Chapter 147: Tell yourself a different story

WE FINISHED THE AUDITIONS VERY LATE AND, I WAS VERY EXHAUSTED. I drove myself home and it was around 9pm when I was arriving. Cloud was fast asleep and I felt sad I made him go to bed on an empty stomach. I changed into my pyjamas and went into the kitchen looking for some left over foods. I wasn't a pro at this cooking thing so....shame on me!

I made some coffee and sat on the couch taking small sips while going through my phone. I had been drenched in my career that I started to abandon the relationship with my phone. Silly me.

I went up online and spent the next hour looking at the celeb gossip and anything else that would prove spicy. People sure were doing things and whoever said there's no such thing as bad publicity was wrong. It's weird how only the bad stuff are published and the good stuff are kept.

Why???

I took a sip of my coffee and went back to soaring through the internet. I was taken aback when I stumbled upon something that caused me to tremble. Drake's trial!!!

It was this Saturday. The very day I was having a date with Ambrose. I looked at my screen for what seemed long enough to cause my coffee to get cold. My skin got goosebumps and I immediately swallowed the bit of coffee in my mouth and placed the cup down.

The thought of that name couldn't shake off the truth that I get gruesome memories associated with it. Drake had treated me harshly and it was so hard to believe he was capable of such.

But what would you expect from someone who murdered his very own mother and have his father cover it up? Really???

Such an ugly family.....

Then, my phone rang. I jumped in fright at first but after I realised it was my phone, I smiled. It was only a phone...

"Hello.....?" The voice of Aaron echoed from the other end.

"What is it??" I asked shocked by the fact that he called so late.

"I...am sorry to call this late but It couldn't wait....."

"Ooh ..okay...well out with it..."

"Of the two agents I found....." He began and I rolled my eyes. We were doing this again??? I thought I asked him to just book an appointment with anyone. I really didn't care who it was but as long as I'd get my hands on a house. People were doing extraordinary things out there and I had to be one of those who was putting myself on the map. Acting and modeling was all I've done to this far and I had to do something for a change. I wasn't going to do this forever, I had to make sure I was investing my money in something big. I had a whole heep of billions in my account but the bank was the only one benefiting with monthly interests.

It's high time I did something worthwhile.

Still talking to Aaron, I was surprised after I realised I didn't listen to the rest of the conversation. I was about to hang up when I heard something familiar.

"His name is Ambrose Yde.....should I confirm the meeting with him??"

I swallowed my throat and immediately regurgitated it. Ambrose Yde?

"What did you say??? Ambrose???" I confirmed with him.

"Yes....the actor..... also musician....." Aaron replied, not sure of which title to give in reference to Ambrose. The guy was many things.

"Umm ...okay...so he's a states agent too?..." I asked in shock. What else was he??

"Yes... apparently...." Even Aaron was shocked.

"When will he be able to have me???" I asked.

"Oh...you're calling the shots. He's okay with anything....." Hearing Aaron say that made me smile.

"Make it tomorrow at the earliest....." I said before cutting the line. Tomorrow at the earliest. Bam!! A smile broadened on my face as I rushed to my room to scale through my closet, looking for what I was going to wear the next day.

***********

That afternoon, Ambrose arranged that we meet in a bar around my company but later changed his mind and suggested we meet at his house. I didn't object.

I mean how could I?

He picked me up and we drove together to his gigantic mansion of a Hosur which made me think we were in another dimension. I followed him out and tried not to be asked by the sight I kept seeing around me. It would be embarrassing for me to openly show my ghetto side in such a scenario so I kept it low.

"Ever thought of getting involved in business industry???" He asked as we walked up the stairs into his mansion.

"If I wanna venture into business then I'd be screwed. I have the worst organising and managing skills plus I don't know how to read through a contract....for a hundred times...." I rolled my eyes as I dropped my bag and hang my coat on the hanger.

"Oh...I see that's the problem....I can help you out you know.....I have twenty five year experience...." He narrowed his eyes at me and his not so handsome face proved to be very much intimidating.

"Uh...am good. Thanks...." I smiled at him and narrowed my eyebrows.

"Are you really going to turn down the one chance to get a business-tip from the world's greatest business man???" He asked repeating my movements.

"Oh No, don't get me wrong I would never..." I placed my hand on my chest and looked at him pitifully. "So.... is he here....is he coming???" I asked pretending to look around the place for the man said of and yet, he was already in front of me.

"O-kay...am offended...." He chuckled. "Am a really good tutor" he put it out and I saw him walk to his bar and I took the moment to look at my phone. I was trying not to be obvious by how impressed I was with his house. Dude has style....

"Drink???" He asked immediately appearing in front of me.

"Please ...." I smiled placing my phone in my clutch. He poured a glass each for both of us and offered me one.

"You have your work cut out for you....." I took a sip and a deep breath followed while spreading my eyes in this place.

"So you're ready to have me as your tutor???" He asked.

"What??" I laughed. "No....not because of you....but me. Because of me....I don't think I'd manage to run a business....."

"Heey....how can you say that when you've never even had the opportunity to?" He insisted.

"Well .....you know my friend Ciara Quinn. She's a pro at this thing....the cracks them damn books like crazy and illuminates the shit outta each and everyone of them. It's totally her thing.....I guess the only thing am apparently good at is memorising stupid scripts and posing for a camera....." I raised my eyebrow as I said the last part while downing my glass in the next sip.

I placed my glass down and said nothing as he reached for the bottle and poured me more.

"Acting....is my thing.....nothing else....." I shrugged my shoulders as I carried the glass and took another sip.

"Maybe that's just a story you keep telling yourself..." He pursed his lips and I forced a smile. He nodded convincingly before picking his lips and sucking them in. The quick movements he did, I saw in slow motion making me admire every feature of his face. This man was damn handsome...

"I hate to break it to you but....we are so very different....I used to think like you too.....thought I wouldn't make a good singer or actor and I wouldn't even run a business...."

"Oh come on....that's like accusing Santa Claus of Sexual harassment...." I was shocked in disbelief as I held on tight to my glass. He...used to think that???

"What?? You think am wrong???"

"I think you're too confident you're right...."

"Haha! I see you play with the words

....." He chucked and took one last sip before looking at me.

"Let me tell you the whole story..." he sat up and I leaned on the chair's armrest looking sternly at him.

"When I was so little, I wanted to badly to be a good cook like my dad but no matter how much I practiced, he was always better....." He began and I think I sort of trailed off and ended up only hearing the words 'dad' and 'better'. As he spoke, I looked at his lips and while listening with my ears, I got the entire story he was telling.

But the way he was looking at me, oh my Gosh. I felt like I was gonna need to see a doctor because the butterflies in my stomach would surely cause me an upset stomach.

"So...I just told myself I was someone who just couldn't play the guitar....and that's what I became....." He paused and looked at me. Oh no...at every feature on my face. What was he doing?

"Uh...so...wha-what did you do???" I almost bit my tongue but quickly chose to pick my glass and drank from it. I barely noticed I was drinking these bitter and sour things without complaining. Was it because I was used to it or because of the sweet creature in front of me...

"Oh I still can't cook..." He laughed and I joined in.

"Like...totally zero???"

"No...no...I cook but just not as good as my dad..that man can shred...." He nodded with surety making me understand how good a cook his dad must've been to inspire Ambrose like that.

"I guess I might be like....the douche guy....flying the forks to the corner of a party...." He smiled and those two dimples appeared on his cheeks yet again reminding me how to breathe because I might have forgotten.

"So....in short...you basically agree with me??" I coughed and placed my glass down.

"No...." He loosened his tie and rested his back on the couch. "Am trying to help you avoid the errors of my ways...."

He stopped and stared at me. I stared back and I think I got lost in the energy between. I sensed a feeling of alignment and intimacy between us that went beyond just physical attraction, having fun together, surface-level conversations, or even intellectual similarities. It felt like we were connecting on a deeper soul level —and I felt secure connecting that deeply.

Was Ambrose the man I'd been looking for??

"Tell yourself a different story....." He finally spoke and I kicked into reality. "You can shred Eleanor...." His tongue was so wicked that it managed to get me under a spell and convince me to believe him. I didn't reply to what he said but rather just smiled at him and at everything that was happening in this place. I loved being with him and in the comfort of his beautiful mansion which looked so much like Fernando's. The beauty and elegance of the entire place was just to die for....

"What are you looking at???" He asked and I blinked a couple of times before picking something to point at behind him or get toast.

"Uhm...." I swallowed the wine in my mouth and my fingers landed on a picture behind him.

"Oh...that's my mom and me...when I was graduating from kindergarten....." He smiled as he took the picture in his hands. Beautiful. Very beautiful!

"My mom left....when I was little ...funny how I don't even remember how old I was....I just know I was really young...." I turned around to look at him. He wore an empathetic smile and I returned it. Mostly, as a cover for my tears.

"She left me with my aunt who took care of me and raised me without judgements. She made sure I was always proud of who I was irrespective of what people said because each time I held my nose up high with pride in saying I wanted to be an actress, no one would miss the scornful stares on everyone's face....." I chuckled and I think he did too although he was laying low.

"Never the less....I have never been in the closet. I've never had to hide who I am from the people I love....It was the biggest thing my aunt had given me....."

"That's really beautiful of her...."

"I know....." I nodded in agreement. "Although sometimes....to think about it.....my whole life I've had to be the smart, perfect one.....I played that part so long I don't know how to be anything else....." I placed the glass down and walked to the window. "Here I am.....in the closet!"

I crossed my fingers and took a deep breath wondering if I really just said that to Ambrose. What was it with me and letting all my feelings out at once and without thinking? This was wrong! I couldn't go pouring myself out to any guy. That's stupid!

Am Eleanor! If there's anyone who doesn't do anything then it's me....the world does things for me....they fall at my feet and beg for mercy....not the other way round....

"Eleanor...I...---"

"Umm....am sorry....but uh I... totally went off script. Um....Aaron ...said....you were my states agent?? He said you got some legit things up your sleeves....so....may we get right into it????" I asked making sure I changed the course leaving no traces of the previous one.

"Oh..uh...." I sensed disappointment but I wasn't going to settle on it. "Sure....." He finished his statement and went back to his laptop. Then, my phone rang and it couldn't have rang right the minute I wanted it to. It was Adam!

"Excuse me...I've got to get this....." I asked and turned around to walk to the porch.

I could feel his eyes looking at me although I was facing the other way. I knew the dangers of loaming around with a single handsome man and I wasn't going to be his prey.

I had a boyfriend and his name was Adam. It's high time I had to start acting my status. Taken