Chapter 19: Chapter 19
Calm down Pearl. Keep calm Pearl. She kept repeating to herself. "Oh my god, Pearl with the pretty eyes. You are the last person I was expecting to see here. Who's the stalker now, pretty girl?" Rhys said with a wink and giggling like a school boy, proud of his joke and even happier to see her. He grabbed her a gave her a big hug and kiss. A kiss that was obviously not just friendly and completely inappropriate publicly. David looked puzzled, to say the least. "I figured you'd at least have sent me a text by now. I didn't even get the usual morning after obligatory text. Very sad, Pearl I expected more from you. But this! You outdid yourself." He smiled again. What was going on? This star of this show is acting like I just made his day showing up like creeper after a one night stand, Pearl thought. And in front of my boss. This week couldn't get any weirder or more uncomfortable if I tried. Rhys then noticed I wasn't alone and looked quizzically at David.
"David, this is Rhys, er, Holden. Holden this is my boss, David." "Nice to meet you, man. Glad you came out. Did you guys plan this?" Rhys asked, still smiling like an idiot at Pearl. "No, Um, actually we are here for business. We have a big merger meeting tomorrow. I had no idea what a Comic Con was and we are here in town and thought we'd check it out. I honestly had no idea you'd be here. How would I know?" Pearl said. Rhys looked a little disappointed, but responded just as enthusiastically, "Well it sucks you didn't fan girl me all the way to Seattle. But you're here, anyway. We just keep crossing paths, Pearl. You know there's no such thing as coincidence, right?"
Rhys said, putting his arm around her. "I'm not sure I've given a lot of thought to that, but I certainly will keep it in mind now" Pearl replied, slightly sarcastically. She looked over at David, who was clearly still in shock. Pearl had to admit she was too. "Come meet the cast." Rhys insisted. Pearl and David came over to the table and Rhys introduced them as his wonderful and beautiful Pearl and her strikingly handsome boss, David. Rhys was charismatic, Pearl would give him that. They chatted and Rhys had to excuse himself to speak with the rest of the cast in a panel type interview. He insisted they all have dinner later at the restaurant at his hotel and gave them his hotel information. They hailed a cab and David wasted zero time. "Ok Pearl, I have to know what that was all about. I don't mean to pry in your personal life but that is a movie and television star and you seemed to know each other ....intimately and I am still in a bit of shock." She had no obligation to tell him anything, but she felt after the last 24 hours and his honesty with her about his life, she owed him at least a short version explanation. "It's all a bit unbelievable but I met him at the bookstore in our city last Saturday. He was in town for a charity outing at the children's hospital. He showed up at my gig later, completely coincidentally, although I've been recently told there is no such thing, and I went back to his hotel with him. I know what you're probably thinking but I swear to god I have never done that sort of thing before. I had only been with one person my entire life up to last Saturday."
"Really?" David replied. "He's only the second man you've slept with? Never mind, that's not any of my business. I'm sorry."
"It's ok. After that show today I don't blame you for asking. Anyway, I went home the next day and didn't think I'd ever see him again. Not that I was trying to be a slutty person, I just rarely get attention from men that aren't vomit worthy and I know I'm not the greatest catch. I have never made a decision like that so I went for it. I know what that makes me look like and I'm sorry." Pearl felt ashamed. Not that she slept with Rhys. But that she had to tell her boss about how unwanted she was. "You're insane, you know that? I'm sorry but you clearly are. Any man I know would sell their soul to have a chance with a woman like you. They'd be lucky to even have you glance their way. Don't ever feel like that, Pearl."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone