The Magic of Hollywood // Charlie Gillespie

Chapter 8

Victoria's POV

I can't move. I was not prepared for this. I thought I'd never see him again but here he is... right in front of me... in my club. He's wearing sunglasses and a hoodie, probably to cover himself up so the paparazzi won't recognize him. This is so weird. It's Charlie. The guy I met on the street but somehow he's also not. He was so cheerful and relaxed when I met him but now he seems tense and so incredibly careful. I wonder why... is it because of me? Or is it because of the people who could see him here? Is he embarrassed to be seen with me? Maybe that's why he ran away. But then why is he here now? I hear the box of flyers hitting the ground. Not again! What is wrong with today? Charlie's expression changes to concern... he moves towards me and kneels down to help me pick up my flyers.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you" he mumbles. He seems almost... insecure? But that can't be, can it? He hands me my flyers. Our hands touch for just a second but that's enough for all the butterflies in my stomach to come back to life again. I look up at him... into his beautiful eyes. When did he take off his sunglasses? Hold on a second. His eyes are brown. They definitely were not brown last I've seen him. "Your eyes" is the first thing I manage to say to him. He looks confused. "What about them?" Yeah, what about... oh right! Their color. My life would be much easier if he had just kept his sunglasses on. "They're brown" - "Yeah?" Wow, he must really think I'm stupid stating such an obvious fact. "I was certain they were some sort of greenish gray." The expression in his face changes but I can't quite tell what emotion it is. "Yeah, they change color. It's kinda weird, huh?" - "Actually, I think it's pretty cool. Makes them unique." He face cracks into a bright smile. Neither of us say anything. I just can't stop staring into his eyes. 

The silence between us gets a little awkward. I see Charlie looking around my club and I suddenly get so conscious about the little things that still need to be done. "That's a nice venue you got here." That's a topic I can work with! "Yeah, right? I love that it's so close to the beach and the interior is adorable. I still gotta work on a few things until I can open it up next week." I stop myself before I bore him with too many details, he was probably just being polite and trying to break the awkward silence between us. "It really is lovely. It suits you... I guess" He smirks and rubs his neck - damn it should be forbidden how adorable he is. "So... next week, huh? That's soon. Club got a name yet?" And we're back in the game. "Yep. Named it The Magic of Hollywood. After all it's still unreal to me to be here and to get to live my dream so I thought it kinda fit." His eyes brighten. "Omg I love it! That's such a cool name!" 

I love how easy it is to talk to him. It's like we just click. I don't experience that often. Usually I need my time to warm up to people but with him it's just... I don't know... it's crazy. Wait... no... I can't let myself fall for him again. I try to remember the way I felt when he left me looking like an idiot in the middle of Starbucks. Somehow he seems to sense the change in my mood. "I'm sorry Victoria." His eyes turn sad and I immediately feel the need to make him happy again but I have to stay hard. I'm not gonna let him put me on another emotional rollercoaster ride. He decided that there is nothing between us when he ran out of Starbucks with no explanation. Yet he's here... maybe I should at least give him a chance? No... no I shouldn't. He could have come way earlier if he truly cared. Oh... he actually couldn't because he knows nothing about me. Hold on! "How did you know where to find me?" Is he some crazy stalker? What have I gotten myself into?

"Right... so..." I can almost see his inner conflict. "Just be honest... would be a first but try it." He looks sad. Maybe I was a bit harsh. No, stay strong Victoria. He didn't care about your feelings either. "Listen, I know I seem like a real asshole but there is a reason why I ran out the other day and if you just give me five minutes... please... just five minutes and I'll explain." I really wanna be strong but my inner curiosity and his compelling eyes don't give me a chance. "Alright, you have five minutes." He almost seems relieved but the sadness doesn't leave his expression. I hate that I made him sad but I just can't let him off that easily. He really hurt me, which is kinda pathetic because I don't even really know him. But I just really liked him... Is there any possibility he might actually care about me too? I can't even bare to listen to myself anymore. I'm just some stranger he bumped into on the street. I act like a starstruck teenager. But then again, somehow he found me, which means he must care about me... at least a little, right? 

All these thoughts are just so confusing and the intensity of the way he's looking at me is not helping me think straight either. I know I should be careful who I let into my heart, especially after all that I've been through with Max but he's not him. I can't believe every guy just plays me because it happened to me once. I'm not gonna get anywhere like this. I have to at least listen to what he has to say and then I can try and decide whether or not I can believe him. I brace myself for whatever it is I'm going to hear now.