Destined for the Star (Starstruck) (22 page)

And yet he would give all of that up in a heartbeat, if that was what it took to win Olivia back. He couldn’t imagine his life without her. Nothing else mattered as much to him as she did. Life without her was too painful a prospect to even consider. He knew he could live without making another movie; yes, it would undoubtedly hurt and he would grieve for the loss of the vocation he loved so much, but he would never look back in regret if that was the choice he had to make in order to get to be with Olivia. He could face any future as long as she was a part of it, and no future at all without her.
 

He felt a calm settle in him as a plan formed in his mind. He was under contract to promote this last movie of the franchise and attend some of the premières. This was the last intense week of that promotional tour. The world première had already taken place in Los Angeles the week before he flew back to spend that magical time in the cabin with Olivia. He smiled tenderly at the memories. She was in for a big surprise if she really thought he would just walk away. He felt at peace now that he’d made up his mind he would fight for her, no matter the cost to his career.

In just a couple of hours he and the rest of the people involved were getting on a plane to Berlin, Germany, where a morning press conference, just like the one in Paris the previous day, was scheduled to take place. It would be followed by the usual string of TV-interviews with different media outlets and then, in the evening, the Berlin première of the movie, at which he was contractually obligated to walk the red carpet with Julia again. Then followed similar schedules and premières in Rome, Italy; Madrid, Spain; and at last, the final Time Traveler’s Tale Part 5: Into Eternity première in London on Friday night. And that would mark the end of his commitments to the franchise.

Even if there were to be any more installments to the series further down the road, he hadn’t signed on to any more and he’d told his agent he was done with the Time-traveler. Not that he wasn’t extremely grateful to the franchise that had brought him to this place in his life, but after playing the same character in five films over four years (the last movie had wrapped over a year ago), he didn’t feel he had anything more to add to that particular character. He was ready to move on. Even if his fans abandoned him because they couldn’t see him as anything but the Time-traveler, he was still done.
 

And maybe, soon, he would quit the business altogether. That was up to Olivia. If she couldn’t see herself as part of his world, he would quit that world and find them a new one to share. As long as she was his, he could be happy anywhere.
 

* * *

When he walked on stage later that morning, at the press conference in Berlin, he was wearing the same light-blue shirt as the day before. The one with Olivia’s scent on it. It was looking a little worse for wear - all right, a lot worse for wear - but he didn’t care. He badly needed that reminder of Olivia now that he was about to commit career suicide.

The studio wouldn’t be pleased, nor would his long-suffering manager. He loved Dan, he was the best manager in the business and carried a heavy load as Nate hated a big entourage and didn’t even have a publicist. Nate owed him a lot - Dan had taken a huge chance on him when he was a twenty-year-old nobody with little more than a great smile and an unshakeable self-confidence to his name. Dan had started out as his agent but as Nate’s career exploded he had dropped most of his other clients to become Nate’s full-time manager. When it came to his career there was no one Nate trusted more than Dan. Still Nate hadn’t told him what he planned to do today. He knew Dan would try his damnedest to talk him out of it and he didn’t have the time or the patience for that right now. Instead, he’d only confided in Andy and asked him to arrange a private jet to stand by, ready to take off as soon as he left the press conference. He knew he could trust Andy with his life. The man was definitely due an extra nice Christmas bonus this year.
 

He took his seat next to Julia. She, of course, knew nothing of what he was about to do, but she was his friend, and although she might be pissed that he hadn’t told her ahead of time, she would understand. He leaned over and whispered to her,

”Hold on to your seat, Jules, you’re in for a hell of a ride.”

She looked at him, confused.

”What do you mean?” she mouthed.

”Just wait and see,” he whispered back with a smile.
 

Then he bent over the microphone.

”Good morning everybody. It’s nice to see such a great turn-up for our little movie,” he said with a wry smile. ”Before we begin I have something to say.”

He paused and thought he could hear the studio chaperones dropping their jaws backstage. This was not how this was scripted. And the studio hated unscripted movie stars run amuck, that much he’d learned during the promos for the first film. New to the game, he’d tried to liven up the insanely boring press junkets by improvising a little on his answers to the repetitive questions. It had nearly cost him his job, and therefore he’d been decidedly less spontaneous when doing press since then.
 

But now he was about to really let it all hang out in front of the world press. He was fully aware of the implications of what he was about to do, and he doubted Hollywood would forgive him this time. He drew a deep breath and let Olivia’s scent give him strength.

”Five years ago, when I signed on for the fantastic adventure this series has been for me, I couldn’t even begin to understand the effect it would have on my life. I am immensely grateful for everything this film-saga has given me, not only the incredible professional opportunities and rewards, but also the friendships I’ve formed (he smiled at Julia) and the tremendous love and support my wonderful fans shower me with.” He looked out at the sea of journalists and fired off one of his megawatt-smiles.
 

Then he looked down and took another deep breath.

”The other side to this amazing life that I’ve been so fortunate as to have, is the intense public scrutiny that comes with this kind of fame. I have always believed that my private life belongs to me alone, and is not for sale in any way, shape or form. It never has been and it never will be.”

”Therefore I have never commented on any rumors concerning my personal life. And Lord knows there have been a lot of rumors through the years,” he winked at Julia and there were some laughter from the press. But most of them were quiet, hanging on his every word, unaccustomed to the sudden change in tone from the usually very predictable information delivered at press junkets like these.
 

”I’ve never cared to comment on my love life in particular, although there has been much speculation on that very boring subject,” he said. ”I’ve never commented no matter how insane the stories in the press have been, because frankly it’s none of your damn business. So far that’s worked for me. My family and friends know me and know the truth. They quickly learnt to disregard the absurd headlines at the supermarket checkout lines. Unfortunately it’s no longer working for me. The one person that matters the most to me has been hurt by my silence. And that is why I am taking this opportunity to set some things straight.” He drew a deep breath again and then he looked straight at the cameras.
 

”Contrary to popular belief, I am not in a relationship with my lovely co-star Julia Embrey. We are not engaged, secretly married, nor is she having my love-child. I am not in love with Julia, my heart belongs to someone else entirely. Julia is a dear friend of mine and has been since we filmed the first movie together. I love her like a sister, a very annoying sister sometimes, but still…” he teased, smiling at Julia, who reached for his hand and squeezed it.

”Can I break in for a sec?” she asked into the microphone.

He nodded.
 

”Sure, go ahead.”

”I second everything Nate just said. Our personal lives aren’t anybody’s business but our own, although I do understand the curiosity about us. The fact that people want to believe that the romance we share on screen spilled over into our real lives, is a testament to our work. I take that as a great compliment. But I am not Nate’s girlfriend, he’s not my lover, or my husband or anything but a really good friend, whom I have enjoyed working with these past five years very much. That he has found someone to love thrills me immensely, because no one deserves that more than this guy,” she said and looked over at him.
 

”I am only sorry if our reluctance to discuss our personal lives in public, has caused him or anyone close to him, pain. I think I speak for us both when I say that was never our intention,” she finished.
 

Nate smiled gratefully at her and resumed.

”Sometimes life forces you to prioritize and decide what matters the most to you. I love what I do, and I truly appreciate the love and support of our fans. That is all very important to me. But the most important thing to me are the people I care about; my family and friends and most important of all, the woman I love with all my heart. I’ve hurt her by not being completely honest about the rumors surrounding me and nothing matters to me more now than to seek her forgiveness.”

”That is why, though I hate disappointing the fans and my colleagues, I won’t be able to attend the première tonight. I have to go win my girl back.” He smiled apologetically at Julia before turning back to face the cameras again. ”I am truly sorry for the inconvenience this will cause everyone and I’m especially sorry to the city of Berlin, that so graciously has agreed to host us tonight.”

”If I could have one wish, it would be that our fans take this message, that I leave them with, to heart: If you are lucky enough to find someone you love, who loves you back just the way you are, then don’t let anything come in the way of that love. Thank you.”

He stood up and gave Julia a hug.

”I’m so sorry to mess up your evening,” he said in her ear as the room erupted with questions being called out from every reporter there.
 

”Don’t worry about me, Nate. Go get her back!” Julia laughed. ”This has been the most exhilarating press junket I’ve ever been to.”

”Thanks, Jules, I owe you one,” he smiled, and walked off the stage.
 

Dan was standing in the wings, waiting to pounce.
 

”Have you lost your mind?” he roared. ”You just flushed your entire career down the toilet, Nate!
Why
did you do such an idiotic thing?!”

Nate grinned at him.
 

”Didn’t you hear a single word I just said back there?” he asked calmly. ”I’ve got to go get my girl back. I’m sorry if I’ve caused you a few headaches, but she’s more important to me than anything else.” He kept walking towards the exit.

”Andy?” he called out. ”You have to arrange for a really discreet car when I get there, and talk to airport security about getting me out of the airport without alerting the paps, if they somehow find out where I’m heading.”

”Already on it,” came Andy’s confident reply. ”I figured you’d want as much privacy as humanly possible while you’re down on your knees groveling.” He was clearly having a ball at the thought.

”Ha! That’s a cheerful image to spend the flight brooding over. Thanks, man!” Nate said, the sarcasm thick in his voice.

”She’s worth it though, and you know it.”
 

”Yes, I do,” Nate readily agreed, smiling tenderly.

”Watch out, here come the studio nannies,” Andy murmured, raising an eyebrow in warning.
 

Nate turned around and charged in with a preemptive strike.
 

”I don’t have time for a whipping right now, but I’ll call you when I’m back in L.A. and we’ll do it then instead. I’ll let you yell at me all you want to then, but in the meantime, sue me for breach of contract or whatever you feel you must. Just get out of my way, ’cause no one and nothing is stopping me from getting on that plane, right now.” He didn’t stay to hear their comeback, instead he turned back to Andy.

”Lead the way, Andy, let’s get me out of here.”
 

* * *

When he touched down in Stockholm he was quickly ushered through the VIP-section into the waiting car. He usually didn’t use the VIP-services at airports, it made him feel a little uncomfortable to be that insulated from real life, but there were certainly advantages to such arrangements, especially when stealth was called for, like today. Andy had gotten him a discreet black Volvo, just a sedan but with a driver. His trusty assistant surely deserved something special for Christmas this year. He had to think of something. He got in the backseat and asked the driver to take him to Olivia’s place in Kista.
 

But when he got there, there was nobody home. No one came to the door, and there were no signs of any life coming from the apartment. It was a Tuesday so the boys would be in school, of course, and knowing Olivia, she might actually have gone in to work, despite the shock and pain she’d suffered through in the last 24 hours. She was a conscientious employee and very loyal. He cringed when he thought of the hurt he had unintentionally caused her.
 

”I’m so sorry, love,” he murmured. ”I will find a way to make it up to you,” he vowed as he ran down the stairs and flung himself into the car again, giving the driver a new set of directions.
 

* * *

As he stood outside the café in Old Town, after he’d left the car circling trying to find somewhere to park, he felt his heartbeat pick up.
 

”Don’t be a coward, Nate,” he scolded himself, ”go in there and beg until she takes you back.” He sucked in a lung-full of air and stepped inside.
 

There were just a few customers in there, lunch hour having just passed. But there was no sign of Olivia. Sasha stood behind the counter arranging some freshly baked cupcakes in the display case. He went over to her.

”Sasha, please don’t bite my head off, just let me talk to Olivia. Please? It’s all a big misunderstanding, I’m not in a relationship with Julia Embrey. She’s just a friend and co-worker. I love only Olivia. Since I met her no one else even exists for me. Please let me talk to her.” He rushed out the words, desperate for Sasha to give him a break.