The Accidental Star

PAPARAZZI

JI CHANG WOOK

" Have you read the script? "

Anne didn't look at me when she answered. She was busy examining her wineglass.

" No, " she said in a flat voice.

Just as I suspected, she probably disliked me.

She hadn't looked at me since she saw me standing by their table. Daniel did say coming over was a bad idea but I needed to know. I needed to know if we were okay after what happened earlier today.

How was I supposed to know that she wasn't really auditioning? How was I supposed to know that she was Jake's cousin and not an aspiring artist who just happened to have a strong resemblance to my CEO?

I knew something wasn't right when I saw real coffee spilling on the floor. The audition was supposed to be an improvised scene of the main character knocking the female lead down in an airport. We weren't given any scripts. We improvised on the spot. When she spoke in perfect English, I should have already known that she was not really there to audition. I was, after all, informed that the two finalists were Korean. But Sam didn't yell 'cut' and so I took her cue and acted along.

When I learned who she was and what really happened, it dawned on me that everything that took place in the Spotlight lobby was real for her. I was convinced that to her, it was no damned audition. In her mind, I was the bastard who spilled coffee all over her and had the audacity to be cocky about it.

I did look for Anne afterwards to apologize about the mix up. I felt bad spilling her drink all over her, acting or no acting. But I couldn't find her anywhere in the building. I learned later that day that she had lunch with the bosses and was offered the role of my female lead in the TV series.

" Oh, okay, " I said and gave Daniel a look.

I needed to talk to her. If we were going to be working together, I needed to clear the air between us. And I don't think it was going to happen with Jake and Daniel around.

" I suddenly feel like stepping out for a quick smoke, " Daniel blurted out after a while, glancing expectantly at Jake.

It wasn't Daniel's quick pick-up nor his fluency in the English language that I needed from him right now. I was banking on his good relationship with Jake in order to pull this off.

I saw Jake look at Daniel curiously.

If I read him right, he looked pretty amused. He obviously knew something was up. Daniel, after all, didn't smoke.

" You want to join me, Jake?" Daniel finally directed the question to our CEO.

I felt Anne stiffen beside me and saw her glare at Jake. I was almost certain she was mentally telling her cousin not to leave the table.

" Why not, " Jake finally replied to my relief, completely ignoring his cousin.

" But you don't smoke, " I heard her say as she murderously glared at her cousin and my CEO.

" I don't. But an occasional cigar wouldn't hurt, " came Jake's swift reply as he pushed himself off his seat.

When we were finally alone, I cleared my throat to break the awkward silence that momentarily enguled us.

Anne took a quick sip of her wine and looked away.

" I'm sorry, " I finally said in English.

That seemed to have caught her attention and she looked at me quizzically.

" For what?"

" For what happened earlier today, " I said swiftly as I held her gaze.

As I stared at her, I couldn't help but feel awed by her uncanny resemblance to Spotlight's CEO.