Uncovering Kaitlyn (7 page)

The first
time I was allowed to leave my own house was on Friday for my meeting with the
producer. I had read the script and enjoyed it. Comedies are always fun to act
because everyone is in high spirits most the time. The script was basically
about a business man who messed up. Thomas Smith, the lead, ends up in LA
instead of his small town in New Jersey, then chaos starts with strange
meetings with a model and a singer and a random group of conmen who work the LA
scene surrounding the celebrities. It looked good and the producer and director
were the best in comedy. We had to leave an hour early just so I had a chance
of getting past the paparazzi.

As I entered
the office an assistant handed me a cast list and an edited script and told me
to wait for the producer and director who were discussing my recent popularity
with the world of media. I thanked him for the heads up and went over the new
script. I was halfway through when I was called into the meeting.

“Jamie. Come
in. No time for pleasantries, we’re already running late. We have your contract
here that states that bad publicity will end in termination of the contract. We
know you haven’t signed it yet but we’d like to clarify that this week’s
coverage doesn’t account to bad publicity. The gas station incident wasn’t your
fault and you handled it nicely. The photo on the other hand means we’ll have
to get a similar image into the movie so we don’t disappoint any fans. You will
obviously be playing Mr Thomas Smith. I think you’ve worked with a few of the
others before so that shouldn’t be a problem. I think you’ve met our Missy
Jones. It’ll be her first time on the big screen so we want you to help with
her acting skills and give her the rundown on how it all works. You Brits got to
stick together”

I signed the
contract and took the main information about filming. I was given a phone
number to arrange a meeting with the Missy Jones actress and sent packing. It
wasn’t until I was on my way home that I read the name next to Missy Jones was
Kaitlyn Fox.

I went for a
swim while I decided what to do. Eventually I decide to grow a pair and just
dialled the number.

“Hello, Jake
speaking.” A deep voice answered.

“Hello, it’s
Jamie Stark. Is Kaitlyn there?”

“She’s busy.
Can I help?”

“I’m calling
about the movie. She’s Missy Jones right?”

“Look, she’s
tired. Can this wait?”

“I’m
supposed to help her, since she hasn’t acted before. I need to arrange a
meeting for when she get to LA.”

“She’ll be
in LA on Tuesday, so meet her on Wednesday morning. Text the details.”

“She’ll be
jetlagged, so we should probably make it after lunch…”

“I know
Kaitlyn. She won’t sleep until she gets over her nerves so Wednesday Morning it
is. Bye.”

***

“So tomorrow Kaitlyn Fox is coming here. To your house. To
spend hours alone with you. And you’re in a bad mood why?” Ryan demanded over
dinner.

He arrived this morning and had made himself at home already,
claiming the larger guest room and stealing my pizza that I cooked for lunch.

“Because her boyfriend is an arsehole. He wouldn’t let me
talk to her on the phone and made all the arrangements with demands to me and
completely ignore her. I think he caught me checking her out when she was on
the show.”

“I thought you said she was too young for you?”

“She is. That doesn’t mean I didn’t look. I know she’s
eighteen so it’s not like I’m a complete pervert. Don’t look at me like that;
you wouldn’t be making a big deal about her coming over if you hadn’t too.”

“Did you think that maybe I’m a fan of her music?”

“Nope. You like her music, everyone does. You’re excited to
meet her tomorrow because she’s hot. Besides you already admitted she was hot
last time. ”

“Agreed. So I can stay while you’re working?” He made air
quotes.

“You can meet her. She won’t want you here while we’re
practising, she gets nervous easily. How did your last week go?”

“It was good. Think I aced an exam or two, will be lucky to
pass some of them. I hooked up with this girl in my business class. I had a
good time, even called her back. I’m taking her out when I get home, for like a
proper date. I need to think of something to do though. I don’t want to be
cliché.”

“Un-cliché. So that rules out dinner, movie, drinks and
pretty much every other idea I have. Well you have three weeks at least. I’m
pleased for you.”

I was happy that Ryan had found someone. His last girlfriend
had been a complete bitch and I can only assume she was good in the bedroom to
have lasted so long. Ryan is the type of guy that throws himself into a
relationship. He finds things to do on dates and meets the parents, that sort
of thing i.e. the complete opposite of me.

“I spoke to your Dad before I left. He said you never saw
them.”

“Couldn’t. I had to fly out here early for the meeting with
the producer. Graham suggested I send them a basket.”

“A basket? Was he high?”

“I never know with him. Were they cool?”

“Your mum was a bit disappointed and your dad expects you to
have entertainment when they come over to you. They know how busy you get, they
just miss you sometimes. Hey, what are you doing?”

Ryan shouted alarmed. You would think that by his reaction I
was preparing an army of zombies to invade. What I was actually doing was
finding some cleaning equipment from under the sink.

“Kaitlyn is
coming over tomorrow and she’ll be expecting a nice clean house. I’ll do the
kitchen and you sort of the living room. Then I’ll call Graham and we can head
out tonight.”

“Mamma’s
boy.”

“You won’t
be saying that later. We’re in LA now.”

“Calls for
our favourite bet. Don’t you think?”

My and
Ryan’s favourite bet came from when I first started having to go to these big
parties for promotions. After I got bored and some, Ryan was allowed to come
with me occasionally. We saw a few models clearly out of our league so
obviously hit on them. It was a great laugh until I became more and more famous
and they started to come to us. Then it was damn right scary. Every man thinks
that he wants women falling at his feet but the reality and fantasy are not the
same. In my fantasy, I had superhot women falling at my feet and completing my
every fantasy. In reality I had ugly, needy women begging me to sleep with them
and fighting over me. Scary.

Chapter Four

Kaitlyn

I paced
around my hotel room for exactly seven hours and thirteen minutes before Dad
gave up and told me to get ready. I showered and put on knee length summer
dress. I searched through my suitcases and found a light yellow scarf which I
matched with yellow wedge sandals. I had no idea what we would be doing so I
put some shorts, a t-shirt and my converse into my handbag. Before we left I
grabbed my diary, which was actually my song notebook but I didn’t like to
people to know I was writing songs, so I told people it was a diary. For some
bazaar reason people were less nosy about my diary than my music. It always
confused me.

“We have a
car coming in ten minutes. I called the driver and we’re going to stop for
breakfast on the way over.”

“Do we have
to?”

“We’re going
to be early as it is. I won’t make you eat but I’m starving.”

 We waited
in the hotel lobby for the car and Dad handed me a stack of paper.

“I thought
you might want your script.”

“Oh thanks”
I shoved it into my already overflowing bag.

“Where are
we meeting him?”

“He gave us
an address and we gave it to Aaron when he organised the car for today. Did
they like the song you were writing last week?”

“I only gave
them a verse. I don’t like sharing until it’s complete, you know that. I’ve
been working on another but it’s taking longer. It’s a slow song with only my
voice and the piano. I’m having trouble perfecting the music to it. It’s almost
there but it needs something more.”

“Need a
hand?” Dad looked pained.

“It’s ok.
It’ll come to me.”

“I’m proud
of you Kaitlyn and I know your mum would be as well. You’ve come along way over
the years.”

“Thanks Dad.
I couldn’t do it without you though.”

“I know
sweetie but one day you will.”

I gave him a
hug when somebody called us to say our car had arrived. We walked outside and
got in a fancy black car. It didn’t bother me much when people took my
photograph as I was slowly getting used to it. I wasn’t prepared for people
knowing who I was in America though.

“Smile
Kaitlyn” Dad reminded me as he closed the car door.

I waved at a
couple of people then relaxed back into the seat. The driver found us a small
café and I checked myself in the bathroom mirror there while dad ordered me an
orange juice. He laughed at the American breakfast he’d ordered. I pulled out
my diary and began to write a few lines for a song.

It’s an all American theme,

I’m living the LA dream.

It wasn’t
perfect but a few lines usually gave me inspiration for an entire song when I
came back to it later.

“So can we
go yet?” I begged as Dad ate his last mouthful.

Before he
had chance to answer and leave a tip, I was already in the car waiting.

We drove
down a nice residential street and pulled over in front of a house with several
cars parked on the driveway.

“You’re
going further down the road but I can see a lot of reporters on the street. I
thought I’d give you a chance to prepare yourself. Tell me when you’re ready.”
The driver said.

I checked my
make up in a compact mirror then used Dad to check my overall appearance. He
made sure everything was firmly in my bag before handing me my sunglasses.

“Ready” He
told the driver. “We’ll call you when we want a lift home then.

We went
slowly down the street and had to wait several moments for reporters to move
out the way. The driver stopped the car and climbed out, opening the door for
me and shielding me slightly from the reporters. Dad walked in front of me
pulling me to a house that the driver pointed to. The reporters were reasonably
quiet until some complete moron at the back decided to identify me as ‘Kaitlyn
Fox, that hot chick from England.’

“Why are you
here?”

“What
happened to Jamie?”

“How long
have you been sleeping with him?”

“Are you
aware that he may be in a secret relationship with his agent?”

I somehow
managed to keep a straight face, while we waited for somebody to answer the
door. After at least ten minutes, where the reporters shouted more and more
random questions, my favourite being ‘what do you think of carrot cake?’, which
confused the hell out of me, a young man answered the door in pyjama trousers.
He didn’t say hello just motioned for us to come in, while he stood back from
the door.

“Jamie, get
out here.” He called through a doorway with a northern English accent.

The house
was nice but completely neutral like a catalogue had exploded inside. There
weren’t any pictures on the walls and everything was white or cream apart from
the flooring and oak furniture.

The man took
us into the kitchen and pointed to a breakfast bar. He boiled the kettle and
made two strong cups of black coffee.

“Morning,
Ryan. Kind of early isn’t it?” A voice grumbled from the left of me.

Jamie stood
in a doorway, I hadn’t noticed at first. His clothes were creased and he looked
rough.

He looked at
Ryan, and then spotted us sitting in his kitchen.

“I didn’t
think you’d be here for another couple of hours.”

“She
couldn’t sleep. Sorry if we’re bothering you.”

“Jake said
something like that on the phone. Don’t worry about it. I’ll go shower and Ryan
here will keep you company.”

He walked
passed us grabbing his coffee and a few minutes later we heard him go upstairs.

“We had a
late night.” The man explained. “Sorry. I’m Ryan a friend of Jamie’s from
school. You must be Kaitlyn.” He looked at me and then drew a blank at my dad.

“I’m her
father.” Dad had never been comfortable talking to new people. He always left
that to me or mum, so I spoke instead.

“So you knew
Jamie in school? What was he like?”

“Pretty much
the same as now only fewer people paid attention to him. How are you finding
LA?”

“It seems
nice. We only got here last night though so I haven’t had any chance to explore
yet. What about you? Do you live out here?”

“Nah, I’m
just visiting for the summer. I’m a student so I usually get a free holiday
visiting Jamie.”