-twenty-six

My eyes flew open at the feeling of the covers magically shifting from one side to the other on top of me. Next thing, my pillow joined in on the fun and my head landed on the bed with a quiet thud.

"What the hell, Roxy?"

From how the syllables sounded, I could tell Jenna was mad. And for some reason, she was taking it out on me around seven in the morning.

"I should be asking you that," I winced at the immediate pounding in my head as my eyes left the clock. "Why are you here so early?" I shielded myself from the light.

"Early?" she huffed.

"It's 7am, Jenna," I deadpanned.

With one move from Jenna, my pillow came crashing on my head. A groan escaped my lips followed by a string of every curse word I knew.

"What the hell do you want?"

"You to get your lazy ass in the fucking shower."

"Okay," I responded and the next second, I rested my head back on my pillow with my eyes closed.

"You have a meeting with Erica."

Shit.

My eyes flew open for the second time today.

I groaned, in frustration this time.

"You didn't have to wake me up. You could've just dropped the clothes off and left."

"Then how would I prep you?"

My eyes flew to her. "Excuse me?"

"Get in the shower, Roxy."

My nose scrunched up. "I don't need a prep. I'm not a child."

~

"Jenna, for the last time, you're not putting that on me!"

I was seated in Jenna's improvised make-up studio and she was insistent on dressing me up like it was my sweet sixteen birthday party.

"Come on," she rolled her eyes skywards, "they're just rhinestones."

"Yeah well," I stared at her through the mirror, "the last thing I need is to go there looking all desperate."

Her hand paused midway through my hair. "Aren't you?"

The glare I sent her way caught her mid-laugh.

About an hour later, I slipped my feet into Jenna's sandals and got on my feet. I palm-ironed the red, silk dress and touched up on my lipstick.

"How do I look?" I turned to Jenna. With the sinister way the tips of her lips curved upwards......

~

I sucked in one last breath before knocking on the door. The white man in the dark shades and black suit pointed me in the direction of room 239. I knocked again, bracing myself for the worst.

"Morning."

Her smile for some reason reached her eyes and she looked happy. Like genuinely happy to see me. What the hell?

"Good morning," I managed.

"Come in." She stepped out of the way and when I did, she shut the door behind her.

"It's really beautiful here." I smiled after my eyes had done a full sweep of the huge room.

She returned my smile and I got comfortable in what I would call the living room of her suite.

"What would you like to have?" she was already in front of the fridge. "I've got wine, juice,.... coffee?"

"Water," I smiled. "Water will be fine." I wasn't about to risk getting poisoned by this nice version of Erica. Why the hell was she being nice?

"So," she set a chill bottle of water on the table and took a seat opposite me, "I'm all ears. Why did you want another meeting?"

Bracing myself, I clumped my hands into fists and took a deep breath. As much as I pushed the thought away or fooled myself, I was running out of options and this contract or whatever was my last ray of hope.

"I want to know if your offer still stands."

She raised an eyebrow. "My offer?"

"Yeah." I exhaled and suddenly somehow I couldn't look her in the eyes. I was that anxious and surprisingly mortified. If only my foolish pride didn't interfere with the first meeting. "Me moving to Hollywood with you to produce my book."

"What made you change your mind and reconsider?" she reached for her glass of wine from the table.

"Well, I," my eyes finally met hers and I searched for the right way to say: I need a change of environment because the only man I ever trusted with my body abused it. "I feel like I need to," I swallowed, "well, I need to leave this town and pursue my career."

"Hmmm."

I didn't know if she was feeling what I was saying or just relishing on the taste of her Chardonnay. Either way, I sat still with baited breaths.

"Concerning your story," she set her wine glass on the table, "the offer still stands. There's something different about it and I feel it'll be interesting to explore that on camera."

I let out a breath. There was actually still some hope for me. "Thank you," I smiled, "thank you so much."

"Yeah." She got on her feet. "We leave in two days."

"Two- two days?" I almost choked on my water.

"I have important things to tend to back at L.A and if we're gonna make your book happen, we have to start planning."

"Oh," I bit my lower lip. "Well, that's fine by me I guess." I was tempted to ask if the time frame could be extended but, well, I remembered my place.

She smiled. "Give me your home address then. I'll send someone to get your stuff."

Shit.

How exactly would I tell her I lived in a hotel?

I cringed. "I'm currently staying at a hotel."

It was inevitable, how her eyebrows furrowed I mean. "Why?"

"Well, uh- I was living with my boyfriend but well- we aren't together anymore so I had to, yunno leave."

"Oh."

I looked up to see a small smile on her face.

"Breakups are a bitch sometimes."

"Tell me about it." I exhaled and sipped some more water.

"Would you like the idea of staying here?"

My brows furrowed. "Staying at Westrn?"

She hummed in agreement.

I let out a strained laugh. "I'm not as financially bouyant as you."

"No." She huffed. "I understand that you're going through a lot."

My brows knitted together, completely unsure of where the conversation was headed.

"So I'm offering to take care of your accomodation expenses."

After blinking several times, my brain finally registered what she was getting at. Staying at Westrn,....

"W- wow. Uh- thanks. I would really love that."

She smirked. "Think of it as compensation for being a bitch last time we met."

Oh. So she actually realized that.

"You've got potential. And I'm not about to let talent go to waste."

I still had that dumb, star-struck look on my face. "Thanks. You really have no idea how grateful I am." No more hotel expenses.

"It's my pleasure. And one last thing," she pulled out her phone, "The cell you called me from before, is that yours?"

"Oh," my eyes fell to her phone, "no. It was a friend's."

"Alright. Give me yours."

Shit. After this, her suspicion of me being a poor, homeless person would be confirmed. What kind of person didn't have an apartment and then even a phone?

"My phone's broken right now."

There wasn't even a change in her expression. "Oh."

"I'd actually planned on getting one after our meeting."

"Really," she said more as a statement than a question when her eyes left me.

"Yeah."

"I was actually planning on going to the mall today too. I need to get a few things. We'll go together then?"

"Uh-," I stared at her in utmost awe, "I wouldln't want to impose or anything."

"Nonsense," she said with a small smile and reached for her bag. "Ready?"

My smile reached my eyes.

~

"Ma'am."

Erica halted when the man in black joined us in moving to the parking lot.

"You're not going with me today. Hand me the keys."

If it were even possible, I could see fear in his eyes from underneath his shades. "Your father's orders, ma'am."

"I look fine, don't I?"

He still didn't budge.

"I'm going out with a friend. I'll be back soon. If I need you, I'll call."

Erica grabbed the keys from his pocket and we were on our way with a bewildered and possibly scared for his job bodyguard in our wake.

"You certainly handled that well," I chuckled.

"He's gonna call my father either way." Her eyes found mine. "I couldn't care less."

"They treat you like this anytime you travel out of Hollywood?"

"No. Because it's Philadelphia."

My eyes went to her when her steps slowed.

"This is my ride."

After hopping into the red mustang, Erica revved the engine. The sound came out smooth and expensive, just like her entire lifestyle.

"You live at Hollywood right?" I asked after we'd spent a few minutes on the road. I got bored of watching the cars go by. "How's it over there?"

She turned to me for a second. "You've never been?"

"When I was little."

"It's really beautiful."

I unconsciously smiled at that.

"But it's also ugly."

I froze.

"Most of the people are."

"Wow."

"Wealthy, stuck-up and above the law."

My eyes didn't leave her.

"But you'll survive it. Well, at least most of us do."

My eyes slowly went to the road. What did she mean?

******************

-C.