The Things You Do To Me

Having a firm grasp on the prop Laura peeked from over the of the Vogue magazine, her eyes staring at a blank spot on the wall. She imagined a beautiful man walking past the shops window, his face turned in her direction, his eyes glazed past her body, then meeting her own light blue eyes.

She imagined the butterflies Susie must’ve had, how her hands must’ve been sweating and shaking, how her breathe became uneven, and of course how her cheeks began to burn.

She pictured the male turning from her, his feet walked gracefully across the malls corridor. Laura could feel Susan Sarandon move up next to her.

“He’s cute,” Grandma Lynn whispered into Laura’s ear. Susan stretched her neck and acted like she was trying to catch a glimpse as Susie Salmons’ crushed walked away. “Does he like you as much as you like him?”

“Grandma!” Laura said for Susie. She moved around her fellow actress, the magazine no longer covering her face but lay fat against her stomach. Laura walked away from the prop she was just resting on and to the wall. “Will you please just drop it?”

After turning her back to Susan she waited five seconds before looking over at Peter. “Was it good?” She asked. “You know, it was our first time running over it, so it may need some work.” She looked at him uneasily, her hands folding the magazine into a roll of blank computer paper.

Peter circled around her, his hands in his pockets. “No no, it was good. We’re still tweaking the script some so the wording may not be exactly the same, but I think you two did a wonderful job. Just express more in your eyes Laura.” He said lightly criticizing her.

She didn’t mind, but she couldn’t help but defend herself. “Well I was staring at a white, plain, boring wall.”

Peter gave her a nod and walked towards the door. “Next time though, when you’re looking at Joe, share that inner fan girl expression. K?”

Laura scowled and threw the prop down beside her feet. “But I’m not even a fan. I have no inner fan girl to express towards him.”

“It’s called acting, sweet pea.” Susan said walking to Laura side. “You’ll do fine.” Her wise handed rested on the younger stars shoulder and gave a weak squeeze.

Laura gave a small thanks before walking to the lunch hall. She had been rehearsing that one scene for two hours and she was ravenous. Taking large strides she reached the double doors, the low buzz of talk and the clattering of silverware became present as she stood in front of the door.

“Laura!” She heard a voice call. “Wait up,”

Spinning on her heel and looking down the hallway she had just come from she saw Joe jogging towards her.

“Hey,” he said as he stood in front of her, “did you not hear me calling your name?”
Confused she tilted her head to the side. “I heard you when I got to the lunch room.”

“Oh well I called your name like five times. I thought you were ignoring me.” He expressed a slight frown and then grinned full force.

“Oh, sorry, I couldn’t hear you over my stomach growling.” Laura chuckled and she put a strand of bangs back behind her ear.

Joe chuckled back, a bag of fried chicken and mashed potatoes filled Laura’s nose, taunting her stomach. “Hungry much?”

She eyed the back and pressed down on her stomach to muffle the growls. “Just a little.” She answered lightly. “I may steal your food in a minute, or in a second.”

Frowning he lifted the bag to his face, the aroma becoming insanity to her. “That’s mean; stealing food.”

“Well I’m hungry. Like really, really hungry!” She exclaimed in a loud, dramatic sigh. “My stomach is about to east itself.”

Joe moved closer to the cafeteria, the bag hiding behind his leg. “I was actually going to drop this off to a couple crew men then go to a small café. We should go grab something to eat around town.” Joe said, he watched as Laura stared at the bag of food as if it would grow limbs and run away.

She peered up at him, his lips tugging into a smile. Swallowing she nodded. “Yeah that sounds good. Peter would want us to go out in the public eye.”

Nodding he held up a finger and disappeared into the crazy lunchroom. Thinking maybe it could get awkward while at lunch, Laura walked back to the room she was just in to retrieve her script. She had the habit of burying herself when she got nervous or things got a tad awkward. Rolling it into a roll she walked out to the lunchroom where Joe was timingly walked out of the room.

“Ready to go?” He asked as he gave her a grin.

Walking along side Joe, Laura nodded and tapped the script to her palm. “If I don’t eat in 5 minutes I will die. I’m not even joking.”

Laura watched as Joe slowed down his pace to tease Laura, a smile laced on his scruffy face. “My shoe is untied, lemme just tie it.”

“Joe!” She groaned as she threw her head back and walked in a circle. “I’m really hungry, and I’m tired of complaining about it. Hurry up.”

Sighing Joe looked up at Laura who stood frustrated against the wall. “I forgot how to do bunny ears.”

Sighing she turned her back to Joe and walked past the door and waited at the edge of the road for Joe to follow her. Laura had walked out into the parking lot and turned on her heel to see Joe coming up to the door. Feeling a burst of cool air, Laura turned another 180 degrees and followed close behind Joe.

“Any preference for lunch?” Joe asked as they both slid into their seats.

“I don’t care. Just somewhere nearby please.” Laura said as she buckled herself into the passenger seat.

Laura heard Joe mumble a name, but she hadn’t caught it clearly and didn’t feel like asking him to repeat himself. Unraveling the script Laura began to reread some lines she was having trouble with. Her index finger ran across the page, the eyes taking in the ink and she whispered the words to herself.

She could picture her characters face as she was lead into the underground ‘club house’ for the kids on the street, her elderly next door neighbor making her very uncomfortable.

“Tonight! Tonight! We’re gunna party on the roof top top of the world! Tonight! Tonight!” Sang the radio loudly.

Laura looked over at Joe and saw his head bobbing to the beat. “I don’t know if I’ll make it, but watch how good I’ll fake it. Tonight! Toni-“

“Loud!” Yelled Laura, who was barely audible over the music.

It was obvious Joe hadn’t heard her over the noise, so she reached over and turned the knob down and gave Joe a disapproving look. He glanced back at her and asked, “What? I like my music loud.”

Sighing Laura looked glanced at the road then back at Joe. “Yes, well, I’d like you to be concentrated on the road. You have a valuable package in the car.” She said smiling to herself.

Joe made an unpleasant face and turned the volume back up a little, testing Laura to see if she would object to the level. When Laura didn’t make a face or glare at him, Joe would turn up a little bit louder.

Finally Laura lost her patience. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m trying to memorize a script here.”

“Oh I’ve noticed.” Said Joe “and it’s boring. How long have you been reading over that thing today anyway? Seven hours?”

Offended Laura shot back. “No I haven’t.”

“Please, I know you-“ Joe started.

“You do not know me!”

“I’ve known you since you dated Nick. I know you’re a workaholic; just chill out, take a break once in a while and relax. You know, have fun.” He said glancing at her, his voice still calm even though her voice began to rise like the music Joe had playing, his eyebrows raised and his eyes filled with compassion.

Turning back into her seat and watching the road pass from under her, Laura thought about what Joe had said. She thought and thought for many seconds before she thought of something to say to defend herself. “Well, maybe I like knowing the material.”

She glanced at him to see how her answer had affected him, but he seemed completely oblivious. “What’s the point of knowing all of it? It’s one movie, it’s not like you’re going to need it for the rest of your life to make a living. They can tell you your lines, and then you get into character and recite them. No biggie.”

“No biggie?” Laura laughed sarcastically. “I’m not a singer to Joe. I’m an actress, justan actress. If this movie fails I don’t have some music to fall back on. If I do bad and look unprofessional then I’ll never work in this town again.”

“What about your single?” He asked.

“You know that’s not for me, and ever since the… it happened, my album would flop. All I really have is acting.”

Both were quite as Joe turned off the highway and came down a two lane road. Turning into a parking lot, Laura saw the sign ‘Pink’s Hotdog.’ The car was maneuvered into a parking space before Joe cut the engine.

“I get it Laura, you feel pressured, but you should have some fun to. That’s all I’m saying.” He gave her one last look before retreating out of the SUV.

Rolling her eyes, Laura unbuckled her seat belt and threw the script into the back seat before opening her door and walking up to the small diner. She could see a large line had formed; at least fifteen people were ahead of her, and three in between herself and Joe.

Squinting her eyes, Laura read off of the menu, which seemed to have dozens and dozens of different types of hotdogs and burgers, most of which did not sound appetizing to her.
The line moved fairly quickly, and before she had even managed to make up her mind between a plain hotdog or if she should get a burger it was her time to order.

“What can I get you?” The lady behind the counter asked.

Still eyeing the menu Laura bit her lip and began eenie-meenie-miney-moing the choices. “Uhm, I think I’ll take a… turkey burger, no chili please. Oh, and a bottled water as well.”

“Coming right up. You can take a seat and we’ll bring it out to you.”

Laura walked to the outside dining area and saw Joe sitting alone at a table near the wall. Walking over to him, Laura noticed that the pictures by him, as well as the complete wall, were covered with signed celeb pictures.

“Maybe they’ll ask for your autograph.” Laura said to Joe smiling as she slid into the seat across from him.

He looked up from his watch and nodded. “That’d be cool. They’d ask for yours as well.”

She gave him a smile, but the tension from their argument still loomed over them. Laura didn’t know what to say, and was yearning to have her script in front of her. This was why she was a workaholic. She simply couldn’t bear negative moods.

“I didn’t bring my script.” She tried again to bring up some long lasting conversation until food came. “Proud?”

He held back a laugh, but the form of a smile was still apparent on his lips. “Aha for trying? Yeah, I guess I am.”

The atmosphere was no longer thick of the agitation, but had become just plain awkward. Here they were, to well known celebs who were supposed to be a ‘couple’ couldn’t even have a conversation when it counted the most.

“You know, I think we’re doing the whole ‘dating’ thing wrong. I mean, aren’t couples supposed to be happy and talkative?” Laura asked laughing lightly. She was trying to make conversation, but if Joe of all people chose now to become tight lipped, then she was done for the day.

Shaking his head Joe grinned. “You must really want to talk to me. You keep pressing a convo. Do you feel bad about the car ride?” He teased.

Looking up at him through her lashes Laura frowned. “No. I just think Peter would like it if we made some news, that’s all.”

“Face it,” Joe laughed “you feel guilty for snapping at me.”

Sighing and simultaneously rolling her eyes Laura gave in. “Fine. What if I do? I’m not good with fighting. I hate it when people are mad at me, that’s why I keep scripts with me, I like hiding behind them.”

“Then stop hiding” Joe said. “Not everybody is going to like you, so why hide out of fear behind a script?”

“I don’t know.” She said looking down at the table. “But can we please not make this a Dr. Phil moment? I don’t like being questioned on end either.”

“Yeah, okay.” He agreed as the food came.

“One turkey sandwich with no chili and a bottled water, and one Guadalajara dog with a bottles water.” Said the waitress. “Oh, and if you don’t mind, can we get your picture and autograph to hang up on the wall before you leave?”

The two celebs shared a glance before agreeing to the waitress.

“Okay what is that?” Laura asked as Joe held his food and adjusted it into his hand.

“A hotdog? Ever heard of one?”

“Yes, I’ve heard of a hotdog before you smartass, I was asking what is on it.” She said as she gathered her own sandwich in her hands.

“Look and see!” Joe said as he leaned it over the table where it hovered above Laura’s plate.

“That’s…. and interesting dog.” She said eyeing the toppings.

Joe was in the middle of bringing the hotdog back to his side of the table when a good amount of sour cream fell from his dog and onto the table.

“Oops.”

Laughing Laura handed him some napkins. “You’re such a child.”

&&

Laura had just returned home from her lunch with Joe, and she had to admit, after lunch at Pinks, Joe and herself definitely gave the paparazzi something to talk about. They had gone shopping, completely aware that they were being followed by the press. They had made sure to flirt here and there, Joe would do gentlemanly things for Laura, like hold the door open for her, pay for her ice cream, and finally, he gave her an extremely long goodbye hug back at the studio.

“So, when were you and Joe going to tell me you two had a fling going on?” Peter asked as she walked into his office.

Gasping, Laura jogged over to the laptop at his desk and scrolled through an article that had just been posted with pictures of them on their adventure and a short detail of their day from one of the paparazzi. “Man, their fast.”

“Good job today kiddo. Next time kick up a notch, maybe a sweep of the hands, a kiss on the check, tickle fight? You know what I mean.” He said winking as he left the room.

Laura continued to look at the article, her stomach filled with knots as she thought of what people would have to say about this. How people would call her names and bash her for ‘dating’ Joe Jonas after she broke Nick’s heart.

That’s what she hated about Hollywood, about being publicly related to them and fans. You have fans that are very dedicated to their idols, so dedicated they won’t think about the other side of the story when drama arises.

When Nick’s solo album was released, she couldn’t believe how many people thought all of the heartbroken, depressing songs were about her. What hurt the worst was, they all took his side, and they all believed she was some heartbreaking witch who was fame hungry.

Now, here she was, dating his brother while he was still suffering with a broken heart. The hate she would receive would be astronomical, but of course, nobody would ever think that she was the one still suffering.