Chapter Five
Jacob spent two weeks with the twins. They cooked Italian meals for him. They fucked him senseless. He did allow Francesca to sketch him, but she had a style that sort of covered his face with a hazy look. And no nudes. So he felt fine with it. Then after more sex marathons, they all went out and danced in the clubs at night. Men stared at him, like they either admired him or wanted to punch him in his face.
They all laughed, had fun, swam together in a heated pool for several nights and yes, they did it in the water, as much as they could get away with.
They went to more museums, toured Venice by bicycle, walking, bus and finally, in the most grand style. By Gondola. The stunned look on the gondolier’s face was just too hilarious as two gorgeous local women kissed and hugged all over just the one man…Jacob. The man who’d probably seen it all in loving couples had stared at first and he just could not stop staring. Even though Jacob knew, it was sort of a rule for them to not watch the couple.
Jacob laughed himself silly after they got out of the narrow boat and tipped the man hugely in Liras. Then the man joined his laughter and winked at the two ladies.
Jacob even took them to his room at the hotel. They stayed there for 5 days and enjoyed all the amenities he was paying so much for. He had the hotel pull out all the stops and he knew his bill would be astronomical but he didn’t care. It had all been worth it. They worked and played their way through all the towel service, maid service, and room service that they probably could. Then they went through as many clean sheets as they could mess up. He had more fun than he ever remembered having in a hotel and he’d stayed in many all over the world.
They even dressed up to the nines and went to the casino floor. He had the most fun earlier that day while they shopped for dresses, shoes, and accessories. He told them it was his treat. The stunned expressions they both wore cracked him up more than anything had, thus far. He sat and got to watch them model each dress they were interested in. It was sexy and the best fashion show he’d ever attended and he had attended many and been in quite a few himself, right up on that runway. These two would never know this however, and he felt fine with that in any case. He also played shoe salesman and put many pairs of heels on their identical but beautiful feet.
When they finally arrived at the Casino, he did feel a little supreme he had to admit it, making a huge entrance with two decked out babes in jewels and glittery skimpy dresses with Jacob in his tux and them on each arm. High roller was what one older woman had whispered. He had chuckled as in his mind—he became his childhood film idol, James Bond. It was too hilarious. And he had two Raquel Welches draped on his arms or they could have been Sophia Loren’s. Yeah, no one would know what or whom the hell he was talking about, or they would have thought him truly odd, so he kept this to himself.
The pair was impressed by the hotel and all of it, not that he thought to do so by showing how wealthy he was.
He suddenly realized that he just wanted to treat them to luxury. Use some of the money he’d made from the underwear commercials just to treat someone to something they would never experience most likely, in their lifetimes. Massages, room service, no cooking, no housecleaning, tanning by the poolside with full drink service. He paid for them to have a day spa on the last day, just an all out everything from their lustrous hair to their pretty toes on their identical feet. Yes, he may have just gotten the best sex of the entire trip that night when they came back.
By the end of that next week, he knew he would be good and calm for a while.
Both women saw him off at the airport and they looked upset. He told them he would be back and would look them up when he did. It was good that he was leaving as he could see they were getting the idea that they would be a ménage type ‘couple or triple’ and he truly liked the girls, but he knew he could not give them any commitment, it just wasn’t in him. Jacob did not do emotions or relationships. He truly did not know how, so rather than hurt them, he told them he had work calling.
He flew back to the states a new man. Ready for work. He got a call from Parker who let him know the date he would be in LA and that he wasn’t in New York in any case, he himself had flown to another state as they were erecting yet another new gym. The man was success all the way. He had to hand it to him. He was the best in the business, except for that competition he had with that woman who ran her own fitness outfit. Jacob had thought it had been a little over the top. But who said promotion was a bad thing?
Then when he finally got back to the States, he’d been informed it would yet be thirty more days until Miss Halloway would be on set. He was livid. This was the film industry not a temp agency where they could just hire someone else to play her part. His gripes fell on deaf ears. Even his agent told him to calm down and not piss off the producers by calling them. They told him he could start filming all the shots that did not involve her to cool him down, he imagined. So far, he was none too impressed with Miss Anna Halloway. Was he the only dedicated actor in this damn town?
So for the next month, he worked out. Had meetings with his agent for movie offers, and even some commercials. Then there was a music video deal he was interested in. With the band that was coming up in the charts, Heartless. They had a lead singer that even Jacob thought was brilliant. Zayn. He seemed to just go by that one name. Jacob told his agent, he really wanted in on this upcoming video they were going to do. His agent was sort of old school and didn’t get it, but Jacob found doing them fun and a bit different that either movie filming or boring ass repetitive takes of some damn commercial.
He then started to again feel frustrated, pent up. It was the frustration of not working, not getting that release filming did for him. He often felt like when this happened he was full to the brim and had to have some kind of release. Now six weeks out from his Italian Holiday, he felt that need again. He wasn’t the type to jack off, he just never seemed to take to it. He would rather a feminine hand did that or better yet, other parts of their anatomy did it for him. He was a sexual being and he’d never felt sorry about that. Womanizer? He would shrug. Maybe? But he did not drink to excess and he did zero drugs. So was sex an addiction?
Fuck, yes.
A beautiful drug that set him free every time he enjoyed it.
Always consensual, always enjoyed by his partner as well as himself, he saw no harm in it, He only had two simple rules: Use protection, and tread carefully on the serious relationship thing.
* * * *
Three weeks later…
Today again, there would be no filming. They were all waiting on Miss Halloway. Jacob rolled his eyes. Like she was the bloody queen of fucking Hollywood or something. He stifled his resentment, despite the long ass wait he’d done. He told himself her name and abilities would help to make this movie an instant sensation, a box office hit. So, he needed to think differently or at least, hide this emotion as well as he did others.
They had done all the scenes they could that did not involve her. Her agent had called the director and said she would be on the set Monday. He certainly hoped she would show this time. He was more than sick of this shit and he thought about just starting a new project and leaving this film in the dustbin where it belonged due to Miss High and Mighty’s procrastination. He knew he couldn’t though. To break contract was instant death for an actor and court too. The paparazzi loved that shit. They ate it up like popcorn in a damn movie theater. No thanks. He didn’t want that kind of bare exposure.
Jacob wondered now for real, if what he’d been told about Anna Halloway was true. She had a strong work ethic, memorized her lines and was not a prima donna yelling for her trailer to be upgraded. A total professional, Jacob’s agent, Leon had said. He hoped so. He hadn’t seen anyone as dedicated as him in the last 4 films or in any of the productions he’d so far been involved in. He knew she couldn’t be like him. No one seemed to be. One track minded, head in the game, lines memorized and perfect. A natural ability to project any emotion called for. He’d been told by one director that he’d never seen anyone like Jacob. He’d said it was both eerie and awe inspiring.
It should be. Jacob had learned the hard way how to channel everything he’d ever felt. Store it away to simply bring it up with just a thought. While in his real life—if there was such a thing—he had no emotional base. He kept it that way on purpose. To feel nothing and embrace everything. He smiled as he thought of the embracing he’d done in Italy. Hell yes, he could let loose when he needed to.
Tonight, he needed more of the embracing part. He was headed to a club. A private one. It was visited by many men and women, all of higher class and of a certain appetite. It was 200 hundred dollars just to get inside. No, he wasn’t into kinky. Well, he did like to be in control to a certain extent, but not in a violent way. Unless spanking a sweet pale ass while fucking was considered violent? No…he liked submissives to a point. Just not the whole face mask, leather bullshit.
He always thought if he ever found a woman, as that journalist Miss Lloyd had brought up finding someone he would stay with…the woman would have to be many parts. Submissive in bed. Hard working and self controlled in all her other areas of life. Also, he did not want a cowering woman either, not be shy to his face or to take his crap. He wanted to be challenged on that level. The twins had definitely done that for him. Damn it, He would allow no visions of that dancing in his head.
It seemed that a woman like that did not exist, at least not in his world. Maybe the twins had come the closest but he still did not feel deeply for them. He cared for them sure, but he felt no real what was the word? Love? He shook his head in disgust. Every time he thought he’d found it before however, the woman would wash out, as Steward had often put it. “All the right stuff on the outside, but at her depth, there isn’t much else.”
Besides, he wasn’t looking for serious. He wasn’t anywhere near ready for that shit. But he did need to release and only so many massages would cut that diamond. It had been almost three months now, since his vacation and he was about to burst.
Jacob handed his keys to the valet at the front, with a clear warning of, “Scratch it and die.” Then he handed him a hundred dollar bill to sweeten the threat. Hell, this was LA…money talked and threats along with money spoke loudly. The car had cost 75k and he was dead serious about the threat.
He walked in and simply hoped he would in this case, not be recognized. Not when he wanted to unwind and have some company.
He got a table on the second level and sat. For a while, he intended to just watch. Then he might spot the right woman. Though, usually, many approached him first. It was a double edged sword. One, because if she were bold enough to come up to him, then would she be too aggressive in other ways. Hell, he’d enjoyed powerful women and often just allowed them to lead in bed. But not tonight, he needed something else. Something…
“Hey there,” a sweet voice spoke.
His gaze rose up.
Blonde, blue eyed and petite. This might be interesting.
“I wondered if—if…” Her voice faded away on a breathless gasp.
No, damn it. He thought as he waited for it.
“Oh, my god!” She gasped as she planted her hands over her mouth.
He felt true disappointment but maybe he could still salvage this. “Yes?’
She literally jumped where she stood. “Jacob?” she gushed.
He let out a sigh. Yes, so she did know his name. This could go one way or…
“I just cannot believe it! Jacob Cooper!”
Yes, it would go this way. “Hello and you are?”
She dropped her hands and seemed to try to catch her breath.
No, do not ask, Please do not…
“Can I have your autograph?”
Yes, she asked.
Looking like she might just pass out at any second, she shoved a cocktail napkin and a pen toward him.
With a warm looking, yet fake smile, he accepted the napkin and pen. Well, this was not going to happen. Too formal. Too stiff. Then she would never keep her mouth shut afterwards. Jacob scrawled out his epitaph as he now thought of it. This was a wash out. He handed it back to her.
Taking the napkin as if it were a silver tiara, she beamed like a teen prom queen.
He tilted his head and took a closer look at her. Maybe she is a teen prom queen? He waved at her in a friendly way but clearly as if to dismiss her.
She bit at her lip and backed away. “Oh, my god!” she squealed as she turned around and nearly ran over the waitress on her way through.
The waitress came over and set his drink down. “What was her problem?”
He froze at the sultry voice and raised his gaze.
A pair of deep brown eyes met his. Dark hair, killer body. She did not seem to know who he was. Promising. “I’m not sure.” He laughed with a careless shrug.
She stared at him. “Well, with the way you look, she probably had to…” Her voice halted then she laughed.
He wondered what she’d almost said. “Had to...?” he asked with a smile.
“Like go take a full on cold shower. Damn it, man you are smokin’!” She smiled.
He never thought of having one of the cocktail waitresses at these places but this showed real promise. “Well, you seem not to need one.”
She laughed. “I have more self control and a few years on that baby girl.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I noticed that rather youthful look she had just before she ran away.”
The woman stared at him. Then she leaned down to whisper, “Women should be running after you, not away.”
Good one. She was quick too. He’d been handed lines before, but he certainly did not wish to come off as jaded or arrogant. “Oh, really?”
She nodded and straightened up. “I get off in an hour, if you wanna be caught?”
Bold. Yes. He gazed into her eyes. Yes, there was a certain glimmer there. Like she knew. Did she know? What he wanted?
“Well, if you have to think it over?” she added.
He shook his head and smiled. “It isn’t that.”
“Well, I usually don’t hit on patrons, but damn it…you are fine.”
“I will be right here.” Jacob raised his glass and tipped it at her. He just secretly hoped that in the meantime, no one made another spectacle at his table or told her who he really was.
Her eyes roamed all over him. She gave him a wink and sashayed away.
Yes, he did watch her sweet ass while she walked away in that little black skirt. He shook his head. Here he was one of the biggest stars in the world and he had to troll in a club for a piece of ass. Most men that looked like he did could get it anywhere and it even came to them. But he was Jacob fucking Cooper and he had to watch who he dated and what he did. Tabloid fodder, paparazzi bait.
Ever since he’d hit it fairly big, he usually waited for sex. Waited until he took his semi annual trip to Europe. Places like Italy. He forced that memory back. The twins would dance in his mind and he would lose it right here. It was now dynamite to him. No tripping that light fancy. He needed to not get more edgy.
The music got louder and the people in the club did too. He sat and nursed his drink.
“Oh, it is you!” a female voice spoke from his left.
Great, he’d almost gotten away with it. Now, someone else would ruin it. He swung his gaze over. His eyes first hit her middle as she was standing and he was sitting. Then his gaze rose up. Holy Fuck! He fought to keep surprise from showing in any way shape or fucking form on his face or in his body language. He slowly stood up. “Anna Halloway,” he stated calmly.
She nodded and her red curls bounced a bit. “I was sort of surprised to...see you here.”
He tilted his head at her. “And why is it a surprise?”
She gave him a warm smile “I—well, I just thought you wouldn’t…”
Jacob wondered what she really thought. In fact, he suddenly wanted to know everything she thought. His eyes took her in. Damn, she was nearly perfect. Her curves, her breasts. Those eyes and that sweet looking mouth. He’d known she was beautiful, she was a highly sought after actress. He’d seen images of her before. But up close? In person? Damn it…she was sexy as hell. This was one case where cameras hadn’t done someone any justice at all.
Anna backed away a bit. “I-I am sorry to have disturbed you.”
He reached out and grasped her hand. A shock went up along his arm. Fuck! It jolted him. It fucking…
“I didn’t mean to bother you really…”
Damn, those eyes of hers. As he gazed into her blue depths, he felt like he just fell into the rabbit hole. A warm place though, where pleasure would be front seat on a ride to somewhere he knew he’d never been. He stepped closer to her. “You didn’t. It is all right. I mean. We needed to actually meet. I was just sitting here—”
“Are you ready to go?” the waitress asked from behind Anna.
Yes, she would come back and just at this moment too. He dropped Anna’s hand.
Anna stared at him then looked over her shoulder at the waitress. “Umm…yeah.” She quickly walked away.
Jacob just stood there. Oh, yeah. He’d been caught. Then he shook his head. Caught doing what? It wasn’t any of her business He would just be working with the woman and his personal life had nothing to do with it. He shook away his initial reaction to the woman. Maybe even he could get star struck? And he sure as hell couldn’t have dated her in any case. She was in the business and he was about to do a movie with her.
He now gazed at the hot brunette that stood there waiting for him. He would just have a hot night with a hot waitress and…
“Oh, wow!” the waitress exclaimed.
Oh shiiit… Jacob sighed.
“Was that? It was!” she gushed as she stared in the direction Anna had just headed off in.
Well, so what? She recognized his costar, he could still make this work. Maybe?
The brown eyed catch of the night looked over at him.
He shrugged.
Her eyes rounded as she took a double take at him. “Oh. My. God!”
Fuck it. Jacob tossed his hands up in the air as he simply gave up and walked away.