Stars

“You know that now I’m doing a Marvel movie, we can’t be seen together if that’s the only shirt you wear.”

I scowled, saved the email I was writing to my mother, put my iPhone in my pocket and scooped up whipped cream on my right index finger, flinging at Tom. “Don’t you dare insult Batman. If you do that again, I’ll cut you ear to ear.”

He wiped the cream off his cheekbone and narrowed his eyes. “I’m going to get you locked up for domestic abuse. You throw dessert at me and then threaten my life; you’re honestly the most ghastly person I’ve ever come across, goddamn Sylvia Sofia Sternberg.”

“That’s fine. I’ll ditch you and get myself a man who appreciates the Dark Knight.” I downed the rest of my espresso, put forty pounds down on the table and picked up my things, “And you know who he’ll be? Motherfucking Christian Bale.” I then marched out of the restaurant into the nippy March air with my nose tilted upwards. I hid behind a pillar, a grin spread wide across my face and found myself screaming when Tom placed his hands on my shoulders and breathed down my neck. “You’re absolutely awful.”

He licked my cheek, laughed at my disgusted face and put his hand out. After wiping my face, I grabbed it almost instantly and we walked off in the direction of the main RSC theatre facing us. He bent his neck slightly so his mouth was level with my ear, “I love Batman, especially the Dark Knight and when we watch the television show together. I just don’t think I’m allowed to say that anymore.”

“But you’ve not been confirmed for Thor completely though, right?” I asked, glancing at the barges docked on the Avon. He shrugged.

“Ken said I was a shoe in as soon as they saw me. I just need to do the script reading, find out which characters they want me to read and then I’ll find out very soon or in early April.” I nodded slowly, “It’s all very exciting. Did you say you were emailing your mother?”

“I did. They just returned from a cruise around the Mediterranean. My dad did some literature based lectures on the ship, so he got paid with a free two week cruise. There are pictures. Plus, she wants to see your face so she’s not too surprised when she meets you. We must take a photograph or she’ll get antsy and weird.” I said, pushing the heavy glass door open and hearing the excited shouts of young children on their quite early Easter breaks echo around the building. “I need to buy some things quickly, one minute.”

As I rummaged through the badges, Tom said, “That’s fine – we have 20 minutes before we pick up Dot. We should get coffee.” I picked out three badges and a DVD, paid for them and pinned the deep burgundy badge to Tom’s cotton jacket pocket and the forest green one on the lapel of my black blazer. “What’s this?” He strained his neck and looked at the badge. “Montague? If anything, I’m a Capulet.”

“No – I’ve been constantly cast as Juliet since Year 8 in English class. You’ll just have to deal.”

“I was Tybalt in university for almost a year. I was heralded by critics. You deal.”

“FUCK YOU, I’M JULIET. THIS IS INCEST. LEAVE.” He rolled his eyes and held me to him, “I was thinking, you know we have to be movie couples for Freddie and Gwen’s party? What about R and J? Danes/DiCaprio accustomed feast style?”

“An angel and a knight?”

“Yeah. My other idea was Michael and Kay Corleone. You have to slick your hair back for that and look as handsome as Al Pacino in military garb.”

“Let’s think about it.”

--

Dot swung happily on our arms, her face painted with butterflies, flowers and glitter. She let go of our hands and ran over to a wall, walking carefully along that instead. She jumped onto a bench and pointed, “Look, look, Sylvie, Tom – the swan!”

“What’s it doing?” Tom asked, picking Dot up and putting her on his shoulders. She stuck her hands in his curls.

“It’s sitting on a nest!” She replied, gleefully, “Your hair is so fluffy and soft, I wish mine was like this, then it’d feel like a cat or a uh, lion.” She roared in demonstration.

“Are you saying that I’m a lion?” He asked, voice filled with mock hurt.

“…Yes.” She decided, roaring again.

“That’s upset me, Dot. I’m not a lion.”

“Yes, you are, Mufasa.” I said, ruffling his hair.

His nose scrunched up and he said quietly, with a frown, “I’m not Mufasa, he’s dull.”

“Get over it.” I said, grasping his hand. “So, Dot, what do you do before you go to sleep?”

“Well, mummy or daddy gives me warm milk in my Peppa Pig cup. Then we watch Night Garden and then mummy or daddy read me a story in bed.” She said, her hands still in Tom’s hair.

“Did you bring your Peppa Pig cup?” She nodded, “Did you bring your stories?” She nodded, “And is In the Night Garden still on Cbeebies?” She nodded for the last time, “Good, I love that show.”

--

I sat down on the sofa with a loud exhale and a glass of wine in my hand. Tom was looking focussed in regards to the collection of DVDs in front of him. “I want to watch a Vietnam War sort of film. Is that okay with you?” I smiled and pointed to him where they would be. He then criticized me for my genre and director based categorization of my film collection. “I want to watch Apocalypse Now, but I didn’t get to see Tropic Thunder in cinemas. How good is it?”

My eyes widened, “You haven’t seen it? Put it on now, you posing whore.”

“Posing?”

“You claim to be a cinephile, yet you have not seen one of the best films of last year.” I put down the wine glass and picked up the black nail varnish on the coffee table. “Ooh, do you think you’ll meet Robert Downey Jr?”

He shrugged and whacked the top of the DVD player to open it. That reminded me to write a letter of complaint to the people who rented the flat out to the production company. “I do hope so; he’s fantastic. Did you see him in Zodiac? God, he was good.”

“Fanboy.” I smirked, “If I met him, I’d melt I think.”

“You said the same thing about Jude Law, oh, fucking hell; don’t give me that look, Sylvie.”

I squealed aloud, “What if he comes? Oh my god, I almost fainted when I met Jude, what if it does happen? It’s a very slim chance but…”

“Be quiet.” He said, climbing up from the floor and turning out the lights, grabbing two small trifle pots and putting one in my knee with a spoon. “Weren’t you meant to take a photograph for your mother?”

“Oh, yes - pause the movie.” I screwed the cap on the nail varnish and grabbed my phone, “I may criticise you a lot, but you really are the best boyfriend I’ve ever had.”

He chuckled, “What, because I remind you about things and talk about films with you?” I shook my head, smiled and switched on the side lamp next to me and got the camera up on my phone, taking three pictures and deciding to send her one where I was more looking at him than the camera. “That’s awfully cute.” He said, kissing my collarbone and resting his head on my shoulder. “I digress back to your previous remark. You are the best girlfriend I’ve ever had too, honestly one of the most interesting and fantastically fantastic people I’ve met.”

“I love you.” The words tumbled out of my mouth quickly and I covered my lips with my hands and looked to Tom for a reaction.

He breathed out slowly and the tight line of his lips curled into a smile. He then turned to me and cupped my face with his hands, moving my hands away and pressing a soft kiss to my lips, “I love you.”

I smiled and embraced him as tightly as I possibly could, bending so I could plant kisses on his neck, trailing down to his shoulder. His hands had moved to under my shirt, lifting it over my head and throwing it behind him. I pulled away and looked at his face. He cleared his throat and his eyes quickly darted to the left, I looked where I was not previously facing and noticed Dot standing in the hallway, her right hand at her mouth, her thumb nail moving along her bottom lip and her left hand holding her plush bunny rabbit. “Hello, Dot.” I said awkwardly. She waved. “Why are you out of bed, missus?”

She coughed slightly, “I need the toilet and I don’t know where it is.”

Tom stood up, touching my shoulder, “I’ll be back.” He walked towards Dot and held her free hand, “Come on, Dot, I’ll show you where it is.” The small child thanked him and he smiled cheerfully in return.