Audrey & William ; an old hollywood fanfiction ❤

Chapter Two: Strangers in the Night

Setting: Audrey's Paramount Studios apartmentHollywood

"So, how did your day go meeting everyone in the film?" Mel Ferrer asked Audrey as she gracefully moved around her kitchen, pulling down two light blue mugs and moving the whistling kettle off of the stove. She gently poured the steaming water into both of the glasses that already had tea bags in them. After putting the kettle back on the now cold stove, Audrey walked over to where Mel was sitting on the couch, two mugs in hand.

"Oh, it was great, really," she shyly told him, handing him one of the mugs carefully.

"How was Bogie? I heard he can be a brute sometimes," Mel confided softly, taking a tentative sip of the hot tea.

"Oh, he really wasn't that bad," she said, settling into the couch opposite him. "I'm sure once we start working together, once we really get to know each other, we'll get along splendidly. After all, he is my love interest in the film -- I feel like we have to get along!"

"Well, in Hollywood, sometimes the best on screen romances come from the worst relationships possible."

"I just hope he doesn't hate me, you know?"

"Audrey, I doubt anyone could ever hate you."

"Oh, Mel, that's very sweet of you." Audrey took another sip of her tea, smiling as she stared at the man sitting across from her.

After meeting at a movie premiere a few months ago, Mel and Audrey had stayed in touch. Mel has made it clear since day one that he's interested in Audrey -- something she tentatively denied, ever so politely. Audrey had just, very recently, broken up an engagement with her boyfriend. A boyfriend that she had all throughout before she was a Hollywood star, and during the beginning stages when everyone wanted to know who this Audrey Hepburn really was.

While still definitely a newcomer in Hollywood, Audrey felt she had a lot under her belt. She had an amazing film and experience with Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday -- an experience that also won her an Oscar.

Audrey took another sip of her tea and continued to look at Mel's profile. He was a very dashing man, and he was nothing but sweet. After Audrey confessed that she couldn't possibly move onto another relationship right now so soon after her broken engagement, Mel completely understood. He said he wanted to be her friend, not just some man who was interested in her body for romance -- he was interested in Audrey, not Audrey Hepburn the movie star. And Audrey couldn't deny that she liked the attention and companionship that Mel's visit brought.

While Mel never tried anything more than a kiss on the cheek when he leaves, Audrey always felt nervous that his understanding persona would slip to reveal his anger that she couldn't just move on with him. Audrey wasn't even sure she felt those feelings for Mel -- she was constantly worried that the only man she would ever love would be her former fiancé -- which constantly kept her up at night.

While daydreaming and thinking of this, Audrey's mind immediately went to William Holden. This tall figure, his beautiful face, his funny personality -- it was all so perfect for her. At least she had him during filming. If she had to deal with Bogie alone, she didn't know what she'd do.