Given and Denied

Chapter 14

I stood there staring at him like a complete dumb ass, unable to believe that it was really him.

"Jules, this is Gwen. Gwen Stevens". Alan continued to introduce.

"Ah". He said, nodding his head at the recognition of my name,
"So your Gwen, I've heard quite a lot about you from Alan here".

I took my attention away from Jules for a second to look over at Alan, who then bent his head down almost shyly and smiled.

Jules was now however, extending his hand out to shake mine and looking back towards him, it took me a moment before I took it. I had to admit that I was totally taken aback by the fact that it was actually him standing there in front of me!
I also couldn't speak to him at all.
Talk about being starstruck!
A part from the fact that I had also totally convinced myself that it was a female who Alan had wanted to introduce to me! I really hadn't given a thought that it might have been a man and a very well known one at that!
Not only was Jules a very good actor, he was also especially good looking too and I had to admit I had not quite been expecting that!

I had been made fully aware of some of the films he had been in, but to be brutally honest, they weren't really my cup of tea. Many of them had been quite violent ones, involving gangs and mob rule.
He first found fame in the politically acclaimed film, Gideons Tempest, where he was actually nominated for a BAFTA in his role as Flagel. This was a demanding, powerful role which saw his character take his own life and the events leading up to the planned suicide made uncomfortable viewing for most, me included!
Jules Rybak was pretty adept at these kind of psychological thriller type of films, so much so that he had been touted as being possibly the next James Bond!

But the film that Patricia, Alan and myself were all involved in, would surely now see him taking on a completely different role.
Jules was to play Alan's son Gabriel Saunders, whom Alan's character, Jonathan tries to get Christina (me) to fall in love with.
The idea behind this was so that he would not be tempted in his pursuit of her if she became romantically involved with his very own son.
Of course, this did not work out as planned.
Jonathan tries his utmost to distance himself from her, but had failed to take Christina's feelings into consideration as she still wanted and needed his love. Things come to a head when Christina and Gabriel announce that they had secretly married in a private ceremony.
It ends up being pretty messy when Gabriel inadvertently finds his new bride in bed with his own father and to say the least,
It doesn't end well.

So meeting Jules like this and knowing that I would be required to play some pretty intense scenes, including sexual ones with him, made me feel just a little bit shy and really quite nervous.
Alan was a good host though and suggested that we all be seated and guided me with an extended hand to sit down between Jules and Patricia. I was a bit hesitant at first, for I would much rather have been sat next to Alan, but I suppose he thought that any animosity between myself and Patricia would easily be quelled if we were actually sat down next to one another. Also being seated next to Jules Rybak like this was surely a real treat too!
Alan then took the vacant seat next to Jules, strangely a little way off from Patricia. I noticed her eyes were upon him in an instant  and I  half expected her to get up and move closer towards him! But she did not and remained put, although her eyes remained  fully on him.
Alan then ordered some coffee for us all and a selection of sticky buns from the bemused looking waitress who came to take our order.
I was pretty sure that she recognised Jules though, for she couldn't take her eyes off him. But it may also have been because he was so very good looking!

As she walked away from us with our order, Jules leant over towards me.

"So, Alan tells me this is your first actual film role then?". He asked, "And he also said that you've only ever worked in the theatre before".