Is This True Love? (DNF)

Chapter 8: This Chapter is (not) Sponsored by Starbucks

Clay POV.

My brows furrowed as I walked through the town. I managed to hide my unsettled emotion as I greeted the people who waved at me but that was all. It just sent an unnatural chill through me as I walked through the shadow of a particularly tall office building.

Like everything was real. The trees and the birds and the insects were real and growing and moving. The buildings were all also real, you could realistically walk into any and buy whatever’s on offer, or get a job wherever you went. This place just all felt too fake, and that was coming from an actor who worked in places like this all the time.

It’s just, here everything was taken a lot more seriously. They acted as though they weren’t working on the set but instead were actually in a real town. Whereas whenever we were off camera when on set we would stop acting. It just felt like it was uncanny valley here, and I didn’t like it one bit.

“Clay.” I looked over, seeing Karl walking alongside a skinny man with brown hair and a red shirt carrying several bags. He waved at me, and I managed a smile as I walked over to him.
“Oh… hey Karl.” I grinned. “How are you going? How was the party last night?”
“It went well.” He responded. “Me and Sapnap had a great time and then we…”

A smile was on his face as he cut himself off, hinting to me what had happened when the two of them went home after the party. The man carrying the bags trembled slightly and I glanced over at him. “Is he okay?” I asked. “It looks like he has some heavy stuff.”
“He’s fine,” Karl brushed me off. “That’s my assistant, Grian.”

“You have an assistant?” I asked, tilting my head and watching as he nodded.
“Yes. Jimmy got all of the main people; myself, Sapnap, Fundy, and a few others, an assistant. Just so we can have help with whatever we do if we are needed for George. It makes life a whole lot easier.” Then he grinned. “Do you want to go get a coffee?”

“Sure. I have nothing to do today, according to Jimmy, George is staying home with Fundy.” Then I glanced over towards the brunette carrying the bags. “If you would like you could put the bags down and join us.”

Before Grian had the opportunity to respond Karl spoke up. “No he can’t. I don’t want my bags to be damaged.” I watched in confusion as he turned towards his assistant. “I want you to take those home and put them away in the places you know they are meant to go.” Grian nodded respectfully, much to my shock.

“Then go through our recipe books and find dinner and dessert for me and Sapnap, something romantic. Sapnap didn’t want chocolate last night, therefore tonight he will want something with chocolate. Go to the shop and buy the ingredients, put them on at a time that will ensure the dinner is ready at 5:30 and dessert is ready at 6.”

I had already forgotten half of what Karl said, but Grian seemed focused. “Clean the entire table. Sapnap is in a red mood due to all the blue at George’s party last night. So make sure you get out the red ornaments. Do you understand?”
“Yes sir.” Grian nodded, before turning away from us and walking off.

“You treat your assistant like that?” I asked, my brows furrowing as I turned and looked towards Karl, who just gave a bored shrug in response.
“I need to get stuff done. Plus, it’s his job.” He then gave me a pointed look. “Are you telling me you don’t have an assistant?”

“Not one that I treat like that.” I grumbled. In fact while I was here I had paid for my assistant to go on a long cruise across the Atlantic with her fiance. It was the least I could do after all, since I often had a lot of strange requests.
“Well maybe you should. I seem to find it makes them more motivated.”

After hearing multiple cruel statements like this I no longer wanted to hang out with Karl. He always seemed nice on TV but talking to him in person showed he was a shallow, entitled, celebrity who was ignorant to the rest of the world. If he hadn’t already started walking towards a row of stores I would have turned down his offer for a drink.

Perhaps against my better judgement I followed after him. I followed him into a Starbucks, which I was honestly surprised that they had. “God I hate this place.” Karl grumbled. “It’s too common. A place where poor people go feel as though they can drink like us rich.”
“Why do you come here then?” I asked, raising a brow as he raised his head to a menu.

“Because all the coffee shops, restaurants, yada-yada-yada, are from sponsors. It’s like a paid promotion from your own movies.” He walked over to the man behind a counter, who gave an uncertain smile after hearing Karl’s words of criticism. “Get me a mango dragon fruit lemonade mixed with pineapple passion fruit lemonade with a shot of ginger and a scoop of ice cream.”

The man’s eyes widened but he nodded at Karl, writing everything down with a sweat beginning to grow on his head. Then he looked at me. “What is it that you would like, sir?”
“Whatever you recommend.” I smiled, thinking that if I let him make whatever he was good at it would be easier. The two of us both paid separately and I made sure to tip a decent amount.

When we sat down the brunette sighed, his head resting in his hand and looking out the window. “Honestly I hate this fucking town. I hate this fucking show.” He admitted. “But after working here for the best years of my life I will surely get a starring role in any movie.”

“Surely.” I mimicked, rolling my eyes out of his sight. He didn’t seem in the mood to have a conversation, instead beginning to ramble about how he deserved fame. The entire time all I could think about was how bad I felt for Karl’s boyfriend Sapnap. I was running under the assumption they were boyfriends, after hearing Karl’s instructions to Grian earlier.

However when I saw how it was that Karl acted off camera, it could be just as likely that Sapnap was just as bad as the brunette opposite me was. This was just good reassurance for the common idea that you couldn’t trust anything that you saw on TV.

I just ended up pitying Karl’s boyfriend up until the exhausted Barista finished our drinks and we had them in front of us. Then Karl seemed to realise that it was time to acknowledge me again. “So… I was wondering if you could hook me up with any good movie gigs. Surely you know some Hollywood hot-shots.” A malicious grin was on his face.

“Don’t you like working on this show?” I tilted my head before sipping at the lemonade which I had been provided.
“It’s a fun little gig.” Karl admitted in response. “But I want to do bigger things. I didn’t even get this cause of my talent. I’m childhood friends with Jimmy. I’ve come so far since then.”

The brunette took a sip of his drink before frowning. “I can’t taste the ginger pump.” He pouted, staring down at the glass with confusion. “Don’t tell me that Barista forgot it.” His eyes narrowed, turning snake-like and shifting over towards where the Barista was now making a coffee for another customer.

While he was distracted I responded to his request. “If I find any gigs I think will suit you then I’ll throw your name in the ring.” That seemed like enough to stop him from focusing on his newfound dislike of the Barista, now grinning eagerly over at me.
“Really?” He asked. “Oh you are so sweet. I knew you were as kind as you are on TV.”

I allowed myself to grin at his comment, however inside I was just thinking about how that was the complete opposite for him.
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