Chapter 4: Chapter 3
Daniel stepped out of his gym room,sweat slicking his whole body. Tiny droplets of sweat travelling down his broad chest and muscled arms,he flexed his muscles,straightened his shoulders and cracked his neck bones.
Unwrapping the towel round his neck,he used it to dab some of the sweat that were in visible places.
Having gym equipments installed in one of the rooms in his home had been one of his best decisions.
It not only helped him keep fit in the comfort of his home,it also helped him bring his thoughts together especially while running on a treadmill.
Bryan had called him the night before with bad news. Mr. Lawson was still having a hard time making a decision. Daniel understood what it meant to have to choose a lead among several A list actors.
Bryan had however,given him a hint as to what the movie role would look like. The role was supposed to make him a bad boy Casanova who broke the ladies' hearts like a piece of cake but who had fallen dangerously in love with his mum's best friend.
Daniel smiled at the prospect of having to fall in love with an older woman and still have a 'happily-ever-after'.
Talking about happily ever afters. Daniel haven't really ever had one,except if you'd like to include the ones he usually found in some of his numerous movies. His last relationship and the one before it had been a total disaster.
He shook his head, as if to shake off the memory of his last relationship to a woman who had given him nothing but heartbreak in exchange for his love.
A woman who'd broken up with him on national TV without having the nerve to do it to his face.
A woman who'd been there with him because of the sex.
All his life,he hadn't really found love nor had anyone ever loved him truly. So,when after they'd spent hours under the sheet one weekend making wild,passionate love and Lisa had confessed her undying love for him,he'd grabbed it with both hands,holding unto it with his dear life. He'd been blinded by the so called love that he'd ignored all the signs. They had been there but he just hadn't seen them.
Having Lisa confess nonchalantly to the whole of Los Angeles that she'd been with him only for the fame and the sex had shattered him and had left him wondering if true love really ever existed or it's just as 'fake' as the ones he'd had to imitate in his movies.
Well...If he couldn't find true happiness in real life,he might as well make do with the ones he found on set.
He was tired of having women trample on his emotions and he was certainly not ever going to beg for anyone's love again...ever.
***
Macy closed her eyes and tried to sleep but sleep eluded her.
Thoughts about her life,her family and her friends plagued her,she fought hard not to miss them but eight weeks without seeing the faces of the people who had once made you happy made life seem very hard.
She thought about the people who had been of great help to her since her arrival at LA. Ma May,who had posed a tough exterior even though she had a beautiful inside,Jasmine who had let her go with tears in her eyes,Josh who through his help,she'd been able to land a job at Betty's and also rent a small one room apartment which she could just about afford with her weekly earnings.
So far, Betty's had been the only place she'd worked at for a longer period of time and Josh,even though he was years younger than her had become a friend who she couldn't do without.
Working thirteen hours a day was too much for a woman in a condition as hers and what pregnant woman stood for so long attending to people's needs while hers were left unmet.
Macy knew she was already nearing that breaking point but she needed to be strong,if not for anyone but for this baby whose future she wasn't even sure of. She needed to hold unto today even if tomorrow was a mystery.
Covering her mouth with her hands to keep the sobs that shook her from escaping her lips,she closed her eyes and drifted into a troubled sleep.
***
Parking outside the Betty's, Daniel took out his cell phone and dialed Bryan's number. He answered on the first ring.
'Hey man,I'm at the restaurant. This thing looks stupid anyways'.
'We don't want media publicity,do we?' Bryan replied from the other end.
'No,we don't'. Daniel almost growled.
Since his messy break up with Lisa,he'd avoided going to public places. He hated the press and what they represented. He still found it hard to understand why people would want to spend their entire lives trying to meddle in other people's affairs. For six months,the paparazzi had followed his trails,assaulting him with stupid questions about him and Lisa's breakup. It even began to seem they were making fun of him. He had gotten over Lisa,the press should try to too. For now though,he was going to give them the much needed space.
'I'm coming over in 10 minutes, you have the copies of the script and contract, yea?' Bryan asked.
'Yes,I do'.
'Good, you have to be very careful with it. I had Mr. Lawson's assistant squeeze the hell outta my balls,just to convince him that you were the perfect candidate for this role,seeing he needed a lot of convincing. The things I do for you Daniel,you,my man,may never be able to pay back'. Bryan chuckled.
'I don't remember asking you to prostitute yourself to anyone,Bryan'.
'But I remember hearing how much this contract will mean to you. Leave it bro,you're the man after my own heart and I'd sell myself completely if the need arises'.
'Thanks man,but then,how did you find this place. This is like the end of LA'. Daniel was curious.
'The manager is my....'.Bryan finished the statement with a mock cough.
'I won't be surprised to discover you must have bedded every single woman in the whole of America'. Daniel laughed.
'I'll see you in 10 minutes, man'. Bryan said,then the line went dead.
Daniel threw his head back and laughed.
'I wonder how I got myself entangled with as asshole like Bryan'. He muttered to himself.
Bryan wasn't a complete asshole if Daniel was been honest with himself.
Few days ago he had succeeded in getting Mr Lawson seal the movie deal with him. He also brought the script and he,Daniel's copy of the contract,proposing Betty's as the nicest place he would want to stay and study the script plus sign the contract.
Looking around, he concluded that the place wasn't bad after all. It was in fact, quite a sight.
There were a few cars here and there and people were moving in and out.
The place looked nice and well taken care of,like it's one of the best around.
Turning off the music he had been listening to,he grabbed the bag containing both the script and the contract and climbed out.
Entering the building, he realized that it was even more beautiful in the inside. This Betty,whoever she was,was making a big name for herself. The interiors were nice. Not really expensive but refined. The flooring was marbled and the walls were clothed in white. The chairs and tables were made of polished woods and had this sparkle in them.
In the far end of the hall were a couple of lounges,arranged to give the occupants a little privacy, away from the others,he presumed.
Deciding that he would need the privacy the lounges were capable of offering. Daniel walked to the far end of the hall and settled into one of them.
He beckoned on one of the waitresses, who appeared before him almost immediately and read him the menu.
He absentmindedly chose what he assumed to be their most expensive wine and she disappeared.
'I guess it's only at Betty's that the menu gets read for you. No hard work'. Daniel chuckled.
He then checked his wrist watch and realized that Bryan was already five minutes late.
'Trust Bryan to always be there at the right time. I'd better seen what's in this documents anyways'.
Settling his bag on the table, he brought out the two documents. He opened the contract first and studied the front page. He was about turning over to the second page when he heard a loud gasp,glasses clattering against each other and the violent jerking of the table he was settled upon. A glass originally filled with wine rolled unto the table,it's content spreading with agonizing speed,extremely cold liquid settled on his fingers and the once white sheets of the contract,became a terrific red.
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