Chapter 5

Lorraine's favourite thing during the journey of making a movie was the memories she made with her star cast and all the crew. She learnt a lot from all the senior actors, they laughed, danced and all the tiredness just seemed worth it. She'd smile so genuinely, her heart would warm when her cast would surprise her with a cake on her birthday on the set. It was her home. It was the best place she could ever wish for.

Hollywood was a place that made her feel that it was worth it to step out and do something thrilling and totally out of her comfort zone.

She could even dare to say that her assistant and her friends from the film industry had better memories with her than Matt, Ivey and Ana.

Although, what's a celebrity without tea? What's a celebrity without a few scandals and downfalls?

She was never the one to give up. But now she was doubting too, with each 'one more shot' the director said. 5 years to this career and this was her hardest day. She had never felt this exhausted before. Should've seen it coming with the script. It was a challenging movie, yes. It involved a lot of stunts and action.

"I'm planning on retreating from this movie. For real, this time." She mumbled with a straight face to her co-star. "I feel less motivational each time I look at his face."

Her co-star groaned, stretching his back.

"I've told this before, Mental this one is. Doesn't he has a family?! I need to meet my children!"

It was past midnight when their today's shoot finally finished. The crew ran from here to there to provide the actors with towels, removing their make-up and fanning them. So did Lorraine as she made her way to her vanity. There were a few reporters outside of the set, still waiting for the cast to come out and answer the questions but she was just too drained to even speak.

She made her way to the vanity, the guards surrounding her, her assistant Antoinette walking by her side. Truth be told, Lorraine was literally shutting her eyes behind her goggles.

Eventually, she sat down on the seat, the door being shut after, and the noises of camera flashes and reporters dying down and she finally breathed. Her schedules were always packed, one movie or the other. One interview and ten after.

As her assistant, Antoinette made her way towards Lorraine, the actress quickly raised her hand to stop her from speaking, knowing she couldn't take anything in her head right now.

"Shh, don't- don't speak of it." She argued. "I can barely sink anything in now."

Antoinette rolled her eyes and dropped herself down beside Lorraine with a gruff. Lorraine rolled her eyes, opening her phone one last time to check for anything. She opened her messages and halted when she saw a 'hi' by a contact saved as 'Sebastian'.

She smirked at the mere thought of him. It's been a week since the first and last time she saw him. The man was fun; in more ways than one.

She quickly typed a reply.

Lorraine:

Still having hazy thoughts of steamy scenes?

Sebastian was quick to reply, perhaps it true that New Yorkers never slept.

Sebastian:

Can't get them out of my head.

A laugh escaped Lorraine's lips which made her assistant quirk an eyebrow up in interest. She peeked an eye at the actress's phone, who was texting someone. Texting? That wasn't Lorraine.

"Wow." Antoinette let out in a sarcastic tone of voice. "You're drained out for listening to your tomorrow's plans, but you're so enthusiastic for flirting with a man."

Lorraine pushed her assistant by her shoulder, who laughed softly.

"Who's it?"

Lorraine thought for a bit on how to answer that before clicking her tongue and saying, "Do you know that one, one-night-stand so intense that you want more of it?"

Antoinette raised her eyebrows in awe.

"Got it. Lorraine Acker's whipped."

"I'm not!" Lorraine whined.

Antoinette mumbled a sarcastic "sure," before peeking at the phone again.

"Where did you meet him?"

"After-party," Lorraine replied. "I took him to Matt's house then. We had fun."

Antoinette hummed in response, looking at the name saved on the phone.

"Sebastian..." She mumbled, "Lorraine did you bang one of the Phoenix brothers?"

"Apparently...?" Lorraine answered, unsure if it was something that would get her in trouble.

"Oh my god!" Antoinette shrieked in surprise. "Are you serious? You, out of all the people there in the after-party, chose a Phoenix brother to have your one-night-stand with?"

"Yes, and I know it's big tea and all but no one spotted. I made sure of that."

At that, Antoinette sighed in relief. It made sense, if there was anything leaked it would have been a piece of major news by now. She was aware that the Phoenix brothers' comeback was a big deal after they disappeared for some reason for an year- nor did Lorraine, but if they were by any chance spotted snogging they would have been dead by now.

Also, the assistant knew that Sebastian Phoenix had never been the one to date, nor did Lorraine. She didn't understand why though. She wouldn't put any opinion on Sebastian but she didn't know why Lorraine never tried dating. She had encouraged her many times but Lorraine had never approached a guy or girl and had rejected all of which who had approached her.

Until now.

Because she was texting this Sebastian guy, looking totally into him. As if that one night stand had enchanted her or something.

It was until Lorraine reached her home, bid Antoinette goodbye that she didn't call Sebastian.

Once she was changed into her night outfits, her hair loose, and ready to cuddle into bedsheets with her dog, she finally called the lad. She felt all jittery and feverish calling him.

"Hi," His voice said through the phone, making a smile appear on her face.

"Hi." She replied.

"Why Aren't you sleeping till now?" He asked, sounding a little breathless.

"I just got back from my shoot." She answered. "Why aren't you asleep?"

"'Tis New York, I sneaked to the rooftop." He cackled. God, his voice sounded so much huskier on the phone. And his laugh, his fucking laugh.

"You do sneak out a lot." She pointed out, reminding him he had apparently sneaked out of the after-party too, to go with her. Okay, she kidnapped him. She admitted. But he didn't mind.

"I don't, actually." He said in a rather amusing way. "After-party was the first time I ever did."

She shrugged even though he couldn't see her. "Perks of being with me, I'll make you sneak out a lot."

He fell silent for a moment before speaking. "You don't really have to sneak out, do you? You can go wherever you want."

"Huh?" She questioned. "Of course I have to sneak out if I don't want any reporters or fans."

"Yeah...it sucks to have them follow you everywhere...that's why I don't plan on dating. Because I don't wanna knock on a woman's door and say 'be ready for death threats.'"

Lorraine scoffed at that.

"So what do you plan on doing then? Retire and marry a woman who works at a café?" She joked, trying to make the mood lighter. "Instead, date someone who's used to the attention, there are drop dead gorgeous women in our industry."

"Hmm..." Sebastian said, tone playful. "You have anyone in mind? I mean there was this lady at the Oscars..."

Both of them erupted into laughter after that. Talking to Sebastian that night seemed genuine. Lorraine had never felt this giddy while talking to someone. They had stuff in common they could talk over for hours.

She fancied him.