Falling in Love With the Potential Prey

“I’m in much need of a Starbucks break, you in, Jewel?” My best friend and co-worker, Martin, said to me randomly as he poked his head into my office.

I looked at the clock on the wall and read the time, twelve thirty. I thought about it for a split second and then decided, “Yeah, that sounds good right about now, let me finish up this article and I’ll be right there,” I said to him with a smile, “I haven’t taken my lunch break anyway yet, so I’m in the clear.”

I work and write for OK! Magazine, I wasn’t always a gossip columnist; I actually hated the idea of getting into the personal lives of celebrities, but this is where the money is and I was in desperate need of money. The living expense in Los Angeles was through the roof and this magazine was the only place that had openings that paid really well.

I finished up the last bit of my article that was about the recent breakup of the two Twilight stars, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. I read through it twice to make sure there were no spelling or grammar mistakes, after being positive I sent it the editor and shut down my computer.

“Is there any interesting gossip today?” Martin asked me as we walked out of the building and down the strip, “Apparently, Chris Brown and Rihanna are on speaking terms again, do you think it’ll be round two of their relationship? They just might be the next Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston.”

I rolled my eyes, “You know I hate talking about celebrities that way,” I told him honestly as I looked down at my phone, “It’s bad enough that I have to write the articles, I’d rather not spend my free time thinking about them.”

“How can you not enjoy celebrity gossip?” Martin asked me as fixed his shirt, “They have the most interesting lives and they’re hot! They’re living the most expensive lifestyles, they’re like…idols.”

“I think they’re just people doing their jobs, like you and me,” I told him honestly as we waited patiently for the cars to pass on the street, “ I would hate it if people constantly talked about who I was dating or who I was seen having lunch with, I just don’t think it’s… right.”

“Yet you do it for a living,” Martin scoffed. He loved his job; he loved the idea of knowing everything there is to know about all of the people in the entertainment business. He loved the idea of being famous, I think he was obsessed with it, “You have one of the coolest jobs ever, you’re one of the people who know everything first about someone big and yet you don’t think it’s ‘right’.”

“I just think people should stay out of people’s personal lives, I guess I’m the biggest hypocrite,” I laughed lightly. It wasn’t that I hated my job, I loved writing. I admit that what I write about is interesting, I just feel like I’m the person who spreads it to the world and at times it isn’t a good feeling.

We finally reached Starbucks and we stood in line, “So, how was the movie yesterday?” Martin asked me curiously, he was referring to the sequel of The Hangover, “Did you and what’s her face enjoy it?”

“What’s her face has a name, Martin,” I said to him as I rolled my eyes, he was jealous of one of my girl friends, Biancha, “But yes, Biancha and I enjoyed it, it was incredibly hilarious. I thought I wouldn’t like it as much as I did the original, but I think I might have.”

“Yeah, the first one was pretty funny,” he said with a laugh, “You have that movie almost memorized, huh?” I rolled my eyes but nodded at the same time, “Your crush on Bradley Cooper doesn’t help much either.”

I laughed, “He’s a gorgeous man, who doesn’t have a crush on him,” I said to him honestly as his phone rang, he answered it quickly, “Get me the usual, I’ll be back in a while.” I nodded to him and watched him walked off.

“I agree with what you said,” I heard a man’s voice behind me say, I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me so I didn’t bother turning around, “Bradley Cooper is a gorgeous man.”

With that said I knew it was intended for me, I laughed lightly and then turned to respond but before I could I became speechless, standing before me was none other than Bradley Cooper himself.

“Wow, that’s embarrassing,” I said not being able to come up with anything else; I smiled innocently, “I didn’t know you were standing behind me, obviously, I’m sorry.” I apologized quickly.

“You’re apologizing for calling me gorgeous?” He laughed lightly, “You don’t have to apologize for that, I appreciate the compliment, thank you.”

“Oh,” I said laughing nervously, “Well, in that case, you’re welcome.” He smiled. I was next in line so I placed my order, “Two grande strawberries and crème fraps, please.”

“Make that three,” Bradley said from behind me and I turned to him with a confused look on my face, “My treat.” I smiled thankfully.

“That’s a really sweet gesture, but you don’t have to do that,” I said to him honestly as he pulled out his wallet. He paid the cashier with his card and signed his name quickly.

“I know I don’t have to, but I want to,” he said to me, “Besides your boyfriend was going to stick with making you pay, that’s not cool.”

I laughed at the idea of Martin being my boyfriend, “That wasn’t my boyfriend,” I said as I gained control of my laughter, “He’s my best friend, he probably would have ended up paying me back somehow though.”

“Oh,” he said in an ‘oops’, voice, “Either way, I wanted to, it’s no big deal, after all, it’s not like I’m pinching my pennies or anything.” He joked as I laughed lightly.

“Thank you, it was very sweet of you,” I told him honestly as he smiled.

“Jewel, apparently some frenzy is going down, we have get back,” Martin said from behind me, “Sorry, I don’t mean interrupt you and-” I turned to look at what made him stop mid sentence and he was starring at Bradley.

“Stop staring,” I said to him and nudged his arm, I heard Bradley snort, “This is Bradley, you can thank him for your frap,” I told him as he snapped back into reality.

“I know who he is, Jewel,” Martin said as he rolled his eyes and then he turned to Bradley, “Thank you for the frap, but, um, why did you pay for it?” He asked curiously.

“You’re welcome,” Bradley said to him politely, “I don’t know, I just felt like it, no reason in particular.” He smiled at me as he said that.

Martin shrugged then he glanced at the both of us, “Anyway, like I said, something is going down at the office, so, I’ll let you two say your goodbyes or whatever,” he said awkwardly as my eyes widened, he was deliberately trying to get us alone, I know his tricks too well, “I’ll wait for you outside.” He walked off casually.

“He seems nice,” Bradley stated nicely with a laugh, “I couldn’t help but get the hint that he did that on purpose, y’know, saying that and leaving…”

I scratched the back of head nervously, “Yeah, he does that, he likes to make situations uncomfortable for me,” I told him as I sighed, “Sorry about that, I have to go though, duty calls.”

“It was nice meeting you, here, in a random place,” he said as we laughed together, “Maybe we can meet up for lunch one day or something, where things don’t have to end so quickly.”

I couldn’t stop myself from smiling, “That would be great,” I told him honestly as I nodded my head and then began to walk off nonchalantly.

“If we want lunch to happen sometime I’m going to need your number,” I heard him say with a laugh and then I turned around quickly, how embarrassing.

“Right, sorry,” I said nervously with laugh and then I proceeded to give him my phone number.