The Magic of Hollywood // Charlie Gillespie

Chapter 10

I stop myself before I say something hurtful and regret it later. I need to stop letting my thoughts get the best of me. I promised him the chance to explain himself so I should at least let him finish before I make up my mind. I relax into the couch and signal him to continue. "No, I did not run away because I didn't wanna be seen with you - I know that's what you were just thinking." This is insane. We don't know each other yet we know so well how the other person is feeling. To me it's like his eyes let me read his soul... I wonder how he figures me out so well. I swallow hard because I feel caught and pathetic for actually caring whether or not he wants to be seen with me. "The reason I did what I did was because I wanted to protect you." Right, now he's definitely trying to persuade me. "You don't know me. Why would you wanna protect me?" And from what, I think to myself.

"Because, even though you don't think I do, I care about you, Victoria." The way he says my name sends shivers through my whole body. Nobody calls me Victoria, apart from my parents, and that's partly the reason why I don't like people calling me that but when he says it... I love it. Oh stop it Victoria! I try and focus on Charlie and ignore the butterflies. "I didn't want you to have to deal with paparazzi harassing you, trying to drag every little detail of your life to the top and ruin whatever it is that we have." He thinks we have something? I didn't know it was possible but the butterflies seem to have found new friends and now they are all flying through my stomach. Of course he senses my mood change because a small smile on forms on his lips. The sadness starts to disappear from his eyes and in that moment I decide I will never be the reason for him being sad ever again.

"Judging how easy it was to get here without anyone noticing I guess I was successful?" I just nod slightly. I'm unable to talk. There are just too many emotions inside of me ever since he said we have something. I know I shouldn't give in to the emotions but right now I don't care. I'm too happy. We just stare at each other smiling for a while. "Hold on!" I almost jump off the couch pointing at him. His body gets tense, his eyes get careful. I can't help but laugh a little. I really didn't mean to startle him like that. The tension in his body starts to loosen up a bit again. "I still wanna know how you found me." His face cracks into a laugh and he rubs his neck again. I could drop dead right there simply because he looks so adorable doing it. "Right, now that's a bit of a... weird story." Well, know he's made me curious. "Let's hear it. I'm all about weird."

He tells me how the morning after we met his manager called him to tell him about the press article and how he was not happy about it at all. I take a mental note to look up the article later. He ensures me that you can't tell it's me from the picture but I'm still kinda curious, and a little anxious, about it. Then he tells me how his manager pulled in some favors and got a call shortly after I bought this club. Yes, it feels a little weird that he pretty much kept tabs on me and it kinda freaks me out how easy it is for some people to figure out literally anything about a person by just knowing their first name but I'm too happy to care. "I must seem like a complete maniac to you. First I ran away and then I track you down like a stalker." I can't help but burst into laughter. "I mean, if you put it like that." He laughs too. Finally the easiness between us has returned.

"VICTORIA!" Charlie and I jump up in shock as Valerie comes running into the club. She pretty much came with the location. She's in her mid 50s and owned the club until I bought it a few days ago. She has offered to help me with everything until I found proper staff and I more than gladly took her up on that offer. She knows her way around the venue, knows the area, the people and she offered me a good deal for the venue and her payment. You can say I got really lucky. I look to my right where Charlie is standing and get the feeling that this is my lucky city. I turn to Valerie who looks really upset and stressed out. "I just read the email from Marco Lay's manager." Oh right, I completely forgot about that problem while Charlie was here and I completely forgot she gets all the emails I get. "Right, yeah his manager called me a few hours ago." I know I shouldn't be that casual about it because I open next week and don't have an opening act but somehow Charlie's presence calms me down.

"Victoria? You know what that means right?" I know slightly. I feel bad about not being stressed out about it but there is nothing I can do right in this moment anyway. Wow, who is that girl? Usually my mind would go crazy thinking about ways to fix that. I look over to Charlie who looks at me really confused. "Victoria!" Omg, Valerie calm down, I think in my head but don't bother to say anything because I know she means well. "You wanna open your club in a week and you don't have an opening act." Thanks for stating the obvious Valerie, I thought that was my part today. "Maybe I can help." We both turn to look at Charlie.