The Cate Blanchett Case {Cate Blanchett}

11~The Interaction

I was on the floor of my kitchen, my head against the cold tiles when I heard my phone ring.

"Shit," I cursed and stood up from the floor, stopping for a second as the world spun.

When I recovered from my dizzy spell, I ran across my apartment to my coat rack. I hit my side on the corner of one of my kitchen counters, the pain I was already feeling from my hangover headache amplifying the new pain in my side. I cursed again before diving into my coat pocket to get my phone.

Cate's name flashed across the screen as it came into focus, I really shouldn't have gone out last night.

"Hello," I groaned, forgetting myself for a second and then clearing my throat to speak again. "Hello," I said, my voice clearer and more confident.

The cold temperature of the tiles only provided so much relief, so when Cate's voice came through the phone it echoed through my head like someone had taken a bat to my brain.

It hurt so much that I put the phone down on the tiles next to me and put the call on loud speaker.

"Thalia, are you alright?" I needed water and some painkillers, I was most certainly not alright.

I will never drink again.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," I said dismissively, hoping she'd stop with the whole caring thing.

Before she could say anything else, or try and say I was lying I spoke. "Are you calling about the interview? Same time at your place?" I asked her, completely unaware of the other arrangements we'd made.

Cate hummed as if she was deciding on something, the sound filled the room. It might have been the hangover, or the remanants of last night's episode but for some reason when she hummed the sound washed over me, like a caress.

Just as I recovered from the completely inappropriate reaction I'd had, Cate spoke again, "did you forget what we were doing today?" She asked me and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

"Yeah, the dinner! No I remember, are you picking me up?" I asked her, hoping that I wouldn't have to pay for a taxi just for us to leave her house anyway.

"Of course," she said, as if it was stupid of me to assume that she'd let me pay for a taxi. The unspoken agreement that she'd take care of anything warmed my heart and I hated that beyond belief.

Angrily, I stood up from the floor with my phone, swaying a bit before righting myself. "What time will you be here?" I asked her and heard a quiet little laugh, as if she found something funny. What was funny?

"20 minutes after you send me your address," I could almost see her cocky little smile from over the phone and a part of me wanted to give back my own cocky quip but I stopped myself.

Professionalism.

"Okay," I answered simply, afterwards giving her my address and ending the call.

20 minutes to get ready, I could work with that.

~

I could not work with that.

When the doorbell rang I was mid brushing my teeth, it had taken me too long to find an outfit and then actually stick to that outfit choice after putting it on.

"Shit," I swore with a mouthful of toothpaste, quickly spitting it out into the sink and shoving my toothbrush into a pot, I sped out of the bathroom and too the door, despite not being ready.

Cate looked beautiful. It made me even more embarrassed at my dishevelled appearance, so embarrassed that I rapidly ran my hand through my knotty hair. However, I had come to the conclusion that it wasn't her appearance that made me think she was beautiful. Yes, her blonde hair was pretty, framing her face perfecfly. Yes, she was wearing something that accentuated her body and made her look beyond gorgeous.

I looked away. Nevermind her appearance, focus on your own! I ran my hand through my hair again, wincing when it got caught in a particularly knotty spot.

I could feel Cate's eyes roam me and then a musical laugh left her as she came to the conclusion that I was, in fact, quite a mess. I really didn't want her to see me like this, hence the desperate attempt to smooth down my crazy hair.

I don't know I cared so much about how I looked to her, I wanted to seem professional and strictly business but I seemed to be struggling with that. Maybe because it's my first job.

I looked down at the floor as she laughed, being laughed at was not something I enjoyed and I never would. This was the second time Cate had laughed at me and I was starting to get extremely upset about it.

Extremely upset until Cate quelled my impending anger. "You could have told me you needed a little longer," she told me softly, stepping into my apartment as I moved back to let her in. "Would you like some help with your hair, darling?" Her question was a simple one but it was also extremely inappropriate.

I couldn't let Cate Blanchett sit and do my hair, could I? I wouldn't let this relationship become anymore unprofessional. I was just about to deny her offer when she ran a hand through my hair, scratching my scalp slightly.

I looked up at her to see her looking deeply into my eyes, god, her stare was intense. However, this time I had no idea what her eyes were telling me, they were dark with some extreme emotion, an emotion I didn't understand.

My breathing partially stopped as hers became heavier and she closed her eyes, almost like she was centering herself. Or maybe having an internal battle with herself.

When her eyes snapped open I gasped and was instantly shocked out of whatever was going on between us. Whatever it was, it wasn't professional.

I moved away from her, letting her hand drag through my hair, loosening all the knots and kinks in my hair before eventually she wasn't touching me at all.

"Uh, no, I have it thanks," I said dismissively and I swore I saw a flash of disappointment in her eyes, the previous emotion vanishing almost as quickly as I'd seen it.

Cate nodded and changed the subject as I lead her further into my apartment that was only marginally cleaner. "I hope you're hungry, I was thinking we go to this nice little place quite a bit away."

I nodded absently as I turned around to go and find a hairbrush to tackle my wild mess of hair.

I could only hope that whatever had happened between us before wouldn't ever happen again.