Page 9 of Cat's Outta the Bag

I can’t help the huge smile on my face when I open the door and find Jason on the other side holding what looks like a movie, a box of microwave popcorn, and a few different types of candy. He smiles right back.

"Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed with the media, I watch a comfort movie that I don't really have to watch to know what's happening, and it helps turn my brain off. I brought Princess Bride, which is not only a classic, but one of my favorites."

I smile and blush. This is so sweet. “Sounds perfect.” He grins back.

“Here, take the movie and start getting us set up on your couch. I’ll pop the popcorn.”

We spend the next few minutes in companionable silence. Part of me wants to be shocked at how easy and comfortable this is, but the rest of me knows this just feels right. As soon as the popcorn is ready to go, Jason joins me in the living room, and we settle in.

The opening scene is just finishing. Buttercup is asking Wesley to get her that jug when Jason's arm comes down around my shoulders.

“Is this ok?”

“Yeah.” More than ok. I snuggle in deeper, pulling the blanket around me tighter. His light cologne surrounds me, oddly comforting. Quickly, I start to relax. I feel so safe that I don't even notice that I'm falling asleep.

Hours later, my alarm goes off, jolting me awake. It takes me a minute to figure out where I am.

I'm in bed, fully clothed, and despite being slightly disoriented, I actually feel well-rested. On the pillow next to me is a note written in Jason's nearly indecipherable chicken scratch.

Alexis,

You fell asleep pretty quickly and would not wake up. I hope it's ok that I picked you up and put you in your bed. I know you're still on overnights and need to sleep. I didn't want to leave your door unlocked though, so I stole your keys (sorry, it felt creepy, but I also couldn't handle the thought of someone being able to come in while you slept). I've left them at the security desk with Marcus, who confirmed he would make sure they went directly into Jerry's hands once he is on shift. I hope you feel better after sleeping. We should talk about how to move forward soon. Again, I'm so sorry for dragging you into the public eye.

Have a good “day” at work.

Jason

P.S. I oddly feel like I can't write you a note without a post-script. HA!

I smile at the P.S., realizing we now have a "thing" that we do just for the two of us. We aren't even officially friends! I feel like a teenager. I'm so giddy over this.

I find myself humming as I go about my "morning" routine. I give Slinky some snuggles, then head out my door, using my spare key to lock up. I keep it hidden in a junk drawer, so there's no way Jason would have known where to find it. Some days, I can’t even find it.

Jerry has a sly look on his face when he hands me my keys, but he doesn't say anything beyond the usual pleasantries we exchange, which is a relief.

Despite my raw emotions over that article, I feel much lighter as I head to work.

Chapter 8

Jason

How are there no 24-hour florists? This is L.A., we might not officially be the city that never sleeps, but we sure act like it.

I'm not exactly sure what possessed me to think that I should send Alexis flowers during her night shift, but now I'm frustrated. It doesn't help that my earlier phone call with Petra felt incredibly unproductive. Basically, her advice was, "Just lie low for a while, Jason. Soon someone else's drama will pull their attention away. You know the drill."

Honestly, this whole situation is just asinine. I'm starting to suspect that I like this remarkable woman but that my celebrity status might scare her off before we get the chance to even see what we could be. And because of that, I'm feeling even more trapped by my life.

I'm not exactly sure when this feeling started. When I was in high school and first realized how little choice I had in my future, I felt apprehensive but hopeful. My parents clearly loved their jobs as actors; they got to fly all over the world for films and festivals. We had the financial security that most families dream about. So what if I didn't exactly enjoy it? I would grow to love it, be successful like my parents, and it would be fine. But every year, I felt worse, and the last five especially have felt almost unbearable.

What I couldn’t admit to Alexis the other day was that I hated acting. And if I’m being honest with myself, if I couldn’t act again for the rest of my life, I’d be fine. Happy even.

As if she could sense my thoughts, my mother's ringtone blares through the apartment. What the hell is she doing calling me at one in the morning? I hesitate a beat before sighing and answering; something could be wrong.

“Mom, is everything alright?”

"Hello, dear. And no, nothing's wrong. Why would you ask that?"

"Well, it's pretty late here. You usually don't call me at one a.m."

---