I Want to Help You

“hello” I said, he glanced at me and then his eyes stopped at my bare stomace and then the TV screen. I pulled my top down and blushed.
“dad, this is Grace. A close friend of mine” he said standing up. I shuffled around towards him and extending my hand towards him. He shook it and smiled.
“nice to meet you, im Shia’s dad. Jeff”
“nice to meet you”
“you too sweetie. Congradulations on the baby”
“oh thanks” I said and pulled my tshirt down more.
“don’t be ashamed. Please”
“im not, honest”
“do you want to stay for dinner? Im cooking stake” he offered nicely. I happily excepted. Shia happily sat back down on sofa and Shia’s dad asked if I wanted a drink.
“water please. Since living here I’ve drank nothing but water” I said making them both laugh. I plopped down next to Shia. “your dads nice”
“thanks,…yer hes alright. We didn’t used to get on at all”
“really?”
“yer, he left me and mum and became addicted to coke and stuff. Nasty and Echo Park, where I grew up, was just the worse place ever. It was dirty, poor and nasty part of the country”
“so you had a poor upbringing?” I asked blutny.
“yer, I did. What about you?”
“grew up in Vegas for most my life, never had a dad, mum was a stripper and then moved to Arazona with my ex”
“the babys dad?”
“yes. He was nice until about a year ago and he didn’t treat me very nicely yet I still stayed with him coz I didn’t really know another life without him in my life or how to get by without anyone beside me but know im starting my life over again and going to make this little ones life happy and…..better than mine”
“without a dad”
“yes, unfortunetly. I hoped, so so hoped, he would change when we found out I was pregnant but it just got worse”
“did he ever hit you?” I stayed silent for a moment, thinking about those few times.
“yes” Shia stood up and hit the closet thing to us. The coffee table. His chest heaved up and down and then he sat down again but not so close to me.
“im sorry, sometimes things get me so pissed”
“its ok”
“how many times?”
“once or twice but only like…a light tap”
“your no good at lying”
“hard, very hard” I said, I don’t know why I was telling him all this. when ever im around him I feel like I have to tell him everything.
“why?”
“he was a drunk”
“im a drunk”
“you are?”
“yes but im doing so much better than I was, really. I wouldn’t get so drunk and hit you or anything”
“good and thank you”
“its ok, so wanna go sit outside, its nice out”
“sure” he lead me out into the patio where the BBQ was steaming and the table was already set out. “so does your dad live with you?”
“yer, in the garage mostly”
“it sweet that he lives with you”
“yer, its nice to know hes around”
“so are you filming at the moment?”
“not yet, will be soon tho around December time”
“and when will you get your licence back?”
“don’t remember. So shouldn’t you ring Anna?”
“oh fuck” I pulled my phone out and called her. “hey Anna, im gonna stop off at Mc Donalds for some dinner. Don’t wait up”
“sweeite its only 5. How about you come home for dinner?”
“no, im craving their chips. I might do a little shopping as well. Don’t worry, im fine. a little retail will help”
“ok, bye sweetie” i close my phone slowly and sighed.
“I always feel bad for lying. Shes doing so much for me”
“look Anna said something to me while you were in hospital” I frowned and nodded for him to go on “she said “I know whats good for my daughter””
“your kidding?”
“no. I think something is wrong with her”
“maybe, or it could have been a slip of the tong”
“maybe”
for the rest of the night Shia and Jeff made me feel like family. Joking about old times and telling me stories about sharing Motel rooms and filming silly scenes. It was great, the sun was going down and the food was great. It was a great night. Around 11 Shia sugested I go home for some rest. I said goodbye to Jeff and let Shia walk me to my car.
“i had a great time tonight. Your dad is great” I said as we walked a little down the street.
“thanks. im glad you get on with him”
“yer, I do”
“so I was woundering, and you can say no but……… do you wanna go on a date tomorrow night? To like a resturant?”
“yer, totally! I’d love that”
“good, pick me up at 6”
“I will. Bye Shia” I gave him a big hug and a light kiss.
“bye Grace” he kissed me again and then watched me drive away. I smiled to myself as I pulled out of his lane and onto a larger road. I then started to giggle. I had kissed a really hot guy who is followed around my cameras all the time and gets constant attention from the media. This put my frown upside down. What if I do start dating Shia and I become a threat of kidnap or something? my baby and I could be in the worse kind of danger. The my mind stopped dead, I think it didn’t want me thinking about stuff like that. I sighed heaveily and turned the radio up, Micheal Jackson was playing because of his death yesterday. So sad, such a musical talent. Forever will he be in everyones hearts.