Hey, guys! Sorry it took so long for me to post another chapter! I went on vacation and got caught up with some other stuff. Enjoy! And thanks for reading and being patient!
~ ~ ~
My ankles were starting to feel better. I hobbled across the living room as Mary Ann made dinner a couple nights later after we got back from the set. Since I felt like I was quickly healing, I told Gene that I would probably be able to be in some standing scenes. That made me happy. This acting thing was growing on me, and I could admit... that handsome star with the sideburns was growing on me, too. I refused to let myself go farther than toleration, though. But, a woman loved to see a man stare jealously at her talking with another man. Alan, I felt, made an effort to talk to me while Elvis was in view of us. I still had yet to accept that dinner invitation. Alan was in town for about four more days. Maybe I would just throw him a bone.
"Ow!" I hollered when I rammed into the coffee table with one of my feet that was out of a bandage. Mary Ann came into the living room and saw me sit on the floor and rub my foot. "Geez... I just made it worse."
"Your mind seemed to be on something else as you were walking. I glanced back and saw that you were in a slight trance." She placed her hands on her hips, over her bright yellow pants. She gave me a sly look. "Now, were you thinking about Elvis or Alan, hm?"
"Please... I wasn't thinking about either of those two."
"Uh-huh, right. I may be in love with someone else, but I can still ogle a handsome man. Elvis is very attractive, and Alan, well, even though he's my cousin, I still notice that he's attractive. So... you were thinking about the two of them?"
I let out a huff. "Okay, okay, fine. Yes, happy?" She grinned. "It's just... those two... It's weird. Men haven't been interested in me like this before, especially not two hot men like those two. I'm having the hardest time keeping my head about me. And I'm usually pretty good at doing that!"
She laughed. "Well, handsome men can make the most level-headed woman loopy. So? Are you ever going to give in to Elvis? Or are you going to accept Alan's dinner invitation?"
"Doing either of those would mean that I'm not doing my job well."
She went back to the stove and stirred the beef stew, whose aroma was filling the apartment. "You can still have fun with a man and do your job well."
"Not when it's the man I'm interviewing. I haven't been able to do so since both of us have been so busy. I need to ask him about his little girlfriend Priscilla. I'm sure that would keep him a bay."
"He's Elvis Presley. The fact that he has a girlfriend won't change anything."
I stood up and went and sat down on the sofa. "I really hate how you have a point. Elvis Presley, ever the ladies' man."
"So... about Alan..."
"I guess..." This was infuriating. "Okay. I'll say yes. But that doesn't mean that it's an on-going thing. He has to get back to the South in a few days. Actually, maybe going on a date with him will keep Elvis at bay."
"Maybe. Or it'll just make him more jealous."
I smirked. Elvis didn't know about that dinner invitation. Oh, how I would love to see his face when he finds out about it. Well, maybe I'll just pull an Alan—flirt with him while Elvis was watching.
"Stew's ready, Rebecca."
"Okay."
I made my way to the table, actually looking forward to work the next day. Yes, I would need to find the time to interview Elvis and try to stand for a scene, but mostly, I needed to make Elvis see that he stood no chance with me.
~ ~ ~
I made the plan of actually walking onto the set, and as I hoped, there was Gene talking with one of the cameramen. I waited where I was so he could eventually see that I wasn't in a wheelchair, that what I told him was really a thing. Once he sees me, I would walk up to him. Really, my ankles were feeling a whole lot better. I just needed a few days to let them heal.
"Maybe I should just walk up to him," I said to myself and started walking into the palace set. Gene never looked over, but someone else caught sight of me.
"Hey, Rebecca!"
I looked over at the handsome man that some of the women on the set—the ones playing the palace maidens who were all dressed up in their costumes—were staring at. "Hey, Alan," I greeted him.
"You're out of your wheelchair. Are you feeling better?"
Gene heard that and looked over at us, and he grinned. He said something to the cameraman and started walking over to us. I said, "Yes, much better. I think I'll be able to stand today for a part. Maybe not walk around too much, but standing and slow walking are fine for now."
I obviously said that on purpose since Gene came up and stood with us. "You're feeling up to a standing and walking role today, Rebecca?" he asked. "Because we're doing another palace scene today, and I need you girls standing."
"I should be fine with that. Like I said over the phone, I think I'll be able to do it."
"Great." His eyes suddenly lighted. "Elvis, you're here!"
My heart jumped, and I looked over at him. He saw me and instantly noticed that I was standing. Now would be a good time since he was in earshot of me and Alan. I turned to face Alan.
"So, I wanted to tell you something," I told him.
"Oh? And what's that?"
He was giving me a really attractive smirk, and I knew Elvis was seeing and listening to this whole thing. Gene was speaking to him, but I doubted that he was really listening.
"Well," I started, "I wanted to accept your dinner invitation."
His brows rose. "Really, you're accepting?"
"I just said that, didn't I? And I admit, I'm in a better mood because I'm out of that darn wheelchair. I have to take it easy still, but it's nice to be more mobile." I moved my arm that was injured. "Even my arm's feeling better."
Alan grinned, and I noticed that blush on his cheeks. Really, it was incredibly flattering that a man who looked like him was interested in me. I could say that about Elvis, too. He was still sending daggers our way.
"That's great!" Alan chimed happily. "I'm so happy that you're feelin' better, and I'm happy that you accepted me. So... Friday, then? I have to be in meetin's all day that day, but I can come and get you from the set."
I made a quick glance at Elvis, then looked back at Alan. "Sounds like a plan."
"Wonderful. Now, if Elvis's isn't busy, I need to talk to 'im."
"He's right behind you."
Alan's eyes widened, then he turned. Did he forget that Gene exclaimed in a booming voice that Elvis arrived? Well, he was probably distracted. Again, I felt flattered.
Alan went and talked with Elvis while Gene was standing there, and I went to the costume room to get my outfit. I explored the racks for my outfit and size, and as I did so, someone else walked into the room. The moment I smelled his cologne, I knew who it was.
"Aren't you supposed to be talking to Alan at the moment?" I asked, still looking through the pastel-colored Indie outfits. After this, I needed to scram to hair and makeup. Now more than ever because of who entered the room.
"He just needed to ask me a couple things," he said, then paused for a couple seconds. "I'm happy that your ankles and arm are feelin' better."
"Thanks. I am, too. It's like what happened when I first got here didn't happen at all. And... thanks again for helping me out, and sorry again for accusing you of stealing my things."
He smirked—I saw since I stole a glance at him and went back to what I was doing. Where was my outfit?
"It's okay. Maybe the time travelin' thing stole your stuff. You know, your futuristic stuff."
I stopped sifting through the outfits and looked right at him this time, and his blue eyes illuminated as he wore a dress shirt of the same color. I blinked a few times, thinking about it. "I think you may be right. Strange..."
"It would make sense, wouldn't it? Futuristic stuff wouldn't work here, like those credit cards and whatnot."
"And my phone..." I mumbled.
"Sorry?"
I didn't know how to describe a cell phone to him since they didn't become a wide-spread thing until the 90s. "Nevermind. Yeah, you're right." I found my outfit. "Ah-ha!" I pulled it out and looked it over and made sure the accessories and everything else was with it.
"So... you did it on purpose, didn't ya?"
I looked up at him and met those blue eyes. "Did what on purpose?"
He took a couple steps up to me, and I noticed his black hair shine white in the light. It was most likely full of oil or something to make it shine. "You know what. I was standin' right there as you were talkin' to Alan."
I put up my nose and walked passed him to the door. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't play dumb, Rebecca."
That hard tone forced me to stop, and my chest pinched. I whirled around to face him, fire in my eyes. "Dumb?"
He stepped up closer to me this time, his gaze hard. "You accepted a dinner invitation with Alan just because you knew I would hear it. Right?"
I held my outfit close to me, but I didn't feel intimidated. "So what if I did? You should know that you have no chance whatsoever with me."
"But a guy who's leavin' in a few days does?"
I made a step closer to him this time, glaring and hoping that I was the one being intimidating. Elvis didn't move, just returned the glare. "He isn't taken and isn't a womanizer unlike someone I know. Honestly, I feel sorry for that little girlfriend of yours."
He said nothing to that, just continued to glare at me. I smirked. Ha, got him there.
"See you on the set," I said and turned around.
"You have no idea what my relationship with Cilla entails." I stopped. "So don't go sayin' stiff like you know everythin'."
I knew more than he let on. I turned again to face him. "I'm from the future, remember? I know way more than you think. Plus, from experience, I know that a girl gets extremely hurt when she finds out that her boyfriend is going out with other women. I think she hopes that you'll change, but you won't, since, well... no one says no to Elvis Presley, especially women."
Again, he said nothing, just glared at me.
"You know I'm right," I said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to change and then go to hair and makeup."
I about left, but he took my free arm, the one that wasn't hurt. "Hold on a minute, Rebecca..."
He stood there, holding onto my upper arm, and suddenly, I saw guilt enter his eyes. The atmosphere in the room began to feel... sad.
"Yeah, you're right," he said. "Okay? I admit that you're right, but... you know... I just can't help it sometimes."
"Or a lot," I corrected.
"Regardless, I come across many women, and some of 'em pique my interest, but you... really... Rebecca, you scare me to death. I was so pushy because that, I... It's like back when I first started my career when I was movin' since I was so nervous and people went crazy over it. I was scared to death to be on stage, but then I just took that nervousness and turned it into somethin' else. Lord, Rebecca... I really think this is the first time I've so scared out my mind since I first got up on stage in front of people. The army even seemed like a ferry ride compared to this. I don't know what you did to me, but you did somethin'."
He wasn't pulling my leg or trying to be impossible... he was serious. Scared to death? I couldn't help but let that sink in. My lips attempted to move to say something, but nothing came out.
"I'll let you get to back to gettin' ready," Elvis said dryly. "Have fun with Alan on Friday."
He left the room, and I stood there. Well, everything that I planned backfired. Would it be too late to cancel with Alan? Elvis saw right through me, and he knew Alan was a pawn in this scheme. Now I felt rotten.
I was told, hardcore, and it left me rattled.