FOUR DAYS LATER
She sat in one of the local restaurants in Las Vegas— Greenfield restaurant, the restaurant her friend works in. She tapped her foot absentmindedly. That dream was real, it was vivid and although it was four days ago she had that dream in the unfamiliar room, it was so vivid to her that she actually felt it was real. Jane tapped her foot as her brows knitted in a thoughtful manner. Questions wrecked her mind at what happened four days ago, why did she have the best dream of her life in a strange room and how did she end up in a room with a man that wasn't her boyfriend? How? She whacked her brain and memories in hopes she'd remember what happened before she ended in a room. She remembered partying with her half sister, her father's daughter but their father was no more and her friend Matilda in a bar. They went into this bustling bar downtown to blow off some steam and to celebrate her landing herself a big gig where she'd be the female lead in a historical magical drama.
She remembered slumping down in one of the booths as she, her half sister and friend took in the beauty of the bar, fanning over any looking guy that walked in.
"God, this is the happiest day of my life," she exclaimed, yelling at the topest of her lungs. "I can't believe this is happening. This is a dream come true."
"I'm happy for you, friend," Matilda chirped in when her gaze suddenly shifted on a sturdy looking guy who walked in and took his place on a red booth opposite. "I'm so happy….."
"Are you saying that to her," Ivy, her half sister said, following the trail of her gaze to the hunk. "Or are you actually happy to see an eye candy looking man?"
Ivy's eyes had that flicker of tease in them as Matilda returned her gaze to them.
"Was I being obvious?" Matilda queried. "I mean, don't blame me, a girl has to appreciate good looking stuff. Look at him? Doesn't he look like someone straight out of a fairy tale? Those abs and biceps are so detailed that any woman can fantasize about him right here and now."
"Ahh jeez..." Ivy slapped a hand on her forehead, shaking her head in utter disappointment. "Do you fantasize about men with good builds?"
"My eyes were created to appreciate things, I'm appreciating God's wonderful creations." Matilda defended herself.
Jane was stuck in the middle of the batter, no way out and all she got to do was watch them. This day was supposed to be her day and not have them here battering over good looking men. But the best part of her big gig wasn't only that she was going to be the female lead she strived for six years to get. At least her dedicated and hard work paid off.
She had only appeared two to three times in a movie or comedy reality family shows when she was a kid. Though her father, when she was little, didn't fancy his daughter appearing on screens as a kid actor, her mother supported her all the way to her dreams. It had been a childhood dream of hers to be a renowned actress known worldwide.
She guessed her dream of being an actress really pulled her mom and dad apart, her father disapproved of her while her mother approved of her. Her mom went out of her way to register her on shows that needed kids and since acting was her God-given talent, she aced the auditions. Her parents got separated, causing her father to take in a second wife and birth Ivy. Of course it wasn't an easy fit for her mother to see her father with another woman but instead she strived to see her daughter become who she wanted to be.
Thus she lived with her mother until she succumbed to lung cancer as a result of going out of her way to see her dreams fulfilled. That's why she felt guilty sometimes for being the reason for her parent's separation and her mother's demise.
"Guys, that's enough!" She snapped but in a gentle tone, having enough of Ivy and Matilda's bicker. Though she and Matilda were 7 years older than Ivy, Ivy acted like she was the oldest of them all.
Her voice quieted them.
"This is supposed to be my day, not you two arguing about some hunks who probably aren't even aware of you guys. Show some maturity, please."
"I'm sorry, bud," Matilda apologized but Jane could see her throwing a glare at Ivy.
"Sorry sis," Ivy threw her an apologetic look before channeling a glare at Matilda as well. "This day is for you and you alone, so tell me what drink you want, it's on me."
Ivy was also in the acting world, a rising star as well , but the difference is that she had been into the acting world from childhood while Ivy just started appearing on screens recently– 3 years ago. Appeared in three comic dramas and a sci-fi movie where she also acted beside her as a friend.
"Sorry, friend." Matilda apologized again. "Sorry for choosing that hunk over you but just like Ivy said, demand whatever drink you want. Champagne, wine, beer….. whatever you want and we will have it served to you immediately. Today is your day so let's party tonight."
"Yeah, it's the day I landed a mindblowing project. This is going to be the turning point of my acting life, not just as the female lead but guess who I am acting alongside with?...." Jane's inside was bustling with emotions, a rush in the adrenaline that she wanted to let out a happy squeal but because she didn't want the people in the bar to throw her a look like she had lost it, she kept her feelings inside.
"Who?" Matilda queried, raising a brow.
"He's a top actor," Jane was on the verge of exploding with ecstasy. "It's been a dream of mine to act alongside him. And he's the male lead….."
"Blake Hyperman?" Matilda guessed.
Jane shook her head. Ready to squeal out the name of the celebrity she fantasizes so much about, acting together with. She clutched her arms together, in a bubbly manner.
"Clinton Ville?" Ivy furrowed a brow in a guess.
"Still wrong," she giggled and shook her head. "He's a top actor, a well known one at that. He has starred in Chinese, Dutch, Korean, and Nigerian movies and dramas but he's an American actor."
She scurried her eyes from Matilda to Ivy, seeing the questions written on their faces. She believed they were having a hard time, trying to figure out who the so-called actor was.
"Come on, guys, I will be disappointed if you don't know who I'm talking about. You two know him well, we have seen a couple of his movies when I and Ivy are new in the industry."
"As you can see, we have no idea who you are talking about." Matilda said. "The guess is killing us, we are curious to know who this actor you are bubbling so much about is."
"It's TORO WILSON!!!!!" She squealed out her lungs that she caught some people's attention but she cared less.
"Tell me that's a lie," Matilda's eyes bulged out in shock. Same with Ivy. Shock, surprise, awe were written all over their faces.
"Sis, are you sure?" Ivy prompted. "Maybe you are mistaking him for someone else. That guy is like a VIP actor. You must know how many times you appeared in movies, dramas, shows and events to be granted that opportunity. Most of the female actors want to have a shot with him."
"I know right," a wide grin spread across Jane's lips as she felt so much exhilaration within her. "That's why I can't contain the happiness in me. I have only watched his movies and wondered what it is like to act with him and now the opportunity has come."
"Truly, you landed yourself a big gig," Matilda smiled. "To celebrate this day, I'm gonna order the most expensive drinks. Girl, it's your day, have fun while it lasts."
"Yeah this is mindblowing." Ivy chirped in. "Matilda, why don't we go see the expensive drinks on deck?"
"Yes, please." They rose to their feet and made their way to the bartenders. It was a busy bar.
Jane remembered a strange man, walking into the bar. He was clothed in a hooded black sweatshirt and black slacks. The hood covered his head and he had some nose mask which covered his nose and mouth. She collided with him when she rose to join her half sister and friend at the bartending place. Weirdly enough, he had the exact eye color of the actor Toro Wilson.
"Sorry..." She froze when he apologized for making her drop her phone on the ground as a result of the collision. He strangely sounded like the actor or was she reading too much meaning in it? And when they both reached down to pick up her phone, their fingers brushed against each other and that little contact sent a sudden voltage across her body, she instantly pulled her fingers away and let him pick it instead.
"Here," he handed her the phone and without sparing her another look, he turned away from her and headed to the bartending place, pulling out one of the stools, and sat down.
Jane gulped and wondered why she was having this tingly sensation over that slight contact. And why does his eyes, voice and physique scream Toro Wilson? She shook her head. She bet she was just reading too much meaning in it, just because she was talking about him doesn't mean any man who walked in was basically him. Even the hunk Matilda was talking about does have his body physique. There's no way that man she just bumped in was Toro Wilson.
She returned to the booth as she saw her sister and friend coming back with some drinks in a tray.
The rest of the evening, they partied like they never did before. Making the most out of the night, Ivy was talking tipsy, venting out the injustice melted on her in the acting industry. While Matilda walked over to the hunk in the opposite direction and started flirting with him. While she, Jane was strangely and curiously staring at the man she bumped into earlier.
The next day, she met herself in the most questionable manner and place. How did she end up in a bed with an unknown guy? When she dashed out to the bar the next morning, she met Ivy and Matilda sleeping soundly on the booths. And when she woke them up and asked them what happened and how she ended up in bed with a guy. Both of them were surprised and perplexed as she was.
"Hey, customer, aren't you going to order?" Jane was pulled out of her reverie and she stopped tapping her foot when a voice pulled her back to the present. She looked up and saw Matilda, an apron hanging over her clothes while giving her an assiduous look.
"I'm sorry, I zoned out." Jane answered, gnawing on her lower lip. "I'm yet to understand what happened that night. Even though I drank a few shots, I was still sane enough not to sleep with an unknown guy. A guy I met that night. Why can't I remember a thing that night? Nothing is coming forth."
Matilda pulled a seat opposite her and planted her butt. "Friend, honestly, I can't tell either. I know even if you are intoxicated with drinks, you aren't dumb enough to sleep with a guy you met that night and you are a faithful partner, you wouldn't want to hurt Hugo….. I have watched your movies, even if it was a romantic movie– you always maintain a line with the male actors you act alongside."
"Exactly," Jane resumed tapping her foot again. "I feel guilty right now, how am I supposed to tell Hugo, I got too drunk and slept with a guy in the bar's room?"
"But you gotta come clean to him, you know. To be on the safe side....hmm," Matilda pulled her brows in a thoughtful manner. "Do you think someone drugged you, I mean some man might have drugged you to have a one night stand with you knowing you are a famous actress?"
Jane's thoughts flashed back at the man she collided with four nights ago but that dude didn't look like one who would pull a stunt like that.
"But do you know what's more to the story," she asserted. Matilda pushed her seat closer to her, ready for the juicer part of the story.
"Is there more to the story?" Matilda raised a brow.
"That night, at the bar in the upper room. I had a strange dream that involved Toro Wilson."
Matilda brow was still raised.
Jane drew a few breaths and pushed forward. "In my dream, I was making lo…ve to him….." She forced herself to finish the sentence.
"HOLY MOLY!" Matilda yelped but Jane was quick to muffle her scream with her hand against her lips
"You were doing what— in your dreams?" The shock was still evident in Matilda's eyes when she pulled her hand away from her lips.