Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 129110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
"Alright, same here," he cautiously eyes.
"So do you think about what's in the agreement before you do something? Like what if it's heat of the moment? Sorry girl, you can't do that because it's not-"
"Oh my god," he rolls his eyes. "Sorry girl?"
"That's how you sound in my head."
He shakes his head as he opens the door, his mouth twitching as he nods for me to go first.
4
The Envelope Rule
Asher leads me into the same room we were in for the interview, and immediately I notice his guitar next to a notebook and pencil. All three things just sitting there, none of which were there earlier, and I'm not prepared for any of it - how the mystery takes hold, the way a million questions start swirling around my mind, or the giddiness that I haven't felt since I was a teenager.
I take a seat on the couch, this time watching the struggle on his face; does he sit next to me or in the chair?
He chooses the chair, and I clear my throat. “What’s that?” I point to a weird looking remote next to the TV.
“It’s the new Wii. Hasn’t even come out yet.”
“Oh,” I nod. “I’m pretty good at Mario Kart.”
His face lights up, and the next thing I know a Nintendo 64 is being hooked up. I can't help but fathom at the whirlwind before me - how all it took was a phone call and a few minutes later a man arrives and fumbles with cords behind the TV, hooking up the ancient system that was somehow quickly located (on an island no less), as Asher's large and completely intimidating security guard hovers in the corner.
We quietly watch for what feels like forever, our stare occasionally meeting before both of us quickly look away, and by the third time I shift uncomfortably.
“So you play cards?” I narrow in on the stack that's haphazardly sprawled out on the coffee table in front of us. That wasn't there earlier either.
“My best mate, Brad… he has a group of guys who play this game called Texas Holdem-”
“I want to play you,” I blurt, “in cards!” I quickly add. God, why can't I form a coherent sentence in front of this man?
I look around to see if anyone heard me, unable to mask the excitement on my face. I’m a really good poker player, but most of all I'm shocked to discover something I didn’t know about Asher.
“You play?” he cautiously eyes like he doesn’t believe me, and I offer a brief nod, challenging his skeptical expression. After today I think there’s a very small chance I may see him again, and I don’t want him to know just how good I am in case we ever do get to play sometime.
Suddenly the man is done setting up the gaming system and catches us staring. He clears his throat and the security guard quickly escorts him out of the room before he has a chance to say anything to either of us.
“Alright... I want to play you too,” Asher teases, completely unaware of the interaction. My eyes widen as he grabs two controllers. He tosses one my way, and even though I know what he means - even though I fully get he's mocking my own words, my heart flutters anyway.
Then we play. And talk. And laugh.
An hour passes.
Then another.
It turns out Asher is a jerk, but an adorable one. He's completely innocent. It's like he doesn't mean to be such an ass, but he can't help it. Not that it's an excuse, but I don't think he realizes how he comes across. At least I can see how he never meant any harm earlier with literally everything that I've blown out of proportion.
The thing is we do have a connection, and I don't think it's just in my head. Our banter is on point, and it's fun to laugh and tease, and talk about stupid shit. It's like I've known him forever without really knowing him at all, and with each word he says it’s becoming increasingly hard to see where the regular person ends and the celebrity begins. That is of course except when he talks about flying to some exotic destination for a movie shoot, on a private plane of course, or attending an award show, or the mere fact that when he wanted a Nintendo 64 all he had to do was make a phone call... but I'll admit there’s a whole other side to him that I knew nothing about. I wasn’t expecting that, or to like it. Yet as each minute passes he slowly has become less of the God I thought he was and more like me, which is just… normal. I can relate to him when he talks about things like his family. He's excited for his best friend to visit tomorrow, hence the deck of cards being around, and I certainly am not prepared for us to have so much in common, or for the moment when he flat out told me he’s lonely. I mean I kind of gathered that from him inviting me - a total rando here, but I wasn't expecting the honesty. In fact, I'm floored by it. He’s the exact opposite of the charismatic person he appears to be on talk shows, or when he's performing on stage, or walking red carpets. I guess I hadn't ever thought about how hard it could be for him to have so many like him without ever knowing the real him. That seems to be a sore topic. Still, I'm not entirely sure why he chose me today, or if this is just something he normally does - invite strangers to his hotel room, but here I am.