My Everything

CH 15: Apologies

Chace slammed his heft body down into the chair startling Katie and swaying the trailer.

" Whoa! I don't think these chairs were designed for your moods," Katie retorts.

"I can not believe how self righteous, hypocritical, and down right nasty that Sophie is. I know you two are friends but you should be careful," Chace bellows.

Katie couldn't help but laugh at the notion of Sophie being some deviant.

"Be careful? Sophie wouldn't hurt a fly. She is the sweetest down to earth girl I have ever met. A real down to earth girl, not the ones the hot sheets like to claim are."

Chace scoffed lifting an eye brow up, " Well she has you fooled. She has some 'friends' in some high places if you know what I mean."

"Who do you me, Mark?"

"So you knew?! You knew they were having an affair?!" Chace scoffs.
Katie dropped the bottle of spray as she laughed from his insinuation.

" What makes you think they are having an affair?"

Chace re-called the story of his morning observations and then his conversation with Sophie that further confirmed his suspicions.

" Chace, you have heard of sarcasm haven't you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chace became defensive. Katie needed to tread lightly because Chace was her boss technically.

"Sophie was being sarcastic towards you when she "admitted" the affair. Mark, the Assistant Director,  is her brother and he was babysitting his niece last night."

Chace was struck silent as he filtered that fact under his previous observations. Now as he played the scenario in his head he can see that the interaction he saw was brotherly. That the two looked exactly alike. Both have brown eyes, wavy brown hair, and olive skin.

How had he not seen this from day one? Well it probably had something to do with the fact he was too self consumed to notice.

"Listen. I don't want to tell you what to do but you should apologize to her. You have put her through a lot and you aren't the easiest to live next to."

"I can't believe she didn't shove it in my face when I called her out like I did. She didn't even seem angry about it," Chace said in disbelief.

" You should take the time to get to know her, she is actually a very sweet person. And if I do say so myself I am a pretty good judge of character. Like I know you might let people believe you're a sex crazed celebrity but you too are a sweetheart deep down."

"Ok, you have made your point," Chace waved his hand dismissively.

Phoebe saw Chace enter the set and she ran to him and hugged his legs like she did everyday. Chace thought how easy it was  to get along with her but why couldn't it be that easy for her mom. Chace reciprocated the interaction by patting her back like he has done from day one.

"Hey Phoebe, where is your mom?" He figured he should waste no time and bury the hatchet.

"Packing up my school stuff over there," Phoebe pointed to a lounge area off to the side.

Chace walked over and noticed his pulse quicken and his palms began to sweat. This woman was not intimidating enough to cause this type of reaction in him and he usually never got nervous. Maybe he was nervous as it had been a long time since he had been the one giving an apology. Especially these days. He shoved his hands deep in his pockets.

"Um hey, it's Sophie right?" Realizing now they actually never had a formal introduction.

"Yup, what can I do for you? Any new mysteries you solved?" Sophie said, smirking.

"Ha ha ha. That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. I am sorry that I misunderstood what happened this morning. I didn't know that Mark was your brother."

Sophie met his gaze with a wide smile," I figured you didn't."

"You could have told me that." Sophie caught a hint of remorse his is oven blue eyes.

"Where would the fun be in that?"

"Can we have a re-do? I know I haven't been the easiest person to work with."

"Really? I hadn't noticed," Sophie chided.

"You aren't going to make this easy on me are you?"

"Have you made it easy on me?" Sophie held her fingers up to count off the offenses. " You accused me of mettling, then I believe your bedroom buddy called me a whore, and last but not least a pious hypocritical adulterous woman. You come here only with an apology about a 'misunderstanding'?" Sophie planted one hand on her hip.

Chace straightened his spine and puffed out his chest realizing this was not going as he had envisioned in his mind. "You're lucky I came with an apology at all. You have no idea how often I don't apologize because I don't need to," Chace ground out.

Sophie's eyes shot up to his jaw muscles clenching with each word. Apart of her stomach flipped with seeing the effect she had over him. "You say that like it's something to be proud of."

Chace came with good intentions, well decent ones and now he could feel the heat rising in his chest. He knew his face would soon betray him showing how this woman had the power to evoke such a heated response if he didn't end this quickly.

"You know, never mind. I was trying to be cordial with you for the sake of Phoebe and our work here."

Sophie chuckled, "That was trying?! You really have no clue how to actually resolve a conflict. It requires more than words but action."

She knew she was going for the jugular now but she couldn't help herself. He always got the best of her and this time he was going to realize he wasn't the center of the universe.

Sophie couldn't fathom why she felt the need to waste her energy on sanctifying Chace. She normally would have just accepted the apology and then politely been acquaintances.

Sophie could see Phoebe's bouncing curly pigtails coming at them, "Mom! I'm STARVING can we go now?"

"Yes, honey.  Just got all our stuff together." Sophie swung the bag over her shoulder.

"Mr. Chace, why is your face so red?" Phoebe asked, inspecting him curiously.

Sophie choked on her laugh as she grabbed Phoebe's hand pulling her away so Chace didn't have to come up with an excuse.