As Noel walks up the 3 flights of stairs to get to her apartment, she can't help but let her thoughts wander. How does he have the nerve to give me this message, let alone know to give it to me? As she reaches the door, pulling her keys out of her pocket, she unlocks the door. Kicking the door open with her shoe, she freezes to see Chloe asleep on her couch.
"Chloe!" She belts out making her friend jump up off the couch like there was a robber in the room.
"What?!" She looks over, watching Noel close the door. Watching her friend's body language, she rushes over to her.
"What happened?" Chloe grabs her hands trying to get her to look at her. "Talk to me!"
"I didn't get exactly what Mr. Walker asked." She hangs her head as she takes off her shoes.
"What do you mean you didn't get EXACTLY what he wanted?" Chloe grabs her arm as she walks past her.
Noel doesn't say anything, just pulls out the paper from her purse and hands it to her. She looks down at the words, raising an eyebrow, then looks over at her. Dropping her hand to her side she takes a few steps toward Noel, who has now sat down on the couch.
Chloe holds up the paper in her hand. "What does this mean?" She takes a seat next to her on the couch.
"He gave that to me on the carpet." Noel looks up at her with a worried look on her face. "What do I do?"
Chloe sets the paper down on the coffee table in front of them. Turning to face Noel she takes her right hand in hers. "What do you want to do about it? Do you want the exclusive? Or do you want to let Mr. Walker hold this over your head for the next foreseeable future?"
Noel's eyes move from the paper to her best friend's face. She breathes in a deep breath before she says, "I want the exclusive, but that isn't the issue." Pulling her hand back out of hers, she stands up and starts to pace the floor.
"Ok? What IS the issue?" Chloe stands up and grabs her by the shoulders and shakes her slightly.
Noel shakes her head from side to side to gain some sort of clarity. Her heart was racing, and her palms were beginning to sweat. The confusion from all of this was making her question her sanity.
"It's not the interview, it's something else. You have known me for a long time, and I find it hard to even speak to you about this." Looking over at her she grabs Chloe's arms and pulls them off her. "You know I've avoided dating and any idea of being romantic with anyone, right?"
"Yeah, you keep saying it's a waste of time and a way to distract you from getting anywhere in your job." Chloe rolls her eyes as she mocks what Noel always says when someone asks her why she is single.
"Right, but this was different. Let me tell you. I've never felt much when I have been around a guy. I just try to act interested and nice." She lets her hands go as she turns and starts to pace again.
"Noel? What is going on?" She watches her friend wear a path on the floor, as she picks at her fingers nervously.
"I don't know if I can explain it. I felt something when he touched me." She stops and stares at her.
Chloe's mouth drops as she doesn't understand what she just heard. "Touched you? Noel are you feeling ok?"
Noel throws her hands up above her head as she walks over to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Chloe rushes over to the door, trying to turn the knob, but she had already locked it. Chloe knocks lightly on the door as she leans her ear to the wood.
"I wasn't making fun of you. Please talk to me. I'm your best friend. You can trust me with whatever you have going on." She turns her back to the door sliding down it, until she was sitting on the floor.
The door suddenly opens as Chloe falls backwards into the bathroom. The two of them start to laugh as Noel helps her up off the floor. As Chloe stands up she hugs her tight as Noel sighs out a deep breath.
"I'm just trying to understand all of this. He grabbed my hand and I felt something that I've never felt around anyone, EVER!" Her breath shuddered slightly.
Chloe pulls back so she could look her in the eye. "If anything, maybe that is a reason to go get this interview. Maybe he felt something too. You never know." She pulls her into another hug.
"Yeah, maybe you're right, but he is a big movie star. He doesn't care about little me." She whispers back to her.
Chloe pulls away from her as she pulls her out of the bathroom. "Just go. Either way, you will come out on top. Mr. Walker will be happy; your career will flourish and maybe you will get something else out of it." She nudges her in the side with her elbow.
"You're right, but I'm not looking for anything other than my exclusive. Regardless of what I felt out there." Noel grabs her shoes, slipping them on. Grabbing her coat and purse, she hugs Chloe one last time before walking out of the front door.
As she walks down the stairs, she checks her bag for the recorder to tape the interview. Pulling out the paper she holds it in her hands. Staring at the words again, she almost runs into someone as she hits the ground floor.
"Hey! Watch it!" The guy yells at her as he rushes past her.
"Sorry!" She replies.
Walking out onto the cold street she steps over to the curb looking for the sign of a taxi. One was coming down the street, making her rush to the edge of the curb. Holding her hand out she whistles loudly. The cab pulls over to the curb right next to her with a screech. She hops off the curb jumping into the car.
"Where to Miss?" The older gentleman looks into the rearview mirror.
She gives him the address as she pulls her jacket closer to her from the chill of the night. Pulling her phone out she looks down at the screen. A text pops up from Chloe:
You've got this girlie! I'm so proud of you!
Call me if you have any issues.
'You know I'll be there in 10 seconds flat!
She giggles to herself as she types a reply to her:
I love you so much!
I promise if I get in danger from the
gorgeous movie star, I will call you first!
Putting her phone back into her pocket, she notices the car starts to slow as it pulls over to the curb in front of the address. Scanning the street, she sees a crowd of people gathered around someone. Typical LA, she thinks to herself. She pays the driver as she steps out of the car. The crowd was slowly dispersing as she looks over at what or who was causing the scene.
Her eyes could only see the back of the person's head, but she would be able to pick him out from 50 yards out. There he was, out walking the streets of LA by himself. She smiles to herself as she steps up onto the curb. Walking over to the door of the hotel she stands there watching as the last person wanders off. He turns around, looking up the street, making eye contact with her. He smiles then starts to walk toward her. She stands there frozen as he closes the distance between them. Her heart starts to race as her breath is cut short in her lungs.
As he walks up to her, he holds out his hand. She takes his hand as he brings it up to his lips, kissing the back of her hand. She could feel the red rushing over her face.
"Jeremy." She says with bated breath.
"You ready?" He lets her hand go as he holds out his arm for her to grab. She loops her arm through his as he opens the door, ushering her inside.
YOU ARE READING
Under The Mistletoe
FanfictionNoel is a successful journalist who has done all she could to climb the ladder in her field. When her boss sends her out to cover a new premiere, she doesn't say no. Her holidays were always centered around work. While at this premiere, she happens...
