Accidentally in love

Chapter 14 - Him

Chapter 14 - Him

The start of filming is always the busiest and the most stressful.

Most of the crew are new and still getting used to each other and to the surroundings. Scheduling conflicts pop up, minor accidents occur here and there.

Not to mention the media rounds we have to do to hype up the production so sponsors and advertisers would come in.

I normally hate that part most of all. The questions are always the same, mostly about my love life - the one that exists in their imagination - and the possibility of hooking up with my on-screen partner.

But today, I find that I don't mind it so much. Because Liv will be with me.

Liv. I don't know when it started, but in my mind I had started to refer to her as Liv. I haven't said it aloud yet, though. I still called her Olivia when we're together. Maybe I'll try it some time and see how she reacts.

So today we're ready to officially introduce her to my world. Dana instructed me to only say it if a reporter specifically asks about her or about that photo that was published last week.

I think Dana is hoping the paps would have moved on to the next juicy story by now and has forgotten about my 'scandal'.

I doubt it. Just yesterday, I noticed a man lurking around the studio and I suspect he was a reporter, probably with a photographer hiding somewhere close.

Liv also told me that there were still reporters watching her house, though not as many as the first day. And how did she know that? From that neighbor of hers, of course.

My mood soured as I recall seeing her giggling while on the phone with the guy. Doesn't she realize he has other intentions about her? I'm almost a hundred percent sure he doesn't see her as just a friend, and I hated the idea.

I heard a polite knock on the door of my dressing room and I turned to see Liv's face as she peeked inside.

"Come in," I called out to her, wondering why didn't she just enter. After almost a week, I noticed that she has become more comfortable in this environment, almost thriving in it. She's a natural.

"Dana sent me to fetch you. We're about to start."

"I see. But come inside first, I want to ask you something."

"Is something wrong?" She asked as she entered the room.

I stood up and put my hands inside the pockets of my jeans.

"How do I look?"

"That is what you wanted to ask me?" She half shouted and I nodded quickly.

"So? Do I look okay?"

"Sure. You always do."

"That's it? It doesn't sound good enough. Maybe I should try another suit..."

"Wait," Liv grabbed my arm to stop me from going back to my walk in closet and I felt a wave of electricity wash over me. What was that about?

"Fine. You look great. Hot, even," she continued.

"Hot? Really now," I teased her and a blush crept up on her cheeks.

"Shut up and let's go."

Aside from Dana, Liv is probably the only one who can boss me around like this. And I love it. I love how she's not afraid of me, that she sees me as just a human and not a god like most of my fans and people around me do.

We stopped outside the doors of the conference room and I took a deep breath. I still have a hard time dealing with these kinds of events because I feel like a caged animal being watched at the zoo, sometimes even poked at by the media with their brutal questions.

I grabbed Liv's hand and squeezed it, instinctively knowing that her presence will make me feel better.

She looked at me in surprise but didn't say anything. After a few seconds, I felt her squeeze back and my whole body relaxed.  Now I'm ready to face those vultures.

Cameras started flashing as soon as I opened the door. I quickly looked around to see if Liv was caught in the frenzy but fortunately she had the good sense to step back when I entered.

I headed to the podium and took my seat.

"Thank you all for coming. Did I keep you waiting?" I turned on the charm on full blast, hoping to start this off on a good note.

The room erupted in chatter with each person throwing their questions.

"One at a time please," Dana interrupted as she stepped on to the podium herself.

"Mark, go ahead," she called out to one of the reporters we liked. He was mostly honest and fair in his write ups, and he always checked first with us whenever he gets a tip, so we try to return the favor during occasions like this.

"I know this presscon is for your film, but everyone in this room has one big question in our heads. Who's the girl?"

I could see several heads nodding and glanced at Liv, silently urging her to trust me. She gave me a brief nod and I smiled.

"Straight to the bull's eye, huh Mark?" I asked lightly. "Can't I talk about my film first?"

He shook his head firmly and I laughed good naturedly.

"Fine. But you all got the press release from Dana last week, right? There's nothing more to it, really."

"Oh it can't be as simple as that," Mark shot back. "There wasn't even any back story. Like how did she become your manager? Who is she and where is she from? And more importantly, are you two dating? Cause that photo looked more than a professional relationship to me."

I could feel my temper rising at the pointed and intrusive questions, but I knew this was part of the job. I just hated that Liv was getting dragged into it as well when she didn't ask to be in this world in the first place.

"I think Dana can tell you her background and why we chose her. I can say though, that we made a good choice," I replied, smiling, as my eyes drifted on their own to where Liv was standing.

"You've been glancing that way since you got in," Mark observed and I cursed under my breath. Damn, does nothing ever escape this guy's notice?

"Is she there? Introduce her to us, man," he prodded.

We were prepared for this, but that didn't mean I liked it. I was worried that exposing Liv to the media would change her life, but we all knew it can't be avoided. And as my manager, her face was bound to be seen in photos with me anyway.

"Okay. But on one condition," I challenged, looking at the room in general. "We end this topic here and we talk about my film, all right?"

There were grumbles all around but they eventually agreed, as expected.

"Olivia," I turned in her direction again and saw her hesitate. I smiled encouragingly and held out my hand, urging her forward.