had gone to tell the driver to bring the van around. So I was stuck with Ten for now.
Sometimes I wondered how and why he kept up with my crazy ass.
I halted. And he pulled me by my hand towards his flashy red Maserati in the parking lot.
"Seriously, your manager let you drive here?" I queried.
He gave me a serious look.
Okay I'm sure he didn't have a say in the matter. Mine would've flipped if I so much as insinuated going anywhere without my assistant.
"Don't digress Martine." He meant it.
"So you know how much I hate this town and how much of bad history and memories it contains," I began to rant and Ten just nodded. "I may have run into...Valentina." My heart ached just mentioning her name. Habitually, I reached for my hair to pull it behind my ears only to be reminded that I had it cut short this morning.
After some seconds of silence, Ten's arm went behind my head and pulled me into a warm hug. I wrapped my arms around him in response. I really needed the hug.
That's why we bonded well, no words were needed between us. There was mutual understanding.
And we were lost in the embrace when we both heard the shutter of a camera.
Oh shit.