

### Elegance

~~~

### David Manoa

Copyright 2016 David Manoa

SMASHWORDS Edition v1.2

~~~~

The author asserts the moral right to be identified as

the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including photocopying, recording, information storage and retrieval systems, or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the author, with the exception of a book reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

~~~~~~

Author note: Included in this edition is ILLUSION. The alternate story/prequel with Dr. Michael Angel and Bianca Wilde. Click on the link below to access.

ILLUSION by David Manoa

Sione Suarvea

Taniela Consolidated

The hallway outside Chads Office.

10am.

She gazed up at me with those sultry eyes, she licked her lips. I mirrored with mine. I breathed in closing my eyes, I opened my mouth expecting the deep kisses, of her repressed and denied desire. I visualized us, going into the stationery room, the adrenaline, still in our system. I would sweep the paper off the desk. Tearing away at her clothes with my teeth. Tongue suckling smooches to her neck.

She gave me a hug.

I flinched opening my eyes, mouth open, not what I usually expect.

But hey, I'll take it.

Time slowed or perhaps the perception of it. Anna Beckett's body felt rigid for a moment she relaxed, then said, "Sione you can let go..."

"I can't... I've melted in your arms."

"Get your ass off me!" she shoved me away, force that of a man. "Gosh, can't you take anything seriously?"

"No, not really." I winked, "Only you."

She rolled her eyes.

I opened the folder, the first page is the coroner's report on the burn victim. His name was Daniel Hookman. Executive producer and financier that worked on all the One Man Army Movies. I flick through to a photo of a man. The suspect, Victor Walters. I examined his features, he had a thin, gaunt face. Eyes small and beady. He had brown hair with a terrible comb-over reminiscent of Donald Trump but without the thickness to cover his baldness.

"Nice haircut," I say as my eyes shift to Anna. "May I receive the executive summary? I take we are investigating a homicide with this gentleman here as the prime suspect?"

"Wrong on both counts. I'm checking a possible thread into a drug operation."

"Says here, he is a movie director based in Australia and Hollywood. My assumption he's some overstressed, probably undersexed from the appearance of him. He appears to indulge in chemical pleasures to soothe his fragile mind."

"Right on one count, Sione. That pleasure would be heroin and Victor could be holding on to a truckload."

I take out my smartphone to google him. A new use I adore about these gadgets. It's funny but people seem so attached to their phones in this age. If you actually added the hours you stared at the screen, it would be more than the time you engage with actual people. I scrolled down his online history. Nothing out of the ordinary. He's married with one son. Divorced two times before. I check his filmography to investigate the evolution of his career.

I say, "So this gentleman started off as a director for music videos, did quite right for himself too. Michael Jackson, Madonna, a few rock bands. Then he's progressed to Hollywood doing action films. Humm... One Man Army 1, 2, and 3."

"I loved those movies."

"Those were horrible. A homoerotic film filled with a non-sensical plot."

Anna put her hands on hips, eyes flashed with defiance, "That's your opinion. I quite enjoyed it to be honest. It's nice to view a movie and leave your brain at the door and be mesmerized by mindless action and violence.

"I respectfully disagree. I was forced to endure all three on an 18-hour trip from Dubai."

"Is that so? Did they put a gun to your head?" she asks.

"The dangerously attractive flight attendants should have pulled the trigger. I'd seen everything else. Apparently if you fly with Emirates, you receive a comprehensive selection and the service is impeccable."

"So?" she says, "The hell that got to do with anything?"

I pause to calculate, "Just a tip. So we are investigating this guy to uncover his supplier, is that right?"

"Yes."

"And we are going to investigate the homicide of Daniel Hookman right?"

"No, but I want use this as an angle to put us on the investigation and boot out the team on the case." she says. "Read the file properly."

"Apologies, I focused more on the pictures."

I heard her sigh. I examined it closely that the producer who was burnt alive died due to an accident on the set of another production.

"So Victor it seems, is changing genre."

"Yes. He is currently directing a pilot called Cinderella in Sydney."

"Australia huh?"

"Yes."

"My brother is there correct?"

"Yes. But not on this assignment."

"Perhaps we will cross paths again."

"Not likely."

"The secrets you keep hidden from me, Anna. Sometimes I wonder when you will trust me unconditionally. After all, we've been through. The deception... The betrayal."

She scratched her head. "Don't get all Shakespearean on me Sione. Take a f'n concrete pill. We fly out to Sydney tomorrow to pay a visit to his production company."

"His own?"

"Yes. Walters Studio out in Manly."

"On the surface of it all, it seems to be a waste of time from the information and intensive research I just done."

She laughed, "Please enlighten me with your wild theories Sione."

"A director like him would possibly have direct contact with heroin supplier in my experience from attending red carpet releases, always has an out of place guy. Roughed up individual with gold chains and bling that is a magnet for movie stars to ask for their shot of coke."

"You're so full of it!"

"I'm not, seen it with my own eyes, I have. I used to frequent those circles."

"What the hell were doing at there?"

"I was invited like anyone else. I've met a number of celebrities, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt all of them passionate and polite individuals. I found them interesting the world that they live in. Fame, fortune all quite fascinating." I say, "And the women and the clothes they wear... gorgeous."

"Bullshit..."

"I swear it's the truth, Anna. I think my personal insights into the movie business will be invaluable for this one."

"Well as long as you shut up and do as I say, that will be enough insight for me. Don't be late for our flight. 7 am start."

"You going to bring the concrete pills too?"

"How about a clip over the ears?"

I paused then gave her the folder. She tried to snatch it, before I held it giving her resistance, "No, ma'am."

***

Anna Beckett

Sydney International Airport

10:30am

There is something irritating about Sydney Airport I can't put a finger on. With noticeable delays you get, just to embark out of the damn place. Customer service is terrible. Immigration officials have a scowl worse than me. The place is also in desperate need of renovation. Sione and I are in a queue so long, it stretches across the length of the floor. Travelers are weaving around us while the Airport Security rustles about like cops on a power trip. To top things off, a camera crew are filming a show called Border Patrol. Already we've been in line for two hours, and this woman and child in front of us, creates a scene by not declaring the food in their luggage.

" _I ton_ unterstand _,"_ the woman says, as the officer fines her stupid ass for being so ignorant.

"The declaration forms in your own language." The officer points out the section for her to read. The woman reads the form and becomes horribly embarrassed. When the Border Patrol officer stings her with the fine and takes away the undeclared items. The woman is visibly upset.

I turn to Sione, who is watching adjusting his cufflinks, He is wearing a single breast gray tartan type suit. White shirt and blue tie. He lifts a hand and rakes through his black hair, before it rests on his chin. He strokes his angular jaw and glances at me.

"What?" he says, "Something you are admiring milady?"

"No. I'm thinking whose table cloth you butchered to make that suit of yours?"

He smiles, "Elegant isn't it? My tailor, Mohe Mimi, who is based in Hong Kong, does them for me. Suits off the rack don't fit my aesthetic body type.

"Whatever."

"It's true. I can show you sometime in the shower."

I roll my eyes, when the woman is balling her eyes out. Her daughter explaining the situation to her.

" _We can't afford to pay! We have no money!"_ Border security tells her about making arrangements to repay in installments, but it all goes out her ear. She is with a little ten-year-old girl. Apparently she filled out the card because she couldn't read English. The kid is relaying the information to the mother, in what sounds possibly Samoan or Tongan.

Sione taps me on the arm and passes me when he approaches the desk. They all pause for a minute while he converses with the mother and child. Talking to them in their native tongue. Minutes pass when they both thoroughly understand and he explains. He unbuttons his suit and takes out cash and gives it to them. He walks back here, nodding to the two as they thanked him. The woman is wiping her eyes.

"The hell did you do that for?" I say, "Do you even know them?"

"No milady."

I shake my head, "They were in the wrong. They deserved it."

"They did, yes. But it was the child who wrongly filled out the card. Can't expect a ten-year-old to fill those things out correctly."

"That's the mothers fault. You just wasted three hundred dollars on somebody else's problem."

Sione paused, "So you think us as detectives, getting remunerated to solve other people's problems is a waste of taxpayers' money?"

"What?"

"Do you think?"

"You're just twisting my words."

He paraphrased it again, he said. "Well?"

I picked up my bag, "Oh shut up, will ya!"

***

We got into the taxi traveling via the M1 to Manly. The weather typical to that of Sydney. Summer. Hot as hell. Humid like a tropical rainforest. We started to arrive at the Sydney Harbor Bridge. The shadows of the thick steel cables made me flinch. My eyes adjusted to the change in light. I noticed Sione, eyes shut and snoring, clutching the seatbelt. Sleeping on the job as usual.

"Hey," I say to no response, "Wake up your ass up!"

"Why?" he asks with eyes closed.

"We will be there soon."

"Not in this traffic."

I peer at the time on the GPS and we are twenty minutes in the journey. I was about to open my mouth when the lines of heavy traffic start building midway on the bridge."

"I told you," Sione says with one eye open.

I wind down my window to peek out when hot air blasts my face, I can see all the way to the end 2 or 3 km ahead. Sione reaches over and presses the button to wind my window up.

"You're letting the heat in Milady," He says, "Wasting the efficacy of the air con too."

"You shouldn't have worn the suit then."

He said nothing only to rub his eyes, "I was hoping to get an hour slumber before we arrive."

"What! It was a three-hour flight from Auckland? Why didn't you sleep on the plane?"

"I was busy researching the case."

"Yeah more like researching the bimbo blonde next to you. You two talked for hours!"

"She had an impressive and engaging personality."

"I thought her to be thick as a ton of pig shit, to be honest."

"I'm saddened you had to come to that conclusion. She is an intelligent woman. Stunning beauty."

"I'll smack your face you, the bitch was rambling on and on about her stupid poodle Fie Fie. You two were so loud, everyone could listen in to your shallow as conversation."

"That's why we have headphones provided to us. Besides Poodles are not stupid, they are reserved to start with before they get use to you. Then you realize they are warm, friendly creatures. Loyal to the core." He says, before staring at me. "The drawback to their temperament, though, is their snappy, vicious behavior..."

SMACK!

"Ow! The hell did you hit me for, Anna?"

"You know."

"I was talking about the poodle!"

I paused to watch him nurse his nose, "If you really did some research. I'll be interested to know what you got. If any?"

Sione shook his head pinching his nose, "I do..." in a high pitched sound. "Ah! A lot."

***

Sione Suarvea

Anna's masculine nature can be so irritating at times. She raises her nose at me with this gesture of superiority. She's wearing a black sleeveless top with a deep V-neck. Black heels and, of course, her skinny jeans. She ties her brunette hair back in a ponytail, then takes out her makeup mirror to check her mascara. Her eyeshadow giving her the appearance of cute panda bear.

"Well, spit it out?" she asks.

"I'm waiting."

"For what?"

"For you to finish looking beautiful."

She rolls her eyes, "Do you have to be so obnoxious all the time?"

"Some say it's a virtue. Besides, I was giving you a compliment. Don't these things register in that intricate mind of yours?"

"I don't give a fuck what you think. Give me your take on this?"

"Anna you don't have to be so feisty. So to recap for your poor memory skills, we are investigating this guy Victor Walters an Australian director based here in Australia. Started off doing music videos before progressing to big Hollywood blockbusters. So my thought process is he would have undoubtedly built a contact base for illicit substances.

"And?"

"Say we question this guy using the death of the person who got burned as cover for our true intentions what can honestly pull from this guy?"

"I need to question him in person, looking at a piece of paper full of case notes doesn't achieve anything. Upfront and personal. Face to face, that's my style. I spot liars a mile away."

"He will just deny any involvement. If you read the case notes he had a solid alibi backed by three pretty women."

"Yes, the stepsisters."

"Pardon?"

"The actors in the TV pilot Cinderella."

"Oh, yes."

"So I'm assuming we will question them all?"

"No. I will question Victor alone."

I frown.

"And since you have a penchant for the ladies, you can question the three stepsisters."

I smile, "And what of Cinderella?"

"You mean Bianca Wilde."

"Yes."

"They just announced her as the lead role, a no name actor based here. Which is odd."

"Why?"

"The stepsisters are well-known Hollywood actresses," I say, "So the question begs why Bianca got the role?"

"They wanted a fresh actor who actually act." I shrug.

"Perhaps."

"The three Hollywood actresses auditioned for the stepsister's role, kind of quaint given their previous roles as leading ladies.

"Ten million dollar production with a famous director, highly unlikely. No one wants to play second fiddle. My gut is they all were gunning for Cinderella."

"Bianca could be sleeping with the director?" I say, "Sounds plausible. Some women get promotions that way."

"Excuse me?"

I hold my hands up, "I wasn't inferring anything." I say "Please don't hit me."

"Listen Sione, I could give you 1001 reasons why. But until we interview these guys there is no point in making assumptions."

"There is a point. It allows us to anticipate every possible movement." I say, "Like Chess."

She sighs then goes silent.

***

Walters Studio.

1pm.

When someone mentions the term _Film Studio_ I envision, Warner Brothers, Disney. Pinewood Studios. Huge buildings with Soundstages and grand sets. It was a different story with the Walters studio. We pulled up to the gate where there is a makeshift booth constructed of plywood with a thin coat of white paint with the security guard inside. He is an obese white man, brown hair styled with a Mohawk and a rat tail. He came out heaving and panting. His blue security shirt had mustard on the front. We flashed our badges as he opened the gate.

He said, "Detectives, we got the call two days ago that you would be arriving. Our local PD was pissed off you were takin over."

I said, "Is Victor Walters here?"

"Na mate. Everyone has gone home for the day."

I scanned ahead to the empty car park. I looked up to an old sign Cool Refrigeration. This studio appeared like it is retrofitted from an old warehouse and distribution facility. The carpark spots are marked with the names of the staff hung on the fence line with laminated paper tied with cable ties.

Interesting to notice the pecking order with the Director closest to the door using what use to be the handicap car spot. To the left of him was the producer, then the rest of the film crew. There were a few caravans in the car park lined across the fence line. A lot of rental trucks and vans filled the rest of parking spaces.

He said, "They commence filming from four a.m. every day. Be a better idea to come back then mate."

I said, "Who stays in the caravans?"

I pause as the security guard licks his lips, "The stepsisters, each one has their own caravan."

"Really?"

"And Cinderella?"

"She stays in Darlington Harbor with her boyfriend doctor."

Anna raises a brow, "You seem to know a lot about her personal relationship, for a security guard..."

"They talk to me so I ask. Every man would too."

Anna flicks her eyes to me nodding in agreement with the guard.

I ask, "What do you think about Victor Walters?"

"That old cunt?"

"Yes. The gentleman." I reply.

"The guy is a jittery drongo, comes in driving a hundred miles an hour in his BMW. Nearly took out the gate the last time and spat the dummy at me, because I didn't open the gate on time."

"So he has a temper..."

"Fuck yeah. Some people just need to chill out man. But other than that he is a sick cunt with the ladies." He smiles, then licks his lips, "Damn straight..." He turns away to answer a call on the radio.

Anna whispers in my ear, "I didn't understand one thing this fat bastard said. The hell is he on about?"

"He means that Victor is popular with the ladies. It's the slang here."

"Gosh don't tell me, we'll need a translator..."

"I speak French, Italian Samoan and Australian, we'll be right."

She sighed, "I want someone who speaks with some common sense!"

"Oi!" the security guide shouted, "What's your names again?"

"Sean O'Hara and Jean Grey."

"Okay."

"You don't mind if we look around?"

"No prob mate, come see me if you want access to the sound stage." He walks over and hands us two hi-vis fluoro yellow vests "Here you go, you're the only two besides me onsite, but you know, health and safety and all that shit. I need you to sign in on the log book."

"Sure."

We sign the book that is on the platform, outside when the security guard returns to his booth. He has a laptop open watching porn and a half eaten cheeseburger with a large coke. I flicked my eye to Anna, who is shaking her head. I sign my name as Sean O'Hara.

"Why the hell did you use that of all names they already knew we're coming?" She asks.

I shrugged, "I didn't want him to relay our names as a cautionary measure. The internet can uncover a lot. Besides it's an exceptional undercover name."

"A Irish man's name?"

"Yeah, so?"

"You don't look like an Irish man to me. You're lucky the dumb arse security here didn't think twice. And gosh, Jean Grey? Are you using that girls name from X-Men?"

"I watched the movie on the plane, it was the first one that came to mind."

"And I wonder, why I'm paired up with you."

I smiled.

She said, "Let's split up. I'll go with the guard to the soundstage and you check the ladies caravans."

"Yes, milady."

***

Anna Beckett

I walk with the security guard as we head towards the soundstage. I drew his attention enough for Sione to sneak in the booth to switch off the cameras. The soundstage appeared to be an old warehouse the numbered docks where trucks use to dock were filled with a manner of props. There is a large open door like a hangar opening that is closed. A thick chain threaded through the handles with a large metal lock blocked our entry. The security guard had wiped the sweat of his brow before he jiggled with the lock. I looked around to observe other buildings in their decrepit states. What kind of bullshit studio is this!

"Shit! Sorry lady. This lock is a real bitch."

"Huh?"

"There you go." It unlocked when he pushed the one side of the metal door aside. Wind blew in and bits of hay blew out. We stepped in. "Hold on while I switch on the power."

BUZZ

Fluorescent lights hanging from thick chains illuminated everything below. There is a kitchen to the left with a fireplace. In the middle is the set of a ballroom. I imagine it's the scene where Cinderella dance with Prince charming before she did the runner. And on the right end a grass field with pumpkins and a scarecrow. I examine the rest of the set as the security guard kept checking me out. There is nothing out of the ordinary here but I remembered the fairy tale in my head and how it played out.

I said, "From One Man Army 1, 2 and 3 to this? The hell is he thinking?"

The security guard chuckled, "You like those movies too? We have so much in common! They are so mad! Dude! I was a big fan of Victor. All up to you meet the bloke."

I wipe my finger on the table in the kitchen, my eye drawn to the fireplace.

I say, "People, in general, are different to their on-screen personas."

"You got that right. Those stepsisters are another example. As pretty as they are, they are the biggest spoiled brats I have ever seen! They were the reason why they got their own caravans and they're not even the stars of the bloody show! But Bianca... she's a genuine Shelia. Down to earth."

"Sheila?"

"You know Chick. Lass. Female."

"Oh okay," I say, "So, was there any drama from the stepsisters and Bianca?"

The security guard sits on the table and takes an apple from the basket, he bites into it chewing with his mouth open. "Jeez, they should have filmed Cinderella off camera, if you know what I mean. Those performances would have been worthy of a golden globe, an Oscar even."

"How so?"

"I'm not one to gossip. But I see things. Hear things. A lot of things. People think I'm some fat cunt who sits there and does nothing, but I know what's going on." he taps his head, "Cops come here interviewing everyone about Daniel Hookman but the cunts ignore me, fuck em. I know who killed that bloke."

"Spill."

"Well not know. But I got an idea."

"The three step-sisters," I say.

He nods. Before refuting his claim with their alibi, I ran with his theory.

He said, "You see, the stepsisters all auditioned for the role of Cinderella. Up until Bianca blew them away with her performance. I was there when she did her reading. Everyone was gobsmacked. She was a bit sick too that she collapsed after it."

"And?"

"They took her to the hospital. But it was enough to convince Victor that he had his girl. But that infuriated the stepsisters cause they were all fucking Victor."

"And how do you know this?"

"Rumors," he says "Saw the lucky cunt getting blown by one of them. Couldn't see who it was, but it was in Tracey's caravan."

"Huh?" I say, "Who got growled off?"

"No Blowjob." He holds cups his pokes his tongue through checks and mimics the motion.

"Ah okay. No need for the demonstration. I get it."

"Man... I don't know what promises he gave them. But it sure did send some ripples to the big wigs in Hollywood."

I raise a brow, "How so?"

"They're the ones who are financing the whole production. They gave the money to Victor to direct in Hollywood before he convinced them to bring it down here in Australia. But Daniel was dead against it. Excuse the pun."

"Why?"

"Don't know. You should ask Victor."

"And where does Victor Walters stay?"

"I have his address in my contact list in my booth, I'll get it for you when we get back."

"Okay, I need that address. I'm done here."

As I walk back, I message Sione to get the hell out and meet me at the booth.

***

Sione Suarvea

I stand outside the three caravans of the wicked stepsisters. To my left is an old stainless steel one like one out of the fifties and two white ones, relatively modern but they all had aircon on them. I'm partial to antiquity so I check out the old one. I peer through the window to the closed curtains. The door has the name, Tracey Monahan on a plate. I examine the lock to it being the standard type that perhaps with a plastic card you can wedge to unlock. I take out my MasterCard gold with the S100,000- limit and open it up.

CLICK

I am presented with the amenities that you would be in a modern apartment. Shower box, Kitchen, A large double bed. The first thing that gets me is how messy this is. They always said you can get an idea of a person by the way they pick up after themselves. A reflection of their personality. And I assure you this person has a personality is that of a pig.

I step into the kitchen area. In front of me is a stainless steel benchtop with a microwave and a stove to the left. Dirty dishes are in the sink there are two sets of plate's two glasses. Lots of empty wine glasses. Some with red lipstick impressions I take note of the size, imprinting it in my photographic memory. Whoever the woman was, sure had plump juicy looking lips. I lift one to it quarter filled. A red wine with a slight brown hue. I inhale to note the musty scent.

I step forward to the table to the piles of paper which appear to be a script. I glance over it seeing the red lines being drawn straight across with Tracey's input in it. I read what was written by the director and her dialogue was absolutely atrocious.

I flick my eyes to the bed. I see a tie and belt on the right side. I take out the belt to inspect the notches to see the wear on the hole to get an idea of the waist size of the man. The guy was definitely skinny. The lingering smell of sex I could detect. Next to the bed is a mirror and table which had all her cosmetics enough for whole makeup crew to use.

The pillows were on the floor and the duvet to one side. Lipstick marks on the edge of the bed with deep impressions in the mattress. Elbows and knee impressions. I stretched my palm across to get an idea of the distance. I walked around the other side and imagined Victor taking her from behind as he smiled at his reflection in the mirror. Perhaps adjusting his ridiculous comb-over.

In the reflection I saw a window that reflected the sound stage, I squinted to spot Anna and the guard by the door as he pushed it across.

I went back to Victor's fantasy retracing the steps. Confirming the events in the caravan when something caught my eye on the table. Next to a hairbrush. A plastic bag. White. My eyes widened when I stepped away from the bed when I stepped on something.

"Oh, crap!!"

THUMP!

It must have been cylindrical because it rolled me back making me hit my head on the table. I heard this buzzing sound. That made me off edge. It could be a bomb. I looked around nursed the back of my head with my hand when I focused on the object that me slip and fall.

A dildo. A stainless one. The sex must have been that bad. Eight inches long, shaking on the white linoleum floor.

So we meet again...

BEEP BEEP

I feel another vibration but this time, it's my phone. I check. A message from Anna.

GET OUT!

I stand, looking out the window to see the security guard pull the door. I run over to the table to snatch the bag of white powder, before I exited the caravan. My timing was just right that I was able to make it to the booth standing around waiting patiently. The security guard heads into the booth when Anna nods at me. I wink.

The security guard said, "Mate you should have come in with us instead of waiting out here in the hot sun?"

"I had to take an urgent message," I said, flashing an eye to Anna.

Anna said, "Thank you for your help..."

The security puffed out his chest sucked in his stomach. Arm out, hand open, "It's Mitch Pearce. Top Guard Security."

And we left, leaving Mitch to his daily routine of cheeseburgers, coke and porn.

***

Back in the taxi, the driver flashes a smile and asks for the next destination. I see his greedy glances at the counter to notice we have amassed quite a bill.

I say, "Where is the nearest hotel?"

He says, "There's nearest and there's good."

Anna chimes in, "Can you take us to 11 Prince St Cronulla?"

"Who lives there? I ask.

"Victor's apartment."

I watch as the driver punches in the details on his GPS, "It's going to be another hour and a half back over the bridge."

I look at my Rolex, "Its 3 pm now so we'll be gridlocked, meaning a 2-hour trip. Another hundred dollars to our fare." I turn to Anna, "You okay to pay for the taxi right?"

"Where's your money?"

"I gave it to the lady at the airport."

"And your credit card?"

"I wrecked it opening the door in the caravan."

Anna wasn't too pleased causing a string of uncertainty in the driver. The driver says, "I'm sorry but going to have to ask for some form of payment if we are to continue." Anna pauses shaking her head at me before reaching into her purse to take out her credit card for the driver to swipe.

I say, "We should have got an Uber driver you know we would have saved-"

"Shut up Sione!"

***

Victor Walters Apartment

11 Prince St

Cronulla Beach.

4pm

Victor lived in an Apartment that had sprawling sea views of Bate Bay. Four levels of a contemporary design with a balcony that encircle the perimeter on each level. The architecture was magnificently designed like a circular tiered cake. You could see into the apartment through the large glazed windows. To the left was the lounge then the kitchen. A dining room then a bedroom on the end.

The wind blew behind me and sand covered my polished leather shoes. You could hear the ocean, the waves crashing on the shore. There is a walkway down to the beach. I paused to admire the bikini-clad women walking up to access the street.

I adjusted my cufflinks as I smiled at them. Kissing them with my eyes. Perhaps I could stay at their house rather than some dingy hotel Anna always seems to choose. One of them, a blonde brushed aside her hair and waved.

I waved back then made a phone with my hand, silently whispering _call me_.

"Ow!" I said, turning to Anna with the scowl on her face who pinched me, "What?"

"Stop screwing around we need to get in there."

"I don't think he's home." I say, I scan ahead towards the driveway to see a boat but no car. "Should we... look around?"

"No. We don't have a warrant and on second thought, a place like that is armed to the bone. We set off the alarm and security will show up alerting Victor to our visit. We will have to wait till he arrives back. If they are filming tomorrow morning at 4 am he should be back any minute to sleep."

I checked my watch, "Or hour." I walked over to my luggage and sat, Anna took her luggage and sat next to me.

"This is the most uncomfortable stakeout ever. I'm burning in the sun."

I flick my eyes to Anna who starts to apply sunscreen to her arms, "You're already burned..."

"Ha! Very funny," I say, "Can we head to down the walkway to the beach? We can see the apartment from there anyway and I want to go for a swim."

"No."

"C'mon, At least, we can lay down a towel and relax a bit. We can go over the case and what I saw." Anna didn't budge but she was sensing the heat too. "You must be hot in those jeans."

She exhaled wiping her brow, "Okay, as long as we can see the apartment from the beach, we might as well be comfortable. I want to know what you saw."

"After my dip."

***

Anna Beckett

We found a spot on the beach where we could still see the apartment. Definitely a lot cooler down here with the sea breeze. The beach wasn't as packed but we definitely went against the grain since we were facing the opposite direction. I changed out of the jeans and wore a skirt. Sione decided to dress down to his black underwear as he ran out to the ocean.

"The hell are you doing?" I ask.

He stops, "Going for a swim, it has been an hour already. Need to cool off, only be a minute."

"Be quick about then."

I paused, only to glance at his muscles he looked like those Calvin Klein models in the magazines. Good looks and no brains. He turned to run to the edge of water before leaping in like a panther. I watched the apartment thinking about this whole case. Rehearsing the questions, I want to ask Victor.

I must admit I have a bee in my bonnet for men, who take advantage of women for personal gain. I can conjure images of how this arrogant prick behaves. My gut tells me this guy is guilty of something and it's not just his infidelity. I turn to see Sione come back reaching for his towel.

I say. "That was quick."

"Would have been longer, but once I saw a hole in those shark nets. I got out promptly."

I laughed, "You know, there's more chance of you dying in a car accident, than getting attacked by a shark."

"With the amount of muscle I have, I'd make the shark a delicious morsel to bite into."

"Please don't flatter yourself. Your muscles aren't that big."

"Which muscle?"

"Huh?"

"Nothing," he smirked. "I'm not flattering myself either. I'd make a good meal for a great white... shark." He winks. I reapply my sunscreen when Sione sits next to me. "In the caravan, I found evidence that confirms one of the stepsisters is sleeping with the Victor."

"I know that already. But it's all of them."

"How do you know?"

"The security guard told me. Victor liked to do his _rounds_ to their caravans."

"I question the guard's judgment. He's delusional perhaps from all the pornography he watches in the security booth. Evidently the director can't be sleeping with all of them."

"I've seen weirder things happen."

He pauses then chuckles, "Yes we have." He says, "I found a small bag of heroin in the caravan of the woman named Tracey Monahan.

"Good this confirms that drugs is circulating the studio. The guard mentioned he saw Victor in her trailer."

Sione puts the towel over his head and peers up, "Do you think we will find more up in there?"

"Bound to. We need more evidence though, to secure a warrant. But I'm eager to question him first. What else did you find?"

"Nothing else of interest besides a shiny silver phallic object."

"What?"

He points, "He's here! The light just switched on in the kitchen."

I see a figure and get up. Sione runs ahead of me up to the walkway.

"Sione!"

"Yes, milady."

"For gods sakes put some bloody pants on!"

"Oh... That. Sorry."

***

We arrive at the bottom floor of the apartment to find Victors Vehicle parked outside. Its white five series BMW the same one the security guard mentioned. Blood on the driver's door and handle my eye averted to the front door wide open. I aired on the side of caution and took my pistol out. A flight of stairs to my left went up to the first floor. I looked back to Sione inspecting the blood, before turning to me. He took out his pistol and nodded as I took point.

The first thing I noticed how soft the carpet is, sneaking up the stairs. My ears strained for any extraneous noises but all I could hear was the wind and ocean. Sione nudges me and he points to the blood smeared on the walls. I make it to the top and we are in the dining room area. Crystal chandeliers lit the large round mahogany table below.

The sound of ocean deadened a bit from the double glazed windows. There is a faint copper smell in the air. I spot pistol ammunition. A clip next to two small bags of heroin scattered carelessly on the table.

My eyes shift to the door to the next room. The lounge. I could hear the TV show. The door half open obscured the rest of the room. I caught a glimpse of the TV when the movie played a dark scene I could see a reflection of a man on the sofa.

I pushed the door and Sione and I cleared the corners of the room. Sione went out to the balcony when I approached the Sofa to see Victor. Arm out with syringes dropped by his side. His head lopsided to the left, mouth oozing with blood.

"Everything's clear," Sione said. He stood beside me, "Appears as if he died of an overdose."

"Could be a possible suicide."

"But why?" he says, "Surely someone as intelligent as him would know his limits."

"The guy was crazy. The security guard had painted a picture of him before we came here."

I pointed to his hand, "That explains the bleeding."

"Minor cut."

"This scene has been staged to make it appear as he overdosed."

"Please explain."

"Take a gander at the position of his head facing down it's been done intentionally." I lift up his chin show the abrasions on his throat. "There. He was chocked out then all the drugs was pumped into him."

Sione nods, "So he was followed?"

"No. From the time, we saw the light, to the time we got up here. The killer was already in the apartment."

"So the figure we saw was the killer?"

"It has to be."

Sione put his pistol in his jacket, he said. "It has to be one of the stepsisters. With the director out of the picture and the production value of the TV show. The studio will bring in a new director to finish the pilot. Millions would have been spent already. We also need to check out the star of the show Cinderella..."

"Why?"

"Possible suspect."

"What would she have to gain by murdering the director?" I say, "She has the most to lose now."

"Not really. The pilot is already five episodes through filming."

"Motive?"

"I guess we will find out when questioning the whole lot of them, back in the studio tomorrow morning."

***

4.30am

We let the local police department do their thing while we retreated to our hotel to rest. We acquired the use of their undercover vehicles for the duration of our investigation. I drove the late model blue Holden sedan to the front of the lobby before picking up Sione. Dressed in black pants, crisp white shirt. He had his shoulder holster with his pistol inside, he glanced at his watch and winced.

I said, "I told you to be ready two minutes ago."

"Sorry, my jacket needed to be dry-cleaned."

"This isn't some fashion show. We're running late. Get in."

Traffic was a whole lot more manageable. Due to the time. We crossed the Sydney harbor bridge and the sky was still dark with the stars still twinkling. Sione was going through his phone. He said, "The studio was quite a contrast to the apartment he had."

"He's probably renting."

"Still he'd be paying probably 5k per month for that thing."

"I made a few inquiries and it turns out that Victor filed for bankruptcy a year ago. Creditors and subcontractors pursued him when he just managed to pay them all in the last year."

"He must be paid well to direct Cinderella," He says, "I once considered a career as an actor. Had an agent and a few jobs before I became a detective."

I raise a brow, "You're so full of shit, and you can't even act to save your arse."

"I nearly landed a role in Peter Jacksons - King Kong, you know."

"But King Kong was CGI." I laughed.

Sione shook his head, "How do you even find that amusing?"

"It is."

We arrived at the gates to see the security guard Mitch Pierce again. His eyes widened when he leaned through the window.

He said, "Detectives is it true?" he says "That Victor died of an overdose?"

"How did you know?"

"It's already on the news."

"What?"

I turned to Sione, who opened an app on his smartphone showed me the article in the Sydney Morning Herald."

"Shit they work fast around here," I said, "We are still investigating, is the whole cast here?"

"They are. They are in the soundstage."

We drive through and park up outside the building the large doors are wide open and I see the group.

Sione said, "What's the plan? We interview the stepsisters?

"No. I want you to interview the producer Sophie Tapper after I talk to her first. She was pretty close to Victor. See what you can find by your _questionable_ methods."

"And you?"

"I'm going to head up to Victor's office to see what I can find. I'll rejoin you and we will both interview the stepsisters together."

"Yes, milady."

I went back to the booth to see Mitch again to get me access to his office.

***

Sione Suarvea

Having been on set during my fruitless pursuit as an actor stimulated my mind with jaded memories. The invigorating scent of coffee and freshly baked muffins on the tray provided by the catering crew who were also extras on set. The cinematographer and the grips adjusting their equipment to get visuals. The infrastructure to support the actors is amazing. Anna brushes past me to head up to Victors office when she hisses, "Don't fuck this up."

I said nothing only to saddened by her words of encouragement. I recognize the producer, a beautiful blonde, petite, heart-shaped face. Teardrop rounded breasts. Dressed in a black skivvy with blue skinny jeans. She carries a folder while she adjusts her headset. Shouting instructions to the grips. But she has bruises to her face and arms which intrigue me.

My presence is known straightaway, I assume from the gun and badge I'm wearing. I make a path straight for Sophie, who like deer in the path of a car with bright headlights, stops and takes off her headset.

I say, "Sophie Tapper?" I pause to examine the bruises on her cheek. Her long skivvy covered more bruises on her arms.

"Yes, I am the production manager slash producer for this studio. Can I help you?"

"My name is Detective Sione Suarvea. I am here to investigate the death of your director, Victor Walters,"

"Oh... Yes. Did they catch the son of a bitch who did it?"

"We are still investigating."

"I read the article that he died from an overdose of Heroin."

"As I said we are still investigating," I say, "Could you tell me if there was any suspicious activity that you noticed from the deceased in the last 48 hours?"

"No, we just got back from Los Angeles, to convince the studios to cast Bianca as our Cinderella."

"What time did you arrive?"

She looks up to the ceiling. "Yesterday about 1 am. It was an urgent flight."

"So what happens now with the production?" I ask.

"It's a ten million dollar production and not to sound cliché and insensitive, the show must go on."

"Did Victor have any enemies, people that may have wanted him?"

"The way you're asking your question, makes me assume that it might be something other than an overdose."

I watched as she scratched the back of her head, then took the headphones off around her neck. "Just routine questions, that's all."

"Victor has a lot of enemies, but not ones I think who would want to kill him."

"Were you aware of his drug use?"

She paused, "Yes. But the only time I saw him do it was at parties. I felt he was too controlled to let some substance control him. But you could never know with him. He felt that it re-energized the creative faculty in his mind, if that makes any sense."

"It does, beautiful women have the same effect on me. And the stepsisters for the production. Could you give me their full names please?"

Her face blushes, "Sure. Tracey Monahan, Brittney Slavinski and Monica Watts."

I note down their names in my notebook. "Quite a caliber of actresses for the stepsister's role."

"God, I wish those bitches would disappear."

"How so?"

"They all auditioned for the part of Cinderella. All were turned down when Bianca landed the role."

"I can imagine their disappointment."

"Imagine? Ha! We all had to put up with their diva demands since day one."

"I don't understand why they would take the role if they weren't successful?" I say, "They are A-list actresses."

"People gotta eat I guess. Besides with the amount of exposure they are getting, it wouldn't be a wise choice to turn any sort of work down. Especially in this current environment."

"And what of Victor's relationship with the stepsisters?"

She paused looking at the floor, "I don't know. There were rumors. He was always going to their caravans after filming to help them with their scripts.

I said nothing only to remember the bed and the Stainless steel dildo I tripped over.

"Yes, he did assist them with the scripts," I said, "One of them tried to change the dialogue."

Sophie sighed, "Yeah Tracey... she wasn't happy with her lines and attempted to inject her own spin on it after she realised she would not be cast as Cinderella. We argued for hours on end because she felt that she wasn't grounded as a character with the dialogue Victor wrote in the script. Then she took it up with Victor."

"I read some of her amendments, sounded like her stepsister character was from the Shakespearean era."

Sophie shakes her head, "Tracey had no idea how ridiculous she sounded. But Victor let it through!" she says. "Where did common sense come into play? Half the set was astonished when he called cut and process. A coincidence after Victor's visit to Tracey's caravan."

"I imagine the stress this job does to you. Managing so many things."

"Gosh, and to top it off. Victor's death too."

I see the stepsisters getting into makeup. I ask, "Who takes up directing in the interim?"

"We have a new director Jake Burnett coming on board from Los Angeles, but I have a conference call this afternoon with them. They are thinking of relocating the production back to L.A."

"They?"

"The studio."

I turned when I heard the clickity clack of Anna's shoes on the concrete as she approached us. "Oh, one more thing?"

"Yes."

"How you get the Bruises?"

"Oh those we from the stunt guys when we rehearsed for the preproduction fight scenes for One Man Army 4." she says, "I was previously a kickboxing champion in the state of Utah for two years."

"Oh dear, they making another one?"

"You a fan?"

I clear my throat, blink repeatedly. "Yeah, sure... I loved the other three. It should have got an Oscar."

Sophie giggles, "Its hardly Oscar worthy, buts it's a cash cow for the studio."

I say, "Remind me not to get into an altercation with you. I'm more of a lover, not a fighter." She smiles, while I stare at her mouth, what those lips could do to my body, if I had her for one night. The trance breaks and her eyes flick behind me when I turn to see Anna behind me folding her arms. Scowl on her pretty face. I excused myself from Sophie and linked up with Anna.

"Find anything?" I ask Anna whose watchful eyes follow Sophie as she calls out the camera man.

"I did. We can decompress after we interview the three stepsisters and Bianca."

I motion my hand to the direction of the women.

***

Anna Beckett

When interviewing women, I found it difficult to discern dishonest behavior and looking for cues to their lies. I approach the three women and immediately they glance at Sione then to me. We are ten meters away when Sione nudges me.

"What?" I say.

"I obtained their full names."

"Good."

"Want me to take the lead on this one?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because you're a man."

"That's sexist."

"Sorry, let me refine it for your politically correct mind. Because you're, you."

He said nothing.

"Just sit back and listen for once."

He sighs, "I should have bought a belt to match with your pants."

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

"Ladies may I speak with you for a moment. My name is Anna Beckett and this is my partner Sione Suarvea. We are detectives investigating Victor's death." I watch them all as they nod. I don't get a feeling to which one is guilty but they all act uneasy, fidgety. Guilty. "Could you advise please your whereabouts in the last 48 hours?"

One of the girls gets uncomfortable, "Are you trying to accuse us of his murder?"

"Sorry, and you are?"

Sione said, "Tracey Monahan."

Tracey nods. I see her hands shaking, her skin becoming pale. Someone who cares has bubbled to the surface. I push.

"Tracey we are merely trying to ascertain your whereabouts at exactly 5 pm yesterday?"

She replies, "I was with Sophie and Britney at the Loaded Hog bar in the city."

I flick my eyes to the last girl, the red head. I say, "I will need contact details of that bar to verify." I raise a brow, "I _will_ check this." She flinches and I stare.

Sione asks, "Monica, and your whereabouts if you could advise?"

"I was home with my boyfriend, I have his number if you want?"

Sione jots the details down in his notepad.Then takes out his smartphone. "Thank you, for your time. If you can please pout for me? For a selfie I'm massive fans of you all.

I raise a brow thinking what the fuck this idiot is doing. They give crowd around him while he takes a selfie.

CLICK

I say, "Could you point us in the direction of Bianca Wilde, we would like to speak to her."

Sione says, "Follow me." We brush past the camera crews that were inadvertently eavesdropping to the woman in rags by the table. She is looking at an apple when she presses her finger into the bruised bit.

"Bianca Wilde? Sione asks.

"Yes," She replies

"My name is Sione Suarvea, and this is my partner Anna Beckett. Detectives with the police department. May we ask you a few questions?

She nodded and we followed her into the green room. She told us she was with Michael last night and I prodded her to get more details. Basically only confirming what the producer Sophie said.

"Could you give us a minute please, Bianca?"

"Sure."

We walked to other end of the green room. I knew deep down we were now wasting time interviewing Bianca. It has to be one of the stepsisters. "She can hear us."

"No not from here." Sione said, "I was talking with the production manager and she said the studio gave her the green light as the star of the production. I can see why she's a beauty."

"Focus," I said, "I don't think there would be a motive to kill the director if he's the one who cast her."

"The production manager told me also, the studio sent over three women from L.A to audition but because of Bianca they all got the chop at the last minute. Two are still here, working as the stepsisters in the production. They seemed evasive when we talked to them before."

"Jesus she never mentioned anything to me!"

"You need to be less abrasive and abrupt when talking with women, being approachable gets you a long way," He smirked, the urge to smack that off his face made my hand curl into a fist.

"C'mon lets go."

I raised a brow as Sione took her hand, "Thank you, Bianca, for your time today. Your appearance is absolutely stunning." he said, "We will be in touch if anything else comes up."

Just before the door, I pinched Sione in the arm. Hard.

"Ouch! The hell is wrong with you?"

"I know what you're doing..."

***

Back in the car, I switched on the ignition and put the air con on full blast. Sione is in the passenger seat on his smartphone.

He said, "So what did you find in Victors office?"

"What didn't I find?" I say, "His Desk was a mess. Cluttered with shit everywhere. But I did find communication between him and the Australian film commission and the govt.

"What it say."

"It was confirmation of a tax subsidy paid to him in a form of a rebate for a total expenditure of the services used here in Australia."

"So that ten million funding from the studio he received, what was the percentage of the rebate?"

"Forty percent."

I watch as Sione opens up the calculator app before he could figure out 40 percent of ten million, I said. "Four million in the pocket..."

Sione presses the equals sign, "I concur milady..."

"Gosh, how could you not know that, off the top of your head?"

"It is a large number."

"It's a simple number, did you not learn anything in school?"

"No, I was too busy chasing after girls."

I rolled my eyes.

Sione said, "So Victor persuades the studio to film down here for his gain. He's pocketed the four million dollars. Paid off all his debts, purchases an elegant apartment. Then we find him dead. Now I knew of a lottery winner once who had encountered stress after this windfall but he never killed himself. Do you think this development is just a smokescreen?"

"No, it means that somebody didn't want the production to be down here or someone could be disappointed in the part they didn't receive and killed him out of spite."

"The stepsisters?"

I nod. "I have my eye on Tracey..."

"It's all too easy... there's the motive of all them having reason to murder Victor. I spoke to Sophie, who said a new director is coming on board. She also said the production will now shift to Los Angeles, for the renewed season which arouses suspension in me because the production budget will double. So if there are roster changes from one of the stepsisters to Cinderella or someone else we could have our person or person's right there."

"Nah, it would be too obvious."

"We wait and see then?" he asks.

"No. We will head to Los Angeles and question the studio bosses and check out the production once they're relocated."

"Be interesting to see what has transpired."

"Oh, I have a contact name for the studio boss Victor liaised with."

"Splendid... it's been awhile since I last went to Los Angeles." He says, "I'm thinking..." Sione paused as he lifted his hand to point to Bianca coming out of the soundstage."

"Thinking Ha! That rare."

"Did you ever think she could be behind Victor's death?"

"Highly unlikely, we discussed this. Over and over. She has the most to lose with Victor out of the picture."

"I know. I just had this gut feeling that's all."

"I think that feeling is coming somewhere between your legs."

"Anna!" he says, "I'm trying to be professional here. My teacher in school once said if you are ever unsure of an answer and there is doubt. Check the question again till the doubt is eliminated."

"The fuck? You couldn't even figure out forty percent of ten million!"

"Yes, but that's not the point. I want to interview Bianca again stateside when we head to Los Angeles."

I sighed, "Okay if you think she may disclose information pertinent to the case we will. But if it ends up being a waste of time. I'm gonna kick your ass."

Sione turned and smiled.

***

Sione Suarvea

Two weeks later.

For some reason, my flight to Los Angeles to Sydney had me seated next to the window. I rubbed my hands to see we went with Emirates. I pressed the touch screen and scrolled through the movie choices. Anna took the middle seat and sadly no attractive female sat at the end of the row to admire. It is empty. Duly disappointed, Anna smirked at my reaction as she lifted up the arm rest and stretched across putting the pillow on the other end. Her feet on my lap.

"Excuse me?" I said. "Do you mind?"

"Ah..." she smiles, "much better." I watch as she takes out a book to read.

"You comfortable?"

"Yep."

"Do you mind taking your feet off my lap?"

"Nope."

I sigh when I examine the book, "What are you reading?"

"A book."

"On what?"

"A book on Cognitive Psychology."

"I thought you were reading a romance novel on a whim."

"Ha!" she spreads out the book, "Do you see a picture of a half-naked man?"

"I see a gentleman with a brain with a whole lot of intricate gears interlinked. Turning in unison. Exposing his inner emotions and superior thought processes."

Anna flips the book around, "If it were a man, the brain would be smaller with one gear."

I smile, "I digress. Most women I know, would be reading a romance novel..."

"They must be very sad, very lonely women."

"A harsh generalization. Have you ever read one?"

"I have actually, and I will never read one again."

"Why?"

"Bullshit Alpha male characters with pathetic ass females. Oh, my god, I wanted to bitch slap the female character in one of them. They are all the same, damsel in distress. Waa! Waa! The women that cry all the fricking time. Argh! I mean who writes this shit?"

I smile, "Women..." I pause, when she puts the book down, bites her lip and kicks me, I reply with haste. "Ah! In General. I find it strange that it doesn't appeal to you, it is a reflection of the female psyche or perhaps an insight into feminism."

"My God you talk some shit Sione." Anna picks up her book again and reads. The seething expression on her face is so sexy. I peered out the window to the bed of clouds. Sunlight speared in making me squint. The reflection of Anna as she peeked over her book. Both of us staring into the sun and into each other's eyes at the same time.

I said, "You said, they..."

"Huh?" she put the book on her lap.

"They as in you have read more than one romance novel."

She said nothing.

"Do like Contemporary or Historical romances Anna?"

She said nothing.

"Or maybe Paranormal ones. I think you're Vampires and werewolves type. Are you team Jacob or team, Edward?" I say "Or that guy that likes to whip his woman."

"The hell are on about? Shut up before I whip you!"

I mutter, "Yeah definitely the guy who likes to whip his woman." I flinched when her toes curled and her leg retracted.

***

Los Angeles.

Sunset Gower Studios.

Sadly we arrived in Los Angeles with no time to visit my acquaintances in Hollywood. I would have liked to stop at the Cosmopolitan too and catch up with old friends. Anna drove the rental while we headed down Sunset Boulevard. The day is clear and the traffic is atrocious. Memories came back of how insular the boulevard is with the pockets of ethnicities and the gap between the rich and poor could be seen on the very street. But this place had changed a lot since I was last here, the gentrification only just started when I left.

We arrive at the gate of Sunset Gower Studios where we are greeted by an African American gentleman. Anna winds down the window and hands him a letter we obtained from the DA office in L.A to investigate a murder case. He blinks looking puzzled.

I say, "Is there a problem sir?"

He says, "No. Right through. Take the turn to the right and you will find the Cinderella production. Building 7C."

Building 7C set is a huge hangar that is the exact replica of the set we encountered in Sydney. I recognized a few faces but it seemed the whole production was replaced with the Americans.

I turn to Anna, who is beside me watching we both caught up in pandemonium as Sophie the producer organizes the teams. They are all gathered on the Kitchen set. I recognize Bianca dressed in tattered clothes on her knees in front of the fireplace holding the scrubbing brush.

"Over by the monitors..." Anna says.

"Who?"

"The new director, Jake Burnett."

Anna's eyes squint, the indicator that she goes into full detective mode. "When do you want to question him?"

"Straight after this take."

"Splendid. I'll take the women." I point to Bianca Wilde.

"Why?"

"She knows something, I could pick it up when we spoke to her before."

"Bullshit you were too busy looking at her tits."

"They were magnificent, I must say."

Anna nudges me. In the corner of my eye, I see the three stepsisters approach the corner of the set the makeup teams are doing last minute powder to the face. I see Sophie nervously making adjustments to Bianca's clothing.

I say, "I wonder with anticipation which one of the ladies did it?"

Anna folds her arms her gaze still on the director, "Which man you mean."

"Let's entertain your hunch, Jake Burnett murders Victor to get the production shifted to LA and he takes the helm as director."

"Sounds plausible doesn't it?" she says, "None of those bitches have the balls to kill Victor. Look at them. They are a smokescreen for the man in the chair."

"There is one problem with your hunch."

"And that is."

"Jake Burnett was here when Victor was murdered."

"How do you know?"

"While you had your feet up reading your book. I did some intensive research, using the internet connection on the flight to look up his filmography. At the time he was directing a big-budget, Hollywood movie called Ignition. Production was completed two days after we discovered Victor."

Anna said nothing only to her gaze from me and then onto the girls.

She hissed, "It's definitely not Bianca either..."

I watched as Bianca stood up to smooth her dress she arched her back slightly to stretch.

BOOM!

A massive ball of flame blew out of the fireplace igniting her dress. Flames covered her whole body. She screamed out in agony as she leaned.

"Get the fire extinguisher!" I screamed.

One of the production guys leaped at the extinguisher when I ran towards her I took off my jacket and patted out the flames, her hair is singed. Her face is blistered and bubbled and charred. The stomach wrenching smell of burning flesh went into my nostrils.

I stepped back when the guy extinguished the fire.

Anna screamed, "Get me some water!"

One of the grips ran and grabbed the hose.

"Bianca this gonna hurt stay with me. This will ease the pain." Anna said. She couldn't speak. He came with the hose as the stream of water sluiced over Bianca's burns she screamed when she calmed after five minutes.

"Emergency services will be here any minute, I just called them." Sophie says.

I stood to walk over to the fireplace where the engineers were trying to figure out the problem. I told them to step away until we investigate as this is now a crime scene. Now things were starting to get confusing...

***

Anna Beckett

I retreated back to the hotel after examining the site. It turned out that there was a fault with the valve that controlled the gas pressure that lit the fireplace. At this point, with what happened today was an accident but Sione was not too certain. He went to the hospital to oversee Bianca, he told me that Bianca's boyfriend, Dr. Michael Angel is flying over and he wanted to speak to him about the case.

As much as I wanted to argue about his fruitless venture, I let him be as I sat at the bar to drink a glass of wine. I couldn't get those fucking images out of my head of Bianca's burned face and body. I squeezed my eyes and the image would be there. Worse was that lingering smell, even after a hot shower and new clothes. I swear I could smell it! I checked the time and it is 1 am. Even the alcohol couldn't stop my hand shaking. I watched as the red wine rippled from my hand.

"Anna..."

I turned to see Sione smoothing his face. His crisp white shirt tarred with ashes, he smelled of smoke and his musky cologne.

"What you find out?" I ask.

He said nothing only to wave down the bartender. "Barman! A scotch, no ice please."

"Well?"

"Bianca is going to be all right. But she suffered burns to nearly sixty percent of her body. I'm afraid she will have permanent scarring."

"What did you find out from the boyfriend?"

Sione blinked twice and frowned, perhaps at my lack of empathy. "They have only been dating for less than a year. His account backs up her integrity."

"Integrity. Horseshit. I told you she is of no interest to us."

"I do want to speak with her when she's fit to talk."

"Why?"

"What happened back on set was no accident."

"The investigator determined the cause to be the faulty valve."

"Correct. And how many gas cylinders were there?"

"Two."

"Correct. Did you notice the amount fire that came out?"

"Yes."

"So why was the cylinder with the faulty valve still full?"

"Oh shit! did you check this?"

"I did."

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

"There was an audience and besides we want them to think that's an accident," He says, "For now."

"Did we overthink things by ruling out the stepsisters from the beginning?"

Sione raised a brow, "Not we, you."

"Hang on, you thought as well."

"I did. But I didn't, I kept it in my conscious memory."

"The hell are you talking about?"

"You didn't read the book properly didn't you?"

"What book?" I say, "Oh god that! I fell asleep half way through it."

Sione smirked, "You'd make a terrible lover..."

I rolled my eyes, "Back to subject. The stepsisters... which one do you think did it? My finger points to Tracey. She slept with the director Victor then was disappointed not to land the Cinderella role. She has the heroin in her caravan which implicates her drug use and access to it. She killed Victor at the apartment and covered it up to make it appear like a suicide. Then I assume she went after Bianca by modifying the valves.

Sione said, "We have no evidence on Tracey."

"I know. We can't get the bitch on anything." I say "You made a good call on keeping your discovery discrete. Now we can follow Tracey and see what she does."

"Its not her, though..."

"What?"

"Tracey was right there on set. Someone had to control the purge valve from the other side of the fireplace. There is no line that runs from it that indicates that it couldn't be controlled remotely."

"Could be the engineers?"

"Maybe. But I didn't see Sophie when they rolled camera did you?"

"No. I didn't when you come to think of it."

"One of the production staff?" I say, "Even if it was one of them, that doesn't link back to Victor's death in Australia as the whole crew was replaced."

"You're getting close."

I turned and grabbed Sione by the collar he held his hands up holding his glass. "Stop with the charades what do you know?"

He shakes his head, "I thought you would come to the same conclusion I did."

"Not with the bullshit information you gave me."

"All hearsay till I interview Bianca," He says "I need to talk to her first. She's the key."

"I can't believe you still think that it's her. You do that. I'm gonna check Jake Burnett and Tracey out."

***

The next day.

I returned to the studio to be informed by the security guard, that the production of Cinderella had been postponed for a week while they find a replacement for Bianca. I asked the guard for the director Jake Burnett place of residence and he gave me an address.

Jake Burnett lived in a house on Venice Beach. Inputting the directions, I had about half an hour's drive which could double considering the traffic. I headed via I-10 W when I picked up the phone to call Sione.

"Anna," He whispered. "What you get out of the director?"

"Nothing. They closed production for seven days, I'm on my way to his house. Why you whispering?

"Bianca is awake now. I'm outside the ward looking in through the window. Michael is giving her a mirror, she hasn't seen the extent of the damage. Hey, I found out some fascinating information that confirms my theory."

"Well go on, tell me who you think it is."

"Wait..."

My ears strained to hear the cries of Bianca in the background. Sounds of shuffling then the sound of something smashing to the ground.

Sione said, "Anna I have to go. I'll call you when things settle here."

"Hey! Wait."

He clicked off.

Damn him. I took the turnoff to Venice Boulevard right to end of Venice Beach. Jake lived in a house right on the shore, I parked up on Hurricane St and walked. It got me thinking about Sione wanted out of Bianca. I picked up my phone to dial him again. I got his annoying out of office message, which sounded like a fricking phone sex operator.

I spotted the director leaned on the rail smoking a cigar and holding the bottle of wine. He sneered when he recognized me, he took a swig from the bottle.

"What do you want detective?" he says, "I told you everything."

"No, you didn't."

He opened up the gate to let me through when he offered me a seat.

"Help yourself to a drink. "He placed the bottle by me. He took the chair opposite. The arrogant prick inhaled his cigar then blew smoke in my direction. "Well. Ask away."

"We have reason to believe that the gas cylinders were tampered with. That caused the explosion."

"Bullshit the investigators showed us the faulty valve. It was an accident."

"It wasn't." I pause. "And I can prove it."

"Listen, lady, I just got off the line with the studio who filed the insurance claim to cover Bianca's medical expenses. The poor girl has months if not years of rehabilitation and surgery to fix her. Your meddling is the last thing she needs, these insurance companies will deny any cover if they get a whiff of foul play."

"I want to nail the son of a bitch responsible."

Jake bites the end of the cigar and spits out the end. "So you think it's me, that did it?"

"You're on my list."

"Well, sweetheart you're fucking mistaken." I got a call from Sione, interrupting our stare down. I switch my phone to silent.

"There is a whole lot of politics that went on behind the scenes for this production. I know Victor wanted to move the production to Australia so he could secure the tax incentives for himself. Victor is murdered in his apartment and the production shifts here to the US and hello you get hired as the director."

Jake takes a swig.

"Hell! Did you think, I wanted to direct this shitty production?" he says "I was begged by the studio and the producer to take this role on."

I paused when I clicked on who Sione was referring to, "Sophie Tapper."

"Yes," He says "Her, most of all."

"If you weren't invested why did you take the production on?"

"Listen, everyone has a price. With the revised offer from the studio to take a percentage of the global distribution rights via Netflix. How could I say not say no? Even if this production flops. I would have made my money to pursue other projects. Movies I want to do."

I paused to think about Sophie and her part to play in all this. Fuck it doesn't make sense. "Tell me what you know about Sophie Tapper?"

"I've known the woman for years. She used to be my producer until she jumped ship to work on TV series for the Internet. It's where she met Victor and they been working together ever since."

"And the nature of the relationship?"

"Who knows? Hollywood is such an incestuous place. I could understand why Victor wanted to relocate to Australia and escape all this bullshit."

"Any reason you think why Sophie would murder Victor?"

Jake paused, "I read he died of an overdose. Funny that, I knew it was bullshit cause Victor is the most conceited man I know."

"Back to the question."

"Maybe you are questioning the wrong guy sweetheart."

I stared at this smug asshole when I leaned over and snatched the cigar from his mouth. I dropped it in the bottle and hissed, "Where do I find Sophie Tapper."

"She stays on number 12 Jupiter Drive in Hollywood Hills. The place is a mansion."

"How the fuck does a producer make that amount of money to afford to live there?"

Jake started laughing, "Ha! You are out of touch with today's salaries sweetheart. The producers take a cut, just like everyone else."

I took out my phone to ring Sione, as much as I wanted to arrest this pet name calling asshole, it appears we have a producer to arrest.

***

Sione Suarvea

12 Jupiter St

Hollywood Hills.

Sophie's place oozed with Elegance and opulence. Her two-story home had what looked like a pool on the second level by the light shimmering on the walls from its reflection. A flight of white concrete slabs that took you up. I opened the gate and arrived at the second level. The view of the infinity pool overlooking the city of Los Angeles appeared hypnotic with the vast city skyscrapers and the orange-tinged clouds. The sun obscured by the layer of smog that hovered over the city. My eye caught sight of a woman with a wine glass, leaning over the edge. _Sophie._

Blonde hair is now wet. Her suntanned back shined like a gold brick. From the angle, I'm looking at, she is totally naked. Alone. Drinking her fill from the destructive things she done.

"You have a beautiful place," I said.

She paused raising her head to drain the rest of her wine. I walked around to the steps at the beginning of the pool when she dived deep into the pool like a mermaid. I stared at her naked body under the water, she popped out right in front of me. The water streams off her.

"Is there a problem detective?"

I couldn't help but stare at her naked body. Wasp-like waist. Breast the size of melons nipples perky and pointed. I scratch my head.

"Perhaps a towel?"

"Perhaps a drink first Sione?"

"If you're having one."

"I am."

She walks past me to go leaving a trail of water as she walks into the kitchen. I watch as her firm buttocks jiggle ever so slightly that it makes me follow. She has a bar type setup there is a towel that hangs on the stool. She walks past it to touch the bottles on the shelf.

"Do you like Pinot Noir?"

"I do," I say, "I like the haunting brooding flavor."

She smirks then turns. I watch as she bends over to take a bottle from the wine rack. She has tight perfectly formed rear, sexy thighs, and legs. She straightens to look at the bottle then at me through the reflection in the mirror. She grabs a glass and places the bottle on the bench. I take a seat. "Would you mind grabbing my robe over by the beach chair?"

I turn to it hanging on the edge of the chair. I walk over hearing the pop of the bottle behind me. I walk back to her holding her glass and mine half filled. I hand her robe as she begins to cover her beautiful body. I lift the glass to sniff the fruity flavor. I sip.

I say, "Been a while since I had a French Pinot, not that fruity but I can taste the mushroom and leather."

"A wine connoisseur," She says, "You know your wines."

"I know women more."

"Really."

"Every woman is as distinctive as this wine. Each has an energy. A Rhythm."

She licks her plump juicy lips then smirks, "Not as much as you think."

I lean back and unbutton my coat, my phone begins to ring, and it's Anna. I put it on silent placing the phone on the bench. "Do you want to know when I knew it was you, who did it?"

Her eyes glance at my phone, "Did what?"

I reach over and switch it off. I remove my jacket and unbutton my shirt showing her my lack, of wearing a wire. "Look I'm not wearing anything..." I said, "I am intrigued to your motive, before I arrest you. I'm fascinated by female behavior." Sophie looks around and behind me. The paranoia behind her eyes. "You were clever in making out the stepsisters to be the culprits. They had the motive but you slipped up when you made Tracey's apartment look like Victor was sleeping with her. But it was you. I measured the impressions in the mattress had me calculate a woman of your height. The shade of lipstick is exactly the one you are wearing, the impressions of your luscious lips an exact match. Though you were clever in leaving the strands of hair of brown hair on the bed. I noticed the brush on the dressing table showed signs of it being detangled. You were meticulous in not leaving a strand of your sun kissed hair in there."

"What?"

"Then you spun the rumors around the studio of his infidelity and tipped off the media about it being a suicide. And it was interesting because you gave yourself away as the instigator of the rumors. Do you know what they call the term?"

"No."

"Negative anchoring." Is say, "But salacious rumors weren't enough to throw me off track because you slipped up again at Victors house. You were there waiting for him and you two fought resulting in the cut to your arm. You cut his arm to cover yourself but the blood on the walls was yours. And when you saw me running up the steps you took off from Victor's vehicle on foot."

She said nothing.

"Then at the studio ah... That's when I knew it you did it. The giveaway was when... you... I saw... you..."

I paused, my body felt out of sync. I squeezed my eyes. I had hot flushes blasting my face, pins and needles sensation all over my skin.

"Please do continue." Sophie walked around and sat next to me on the bar.

"You... were the one that tampered with the valve to make the fire burst into Bianca's face and body. I saw the nervousness on your face. I saw you go behind the fireplace. It got me how you could do such a gruesome act to another human being."

I looked up at Sophie to see her face blur. I was going into vertigo. I looked at the red wine I was drinking. "You drugged me..." I said as I tried to pull out my pistol.

Sophie grabbed it and got the butt and hit me on the head. I hit the floor clutching my head when she took the wine bottle and smashed it over my head. I impact made me blank out for a second. I crawled outside to the edge of the infinity pool. I felt the cold water on my hand. I turned on my back to the multiple images of her pointing my gun at me with the backdrop of setting sun.

Her hands shook, "I didn't intend to hurt Bianca that much. The fire was only meant to harm her enough so she wouldn't be cast.

"Well, it's too late. My partner is on her way." I hiss "It's over."

She said nothing.

"So it has to be you who killed the Daniel Hookman at the studio."

"If it matters you, yes. The bastard tried to weasel me out of the Cinderella production."

"So why did you kill Victor?"

She said nothing.

I squeezed my eyes, "What difference does it make you're going to kill me right?"

"I am," She says, "But maybe you're clever in just stalling me to give your partner time to get over here."

She raised her gun and started to pull the trigger, "She's with Jake on the other side town."

She paused then walked into the first step of the infinity pool.

"I have given you enough heroin to point where your body will become paralyzed. I think drowning will be a believable death for you. A detective breaks into my apartment helps himself to victor's heroin. I guess no one told you, I was Victor's wife."

Shoot. Why did I not know this? She pulled my suit shirt to move me to the deep end of the pool. I felt her foot on my back. I blanked in and out of consciousness then I fell into the water. I felt my body sink into the water. Really, is this the way I going out?

***

Anna Beckett

"God damn it! Pick up your phone Sione!"

So frustrated I slammed the phone on the dash, after hearing his voice message. I gunned it down Jupiter Dr when I caught a glimpse of a vehicle outside the house. I got out and then the humidity and thin air hit me. I peered in to the window to see that Sione left his vest in the car.

I peered up at mansion spotting the steps that lead up to second level. I bolted up the side taking my pistol out, my breathing is out of sync. I arrive at the pool to see Sophie kick Sione's body into the pool.

"Freeze!"

Sophie jolted and the bitch fired on me. She ran behind the bar and unloaded three rounds on me.

_BANG!_ BANG BANG!

She wasn't a bad shot, her fire streamed across the glass fence shattering it. I hid behind a large vase. I screamed, "Put the weapon down!" I hid behind the gate as I saw Sione face down in the pool. I tried to run over when she shot another three again. The sound distinctive, she has Sione's weapon.

"Bitch! Put the gun down or I will put you away!"

I spot her reflection in the glass window. Hidden behind the bar.

She said, "Let me go, if you want your partner to live. He hasn't got much time."

I grinded my jaw, to Sione floating in the water. Then I flicked my eyes back to Sophie.

"GRR!" I looked up to bottles of liquor above her I pointed at them and shot the bottles and the shelf rained alcohol and glass on this bitch. She dropped her weapon and I bolted over, she stood at the same holding the sharp end of a wine glass.

"Argh!" I screamed. She slashed me in the shoulder. I grabbed her hair and pulled her over the bar. I threw her into the chair. She got up quick and got into some bullshit martial stance.

"That better not be some Tai Bo stance."

She grinned, licking her lips swallowing her expensive wine. "I was a kickboxing champion two years."

I launched into her throwing a fist at her head. She countered by kneeing me in the stomach. I fell back when she charged again throwing a combination of an elbow, knee and then long kick. I dodged all but her foot caught my chin. I fell back stunned for a moment.

"Get up whore!"

I tasted the blood from my lip, and stood. I felt it streaming down my shoulder dripping off my fingers.

I rushed her but this time her whip like kick is nulled by my quick duck. I grab her for a take down to get her in a choke hold. She starts tapping her hand on the ground.

I hiss, "This ain't the MMA woman."

She rolled over and grabbed me and began kneeing me in the head. The blows made my vision go white bright. I lifted her up then threw her down on the glass table. It smashed, knocking her out. I pulled her to the handrail of the swimming pool. I took out my cuffs and locked it in.

Sophie came to and tugged at the cuffs when she realized it was no use.

I said, "Kickbox your way out that bitch."

I flicked my eyes to Sione floating in the water. I jumped in the infinity pool and pulled him out. I lay him on his back ripped his shirt open and checked his vitals.

Nothing.

Sophie said, "He's gone! I told you to let me go, you stupid whore!"

I cleared Sione's Airways and my lips pressed against his cold lips. His neck all purple. Color draining from his face. I breathed into him then began with the compressions to the chest. The counts started when my mind flooded with memories of him and our journey together.

I kept going.

Sophie said, "You're wasting your time he's dead."

"Shut the fuck up!"

She laughed hysterically. I continued.

"Breathe you idiot!"

I took one more breath when Sione's body convulsed and he spat out the water that was in his lungs. He coughed vigorously when he looked up at me. His eyes were dilated, he's high as fuck.

He said, "Are you alright?" I wiped my eyes and punched him, "Ow! Where is she?" I turned my head when Sione bobbed his head to her on my left. She spat blood onto the floor. "You did that?"

"Who do you think?"

"Nice one."

I raised a brow, "What the hell happened?"

"I slipped and I fell into the pool."

Sophie started laughing when we both turned to her. She said, "Your partner is the dumbest detective, I have ever come across."

Sione said, "Why did you do it, Sophie?"

"I want my lawyer!"

Anna said, "And a good one at that. Regardless we have enough evidence to put you away."

Sione said, "Sophie, because of you Bianca has burns to sixty percent of her body. She will need plastic surgery over the next two years even then her life will never be the same."

She said nothing.

"You killed Daniel Hookman, then Victor Walters and you nearly killed Bianca Wilde." I watched as Sophie's lips trembled. Eyes red. "I was there when Bianca held up the mirror, she couldn't stop crying for hours. Was it all worth it? Really?"

My words and the cadence in which I said it made her react. Her eyes were red, her jaw is grinding.

Sophie said, "It wasn't supposed to be this way..." tears spilled from her eyes. "I didn't think the flames would be so big."

"Why did you do it?"

Sophie threaded the cuff through one end of the handrail to the end that went into the pool. She put her legs into the water, kicking, causing ripples of water to spill over the edge of the infinity pool. Sophie looked at her distorted reflection.

Sophie said, "I worked with Victor for nearly ten years. Married him in secret for two. I went over above in my duty as his producer doing things, I would have never thought of."

I said, "Like sourcing the heroin for his drug habit?"

She nodded. "And more." She stopped kicking. "I was meeting with the suppliers, when they found out Victor was getting a rebate from the government they came for him.

You see before all that, Victor was supporting his habit through the use of loans from the gangs. But he was broke. Then when things all turned pear shaped they came looking for Victor, the bastard put it on me. Told them I had their money.

They came to my house looking for payment and beat me within an inch of my life, the fuckers raped me and left me to die in the water. Two weeks later, I came back on set to the shock of Victor when filming for the day ended. I took a knife to him and threatened to tell the police he had heroin in his home and expose him to the media if he didn't give me half of the rebate he was gonna receive.

He fled, I chased him to his apartment where I strangled him to death. No words can explain how good it felt to take his life, after all, the shit I went through."

He said, "And you used the heroin to stage it as a suicide."

She nodded.

"From then on. I was hell bent on undermining the whole production. He didn't deserve any sort of legacy."

"I need to know who your supplier is, that let you purchase the heroin." Anna asks.

"Supplier? Hell I'm not telling you that! You think I'd be safe in jail if I ratted them out?"

The L.A.P.D arrived on the scene and took Sophie away. Sione stood dripping wet he raised his head smiling at me.

"What?" I said.

"Case closed milady?"

I nodded, "Case closed. Before I arrived, I got another file on some rogue SAS soldier." I say, "We better take you to the hospital and get you checked out before we head back to New Zealand to take this guy down."

"Sounds intriguing. I'd like to share the news with Bianca also, and check up on her."

The emergency services put a blanket around Sione when he smirked.

"What?"

"Thank you for the kiss, it was the gesture that saved my life. Though...I would have been revived a lot quicker if you added tongue..." He touched his lips and closed his eyes.

I rolled mine.

Thank you for reading _Elegance_

Please visit my  Facebook page for more stories.

There is plenty more there for you.

Sione Suarvea and Anna Beckett will return in _Distinction (OCT 2016)_

On the trail of a Rogue SAS Soldier William Alipate.

The following Standalone Story Intersects with _Elegance_

Illusion (Included with Elegance)

Thanks again,

David

Illusion

~~~

David Manoa

Copyright 2015 David Manoa

SMASHWORDS Edition

~~~~

The author asserts the moral right to be identified as

the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including photocopying, recording, information storage and retrieval systems, or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the author, with the exception of a book reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

~~~~~~

Dr. Michael Angel

"Bianca don't do this!" The love of my life stood on the edge of the hospital building. The wind blew against her white gown. The night with its cloudless skies and the twinkling stars shined a faint light on us. The path over the edge ended with the drop ten levels down to the concrete... The sound of the wind was howling like wolves, wanting to ravage her body. The wind struck me blowing my long white coat to the sides like the wings of an angel.

She turned around. Her tears glistened in the moonlight, the scarred skin of her face. The full moon and its bright white light behind her made me squint. I stepped closer. She wiped her eyes, her arms stretched out ready to fall back. Her brunette hair blew back.

She said, "Michael... I can't... I can't do this anymore."

With her so close, I reached out she shifted back, "Please..." I said, "Come down, I promise it will all better."

She cried, "Are you blind! I'm a fucking freak!"

"You're not." I moved in a step, in a calm voice, I said, "I can help you through this. We've been through so much."

She peered up at the sky, pausing before she flicked her eyes to me, "It was a long time ago, we broke up. A relationship I ended."

I held my hand out, "I didn't." I said, "We had careers, temporary paths we had to tread. I knew deep down we would be together again."

"Like this? I'm tired Michael." She sniffled, "I'm sick of the surgery, they can't fix this and everything they're doing makes me look worse!"

Wind blew into my white coat, the cold permeated my skin through to my bone. She started to lean back.

I said, "I understand the darkness in your heart. The horrific situation and the agonizing pain, you suffered. But Bianca you gotta remember the love we shared. Those moments before the accident, the day we met. Life can be like that again."

My words touched her tortured soul. Light within her began to shine, so faint she almost smiled. Her eyes shut, I squeezed mine to recall everything. Flashes of the past and emotions hit at the moment.

I pleaded, "Please, Bianca, don't jump... remember everything, we've been through. Where it all started at the hospital."

***

2 years ago...

I met Bianca as a bubbly 25-year-old patient. At the time, she was an aspiring actress and model. She had shoulder length brunette hair, creamy skin. She stood about five foot five with a curvy body. Heart-shaped face with the most gorgeous blue eyes. I was terribly attracted to her when she came in. She was coughing blood from a chest infection. I still remember our ensuing conversation, her inquisitive mind. A love for life.

"Dr. Angel."

I was writing down a prescription for antibiotics, I said. "You can call me Michael."

She said, "Do you enjoy what you do?"

"I wouldn't be a doctor if I didn't." I flashed a smile.

"I couldn't deal with the blood, so gross. I'd puke from seeing what you do."

"You become desensitized after a while. Though I did struggle with it at med school. What do you do for a job?"

"I'm an Actress." she said, "I'm a fitness model too."

"For real? What movie were you in?"

Bianca went red and brushed aside her hair, "A few small roles in TV shows and commercials, at the moment..." She said, "I'm trying audition for an upcoming series being filmed here."

"I don't get to view much television with the shifts I do. Only infomercials or daytime talk shows."

"How long are they?"

"They average 12 to 16 hours. Did a 16 to 18 hour day once."

She held the sides of her face, "Unbelievable? You must love your job."

"You get to meet a lot of people. You make a difference."

I handed her a prescription when my hand touched hers. She peered up, as I put my pen in my jacket pocket.

"You need to take the antibiotics and rest for a week." She paused in her response, disappointed with my recommendation.

"I got an audition this Friday, though!"

"With the state you're in, I recommend you to miss it."

"No!" She said, "I can't! Won't I get better once I take the medicine?"

"You will, but the antibiotics don't work overnight." I pointed to a mirror, "Bianca check the condition in. Your coughing, your eyes are puffy and swollen. Your nose is red. You can barely move. Can't they postpone it?"

"I'm up against so many women. I only get one shot at the role."

I shook my head, as she went to examine her face. She brushed her hair aside, widening her eyes.

"I'll be fine Michael. Two nights rest, I'll be right."

"I don't think nothing I'm going to say is going to change your mind," I said, "Is it?"

She wiped her mouth, "No. You got to fight through the pain, to get the things you want."

I blinked, when I opened the door, "Take it easy. I hope you don't return anytime soon."

"You won't doc," she said, "I mean Michael."

***

Bianca Wilde

Two days later.

I arrived at the studio to audition for the role of Cinderella, in American TV series shot in Sydney. I was another face among the many, when I sat down next to the number of women that were here. The set was already in pre-production. The teams bring in the props to setup for the era. I felt so crap and my nose was like a leaking tap. I started coughing my guts out, that it got me cringe reactions from the others. I took out my bag to get my mirror.

Shit, my mascara was runny from my watery eyes. My nose was so red, I would have got the part as Rudolph, the reindeer. I coughed again when the woman near me moved away, turning to her side, covering her mouth. I refocused on my performance, rehearsing the lines. In my mind, everything led up to this pivotal moment. At 25 years old this is my dream shot to the big time.

Getting a role like this will get me to exposure to the American market. To get me to Hollywood. I made it no secret to my friends and family, some which laughed at my ambitions. We have a thing here in Australia we call the tall poppy syndrome. Everyone trying to bring you down.

I grew up as a kid telling my parents, I wanted to be an astronaut. I remember my mom laughing about it, but my dad for some reason didn't. He was always supportive of everything I did, no matter how crazy it was. My only regret he's not alive to see my successes. Or to walk me down the aisle, if I get married.

I had confidence in myself, the belief. I take out my smartphone to read all the messages of support from my fans on Facebook. My page, Bianca Butterfly, was dedicated to health and fitness for women. Empowering them to make changes. I admit, I found with only sheer will alone. I wouldn't be here, without them. My spirit lifts when I view the transformations they went through uploading photos of their weight loss. Stories of how much their lives changed because of me.

"Bianca Wilde!" A voice booms. I jolt. I put my phone in my purse when the producer holding her call sheet with a headset. I stand, oh shit my legs are shaky and vertigo sets in. I take my hand out and she spots me.

"Hi, my name is Sophie," she said, "Babe, You're up."

I walk behind her. I cop the raised eyebrows from the girls who seem resigned within themselves. Some probably thinking this sick wreck of a woman had no chance. Sophie is a petite blonde who opens up the door into the studio. The first thing that hits is the glare from searing lights. They are so blinding and hot, I hold my hand up. I spot the director his hand on cheek, perhaps bored with all the women who came in. This was so nerve racking. I was surrounded by the camera in front and to my sides. The area I was standing in was white. White walls, white floor. Everything was like, I was some goddamn lab experiment.

The director lifted up the mic and his voice came through. I met Director, Victor Walters at a rugby league function. He is a skinny man about 6 foot with brown hair and a bald patch. As soon as he spotted me he asked me to audition. I honestly thought he was some creep until he showed me his business card. He had this quirkiness to him his eyes would rapidly shift side to side like pinballs. People that knew him a long time said his mind operates at the speed of light, a multitasker who thinks ten steps ahead. I was relieved he was the real thing. And that I got my dream shot.

He said, "Bianca... Darling are you ready?"

I smiled, "Yes," I paused when my stomach became queasy. I blinked.

"Before you say the lines, I want you to relax, focus, and give me the emotion," He said, "You can say the lines."

"Okay."

I took a breath when the heat from the lamps made me sweat. I felt like those roast chickens you see in the supermarket under the heating lights. I wiped my forehead, my fingers and hand were caked in sweat. I winced. I read the lines from internal monolog he wrote for us to rehearse. I stood as the phrase went through my mind. When the meaning opened up in my heart.

" _The fairy godmother with wings like an angel transformed me. My clothes covered in cinder and ash melted away, replaced by the beauty of the blue evening gown. My shoes morph in the Sapphire slip-_ ons _which sparkle in the night. She smiles at my change, I peer upon the miracle which changed me. She_ whispers, _the prince has waited his whole life to meet you. He searched lands far and wide. He senses your pain, he knows your suffering. One glance is all he needs to know you are there."_

I finish the line when a moment of dead silence hit. I hear the hum of the lights and I listen to the director whispering to the producer. She is nodding. He is nodding. They both stand to check their monitors. I'm sweating so bad, I sense it streaking on my temples. I squeeze my eyes, nausea sets in. Sweat comes down over my eyebrows and into my eyes. The director's voice booms, he claps, but my legs weaken as I step forward they feel like rubber. I step forward again.

I collapse.

***

Dr. Michael Angel

Working the day shift in an emergency was a relief. It wasn't as busy as the nights and the sense of a regular work week had me in a good mood. I flicked an eye to Nurse Felicity Neil, who finished up applying bandages to the firefighter who suffered a minor head injury. I walked through to the emergency ward when the flashing ambulance lights caught my attention.The van backed in with another patient. Ambulance officer Sam Aleni, came out and opened the door. As soon as the woman came out. I recognized her, Bianca.

"What happened Sam?"

"She collapsed at the Walters studio."

"I told her to take things easy."

We took her to a room where I went to work on her. Her chest infection got worse where she had developed pneumonia. I administered oxygen therapy and intravenous fluids. She appeared dehydrated, I imagined she starved herself, before the audition. We hooked everything up when Bianca opened her eyes. She shed a tear that streaked down to the shell of her ear.

"Michael?"

"Hey."

"Guess you're gonna give me a lecture huh?" she said, her voice so faint and raspy.

"No, you need to rest."?"

"Did I get the part?" she said, "Michael?"

Her eyes started to roll back, I held her hand and whispered to her to sleep. She smiled when she mumbled, "I said all my lines down the last. One glance is all he needs to know you are there."

She fell asleep.

***

I came out of the room, to a bald man arguing with the woman at reception. The receptionist pointed at me, when he walked in big strides towards me. He wore a blue polo shirt with white canvas pants. He looked emancipated, but his energy and presence was like a firecracker. A short blonde woman stood with him.

He said. "Doc, is she alright?"

I nodded, "She is in a stable condition, but she needs rest."

The guy smoothes his head and asks. "How long will it be before she gets well?"

"You're looking at a couple of weeks at least."

He turns to the blonde who is holding a folder, she said, "We need to get someone else."

He grinded his jaw, "No. Not gonna happen." He said, "I'll fly out to L.A and talk to the studio to buy more time, but she is definitely my Cinderella."

I said, "I can't promise you anything if her condition worsens. She will be in no state to participate in your plans."

"I'll take the risk. But please can you pass on the good news... Bianca is our new lead role in our pilot!" He said, "I'm sure with positive information like this she will make a speedy recovery."

"I will. When she is well enough, I'll tell her." He smiled when I asked, "Sorry I didn't get your name?"

"Victor Walters... Director for the Cinderella production."

I shook his hand, "Dr. Michael Angel. Nice to meet you."

***

Two days later. 12am

I walked the wards when I wished Nurse Felicity a good night. I stopped by Bianca's room to catch a sight of her sitting up. Her hair is over her face, she wipes her eyes. She's sobbing. I squeeze my eyes. Pausing before I push the door in. Her sniffles echoed in the room. I stepped in closer she curled up, arms around her knees her head tucked in. I blinked when I arrived at the end of the bed.

I whispered, "Bianca..."

Her head tilted up, her hands shaking, and her fingers wiped away her tears.

"I messed up." She sniffled, "I missed out on my chance!"

I sat beside her.

"Hey, some fantastic news, you get to go home in the next couple of days. Your infection has cleared up."

"I was so close..." she peered up at me, "I wanted the role of Cinderella so badly."

I ran my hand over her shoulder and smiled, "Some more good news," I said, "It's to do with your Audition."

A beautiful sight went in slow motion. Her head lifted, her puffy eyes widened, her sniffles and tears stopped that instant. I paused to examine her beauty. Damn, I'm a sucker for eyes, her bright blue eyes. The anticipation was leeching out from her.

"Whaa..." she said.

"Your Director asked me to pass on the news. You got the part as Cinderella."

She held her hands to her mouth, "Are you serious?"

I nodded, "Bianca he told me, he's headed to Los Angeles to confirm with the studio so you get extra time to recover." I said, "Congratulations..."

She screamed out as she reached out and hugged me. Her touch and excited energy were something, I tell you. A magical moment happened, her head lifted we exchanged sweet glances. She kissed me on the lips.

"Thank you, Michael," She said, "For looking after me while I was in here."

I stood placing my pen in my white coat. Reveling in the warm sensation and her kiss I said, "My job hasn't finished yet, you still need time to recover. But I'm positive you'll be ready in time for your first shoot."

"For real?"

"It's up to you," I said, "Keep positive and you'll make it."

***

Bianca Wilde

Michael leaves the Room when I fall back into my bed. I run my fingers on my forehead through to my hair. I peer up to ceiling realizing. I want to scream! Everything I lived for, wanted and dreamed is going to happen. I turned to my side to get at my phone. Damn thing was off charge, shit. I sat back holding my hand to my chest, the heat from my hands soothing me.

I felt like I won the damn lottery!

"Psst." I hear a voice. I open my eyes to a familiar face, Brenda Blake. I sit up as she comes in my room, she kisses me on the forehead. She was my childhood friend from school. Standing five foot eight curly blond hair the same colored eyes. I inhaled so glad that she's here. I spent most of the day drifting in and out of sleep. So many dreams I had but couldn't remember. So in need of company being so wide awake.

"How you doing pumpkin?" Brenda said in her pimp squeak voice.

"A lot better. What's the time?"

"12:45 am."

"How you get in after visiting hours."

"I spoke with that cute doctor of yours Mr. Angel." She pointed inwards, "Men can't resist a face like mine."

I laughed, "He is attractive, isn't he?"

"He told me not disturb you if you're sleeping, but I didn't pay attention to anything he said. I was fantasizing him snatching me into the cleaning cupboard. Taking my temperature, with his kisses."

"Shut it, Brenda."

"Ha-ha only joking. He seems quite protective of you," She said, "He said, you got the part?"

"I got the confirmation from him..."

"Squee! You know what that means?"

"What?"

"Party to celebrate!"

"Oh God, not after being so sick. I'm not touching a drop of alcohol, ever again."

She rolled her eyes, when Bianca peeked out to the door.

"Hey."

"What?"

She whispers, "Your doctor... is he single?"

"I don't know," I said, "It's an inappropriate question to ask."

"Well?"

"Gosh, Brenda he's my doctor!" I said, "I checked his ring finger so he's not married." I said, "Anyways what's the latest?"

Brenda licked her lips for a moment before she flicked her eyes to me, "Everyone is talking about you!" she said, with her eyes widened.

"Yeah about how collapsed, in my own pool of sweat."

"Ha-ha, no silly. I messaged everyone you got the part when the doc told me. My phone has been going crazy!" she laughed, "Look!"

I checked her phone to see five hundred messages and counting.

"Gosh, who needs a publicist and PR when I got you, Brenda?"

Brenda smiled holding her hands together, "Well we got to hold a party to celebrate?" Brenda said, "Invite the cutey pie doctor of yours to come."

I nodded, "As soon as I get well, which will be two weeks' time."

She came and gave me a hug and kissed my forehead, she froze leaned back. "Hey."

"What?"

"Your not infectious are you?" She held her hand over her mouth. Pinching her nose.

"No course not."

"Cool!" she put her cheek against mine and took out her phone and took a selfie.

Not the kind of photo I want, with no make-up on. Meh.

***

Dr. Michael Angel

Two weeks passed and I was happy, Bianca made a full recovery. She got more beautiful each day that passed, and our conversations about life, drew me near to her. She exuded ambition and she was itching to start in her new role as Cinderella, which commenced the following week. She asked me out to a party at her apartment. I mulled over it. Since I don't involve myself with patients, her friend Brenda insisted when it came time for Bianca to check out.

It was Saturday afternoon and I finished my shift. Orange sun coated the motorway with its light. I took the turnoff and pulled up to my driveway. I took a nap to ensure I don't turn up with puffy and tired looking eyes. I lay on my bed and drifted away.

The dream I had was so vivid. Bianca was in the hospital bed, she was wearing a white gown, her expression all so consuming, and I drew near her. I pulled the curtains all around.

I sat down, and I took out my pen to write something in my notepad. It was when I looked up, Bianca was there. Her face so close, her arm around my shoulder. Her hand moved on top of mine.

I tried to move it away, but she held it there. She didn't let go. I blinked and turned to face her, her eyes closed when she gave me a deep kiss.

She interlinked my hands when it moved down to her panties... I felt the dampness when she moaned the moment my fingers began to massage her clit in a circular motion. She exhaled the moment I whispered at how beautiful she looked.

Bianca began to lay back into the bed, I started to remove my white coat. I leaned in to kiss her neck. Her skin felt smooth my tongue left wet trails that glistened.

My mouth returned to hers, to feel her tongue touching mine, my cock began to engorge with desire. I wanted her. I felt her cold hands on my body making my muscles tense. The sensation is odd... I opened my eyes. Wide. To see a lifeless body in my arms that soon disintegrated.

Like ashes...

I woke.

I shook my head feeling disorientated after the nap. I opened up my wardrobe and took out a black suit with a black silk shirt. I pulled out my boots grabbing a cloth to clean the scuff to restore polished look. I took my time to dress dapper for the party, clean shaven, hair on point. I styled with a nice part that gives George Clooney a run for his money. I dabbled on Cologne with its musky scent. I inhaled feeling sexy and sophisticated. I adjusted my jacket, smiling at the careful, intricate transformation which took ten minutes.

Quite the transition from the white coat to the black suit. The illusion of clothes to create an impression, an impact. I took my keys and left.

***

The party was in full swing, packed with people and loud music. I worried Bianca's place would collapse from the sheer amount of people. She had a place in Darlington Harbor. A two-story apartment set in rows looking out to the waters. The street in front of her place had wood slatted boardwalks on each side. I arrived at the front door, people congregating on both levels.

The first person I recognized was Brenda, waving frantically as she alerted Bianca to my arrival. I stood on the side of the street when Bianca made her way outside. She opened up the door and gave me a hug outside. She was wearing a white dress with a black skivvy type top. The material felt rough, upon closer inspection there were embossed patterns in the cloth. Images of birds the more I examined. Her body and form came through the clothing she had such a sexy body.

Damn sexy.

Bianca took my arm, as we went inside, intimidated by the music and lights as I headed into her world. A mile away from the drab and dull, dingy confines of my hospital ward. I didn't say much, only pigeon talk as I immersed into it. Women and men dressed so impeccably. So much laughter and the buzz of conversation overloaded my senses. I turned to Bianca as she checked out how uncomfortable I was. A fish out of water as they say. For some reason, she stayed attached to me.

Inquisitive quizzes from men and women about the man attached to Bianca. She would champion me as her dedicated doctor who helped her get well. The conversations I listened so different, the outlook and gossip on things came across as so petty and menial to me. I couldn't help but be compelled and repulsed. I arrived pretty late and as you expect the rowdiness and conversations got borderline crazy.

Most of the crowd streamed out when there was only a few stragglers were left when I ended up alone with Bianca on the second story of her apartment. We stood looking out over the water, rippled with the light of the skyscrapers and the streetlights of the Sydney harbor bridge. Bianca came with a glass taking a long sip, draining half.

"You didn't drink much tonight," I said, "Till now."

"It's been a long day. We started around about 5 pm I took one shot of Tequila and nearly passed out." She smiled, "Been recovering from that single drink ever since."

"Alcohol tends to hit you hard when you abstained from it for a while."

"Tell me about it. Perhaps why my body got sick. All the weekend parties finally caught up to me."

"So you're an Alcoholic?"

Bianca laughed, and pointed to Brenda, who came up the stairs stumbling. She said, "That's the alcoholic."

We paused as Brenda bowed holding her cocktail. She was wearing black heels and strapless, back dress. She seemed to hold on the rail trying to balance herself. Her eyes were bloodshot.

"Whaaat," she said, "I'm not alcoholic... I'm a Cockoholic..." she said, slurring and laughing.

I raised a brow, when Brenda put a hand on my suit and went for my crotch. She reeked of Alcohol so much if I took out a match she would ignite. Bianca stepped in and called one of the other girls to take her home. Brenda refused and got angry.

She blurted, "Fuck you Bianca he was my man!" she screamed, "I invited him!"

Bianca shook her head holding her palm against her face. "Sorry about this Michael can you give me a minute?

I nodded as they went down the stairs. I heard the commotion and the argument about who owned me. I turned to peer out the balcony when I spotted Brenda being pushed into a taxi, she waved at me blowing invisible kisses. I cringed. Bianca came to the driver's side and prepaid the driver before they left. It appeared as everyone else was leaving. I peered out again losing myself in the water. This lifestyle was something I couldn't get used to. I turned around to the view of Bianca's bedroom. The sliding doors were open and the downlights beamed down in her room.

Pictures of Bianca were lined around the room. I stopped by the door to take a peek. They were photos of her achievements. Some were magazine covers, others were portraits. Her beauty was plastered on the wall like trophies. There was one photo which got me, the one of her with her back turned to the autumn sun. Her hair draped down to the middle of her back, staring at the sun. I shook. Bianca caught me by surprise her hand on my shoulder.

"Hey," she said, as she gave me another drink. "I thought I would freshen up your beverage.

"Thanks," I said taking the glass to sip. I pointed glass in hand with my pinky to that photo of her looking at the sun. She blinked twice then tilted her head down.

She said, "I hate it. It was taken when my father passed away."

"I'm sorry. Why do you still keep it up?"

"It was the last photo he took of me..." she said, "I wrestled with the notion of taking it down, only to it put up again."

"Oh... How did he die if you don't mind me asking?"

"He passed away in his sleep. He wasn't sick, he didn't suffer. Bizarre his heart just stopped beating."

"It's a common occurrence to pass away like that. What about your mother?"

"She died when I was born."

There was a pause when Bianca took my hand to go into her bedroom. I examined the photo more carefully. The trees had leaves in the shades of red, orange, yellow and brown. Some were caught midway floating like feathers to the ground. I figured how his father managed to catch it all at the exact moment the rays of light. I took my hand out touching the glass followed the beam of light to the tendrils of hair. Bianca stared at the path I had traced before I ended at her head.

I whispered, "It was the happiest time of your life. Your back is so straight, shoulders wide, your head tilted up. Sun bathing your face, together with the ones you love. Watching the leaves fall. You keep the photo as a reminder of the good when the dark times which followed. The sun always gives hope there will be a better place in the end."

I stepped closer to run my hand on the lens flare in the picture I turned to Bianca, whose eyes were glassy, "Oh! I'm sorry for being insensitive. I'm thinking aloud. I should have kept what I said to myself." I put my arms around her. Holding her.

In her bedroom, I told her I was sorry. She flicked her eyes up to me, Bianca was so gorgeous I couldn't resist. So elegant and so sexy. I leaned forward pressing my lips against hers. The first kiss was an initiation. She put her arms around my neck looking up. Her clear blue eyes reciprocated with intense desire.

She whispered, "It's okay, thank you for everything you did for me, Michael."

She let go and walked over to the light switch and turned off the lights. The room was dark with the illumination of the skyscrapers and the harbor leeching in. Bianca snaked her arms around my neck. She kissed me back. Her body pressed close to me, I held the side of her face, I licked my lips she moistened hers. I took her. Making her mine, for the night. I speared my fingers through her hair, the scent of her apple shampoo surrounded us. She moaned reverberating the sound causing tingles to my body.

Intense desire inside me awakened my cock from her arousing me. I lifted up her skivvy to reveal her luxurious and glorious body. Her breasts were like beautifully bulged teardrops, the nipples were small hard and pointy. Wind blew in from outside causing the hairs on my forearms to rise, then I noticed the goosebumps on her body. She needed my warmth, my heat to insulate her body. I took off my suit jacket when Bianca kissed me again. My eyes are closed. The image of Bianca etched forever in my mind, and my heart.

I whispered, running my hands all over her curves, "Your beautiful body."

"How can you tell with your eyes closed?" She replied.

The cold air on my body makes my muscles tense. My cock was rock hard, pressing against her belly. I ran my hands over her breasts, navigating it to get a sense of the image in my mind. I whispered in the shell of her ear, "Your warmth, and the softness of your skin. Your tender lips kissing me." I said, "But there's more I want..."

I took Bianca holding the sides of her face. My penetrative kisses made her body submissive to me, her hand went down to my pants where she removed my belt, my pants dropped to the floors. The dull thud of the belt hitting the polished wood floor made me flinch. The cold sensation on my thighs, Bianca grabbed and stroked my arousal, the pre-cum priming me already, made me move back into her bed.

I sat back on the bed, as Bianca climbed on me. She sat on me and kissed me while my cock hardens so much it ached. She took her dress off, only to reveal her white panties, I sucked and kissed her breasts massaging them. My hands went down to her panties, I noted how damp they were from her arousal. I pulled them down in the desperation and need. Right down to allow me to go deep inside her... Bianca leaned back, pausing. "To feel you like this and not have you inside me yet. Michael, I'm wet already..."

I know...

Her tone of voice made me fall in the moment, I turned her on her back, parting her legs apart. The wind blew in again when I clutched the thin white sheet to cover us while I made sweet love to her. Pulling the sheet up over our heads the incoming wind caused it to float up like a parachute...

Bianca's eyes widened, and she smiled looking at this marvelous sight when we were finally covered by the sheet. I guided my cock inside her, the ease from the wetness of her arousal made me slide in. I paused for ten seconds before sliding slowly out of her.

The tightness of her clenching and moments later releasing as I penetrated Bianca. The timing was slow the thrust deep. Bianca moaned her head raising up when my cock would reach sensitive places inside her.

Thrust _, Deep, Slow... loving._

The heat under sheets began to build, the more I focused on the effort transferring the energy of my desire inside her. She leaned up again screaming in ecstasy, so much her teeth touched my jaw like a bite. "Bianca..." I moaned. The intensity built up at the base of my spine the urge to increase the frequency took over as I thrust deep inside her.

Deeper and deeper, fast then slow. Fast again, then slow.

There was a sensation of tranquility, making love to Bianca. Prolonging the sensations. My hands clenched her hips as I slid inside her, again and again. The tingling sensation built up inside me ready to come when Bianca's pussy began to tighten around my cock.

She screamed as her body shuddered. Her release started to intertwine with my own as I released pulses of my come inside her. Her breathing heavy, mine as well. I wrapped myself around her cuddling her, caressing her. Watching her eyes with deep loving stares to me. I want this to last forever. I exhaled. Forever.

***

Bianca Wilde

I woke up with the warmth of Michael's naked body behind me. His arm around me. I sensed his, shallow breaths. I reached over to my phone on the bedside. I read the message from Victor Walters that filming was to commence tomorrow and my contract with confirmation of my payment would be settled. Gosh, I was so caught up in the thrill of everything, I didn't even know how much I was going to be bloody paid! I knew with Victor it was going to be a lot. I put my phone back and I retreated into s Michael arms. Facing him, I lay there watching, thinking about him. Where our journey will go? Something hit me a dull pain, more of a sad emotion. Was this a one off? A one night stand? Can we sustain a relationship with the careers we have? I blinked when I ran my hand over his jaw. The thing is I had man finally who would protect me and take care of me. But did I need this in my life, right now?

Michael inhaled deeply and opened his eyes, then closed them, "What are you thinking about?" he said, "What's the time?"

"It's 10 am. I was thinking about you."

He opened his eyes, his deep brown eyes, had me intrigued. You know you're own, for it to be natural and ordinary. To catch sight of Michaels was odd. He breathed in when I snuggled against him.

He said, "Last night was incredible." He said, "I don't want this to be some fling, I want to get to know you more, spend time with you."

"Like boyfriend and girlfriend?" I said.

"Yeah, it's what I want, if you'll have me?" He said, "I do care about you, Bianca."

"I know."

I blinked when the flood of future memories peppered my mind. Dates, time together doing couple stuff. There was a positive feeling about it. But then my career popped in my mind. The images of my movie role and everything that comes with it took the luster off it.

I said, "Can I be honest?"

Michael swallowed a lump, he sat up hand holding his head.

"The role for the TV series, the hours are going to be so intense. I spoke with the producer, I'm going to be working 6 days a week for the next three months. 5 am to 7 pm each day. How are we going to find time to spend with each other?"

"Bianca I totally understand, but I lead the same busy life as you. I'm happy to take any time you make available."

I started to choke up a bit, "What if I only have a few hours to spend with you?" I said, "A relationship can't function like that!"

He said, "I'll take it. It means, I'll be making love to you more intensely to make up for it."

Michael smiled giving me a peck on the lips, he made me laugh, but I was emotional at the same time. "Seriously Michael, how can this work out?"

He wrapped himself around me and said, "Because we are a team." He said. "Like any relationship it has its ups and downs, we'll work it out. At the end of the day, I want to call you mine."

Gosh, I had the warm fuzzy sensation, a swirling in my stomach made me hold my hand there.

"Okay. I _do_ want this. Let's find out where we go huh?"

He wrapped the Sheet around me and kissed again. He has this caressing way to it. I felt his arousal grow when Michael whispered.

"Now you're mine..."

***

Day one movie shoot.

I arrived at the studio to commence filming. I received an email over the weekend of the script, so I spent my Sunday in a hungover state trying to memorize my lines. The producer took me to the green room where there was a lounge equipped with its own bathroom and shower. The floor and the couch were green, but the walls were painted gray. There was a bowl of fruit on the coffee table. I took a bite out of one the apples.

I setup my bag, when the makeup lady bursts in to take me to prepare. Gosh, it was so surreal being in the makeup chair while she did my hair. I laughed to myself because they were doing the complete opposite, making me ugly giving me this disheveled appearance. They had photos of how the production guys wanted me to look. The tattered beige dress I put on felt grimy. I was relieved it didn't stink but when they completed everything it appears like I had a job cleaning chimneys.

I rehearsed my lines but what got me was how monotonous and repetitive filming was, with the breaks in between. My performances seemed to dwindle after each take as the Director Victor wanted a number so he can choose from when he came around to editing.

7 pm hit and I was so exhausted I changed out of my clothes and wanted to go home to shower. I arrive back at my door, there were flowers and a note from Michael. It read.

Hi Bianca

Didn't want to disturb you on your first day. Hope you did well.

Let me know when you're free to catch up.

Love Michael.

I went inside to put the flowers in a vase of water. I showered and took the vase to place by my bedside. So exhausted, I smiled so appreciatively of the gift he gave, it was so sweet. The roses were a selection of different colors arranged in rings. The outer ring was white, roses in the middle was yellow and the inner layer was red. They were staggered in height all the vibrant colors from the side view of my bed. I smiled at its beauty when I thought about the next logical step in our relationship. What will things be like if he moves in with me with the tired states, I'm in? One thing was clear. I missed him not being in my bed with me.

***

Dr. Michael Angel

Next Sunday night after much persistence. I managed to get some time with Bianca. I came over to her apartment to meet and take a walk around the Sydney harbor. She told me of the fireworks display which was happening so I grab my coat from the car. Damn it felt like a lifetime event, though, it had only been a week. I already missed her. She stood outside her apartment wearing a brown leather coat with jeans and sneakers. Less glamourous more down to earth.

I kissed her and took her hand as walked around Darlington Harbor. The night wasn't as cold, the skies clear enough, perfect for the display. We walked to the Sydney Opera House. There weren't many people which was perfect. I held Bianca's hand feeling her warmth. She was quiet for a moment when we stopped at the rail to admire the boats coming in. All aligned in prime view to have fireworks go off above them. I squeezed her hand she turned to me. Her face, with the dark shadows underneath them, had me concerned.

I said, "You haven't uttered a word, Bianca."

"Sorry, I'm so tired."

"We should have stayed at your apartment."

"No. I wanted to get out. I was getting cabin fever being at home at night this whole week. It has been like a giant rat race. Get up at 4 am don't come back till 7 pm. Shower, eat, in bed by 8 pm. repeat." She said, "I apologize if my energy is not there."

"Hey, I'm happy to take any time you spared for me, whether it be angry, sad, happy or elated."

"I don't want to string you along in my misery."

"C'mon you telling me you're not enjoying where you are, at this moment in time?" I said, "You earned the opportunity most people would drop a hat for in a second to be in your shoes."

Bianca smiled and nodded, "I'm pretty lucky I guess."

I held her chin and kissed her lips, "You have no idea..."

There were sweet exchanges of stares. Then the fireworks went off, red light flashed on her face.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

We both flinched to turn to the waters. I held Bianca close as the sky illuminated with the different colors. A rainbow in the night. We both were in awe of the various patterns and shapes. The crackling sound and the booming explosions. Bianca pointed to one in red the form of the heart. She snuggled in close, her arm around my waist. I peered down to her beaming smile before returning to the fireworks display.

***

We arrived back at her apartment and I kissed her goodnight. Before I turned, she grabbed my arm.

She said, "Want to stay the night?"

I glanced at my wristwatch, 12 am. "It's a school night for you remember?" I said, "4 am..."

"So are you my teacher now?"

"I'm trying to be considerate besides you won't be sleeping much, if I stay the night."

Bianca widened her eyes, I moved in close wrapping my arms around her, "Good Night Bianca..."

Memories of time we made love peppered in my mind, Bianca snaked her arms around my neck and she whispered, "I think I might call in sick tomorrow..."

"I am a doctor you know, I can write up a sick note, but I'll have to examine your _whole_ body head to toe. Taking your temperature to make certain you're not running a fever."

I placed my hands on her chest.

My eyes widened "Oh, No. Bianca, I can't feel your pulse..."

She started chuckling when I lifted her up to take her to bed.

I whispered, "I'm going to perform CPR..."

***

I carried Bianca up the stairs to her bedroom. I kicked the door lightly at the bottom to open, the photos on her wall were all gone. The bed and her fluffy white duvet comforted us as I placed her down. She sunk in and moved back to the headboard. I stood at the end while I removed my clothes. First my suit jacket, then my shirt. Bianca bit her lip as I undressed to nothing more than my naked body. Bianca crawled up to end of the bed to let me, remove all her clothes. I kissed her neck as tingles rippled through my body centering on my cock. Her naked body pressed against me. Her warmth.

She fell back on the bed, rolling to one side to lift the duvet. Opening it up like a clam with her as the pearl. I moved quickly to catch her closing the duvet. My body on top of her, I nudged her legs apart. As I ravaged her body with kisses. It was different the second time around, the familiarity of her body. Her curves, every dimple. I remembered everything from the time before. I knew the places which gave her pleasure, my head moved down to her breasts, my tongue massaged her nipples. My lips sucked with pressure the caused the most intense pleasure...

They hardened, she moaned. Bianca pulled the duvet over my head as I breathed for air. I imagined her seeing a lump in front of her as I went down on her, further and further. My mouth went below her breasts to the middle of her stomach. The wet trail I left, inches away from her clit. She had run her hand down ahead of my tongue before she began to rub it in a circular motion. I heard the sound of wetness, clit aroused to the point where it was screaming for my cock. Bianca threw the duvet over. The cold air evaporated the sweat off my skin. The cooling sensation surrounded us.

I raised my head up, to her face. Her cheeks so flushed. The desire in her eyes. Her perfume.

"I want you inside me...." She whispers. The words reverberate in my mind my cock aching even more to take her. Bianca lifts her arms, her hands come together before holding the headboard. I crawl up to meet her against her face. I pause when I listen to the succinct breathing and the view of her dilated pupils in the moonlight.

Bianca licks her lips, when I hunker down into her body. I penetrate her.

...

Silent screams, as she adjusts to my length again.

...

My cock sliding in _so_ slow, taking my length _deep_ inside her. She rolls her eyes to the back of her head. She bites her lip. Face flushed.

I penetrate her again. This time with a low deep stroke, her whole body shivers and shakes her breathing begins to pick up pace. She nods biting her lip again. I closed my eyes.

I whisper, "You have a beautiful body, Bianca..." I said, "Beautiful."

I listened again to her breathing.

I penetrated her again and again. Her pattern set the pace for me. She became tighter and tighter, the more I increased the frequency. Her hand held me now, gripping my body as I pushed more and more into her pussy. My head snuggled against her neck and my ears listened to her deep moans. I sensed she was going to come, but my need was greater to meet her there.

I slid in and out of her, my mind thinking of Bianca becoming one with her, mind body and soul. She started to come and I met her in the moment in multiple successions of ecstasy. Releasing into her body. She clutched my shoulders, fingernails digging deep.

I lifted my head up, brushing away her hair. To see her face.

"I love you, Bianca..."

She blinked when her eyes glazed as she shed a tear. I pulled a white sheet over our bodies the lightness of the fell on us like feathers.

***

Bianca Wilde

_4am_.

I got up after few hours rest so energized. Which was so odd considering the amount of sleep I had. I ran my hand over Michael's jaw, before I jumped in the shower to get ready for work. I came out scrubbing my hair with the towel, to Michael still in deep sleep. His body so chiseled, His chest resembled a chest plate on a Roman soldier. Shoulders like boulders, Biceps bulging. He's clutching the pillow his abs were showing, the white sheet covering his lower body. I wanted to stay in his arms. Everything he said to me, bounced around in my mind.

" _I'm happy to take any time you have for me, whether it be angry, sad, happy or elated."_

Gosh, I knew, I'm falling for Michael, but my career as an actress. Got me. I want to make this work and if he is going to make an effort, so should I. I took my notepad and wrote some sweet words on it for him to read when he wakes up. Everything so right to take the next step. I placed the note in his hand and pulled the Duvet up to keep him warm.

I kissed him goodbye, to see him dreaming away.

***

I arrived back on set to go through the motions when there was a police presence at the studio. There were a female cop and a male detective questioning the evil stepsisters. I grabbed the producers arm and asked.

"What happened?"

"Victor was found dead in his apartment last night."

My jaw dropped, my hands on the side of my face. "What!" I said.

"Suicide from the detectives are saying. Victor left a note and all, but there investigating. Gosh, we only started filming!"

"Does he have any enemies?"

"The question is, does he have any friends? Bianca, you may not have had to work with him for a long time, but he's a ruthless cock you know. He gets what he wants and gets rid of what doesn't like."

"Wow, so what happens to the production? Are we all out of the job?"

"No work carries on as usual. A new director is coming in from the studio to take over to ensure the pilot is finished. I sent your audition to him so he can get an understanding of your talents."

"But if he doesn't like me am I out?"

"No. When Victor and I were in Los Angeles, the studio were extremely positive about you. One of the studio executives said you had the charisma to make it."

"Okay. I'm sorry Victor chose to take his life."

I paused when the production manager pulled me to the side, away from everyone.

"I don't want to say anything, but it's fishy to me. I know Victor and he would never do something like that."

"Are you saying he was murdered?" She nodded, "Why?"

"I don't know. But those two detectives are questioning everybody."

We both turned to them, making a beeline for us. The male was dressed in a black pants, white collared shirt with the buttons undone three down. He stood about 6'3. He had a shoulder holster with his pistol inside. He had brown skin, jet black hair styled with a fade on the side and a modern comb-over. He took out his folder when the female dressed in a coat, tall about 6'0 flicks an eye to me with a scowl on her face. She had brunette hair like me, but deep piercing brown eyes. Porcelain skin. She had an athletic build to her.

Bianca Wilde? The man said, in a silky voice.

"Yes."

"My name is Sione Suarvea, and this is my partner Anna Beckett. Detectives with the police department. May we ask you a few questions?

I nodded and we went into the green room. I told them I was with Michael last night and I prodded them to get more details. Basically only confirming what the producer Sophie said. I didn't know anyone here to give background on anyone so I sensed they realized.

They stood to go the other end of the room when my ears strained, when I eavesdropped on what they were talking about.

Sione said, "I was talking with the production manager and she said the studio gave her the green light as the star of the production. I can see why, she's a beauty."

Anna said, "Focus." She said, "I don't think there would be a motive to kill the director if he's the one who cast her."

"The production manager told me also, the studio sent over three women from L.A to audition but because of Bianca they all got the chop at the last minute. Two are still here, working as the stepsisters in the production. They seemed evasive when we talked to them before."

"Jesus she never mentioned anything to me!" Anna said.

I flicked my eye to Sione, who said to Anna, "You need to be less abrasive and abrupt when talking with women, being approachable gets you a long way." Sione smirked when Anna rolled her eyes.

They both walked over to me. I turned to face the other way, before turning back when they got close.

Sione took my hand, "Thank you, Bianca, for your time today. Your appearance is absolutely stunning." he said, "We will be in touch if anything else comes up."

I nodded when they walked out. Anna narrowed her eyes and pinched Sione in the arm making him jolt. Uttering a loud 'Ouch!' as they went out the door.

Random.

***

Because of the investigation disrupting everything. I was sent home early. I arrived at my apartment when Michael's Porsche was parked with a trailer attached. I smiled knowing he moved so quick with the message I wrote. He laid eyes on me getting out of the car, he dropped the bags he was carrying to meet me.

He said, "I read the message, didn't say _when_ to move in with you. I hope, I'm not too eager?"

I snaked my arms around him and kissed, "No better time than now huh?"

Michael nodded when I went the trailer to take a box to help. My stomach was swirling so excited he was moving in. He didn't have much stuff, but he had a weird collection of Arnold Schwarzenegger memorabilia posters of him and his muscles.

I raised a brow.

He said, "I'm a fan, so what?"

I shrugged. "Was he the reason you work out a lot?"

Michael flashed a double biceps pose. "Yeah," He said, "Partly."

I chuckled "I'm not complaining. But don't be putting those up in our bedroom. It's creepy."

Michael grabbed me and held me, "How was your day today?"

"Dramas," I said, "My director was found dead in his apartment last night."

"Oh my god! Victor?" he said, "I heard it on the radio when I came over here. I didn't think it was him!" He said, "The media said he was found to have died of a heroin overdose." He kissed me, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I spoke to the detectives who asked about my whereabouts, I guess they think it's murder."

"Wow, must have been intense?"

"It was weird you know. You read about this in newspapers when it happens, so close to you, it becomes surreal." I smiled "You are my alibi, though."

Michael smiled, "Well I hope you didn't give them all the detail on what we did last night. That might be a crime in itself..."

We both cracked up laughing, when Michael asked.

"Oh snap! So what happens to your role?" he said, "Are they going to shut the whole production down?"

"No, business as usual. A new director coming on board to take the reins."

"Jeez, they move quickly don't they?"

"It's a ruthless business. The pilot is a ten million dollar production. Keep in mind even though you're the star, no one is indispensable in this business."

Michael paused, "Hey, enough of the negative. I was thinking of cooking dinner to celebrate our first night in." he raised a brow, "Maybe desert after..."

"Sounds good."

***

Dr. Michael Angel

There was a novel feeling having dinner with Bianca, another memory that would forever imprint in my mind. We sat at the table, her dining room was on the first floor, but the elevated height was enough to peer out into the water. I made a lamb casserole with mashed potatoes and peas. I found out Bianca wasn't a fan of peas, by the pile she separated in the corner of her plate. We both had a good meal none the less in the company of each other. So stuffed I lay on the couch with Bianca like intertwined pythons, lethargic after a big meal. My stomach protruded from six abs to one. I took my shirt off to get comfortable. Bianca put her leg over mine while I smoothed her thighs, she was occupied by her phone, flicking through her messages.

"What are you doing?"

"Checking my Facebook Fan page."

"You have one?"

"Yeah," she showed me the name.

"Bianca Butterfly?" I said, "I thought your surname was Wilde?"

"It is. It's a nickname."

I went through her posts it had photos mainly of obese women who went through incredible life changing transformations.

"Damn there's over a million followers!"

"Yeah, I started off like those women you know."

"Na," I said, "I can't picture it?"

"I used to be size 18 before I starting blogging, showing people my diet and exercise regime. I started YouTube videos when it all went viral, I feel so guilty for not posting anything."

"Where's your post about your Cinderella role being on set, in costume?"

"The studio prohibits us from doing it until filming is over."

"I took her phone and held it up putting it on camera."

"No... Don't!"

FLASH!

"There you go a selfie for your fans, with Dr. Michael Angel."

I uploaded it when she took her phone she stared at the photo pausing. There was a moment,

"Gosh, I got a happy expression for once!" She flicked her eyes to me a quick peck on my lips.

"Bianca it seems from your Facebook page you're making a difference in the lives of the fans you reach. That's awesome you know."

"I do miss it," She said, "No time to do it since the role and I wouldn't want to post the food we've been eating. Might demotivate too many people."

"Yeah, we ate too much huh?"

I got off her and went to the fridge, I spooned three large balls of chocolate ice cream in a bowl. Sprinkling desiccated coconut for color. I came back and her eyes widened.

"No Michael! I'm not eating it. Gosh, I still want to fit in the dress as Cinderella."

"No worries. More for me."

I snuggled myself into Bianca's arms holding the bowl. She licked her lips watching me take small spoonfuls.

I moaned, "Mmmm the flavor, so good...."

"Gosh, Michael put it away will ya!"

"Mmmm. So sweet... I know Chocolate is your favorite."

Bianca rolled her eyes, when I took a spoon placing it by her mouth. She pursed her lips and refused, turning her head to the side.

"Open up Doctors orders."

She shook her head when I smeared the chocolate ice-cream on my lips. I brushed aside her hair and leaned in kissing her. She moaned licking the sweet chocolate. I went in for another kiss when she took my bowl and started eating for herself.

Now I regretted bringing desert!

***

Two weeks later

This was a dream life living with Bianca, but it was noticeable things didn't get better for her role as Cinderella. The irony like the fairy tale and in her job. It turned out the new director was a complete pushover. He demanded a lot out of Bianca, that I got the arse end of her mood swings. We argued over some of the pettiest things. But I knew once the pilot was over things would get better. I came into the lounge, Bianca was sitting at the table. She was wearing a white shirt and jeans. There was a piece of paper at the table. I sensed the tension in the room already. She wasn't smiling, she had the most serious expression.

"Michael we need to talk."

I flinched, "Sure Bianca..."

I sat at the table next to her, she pushed the letter across.

I read through the details so excited. It turns out a lot more networks have bought the pilot and they Cinderella is confirmed for another season.

"That's awesome Bianca!" I said, "Why are you so sad?"

"Michael they are shifting production to Los Angeles."

"Oh..." I bit my lip paused and thought "How long would you be there for?"

"The season is about 4-5 months."

"I'm happy to wait for you here Bianca."

Her eyes went red, "Michael this is something I always dreamed off. I get to live and work in Hollywood. My agent said, I can use the series as a base to audition for other projects. Build connections. I want to live there."

I blinked twice, "Bianca I... I can wait. Visit. Skype?"

She wiped her eyes, "Long distance relationships never work."

...

I said, "So that's what you want." I faced her, "To break up."

"Michael you are a good man, but you knew my situation, you knew my ambition."

"I know..." I paused having a massive lump in my throat, "Bianca I'm proud of you. I understand, even though it hurts to see you go."

I stood, hands on hips to walk out to the balcony. I exhaled when Bianca snaked her arms around my waist.

"I'm sorry Michael."

I squeezed my eyes before I turned to face her.

"Bianca, I'm sad you are leaving me. But I understand, this life you're gonna be living is an opportunity most don't get. I'm proud you're chasing your goals. I wish I were there with you, but I can't, not with my job at the hospital." I said, "I want you to know I will always love you no matter what. I relished this time even if it was cut short."

***

Bianca Wilde

Los Angeles

I cried my eyes all the way to Los Angeles. Life always seems to be bittersweet. I came out of LAX airport and I was met by the producer Sophie, who came in a rental. The first thing that got me about Los Angeles was the way the light shined here. It was 10 am and it felt like it was the afternoon. Sophie had taken me around before I came to Eastown Apartments on Hollywood Boulevard. The place was surreal with the shops with expensive clothing. I took out my bag when the producer peered at her smartphone.

"I'll pick you up at 5 am in the next day or two give your body time to adjust to the time zone."

"No Problem, did they find anything else on Victor?"

"Funny you should say..." she said, "You remember the detectives back in Australia?"

"Yeah, Sione Suarvea and Anna Beckett."

"Well. They are here, interviewing guys from the studio, they might be thinking someone here did it?

I held my hands to my mouth, "Wow!" I said, "I wonder who? And why the hell why?"

"I'm anxious as you babe. I'm meeting some of the team at this Club this billionaire owns, called purgatory. They got the down low and rumors had been going around before I got here. I'm itching to confirm it all. Everyone tells the truth when there drunk." She said, "You can come if you want?"

"No, I'm okay. I want to settle in. So jet-lagged."

She said, "Listen I'll pick you up on Tuesday. If you need anything, give me a call."

I nodded when she left.

I took my bags into my apartment, the emptiness you get when you are in a foreign country away from family and loved ones.

Michael.

I checked my phone for a message from him. And sure enough, there is.

It said.

Hi Bianca

Hope you got there safe.

Keep in touch.

Love you always

Michael

I exhaled and dropping my bags before falling on the couch. The sun speared through my apartment, the heat here was hot and humid. The air smoggy and stale.

***

Tuesday.

Sophie, the producer, picked me up. I was still tired as my body hadn't quite adjusted, and we took the road via N Gower St to Sunset Gower Studios.

"Good morning, Cinderella," Sophie said.

I yawned when she handed me a coffee, "Thank you, you are such a godsend."

"Thought you might need it."

I took a sip when the caffeine hit me. I got in better spirits, talkative, "Hey, how was the party?"

"Oh my god. Unbelievable. Beats all the bullshit clubs back in Australia."

"Did you find out anything on Victor?"

"It's bizarre, they were all spooked out at his death, but after a few vodka shots man did the truth come out. Jeez, the detectives, should have joined us at the club."

"Gosh, Sophie, spill it will ya? Tell me what did you find out?"

"It turns out the studio wanted to shoot the pilot series here in Los Angeles. When they had Samantha and Emily, your evil stepsisters earmarked for Cinderella they were already here."

"But that's when I got hired."

"Exactly. But Victor wanted to shoot in Australia because he was apparently taking backhanders from the local production companies. And get this! The Australian government gives subsidies to those companies in the form of tax breaks and incentives."

"Gosh, so I got the part as Cinderella based on Victor's agenda?

"No babe you were the real deal when you auditioned, your evil stepsisters had relationships with one of the studio bosses here in LA.

"I wonder who did it?"

"That's the detective's job let's just get on with it. Huh, babe?"

I spent less and less about who did it and focused on my role. The security guard let us through and my God the thing that got me was the sheer scale when we got here. Everything on a movie scale. There was like armies of people coordinating stuff. I was lost in all the sea of people, trolleys of equipment were being pushed past me. Guys carrying lighting equipment.

I walked in on my set, cameras were set up. The cobbled stone floor with the fireplace. It was burning with flame an actual one... But on closer inspection it was attached to a large gas tank on the other side. The producer tapped my shoulder and pointed me in the direction of Jake Burnett our new director. The asshole who made my role a living hell.

The makeup team applied finishing touches as I stared into flames of the fire. The men on set were adjusting the flame height. Before my wicked stepsisters came in, walking in front of the fireplace getting last minute adjustments from their make-up team. It made me wonder which one of them may have played a part in Victor's death...

I exhaled looking into the fire, almost ready to shoot when my phone vibrated. Shit, I forgot to leave it in the green room. Imagine how embarrassing it would be if it went off when we shoot! It was Michael. I picked up the phone and answered.

"Hi, Michael."

"I got you at a bad time?"

"Yeah I'm about to shoot."

"Oh sorry, I was wondering if we can catch up on the phone," He said, "I miss you."

I paused because I feeling the same.

"Michael I'll call you when I finish. I gotta go."

I ended the call, knowing Michael thinking of me had me in knots. One thing got me about being here is the solitude I had. The biggest difference now, was I lost that excitement when I went home. Because I had no one to come back to.

Gosh, this was my second week and I was getting homesick. I tried to ignore Michael's messages, but he was so persistent. I decided to get stuck in my role to forget when I realized I love him too much _to_ forget about him. I was anxious for this day to be over so I can snuggle up in bed and hear his voice.

***

Dr. Michael Angel

I glanced at my phone, the time here in Sydney was 12 pm. I finished the night shift which was extended by another 6 hours. An 18-hour workday, I was exhausted. I came home to the Apartment, in some sad way, I moved in when Bianca moved out. Saved me the hassle of finding somewhere else. I showered and lay on my bed waiting for her call. The Afternoon sun was spearing in, I was hunkered down on my bed soaking in its warmth. Listening to the waters. I tried to sleep, but the anticipation of her calling kept my eyes open.

Gradually the tiredness set in. My body wanted to rest but my mind so anxious to hear her voice. I lifted my phone to stare at the blank screen before I gave in. My hand holding the phone the ring volume set on high. I drifted off, maybe 20 minutes or so passed, then vibration, and the ring. I jolted, my chest lifted off the bed. My heart was beating furiously. I sat on the side of the bed watching the sun over the waters.

"Hello?" I said.

"Michael is that you?"

"Yeah," I smoothed my face, "So good to hear your voice."

"Gosh, Michael you sound so different."

"Must be the distortion speaking to you half way around the world,"

"Are you free to talk?"

"Always," I said, "What's the time there in Los Angeles?"

"Its 8 pm here, it's a bit chilly."

"Seventeen hours behind here, it's three in the afternoon. Sun is shining over the waters."

"Gosh, I miss my old apartment. The only view outside my window is cars and heavy traffic." She said, "And the homeless below asking for change and singing songs."

"Quite a transition," I said, "How are you?"

"I'm doing alright, filming is well underway. Making a lot more new friends. People here are fantastic."

"Oh it's awesome you have settled in."

"How about you?" she said, "You must found someone else by now."

"No. I haven't." I said, "I'm still thinking of you."

"Michael..."

"I know why you ignored my messages, you want to move on. But I don't want to lose you as a friend. I don't think it should be a reason, not to keep in contact."

...

She said, "I'm sorry if I did that. You're right I did it so I could carry on. Not have you in my mind. When you rang those times, I didn't answer. I struggled to cut you off completely or answer. I picked up the phone after the 10th one to realize, I still want to keep in touch."

"C'mon I didn't call ten times!"

"Umm... yeah, Stalker. It was starting to get creepy."

We both laughed when I said, "Well, now that you decided not to ignore my calls. I'll call once a week now."

"I can live with that," She said, "Michael but honestly, I don't want to waste your time, I want to make it work here. I want to get the roles being offered here... it's..."

I paused when something deep inside me hit, "I'm holding you back isn't it?"

"No! I mean I'm here, aren't I?" she said, "Michael I feel bad in the sense you are wasting your time with me. I'm sure there is some lucky girl in Sydney that deserves your love?"

...

She said, "Michael are you there?"

"Yeah, hey I get it. Bianca I don't want to hold you back from what you want. You have my number I'm here anytime you wish to talk. Even though I'm halfway around the world, there is a doctor who will always love you."

"I know, Michael."

"Take care, Bianca. Keep safe." I ended the call watching the last of the sunset. It's what she wanted. To forget.

***

Bianca Wilde

Two weeks later. The firestorm.

Ever since our phone call, the messages from Michael stopped. I was always fighting myself to send him a message or call. But held off. I kept telling myself the longer I did it, the better it would get. The make-up team got me prepped and ready. My scene was me on hands and knees, while I scrubbed the grease off the floor in front the fireplace.

My evil stepsisters got ready when I commenced scrubbing the stone floor with a thick brush. I stared into the pool of water with the thin layer of soap suds. I brushed aside the mound of bubbles to my reflection. I smelt the gas from the fireplace. My head shifted to the source, I caught a glimpse of the haze in the air.

BOOM!

The huge jet of flame got me right in the face. Like a mushroom cloud of orange and smoke. The blistering heat threw me back. I screamed in agony as I opened my eyes to my whole body on fire. The right side of my face was like someone had put a hot iron on it pressing the steam button. The scent of my burnt flesh, the burnt hair. My clothes were burning it exposed my bubbling skin. I twisted and turned before dropping to the floor rolling. Screams around me when the crew came to extinguish the flame. I mustered enough energy to glance at my charred bubbled skin soaked in white foam before I blanked out.

***

I woke, my mouth so parched and dry. I couldn't breathe through my nose. There was this heavy sensation on the right side of my face. I moved my arms but only a bit. My ears strained for sounds and noise, but I had the same muffled feeling. I tried to open my eyes, but I lacked the strength. Only red from behind my eyelids.

My whole body numb, I finally opened my eyes when the first person I recognized was Michael. He was wearing a wearing a cobalt blue cardigan, his face radiated a golden light. I squinted, my vision trying to adjust. I swallowed, my mind attempted to gather words. But I gazed at Michael again as he wept in front of me. His brown eyes reflected the light of the fluorescents, made them appear opaque almost translucent.

He said, "Bianca, thank god you're finally awake."

My throat was dry, "Water..." I whispered.

Michael turned and grabbed a cup with a straw, I sucked in the water.

"How long... Have I been here...?" I said.

"Bianca you've been in a coma for more about a month."

"What!" I coughed, "What happened to the production?"

"They continued on, replacing you with another actress."

The shock of that hit me. I became agitated and looked for my phone. "I'll be okay, when can I get back?" I said, "Can you call Jake?"

Michael tilted his head down.

"What?" I said, "Tell me, Michael?"

"Bianca you suffered burns to sixty percent of your body. The doctors here had graft skin from your thighs and back to fix your front. Your nose was burned so badly it will need surgery again."

"I'll get better right?" I said, "The surgery will fix everything?"

"Where the bandages are there might be permanent scarring, Bianca. We won't know for sure till it comes off."

I broke down realizing, I lost everything. Emotions compounded in my mind. Everything I worked so hard for, gone. Burned away.

I screamed, "Show me!" I said, "Get me a mirror,"

Michael shook his head. "No, it's not a good idea," He said, "You're all bandaged up. Still healing."

"Get me the fucking mirror!"

"Calm down Bianca..."

"You try and calm down... please, Michael, I beg you get me a mirror."

Michael took out his smartphone. He wiped his eyes.

I said, "Please Michael I need to know how bad it is."

He sat down next me pressing the camera icon. It showed the door and the TV in the corner on the opposite side of the room. Michael sniffled, his index finger was shaking as it hovered over the camera icon to flip it. He flicked his eyes at me. Hesitating.

"Please... Michael." I cried. He pressed it when the screen flipped around. The shock hit me. Like a knife was shunted in the chest and turned. The image of my mutilated face. No eyebrows or lashes. The right side although bandaged the image came through and what Michael said.

"Oh... Fuck..." I said, "I'm a monster... A two face monster."

I started hyperventilating when Michael took away the phone. I couldn't help sobbing. The pain in my chest.

***

Two weeks passed, and for each day, I spent at the hospital, Michael was there with me. But I couldn't help the anxiety the depression I was feeling. I had to go through the changing of bandages most days. I couldn't walk, so I had a nurse to do things we take for granted. A person to bathe and wipe you, it was so fucking humiliating. I felt like a newborn baby.

I had to wear a black compression ski mask that covered my face. Gosh, when I looked in the mirror I peel away at it to see the scars.

Michael held me while I stared in the mirror. I cried.

"Hey, the mask will help with the healing."

"God I look like that guy Jason, from Friday the thirteenth."

"Stop it. Bianca, you don't. Things will get better."

I couldn't bear to look anymore.

***

The studio had enough insurance to pay me out for the incident, I was awarded nearly five million towards my rehabilitation. The reality that no amount of money was going to fix the damage to half of my face.

With my career in tatters, I moved back to Sydney, once I was able to walk to finish my recovery and do plastic surgery to repair my nose. Each surgery I had, was stressful and even then there was only a minute difference in appearance. Some of them felt like it made it look worse. The image of those Hollywood actresses came to mind with their ridiculous enhancements. I had in total over fifty procedures in the space of a year.

I was sick of the puffy face, sick of the recovery, tired of the compounding anxiety and depression. It was then after the last operation, to my nose. I looked at Michael, who was sitting in the chair beside me sleeping. Staring, thinking of everything he did for me.

I whispered, wiping my eyes,

" _I put you through so much Michael, but I'm tired... I don't want this life no more._

I don't."

I slid off my bed and walked out to the ward. My room was by the fire exit, and I saw the nurses. I waited for them to turn away before which I took to the roof.

The first thing that got me was the view being so high. I could see the Sydney Opera House. The Harbor Bridge. The night was cold, I shivered rubbing my forearms, my white gown rippled from the wind as I went to the edge. The surrounds were enough for me to step up on. I looked down to the cars streaming past below. There was steam coming up from the building below to the right. I stepped up to the edge moving left to take the fall right down to the bottom.

Ready to leave the world and its misery behind...

***

Dr. Michael Angel

Present Night

On the rooftop of the hospital, tears streamed from Bianca's face. The wind blew so strong they carved different paths on her scarred cheek and the side that wasn't. I heard a thud behind me and turned to the two detectives. They stopped as soon as they recognized. Bianca opened her eyes and said, "They are all faded memories. Like those pictures on I had on my walls." She cried, nodding, she stepped forward "I'm sorry Michael."

No!

She began to lean back then she fell. Everything went in slow motion.

...

I ran with everything I had... The wind behind me blew behind me pushing me more. I jumped up to grab her.

Memories of everything, I shared with her shunted energy in me, I reached...

My arms arced to grab her.

Reached.

I heard the fluttering sound of my white coat shimmering in the wind. The sound of traffic below.

I caught her in my arms. I held her tight.

You're not going to die tonight because I love you.

God, let me save her...

I felt the free fall to the bottom, my coat wrapped us. My stomach and balls felt the rising sensation from the height. I turned back first, I could see the moon above and windows of the building.

CRASH!

The impact knocked the wind out of me, my back first fell into what was the hollow metal ducting on the building below. I had Bianca in my arms. I peered up to the detectives at the top looking down. We only fell a couple of stories. Any further to the right we would gone right down to the ground.

I shook her.

"Bianca!"

...

"Wake up!"

Her eyes were closed I couldn't hear her breathe due to the sound of the ventilation fans. Steam billowing out on one side of me. It's hiss, made me flinch. My body ached.

"Bianca!"

Her eyelids moved she squeezed her eyes, her scarred hands on my shoulders under my coat.

"Michael..." she said.

Her eyes fully opened. Her bright blue eyes, repeatedly blinked from the dust went up around us. I peered up to the echo of the detectives shouting, I held my hand up, thumb in the air, and to let them know were okay. They were calling for assistance. I turned to Bianca.

"Hey, Help is on its way."

"I'm sorry Michael..."

"Bianca... when we met, you were full of ambition and drive. You reached and achieved your dreams. And you did it all by yourself. I understand the accident changed things, your life is never going to be the same again. But the choice you made up there wasn't the right one. Your inner strength can get through all this! Your body and face are scarred, but it's all an illusion to the woman you project on the inside. That's the woman you are. You are so much more than your looks!"

I wiped away her tears, she squeezed her eyes, her lips turned inwards, Bianca nodded.

"Hey," I said, as her eyes opened, "That's the person I love."

She nodded, "I'm sorry Michael, Gosh, and you could have killed yourself."

I kissed her forehead. "That's how far I was going to go, to protect you." I lifted the side of my white coat to keep her warm. "Bianca you're the one who taught me that, to never give up on your dreams. Push through the pain to get what you want."

Bianca nodded.

"I ain't giving up on you," I said, "Ever!"
Epilogue

***

Bianca Wilde

A month after the Michael saved my life. I went to counseling to help with the depression I suffered. I found the way to deal with it, was to set new goals and dreams. To change my thoughts. It was tough and still is, today. But with Michael by my side, he was always there to rein me in.

I love the man so much!

Michael took me for a boat cruise on the Sydney Harbor, the afternoon sunset was perfect. The water was Calm. We both got excited about the life were going to live, the next stage of our lives.

From everything that has happened to me, I learned we have a choice, in how we react to a situation. I made a negative choice and thanks to Michael. I was able to live, to make a positive one. My career as an Actress was well and truly over, but my personal journey and the things I went through, I shared with my following on Facebook.

My following doubled when I realized, I can make a difference in the lives of those I touched. To be that light in their personal darkness.

We walked to the end of the boat on the tip, reminding me of that scene in the Titanic. Michael held his arms around my waist, he was wearing a cobalt blue suit. Hair parted, his face radiated as much as the sun did.

We watched the boats under the bridge when Michael let go.

He whispered, "Hey, turn around for a second I want to take a photo. The sun is behind your head. If I get it right, it will look awesome with the backlight."

I smiled nodded, Michael knelt down on one knee holding the smartphone to take the picture at an angle.

I paused when he smiled, "Okay..." he said, "Smile."

I heard the sound of the camera snap when Michael stared at the photo. He was breathing in very deeply. My eyes flicked down thinking of my scarred face.

I said, "What's Wrong?"

"Take a look."

I cringed dreading the photo, Michael was still on one knee when he held up the photo on his phone.

The shock hit me.

My fingers couldn't stop shaking.

My heart skipped a beat.

There was an engagement ring with the photo!

My hands covered my mouth, tears fell more than I ever did with the sadness that came before. I couldn't speak. The wind blew the sides of his blue coat.

He said, "Bianca, We have been through a lot. You, especially. I want to spend the rest of my life with you chasing our dreams together. As husband and wife."

He paused, "Bianca Wilde, will you marry me?"

I was so shocked I couldn't speak. I nodded weeping tears of joy. Michael took that as a yes as he stood hugging and kissing me.

He said, "Mrs. Angel, I like the sound of that."

I wiped my eyes and said, "My Angel..."

Thank you for reading _Illusion._

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Thanks again,

David
