(Book 2) The Dark Side of Fame - Scarlett Johansson x Female Reader

Building a Better Future

May 2023...

I'm at the beach with Rose and Cosmo, waiting for Scarlett to finish filming her latest project. The paparazzi have been held back by the security team, but they're swarming like rats in a bin.

Rose and Cosmo are building sand castles whilst I read my book. Jack comes over and sits next to me with ice lollies for the kids. I gave him the day off, but Rose wanted him to come with us so he's kind of been working at the same time.

Jack: How's it going?
Me: Okay I think. You?
Jack: Pretty good all things considered. Have you heard anything about that guy?
Me: Nah, LAPD are still looking for him. I don't know if that's better or worse to be honest.
Jack: He'll show up. Kids okay?
Me: I think so. Rose doesn't seem to talk about it too much and Cosmo is on another planet most of the time, so I never really know what they're thinking.
Jack: She's just scared for you Y/N, she's worried something might happen.
Me: I know, I just don't want to promise her that something won't happen, in case of the worst, you know.
Jack: She told me she wanted me to start living in the guest house because she feels safer whenever I have to stay over.
Me: Really?
Jack: Yeah, but I told her I have a wife and kids, I can't just up and leave. I think she gets it.
Me: You know you and your family are welcome to the guest house whenever you'd like, Jack. You've been so good to us, so if you want the guest house, it's all yours.
Jack: Really? I mean, are you sure?
Me: You've always done stuff for us, no questions asked, so yeah, absolutely.
Jack: I'll talk to Frankie, thank you. We were looking to move anyway, the house is gonna feel really small when the baby comes.
Me: I get that. Even our house feels small with a baby in there now, and it's big enough to move the whole of LA in there.

Just then, there's a commotion amongst the paparazzi.

Jack: If there was ever a cue you needed to confirm your wife was in the area, that would be it.

Scarlett emerges from the ever growing group of paparazzi and sits with us.

Scarlett: I'm so done with those guys. Can we not just have a nice day with the kids? Hi Jack, by the way.
Jack: Yo. Sorry, I wouldn't normally be here but Rose practically dragged me.
Me: I'm gonna go with a no. How was your day?
Scarlett: You're like a big brother for her, Jack, so all good. Um...my day was, how do I explain this? So shitty.
Me: Oh yeah? How come?
Scarlett: Lea Michele. I cannot deal with her.
Me: Oh, don't. I worked with her on Same Time, Next Christmas. Absolutely would not recommend it again. She turned up 4 hours late, demanded her scenes be filmed first so she could go home early, spoke to everyone like shit on her shoe, then because the director said no, she just left, and came back a week later with a substantially better tan. A few days later photos turned up in the media of her in the Maldives. Absolute diva I swear.
Scarlett: She's just so mean to everyone! Her rider didn't include something she asked for because they couldn't get it in time and she basically lost her mind on set and refused to do anything until it was there. Then, her husband turns up with her kid and you basically never saw her again.
Me: Yeah we had an argument on set because I wanted to get home to the kids and because she'd been in hair and makeup literally all day, we couldn't leave until her scenes were done. She just didn't care that everyone else had a life to go back to, not just her. I can't stand the woman, honestly.
Scarlett: At least you don't have to kiss her.

Jack and I start crying from laughing so hard.

Scarlett: I hate you both.
Jack: Ah come on. It can't be that bad.
Scarlett: It is that bad! You have no idea.
Me: I'm not jealous of that at all, I get it. I mean, I'm jealous that someone else gets to kiss you, but I don't care for it being her.
Scarlett: Don't make it weird.
Tate: Why do you guys always seem to be in the same place as me?