JANE ANDERSON

Hands in his pants pockets, Toro strolled toward a lane that led toward his penthouse. The day has already been enveloped by night, the city of Vegas glowed under the blanket of stars and the tiny moon a bit further away in the clouds. The city of Vegas bustled with activities, people returning to their various houses– calling it a day. The sound of the train was heard from the train station, not far from where he was. Lost in his train of thoughts, Toro's attention was channeled on the few shadows he saw on his way back to his place.

He lifted his gaze, resting it on a male and female shadow, sorta whispering and giggling as they walked side by side. He noticed they were headed from the claw machine because he saw the girl beaming with a teddy dinosaur in her hands. They looked like high school students.

"You told me, you can pull a teddy bear in one go? Where's the confidence?" The girl, dressed in tight jeans and strap hand blue crop top, her black curly hair bundled up in a ponytail. She asked, giggling.

"I wasn't prepared," the boy responded. He was dressed in a pair of black shorts and baggy cream polo. He reached out to tuck a strand of the girl's hair behind her left ear, wearing an appreciating and passionate look in his eyes. His eyes twinkled under the streetlights.

"You should just accept defeat, that I beat you in this. I caught this in one go..." The girl wore a triumphant smile across her face as she showed off. Wiggling the teddy dino in the boy's face.

Watching them, Toro was instantly reminded of her. They were in their teens, high school students and in love. There wasn't a day that passed by that he wouldn't want to see her. Her face was like an oasis to him, her talks and smile were music in his ears. Her eyes, although held untold stories in them, looked beautiful and innocent.

"Yes, yes, almost there." He bit his lower lip, eyes directed to its target and his brows furrowed in concentration. He pulled the claw toward a teddy chipmunk.

She stood beside him laughing. "You don't have to tighten your grip around that," her eyes beamed under the night sky as she gestured at the way he tightened his hold around the controller.

"You have to loosen your mind and pay attention to your target, this is tactical. You should calculate how you're going to claw on the chipmunk..."

"That's exactly what I'm doing but you laughing isn't helping matters," Toro puffed out a frustrated breath and squinted his eyes. Only concentrating on his target. "And since when is math included in catching a teddy toy?"

Jane let out another rich laugh, drifting off in the silence of the night. Before lowering to lay her hand on his, grabbing his hand wrapped around the claw machine controller gently and pulled the claw on the target.

"Free your mind and hand, and pull." Her voice sounded a faint whisper against his ear, tickling his earlobe and nape.

"You don't have to get my attention by acting like you're trying to help me," he uttered and finally pulled the teddy chipmunk from the claw machine. Picking the teddy chipmunk he won, he turned to her, pressing a quick kiss on her lips.

Earning a hit from her on his arm. "Stop, Toro. We are in public." She inserted and darted her gaze around the area they were in. "And I wasn't trying to get your attention, silly. "

"I don't care," he smiled and wrapped his hand around hers. "I just want to let the world know you are mine, that you belong to me , no one else."

"Now I believe that not only are you a good actor but a poet…."

"I'm surprised you are realizing that now," he smiled. "What poetry do you want to hear? That of Romeo?" He cleared his throat, ready to say a poem from Shakespearean novels he had read.

"Don't want Romeo and Juliet's love poetry but ours...our love poem..."

Jane's beautiful smile transcended and stirred something within him. Making him fuel up with emotions and when he reached to pull her into a tight hug to let his love show....

A screech from a motor bike raced toward him, the lights from the bike blinded him in a sec, Toro thought he was going to meet the same fate, he saw his life flash before his eyes and in an attempt to save himself. A hand pulled him out of the way.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" The voice didn't yell but it did have a strong edge laced against it. He looked up and saw Thompson throwing him a worried look. Toro was already pulled back to the present as he watched the look across Thompson's face.

"My mind was somewhere else..." Toro sighed, blinking his eyes a little.

"What occupied your mind to the point you didn't realize you were about to be run over by a motorcycle?" Thompson queried again, that look still etched across his face. "I don't want to lose you any time soon...and why didn't you call me to come pick you up or why didn't you take your car?"

"Do you realize you aren't just a person….you are a public figure. You shouldn't go walking around....that's why I'm your personal assistant, isn't it?"

Toro's lips lit up in a pale smile, watching the worried and concerned look in Thompson's eyes. When was the last time someone had this so much concern for him? Not even his father paid this attention to him. Darrell does worry about him but only in the aspect of him getting married.

"I'm fine," he replied. Pulling his hand from his pocket. "I'm really fine and thank you."

"Is something bothering you?" Thompson asked, peering closely to his face. "Is this about your father? Did he arrange another meeting with one of his friend's daughters?"

The weak smile on his lips broadened a bit but it did nothing to reach his eyes. "Nah, it's not about him. Just something about me ... .but don't worry about it and thanks again for saving my life."

"How did you find me here, by the way?" Toro scurried his eyes around the vicinity.

"You didn't pick up my calls and I decided to go out on a search party...." The worried look on Thompson had softened as he hid a hand in the left pocket of his pants. "For stressing both my body and mind, you have to double my pay.'

"I gave you a better option, let's go on a vacation," Toro prompted as they made their way to the place Thompson packed the car.

Thompson pulled his hand from his pocket and crossed both of his hands against his chest. "That again? I told you I'm not that kind of dude."

"Get rid of whatever silly thoughts you have there," Toro flicked his forehead. What's wrong with two guys going on vacation together?

●●●●●●●●●●

It was a 30 minute ride when they arrived in front of his penthouse. Thompson pulled up in the garage and killed the engine. They alighted from the cab and headed toward the house but Toro's mind was suddenly barricaded by the memory of what transpired between him and the woman who bore the same name as his girlfriend. Being called that name, he was instantly reminded of her.

How the woman grabbed his hand and the way she talked and smiled, it all reminded him of her.

"I suggest you lay a low profile, the internet is blazing with questions of who you are. They were curious about our relationship." Her words from earlier came crashing back. He hardly browsed the internet but her words compelled him to. He reached his hand in his pants pocket and pulled out his phone.

"Are you hungry?" Thompson inquired as he nodded absently. His fingers scrolling through the screen, his gaze glued on it as he read the recent stories of him, videos of him and pics of him picking her up from the stage.

His eyes narrowed to the comments on the comments section. Scrolling past the critics until his fingers halted on a particular comment caught his attention.

"I wished Wonder Prism Studio would change the lead actress and give it to Angelica Marco. I wouldn't want my idol to act alongside this crazy weird woman in this upcoming historical romance. I ship Angelica Marco and Toro Wilson for the perfect couple….not her. "

Caught by that comment, Toro pondered. He knew he never paid attention to the female actresses he acted with especially if the drama or movie doesn't require skinship or intimacy but for some reason he was paying attention to this one.

He recalled asking Thompson who the actress he was to act alongside was and he recalled Thompson was about to give him an answer when Darrell's call halted him.

"Thompson, who did you say was the actress that was supposed to act alongside me?"

"Jane Anderson," Thompson screamed from the kitchen. "The crazy woman all over the internet…. She's the one you are to be starred with in this historical drama with a lot of skinship."

JANE ANDERSON? Toro's eyes widened in surprise. Not only did she bear her first name but her last name. Was it possible for two completely different beings to share the same name and surname? A lot of questions barricaded his mind.

"Why do you ask?" Thompson asked from the kitchen. "You don't want to act alongside her? I can message the studio and tell them you don't want the role..."

"Nope!" Toro cut him short. "I'm taking that role. Message them and tell them, I have decided to accept the role."