... not in love with Kale Eddison (11 page)

The film ended
and Izzie stretched and yawned; it had been very comfortable to
just relax all day – apart from dodging the photographers this
morning. She looked at Kale and smiled lazily, he returned her
smile and felt his heart thump rapidly – what the hell was wrong
with him? He cleared his throat, “You want some coffee?”

Izzie nodded
and he was relieved to leave her for a few minutes; she was really
making him feel … well he really didn’t know how to describe it –
it felt good but he had difficulty naming the emotion. He shook
himself mentally and concentrated on making the cappuccinos.

Izzie remained
seated in the recliner, she was feeling quite confused. She had
been touched when she noticed Kale’s expression while watching the
film; there had been a fierce determination in his eyes and also a
sense of vulnerability about him. It was clear that he was very
passionate about acting and it seemed to Izzie that he was a guy
who would persevere until he achieved what it was that he was
after. She was also beginning to feel something else as well … she
couldn’t quite put her finger on it but when he had smiled back at
her and their eyes had locked, she had felt … well she didn’t know
for sure but had thought it was quite a nice little moment – wow,
what was wrong with her? ‘A nice little moment’ … where had that
come from? She tried to clear her thoughts just as Kale came back
into the room.

“Here you go,”
he handed her the mug and sat down again.

“Thanks,” Izzie
smiled at him briefly then quickly averted her gaze to the floor –
there was that unnamed feeling again. She ignored it and took a
fleeting glance at Kale, “So, what time is it? You think we ditched
them?”

Kale laughed,
“4.30 and yeah, I think we have, so what do you wanna do now?”

Izzie shrugged
and Kale smirked, “You know we could always run lines again … I
wouldn’t mind.”

Izzie raised
her eyebrows, “Yeah, I think not.”

Kale kept
smiling at the look she was giving him, “Not a hope in hell then,”
he laughed and Izzie reluctantly let her gaze fall on his baby blue
eyes.

Kale stopped
laughing and for a few minutes they simply looked at each other,
Izzie started to feel uncomfortable but also butterflies in her
stomach – what was wrong with her? She coughed awkwardly and
attempted to break the eye contact but Kale was too quick. Before
she could even comprehend what was happening, she felt Kale’s warm
lips meet hers. It took around five seconds for her brain to catch
up and she pushed him away.

“Why the
hell
do you keep doing that?” She glowered at him while Kale
looked confused.

“I thought we
were having a good time, weren’t we? I – why are you so mad?” Kale
scratched his head perplexed as Izzie abruptly stood up.

“I have to go,”
she declared loudly and she started marching towards the front door
of the house while Kale chased after her.

“Izzie, no –
don’t go,” he told her as she turned back to look at him.

“Don’t ever
speak to me again,” Izzie told him and she turned back to the door,
within seconds she was gone.

Kale stood for
a few minutes and felt really messed up. They had had a nice day
together, they were starting to get along and he actually thought
Izzie was beginning to like him but now it had all gone wrong – him
and his stupid actions. He cursed himself but let Izzie go on; she
was far too mad to reason with at the minute. He sighed and
returned to the cinema room where he flopped onto the chair Izzie
had just vacated. It was then that Kale realised he was sitting on
something, he got up to investigate; Izzie’s mobile. Figuring it
had fallen out of her pocket when she had fled so suddenly, Kale
took it and left the room, making his way up to his bedroom. He
knew he would have to return it and by the fury in her tone when
she had left, Kale concluded that he wouldn’t be able to return it
in person. He sighed and then an idea struck him.

Izzie drove
home quite recklessly; she really didn’t know what she was feeling
and felt very mixed up indeed. On one hand, they had had a nice
time together but, on the other, he was Kale Eddison – mega film
star – she loathed him – or so she claimed frequently. That was
twice he had kissed her today – true, the first was acting but the
second – the second had been the real deal; he had
wanted
to
kiss her. She shook her head; did she like him? Could he be
trusted? Would he bother her again? Would he go to the papers to
spite her? What would be the next headline; ‘
Isobel Frank –
heartbreaker and cold-hearted bitch
’? Izzie shuddered and tried
to pay attention to the road in front of her; she pushed these
thoughts to the back of her mind and concentrated on getting home
safely. She was just grateful that she had been the one driving or
she would have been stranded with Kale. Izzie eventually ended up
home and found - much to her relief - that there were no
photographers camped out. She got out of her car and made her way
into the house.

“Hey Gran,”
Izzie found her grandmother sitting at the kitchen table with a
coffee mug in her hand.

“Oh, Izzie
dear, I didn’t hear you come in. Those dreadful reporters aren’t
lurking outside again, are they?” Her grandmother frowned and Izzie
laughed.

“No Gran,
anyway I’m kinda tired, I think I’m just gonna go on up to my room,
ok?”

“You don’t want
anything to eat?” Her grandmother looked at her with a worried
expression.

Izzie shrugged,
“I had a big lunch.” Her grandmother looked at her carefully but
let the subject drop, so Izzie made her way upstairs. She threw her
bag onto the bed and flopped down beside it. Her head was full of
thoughts about Kale and this frustrated her. She sighed and figured
she’d phone Maddie; even though her friend was acting weird, Izzie
felt like talking to someone and Maddie would have to do. She
rummaged through her bag and checked her pockets; no phone. She
frowned and then punched the mattress … Kale. Izzie was angry at
herself; how was she so stupid to have accidentally left her phone
at his house? She’d never get it back now. Just as she had decided
to take a shower, Izzie was in the middle of slipping off her shoes
when there was a knock at the front door. She sighed, knowing her
grandmother wouldn’t hear it, and made her way downstairs.

Izzie flung
open the door and was met by a pretty blonde woman. “Uh,
hello?”

The blonde
woman smiled at her, “Hi, Izzie isn’t it?”

Izzie nodded,
wondering who this stranger was and how she knew her name.

“Hi,” the woman
said again and continued, “I’m Alicia – Kale’s assistant – he
wanted me to drop this off.” She produced Izzie’s mobile from her
bag and handed it to her.

Izzie took it
and gazed at the woman, wondering if Kale had told what had
happened between them today? “Um, thanks.” was all she managed to
say.

Alicia smiled,
“Mr Eddison was busy and insisted it be returned to you A.S.A.P.
Have a nice evening.” She smiled at Izzie and made her way back to
her car and Izzie watched her drive off. Izzie looked down at her
mobile; it didn’t look to have been unlocked and for that she was
grateful; at least Kale respected her privacy. She decided that
Kale wasn’t all bad but returning her phone wasn’t going to make
her forget his actions earlier. She made her way upstairs again and
threw the mobile on her bed before she headed for the shower; she
really needed to clear her head.

Izzie felt ten
times better after her hot steaming shower; she put on her comfiest
jeans and a hoodie and settled onto her bed. She extracted her iPod
from the mess within her schoolbag and selected some soothing songs
that would help her relax. She was really just beginning to forget
the events of the past few hours when she heard her phone bleep.
Izzie sighed, a little annoyed that she had been distracted and
lifted her phone. A quick glance at the screen showed there was one
new message alerting her to a new email message in her inbox. Izzie
sighed and booted up her laptop; it took a few minutes for her
email inbox to load but when it did, she found she had received an
email from one Kale Eddison. Izzie had had an inkling as to who it
might have been from and she was proved right. She sighed and
clicked the message open.

From: Kale
Eddison

Subject: I was
a jerk

To: “Izzie
Frank”

Date: Friday,
22 October 2010, 18.32

‘Dear
Izzie,

Sorry about
earlier and this invasion of privacy (I got your email address from
a message in your inbox on your phone – you can hate me for this
but I really needed to talk to you; so once again I apologise)
Anyway, I really needed to talk to you and I figured since you
didn’t want to see me again, emailing or texting (yeah I’ve got
your number too – please don’t be mad but I had to make sure you
would hear me out; it’s my second option if you don’t reply to
this) anyway, back to the point, I figured since it wasn’t face to
face, it doesn’t really count and I’m not disobeying your wish of
never seeing me again. First off, I can’t tell you how deeply I
regret my actions … I was stupid and I didn’t treat you with the
respect you deserve. I took no thought in thinking about what you
wanted; my thoughts were just of myself and for that I apologise. I
cannot begin to imagine how horrible it must have been for you to
be treated that way against your will. I will not try and defend my
actions … I acted like a jerk – and I know it. I failed to put my
feelings to one side so they wouldn’t cloud my judgement of the
situation between us. I regret the incident terribly and seek your
forgiveness. You can call me all the vile names under the sun; I
won’t stop you because I know I thoroughly deserve to be called
each and every one of them. I had no right to assume that you would
enjoy our kiss as much as I did – because I’m not going to lie … as
much as I regret how my actions have made you feel - abused,
mistreated and humiliated – I really did enjoy kissing you, even
though it was one-sided (my fault again). Anyway, I can’t explain
it but kissing you made me feel … I can’t quite explain what
exactly but it felt good … really really good. The few girls I have
kissed (which including co-stars - has not been very many -
contrary to what the papers say) have never made me feel this way.
I know you’re probably thinking, “Yeah, yeah, you’re an actor, you
don’t mean any of this.” but I beg you to see that I am different;
I want you to believe that I do not follow the stereotype of most
of my fellow actors. I have real feelings and sometimes they awaken
inside of me. Well, my feelings for you have been writhing inside
of me ever since our first meeting (hard to believe it was just
over a week ago) when you coolly informed me that I couldn’t ‘charm
you like I did my supermodel girlfriends.’ I have to admit, you had
me stumped; no girl had ever been immune to my charms and I confess
I was slightly disappointed. Anyway, there was something about you
that drew me in which is why I kept pestering you – much to your
obvious dislike – until you succumbed and couldn’t get rid of me
whether you wanted to or not. I know I annoy you and I know you
dislike me but I was still strangely drawn to you … nobody had ever
treated me like a real person before. When I’m around you I can be
‘Kale Eddison – regular Joe’ not ‘Kale Eddison the movie star’. You
see that’s what everybody seems to forget; I am just a regular guy
at the end of the day … someday they will realise I’m just like
everybody else and when that day comes I worry that I will be
totally alone. Anyway, enough rambling, I just wanted to tell you
that I’m not sure exactly what it is you bring out in me but I like
it; it’s new and exciting and I’d rather have you in my life if
that’s possible? I’m not quite sure what it is I am feeling when
I’m around you but I promise to push it to one side and not let it
affect our friendship because I’d really love to get to know you
better Isobel Frank. The only thing I’m sure of is that you prefer
to be called ‘Izzie’ and you thoroughly dislike me but I beg you to
let me get to know you a little more because I really think I’d
like to. Begging your forgiveness for being such an ass, please
consider my suggestion.

Yours,
annoying, irritating and (please feel free to insert your worst
insult about me here _____ ) Kale Eddison ;)

Izzie stared at
the screen; the guy could really write apology letters. It was
probably the best apology she had ever heard and she hated Kale for
that; damn him for making her feel like she had no choice but to
forgive him! She sighed and hit the ‘reply’ button.

From: Izzie
Frank

Subject: RE: I
was a jerk

To: “Kale
Eddison”

Date: Friday,
22 October 2010, 18.57

‘Dear annoying,
irritating and jackass Kale,

Yes, you acted
like a jerk … however, that said, as mad as I am about everything
that happened today – not to mention the invasion of my privacy! –
I find myself strangely leaning towards your suggestion of
forgiving you. Don’t ask me why but, as much as you pester the hell
out of me, I find myself thinking that that was, perhaps, the best
apology I have ever heard - DO NOT pat yourself on the back just
yet buddy! I haven’t finished – ok, back to my point, yes, your
apology is heartfelt and appears genuine – then again, you
are
an actor! Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is that I
will give you the benefit of the doubt – just this once! I’m giving
you one more chance and if you mess it up – tough shit! I do have a
few conditions though; if you ever come in close proximity with me
again – excluding rehearsals for the play of course (they,
regrettably, can’t be helped!) – I will not be held responsible for
my actions (FYI, just so you are warned; they will involve a lot of
pain on your part!) So, if you can agree to keep your distance and
not try anything funny, I will certainly agree to be friends. I
hate to admit it but you are rather charming … in a totally
irritating and frustrating way! So, I hereby give you my word that
I will be your friend (so help me God!) if you agree to the
condition mentioned above.