The Actor's One & Only

Chapter 11

Some time after he accepted the role:

"What d'you think?" he asked, holding out two wooden hangers from which two tuxedos hung. One was a purple velvet one, while the other was blue and pinstriped. "I think yer producer's barmy! Throwin a party this early...even before the filmin's begun?! I've never heard o' a success party before the movie releases! They certainly have high hopes for it!" she replied, misunderstanding his question since she hadn't bothered to look up from her full plate, busily scooping fish into her mouth as he pushed his new clothes in her face. She'd ordered fish n chips via room service and relished it, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed in her bathrobe with the plate in her lap and her precious ketchup bottle by her side. "It's not a success party. It's more o' a launch party, Ruthy. Just to introduce the cast an' all, ya know? Besides, it's Warren Harbinger's party. He's launched a lotta new faces. Not particularly famous ones, but still...It's an honor to be workin with im, ya know?" he explained to her, still dangling the tuxes for her to choose from. "Oh! I've a lot to learn bout showbiz." she muttered, finally looking up as she swallowed a mouthful of fish. "Anyway, what d'you think bout these? Which one should I wear? Kamal let me borrow both. I just want yer opinion, ya know? Which one says I'm a star in the makin?" he repeated himself once he'd caught her attention. "Well, I dunno bout that one...although, I do fancy myself some purple velvet...! That one on the other hand though...oops!" she began to reply, waving a half-eaten chip slathered in ketchup in the air as she spoke, accidentally sending a dollop of the ketchup flying off the chip in the direction of the tuxes!  She widened her eyes in horror, as a splotch landed on the purple tux and stained it. She was apologetic on noticing him shoot daggers in her direction.
"Ketchup! Bloody ketchup on fish n chips...an' now on the tux! See?! This is why ketchup should be banned...especially on fish n chips...especially when it's in danger o' flyin off an' landin on a marvelous, rented tux! Bollocks! Kamal's gonna kill me!" Jack began to overreact, throwing his hands up as he let the tuxes drop to the bed at her crossed feet.  "I'm so sorry...! Although, I must admit, it looks better now than it did before..." she joked, unable to suppress her laughter as she spoke. "Haardy-haar! Remind me to laugh. Yer really childish, ya know that? Really childish, ya are..." she burst into more laughter on hearing him reprimand. "...An' I can't believe I had sex with ya." he gloated, not able to stay mad at her for long and leaning towards her to plant a tender kiss atop her head while she shut her eyes in order to cherish the moment.
"Oh! I almost forgot! What're ya gonna wear?" he enquired, as he sat behind her to give her a back rub. She purred like a cat with a full tummy, lying back as he rotated his thumbs against her shoulder blades which peeked out from under the loose bathrobe. "What am I gonna wear? I didn't pack much." she muttered with a frown. "Ooh! How bout that dress? The floral one...red an' all teal, was it? D'you still have it? I got it for ya when we went shoppin back home, remember? That was a real sexy dress....." he recounted in a seductive tone. "Sexy...to ya, maybe! But, this is a party. There's people who're gonna be there..." she cut in, hesitantly.  "That is the definition o' a party, yes." he joked, but she was in no mood to laugh, still worried about what to wear.
"I meant, the posh, opinionated kind. I wanna appear posh too, ya know? Like someone who's not ordinary, but cool enough to hang out with celebrities, ya know? Dress to impress an' what not, yeah?" she confessed, feeling his hands slip under her robe as his massage grew even more intimate."Well, I think ya only have to look good for me. I, for one, think ya look impressive everytime! An' ya look absolutely fantastic in that dress, love. In fact...ya look absolutely fantastic in anythin...or, better yet, nothin at all!" he teased, his voice growing muffled as he nuzzled her hair, not bothering about the strong smell of hotel shampoo which invaded his nostrils and was enough to choke anyone to death!  "Stop...time out...! Makin me blush o'er ere...!" she squealed, pushing him off."Is that all...?" he whispered against her ear, embracing her even more tightly now. "Golly! Yer such a tease!" "Go get ready, now!"  she ordered, squirming outta his arms before heading towards the sink to dispose of her unwashed plate.
"Think we should get somethin to eat? All that dancin's made me hungry. Plus, what we did before we got ere...that's made me hungry too, ya know...?" he was his teasing, horny self even at the party, unable to keep his hands off her as they showed up at the party- her in the floral dress and him in the blue, pinstriped tux that wasn't ruined. "Hush now...behave, you! Oi,look! Someone's comin o'er." she interrupted him, pulling him off her.
"Oh! Uh...Ruthy, this is Mr. Warren Harbinger. Mr. Harbinger, this is my,uh, friend..." he introduced her as his friend (much to her dismay!) to the man who approached them. It was the same man she'd met back on the beach in Scotland. "We've already met, Jack." she interrupted, before he could finish with the introductions.  "Have ya? When was that?" an absent-minded Jack enquired. "The day I gave ya a ride to the beach, remember? For yer shoot...that was later canceled, remember, Mr. Harbinger? Aye, it broke his heart, it did...that sudden cancellation..." she replied, also deciding to give Mr. Harbinger a piece of her mind while she was at it! "O-kay! I think we're done with the introductions ere! Love, what're ya doin? We don't confront our host, love. It's not good party manners." it was an unnerved Jack's turn to cut in now. "That's alright, Jerry. No harm, no foul!" Mr. Harbinger exclaimed with a mischievous wink. "It's Jack, by the way. Not Jerry. Jack O'Donnell. My Jack O'Donnell." a protective Ruth corrected, not even breaking into a smile for Mr. Harbinger who sent chills down her spine with his lascivious gaze.