Chapter 8 - Superfluous Introductions

Three Days Later

Max’s POV

I was in the middle of making a salad for lunch when my phone rang, I had hoped it was Ryan, but the high pitched voice on the other end made me think otherwise.

‘Your suit for tonight is in your wardrobe,’ Just like her to jump into business, no hello.

‘Hello Aria.’

‘I’ve left a note on your kitchen table with your dates address, be there at five.’

‘Wait! You were in my apartment?’ Oh god, she was in my wardrobe! I must have been asleep. This girl has some serious boundary issues.

‘I have a key Max,’ I had made the mistake of giving her a key when I first moved in and she seemed to think that it gave her the right to come and go as she pleased.

‘For emergencies!’ I tried to point out but she ignored me.

‘Anyway, you were fast asleep so I just popped my head in and left.’

‘Aria, we’ve talked about this.’

‘Well, sorry I am doing my job so well,’ She retorted her voice dripping in sarcasm.

‘Can you please give me some privacy?’ I begged, yet I knew my request would never be fulfilled with this girl.

‘Nope. Anyway, I have to go. Love you Max, talk soon.’

‘Bye Ria.’

She made a frustrated noise before hanging up.

I grabbed my salad and made my way over to the table, seeing a note in fact had been left there.

I was not looking forward to tonight.

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_

The streets of LA were as crowded as ever as I made my way to the premiere, a blonde Russian with a very revealing dress sitting next to me. The dress was so sparkly that I couldn’t drive without the streetlights hitting a sparkle and bouncing a beam of light right into my eyes. She seemed unfazed by everything going on around her as she stared at herself in her compact mirror and applied lip-gloss as we made our way.

‘Are you looking forward to tonight?’ The girl said, her Russia accent prominent.

‘Yeah, it will be fun,’ I told her, shooting her a smile as we stopped at a red light.

After a few minutes we finally arrived at our destination. I got out of the car, handing my keys to the valet, and walked to the passenger side, opening the door for my date, who latched onto my arm.

‘Max Stark!’ ‘Over Here!’ ‘Who are you wearing tonight?’ ‘Any news on your next film?’

Photographers and reporters yelled out questions while flashes crowded my vision.

We walked up to where we were expected to stop and take pictures.

I posed, a ‘genuine’ smile on my face as I looked at the girl next to me. The model was famous for something at least, her smile was beautiful as she angled her body, posing for each photo like she was born for it. With each flash of a camera her dress sparkled further and it seemed that all eyes were on us and all whispers were about us. I was eager to get out of the spotlight, my face almost sore with the amount of smiling I had been doing.

I gently tugged on my date's arm, moving us further down the red carpet. When we turned we were faced with another couple, the camera flashes made it hard to tell who they were, but after a couple of seconds my heart felt like it had stopped.

Before us stood a couple. The woman’s bleached blonde hair was done up in a loose bun, her black dress revealing a little too much. Her heels were quite high, but as a short girl, she stood just below the man next to her. The man’s suit was classical but his shoes defiantly weren’t, the white and black chucks sneaking out from under his suit pants.

I had to take a second look to make sure that it really was the woman I remembered, her face looked bright and healthy, yet the woman I worked with was hooked on so many drugs that I don’t even think she knew half of their names, or her own name for that matter.

‘Max!’ The woman squealed and threw me into a tight hug, the man next to her just stood with his blue eyes wide.

‘Claudia! How nice to see you! It’s been, what, over a year?’ I asked and the woman nodded her head, but the smile didn’t leave her happy face. I guess she really was a good actress or she was actually happy to see us.

‘Yeah, since we did that movie together. And who is this lovely lady?’ She motioned towards Alisa.

‘This is Alisa Zalesskii,’ I looked at Alisa, ‘and this is Claudia Grey.’

‘It’s lovely to meet you,’ the Russian smiled.

‘Max, Alisa, this is my boyfriend, Ryan Connors.’

‘Nice to meet you Ryan,’ I leant forward, extending my hand.

He took a few seconds before snapping himself out of his thoughts and shaking my hand.

‘The pleasures all mine,’ He smiled weakly, then he just stared at me and I didn’t want it to get even more awkward, so I grabbed Alisa by the arm and led her into the building.

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_

The after party was held in the same building, the large functions room was crowded with people, long elegant dresses being worn by beautiful women and designer suits worn by the men.

I sat at a table which seated ten, most of the people had left to socialise with those at other tables, and the few around us were talking and laughing. Alisa was telling me something when I noticed Claudia walking in our direction, a hesitant looking Ryan attached to her hand.

Alisa turned and smiled at them as they sat down next to us.

‘Wonderful premiere, wasn’t it?’ Alisa commented.

‘It was fantastic,’ Claudia agreed.

The women continued to talk while I took small sips of my drink, wishing that it had a higher alcohol content.

Ryan was seemingly interested in what the women were saying, but every few seconds he would look at me, his expression hard to tell. This was a bit awkward, but I was an actor, I could act normal, but it seemed that Ryan was conflicted. I didn’t want him to feel guilty, I didn’t mind that he was here with Claudia, well I did a little bit but I was here with a Russian model for god’s sake.

I hoped he wasn’t still beating himself up about wanting to stay with her, because I wasn’t. Sure, I wanted to do things in public with him, but for now I was fine with the way things were if he was too.

‘I’m going to go to the restroom, want to come Alisa?’

The Russian nodded her head and I watched Claudia give Ryan a quick kiss before she left.

I wasn’t jealous.

Of course not.

Why would I be jealous that the person I love is able to kiss other people in public, especially an evil, annoying woman who is a complete and total pothead who has no respect fo-

Ok, yeah, I was a little jealous.

Can you blame me?

Ryan scooted over to the seat next to mine when the girls were out of the area.

‘So, this is weird.’

I laughed, yeah I guess it was weird, I mean, we don’t ever do things in public together, it’s strange, and pretending to have only just met was even weirder.

‘Yeah.’

‘So, Alisa?’ he raised his eyebrow and I resisted the urge to smile at the action.

He was jealous too. It just made me want to kiss him, there was no competition here. He had me.

‘Yeah?’ I asked, appearing nonchalant when I was actually quite pleased that he was a little jealous.

‘She seems nice, pretty too.’

‘She is,’ I smiled, taking another sip, ‘So, Claudia, she looks good, the way you talk I would assume she would look like a drug addict, but she seems sober?’

‘She’s a good actress, and there’s magic in that woman’s make-up, I swear.’ he laughed before pausing, looking down at his lap in thought before bringing those deep blue eyes up to meet my gaze.

‘Can we do this more often?’ He asked, and I was confused by his question? Can we talk about Claudia’s magic makeup?

‘What do you mean?’ I asked him.

‘Be friends?’

‘You trying to tell me something?’

He laughed, correcting me, ‘no, I mean, in public, why can’t we be friends?’

I saw the hope in his eye, the stray belief that he could have it all.

‘Would draw too much attention, we need the illusion that we don’t know each other, unless you’ve changed your mind?’ I asked, and I hoped that he had. That I could just kiss him right then and there and be happy.

He looked down at his lap, ‘I haven’t.’

‘Then this is the way it stays, until the day you change your mind.’

He continued to look unhappy and I wished to kiss those lip of his, to make him laugh and smile, but he needed to see that it was all or nothing.

I couldn’t be his best friend, I couldn’t go to parties like this all the time and watch the person I loved be with someone else. I couldn’t do that.

I looked up at the man, his eyes focussed on his lap. He usually isn’t like this, he is usually happy, he usually says crazy things that make me laugh. I wondered whether he was like that with Claudia, or with other people?

‘Hey’ I said, lifting his gaze to mine and whispering, ‘Where’s that happy, crazy, optimistic guy I know and love?’

‘Things are different here Max. There is no happy, crazy Ryan. There’s famous singer Ryan,’ he said a little more harshly than required, moving back to his original seat, a few away from mine.

I thought about what he said as I watched the girls come back from the bathroom and take their seats.

Was he not himself when he was with other people? Did he think he had to be serious all the time while he was being, what did he call it? Singer Ryan? Famous Ryan?

Did he think he wouldn’t be accepted if he was himself?

The thought made me cringe and I wondered how long this had been going on. I knew him, he had such a colourful and breathtaking personality, and what? He had been squandering it all this time? Holding it inside until he was with me?

I felt slightly special, but mostly upset. Did he like it like this?

I knew about his image that Robert and his other people had made up for him, but what if they had told him that for that image he had to have some fake personality? I knew about getting rid of the rocker clothes, and the eyeliner, but was there more?

‘ax? Max?’

‘Oh sorry, what?’ I turned to Alisa who was standing next to me.

‘It’s getting late, can we go?’ she said, and I looked over at Ryan who sent me a half smile.

‘Yeah, ok, Bye Claudia, bye Ryan.’

‘Bye!’ Claudia hugged me and did the same to my date, whereas Ryan just waved weakly.

I left the party with Alisa on my arm, her long blonde hair tickling my arm as we walked.

We were waiting for the car when she stepped over a few steps to where it was a little darker, on the other side of the edge of the building where not so many photographers were around and I followed her, thinking she was as sick of the constant flashes as I was.

When I was next to her, she flung her body around, somehow having me pushed up against the brick wall, smashing her lips to mine. My first instinct was to push her away, but that would have looked bad, so I kissed back slightly for a few seconds before the shuffling of feet and a few flashes pulled me to my senses and I pulled back a bit, looking over into the face of a few camera men and the one and only Karly Grayson.

Her straight brown hair blowing slightly in the wind as I grabbed Alisa’s hand and attempted to get out of this god awful situation.

‘Are you dating Max Stark?’ The brunette asked the Russian as we past her and the girl on my arm stopped.

Oh god. Don’t say it!

She nodded, ‘Yes I am.’

On hearing that I was eternally grateful for my car appearing that second as I hastily opened my door and practically pushed the blonde Russian inside before getting in myself and driving to her house. I usually used a driving company but I had decided to drive myself tonight, now I was wishing I didn’t go at all.

What happens when Ryan sees those photos?

All he will see is his boyfriend in a dark alley with a blonde girl, cheating on him.

How do I fix this?