The Actor's One & Only

Chapter 13

"Hmm...don't ya have to go studio-hoppin today, to beg for an actin gig, eh?" she whispered teasingly, purring as his hands rested on her stomach and his hot breath bathed her ear while he nuzzled her unkempt locks. "It's called auditionin..An' I thought I'd sleep in today...with my girlfriend." he corrected her, letting the word girlfriend roll off his tongue in a boisterous, charming manner. It was like he wanted to proclaim his relationship status to the whole world. "Aww...wait...wait a min..!" she exclaimed, sitting up in bed as her half-open eyes glanced at the clock on the bedside table. "What?" he groaned.
"Isn't it...it's s'possed to be yer first day o' filmin today, right?" she reminded, shaking him awake. "Nope." came his nonchalant reply. "What d'you mean by nope?" she demanded to know, taken aback by the way he brushed it aside. "I called in an' said I'm out. I can't be in a movie that's bein produced by the pervert who molested my girlfriend...However meaty my role in it is, however big my paycheck is or however big budget it is, kay? Now, c'mon back to bed, ya!" he ordered, patting the empty space.
"No, ya can't do this, Jack! It's unprofessional...I mean, this is yer career! When an offer like that falls into yer lap, ya don't just up an'..." she began to reprimand him for throwing away the role of a lifetime for her sake. "It only fell into my lap cuz the producer wanted to get closer to ya. He saw us together back in Scotland, then at the studio, then at the party...thought if he got to me, he could get to ya. His perverse plan almost worked too! He didn't see talent. He saw talent's pretty girlfriend!" he surmised. She'd read in the news about actresses being lured into traps by shady men from the industry who claimed to guide them, but never been on the receiving end of it till that fateful night. And instead of being shaken by it, she seemed more concerned for her friend- the struggling actor trying to make it on his own with no-one to guide him, determined to help him.
"What if I don't tag along? Will ya take the role then?" she promised to stay outta the lecherous Mr. Harbinger's sight as she lay beside him and caressed the side of his face as if hoping to change his mind. "I'm not gonna. The coppers wouldn't listen to us when we reported it. Scoffed at us by sayin, whatever happens in Soho ,stays in Soho...whatever that means! Someone needs to stand up to a demon like im." Jack had made up his mind. He knew fame came at a price, but if her body was the price to be paid, he didn't want fame. He was willing to remain unemployed, but wasn't gonna let anyone lay hands on her. "An' puttin yer career on the line is takin a stand?" she asked. "Aye. If it means I never have to work with that disgustin bastard again. It's like he's takin advantage o' our...our closeness, ya know? Like we're glued together...An' he's the fuckin fly in the glue." he replied, disgusted by the thought of Mr. Harbinger's misdeeds. "It's fly in the ointment, love. Otherwise, the whole idiom just collapses on itself." she found it hard to restrict her inner English teacher from correcting him, veering off topic in the process. "That wasn't my point, Miss Perfect Grammar! Besides, I'm still tired from all the partyin. Lemme just lie ere, yeah? Next to my annoyin, grammatically correct girlfriend. " he requested sleepily, pulling her towards him by the waist before proceeding to suck at her neck. "Well, I'm not one for sittin on my arse. C'mon, we're goin out...sightseein or somethin!" she elicited yet another disappointed groan from her lover as she freed herself from his ticklish, passionate embrace and sat up in bed again.
"Oh, aye! How rude o' me! Ever since ya got ere, I've been draggin ya from one audition to the next. I didn't even offer to give ya a tour o' the city or anythin!" he realized, sitting up in bed and apologising to her. "It's alright. I enjoyed accompanyin ya on those auditions. I mean, I got to see Dame Judi Dench on the first day itself!" she reminisced. "Again, love...that was the janitor...the male janitor!" it was an embarrassed Jack's turn to correct her now. "Oh! Well, maybe we could go to the supermarket then. People always bump into celebrities there." she suggested half-jokingly, desperate to meet a celebrity. "Speakin o' celebrities...ever been to Madame Tussauds,love?" she jumped up at his offer.
"Oh, look! They went with the nude pic! I'm not one to nitpick, but isn't the model s'possed to wear the product that he's helpin to advertise?" she teased as they walked hand in hand through bustling London after an affordable lunch, sightseeing and some shopping. All the while, she'd been thumbing through a magazine that she'd swiped off a rack, chuckling in a childlike manner on noticing his black and white denim ad among the many articles in it. "Oi! I'm wearin pants, though ya can't see em in that photo." he was quick to defend himself, determined not to let her paint him as some sex symbol. He was keen to be known as a versatile actor, rather than just a model or the face of toiletries on billboards everywhere! She opened her mouth to joke some more, stopping as she realized they'd come to a halt in front of a car showroom. She followed his gaze as he stared at the gorgeous red sports car behind the clear glass.
"Test drive, sir?" the salesman offered with a smile. His smile seemed forced, but atleast it wasn't mocking. Jack didn't answer, continuing to stroke the polished body of the tantalising machine. His amber eyes pierced through the tinted windows which seperated him from the comfy black and white seats and equally gorgeous interior of the car. It was too expensive for him to buy, atleast till his acting career reached new heights. Till then, he was content fantasizing about driving it. Ruth read his mind and replied on his behalf, tugging at his sleeve as the salesman led them out to the parking lot where a test drive vehicle awaited.
"Woohoo! This is what I'm talkin bout!" she cheered above the roar of the swanky red convertible. He'd put down the top on her insistence and regretted it immediately, as her excited cries hurt his sensitive ears. He slowed down, concerned for her safety as she stood up dangerously in her seat and leaned back to enjoy the breeze through her tresses as they carelessly fluttered about, blown back with every gust of wind. She slumped back into her seat with a shameless grin and buckled up on noticing his worried gaze on her. She leant towards the driver's seat, pecking Jack on the cheek to put him at ease. He blushed, breaking into a dimpled grin, before picking up speed once more. They wheezed past towering Big Ben, along the Thames, past the numerous blurry Citroen cars, while she randomly waved at passersby from the car, feeling like royalty for a change!