Lights, Cameras, Love

Chapter 8. | Bad Decisions

Maybe letting a man that I don't know much at all about into my home wasn't my brightest moment. But I don't think he would budge no matter how many times I would've told him no, so I simply didn't bother.

By now I've let him walk through my door, so that means no turning back from my awful decision-making. I mean I could've faked a text or call from Gracie but no, I just had to hear what this freakishly tall man had to say.

I close the door behind me, locking it for extra security. I turn back to Apollo who was leaning back on the island staring back at me. I walk slowly up to him, my heels clanking with every step I take.

"You had something to tell me??" I speak in almost a whisper before I glance at his butterfly tattoo right on the back of his hand. "What's with the tattoo" I blurt. I want to hide in a hole now, why in the fuck did I say that.

He keeps looking at me not caring to even glance anywhere else around me. There's a pause before he decides to speak, "The tattoo just so happens to not be your business, and yes I had a question for you.".

"Yea and what will that be?" he looks down and shakes his head like he's holding back a snicker. I cross my arms around my chest and give him my most unamused look, "Oh calm down, do you never laugh?" 'not when something isn't funny dick head' I want to say, but I hold back.

"My question was if you want to do offset rehearsal?" he's looking at me with a serious look but I can't contain myself, I burst out laughing so hard I nearly start tearing up. But once I look up at him he still has that serious facial expression.

"There's no way you're serious" I'm not laughing anymore because each second he stays silent makes me think he's not joking. He nods at me which gives the green light to know that he is not joking, by now I'm sure I have that lost look all over my face.

"You would know that if you didn't spend a minute laughing, which by the way gave me an answer to my whole 'never laugh' question" I guess in some ways he had a point, but I wouldn't let him know that for a second.

"And it gave me just enough time to get a glance in this kitchen, which leads me to my next question" I wait for him to continue but he must've been nervous or something because he didn't answer for a few heartbeats.

"How did your kitchen get in this state" I look over his shoulder peeking at the chaos the three musketeers left for little old me to clean. Pans and all kinds of utensils are scattered everywhere in the same places they were when they all left. It was almost like they disappeared randomly.

"My parents and an old friend visited before the meeting today, and I just didn't have time to get dolled up and clean" I say trying not to look into why my parents could contain themselves in a room together. "You sound a bit confused about that?" okay this man just confirmed that I'm very easily read.

"Long story" I try to avoid his hint of curiosity, but he just has to back me into a corner "And I've got time". I move away from him and walk to the sink where the plates sit, I slap on some gloves and turn on the water. Grabbing the sponge now I begin telling him about my parents, "My mom and dad got a divorce when I was little" I look up at him but he doesn't give me the 'oh you poor thing, I'm so sorry speech he just waits for me to finish my story.

"They just couldn't be in the same room without some type of pissing contest, so it's not all the time they just sit in the same room and make pancakes" that makes him snicker."Now I'm starting to understand" he pauses a questioning look comes over his face "Who is this old friend?? you skipped right over that" fuck, I had completely forgotten I had mentioned Theo.

"Just a childhood friend who I haven't seen in a while" but a while is an understatement, I hadn't seen Theo in years but even that felt like an understatement as well. My knees ached from walking on these stilts all day so I kicked both off to the side and began placing the dishes into the dishwasher. I had forgotten that Apollo was in the room still but to be fair he is quieter than any other person that I've met before.

"Was this your ideal job?" he was talking about acting and yet the question was still a bit too personal. "Yes actually, I used to play dress-up and recreate 13 going on 30 as practice" thinking of little me I realized I had no idea who that little girl was, what her joys may have been, or what made her giggle. Who was that familiar face and why can't I find her?

But I don't say that out loud, thank god. "What about you?" I reverse the question onto him now, "Nope I wanted to have a talk show like Jimmy Fallon" I place the last dish and close the dishwasher up pressing start. "I don't take you as a talker" I snap my head up at him "Hence why I didn't pursue it" my mouth opens but I quickly shut it.

I peel off my gloves, grab a cloth and spray to wipe the down the counters. I spritz some onto the counter and begin wiping away the evidence of what's been causing my mind to fog up. I suffered for 18 years of my life for them to be what? best friends? I wasn't angry, I wasn't upset, I was just disappointed.

I finished cleaning quickly before one more second could go by with Apollo observing me like I was some wild animal. I turn to him now "Didn't anyone ever tell you that staring was rude young man?" I walk up to him "You know," I drag out the o "You can take a picture, it last longer".

"Maybe I was just waiting for you to answer my question from earlier" oh I had completely forgotten about the question and thinking on the spot...It couldn't be that bad. "Fine, I'll do off-set rehearsal" he clapped his hands together once which I'm pretty sure shook the whole apartment complex.

I look at my phone to see it's 12:30, "Shit, it's late you should head home" I try to excuse him walking over to my couch "You're not getting rid of me that easily, Victoria" he takes a seat on the couch as well. I look over at him "Like comedy movies?" I lift my brow slightly, he looks at me with a reassuring smile "You know it".

I have a feeling this rehearsal thing won't be that bad after all.