Aftertaste - A Chris Evans Story

27

Chris and I are sat eating breakfast the next morning when Amy walks in and stops dead in her tracks. 

"Oh...Chris? Hi, I didn't realise you were - erm- staying in LA". She looks surprised to see him sitting there, almost like it's illegal for us to be in the same room together if it's not at some event. 

My eyes go from her to Chris and he swallows a mouthful of toast. "Amy, hi...and I'm not. Was only over here for a meeting, I head back today". 

The looks now being exchanged between them has turned into somewhat of a silent standoff. Possibly this would be the same reaction I'd have if Megan were here. "Well...enjoy the rest of your stay..." She just nods curtly and then turns to me. "Did you forget that you have a couple of interviews this morning?" 

"Quite possibly pushed it to the back of my mind during a night of mind blowing sex" I fire back. 

That wasn't the only thing that was blowing. 

"Well we need to leave soon". Amy says stiffly. 

"How soon?" i ask sweetly

"Half hour". 

I slip off the bar stool and nod to Chris to follow. "C'mon then Evans, just time for one more round to get you energised for your flight". 

We head upstairs and shut the bedroom door, both of us smirking to one another. Amy is seething and no doubt on the phone right now to Lucy and Megan to discuss damage control. We both know that they'll be against this - that they'll think it won't last as a now somewhat normal relationship. 

"We could really piss her off and fake a proposal" Chris smirks, giving me a kiss on my hair. 

This throws me a little at the thought that perhaps one day this could happen. Instead I give a small chuckle. "You don't wanna marry me, You'd be constantly correcting me of what American alternatives are here compared to England" He still finds it hilarious about the whole 'Eraser/rubber' discussion we had one lunch break on set. 

"And even then you're still perfect" He smirks, now leaning down and kissing me deep. "Let's keep her waiting". He murmurs in between, guiding me back to the bed. 

**

The silence that is hanging during the car journey is golden for once. Amy is on her phone and has said nothing since the while awkward kitchen encounter this morning. 

"What magazine is this for again?" 

"Cosmo". 

"Ok". 

Amy now slams her phone down into her lap. "Do you not realise how stupid you are? Did you somehow forget about what happened with you and Chris those other times? What he said".

Here we fucking go... 

"Don't try and lecture me about who I date, you have no right sticking your nose in". 

"I do when I'm your fucking publicist!" She argues. "He's only going to do to you what he did to Jenny, Ev". 

"You mean 'we'" I correct her, "What 'we' did to her and, by the way, I don't feel as guilty about it now I know the whole truth". 

"You and Scott had such a good thing going! You had a future" 

"Did we? Go call him and he'll tell you otherwise!" 

Amy is furious. "Because you ruined that for you both! If you weren't so hung up on Chris Fucking Evans and pining for him like a lost puppy at every opportunity you had! You'd have probably been happily trekking around Clint Eastwood's California estate and actually making a name for yourself in the right way! Good press Ever! It's all about GOOD press." 

"I have made a name for myself in the right way! As if I'd ever use Scott because of his family name! It's not about press Amy, even if it is for you. It's about my job and my happiness! Whether you like it or not? Chris makes me happy, happier than anyone ever could. We fucked up, sure we did but if we weren't meant to have been together then the studios wouldn't keep throwing us into roles with one another!" 

I don't stop there, this bitch needs to be put in her place. "You don't actually care about me, both you and Lucy, you only care about my name". 

"Brand " She corrects me, "YOU ARE A 'BRAND' EVER!" The emphasis on the word just shows exactly what she thinks about me. I'm not a person. Just another money maker for their management. Chris would be furious if she'd said that in front of him. 

By now the car has stopped and I get out, walking into the building for the interview without even bothering to wait for her. I put my happy face on, meet with the columnist who I'll be talking with today and go about my business like a pro. 

Afterwards I head home (Amy tapping away angrily on her phone all the way there) and can finally breathe once she and the car are gone and I'm finally alone. 

Chris 🐶: Back home, how was the interview? xx

I click on his name and press 'call'. He picks up after a couple of rings. "Hey you". His voice is warm, his accent making me feel instantly better from the moment I hear him. 

"Hey" I say softly. "I've had a shit day, and I mean really shit". 

Now he sounds concerned and suspicious, clearly knowing that it's Amy who is the person responsible. "What's wrong Ev?" 

"I need to get out of here..." I say shakily and now begin to cry. "I can't stay here in LA anymore, I need a new manager, representation - they don't care about me, Amy said I was a 'brand'." 

"What the shit!" He fumes, " A 'brand'! God I hate that term! Ok, listen - I want you to get a flight to Boston. You're coming here and you're staying with me. This what I meant by privacy Ever, you'll have a hell of a lot more here than you would there". 

"I...I have shoots, interviews..." I'm not beginning to panic. 

"Let your publicist deal with it" He says sarcastically. "It's like I said Evermore, we won't have privacy that we need. We wanna do this right? We've gotta get you a better manager and actually have time away from cameras". He sighs. "You need a break, when was the last time you had a proper one?" 

I can't really remember. 

My silence says it all. "Exactly". He concurs. "Ever...come to Boston, put yourself first for once". 

I say nothing for the moment, my mind in a complete spin. But he's right. I can't be with toxic management anymore. I need ones that actually care. These guys got my foot in the door, sure, but now? I'm worth more and quite literally. 

"Ok" I say and half laugh. "Ok, I'll come to Boston". 

He laughs with me. "That's my girl". 

But he's right, about being his girl. About everything. It's time to actually make my own damn choices without the influence of managers of publicists. 

And I choose him.