Chapter 7

Lennox sighed. He rubbed his temple and began to talk again. Hector was patient all the time.
"Hector, she was with me when Max called and he kind of heard her say something. Max wants me come home with someone because he believes there's someone!"
Lennox was breathing hard as he finished speaking.
"Calm down. We'd figure this out.... Mrs Ford will be doing you a favour by agreeing to come. Why not pick a blonde and pay her?"
Hector suggested. Lennox was shaking his head as Hector spoke.
"No, I won't do that. I want Kim, I would pay her anyways".
" Did you tell her that?"
" Yeah. She got mad"
" You're the big ass. Your shouldn't have, man!"
" Fine, I screwed up, I'll fix my mess. I should focus on the imminent meeting with the Marilyn Sawer executive".
They sat in silence for what seemed like a decade until hector pulled over and in front of the Marilyn Sawer Hotels.
"I have an appointment with Forbes "
Hector announced.
"Thanks real good. Run along".
"Talk to Kim today. Apologize to her for whatever you think you did wrong. Okay?".
Lennox nodded and stood watching as Hector drove off. He sighed.
Kim was was surprised when Lennox showed up at her doorstep to apologize for his wrongs. He didn't want her to stay mad at him and he didn't ask her to come with him to Scotland again.
"Offering to pay you was Ill of me..... and arrogant "
Kim was surprised. She hadn't expected him to show up apologizing to her but he did, and it humbled her.
"I'm not angry at you Lennox, we're good".
She said, yet she hadn't let him in. He'd said with his own mouth that they'd remain just friends, friends that won't have sex without any commitments and she respected that. She feared she'd not be able to resist him if she let him in so she spoke with him at the door and slammed the door in his face after saying a quick "goodnight".
Now she sat in the midst of her co_actors sipping wine while she watched them chatter continuously. Joe had made it a point to sit next to her since they started drinking out together and he seemed to have noticed her reserved smile and her obvious uneasiness around the actors.
"What's wrong, Kim?"
Joe asked, he was leaning into her and it made her uncomfortable.
"I'm okay, Joe"
"You sure?"
He insisted.
" Yeah, pour me some more drink will you, please?"
" My pleasure".
Kim thought she was getting attracted to Joe as the movie progressed. When they first started working on the movie as the lead characters and lovers, it had been strictly business, she'd only heard of him as a star who'd featured in a few good movies and had a few major awards that she didn't have and she'd kept the relationship strictly business. It felt good to play the lover on set and be two distant people in reality until Joe had broke the ice and started talking to her outside profession. It helped. Their few kissing scenes did not need much choreography anymore, she felt the rapport with him and it was easier for both of them.
"Hey, Kim, you're so sullen. It's unlike you, bud"
It was Tessy. The ever jovial actor who enjoyed playing rival to Kim and Joe on set.
"I'm okay, Tess"
"Okay... Joe, did she say what's wrong?"
Tessy intended to whisper it to Joe but she was loud, as usual and the other actors all turned to Kim. Priscilla was smiling and so was Gary and Clayton . The others just stared blandly across the table.
"Guys, I'm fine. Maybe I'm a bit tired".
Kim said casually. Joe was watching her intently until Gary spoke.
"You know, looking at the both of you, one would think you're meant to be forever".
He said. The others laughed except Kim. Joe shook his head as he laughed.
"T'is true. Onset, I'm convinced you're both in love which is good for your career but who knows, you could actually be in love or making out!"
Clayton affirmed and the others laughed, only Tessy gasped in surprise at the absurdity of the seeming accusation.
"Is that the notion around here?"
Kim asked and they stopped laughing. She wasn't smiling and they knew it didn't sound funny to her.
"Is that the opinion you hold around here? That's your speculation? You're dumb if you think that."
She said. Joe felt the heat creep up his ears as she spoke.
"Kim, it was only a joke".
Tess said .
"And I'm only making jokes too, Tess."
She turned to Gary again and began to talk
"Do well to disembark from spreading such rumor. My relationship with Joe is strictly professional and if you have a problem with that, go tell Blakes. He paired us for the job after all, I'm not making out with anyone on this crew".
She grabbed her bag and stormed out. They all watched in wonder. She'd never been so mad.
Kim was breathless when she punched her floor on the elevator and waited patiently to alight the second floor. She stepped out only to collide with Lennox Mccurdy. He'd been lurking around her doors and was going to head out after waiting in futility when she stepped out.
"Kim, I had an inkling you'd be back today, reason I've been lurking around here"
He beamed.
" Well, I won't be if Blakes Oxnard had not foolishly rescheduled the shoot at Dakota. We were supposed to leave today ".
" Oh. I see. It's all for the best then".
" I guess".
She made to walk around his intimidating frame to her door but he took her left hand and stared at her straight beautiful fingers that always had the knuckle rings.
"Kim, you look pissed, did someone annoy you at work?"
He asked. The concern in his eyes baffled her and she drew back her hands
" I flared up over an inconsequential issue and I stomped out of my colleagues".
She said.
" They all offended you?"
He looked amused now.
" No. Gary and Clayton did... they were making silly jokes about me and Joe".
She explained
" I don't know who Joe is but you're gon' be fine. Can I come in?"
He stepped aside to let her get to the door but she stood there.
"I'm sorry Lennox but I can't let you inside my house".
She said.
" I regret those words Kim. I'm sorry I said them" .
He looked genuinely sorry and she wanted desperately to reach her hand to his stubble and tell him she'd forgiven him but she resisted the urge and fought to speak without being visceral.
"Lennox , it's not about what you said....I just, I've had enough sex with you, I don't want to, anymore. Hope you understand ".
She looked apologetic and he stared blandly above her head.
"I want a favour, Kim . I can't think of anyone else I'd go to neither do I want to pay anyone to do this".
" Oh?"
Her mouth was partly open in a rounded 'O' as she anticipated the answer she already knew .
" I was supposed to leave for scotland today. But I postponed the trip....please, come with me. I'll stay away from you for as long as we're not around Max and I'll never be an inconvenience to you...no one will be ".
" You're going to introduce me as your lover?"
She asked
" Fiancee".
He corrected and she began to shake her head vigorously.
"That's not a good thing".
She argued.
"Kim, we'll be back after two days and pretend none of those things ever happened and then, maybe I'd look for someone else..."
He trailed off. Kim felt hot blood rush to her ears. She was angry at the thought of him looking for another woman to fill the position of his Fiancee and then wife, but staying committed to a man was not one of the things on her priority list.
"Since I'm free this weekend......maybe I should help you. Just a friendly gesture ".
She stressed the word, 'Friendly' and he laughed.
"Two tickets Kim, we leave tomorrow , I really do appreciate".
He took the stairs and whistled as he accelerated. His boyish charm amused and excited her.
Kim had been worried that he'd left without her. She was sullen all day and her Ill temper had only be fueled by Oxnard's rescheduling the trip to Dakota for the shoot. She had been aggressively happy when she almost slammed into Lennox's chest few minutes ago. She was relieved that he'd not left yet. She would not just have the opportunity to see him leave..but she would go with him. She was apprehensive and excited all the same and tossed all night on her bed.
Kim had just given in to a peaceful morning slumber when her doorbell rang. She sprang up from her bed and bolted for the door. It was Lennox.
" Hector Travis?"
Hector was startled at the cool feminine voice that he recognized as Nora's.
Why ever would she call him in such a formal term?
"Yes....Nora?"
He was cautious and unsure. Se laughed.
"It's nothing babe. Let's have dinner tonight with your friend. I barely know the guy ".
She started saying
" Nora, I sincerely wish we could have dinner with him tonight but he's off to Scotland".
He said
" What for ? Thought he had work to handle here?".
She sounded surprised and impatient.
" He's only gon' stay the weekend. He left with his love star,Kim ".
Hector was smiling sheepishly as he spoke
"That's an extra information but who's she? I don't know Kim".
Hector laughed.
" You know her, babe. She's the same Actor that played the lead role in the movie ' love shot' and the girl playing ' everyday' , your favourite soap opera.. I can't remember all of em' right now but...."
He was cut short
" No way!!"
" Yes way, Lennox is involved with the actress !"
" That means I'll get to meet her....babe I want to cry at the prospect "
Hector cackled.
" Don't, yet".
" How did they meet anyways?"
" Same building, different floors"."
Hector said
"It's such an honour for Lennox... Man, I really like Kimberly Foster !"
" I know that"
" I can't wait to meet her. I already made plans for dinner, guess we'd just hang out together, without Lennox and his love star, Kimberly Foster!"
They laughed before Nora spoke again
" I'm shouting so much, everyone must think I'm insane"
" You're not, babe. It's beautiful to let out your emotions.. no matter what it is, anger, excitement, love... anything "..
" I get it. Have a care sweet. Dinner's Seven Pm!".
"I love you".
She already hung up, she didn't hear Hector say he loved her.
Hector was smiling when he hung up. The second time he'd met Nora at the house warming party at North Carolina, she'd looked the same, perfect and unruffled... impeccably set out of reach. It took all the will power he possessed to eventually introduce himself . She'd been charmed by his fast talk and small jokes. When they first started to hang out, she'd been reserved and almost timid. She nodded to his compliments and smiled when he reached his hands to her cheeks or take her hands in his. Hector in his Magnanimity had set out to teach her how important it was for one to feel and express the feelings. Nora had payed him attention and first began to laugh out loud when he made jokes and say ' thank you ' when she got complimented. Hector was pleased that his student ' Nora ' followed his lessons dutifully until they'd landed in bed. That night Hector had made no plans to have her but she'd subtly invited him. She wasn't bold enough to tell him clear terms and he had been amused.
Now Hector could not focus on all he had to do. He was impatient for Seven Pm so he'd go have dinner with her and thereafter, have her beneath him. The unchaste thoughts plagued him and glanced frequently at his watch. The thoughts of her long limbs wrapped around his waist drove him crazy and he saw, many times an image of her naked self in his mind's eyes.