FORMERLY

Chapter 4

"Ms. Cartaro, it was a pleasure to have you accompany me tonight. I almost wish that today wouldn't end," Spoke Jake Dawton, an accomplished director who had hired me for tonight. The man was only thirty-five, and considered young compared to what he had accomplished.

"The pleasure was all mine. The movie was fantastic, especially the animation and special effects. I'm sure that it will surely be a huge box office hit when it is released—even bigger than your last one." I said.

"You are too kind. Where else can I find someone else like you?" He said with a smile. He led us towards the car that was parked outside of the private screening and opened the door for me before sliding in himself.

"I'm one of a kind Jake, don't even try to find someone else." I replied lightly. He gave a laugh before taking my hands into his.

His face sobered up. "Laurielle," he looked over at me, "what do you feel about staying with me in L.A.? You won't have to work anymore." He offered.

I simply smiled at him, knowing my answer alreay. As comfy as staying with him might sound, Jake was already engaged to someone else. An arranged marriage to a businessman's respectable daughter. I pulled my hands out of his and turned to look out the window at the flying landscape.

"You're engaged Jake. You're supposed to get married" I said softly.

"That's not what I want and you know that. Just stay with me, I'll give you everything. You know I will." He turned to me and tried to turn me around, but I refused to budge.

"I don't ruin marriages that haven't even had a chance to succeed. I can't do that, and I'm sure that I'll only ever be a mistress to you. What we're doing here is all business Jake, so let's keep it professional"

I could feel him getting frustrated. This was clearly not the response he was expecting. "You're an escort god damn it. The highest position you will hold in a man's life is a mistress.. I'm offering you things that you could only wish for!" He yelled. His breathing was getting heavy and I could feel that he was trying to control his temper and calm himself.

"Fine. Let's keep this professional." He spoke with a forced calm. "Be in my movie. You've been my muse for years now. I want you in my movie as the lead." He said.

This was not a surprise to me. He had been writing characters in his blockbusters after me since we met. Lines from his scripts had been copied and pasted from our conversations, and the actresses held strikingly similar features to myself. I was his inspiration and it was only time that he would want to put his actual muse into one of his movies.

"You know that me being an actress will work out. You said it yourself, I'm an escort, and when people dig out anything about my past, you and I will both be in the ruins. Just imagine the headlines: 'Dawton features Prostitute', 'Lying Prostitute turned Hollywood Princess'. Stop spurting out nonsense Jake. It's not going to happen."

"Why are you like this? Do you think that being a prostitute is great? That i's better than being Jake Dawton's muse or even mistress? You have nothing Laurielle, get that in you head." He said before turning to his driver. "Pull over, and then send the miss home."

"I hope you have a great life as a prostitute Laurielle. I hope you have a great fuçking life. I'll send you the money tomorrow."

Before getting out of the car, he turned around one last time. "When you finally get your head out of your ass, my offer will still be open."

Ouch

I silently sat in the car, watching him leave. I wanted so badly to open my mouth and disagree, to say that I did what was best for him. However, that would only encourage him to continue. I knew he would leave if I just stayed silent.