Hummingbird Heartbeat

“Says the woman that married Ryan Reynolds, I’m not Chris’ type, Scarlett. I’m not pretty, I wear wigs because my hair is awful, my skin is almost albino. I’m not his type,” I glanced down at my chipped nails. “I’ll always just be his best friend, he sees me as one of the boys.”

“We’ll do something about that,” Scarlett smiled mischievously and hopped up from the plastic seat she was sitting in. “Come on before they close!”

“Before who closes?” I asked, slightly confused and definitely scared of her ideas.

Four hours later, I was nervously drumming my fingers on my thighs on the car ride back from the hair salon. “Stop fidgeting,” Scarlett snapped and then muttered. “You’re making me nervous.”

“I’ve never been this red before,” I admitted with a frown. “I’m freaking out.”

“Why? You look amazing!” Scarlett turned from the road to stare at me wide eyed. “You look sexy as hell, what is wrong with you?”

“I’m nervous, don’t yell at me!” I yelled back with wide eyes.

“Sorry but your freaking out over nothing, Chris is going to be all over you,” Scarlett promised as she pulled into the parking lot. “Just wait; when I get done with you every guy on set will want your fine ass.”

She wasn’t kidding, it took two hours of makeup and finding the perfect outfit to wear to the bar the cast and crew were meeting up at after a long day of filming, we arrived right at eight o’clock. “Hey Scar, where the hell is Frankie?” I heard Chris stop Scarlett as soon as we walked through the door, who was behind me. I stayed with my back turned to him until the right moment. “I called her five times today and she hasn’t answered or called back.”

“Yeah, I know,” Scarlett said and bounced over to me. “Chris, meet the new Frankie.”

“Francis?” he took a deep breath and looked me up and down. “Wow you look different.”

“Scarlett went a little crazy,” I laughed nervously. “You like it?”

“You look-“Chris was stopped when Jeremy Renner walked up and slung his arm around my shoulder.

“You look amazing Frankie, I love the new hair,” Jeremy twirled a strand between two fingers. I wanted to excuse myself and go back to Chris but Scarlett had said to make him jealous, to flirt relentlessly and I planned on it.

“Thank you,” I blushed and pretended to be very shy, even more so than usual. “You really think so, Jer?”

“Of course I do,” he smiled and hugged me close.

“Oh, well thank you so much. You really know how to make a girl feel good,” I fluttered my eyelashes at him a couple times.

“You want something to drink?” Jeremy asked, pointing to the bar.

“No thank-“I started to explain that I didn’t get along well with alcohol when Chris interrupted.

“I’m sorry Jeremy but I need to have a talk with Frankie,” Chris grabbed my wrist and led me through the crowded bar, we ended up outside by the window. “Okay, what was that?”

“What was what?” I played dumb to an extent, I understood half of his question but I hadn’t done anything to warrant it.

“Flirting with Jeremy!” Chris ‘eyes bugged as he spoke. “Since when did you start flirting? I didn’t know you even knew how.”

“Since now I guess,” I shrugged. “What does it matter, maybe I’ll get a boyfriend?”

“No,” Chris shook his head, completely against it.

“No what, it’s not your decision. My mother has been hounding me for grandkids, maybe it’s time I settle down,” I paused and crossed my arms. “Though I doubt it will be with Jeremy, it’s a step in the right direction.”

“No because he’s not good enough for you, Frankie. Your too good for anyone in that place,” Chris tried to reason with me but what he said made no sense to me, whatsoever.

“Robert Downey Jr and Jeremy Renner are in there,” I pointed directly at the door. “How could they not be good enough for me? I’d chew my right arm off for Robert.”

“You are too good of a person for any of them,” he didn’t explain any more than that. “I don’t want you hurt by any of them and you will.”

“You know what, screw it. I’m tired of waiting on something good to happen to me Chris, I want happiness and I’m not going to watch it pass me by,” I told him firmly seconds before I grabbed him by the shoulders and firmly planted one on his lips. “Take it how you want, I’m done being the nice girl that doesn’t do anything and lets people trample her, I’m taking control so like it or not.”

“I like it, but maybe we should think about it for a day or so,” Chris muttered as he scratched his neck. “I don’t know what to think.”

“Do what you want, I know what I want and that’s you. I’ll wait though,” I said slowly, stepping back towards the door to the bar. “Until you do what you want, I’m going to do what I’ve never done before, have fun at a bar, get wasted and possibly go home with a guy I don’t know.”

“Frankie,” Chris tried to stop me.

“Don’t, I’m a new person, a new me. Old Frankie is gone,” I laughed happily. “It’s time I got a little spontaneous.”

Two hours later and I was three sheets in the wind. As soon as I had kissed Chris, I came inside upset and let all the guys hitting on me buy shots that I figured would numb me but it didn’t really numb me at all, it intensified my depression and I ended up in a public bathroom stall crying my heart out. “Frankie?” I heard someone tap on the stall door before they spoke; I opened the door with difficulty to reveal Robert Downey Jr leaning against the stall wall. “Come on doll, they are closing this joint down and I’m pretty sure your ride left with Mark.”

“Thanks,” I sniffled and grabbed his outstretched hand. “I’m pretty drunk and it doesn’t feel so good. It kind of sucks.”

“You’re a sappy drunk,” Robert chuckled sadly and wrapped an arm around my waist, to keep me from falling over. “That’s perfect, Frankie. This is not healthy sweetheart.”