"I'd like another actress to take up the female lead. Only then, would I be willing to consider the skinship parts."
Her body froze and shuddered. Her brain was too blank to process what he just uttered from his mouth. Jane was too stunned to even speak that the only thing she could do was look at him with surprise and shock filled eyes.
"Why?" She hurried after him when he made his way to his car. A sturdy looking guy was waiting for him there. Not only was Jane puzzled, the whole of the crew including the interviewer were startled when he requested he'd like the female lead to be replaced.
"Mr Wilson, why don't you want Ms Anderson as the female lead?" The female interviewer had asked him. Retaining a curious look across her face as she and Jane waited for his response. Toro kept silent for some minutes before taking in some deep sigh. He narrowed his gaze down to his hands, staring at his palms. After a couple of silence from him. He lifted his gaze up, meeting Jane's eyes immediately.
Jane questioned him with her eyes, demanding why he didn't want her as the female lead. Instead of getting a response from him, he pulled his gaze from her and channeled it to the interviewer.
"No reason too, my spirit just doesn't approve of her." He answered.
Say what now? Jane wanted to scream out but bit her tongue. Which part of her does his spirit not accept? Wasn't he rejecting her because she wasn't a top actress like him? Because they weren't of the same status in the film industry? She never visualized or expected this behavior or words from him. Here she was bubbling with ecstasy, her insides were jumping and leaping with joy that she'd star in this drama with him but it didn't take a millisecond for him to crush her joy.
"Is there a specific reason why your spirit doesn't accept her?" The female interviewer looked stunned but tried her best not to show it for the sake of the cameras around them. "And I heard it took you a long time to accept this role, what took you long in accepting the role? Is it because of the skinship intimate scenes in the drama or the female lead?"
Heart thudding hard against her ribs, Jane kept her cool and stayed composed, and listened to his convo with the interviewer even though she felt restless on the inside. Dozens of questions wrecked her mind with no answers to any but they all came to the one big question WHY.
He spun to look at her when she grabbed his wrist, halting him. Jane had to force her legs to comply with her while she stood before him. Gaping at him as questions and a glint of paleness appeared in her eyes. He looked so handsome and his eyes were so seductive, she almost got lost in them for a moment but that was not why she followed him.
She quickly let go of his wrist when he directed his gaze to her hand. "I mean you must have a good reason as to why you wouldn't want to act along with me."
He stared at her. He fixed his gaze on her. Making Jane uncomfortable and twitch under his burning intense gaze.
"I don't act with actresses who have issues with their reputation, especially a crazy one...."
Jane lost her balance when he spewed those words out. Crazy? Why would he label her as crazy?
"Pardon?" She arched a brow. "And why would you think I have issues with my reputation as an actress? I'm a rising actress who had been dreaming of the day I'd get to act alongside my favorite movie actor...."
"Secondly...," he took the words from her mouth. "I don't act with actresses who see me as their idols, they tend to be clingy."
A snort escaped her as she stared at him in disbelief. "You are wrong there," she took a deep breath and despite she had great respect for him, she challenged him. "Someone might like you as their idol but definitely not a clingy one."
"Definitely not you," he asserted, looking at her with those eyes she was trying not to be hypnotized by.
"What do you mean?" She lifted a brow.
"You won't be standing here if you weren't a clingy one."
"Pardon?" Jane's jaw dropped, tilting her head backward as she stared at him in dismay and disbelief. "I definitely didn't follow you because of what you just said, I followed you because I was curious as to why you wanted those intimacy parts removed and why you didn't want me as the female lead."
"This is my first time meeting you in person and I'm sure I haven't done anything to leave a negative impact on you." She added, gaping at him with pale sad eyes. Hoping he'd change his words.
"You sure, this is your first time meeting me?" He raised a brow, questioning.
"Of course..." Jane trailed off in her answer. Studying his face. It was definitely her first time but why was he making it sound like they have met before. She studied his face wondering if she had met him prior to this— suddenly a memory clicked in her brain and her eyes widened a bit.
"I remember," she stuck out a finger in the air. "You are right, this is the second time. I first met you at the wedding of Anna Lee and Jacob Wingsman. The famous actor and actress who tied the knot 5 years ago but... we never interacted, I just got a glimpse of you…..wait, did you see me as well?"
"I guess you have no idea our first meeting?" He exhaled and turned away from her. Ready to enter his car when she grabbed his wrist again. Toro turned to her, puzzled.
"Can I steal him from you for a few hours?" She asked the guy with him.
"Hours?" Toro yanked his wrist from her. "Whatever you want to say, say it right here. I have no time to waste on you."
So rude and blunt, Jane writhed her nose as a frown appeared on her face before she concealed it immediately. "I'd like to spend time alone with you, Sir."
She tried to sound polite. She shifted her eyes to the sturdy guy in the driver's seat waiting for him. "You can go without him…."
"Huh?" Toro gaped at her with surprise when she grabbed his wrist again and hurried on her heels.
"I'm going to make you change your mind," she asserted. Pulling him away from the car.
"How?"
"Bribing?" She looked over her shoulders to him, throwing him one of her best smiles.