Bright Lights and Dark Blood (On Hold)

Chapter 8

Hello! Ella Matthews here. I can’t answer the phone right now. Leave a message

Beep.

Nicholas gave a heavy sigh. He was pacing back and forth inside his trailer, one hand rubbing his temples and his phone on the other. “Hi Ella, umm. . . I know this is probably my sixth message in a row but I would really REALLY want to talk to you”— He doesn’t do this but desperate times call for desperate measure. There, he just confirmed it in his head. Nicholas is desperate—“please Ella, Call me back” He puts his phone down.

Somebody knocked on the door. He pulled himself together and opened the door. The director’s PA stood there with papers and still talking to her earphone. She stops when she sees Nicholas has already opened the door “Time to kiss a vampire, Nick” she jerked her head smiling. Ha! If only that were  true, he thought to himself.

“Thank you, Dolores” He steps out from his trailer and gives Dolores a light pat.  He was greeted by tall slender trees of the woods and his coworkers calling him on. He lightly paced to his marker. In an instant he no longer knows what else is happening around him.

“. . . Aaand rolling”

Nicholas isn’t there anymore he was a coquettish vampire charmer. He was now his character. His posture changed, Aura blazing and he exuded mischief.

“Action!”

He went to another world.

“Earth to Ella” Libby snapping her fingers. Ella shook her head. “I said. . . are you gonna answer that?” she pointed at Ella’s phone already on her hand. It has been ringing for the sixth straight time and Ella has been ignoring them and sending it straight to voicemail.

“No” she hits ignore again, this time hesitantly.

It’s dangerous leaving a human with an unwiped mind. She knows she has to deal with this and with the coming launch of the new campaign, she has to very soon. But after the tabloids posted a picture of her and Nicholas leaving the gala together, unflatteringly snapped in his car, the brand expressed much delight. Much to Ella’s disappointment. It doesn’t help her efforts to make peace with Henry, not with all the buzz going on about Nicholas and her dating.

Gossip websites are putting up stories that they are together in this city and had dinner on that restaurant for a month now. Even when both of them just happened to be in the same city, they don’t count the fact that they were spotted from opposite sides. Her agency fanned flames when they said ‘No Comment’. NO COMMENT? That’s showbiz code for ‘of course, Yes’. Even when she told them to deny all of it. They said it was good publicity. That said, they found a clause in her contract barring her from ever saying otherwise.

“Nope” Libby popped the P as she said it. They have spent the entire afternoon looking for a loophole to the clause. Ella just gave up. “Screw it I’m starting over” she stood up slamming her hands on the table. “I am sick and tired of all these human dramas” she exclaimed. “Really? You’re going over the dark side? Libby taunted knowing she doesn’t mean it. Ella calmed down “I’m a vampire for chrissake and I’m here FREAKING out about a contract written in laws I don’t follow” She points at the stack of paper in Libby’s hand. “You know what? Fine. I’ll play their game it’s not like I’m expecting Henry anytime soon. Ah! I’m a grown 500 year old woman. They should be prepared because Bitch Elizabetha’s back!” she took a giant breath.

“Finished?” Libby was checking her nails now she stopped paying attention after ‘freaking’. Ella nodded. “Hate being the dark cloud here but. . . “ Ella sneered at Libby. When was she never the dark looming cloud blasting bolts? Libby cleared her throat and rolled her eyes from Ella “. . .As I was saying, you’ve put yourself in this mess. You’ll just have to deal with it El” she finished.

Libby might be harsh but she is always right.

“Now call that little plaything of yours back before you start ranting again” Libby shooed her away. Defeated, she went inside and dialed Nicholas.

Nicholas was standing with the other actors chatting up as they finished his scene. They had fake-dirt and fake-blood all over that contrasted by how loudly they laughed. He was on the way to make yet another phone call when the others showed up. So when his phone rings in his hands, he was caught off guard to who was calling and it slipped. Another actor caught it and whirled it in the air.

“Oooh! Ella Matthews” the actor grinned.

“Just give me that, Eric!” and snatches it out of the other’s hand briefly followed by the guys approving howls. He raises a finger to his lip and walks a good three meters away before answering.

“Hello?” he prepares himself to hear her voice “Hello, Nicholas” she said flatly but still with a soft voice. “Are you calling so we can talk or tell me off about filling your voicemail?” he smiled the whole time leaning on to the nearest tree. “Both” He could hear her laugh. “Good, because I’d like to ask why you walked off on me and disappeared for almost a month” he said it so bluntly that she took a little time to answer “Miss me that much huh?” she laughed musically “I just got caught up in personal issues”.

He wondered if it was about the entire gossip buzz about them. “I don’t know if you’d notice Nicholas but we are all over the tabloids” Indeed they were. The paparazzi even caught a snap of Ella leaving his house the morning after. “Yes, I was starting to worry that you hate the NickEl concept so much you didn’t want to talk to me” he teased “Is that what they’re calling it now?” he heard him laugh again.

“You know I was wondering about grabbing a bite. . .not on me but. . .umm a drink the alcohol kind not that I want to make you drunk not that I” He started to mumble and he can’t stop. Dammit! It was going so smoothly. “You mean like dinner?” she interrupted and Nicholas sighed “Yes, I mean dinner” He shook his head in embarrassment. There was a brief silence. “Ok, its a date. Saturday  then. Text you my address” And she hung up.

Ella was on the couch banging her phone on her forehead. That wasn’t how she planned it to go. She collapsed on the couch and thought about how she was supposed to tell him to keep things professional. How did THAT end up with her going on a date? Oh well. She laughed a bit, looking at the ceiling.“Is that laughter I hear?” Libby appeared in the room and Ella sits up “And is that a smile?” she did an erratic circle all over Ella’s face. Ella shrugged. It was refreshing to look at her friend like that.

 “So he asked you out and suddenly you’re all little miss sunshine?” Ella rolled her eyes, of course she was listening. “Well, I’m planning to wipe his memories during the date” she defended. Libby gave a piercing look “You just thought about that right now, did you?” folding her arms. Ella laughs and gives a guilty smile.

“Whatever. I’m gonna grab a bite, you want something?” Libby puts her jacket on and flipped her hair before walking to the door.

Libby heard Ella shout “An A positive twenties! thank you!”