“This isn’t about what you want Alice.” He paused to sip some water. “Maribel and I are going to be going public tomorrow, I need to make sure you are not going to ruin this for us.”
“Go public with what?” Alice looked at him in confusion.
“Maribel is about to become my girlfriend.” He stared at her with no emotion. “It’s part of the arrangement. Her father will finance my next movie and I will date her, which will help her to become famous in her own right and get her own movies.”
Alice looked at him in shock. “I thought you didn’t do girlfriends.” Her voice was low and sad.
He smiled an ironic smile. “Unless my PR Company tells me to. You don’t get to this level in Hollywood without playing games Alice.”
“I see.”
“I need to make sure that you know your place in public. I cannot have a photo in the tabloids showing you kissing me or sucking me off under the table, do you hear?”
“So we will just have a regular assistant relationship then?” She tried to smile hopefully. She didn’t want him to see how devastated she felt.
“No. Your body will still be mine to do what I please with, in the office, in the bedroom, in the car. Just not in public and never initiated by you.”
She gasped. “So I really am to be your paid whore.”
“I’ve heard that word used too many times Alice. Stop. I will not hear it anymore. You are free to leave my office right now if you don’t like the rules. Just know, that there will be no scriptwriting with me and no other position.”
She looked at him in silence. How she wanted to get up and walk out of that office. She hated him. She hated him for the way he talked to her and made her feel. But oh boy how she loved him. She studied his face and saw his jaw twitch, he was nervous that she was going to leave. As she stared into his eyes and saw his bravado, she knew he was putting on a show. This was his defense mechanism. He expected all women to leave him, just like his mother had. He wanted them to leave before he got too close, before he had a chance to get hurt again.
“I’m going to stay.” She spoke softly but firmly. “I’m going to stay because I believe in the Oliver Park I have seen in movies and interviews. The man that wants to change lives.” She wanted to tell that she was staying because she loved him, because she would never give up hope that he could return that love one day. That he would learn to trust her.
“Good.” He smiled a quick short smile and pulled out some papers. “Now let’s get back to writing.”
They spent the rest of the afternoon talking about different characters and their pasts. Building up backstories and emotions. Alice was delighted that Oliver really seemed to listen to her and to value her opinion. She didn’t even think of their weird relationship as they spoke. They were finishing up a scene when he got the call, she watched as his face lit up and he purred into the phone.
“Hi honey, sorry about last night. My assistant got drunk. I wanted to make sure she got home okay. Yeah, I’ll let her know she needs to get a new wardrobe. Okay see you tonight.” He hung up the phone and grinned at Alice. “Maribel told me to tell you that you really need to get some new outfits because you looked very trashy last night.”
Alice glared at him, not bothering to answer him.
“So, let’s go.” Oliver jumped up.
“Go where?”
“Shopping.”
“I don’t have money to go shopping Oliver.”
“It’s on me. I want you to look smart for dinner tonight. We’re going to dinner with Maribel and her father.”
“What?”
“I want you to look more professional at dinner tonight, so let’s go shopping.” Oliver came over to her and kissed her passionately. “Great job today Alice, you are as talented as I thought you were.”
Alice couldn’t contain her beating heartbeat but looked at him in confusion. “Why am I coming tonight?”
“Because I want you to be there.” He said simply and took her hand and they walked to the elevator.
“Why did you call her honey?” Alice couldn’t stop the remark from coming out of her mouth. “You don’t seem the sort to use sweet euphemisms.”
“There’s one more thing you should know Alice,” he looked at her seriously. “Maribel doesn’t know that our dating is arranged.”
“What?” She looked at him in shock.
“She thinks that we are a real couple. That’s what her dad wanted.” He shrugged his shoulders.
“So, you weren’t joking last night? You would sleep with her?”
“That’s what most people do in relationships right?” Oliver looked at her carefully. “I hope that’s not going to be a problem for you. I’ll always make sure to wear protection. I would never put you at risk Alice.”
“Ok.” But she knew that he already had. He had put her heart at risk and she could feel it breaking as they rode down in the elevator.
“Do you love her?” She couldn’t stop from asking him the one question she knew could hurt her the most.
“No. You know I don’t believe in love Alice. This is like a job for me. It’s acting.”
“Don’t you have enough money to make this movie yourself Oliver? Without having to make this arrangement with John Gold?”
“The first rule of making movies is that you never use your own money Alice. The public is fickle. You never know when you will have a box-office bomb. I’m rich but not rich enough to finance a $100 million movie and be okay if it fails.”
“I see.” And she understood in her brain, it was her heart that was having a hard time accepting everything.
“Welcome to Hollywood Alice.” He didn’t smile as he spoke and they walked silently through the lobby and to his car.
Chapter 3
They pulled up to the mall about twenty minutes later and he turned to her, “Allow me to treat you to this clothes Alice. It’s the least I can do.”
She nodded her head in agreement and got out of the car without waiting for him. She had no energy left to refuse or to argue. She was too upset and emotionally depleted. She just wanted to be with him, and to enjoy him as much as she could.
“I want to be in the changing room with you as well, so I can see how everything looks.” He licked his lips and she laughed. He looked like an innocent boy and all of a sudden she felt replete. She would enjoy whatever time she had with him and take it for what it was worth.