AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I should have told her sooner, but she has been busy with work, and I’ve tried my best to not think too much of it. Well, time to face the music.
“Lucy Taylor!” Last names are only used in our friendship when one of us is in trouble with the other. “Are you dating this man and keeping it from me.”
“I would never keep that from you. You work in PR. You know that the paparazzi can make photos look like much more than they really are.”
“I need more of an explanation than that!”
“Of course, we were all out to eat that night and then went to the club after. When we were about to exit, paparazzi were waiting outside. Apparently, there were a ton of celebrities inside, but I honestly didn’t notice any. Maybe because it was so poorly lit there.”
“Lucy! Back to you andMr. Love Isn’t Real, but I make movies about it.”
“Yes, well, as you can imagine, I didn’t know how to react to the paparazzi. He was just being kind and trying to get me to the car without allowing time for me to freak out. What looked like a sweet whisper in my ear was him saying something like, ‘Don’t look at them, we are almost at the car.’”
“Oh,” Ellie says, clearly the truth is a letdown for her.
“Yes, it looks far more romantic than it was, I promise you.”
“So nothing is going on between you two?” she asks.
“I mean, I guess we dislike each other less than we previously did, but that’s about all I have to report.” If I go through with the fake relationship, I’m going to need to lie to her and tell her we are together. I get a sinking feeling in my stomach at the thought, but it won’t last long, and I can tell her the truth as soon as it’s over. I assume that once he gets the director position, we will be able to end the ruse. “Wait, what was it that John texted you?”
“Oh, him. He faked concern for your safety, saying you hadn’t replied to his texts, and then he saw you photographed with a man. He worries you are being held against your will.” I picture her eyes rolling as she speaks. “I answered him so it wouldn’t become your problem.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him you were perfectly safe, that you and I are in constant contact. And as for that man in the picture, it’s none of his business.” Pride fills her voice. “And then I called you immediately because what you are doing with that man ismybusiness.”
I laugh and agree. “Yes, I know. I should have told you sooner, but aside from getting our photo taken, there wasn’t much else to tell.”
“Yeah, yeah…I expect a full run down when you come home next week. And hopefully, you’ll have something more juicy to share about your grumpy director.”
“He’s not mine.” It’s common practice between us to start referring to men in our proximity as “ours,” but thismatter is so sensitive that I know I need to clarify…if only to remind myself.
“If you say so, but if I hear from John again, I’m going to tell him you got married and to get a life.”
“All right, you do that,” I encourage her.
“I have to go—at least we cleared that up. I shouldn’t have to say this, but I expect to be made aware of everything going forward.”
“Understood. Enjoy your day.”
We end with our traditional “Okay bye” to each other, and I notice I received some texts while I was on the phone with Ellie.
The Parasite
Hey, is everything alright? I’m getting worried I haven’t heard back from you.
I know you are probably busy with work, but I want to be sure you know how much I miss you.
I close the text window and try to put him out of my mind, but I just can’t. Of course, he saw a photo with me and is now getting insecure that I might have finally found someone else. I’ve encouraged him to settle down with someone else for years, and he always adamantly refused because he believes “we are destined to end up together.”
I pull up the paparazzi photos and try to imagine them from John’s view. I can understand how he and most people would assume there is something more between Henry and me. What would John say if we publicly announced a relationship, afake relationship? If I agree, itcan’t just be for that reason. John’s not worth all that energy.But it would be a nice benefit.
It’s time to give Henry an answer, he has been plenty patient with me and hasn’t tried to rush me at all. I wanted a different life, that is why I moved here, but there haven’t been any big challenges here aside from adjusting to the new location. I enjoy my job greatly, but it doesn’t challenge me the way I’m accustomed to in the classroom.
I want Henry to get this movie—his career accomplishments have proved he is the best man for the job, and recently, he has proved he still has what it takes. As grumpy as he can be, he was a complete gentleman when we were bombarded with the paparazzi.
If I’m being honest, the moment he mentioned anotherPride and Prejudiceadaptation, my heart sped up. Of course, I want this movie made but I want it done correctly. Far too many times, jerk characters have been labeled as Mr. Darcy and uptight girls as Miss Elizabeth Bennett, but they are so much more than that. And there is nothing more exhilarating than hearing the actors recite your favorite lines from the book. When the scripts are completely changed, it still has the potential to be a good movie, but it’s not the same as when the book comes to life.
