Page 13 of Hollywood Crush (West Wales Romance #2)

Daniel

My alarm went off disgustingly early for a Sunday.

I was filming no scenes once again, as Marjorie had thrown a fit about working on the Lord’s day of rest and somehow brought filming to a halt in a way that no union ever had.

Because of this, it was the first time I had chance to see Tudor properly for the first time since we had agreed to ‘keep it casual’ earlier in the week. And he was taking me hiking.

Well, he said it wasn’t considered ‘hiking’ if we were just dawdling up the nearest mountain, taking the same route as old ladies did and didn’t need any more advanced hiking gear than trainers and a tracksuit. But it still felt far too much like cardio for me.

There was a knock at the door that I knew was Tudor and I rolled out of bed in my boxers to answer it. I did my best to flatten my hair down beforehand. I always felt like a mess in the mornings. When I opened the door he gave an appreciative wolf whistle and looked me up and down.

“Well, I did say to dress appropriately and this isn’t what I had in mind…but I can definitely work with it,” he said.

I pulled him into the room and shut the door behind him. “Shut up,” I said. “If I had my way we’d have spent all day in here fucking like rabbits.”

“Well you’re doing a lot to convince me,” he said. He put one hand on the back of my head tentatively and pulled me in for a kiss. I allowed him a quick peck and pulled away.

“No. Ew. Gross, I have morning breath. And haven’t showered yet. I thought when you said to be up at half past five, you meant to wake up at that time. Not up and dressed and showered and looking good.”

“You do look good. Is the great Daniel Ellison insecure in the mornings somehow?”

“No. I mean yes. I mean…I always have to look my best. For everyone.”

“Well don’t bother for me. I think you look good anyway.”

I felt myself blushing. It wasn’t often that I got compliments from anyone who didn’t want anything from me.

“I’ll be right back,” I said. I stepped into the bathroom, closed the door and turned on the shower.

I stepped in to the steamy spray and let it wake me up completely.

Whilst I was in there, I did my usual full body routine, albeit as quickly as I could.

Shower gel, full body scrub and exfoliate, moisturiser, then the same all again for my face.

The only thing I didn’t do was shave. There were more prisoner scenes coming up, and Stacey had asked that I avoid shaving on my day off so she’d have an easier job making me look dishevelled.

“If I’d known you were going to take this long, I’d have told you five o clock. We’re going to miss what I need to show you!”

“Bloody hell, let’s go then.” I pulled on the designer tracksuit and shoes I had Sandra send over.

They were lovely, but I felt stupidly overdressed compared with Tudor in his old jeans and well-worn hiking boots.

He moved to leave, but I grabbed his arm.

“Sorry, almost forgot. Two secs.” I turned my phone on, flicked over to Instagram and turned on the camera.

I made sure the lighting in the room was appropriate and gave the camera my best smile.

“On my days off, I always wear tracksuits by Nolan. They’re comfortable and amazing to work out in!

Swipe up to see the amazing offers they have on their entire range with my exclusive promo code! ”

I added a link and the promo code to the video and sent it out into the Insta-sphere. Tudor rolled his eyes the second I locked eyes on him. “Do you have to do that for everything?” he asked.

“Pretty much, yeah.” I felt embarrassed enough doing the promotional ads normally but now with Tudor’s disapproving look I felt even more stupid. I grabbed my glasses from the bedside table and put them on - there was no need to wear contacts if I wasn’t going anywhere on screen.

“Thing is,” Tudor whispered as he led me out into the hall and past Marjorie’s room. “You don’t even know if that exercise gear is all that good. You might find after a walk out on the mountain that it’s shit.”

“I might…”

“But you’re happy to shill it out to hundreds of thousands of potentially young and impressionable fans? A bit gross, to be honest.”

“Hollywood was built on artifice,” I countered as we headed down the stairs. “Marilyn Monroe had a fake name, Pamela had fake boobs. Now we sell products we’ve hardly touched to put food in our bellies.”

“That’s…sad,” said Tudor. “I like the real Daniel Ellison. I’m glad I get to see him. I think I get to see him.”

“Things aren’t so black and white,” I said.

Tudor led me out to the van. The few paparazzi who had stuck out weeks of filming to snap photos usually waited just down the road, on the boundary that Tudor had clearly marked as his private land, so I ducked my head until Tudor signalled with a tap on my thigh that we had passed them.

I continued. “Yes, I put on a show for people. It’s my job.

But don’t we all? You can go on and on about being your authentic self, and that’s admirable.

But you’ll be a different person around your friends, your family, me.

You’re always real. But you’re not always the same you .

We all change based on our surroundings…

I just happen to be more of a chameleon than most. I try my best to impress everyone I meet, because that could be the difference between a successful acting career and… ”

“And being stuck running a cheap hotel in the middle of nowhere for the rest of your life? I get you.” I worried I had offended Tudor but when I looked over he was smiling as he looked out to the road.

“I just…I don’t want you to try with me.

Soon enough, you’ll be out of Hiraeth and back to your crazy world of film marketing, martinis and cocaine as a meal starter.

For now, with me, just be as you as you can be. ”

“I’ll try,” I said. Truth was, sometimes I struggled to find the real Daniel Ellison under all the glitz and glamour and hard work.

What did I do to switch off in the evenings?

Read movie scripts and promote whatever banal brand Sandra sent my way.

Had it not been for Tudor, I’d have spent my day off in my room with no-one but my phone for company.

I rested my head again the window, much as I had when Sandra had brought me here for the first time.

It wasn’t raining, but the fog was low today and restricted my vision more than fifty metres either way.

It felt oppressive and gloomy, much as I had imagined rural Wales to be when I first got the job offer.

Tudor turned up the radio and hummed under his breath at an old 90s tune.

I looked over at him. His eyes were fixed on the road and he was entirely in his own world.

He was a ray of sunshine on this cloudy day, and I felt the joy through him.

He glanced over at me, just for a second, and I felt my cheeks heat.

I had no idea how I was going to keep this thing casual.

“You OK?” he asked. “We’re almost there.”

“All good here,” I replied. Tudor pulled into a little gravel car park and turned off the engine. He hopped out with all the excitement of a puppy. “This way,” he said and marched off into the fog. I hurried to follow him.

“Bit of a gloomy day to hike, isn’t it?” I said as I caught up.

“That’s what you think,” replied Tudor.

“No, it is. It is objectively foggy. You can’t pretend the day is sunny and bright when it’s not.”

“You’re an actor,” he said. “Act.”

“Oh, it’s so sunny I can’t see! Let me get out my sunglasses.” I pulled out an imaginary set of sunglasses and set them on my nose. “Oh, there we go. Much better.”

“It’s a wonder you’ve never won an Emmy.”

“Hey, I was nominated.” It was a slightly sore subject with Sandra, but I didn’t let on.

It seemed to be getting brighter as we walked higher, and soon I was puffing and wheezing even though Tudor seemed to be coping absolutely fine.

“Dazzles millions with his smile, abs of steel and Calvin Klein campaigns and he can’t even walk up a hill?” Tudor muttered.

“Cardio doesn’t get me roles. Muscles do.”

“Roles, roles, roles. Is that all there is?”

“Not right now,” I said. I grabbed Tudor’s hand and he practically dragged me forward and upward.

“I promise it’ll be worth it,” he said.

“Sure, Jan.”

Tudor laughed and gripped my hand tighter.

I hadn’t seen anyone around for ages, so it felt nice to be able to hold him without any fear of other people’s opinions or my own intrusive thoughts getting in the way.

Walking the cold and foggy mountain where no-one could possibly see us felt lovely.

Though now I noticed I could see a lot further and the sun was more than just a slightly brighter spot in the fog.

It was actually getting difficult to look up, the sky was so bright.

“Not much further,” said Tudor encouragingly. “Almost there.”

“Don’t believe a word you say any more, I replied.”

Tudor turned to me with a mischievous look in his eye and raised one eyebrow. “Not even when I say I’m going to kiss you right here and now?”

“Not even-” I started, but didn’t have time to finish my sentence before Tudor threw himself onto me, Smothering my face with kisses and knocking my glasses askew.

“Ew, gross. I’m all sweaty!” I said.

“Don’t care, Mr Ellison. I do not care at all.” Tudor wiped at my forehead dramatically and leaned in for another kiss. I couldn’t help but smile as I returned the much sweeter, tender kiss. After a second, Tudor pulled away, took my hand in his once more and resumed the trek up the mountain.