Hollywood After Dark Ch. 06

I would recount my trek around the city, past seemingly endless amounts of students and professors and regular people as I tried to blend in with the crowd, but there really wasn't much to tell. After two hours of searching, having walked around in circles more than once (I couldn't stop and ask someone for directions on where to go for fear of being recognized), the sky was starting to get dark and the weather was turning more cold and my hopes of finding her today were growing more and more dim.

I was just about to give up and call Eliza, have her come pick me up, when something caught my eye. Wearing a long black trench coat and huddled over a cup of coffee, a book in her lap, I saw a short woman of Natalie's build and appearance sitting off on a park bench, a street light over head as a couple sat, arguing with one another, at the other end of the bitch. Lifting a mittened hand to turn the page of her book, Natalie seemed oblivious to the rest of the world around her, her body hunched over to try and keep warm as she read.

Someone bumped into me from behind, suddenly jarring me out of my transfixed state of studying her as the quite rude person passed by, muttering something about "getting out of the way bitch". I let it go without incident but then slowly began to walk forward, out of the line of pedestrian traffic as I continued to observe the girl on the bench. Though I was standing across the street from her, with cars driving by between us, I quickly realized that my assumption had been right. There was something about the way she held herself, even the way she sipped her coffee that conveyed not only poise but also some unexplainable trait that made her stand out. With a growing realitization, I understood it to be grace: how someone like her could simply sit on a park bench and read a book and yet still make it look calculated and practiced, without any effort whatsoever.

You might think I was jealous of Natalie, and to be honest I think I was, at least professionally. Though we had both grown up somewhat the same: she from New York, me from New Jersey, both of us starting to act as children, part of me deep down resented how she had been able to hand pick her roles as an actress almost from day one while I had done many many many crummy movies and commercials. Still though, I knew that she was just another person and that fate had just dealt her a different hand than me. Neither of us were really struggling for work and we both had achieved huge success, so that was something to be proud of in spite of how we had done it. There was also something about Natalie's look that I resented - how she was so beautiful, so effortlessly and how even though I too was considered to be quite beautiful, her look was one that would turn heads, if given the right amount of attention.

Shrugging off this growing sense of jealousy, I focused my mind on more immediate tasks. Namely, getting myself over there and distracting her. Glancing around the street, there were no really big distractions that I could cause or anything to draw attention to myself. To pull this off would require some actual acting, with some very careful scripting.

Taking a deep breath, I moved to the crosswalk and crossed the street, my gaze focused on Natalie, who had not looked up once since I observed her. Once on the same side of the street as her, I quickly formulated a way to get her attention. It wasn't the most elegant thing, but it would certainly work.

My heart beating in my chest more from excitement at what would (hopefully) come than fear of looking dumb, I slowly opened my purse, leaving the top flap open as I walked just a few feet from Natalie now, my purse on my arm.

"Oops!" I said, dropping my purse to the ground in front of Natalie as I feigned tripping, the contents of the purse spilling out in front of her feet. Bending down to pick it up, I glanced up at Natalie, who had finally looked up from her book to see me down on the ground in front of her. At first her face did not register anything, but as our eyes met, it suddenly dawned on her who I was. Holding her place with her finger, Natalie closed the book around her hand.

"Kirsten Dunst?" she asked, studying me.

"Natalie Portman?" I replied, doing my best to act surprised at seeing her.

"Wow, it really is you!" Natalie said, a smile crossing her face. I felt my heart skip a beat as she smiled at me, a beautiful sight to behold without doubt.

"I guess it is me, though I am not always this clumsy," I said, gathering up the few contents of my purse and putting them back into it.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her attention now focused on me.

"Oh, I'm in town visiting some friends. I had some time to kill before they got back from work so I was just walking around the city," I said, now kneeling on my knees in front of her, my purse in my lap.

"Really? That's great. Wow, you know for two people who were all the rage this past summer, I think this is the first time we have actually met," Natalie said.

"I think so too. And talk about a weird circumstance, me just falling to my feet in front of you," I said with a smile.

"No doubt," Natalie said. She extended her hand. "Do you need some help?"

"I think I've got it alright, thank you," I replied. "But could you give me a hand up?"

Natalie nodded and I took her hand, lifting myself back up so that I was looking down at her. Natalie folded the corner on her book and put it beside her, looking up at me.

"So, what are you up to?" I asked, shifting my bag on my shoulder.

"Well, I just got done with finals yesterday so I've spent today doing some shopping and just relaxing. You wouldn't believe how much more tiring being in school is than actually being on a set,"

"I know. Sometimes I wish I had gone on to college, but since my career is really at a high point right now, I don't think my agent or parents would let me,"

Natalie laughed. "Yes, agents can be tricky. How long are you in town for?"

"Oh, just a few days. I have to get back to LA soon to do some screen testing and script reading,"

"What are you working on right now?"

"Well, I'm trying to decide on roles at the moment. I'm sure you know how that goes. I have Spiderman 2 coming soon to start shooting but until then, I'm just trying to pick a good role,"

"I understand," Natalie said. There was a pause in our conversation. "Hey Kirsten, would you like to go get a cup of coffee or something? You look pretty cold and I could go for a refill. If you have the time I mean,"

Bingo. Just the invite I was looking for.

"Sure Natalie, I'd love to. But you'll have to lead the way - I don't know my way around town at all,"

Natalie laughed. "Not a problem. I was lost when I first got here, thinking I would be okay since I knew New York real well, but Boston is laid out totally differently. There is a good coffee shop right around the corner though, if you don't mind walking a few blocks,"

"Not a problem. Besides, I could use the exercise. I think I'm getting fat," I said with a grin as I helped Natalie off of the bench, feeling the heat from her small hand through her mittens. Natalie giggled at my comment.

"If you're getting fat, then I'm an orca,"

The humorously named coffee shop, Hot Black Injection, was only a few blocks away. Natalie held the door for me as I walked in, shaking off a small pile of snow that had collected on my shoulder. The place was filled with students and professors from Harvard and any of the other thirty or so colleges in Boston and despite my celebrity (and Natalie's), we fit right in as we took a booth near the back. A cute girl came over as our waitress, smiling at Natalie and then looking at me and realizing who I was. The girl's face lit up and I could tell she was about to bubble over with excitement, but Natalie quickly extended her hand on the girls arm.

"No Denise, it's alright. We really don't want a mob of people over here,"

"Sorry Natalie," Denise replied, a look of disappointment on her face. She turned to look at me. "I loved you in 'The Virgin Suicides' though,"

"Thank you," I said with a smile. As she walked away with our order, I breathed a sigh of relief at not getting mobbed by a store full of people. When I looked back over at Natalie, she was shaking her head in a grin as she looked down at the table.

"What's so funny?" I asked, kicking her lightly under the table. Natalie looked up at me with a smirk on her beautiful face, trying not to laugh too much.

"It's just...you should have seen the look on your face when she first recognized you," Natalie said, giggling quietly to herself.

"What, and that doesn't happen to you?" I said, blushing a little at Natalie's comment.

"It did when I first came in here, but all the waiters and waitresses know who I am now so they don't make a big deal out of it. To them, I'm just a student like them who happens to have acted in some movies,"

"'Some movies' of course being on of the biggest film franchises of all time," I shot back, giving Natalie a sly grin as I rolled my eyes.

"Hey, you aren't exactly in a whole bunch of indie films yourself. Remember, 'Spiderman' made more money than the last 'Star Wars' did. That's something to be proud of,"

"I know, you're right. But I have to say Natalie, you're modesty is amazing. I have never met someone from Hollywood who was as grounded as you are," I replied. And it was true - I knew that Natalie was modest, but even talking to her now, it wasn't that hard to believe that she really WAS another student who acted in some movies.

Denise arrived back at the table with our coffees, beaming at me as she set it down. I glanced over her shoulder and saw some waiters in the back chatting with themselve and pointing in our direction. Walking away from the table, I couldn't help but notice Denise's ass as it swished away in a pair of sheer black pants.

Natalie and I sipped our coffee and talked for the next hour and a half, getting to know each other better. We quickly made a connection with each other, with both of us having had similar experiences in Hollywood - growing up around movie stars, memorizing lines while still trying to stay in school, being the youngest person often times on a movie set, dealing with obsessive fans...by the time we had finished our third cup (and what I presume to be Natalie's fourth), I felt an undeniable bond with Natalie, and I think she felt the same thing. There was just something about talking to her that made me feel like a better person. I can't really describe it, but as our conversation slowly began to wind down, the reality of what I was sent to Boston to do was starting to come back to me now.

I hadn't really been looking to avoid it, but I was also not really looking forward to it that much. Besides the fact that I didn't think I would actually find her and it would work out that we got talking beyond just a casual hello, the thought of having an agenda when it came to seducing her and getting her to go along with the Rose Petals and their plans really didn't seem fair. Here Natalie was, just living her nice peaceful life, and Eliza and I were supposed to interrupt it. I felt a bit like a heel for having to do it, but I knew that now that the ball was rolling, there was really no stopping it.

Which is not to say that I wasn't attracted to her. I had always thought she was beautiful, but now that I had gotten to know her better, I had become quite intoxicated with her personality and her appearance and I could feel a growing wetness between my legs at the thought of getting her into bed. So innocent, yet so smart and seemingly so worldly...her beauty was pretty rare, as was someone of her intellect, and was something that I found myself sucked in by.

Setting her coffee cup down, Natalie glanced over my shoulder.

"Woah, look at that Kiki," she said, having already adopted my pet nickname earlier in the conversation. "The snow is really coming down hard,"

I turned around and Natalie was indeed right - though not a blizzard, the flakes were falling very fast as the wind blew snow down the street and onto cars and passersby trying to huddle away from the cold. It was a very formidable looking storm and I wasn't really looking forward to going back out in it. A plan on how to push things further with Natalie began to formulate in my head.

"I better call my friends. I don't think I can make it to their place in this weather," I said, looking down at my cell phone as I dialed Eliza's number. She picked up after one ring.

"What's the progress?"

"Hi! This is Kirsten!," I said, trying to keep the conversation from revealing too much. I noticed Natalie wasn't even watching me, instead staring out the window at the snow, her hand on her perfect chin.

"How goes the seduction?" Eliza asked.

"Oh no, I'm fine. Just fine,"

"Good, glad to hear it. When will you bring her to my hotel?"

"Any ways, the reason I called was to say that I can't stay with you tonight,"

Eliza's voice rose an octave. "What?"

"Yeah, I know, I really wanted to. But the weather is really bad outside and I can't get down to your part of town in this snow,"

"Kirsten, you know better than to screw this up!" Eliza hissed. "If the Mistress finds out..."

I, meanwhile, kept my cheery demeanor. "Well, let me give you the name and room of the hotel I'm staying at. Maybe you can come visit me,"

Eliza sighed. "Alright, let me get a pen and paper..."

I waited a few seconds and then said "Ok, ready?"

"Yes, ready. Will I be able to set up the video equipment like we are supposed to?"

"Uh-huh. I've stayed in this hotel before, so it should be all ready to go. I'm staying at the Hilton Boston, room 1119,"

"1119. Good. I will be in 1118, even if I have to kill someone to get that room. Good luck Kirsten and don't screw this up. The video will show everything,"

"Ok, so will I see you while I'm in town do you think?"

"Not till tomorrow. Shit, I really wish I could have you to myself tonight but I know the Rose petals come first,"

"Ok, that's good. Thank you. I'll see you later then?"

"Yes, I'll see you later Kirsten. Just remember no matter what happens, I still love you,"

Hearing those words from Eliza made a lump in my throat, but I managed to swallow it down before I hung up the phone. "You too. Bye,"

Natalie turned to look at me again. "When did you book a hotel room?" she asked, a totally innocent question but one that I now realized caught me in a bit of a trap. I thought real fast on my feet.

"Oh, just now. Didn't you hear me?" I said, lying through my teeth. I had actually reserved the hotel when I thought that I wouldn't be able to find Natalie at all. I had booked a nice fancy room for me and Eliza to share for ourselves, something far better than the cheap one that I knew she had rented to seem "incognito"

"No, I guess not," Natalie said, already a little bored with her own question. "I was just lost in watching the snow fall. It's so beautiful,"

"Not as beautiful as you," I whispered to myself as I continued to study and continued to be amazed by her overall. Eliza loved me, that I was certain. But I was already feeling something between Natalie and I that seemed BEYOND love. Natalie's ears perked up at my comment.

"What did you say?"

"I said 'I think so too'," I said, quickly correcting myself. "Well, I better be going before the weather gets any worse,"

I stood up from the table, putting my coat on and tying my scarf around my neck as Natalie rose with me.

"Do you know where you're going?" she asked, not so much sounding like a doting mother as just a friend.

"Uh, yeah I think so. I go left and then umm...take a right on this street and then four...no, maybe five blocks east and then..." I said, my arms pointing out in different directions before dropping to my side as I resigned myself to admitting I was lost. "Yeah, I'm pretty much clueless,"

Natalie laughed. "Would you like me to walk you to your hotel Kirsten? I wouldn't trust a cab in this weather,"

"Sure Natalie, that would be great," I said, my heart beat growing faster as I tried to contain my excitement. I had finally discovered what I was feeling. In spite of myself and the overall intention of what things had been, I knew now that I had a crush on Natalie. An undeniable, purely physical attraction to her. And like so many crushees, she was totally clueless.

We left the coffee shop and stepped outside into the immediately blistering cold. I could feel the wind tearing at my cheeks immediately and Natalie, despite being accustomed to the climate, was gritting her teeth against the cold. We walked onward, chit chatting occasionally with an occasional joke or giggle or just casual remark, but for the most part we stayed silent, the wind whipping by us both as the snow began to pile up on street corners and parked cars. Besides a few cars on the road, their lights bright in the light of the dying day, there was hardly any one else out. We saw a pair of homeless people huddled in a doorway to stay out of the wind, both of them sharing a Grande coffee from Starbucks. Natalie reached into her pocket and handed them a small wad of bills, to which they thanked us and smiled as we moved onward.

After about fifteen minutes and 10 blocks (it was further than I thought), we arrived at the hotel, the doorman outside under the awning smiling weakly at us as a strong wind kicked up and almost tore off his hat. He opened the door for us and we stepped inside into the blessedly warm lobby of the hotel.

Shaking snow off of our coats, Natalie and I rubbed our hands together to try and warm up as we giggled with each other, each laughing at the other and their attempt to get warm. I took off the wool hat that I wore and shook my hair free, the ends damp from the snow outside as Natalie removed her gloves and folded them neatly under her arm.

"Would you like to come up to my room to warm up a bit before going back out?" I asked. Natalie pondered the question for a moment, my eyes intently watching her, my heart secretly hoping she would say yes.

"Well, I do have some other errands to run but...I guess a few minutes wouldn't hurt," she said. I smiled at her, the excitement of taking her to my room running through my body and warming me up in all the right places.

"Ok, just one second. Let me go get checked in, ok?"

"Ok,"

I walked over to the concierge and, after paying for the room and getting my keys, walked back over to Natalie a few minutes later. She had taken a seat on a couch, her hands folded between her legs as she watched a couple across the room whisper and giggle with one another. I stood beside her and followed her vision.

"Isn't that cute? I sometimes wish I had time to date people, I really do,"

I had to bite my tongue as I nodded in agreement. "Yes, they are pretty cute. And don't worry, I'm sure you'll find someone. And when that happens, you'll simply make time for them,"

Natalie looked up at me and rolled her eyes. "Right, like where am I going to find a guy who isn't totally freaked out by me being a celebrity?"

"Who said it had to be a guy?" I said with a smile, poking her in the shoulder to let her know that I was joking, despite the fact that I really wasn't.

"Ha ha, very funny," Natalie said, poking me back as she played off the question. "All set?"

"Yep, follow me,"

We took the elevator up to the 11th floor where my room was. Stepping off, I glanced down the hall and saw nothing there except for a few empty room service trays sitting on the floor. Natalie walked behind me, her small feet barely making a noise on the carpeted floor. I swiped the key through the slot and opened the door, the room dark as I stepped inside.

Flicking on the light switch, the room suddenly lit up and revealed a massive king size bed in the middle of the room, as well as a large tv on a center dresser and the typical table and chairs off by the window and air conditioner. Natalie walked in behind me, shutting the door with a solid thud as she closed it. I stepped further into the room, kicking off my shoes.