Heather: Hope you haven't forgotten but you promised to bring a date this weekend – dinner with mom and pops!

Jack: It can't be called a date if its dinner with my family and no, I haven't forgotten, just haven't found anyone worth bringing over yet.

Heather: How about Page Six? All of New York's most eligible women flaunt themselves on it for a suitable suitor?

Jack: Funny- the last time I did that, I got engaged to one, or have you forgotten Teddy-whofuckedmymanager- Farrow?

Heather: Gross, how could I forget? Keep looking Jack, I'm sure you can find someone – after all, you need to do this in order to have mom and dad off of our backs.

I spend the next few seconds staring at the text when all of a sudden, my phone rings and Liam's name flashes across my screen.

"If you're calling to remind of the goddamn scene, I'm already at makeup. Where the hell are you?" I ask him, standing awkwardly in the middle of a makeshift laundry room while Jen, who's in charge of wardrobe is steaming my Capital Punisher's uniform while it's on me.

Letting out a growl he answers, "Remind me again why I agreed to do this damn movie?"

I laugh, "Because Maxcol Comics gained over 300 billion just last year for its previous 4 movies and because if we do well in the franchise by this time next year, you're looking at starring in your own movie," I tell him.

Liam plays my partner Captain Raker and he has his own comics in the Maxcol Universe, so I need to remind him that if he plays his cards right – he could get his contract renewed and star in an independent movie just like I am.

He heaves sigh, "Damn it why did I call you, you always sound right."

With a cackle I smugly reply, " Because I'm the one true friend that you've got in this industry." and I'm right, out here, Hollywood is just as plastic as the next person's nose. It's all about appearances and making sure you're still 'relevant'.

I am a 40 year old man- whose team of " professional" advisers and managers make sure my face graces the biggest and most popular magazines at least three times a year, while making sure I'm spotted on some floozy date with my fellow actresses or models. I am nothing but a puppet whose strings are pulled at from every direction but what am I to do if not roll with the punches? Acting has always been my dream. The idea of dressing up and becoming someone else entirely is an escape from reality that I crave in drones.

Liam hums and then says he'll meet me at the studio in time for filming. I'm still standing like a schmuck while the chicks at wardrobe fiddle and stitch up my costume but use this time to think of a certain olive toned beauty that I get to meet in exactly eight hours- that's right, I'm keeping count of the time, hell you'd probably do the same damn thing had you got the chance to taste that beautiful woman.

I rub my lips together and I swear even after a shower this morning, I can still get the taste of her. Her vanilla scent and her soft, lips that tasted fruity and just plain delicious. I bite down on my lower lip and smile.

Something moves in the corner of my eye and when I turn my head it's her. My exotic beauty. My breath catches at the sight of her. She's dressed down today and for some reason, that just makes her look all the more appealing.

She's got on a pair of blue frayed shorts and brown ankle boots. While wearing an over sized plaid shirt that's been tied up in the front to show just a hint of her wide hips. Hips I want to pierce my fingers with while I thrus – okay getting a hard on while dressed in a full on spandex suit is just not cool. The last thing I need is Jen talking about what she saw when steaming out my utility belt. I keep my eyes locked on to her and watch her sweep her eyes through the crowd looking for someone, could it be me? I get giddy at the idea that it might be.

Alisha spots me and a small shy smile begins to brighten up her face. Even with her standing all the way across the room, I can still see her brown eyes sparkle and that just makes something squeeze in my chest.

She begins to walk towards me and I stand up straighter, it feels just like I'm back in school when the hot History teacher everyone had a crush on was walking towards me. Oh my god, now my palms are sweating wiping them on to my sides, I suck in a deep breath. She stops right in front of me there's a good amount of distance between the both of us but I can't feel it. To me it's just us – the world around us morphing into a blurry space and white noise.

"Hey" it comes out a breathless whisper and she smiles. Her eyes roam my body. Taking in my entire look, spandex suit and all as she pulls on her bottom lip with her teeth. Her gaze finally falls on my face and just as I'm about to say something, her douche of a boss walks by and calls her name. Alisha's smile drops in an instant and she slowly makes her way over to where the rest of her group are; getting ready for the next vlog.

***

"Are you comfortable under all that?" Alisha moves her hands up and down gesturing to my suit. We're seated inside what is supposed to be my spacecraft and the change between us is palpable. We aren't the rigid pair who awkwardly sat and spoke these past three weeks.

We've grown comfortable and I guess after last night, we feel more open, at least I do. Alisha is smiling more, her smile is unguarded and I feel I can be myself around her. There are jokes and hilarious innuendos that leaves the vlog feeling like a regular conversation. As soon as the interview is done and the crew start packing up I ask her if she'd like me to drop her off and she readily agrees. We're walking towards my wrangler when her phone goes off.

Caller ID leaves her with a little dent between her perfect eyebrows. We're still walking when she answers the phone. The person on the other line can't be heard word for word but I can feel the tension from the shrilling panic being voiced. Alisha stops dead in her tracks and all the blood leaves her face. Eyes wide and mouth agape.

"Where are you?' is all she says and then she looks up at me. Her pink lips tremble and I can see her throat bobble as she swallows her fear. Something doesn't feel right. As soon as she hangs up I can tell that she's trying her hardest to stay calm but she's shaking. Slipping the phone back into her jean pocket she wipes her palms on her legs before looking back up at me. That's when I notice the tears – glistening in the evening rays as they silently slip off her cheeks. I act on impulse reaching for her and pulling her close to me as humanly possible.

One palm on her shoulder, "What is it?" I cup her cheek and search her face. Her chin wobbles before she speaks.

" Sy...Sierra – my daughter –there's been some kind of accident," she swallows, "my aunt is at the emergency room but they need me to come in right now...They need my permission and my signature to perform surgery". My eyes turn to saucers as I process the information, the nearest emergency room closest to her home is at least an hour and a half's drive. Grabbing her wrist and I yank her into a run.

Looking back, I simply throw "We better get you there, then."

***

I hate hospitals. Hate them. Hate the dull fluorescent lights, hate the smell of rubbing alcohol that causes my eyes to sting, hate the sky blue scrub uniforms that run up and down the hallway and I especially hate blood. It's one of the main reasons I can't play the role of a surgeon or a doctor and the very reason I backed out of playing Doctor Strange for Marvel Comics – I just can't' fake something if I hate it.

Walking into Marigold General Alisha's entire body trembles with fear. I take her by the hand and we make our way over to a nurse at the front desk, it doesn't help my anxiety when I notice the sudden looks of recognition coming my way. The nurses that stare at me with their eyebrows so far up their hairline they hide under their little uniform caps, the kids who gasp and cling onto their moms and of course a couple of guys who whisper " wait, is that..."

I refrain from making eye contact with anyone and instead, tighten the hold on Alisha's palm. She's so nervous that I can feel her hands become clammy with a thin layer of sweat.

"I'm looking for a little girl that came in about an hour ago", I ask the tiny grey haired woman behind the desk – she looks up from her clipboard and gives me a polite smile, "Name of the patient?" She asks yanking the mouse of a computer and clicking her keyboard.

I look at Alisha and raise an eyebrow in question. She seems quiet, as though in a state of shock – a trance that I clear my throat just to snap her focus back to reality.

"Sierra Suarez", placing her hands on the table her fingers strum the wood, "She came in with her guardian and her school teacher"

"Oh yes,'' the nurse replied looking up from the monitor, "The little cutie who fell down the first floor flight of stairs."

Alisha tenses and gasps, placing a hand over her shoulder I squeeze her, "which room is she in? "I ask the nurse.

"She's not in any room" she sneaks a quick glance at the screen and gives herself a brief nod, " Yes, she' being prepped for the theatre." then, taking in Alisha's mortified expression she quickly adds, " it's on the third floor –elevators are straight ahead to the right"

Thanking her, I take Alisha's hand once more and lead the way. The stares continue, and I swear a flash of someone's phone goes off but in this very moment I don't give a rat's ass. People can speculate all they want.

The elevator is empty when we walk in. Thank god. We watch each floor light up the little screen to the left.

"It's her birthday today," Alisha whispers and I look down at her just as another silent tear slips, I lift my free arm and let my finger catch it just in time and then raise her chin so that she looks up at me.

"I know you feel like you're to blame because you weren't there but this isn't your fault," and just because I feel the need to reassure her I drop my lips down and give her a chaste peck on her forehead.

We reach the third floor, doors open, we walk out and there stands a woman, her back facing us but even in that position I can tell that this is Alisha's aunt. No, I'm not talking about the position of her ass, I mean the hair. What is it with these women and their messy wild curls?

Only, her aunt's isn't brown like Alisha's, her curls are jet black, raven tumbleweeds jutting free in every direction and when she turns, I swear, it's like I'm staring into the future –Alisha aged forty...maybe fifty, I can't really tell. But man, do they age so gracefully.

The woman first notices us walking towards her and then her gaze drops to our hands, which are still intertwined. Alisha doesn't seem to notice or maybe she doesn't care but something changes in her aunt's expression –as if she's ready to become hostile. What the hell?

Walking away from me Alisha begins to speak a mile a minute asking her aunt all kinds of questions, in a language I don't understand with her hands flailing in every direction towards her aunt.

"It's nothing too serious – she simply tripped and fell –"

"Down an entire fleet of stairs, how is that not serious" Alisha's voice comes out trembling as they switch it back to English but there's no doubt she's pissed. Maybe not at her aunt but definitely at the entire situation.

I press my lips into a thin line and stay silent. I'm not sure I should intervene or if Alisha would even appreciate me doing so.

"And if it's not serious – why does she need surgery?" a single tear escapes her and I have to use all my strength to hold myself back and not touch her. Not here in front of her aunt.

Shaking her head her aunt replies, "She slit her forehead on the final staircase – it's not surgery, they just need to stitch her up but they need to use general anesthesia since she's too small to sit still and they need her mother's permission to administer any drugs, which is why I called you." she emphasizes her words and pins me with a glare. I swallow. Man, this is all kinds of awkward.

It must have suddenly dawned on Alisha that I was still around, clearing her throat she makes the introductions. Her aunt, Kelly is a kindergarten teacher in Toronto and is up here until tomorrow to help Alisha and Sierra settle into their new lives and she now knows I'm an actor – the very actor that Alisha has been assigned to follow and interview for the next 3 months.

Leaving the two of us alone in awkward silence she walks over to the nurses' desk on the third floor to begin the paperwork for Sierra's stitch up. I'm staring at her back, her beautiful curves, and the shape of her pear shaped ass snug tight in those dark jean shorts when suddenly a throat clears, fuck, Aunt Kelly just caught me checking out her niece.

Her left eyebrow kinks up and her mouth opens, I brace myself ready for whatever comment is about to come out when all of a sudden, I hear a voice –and I swear, it sounds just like my sister Heather's.

"Jackson?" the voice sounds surprised, turning around my eyes fall on the person it belongs to. Yep, it's my big sister Heather.

"What are you doing here?" I ask maybe a little too defensively, and her eyebrows raise.

Looking at Aunt Kelly she hands over one of the styrofoam coffees she's been holding on to.

"My student met with a little accident, I'm the one who brought her to the emergency room." she looks at me and lifts her chin forward in question, "and how about you? What are you doing here? Are you okay?" Her eyes search my body.

Letting out a sigh and leaning forward I grab her into a bear tight hug. I've missed her.

"Yeah, I'm good – your student happens to be my friend's daughter – I brought her over the minute we heard about it."

She slowly nods and looks behind me, her face suddenly animating – her eyes glow and by the way she smiles the damn Cheshire cat would run for the hills.

I turn around and that's when I notice Alisha staring at us, her head cocked to the side, she's studying us – and her aunt –well, the woman's got the biggest smirk on her face, as she stares at Alisha with a look that says "I told you so".

I smile at Alisha and she smiles back, a defeated, strained smile. Her eyes moving between my sister and me. Not what you think baby girl. I give her aunt a smirk of my own and watch as her's drop.

"Alisha, I'd like to introduce you to someone very special" I say as I drape an arm over my sister's shoulder.

I watch the panic in her eyes. I know, I know, I'm an asshole for keeping her in suspense but the idea of her getting jealous turns me on, a lot

"Meet Heather Teller", I say gesturing to her with my free hand before turning directly at her aunt, "My sister."