I hurried to the dressing area without giving any thought to whether or not someone had seen me. My mind was racing with questions about why he wanted to meet me. Was he going to ask me to give up tormenting and pursuing him? Or has he suddenly changed his mind and decided to sleep with me? The latter possibility seemed implausible; nevertheless, thinking about it made my heart beat faster.
The costume camp was spacious and set apart from the remaining tents since no caravans were permitted on the inside of the forest, and the dressing booth was the sole area where artists could change their costumes; hence, it was guaranteed maximum privacy. Only a few individuals lingered outside, as the majority had gone to have breakfast or just relax. The sun was still taking its sweet time, yet there was sufficient daylight to see the direction one was heading.
I proceeded to walk inside after nodding to one of the support staff members who was leaving the dark space at the same time. She didn't ask me any questions, and I didn't bother explaining my visit to her.
Within the tent, all the lights had been turned off, and I stumbled on a stool, hitting my knee on the steel object.
"Ouch!"
I massaged the sore leg and pulled out my phone before switching on the flashlight. I shone the light around and discovered the entire tent to be a disaster zone. There were garments all over the place, and the chairs were positioned at random. I couldn't even see what was beyond the rows of dressing tables arranged on either side. Overall, I was engulfed in darkness.
"Eugene. Are you here?"
I spoke into the darkness but received no response. Perhaps I came too early, and he hasn't arrived yet. I thought of finding the light switches first, but that's when I heard the sound of furniture scraping and was quick to shine the light in the spot I assumed the sound came from. It was empty.
"Eugene."
I called a little louder, but panicked as a huge palm covered my mouth and my eyes widened in surprise. Out of survival instinct, I slammed the person standing behind me with my forearm, and I heard the other guy growl in agony. His familiar scent drifted past my nostrils, and I gasped in recognition.
"I am so sorry. I thought it was someone else."
I apologized, pointing my flashlight at him, and found Eugene clutching the right side of his abdomen, his face distorted in pain.
"Turn it off. Someone could see us."
He muttered in between wheezes, and I instantly obeyed.
"Is that why you sneaked up on me?"
I queried, finding the situation rather funny. He didn't answer, although there was no requirement for him to. He wanted our meeting to be a secret, and he was worried that somebody might catch us. A genuine concern, if you ask me, and something I should have remembered as well.
"Do you need some ice?"
I asked again, knowing how painful it would be. I was an experienced martial artist, so the blow must have really hurt him.
"No, I am perfectly alright."
He replied, squirming, but I could still hear his heavy breathing. Even though I couldn't see him clearly, the thought that we were alone inside a tent left me keenly sensitive to his proximity. He was close to me, but not quite close enough.
"I am sorry for calling you all of a sudden."
I waved my hand, but then realized that he couldn't see me.
"It's okay. So what is it about?"
I didn't want to beat around the bush, and my curiosity was piqued when I noticed him hesitating before continuing.
"What did you mean when you said you were going to seduce me?"
He asked, and I almost wanted to stroke his hair adoringly. I could picture his face, which would now be a mixture of hesitation and embarrassment.
"I meant exactly what I said."
He grumbled in frustration, which added to my amusement.
"This is driving me crazy, River. Why are you doing this to me?"
A tingle shot through my spine as I listened to him say my name informally for the first time. I yearned to hear him call me more often, in a variety of emotions and sounds that only I had the privilege to arouse from him.
"I should be the one asking you that."
I stated, genuinely. He was provoking me to feel things that I never thought I was capable of feeling, and he was making me do things I never dreamed of doing before.
"You do understand you are not making any sense, right?"
I wasn't making any sense to myself either, so how does he expect to understand my situation? But I didn't say it out loud. Instead, I decided to ask him the questions that I had been pondering for a while.
"Are you still a virgin?"
"Wait, what? No!"
His reaction was abrupt, and his voice sounded as if his ego had been wounded. Men...
"Have you had one-night stands?"
This time, he took a few seconds to answer.
"Two or three, I guess."
I threw my arms in the air, hoping he would at least see how bewildered I was.
"Then what is your problem, for heaven's sake? You are acting as if you have never even had sex."
My tone was somewhat high-pitched, and I could sense him inching closer to me.
"Shhhh!!!"
He shushed me as if I were a child, and I was enjoying the moment. This wasn't the Eugene everyone was familiar with, and it uselessly made me feel special.
"That was different. Those women are people I didn't know. I couldn't even remember their names. It was all just pleasure. You are different."
"And how the hell am I any different?"
Even though I was becoming annoyed, I liked it when he said I was different. Despite the fact that what I was asking from him was just a one-night stand, I am glad he didn't want to see me as one.
"We are working together, and I don't sleep around with my colleagues. Apart from that, I genuinely want to be your friend. You are someone I respect, and when you say things like that, I am tensed, okay? I can't concentrate on my work while thinking about what you will do next. You are someone I don't want to say Tata, bye bye to after this shoot and go separate ways with. So please, take your time. And be certain of your own emotions."
I couldn't say anything after hearing his breathless speech. His words were so sincere that I was moved. I realized I had placed a lot of pressure on him and was feeling horrible about it. I mean, I knew I was being a selfish b*tch from the start, but I figured he was benefiting from it as well. After all, every male I have met would leap at the chance to only have sex without any strings attached. At least, that's the type of men I was familiar with. What was I expected to say in response to something like this? He was being earnest here, and it was making me look like a sexual predator.
I sighed, collecting my thoughts.
"I apologize, Eugene. I never considered the situation from your point of view. I was simply being rude."
"That's not what I meant."
I cut him off with an awkward laugh, not wanting to make a fool out of myself any further. He clearly saw me as a friend, and it was my mistake to jump to the conclusion that all guys were the same.
"I get it, dude. But before I give up on you, I want to know one thing."
There was a second of silence before he spoke.
"What?"
His voice was barely above a whisper, and I thought there was sadness in it. I am just imagining things again.
"Were you never attracted to me? Say no, and I swear I will never ask you to sleep with me again. But if it's a yes, I am sorry, but I am going to continue pursuing you."
I knew I was being shameless, but I needed to know this. My ego was crushed when he claimed he saw me as a friend, and if he says no, I am going to lock myself up in the room until I get over these strange feelings.
"I...."
He couldn't finish his sentence as there were noises outdoors and someone was approaching the tent. In fact, a group of people were coming.
"Shit."
I felt his strong arms pulling me towards him, and I jerked forward, not knowing where he was taking me. I hit several chairs as I followed him, and from his "hummp" and "ouch" sounds, I could tell he was getting hurt as well.
I heard him unlock a door and push me inside, following himself behind me. The space was congested, and I could feel fabrics brushing my body and tingling my skin.
We were locked in a closet.
........