The Hollywood Pact

Eight

GUY

I thought it would be easier to convince a woman to marry me than to have sex with me. After all, who wouldn't want to carry the Carver name in this city? The answer to that question is quite simple: Daisy Lynton.

I could see she was the kind of prissy girl who thought too much and enjoyed too little. I wouldn't go to all this trouble for her if it were just a casual relationship, but what brought me here was the need to save my career and stay away from England.

To complicate everything, the photo frame on her side table indicated that there was a boyfriend in the play. Not that he was a big deal. From the photo, he looked more like an average American who hadn't quite left high school.

As soon as I entered Daisy's apartment, I looked at that cramped place.

It was terrible and smelled of cigarettes. Still, the photos scattered across the tables, the cracks in the wall and the post-its stuck in the refrigerator gave me a strange sense of home and intimacy. I didn't even know those people. But they lived here for real, their marks were in every corner of the apartment.

"So?" Daisy asked, drawing my attention back to her.

Daisy had an average beauty. She didn't have her hair dyed like half of Hollywood. It was brown and a weird mix of straight and curly strands. It went a little past her shoulders. Her brown eyes were large and kind of slanted like she had some Asian traits in her genetics.

But what caught my attention were her thick thighs squeezed by the small dress she wore. She was curvy. She could be a bikini model with that body.

"Okay" I cleared my throat, trying to focus on her face "Here's the thing. As you know, I'll be deported in two months if I don't find an excuse to be here. Unfortunately, I also have some legal problems, which doesn't help much with the whole situation."

"I can imagine"

"Anyway, my last resource is to get married, and that's when you come in, Daisy Lynton".

"You don't need to keep repeating my name every two minutes just to prove you know it".

"You marry me" I ignored her ironic comment. "It's very easy. I searched. We just need to sign a paper at the nearest City Hall and do an interview in two months proving that we are a couple in love."

"Which we are not."

"No, but they don't know" I showed her my best smile. She didn't show any reaction. "Anyway, it's only for a year. Then we can get divorced and never look each other in the face again. We can even end sooner than that if you already have wedding plans" I pointed to the photo of the blond guy.

This time, Daisy shifted uncomfortably on the couch and adjusted her glasses on her face.

"I don't" she said coldly. "What do I gain from all this exactly?"

I couldn't tell if she was considering the proposal or if she just wanted to avoid the 'boyfriend' subject.

I took advantage of the situation in the same way.

"I can get you a contract with Lorelai" I said as if I were announcing a big prize. "Not as an intern, but a production assistant."

I could see Daisy's brown eyes shine behind her wide glasses.

"The director of Pride and Prejudice?"

I nodded, satisfied. I knew that as a film student, Daisy admired Lorelai. Everyone admired her and it was not easy to be part of her production. You needed an indication.