27 Paul's Muse
991 Words
Cosette pulled out her cell phone and saw right away that she had no signal. She turned to Jasmine and said, "We're trapped, but don't panic."
Jasmine nodded dutifully, but before either of them could make heads or tails of their situation, they began to feel dizzy, and as they fell to the ground, Cosette heard a woman say, "Send her over."
Cosette thought that the woman's voice was familiar, but she couldn't place it, and her last thought before she lost consciousness was, Edward, where were you?
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The airport - Earl opened the car door for Edward, and then he walked around the vehicle and sat in the driver's seat. Then Earl said to Edward, "Paul and a few directors are having a party at the Hilton Hotel tonight. I sent you an invitation two weeks ago and asked you if you wanted to go, but you weren't sure if you would be back in time…"
Edward thought about it for a moment, and then he said, "Why not? Take me to the Hilton." And as the car pulled away from the curb, Edward closed his eyes and fell into a restful sleep.
Earl was surprised by Edward's answer. After all, Edward was a dull man. Of course, Edward might see Cosette at the party, and he knew that Edward would jump at the opportunity for a chance encounter with his ex-mistress.
**********
The Hilton Hotel – Paul was drinking with several people in the box on the top floor, and one of his guests said to him, "Paul, I heard that you went to work for the Wind Film Group. Out of all the invitations you receive, why did you accept this one?"
Paul glared at the man and said, "What do you know? I only go there for my muse."
If the artists heard Paul's comment, they might be angry, so to appease them, he said, "Don't worry. You'll see my muse later."
As Paul was saying this, the door of the box was pushed open, and Maria walked in, shocking everyone in attendance. After listening to Paul's praise, they couldn't help but stare. One of them recognized Maria and said, "Wasn't she a part of the movie, Youth?"
"I think she was," someone agreed.
"She is no beauty, though," someone argued, "and her face is not original."
A third person said, "Paul, if this is your muse, you need to get your vision checked."
Everyone began to judge and discuss Maria's appearance, and to ridicule Paul openly about his choice in women.
Paul had been angry when he first saw Maria, and now he was beginning to lose his temper. "f**k off, you guys!" he shouted. "How could this woman be my muse?" Then Paul looked at Maria angrily. "Who are you?"
Maria had always felt good about herself, but the things that these people said had really hurt her. "Paul…" she cried. "It's me – "
But before Maria could say her name, Paul cut her off. "Okay," he hissed. "Shut up. Let me ask you something. I was expecting Cossette, the new girl that Anna just signed – not you! So, what are you doing in her stead?"
Maria's hands were clenched a little, but there was still a sweet and harmless smile on her face. "Cosette is not feeling very well," she replied, "so she asked me to come here on her behalf and tell you that she is sorry that she couldn't be here."
"She was fine this morning," Paul murmured. He frowned and returned to where he had been sitting. After a moment, he turned to his guests and said, "It is too bad that you won't be able to meet my muse."
Maria scowled and dropped her eyes, and there was a look of jealousy on her face. She couldn't believe how quickly Cosette's name was getting around. After all, Cosette was still a rookie. With no great works to her name, there was no reason for people like Peter and Paul to take notice of her, let alone take her on as a muse!
Suddenly, something occurred to Maria, and an evil smile appeared on her face. None of that mattered, she realized, because, at this moment, Cosette was being destroyed! By tomorrow morning, the girl would be nothing – less than nothing! And nobody would ever want her for a muse again.
Maria thought about how, when she'd entered the Wind Film Group, she had asked Anna to be her agent, but she'd been rejected. It bothered her that she didn't know how Cosette had won favor in the agent's eyes.
Maria heard footsteps behind her, and she turned to see who was coming, and she was shocked by who she saw. It was Edward! "Oh, hi, Edward," she said.
Upon hearing Maria's words, Paul and the others turned in her direction, and all of them, except Paul, stood up. Most of the people in the room were respected in the entertainment industry, but they were nobody compared to Edward. And even if they were much older than Edward, they still bow their heads as a sign of respect.
Paul waved and said, "Hi, Edward."
Edward nodded and walked towards Paul.
Maria looked at Edward's back with an expression of admiration on her face. Maria had been with the company for almost a year, but this was the first time she had seen Edward in person, and he was even more handsome in person than he was in magazines. Maria couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to have a man like Edward all to herself. If Edward belonged to her, then the whole company would be hers as well.
Paul saw the expression on Maria's face, and he snorted. He said, "I think it's time for her to leave," and he nodded to Earl.
Maria's eyes turned red, and she looked at Edward pitifully, and before she had a chance to say a single word, Earl came over and said to her, "I'm sorry, lady. This is a private party. Please leave."
- Writer
