The Actor's Contract

Date = 18 MarchPlace = San Francisco International AirportAria Thompson = 20 years oldEnrique Blackburn = 23 years oldLeyla Thompson = 7 years oldPOV - Aria ThompsonI hold a firm grip on the small hand in mine, patiently waiting next to one of the blue cylindrical columns that support the roof of the terminal. I keep my eye on the silver carousel for our bright green suitcase to arrive.Funny how you can fit a whole 20 years of existence into a single suitcase. For the umpteenth time since we bordered the plane, my morning coffee pushes up in my throat; my nerves are not only raw but bleeding. I swallow down the burning sensation and look down to find a pair of tired teal eyes fixed on me. I fake a smile at the pale elf-like face under the bright pink bandanna sprouting white daisies and receive a goofy toothless one in return.The colorful garment hides her bald head, her hair loss a side-effect of the chemo treatments, but typical Leyla … she just takes it in her stride. She no

Date = 18 March Place = San Francisco (Enrique’s home) POV - Enrique “Do you want something to drink before we start?” I ask, getting up from the bed a little too quickly. “Coffee, coffee, coffee,” she pleads, holding her hands together as if she’s praying. How can she be so comfortable? I feel as if I can’t breathe. I walk behind her to the kitchen. Her hips sway sensually with each step and I take a deep frustrated breath. I’m mantsy as hell. ‘Get a grip on those hormones, Blackburn!’ I pep talk myself out of my daze and notice her eyes moving over my body before she plops down on one of the red high chairs standing in a row at the breakfast nook. I’ll have to think out some strategy to get the sex thoughts out of my head else I’ll be walking with a hard-on all the time. Maybe we should include sexual rights in the contract, I mean … she must have needs too. I turn my back towards her and focus on the red Nespresso, putting a pod inside and pressing the button. Almost immedia

Date = 26 March Place = San Francisco (Pier 39) POV - Aria Soon we are laughing so much, tears stream down our cheeks and my tummy actually starts to ache. These girls know just how to cheer a person up, and I’m so glad they entered my life. I hate lying to them and I hope, one day, after the contract expires, we can still be friends. POP! BANG! The car swirls across the road and seems to decelerate quickly making a strange flop-flop-flop sound. “Ship!” Kiara screams and pulls on the steering wheel to counteract the sudden pull to the right. She concentrates to keep the white BMW going in a straight line, her tongue sticking out of her mouth slightly, and eventually, she manages to park safely next to the road. The smell of burnt rubber and dust mixes in a cloud over us. “What the hell happened?” Haley asks looking at each of us as if she’s mentally making sure we’re okay. Mel is pale and she looks around frantically as if she’s expecting somebody to come and snatch her away. I

Date = 27 March Place = San Francisco (Palace of Fine Arts) POV - Enrique We sip our drinks in silence for a while, each one lost in his own thoughts, our eyes focused on the green door. “We’re both screwed so bad,” Damion sighs, “and if yesterday’s adventures are anything to go by, those two are the same pint-size blobs of disaster. So good luck with that!” “What happened yesterday?” My eyes catch them coming back out, but before he can answer me it suddenly feels as if my blood is clotting in my veins. Brian Cruise and PJ are talking to the girls as if they’re old friends. WTF! I gnash my teeth. I hate Brian and he hates me. Both Mel and Aria quickly look in our direction and then at each other, as if planning something again. “What the flip are they doing now?” Damion stands up straight, his suspended body language mirroring mine as we watch the girls being led to the dance floor. My sister’s influence about swearing rubbed off on him already. I’m trying because of Leyla, but

Date = 28 March Place = San Francisco (Inferno) POV – Aria As soon as we get out of the car, I take Leyla’s hand and loop my other arm through Lee’s. I have two reasons for doing this - firstly, I need some emotional and physical support, ‘cause my knees are still weak from the kiss. Secondly, and most crucially, I need a human shield between me and my model boyfriend; because I need to unravel my confused haunted mind from this morning’s incident. “The girls are inside,” Damion, waiting in front of Inferno, says while looking at me with a lopsided grin that would make the Snowqueen melt. Lee is literally standing with a dropped jaw, staring with those big eyes at the hunky racer. What a strange little guy. So I forcefully drag him with me towards the club’s huge steel doors, leaving the brothers to talk to their friend – aka future brother-in-law. “Is that …” Lee sounds a bit lost so I butt in. “Yep, that’s Damion Grimm, a beautiful specimen of the male species, and on his way t