Chris loved London. He'd spent so much time there throughout his life it often felt like a second home. The hotel he was staying at for the next two days was where the press junkets would take place. He liked it when it worked out that way. He could get a lot more sleep, which didn't happen too often on these trips.
He pulled his phone out. It had vibrated in his pocket. Secretly, Chris hoped for a message from Chelsea, but it was a friend that lived in London. A woman. A model . He sighed. He'd only been in town a day and people already knew he was there. He slept most of the day he arrived.
"You don't deserve her anyway." He whispered as he responded to the woman that lived in town. He declined the party she'd invited him to and flopped on his bed. Room service would probably be best for dinner, but he knew the director and a few of his costars wanted to go out. Allowing himself the luxury of closing his eyes, he took a power nap. Fifteen minutes later he was up and showering to go to dinner.
Chris rode the elevator to the lobby alone. In the reflection of the golden walls he adjusted his jacket and ran his fingers through his hair. He wore his glasses and looked jet-lagged, but that would change when the stylists got a hold of him tomorrow. The doors opened and he walked through the lobby, keeping his head down. Paparazzi were bad in LA, but they were much worse in London.
He stepped out to the valet stand, asking the young man working there about a cab. Quickly, the employee picked up the phone and within minutes he was riding in a cab to the restaurant. Again, he closed his eyes. Before he began to drift to sleep Chelsea's face danced its way into his thoughts. Chris could see her hugging herself, avoiding eye contact. If only he had known what to say. He sighed heavily just as the cab arrived. It was as if his itinerary had been published. Flashing lights and shouts bombarded him as he stepped out of the car.
Dinner was simple and expensive. One bottle of wine exceeded four hundred dollars, but was worth every penny. The cast, happily reunited, swapped stories about their current lives. As dessert was being presented the director leaned across the table in Chris' direction. "I don't mean to pry, I know you're a private man, but I must hear about your new girlfriend."
Chris' stomach sank. He wasn't sure what to say.
A beautiful costar beamed, "New girlfriend?" Clearly she wanted the latest gossip.
Chris forced a smile, "What do you want to know?"
The director, in complete seriousness, "Why the fuck isn't she teaching anymore? I'd pay lots of tuition to get a person like that teaching my kids. I swear, the California education system is a joke. My kids are not challenged at all and they go to some pretty phenomenal schools."
Chris felt instantaneously protective. "You have to think of what she's been through, what being around kids or in a classroom would make her feel. Certainly there is an emptiness she feels working at Disneyland, but she's happy everyday. There was a time where she tried to teach but got panic attacks. Fucking panic attacks. I know she's amazing at it, just give her time. But I can't imagine that she'd teach private. She's only taught in those schools we make cheesy movies about."
The older co-star, a well known woman, spoke softly, "Maybe you should talk to her about putting her life on screen. Write a screen play or memoir together."
The anger started in his fingertips. He clenched them into fists, but it didn't stop the anger from traveling through his veins and deep into his heart. "I would never." He said it just as he stood up. He didn't want to be there anymore. "I'm going to go back to the hotel." And we walked off. He could hear apologies and whispers, but Chris ignored them. He got his coat and went outside. A good heavy rain had started, but it didn't stop the photographers from congregating in front of the restaurant.
"Fuck." He whispered as he walked toward the door. He felt the stares of the photographers and strangely from just to his left. He turned and saw an elderly man sitting, apparently waiting for a table.
"You need a ride?" The man, with a southern drawl, asked. Chris stared at the gentleman, he was American. "The valet is getting my car." The man's eyes narrowed at Chris, looking almost angry.
"Do you mind?" Chris started to give directions to the hotel.
"We'll use the GPS," the man said, standing. The valet opened the door and quickly ushered the two into the car. The man drove a block or two before handing the GPS to
Chris. "You can progam this, Hollywood."
Chris held the GPS and laughed. "My name is,"
"Chris Pine, I know who you are." The old man said, but he didn't sound impressed. Chris kept his mouth shut. "You don't recognize me do ya?"
He stopped attempting to program the GPS and looked over at the man. Did he have a stalker? A brief moment of fear overcame Chris. He didn't know about any stalkers, but the man did look vaguely familiar.
The man laughed, a warm Santa-like laugh, "I wouldn't expect you to. We've only seen each other twice." He pulled the car over, Chris began to reach for the door handle. "Please don't, just hear what I have to say then I'll take you to your hotel and be on my way."
"I don't want you to fucking know where I'm staying." Chris muttered.
"The Savoy, it's surprisingly easy to figure this stuff out. Granted, I had to get my granddaughter to help me, but still. The stuff that is on the internet."
Chris wanted to open the door, he couldn't explain why he didn't. Fear? Maybe.
"Look, I'm here on vacation with my wife. We just got here. She's sleeping her jetlag off and doesn't even know I did this. If I did she'd kill me. But, I believe in things happening for a reason you know? Don't get out, just hear me out."
"What? Do you want an autograph? A picture? What do you want?"
"I want you to listen." The old man placed his hand on Chris' knee. "She said you're a good person. I am not sure I believe her, but it's what she says. So all I think you need is a little reminder about how good you have it."
"Who? Your wife? Who are you talking about?" This man is crazy, Chris thought.
The man laughed, "No. Chelsea."
Chris' head snapped over to look at the man in the driver's seat. It hit him hard, this was her coworker.
"She and I went out for pie just the other night," the old man wasn't looking at him, he was staring out the window watching the rain on the windshield. "She came in, took a shift she wasn't down for, just to help me out. She's a good person. The best. At the end of the shift she was exhausted. Sugah just flopped down on the break table, put her head down, looked like the world had gotten the best of her. She didn't have to say anything, I knew it was you."
"Walt," Chris said softly.
"Don't say nothin' just listen." The old man shook his head, but still didn't look at Chris. "I took her out for pie. We ate two whole pieces just talking about life. She didn't want to talk about it, you know?" The man finally looked at Chris. Chelsea's pain was mirrored in the old man's eyes. "I had to drag it out of her. And the whole time all she was worried about was how stupid she felt and how I couldn't or shouldn't think less of you. She kept repeating how you're a good person."
Now it was Chris' turn to look out at the rain.
"I'm going to tell you what I told her. I can't believe for a second that a person can be around Chelsea and not fall completely in love. She's amazing. The way she takes care of people. She still smiles everyday, even though she's been to hell and back. She loves with all her heart all the time. And I know she really loves you."
Chris felt like he'd been stabbed. "Did she say that?"
"She didn't have to. We're walkin' out of Denny's at one in the a.m. and she starts getting worried that I'm going to take her story and tell a tabloid of something. Even after you lied to her like you did. Which, by the way, she really didn't want to tell me. I bet I'm the only one that will never know. God knows she won't tell those crazy roommates of hers. Anywho. Even after you lied to her like you did, she still wants the best for you. That's love. And I do not believe for a second you didn't love her. It's impossible. Everyone loves her." Walt pulled back on to the road. "You just gotta think about it. Think about if you deserve a person like her. Or if you're good enough for her. She needs someone that will love her intensely and take care of her. That little sugar needs someone to take care of her. She's so busy taking care of everyone else."
Within a few minutes they were in front of his hotel. "When she told me you were out of town and in London I just knew I had to find you. We've got a couple days here then we're off to Ireland. Big trip for me and the wife. I hope I haven't overstepped anything. Lord knows Chelsea is going to have my hide when I get back to Disney."
Chris was still attempting to wrap his head around everything that just happened, his costars callused words, the old man picking him up. Chelsea loved you, he thought.
"If you do love her, you need to make this right. You know what you need to do. Now get out of my car."
Chris' lips parted as he started to formulate a response, but all he could do was thank Walt and get out f the car. He stood on the curb, oblivious to the flashbulbs. He knew what he had to do.