“I won’t laugh at you. No one is taking a picture of you. And I just want an honest answer about why you pulled out.”

“You know what they say? Not to trust anyone in the entertainment industry. Everyone is pretending to be someone they’re not. I know you are not a tipper or whatever but I have lost a few friends over the drama. Some people spread rumors and add to the gossip, you know?”

“You’re right. I don’t need to circulate gossip. If people knew I was here with you, there would be speculation that you are my new girlfriend or that I am cheating on mine. I don’t want any of that to happen, so you are safe.” Sometimes, trust was based on mutual disadvantage. This was Cage’s approach in the industry.

Giselle sighed. “I’m just paranoid,” she said softly.

Cage’s voice was gentle as he tried calm her. “Tell me what’s going on.”

When the waiter came back with their drinks, Giselle craddled her coffee between her hands and waited for the waiter to go away. Only when they were out of earshot did Giselle start speaking again. “I knew there would be backlash when I signed to be in a film with you. It’s given that a film you’re in will be wildly successful but I didn’t imagine…” Giselle trailed off, glancing at Cage between her words.

“You got threats,” Cage muttered. It wasn’t a question.

She snorted. “Yeah… I did expect it. Everyone warned me beforehand.” Cage’s fans got crazy at times… most of the time. Some would go to the extent of threatening his co-stars if they thought the acting wouldn’t be top notch.

“Someone got under your skin?” Cage asked but he could fill in the blanks himself.

She looked at him, her eyes wide with fear as she nodded. “Were there a dozen letters from the same person. They didn’t threaten me or anything… it just creeped me out.” She looked past him towards the window. “You know how they pretend to know about you? That doesn’t bother me. But these letters… this anonymous person, they made it personal… like I was being watched.” She shuddered, wrapping her hands around herself.

“Did you report it to the cops?” he asked, suddenly feeling bad about the whole situation.

“There were no threats, so I couldn’t report it to the police. But I really got the feeling that something bad would happen to me if I worked with you.”

Cage could only huff.

“This person thinks I am not good enough to work with you and that it wouldn’t be a box office flop that would happen if I acted.” Giselle’s lips quivered as she said the words.

Cage remained silent for a solid second to process the situation. “Do you want to act in this movie? Apart from the threat?” he asked bluntly.

“Of course!” she exclaimed immediately. “Acting alongside you in such a production is a blessing.” Giselle shook her head in disbelieve.

Cage smiled, ducking his head and looking down at his drink for a moment to think. “Then film with me. The breach of contract will cost you more than you can imagine,” he began. “On top of that, security at the set is guaranteed. For special purposes, my manager brings in bodyguards, so I can help you hire one for yourself. The fun part? They are so good at their job that you won’t even realize you’re being protected. They scope out threats and manage them without you having a single clue.”

Tears prickled in the younger girl’s eyes. “Why…” she sniffed.

“Well, I love the plot of the movie and I think you would suit the role well. I don’t need a grand reason to come here and convince you.”

Giselle nodded gingerly. They went on to talk about their recent movies and how it was going. For the most part, Cage was trying to assauge Giselle’s fears. Changing cast in the last minute could be very messy and he loved her acting so far, so he had been looking forward to working with her.

At the end of the conversation, this came up. “So, you’re telling me to get used to such threats?” Giselle asked.

“No. You should never get used to such things. I’m saying that they will happen nonetheless and you need to hold your head up high and show them you can take care of yourself. They’re all bark. They can’t touch you if you are prepared. So, don’t be scared.”

Giselle nodded with a sniffle. “Thank you,” she muttered.

“Now, don’t go out crying like that or it will be in the news tomorrow.” Cage smiled. “I’ll pick up the bill,” he commented in a friendly manner.

“The public would love to know how generous you are,” Giselle joked for the first that that evening.

“I’ll let my manager know,” Cage said with a wink.

– – –

C: What are your thoughts on spoilers?

Cage had texted her. Thrill went down her spine as she looked at it.

He’d been busy, beyond busy this past week and she had discarded the idea of sexting him in the meantime. She was disappointed that this was how he started his texts. On the other hand, when had Cage disappointed her? Would it be too crass to tell him that she missed feeling him inside her? Probably.

The spoiler had, effectively, made her ears perk up. She didn’t know what they were for, but she would bet it was something juicy.

K: Are you sliding into the DMs of your actor and director friends to impress me after you have ghosted me for a week? It isn’t easy to get spoilers these days. The times are dark.

C: Who do you think I am? Spoilers or no?

Katherine thought for a moment before giving in.

K: I am always up for some spoilers. But what for?

The reply made her want to throw herself on the bed and laugh with joy.

C: Ryan Reynold’s new film.