ChapterTwo
Katie
Justin is relentless. Each day after filming he begs me to go out with him. He sends flowers to my dressing room every day.
No matter how many times I shoot him down, he keeps on with dogged determination.
I don't know why he's so persistent. I'm probably just a challenge to him because I'm sure no woman in her right mind has ever said no to him before.
And no matter how much his charming smile makes my knees go weak, no matter how much my heart thumps within my chest when I feel his smoldering gaze on me, no matter how much I might really want to acquiesce to his request, I resist.
I don't want to be another one in the string of his Hollywood conquests.
Nope. No way.
He can smolder on all he wants to. He can look too handsome for his own good with that dark lock of hair that's always falling perfectly over his forehead. His lips can be too sinfully lush for a man. His shoulders can be so perfectly broad and strong-looking.
I'm holding fast.
It's not happening.
Because not only do I not want to be fodder for tomorrow's tabloids, but I also know that if Justin got me alone, I wouldn't be able to trust myself around him.
I freeze up when it's just me and him, like a mouse caught in a snake's hypnotic stare.
He'd be able to do whatever he wanted with me with little to no opposition from me. I don't think I'd be physically capable of resisting him.
I don't think I'd want to.
And I have my career to think about. My image. I'm known as the good, wholesome girl. The press would have a field day with me being Justin's latest fling. I can see the headlines now. Hollywood Bad Boy Corrupts America's Sweetheart.
But it's more than just than that. I've never told anyone this, but I'm still a virgin. I don't know what I'm waiting for. I've been tempted to just give it up and get it over with, but maybe I'm stuck on romantic notions of my first time being special. I certainly wouldn't be experienced enough to be with a Casanova like Justin. I'm sure my lack of experience would be disappointing to him, and I just don't think I could take the humiliation of that. Plus, I don’t think I'd be able to handle being another one of his flings or one-night stands. I'm almost certain I would want more, and if he didn't—and he wouldn't because Justin is notoriously known for plowing through women and never committing—it would break me.
So, no matter how persistent my suitor is, no matter how persuasive he may be, no matter how much I deep down might really be tempted to, I cannot allow myself to go out with him.
I just have to get through this job with my reputation still intact.
It's easier said than done, though.
I have to act with Justin every day. I have to commend him on being a professional when he's acting, though. He portrays exactly what he's supposed to for the camera, but I see the intent hidden in his eyes, the intensity he allows to shine through just for me. I'm surrounded by it—by his presence—all day long when we're on set.
He hasn't been a late a day since that first day. He's punctual every day—early even, though I know he started showing up early to try to badger me into accepting him.
So, I started showing up just a couple minutes before start time. Me, the girl who is always fifteen minutes early to everything is now coming up right in the nick of time all to avoid one Hollywood rake.
It doesn't help that we spend all day acting together. It doesn't matter if it's real or not. When we're acting, we're still communicating. So, when I go home at night, his voice, his image is still in my head when I close my eyes.
To make matters worse, our dreaded kiss scene is coming up. I don't know how I'm going to get through it. So far, our characters haven't had to engage in any physical contact. No touching, no kissing, nothing.
Justin hasn't touched me since that first day we met when he grabbed my wrist and practically branded my skin.
I can still feel the imprint of his large hand dwarfing me.
But that's all going to change today. Today, we're slotted to do a big climax scene where his character kisses mine.
Kissing on set isn't a big deal. I've had to do it with plenty of other actors. The first couple of times I did it, it was a bit awkward, but once we become more seasoned professionals, it's just part of the job.
But this is Justin.