Chapter 11 - When the heart knows
Patrick headed to the pantry, looking for Olena. She was probably still having coffee and he wanted to join her for a quick chat before the real work started.
He heard her laugh delightedly as he neared the room and wondered what made her so happy.
Just as he was about to open the door, he heard Jasper's hearty laugh follow hers and he froze, his fist clenching on the door knob.
"So there I was, in the middle of the street, with my pants down. Like literally," he heard Jasper say in between laughs.
"You bet I sobered up right away."
Olena laughed again and Patrick clenched his jaw as he went in.
"You two seem to be having fun," he observed quietly.
Jasper turned and eyed him carefully, their last conversation about Olena running through his mind.
"I was just telling Olena about some of my wildest days back in college."
Patrick frowned but stayed silent as he started to pour coffee in his cup.
"So... I should head back to the set," Jasper finally said after an awkward silence.
"Let's start rolling in half an hour?"
As they both nodded in agreement, Jasper turned and went out, leaving them alone.
"You're such a party pooper," Olena accused.
Patrick shrugged and feigned innocence, leaning casually on the wall as he slowly sipped his coffee.
"What did I do? I just came here to get coffee."
Olena rolled her eyes. She felt something pass between Patrick and Jasper during their short exchange earlier but she could not pinpoint what it was about.
She was sure, though, that Jasper left the room because of it. She was also sure she would not get any real answer from both of them so she just dropped it.
Let them solve whatever it was on their own. They were both adults.
Throwing her head back to drain the last of her coffee, she pushed the used paper cup in the trash bin and moved to the door .
Patrick grabbed her arm as she tried to walk past him, stopping her from leaving.
"What, you can stay and chat with Jasper but not with me?"
Patrick's voice had an edge to it, making Lena frown in confusion.
Why was he in such a foul mood? He seemed fine when she first saw him just a few minutes ago.
Then she remembered. It must have something to do with Samantha.
"Did you have a fight with Samantha or something? You seem annoyed."
He gave a sudden bark of laughter, surprising Olena at how harsh it sounded.
"Don't drag Samantha into this. I've got nothing to do with her," he snapped.
"I clearly told you I only did it as a favor. For you."
Patrick sounded angry and Olena frowned at his sharp response. She thought they were becoming friends, but it seems she was wrong.
She raised both arms in mock surrender and stepped away.
"Sorry for caring. Remind me not to butt in your personal business from now on," she said sarcastically.
There was a brief pause, then Patrick roughly combed his fingers through his hair and sighed.
"No it's my fault. Please ignore what I just said, I guess I just got off on the wrong side of the bed today."
"Or maybe you're having your period," Olena joked, hoping to change the mood in the room.
Patrick laughed with her, mainly because he was happy that the tense atmosphere between them had eased up.
"Let's go see if Jasper is doing his job. That slacker will try to take shortcuts so he can go home early if he can get away with it."
"And here I was, looking forward to seeing him get serious for once," Olena shot back as she moved to the door.
Patrick walked faster and opened the door before Olena could get to it.
She hesitated then smiled radiantly, appreciating the gallant gesture.
Patrick felt his heart stop and his body went numb for a second at the impact of her smile, then he hurriedly followed her outside.
He knew then that he was in trouble.
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When Patrick and Olena arrived at the set, Rachel and Axel were already there, doing their final checks on the props and materials before they start shooting the first frame.
They immediately pulled Olena to the side for a quick discussion and Patrick left them to it.
He decided to take a walk outside, hoping the cool morning mist would help clear his head that was still a mess from his conflicted emotions.
A cool breeze welcomed him as he stepped outside the building. But though it refreshed him, it couldn't get him to relax. And he knew that he cannot keep running away forever.
Because there was only one way to fix this problem... he had to face the truth so he can deal with it.
And the truth was that he was in love with Olena.
But - and what a big but it was - Olena was a married woman.
And from what he saw on her Facebook profile, she seems to be happy with her husband.
Which is why he should stay the hell away.
He felt his chest tighten at the thought but he clenched his jaw and forced himself to accept his reality.
He didn't want to be a homewrecker. There were plenty of other women anyway.
Not like Olena, his inner voice insisted.
But they were single, and right now that's what matters, right? Damn, where was Haidee when he needed her.
He wanted to bang his head repeatedly against the wall, hoping it will bring him to his senses.
Good job managing your affairs, Patrick. Thirty years old and letting yourself get trapped in an unrequited love which you managed to dodge your whole life.
Patrick turned around headed back towards the studio, determined to stay as far away from Olena as possible outside their interactions for the project.
He was going to keep things strictly professional between them.
But Patrick wondered how long he would be able to keep it up when the project they had to work together for had just started.
This would probably be the longest and most difficult video project of his life.