Collide (A 'Fated' Prequel)

Interview

Wednesday; 15th of March, 2017

At 11:48PM, Denise received a phone call that interrupted an episode of 'The Simpsons' she was watching on her iPad. She paused the show, then reached over for her phone. A smile formed on her lips when she saw it was Chris. She couldn't say she was surprised he was still awake when in the morning, he had plans to jump out of a plane 12,500 ft above ground. Seeing as he wasn't a real super soldier, he had every right to be nervous. Frankly, she was nervous for him because what if the chute failed to open?

"You should be sleeping."

"As should you. Don't you have class in the morning?"

"I do, but I have a rare ability. One that allows me to function without proper sleep."

He chuckled. "Well, despite that rare ability, you should really take better care of yourself." Putting her iPad aside, she sunk into her pile of pillows with a big smile on her face. It was always the little things he did and said that got to her the most; the little things that gave her a taste of what he'd be like if she were ever lucky enough to have him as a boyfriend. "But I suppose I'm lucky you're still awake, I could use a distraction from my impending doom tomorrow. Why did I ask to go skydiving again, did I tell you?"

"No, you didn't. But I imagine it's because you're going through some kind of midlife crisis." He chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "You did just get out of something big with Jenny Slate. It could be a coping mechanism of yours, do something crazy to get your mind off the fact that you're single again. Or maybe you're just insane, that could be it too." She pressed her lips together, stifling her giggle.

"You think you're cute, don't you?"

"Oh, I've been told numerous times. So I know for a fact that I am adorable."

He felt a pang of jealousy. "Yeah?" He propped himself up on an elbow. "And who's told you?" The answer was one he was genuinely interested in because if there was competition, then he wanted to scout it out. A classmate, maybe? Or perhaps a co-worker, like Chuck, who was probably a much better match for her. He was a regular guy turning twenty-eight whereas he was a celebrity turning thirty-six. Chuck could take her on normal dates and provide her with a normal life, something he would struggle to do even if he retired from Hollywood. "Chuck?" He pressed, hoping for a 'yes' or 'no' answer. But to his dismay, she just laughed and changed the subject.

"How was the interview?"

"We had a good chat. Dodger barreled towards the poor guy the second I opened the door and head butted him in the nuts, it was quite funny." He laughed in reminiscent and she laughed along with him. "And in case you were wondering." He told her before she could ask. "There will be no mention of you anywhere in the article, even between the lines."

With all the gossip surrounding the two of them over the past two weeks, the interviewer would've had to be living under a rock to be unaware of the speculations surrounding them. If even the librarian from her university had asked her, "are you really just friends with that actor?" Then a man in the media was surely going to ask him the same question, at least that was what he and his publicist hypothesized. Hence the advisement Susan gave him to "talk to Denise, before we confirm a date. Whether or not there is something going on between the two of you, it will affect her life if she is mentioned in that article."

After a brief discussion over the phone, Chris and Denise came to an agreement that it was best if she was left out of the narrative. Because ultimately, neither wanted the other to be in a tough position because of the questions asked and answers given. As well, neither wanted him to definitively shut down the possibility that they were more than friends. And so an ultimatum was pulled: either Denise was left out of the narrative, or the interview was canceled. Esquire opted for the former because an interview that didn't answer the question everyone was asking was better than no interview at all.

"Thank you."

"It's the least I can do for you after everything I've put you through over the past two weeks. I know it's not easy, being a part of my life." His smile faltered and his shoulders slumped too when he recalled the things he'd said in his interview, about the challenges of dating as an actor. He felt like kicking himself for what he'd said: "There's a certain shared life experience that is tough for someone else who's not in this industry to kind of wrap their head around." Even if it was a general answer that most actors gave, it had enough power to cause a regular girl to abandon the idea of ever having a relationship with an actor. "It's a fact that actors often date other actors, don't you think?"

"I do, yes." She answered after a short pause. "It's 'cause easier, isn't it? You're sharing the same life experience, you don't really need to explain yourself when you have to leave for months on end. I mean- it's kind of the same with any career, don't you think? Teachers date teachers, chefs date chefs. It's easier, it's there. Y'know, it's more accessible." She paused again, then raised a brow. "Why?"

"In the interview, we talked about the challenges of dating as an actor. I think I said something along the lines of uh- 'it's tough for someone outside the industry to wrap their head around being with an actor.' And I'm just...I'm curious."

"About?"

"Hypothetically, if we weren't just friends." On the other end of the phone, she quietly let out a nervous breath. "Would you abandon the idea of having a relationship with me after reading that I said that?" He held his breath as he waited for her response. The silence was deafening. His heart pounded against his chest and he had to swallow to wet his throat that was suddenly as dry as the Sahara desert.

"Hypothetically, no." He exhaled and smiled. "It seems kind of stupid to give up on a relationship because of a clearly general answer given in an interview." He chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. If she wasn't the one for him, then he might as well give up on the idea of ever finding her. "I know I have no real experience in a relationship, let alone one with a celebrity. But it's my opinion that relationships are only tough when they don't love and trust the person they're with enough. Because jobs are just...jobs. Whether you're an actor, or a teacher, or a chef- the challenges are about the same. Well, except the limelight, of course." She added and he tittered. "But I don't know, I just think if you love and trust the person you're with then- it doesn't really matter, does it? It all becomes small stuff. And no matter what you have to go through, it's worth it for that end game."

"Are you sure you've got no real experience? 'Cause honestly, it sounds to me like you've got it all figured out." He smiled when she laughed. "Seriously, though." He caught a glimpse of the clock; it was 12:16AM. "It's late. Time for both of us to get some shut-eye. You've got class in the morning and me, well- I've got a plane to jump out of."

"Good luck."

"Sweet dreams, Denise."

"Goodnight, Chris," she smiled.