The King's Invaluable Possession [Bachelor in Love #4]

Chapter 10

Linda

Tomorrow was my big day. I would have my audition to play the role as Alex requested. To be honest, I had no problem playing the role. It suited me perfectly. Fitted my current condition.

A one-sided love.

Threw away my dream because of a guy.

I knew those feeling superbly. The feeling when I chose something else. Two things that I loved. Although I didn’t know what the girl would do because the manuscript wasn’t completed. It was just one scene just for the sake of the audition.

I sat on the bed, crossing my legs, reading the script that I had read over and over. I’d memorized the lines too. The urge to say bring it on was building inside of me. I was so f*****g read.

One particular line caught my attention the most. It sent me straight to Jason.

My dream doesn’t mean a thing if I have to lose you.

How silly. I scoffed. The me before I fell in love with Jason would say how stupid you could be because you threw away something you loved because of a guy. I couldn’t believe I was doing it now. I ate my own s**t.

Putting down the script, I grabbed my phone. I opened La Musique and saw one DM.

How’s your day?

I smiled just by reading the message. I didn’t know his identity. Okay, I couldn’t immediately say this person was a guy but I had this strong feeling this person was a man. We met in this forum. I uploaded a record of me singing Only Time by Enya and he was the first person who left a comment on it. It took me two days until someone actually commented on it. I thought because nobody didn’t really pay attention to me, I thought I had no talent at all and my singing wasn’t that good. He said he liked my voice and couldn’t wait to listen for more. Since then, we always communicated with each other. It was fun talking with him even though I didn’t know his real name. He didn’t even know mine.

Brown, was his pen name while Canary was mine.

I never asked his real name or his true identity. I wanted to leave it like this. It was better this way so I could tell him how my day was without knowing who the guy was.

It’s great. I have something important to do tomorrow.

Wish me luck.

“Sent.” This Brown was rarely online. He told me before he was working from morning until night. Sometimes more. He only said he worked in one of the biggest companies and he was one of the important people in the office. I guessed because of his overload work, he didn’t have time to socialize. La Musique was the place for him to mingle and he met…me.

Really? What is it?

But if you don’t want to tell me, that’s okay.

I wish you best of luck, Canary.

This was weird. I didn’t know why but I liked it when he called me Canary. It was not even my real name. I used Canary because…well, I liked it. The only guy who called me names was Oliver. He called me little bee because I was too noisy. How lucky he was I didn’t punch him. Not like I had a problem with that. Oh, I missed him. The last time I had the audition, Oliver was there to support me, and now…I was alone. All by myself at someone else’s apartment. Alex was probably out hunting for prey. I couldn’t complain about his habit since he had lent his place for me to stay. Not that I had the obligation to do so anyway.

Since I started to live here, I recognized his habit that he always coming home late. Few days ago, I woke up to get some water, and then I found him just came home around three in the morning. He didn’t say anything so I didn’t as well. I remembered he was also the co-owner of his company so maybe that was the cause. To him, as long I didn’t bother him and I could get the role he wanted, that was all that mattered. Purely business.

I returned my attention to my phone.

I’m having an audition tomorrow. A very important one.

Wish me, luck. Brown.

I hope I get the role.

Right after I hit the sent button, someone suddenly opened the door. I turned my head there and found Alex just strolled in. “Jesus, you scared me!”

“Oh, sorry.”

“And knock on the door,” I added.

“This is my house, darling. I can do whatever I want.”

“Your house or mine, you must knock before entering someone’s room. That’s a basic manner. Didn’t your mother teach you to do that?” I countered. He was silent and only wore that charming smile of his. Oh, he thought I would be affected by that? I was, though. Oh, whatever.

I looked away when he asked, “Are you practicing?”

“Yeah. I think I’m going to be fine but…just in case.”

“So confident, huh? Well, you should be.” He strode his long legs toward me and sat on the edge of the bed. Smelling his expensive spicy cologne. He grabbed the script from the mattress. I highlighted some of the lines that I thought needed to be improved. I mean, I didn’t mean to be rude or cocky but sometimes we needed to show more so the judges would recognize our ability. The script was good but maybe a little adjustment here and that would make everything perfect.

His blue-green eyes kept focusing on the script. The more I scanned him, I just realized he had quite long eyelashes. His profile from the side was just…pleasant to see. “You know? I’ve told you before if you need someone to practice with, you can ask me,” he reminded. Yeah, he said that before.

However, “Ask someone who always comes home at three in the morning and maybe with women’s perfume attached to his suit?” I sarcastically asked and he chuckled.

“Today I didn’t, right? Look at the clock, it’s still ten.” Oh? I looked at my phone and yes, it was still ten at night. That was rare. I didn’t even watch out of the time too. I was too preoccupied reading the script a thousand times. “You’ve never practiced with someone else. Maybe it’ll be different if you’re doing it with someone right in front of you. Let’s do it, then.” Well, Alex was right. It could be different. Rather than imagine Jason in front of me, perhaps it would be much help if I had someone physical in front of me.

“Are you sure you want to help?”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you tired?”

He wrinkled his eyebrows. “What, you worried about me?”

I shook my head. “That was stupid of me for asking you that.” He laughed softly. “That’s not funny!”

“Sorry. Well then, let’s practice. Don’t worry, I won’t screw you up. You are still my precious actress.”

“Yeah, right.”

He turned the page, searching for the perfect lines to practice. “Let’s try this one. You’ve highlighted a lot and I guess this one needs improvement. The scene where the female lead told him why she throws her dream for him,” he suggested. Actually, I liked that one too.

“Okay. You can go first. From this line.” I pointed it at him. He read the line first, concentrating. When he was ready, he turned to me and he looked…different.

“You did that for me?” Even his tone was different. Who the hell is this guy?

And I was in the role mode immediately, “Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I love you. I love you so much I don’t want to lose you. I love you more than anything and anyone in this world. Even my dream. My dream means nothing if I couldn’t have you. My dream doesn’t mean a thing if I have to lose you.” Hold on. Did I just improvise it a bit?

“Isn’t it important to you? You love to sing, more than anything. Even before we met. I know it because I always watch you. You’re different when you’re singing. So lost. So beautiful. You were born to be on the stage with thousands of people watching you sing with all your feeling to them. To touch their hearts with your voice.” Wow, this guy was really good. I didn’t know Alex was quite talented. Was he actually good at acting or…he was just the same as me? He threw away his real dream for something else? Why I could listen to his pain while saying those lines?

“If I keep going on, it’ll cost you.”

“Don’t do that. You can’t throw away your dream because of one man. Just because you love me.” And Alex put the manuscript and put his hand on my cheek. Okay, he was deep into the character. I didn’t imagine this before. In my imagination, the guy was just standing in front of me and trying to convince me. “I will never let you do that. I won’t allow it. I don’t want to be a burden to you. I want you to be free and chase what you want. What you’re so passionate about.” Why he sounded like he was really trying to prompt me to keep going? To…let him go. “If you indeed love to sing, you should chase it. Don’t use me as the reason to stop. You’re so close now. I love your voice. I want people to know how angelic your voice really is.” Wait, this wasn’t in the script. Did Alex even improvise it? Wow.

“Y-You do?” I followed.

“Yes. Although your voice won’t be mine alone anymore. But at least,” he paused and closed his eyes. We didn’t do anything. Only enjoying each other’s breath. There was a continuation after this but I couldn’t bring myself to say that he was screwing this up. Because maybe, in the real world, this could happen. The guy was disoriented too. He wanted the love of his life to keep chasing her dream while at the same time, he knew he had to let her go. He had to share me with someone else. And possibly, I had to let him go to another woman. There was a possibility we couldn’t be with each other.

When Alex finally opened his turquoise eyes, he continued and that was when…I thought I just died. “Your heart is mine.” I couldn’t breathe. I could only focus on him and didn’t want to look away. Those words were from the script. Alex didn’t say them because he wanted to declare me as his belonging. But why the heck did my heart beat loud? I never felt this way even when I was performing on stage before. Mentally convincing myself the man in front of me was not Alex. Currently not Alex. It was the male lead from the script. Or at least Jason. But for the first time, I didn’t see him as Jason. I saw him as…Alex. Just Alex. He slowly moved himself, closing his face to mine. Just within a few inches, his lips would touch mine. Come on, Linda, move. Just f*****g move. Alex is in tune with his character too much. Just…move!

“The next line is yours, Linda,” he whispered. I blinked and the real Alex just returned. What the f**k I was doing?

“As…As long you will be in the audience’s seat, I will gladly sing on stage. I want you to always watch me. I want to sing for you, my love.”

The time felt like stopped between us. Alex didn’t even break our eye contact. He let it be like this like Alex himself didn’t even want this moment between us to be ruined. And what did I do? I raised my hands and cupped his cheeks, feeling his stubbles. My eyes followed my fingers. Even Alex slightly leaned on my palm. Finding his eyes, why was he looking at me like that? Like…he was waiting for something. My eyes landed down on his lips; those lips had kissed so many women.

That was Alex.

Right now, he was the man from the script. The man that I, the female lead, fell in love with. He fell for me too and was trying to stop me from giving up my dream for him. He was supporting my dream. He loved my dream just like I loved mine.

I wanted this man.

He was the one for me when nobody couldn’t even understand me.

I only wanted him to be a part of my life. My only one.

I gave in to the temptation. He surrendered to the magnet. Allowing him to know how precious he was to me. By landing my lips on his. Felt the softness of his lips. How he was pouring the love he had toward me through his kiss. Sensing how deep his love for me. Intense. I loved this man so much and I didn’t want to lose him. Even my dream.

I pulled away and slowly opened my eyes. I didn’t see the man anymore. Only Alex. His eyes were opened wide and I just realized what I had just done. My eyes mimicked his and pushed my body away from him.

I couldn’t f*****g believe I just kissed him! I actually kissed Alex! What the hell, Linda? I went into the character mode too much I almost forgot I was dealing with Alex. Stupid! You’re so stupid, Linda!

I looked. I couldn’t exactly look him in the eye after what just happened. Everything went naturally where I thought was the right thing to do. Kissing him as gratitude for not letting her give up. Gratefulness because he wouldn’t give up on us. “I didn’t expect that,” Alex commented while touching his lips. f**k, this is so f*****g embarrassing! “You are really talented, Linda. I’m impressed. You just ad-lib the entire lines. Not many actresses could do that.” I appreciated his compliment but I couldn’t exactly feel happy about it. “Ah, don’t worry about the kiss. It was just a kiss anyway. For the record, I don’t mind being kissed by someone as pretty as you.” Did that make me feel better? Not at all.

“Good thing it’s just you.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right.” He jumped off the bed and stretched out his arms to the ceiling. “Well then, I guess you will do just fine tomorrow. You should rest now. Tomorrow is your big day and mine too. I’m going to be the judge as well. So,” he turned around and leaned closer to me. “Don’t let me down, Linda.”

Alex didn’t know me at all.

I didn’t mean to make proud of myself, but I was the best in my classes back at the university. Everyone said I had the talent and I was born to be an actress. What happened last time was because I got unlucky and some hideous and greedy fuckers stole the role from me.

James.

I couldn’t accuse him now. I was trying to not think about it now that I had something more important to do. I didn’t have the proof too and I could only pray, James wasn’t involved. Alex’s man was wrong. James would never do that to me. No matter how much his company meant to him, he wouldn’t sacrifice his cousin’s dream just for the sake of money. And I will prove him innocent, Browning.

“I won’t.”