How You and I Collide

VI

Michelle glanced at her phone for the thousandth time. She had only a small circle of people who would call her in her personal phone that she hardly even carried it at all when she was with Max. Any urgent calls would come through her manager anyway. But right now, she couldn't help but wait for her phone to vibrate during her script reading and suddenly grow exasperated when it didn't. She was sitting in a press conference, in front of hundreds of cameras, to announce her new project with the main cast of the very project. Thankfully, they sat in a long and covered by a thick maroon fabric table so she can hide her phone at her side without reporters prying into her private life.

She exactly knew what she was getting into when she got into this business. That she would not be able to go out in public freely and everything she did and said was under a microscope. For the most part, she had nothing to hide and even less of a private life. In the beginning, she was followed by a lot paparazzi trying to dig up her relationships and dirty business but they gave up after months of following her to work and home and the occasional mall visits. She rarely even dined out, much preferring to cook for herself. She literally just preferred a quiet life and had no interest, when the cameras turned off, to continue to be someone she was not. As matter of fact, she felt on edge if she was in crowds for too long, as if someone would call her out a fraud at any moment. She thought it better for her brand if there was more speculation about her than truth, so she just worked and only did what publicity she needed to do to promote that work.

"Ms. Daniela, can you share why you chose Red Thread when it has been rumored that you were offered a more serious roles this time around?" A young reporter asked, the flashing from the cameras making the woman's face hard to see amongst the crowd.

Like she always do and almost professionally mastered, she flashed a smile and picked up the microphone in front of her, brought it up to her mouth.

"The simple answer is that I don't want to be casted as a serious actor." Her answer brought some laughter to the room, including the writer of Red Thread sitting next to her. Then she gave a pause for the laughter to die down before continuing. "I want to broaden my horizons. I think an actor, and any person, should experience all of life's flavors. Romantic-comedy is one of those and I hope to live up to your expectations in this project." She said and saw the same reporter nodded, indicating that her answer was satisfactory.

"Your co-star, Mr. Alden Richards, is known veteran and dubbed as Primetime Prince and Asia's Multimedia Star due to his ability to have chemistry with every single actor that has acted with him, what are your impressions of each other?" Another reporter asked.

Alden, her co-star sat on the other side of their writer. The guy has a good built and fairly handsome, with traditionally attractive features but gave off a boy-next-door, down to earth feel, giving her massive success in this genre. He smiled radiantly and answered as he side-glanced at her,

"Daniela is more beautiful in person, don't you agree? She's also so meticulous and polite. I thought she would be colder and tougher like in her movies, but I think she really embodies the character and I look forward to working with her."

Alden was also clearly well trained at giving interviews, she thought.

"Thank you, Bae." Michelle seconded. "Well, what can I say more? As you can see, Alden is a rare star. He is a true professional, a master of his craft and I hope that I don't break his record of having great chemistry. Actually, when I read the script sample and learned that he would be my acting partner, it eased some of my worries about taking on this genre. I think if there is anyone that can make me fall in love on screen, it would be him." Then she chuckled, leaning forward to look at the other actor, earning sighs and teasing from everyone present.