Keep To The Script (Complete)

~ Chapter 10 ~

Angel glanced at the woman in the car beside him and tried to imagine what she could possibly be thinking. But honestly, he was coming up empty-handed. He would have to bet that she hadn't gotten a taste of the reporters yet and actually, that was mild, but something told him not to tell her that. Not that she was dumb, she'd probably guess it on her own soon enough. He wanted to soothe her but honestly, he had no clue what to say.

Sorry? Sorry didn't seem right. Nor did it seem enough. And it wasn't like he was to blame so he really shouldn't apologize. He was honest when he said they didn't show up there, so he wasn't sure why they were there now. Usually, with so few reporters like that, it's usually because someone called but the few that recognized him weren't people who would tell anything.

He glanced her way again as she sighed, and he so badly wanted to reach over the middle armrest to take her hand. But if the kiss freaked her out, and he knew it did, then an action like that would send her flying out of the car, and he couldn't deal with that. So, he settled for some lower music and talking.

"You okay?"

"No," was her simple answer.

"Want to talk about it?"

"What's to talk about? We got found out and we'll be all over the tabloids, the papers, and probably over the stupid internet. I'll be the laughingstock of Hollywood and the writer's community!"

"Why, because you went out with an actor in a movie that's based upon your story?" She finally turned to look at him as they pulled up to a stoplight.

"No, because I was seen out with a man half my age!" His brows crinkled in confusion. Didn't she understand that Hollywood wasn't hung up on age? In fact, the scandals came when the other one was underage, not someone his age. Besides, it wasn't like it was some story behind it. And even if it was, he would make sure to shut it down. There were a couple of good things about some of his connections.

"Is that so bad?"

"Oh my God, Angel, yes it is. Look, you might be okay with it, but I'm not."

"Clearly," he mumbled under his breath. Not that he couldn't understand it, but he didn't agree with it. "Look, JD, what's your problem with it?"

"I'm old enough to be your mother!" He raised a brow at that and then slowly looked her over, which caused her to narrow her eyes at him. "What's your game?"

"What game?" he asked, moving as the light turned green. He wasn't sure if he was happy or sad that the next left would take him to his house.

"The game you're playing with me." For a moment he thought about driving down the street to keep talking but it was obvious that she needed answers and it would probably be best for him to give them in the house rather than in a moving car, especially if he was the one driving.

"There's no game, Judith," he told her, shooting her a look as he turned down the street and then made the next right, "but if you want an explanation, I'll give you one."

"I think it's long overdue." Angel rolled his eyes as he pulled into the driveway and shut the car off. Fine, he'll lay it all out of her to see, but he sure as hell was doing it in the car and he sure as fuck wasn't doing it in the driveway. They might have some distance from their neighbors, but that didn't mean that people weren't nosy. He shoved open his door and then went around the side to hold hers open, offering his hand to help her out. She gave it a glance before putting her hand on it. Without a word, he took them through the door and shut it with more force than necessary, but he was trying to calm his own mind for the moment.

"There's no game, I told you. But I won't lie or hide the fact that I am into you, JD. I know you've got reservations about that, but I am trying to show you it's okay." Her arms crossed over her chest, and she glared at him.

"So, what, you're all about dating me now?"

"Not by a long shot because you'd go running back to the hills before I could even get the full question out. But I am serious about being friends, about getting to know each other." With human strength he didn't know he had, he slowly walked over to her, giving her enough time to back away. And he almost cheered when she didn't. "I know your thoughts though, so I'm not pushing anything. Tonight, wasn't a date, it was dinner. And I'm sorry those assholes came but that's nothing I can control. However, I have the means to make sure nothing gets printed."

"How? Who has that kind of power?"

"A Mexican kid." Her eyes narrowed at the lame joke, and he shook his head. "Really, I promise none of that will be visible for anyone to see come the morning. But you can't let people like that run your life either."

"What if people see and talk shit? Did they ruin your career? Or mine? I told you I'd be the laughingstock and I would be, and it's not like I'm even causing a ripple in the community yet!" He took her hands and let out a sigh.

"Judith, you're getting yourself worked up over nothing, and I mean it. You're worried over little things, and so what if people say something? It's not their life, right? Why not do something that feels good to you, for once." He wasn't sure what exactly triggered her, but the flash in her eyes told him something did. And when she tugged her hands out of his, he let her.

"That's just it, you've never really let me say that it hasn't huh?" 'What?' his mind screamed. What was she talking about? "You have pushed me and pushed me, and I haven't gotten the chance to say that I have no clue what you're doing but it feels wrong!" He couldn't have been more dumbfounded if she slapped him. He would admit to not knowing a lot of things, sure, but being able to read what a woman wanted, that was something he knew. And try as she might to deny it, he knew there was something brewing between them. But she was way too stubborn and obtuse to admit it, which was pretty damn frustrating.

"Wait, hold up here, Judith, it feels wrong? Why? We're friends, God damn it!"

"Because you want more and I'm not willing to give it up! Yet, you refuse to see that. You're pushy, domineering, and a straight-out pain in the ass!" With that, she flew to the stairs but stopped to turn around to look at him. "I could handle friends, but knowing you want more when I will never be able to give it, is something I can't do! Ever!" He wasn't one to be childish, he didn't enjoy pushing buttons or even enjoy having the last word, but something about her statement, or maybe it was her, pushed him over the edge.

"Handle being friends, yeah, that's really rich," he said, snorting and watching her march up the stairs. With a frustrated grunt, he walked out the back door, slamming it behind him. He kicked off his shoes, laying them by the door, and then rolled up his pants, and walked down to the water, his calming place.

He wasn't sure how everything got so fucked up, but it had. He didn't think he pushed her, in fact, he'd like to think he gave her plenty of room to step in and say something. But she really had problems with them even being friends, which was lame. Because friendship wasn't ruled by age groups, but by what you had in common. In hindsight, it was possible he came across as pushy, but he didn't mean to.

He was just the type of man that went after what he wanted, but again, if he really believed she was uncomfortable, he would have backed away. Well, in a way that she wasn't scared and frightened of him, not of the feelings he brought out in her. No, he could see how flustered she got, and it wasn't because he was being pushy but because she liked him. So, hearing all of that, seeing the wariness in her eyes, made his anger shoot even higher.

It wasn't fair to him for her to be scared of him when he's been nothing but courteous to her. Okay, so he gave her a peck like it was a big deal? He hadn't clawed her or jumped her, just flirted with her. And she responded to it, regardless of what she thought. But he knew he had to step back, no matter what. In all truth, this was her doing, she had to make the next move. With another sigh, he leaned back on his hands and watched the black waves as they washed ashore.

Women didn't always flock to him and it wasn't like he had his pick of them, though he probably could. But he wasn't that type. So, he wasn't sure he was good at waiting, but he was about to see. Because to him, JD was perfect, and he wanted a chance with her, no matter how many walls she built up, or hard she was going to make it to climb them.