Page 21 of The Starlet
Yes, and you still don’t know everything you do to me.He has an idea, based upon our earlier conversation and activities, but my feelings for him run so much deeper than just sexual. When I’m with him, I’m whole. I’m not lonely. The little annoying voice in my head is screaming at me to make a move, to let him know exactly how he makes me feel, but… I’m scared. What if he turns out to be like everyone else and is just using me to get ahead in his career?
Stop it, Elena. He’s not.He would have tried something long before now.
“Hey, do you want to help me run lines for our next filming day? I’m having a difficult time trying to figure out how I want to deliver them.”
He smirks. “Sure.”
He’s probably figured out this is my not so subtle way of asking for some alone time. Being on set where ears are everywhere though, it’s best to be discreet about things. “Perfect.” My phone rings, and I look down at the restricted number. Thinking it might be the detective working on my case, I answer. “Hello?”
There is nothing but heavy breathing on the other end, almost as if someone is running. Maybe it’s a butt dial? “Hello? Are you there?” I ask again. I pull the phone away from my face to look at the lit screen again. When I put it back to my ear, the line disconnects.Weird.
“Who was it?”
“I don’t know. It sounded like they were running, and then they hung up. It must have been a butt dial.”
Cristina and Chloe approach us and sit on the other side of the table. “Hey, ladies. How’s it going?” he asks.
“Have you heard about Emily?” Chloe asks, looking at me with a smirk on her face. She knows I love hearing gossip, but I don’t like to ask questions.
We shake our heads. “No, I heard she and Tait having an argument, and she looks sick as a dog. What happened?”
She leans closer and keeps her voice down. “Mono. Got it from a local is the rumor.”
Not as scandalous as it could have been, but I’m intrigued.“What’s Tait going to do?”
“I guess she found a replacement, and she’ll be here tomorrow night.”
“Wow, that’s fast. Hopefully, she’s able to keep him in line like Emily. That girl is a miracle worker with him.”
“Anyway, just wanted to give you the news. I’ll see you on set. They’re expecting both of you back in ten minutes.” The girls get up, leaving the two of us sitting there to finish our meals.
* * *
Bradley is stillon set when I finish filming my last scene for the day. He told me he would come by after he was done, and I’m a bundle of nerves. He would never push me to do anything; I know he’s not like that. I just feel like I’m a high school nerd with a crush on the star quarterback.Funny how insecurities creep up on us.I take the car back with Chloe and Jimmy, my security guard. He’s a big guy—not overly tall, but thick—and has a Mediterranean quality to him. His room is a few over from mine, and every night since I got the letter, he checks my room before I go in.
As we approach, I see a rose laying outside my room and I freeze. Jimmy is the first one to the door, and he picks it up. He examines it then opens the door and tells me to wait in the hall for him. He comes back moments later with the all clear, but he’s holding a small envelope in his hand.
“What’s that?” I ask, stepping into my room.
“It was shoved under the door. It could be from him. Do you want me to open it, or do you want to?”
I motion for him to open it, and he rips the top and pulls the sheet of paper out. Then, he reads it out loud. “You looked so beautiful on set today. I wanted to run my fingers through your silky strands and tell you how beautiful you are in person. There are so many people keeping us apart right now, but I know if you give me a chance, you will see that I’m the one for you. Meet me at the bar tomorrow night. Your truest love.”
I try to stop myself from shaking before I speak. “Can you get this to Mr. Klipse, my detective, please?”
“You got it, Ms. Conners. The rest of your room looks fine. I suggest you and I exchange rooms. That way, this person won’t know you’ve moved. It might be easier for us to try to catch him.”
“What about going down to the bar tomorrow? I can be there, and we can try to catch him. Use me as bait.”
“No. You’re not going to put yourself out there like that. It’s reckless. We’ll find another way to get to him. In the meantime, I’m going to call the manager of the hotel and let him know what is going on. I want him to limit the people who are allowed on this floor. Please, call me if you need me tonight. I’ll be close by. I’m also going to call to get a list of people on the crew. He might be an extra though, and that’ll be harder to track.”
“Thanks, Jimmy. I appreciate it.”
If he is an extra, where would he have seen me today? Most of my scenes were inside and included only the main cast.I toss the rose in the trashcan and tidy up my room, pushing all of this to the back of my mind. Bradley will be here soon, and I don’t want anything to ruin my night. Just thinking of us on the bed earlier and against the wall after has my body humming. I close my eyes, focusing on the memory of his hands on me.
There’s a sharp knock on the door, causing me to jump, the noise pulling me from my daydream. I look at the clock and figure it’s Bradley. He wasn’t too far behind me. I take a final look around the room, making sure it’s clean, and then open the door. There’s a man standing there that I don’t recognize, and I begin to panic. I widen my eyes, my heart racing, palms getting sweaty, and I can’t do anything but stand there frozen.
Is this my stalker?