Chapter 9
Waking up the next morning, Maitland had found herself still clinging on to JC's pillow and wondering if and when she'd finally hear from him.
Maitland had filming to do for another episode of Lost in Our Lust , so she had quickly gotten herself ready and drove to the studio where it was shot.
When Maitland arrived at the studio, Tess and Bree were both already there and munching away at some coffee and donuts. They both smiled at Maitland as she walked towards them.
" 'Morning Mait." Tess said.
"Good Morning, Maitland." Bree said.
"Hey girls." Maitland said and grabbed a donut off of the refreshment table.
"Are you okay? You seem bothered by something?" Bree asked.
Maitland sighed and knew she'd have to talk to someone, so it might as well be Tess and Bree.
"Well could we acutally go to my dressing room and talk?"
"Sure." Tess answered and Bree nodded.
Tess and Bree followed Maitland to her dressing room. When all three entered the room, Maitland locked her door.
"So what's going on?" Bree asked taking a seat on a couch.
Maitland took a seat on the couch next to her and Tess remained standing.
"Last night was just awful. I haven't heard from JC in three days and he should be arriving in New York today. He said he'd call me, but he's totally failed the task."
"Aw, sweetheart. I didn't know you hadn't spoken to him. I'm sure he's just been extremely busy." Tess said sympathetically.
"That's not all, Tess. I found a picture of him with some bimbo in a newspaper yesterday. He's been partying after his studio sessions and it just doesn't make any sense why he wouldn't be calling me."
"You know how tabloids are. You can't take much stock in them. I bet JC has a really good reason for not calling you." Bree said pulling Maitland into a friendly hug.
"I know. I want to think the best and not doubt him, but it's just so hard."
"He loves you. Don't forget that, Mait." Tess said trying to cheer her up.
"Tess, is right and who knows, maybe JC will call you today." Bree said.
"Well even if he does call me, what about the girl in the photo?"
"I'm sure she was no one." Bree said standing up from the couch.
"Yeah, I bet it's nothing, but we should go to wardrobe now. Filming starts in an hour." Tess said looking at her watch.
Maitland nodded."Well thanks girls, for talking to me."
"No problem." they said in unison and laughed leaving Maitland's dressing room.
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After getting all dolled up in make-up and wardrobe, Maitland was set to go shoot her first scene. She walked out onto the set and saw Trent standing off to the side waiting.
"Hey." Trent said seeing her walk his way.
"Hi." she said softly.
"We're up next."
"I know."
"So are you okay? I overheard Tess and Bree saying they hoped everything would turn out okay for you."
"Oh, um yeah I'm um fine. I'm just having a small issue, but it'll be okay."
Trent crossed his arms and gave her an look that meant he was intrigued.
"Now I know I probably shouldn't ask this or but into your life, but would this "small issue" have anything to do with your husband?"
Maitland really didn't want to spill her personal life to Trent and she wondered why he was asking such a bold question.
"Maybe, maybe not."
"I'm going to guess that it is. I mean I did see the newspaper with his picture in it. He seemed to be having a blast with that girl."
Maitland couldn't believe he brought that up.
"Well I'm not too worried." she said even though inside she was concerned about who the girl was and how JC's night had ended.
"Tell someone who's gullible. I can tell you're scared. So let me just tell you one thing, Maitland. If you ever need another man, then I'm here."
Maitland couldn't believe he had the audacity to say such a thing. Trent really had no professionalism and he was concerned about his co-stars more than on his acting it seemed.
"Well thanks Trent, but I really don't think I'll need to take you up on your offer. I don't go for guys who hit on married women."
"Well sweetie, we'll see if you even stay married."
Maitland just gave him the finger and walked over to the refreshment table for some water before filming.
She was going to have to remain calm and push away every bad thought in her mind so she wouldn't kill Trent when they had to do a kissing scene.
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"And cut!" the director yelled and Maitland was thankful to hear it.
She had been so repulsed to kiss Trent and wanted to get back to her dressing room before he tried confronting her again.
Maitland walked off set and saw Bree walking to her holding a cell phone.
"That's my phone." Maitland said.
"Yeah, and JC is on the line." Bree announced handing the phone over.
Maitland grabbed it reluctantly and then briskly walked to her dressing room to have the conversation in private.
"Hello." Maitland said taking a seat on her couch.
"Maity." JC said.
"Yeah, it's me."
"I'm so glad."
"I'm surprised you're finally calling me."
"I know and I'm so sorry."
"So JC, would you care to explain why?"
"Why I haven't called until now?"
"Yeah."
"I just arrived in New York and my phone reception is finally working. I couldn't call you from London because I couldn't get through to you."
"Oh, I see. Well you had me worried."
"I bet I did. I'm sorry."
Maitland started twirling her hair with her finger and could already tell this phone call wasn't normal.
"You could've tried someone else's phone or the hotel phone or something."
" I was busy. Plus I don't think anyone else had a cell phone that would work internationally."
"Fine, whatever. Let's forget about the stupid phone situation." Maitland said irritated.
"Don't be like that. I'm sorry, but hey I'm talking to you now."
"Yeah, on day 5 of your 8 day escapade."
"Escapade? Why are you referring to it as an escapade?"
"JC, tell me. How busy have you been?
He sighed feeling how the conversation was not at all what he hoped for.
"I told you. I had lots of stuff to do in the studio with Timbaland and Justin. I had to record a couple songs and we mixed one. It's not like it's something I can take lightly and finish in a day and be done. You know me."
"Yeah, you and your studio freak persona. So you're saying that you were working the majority of your time in London?"
"Yes."
"Now did you party on your free time?"
JC knew where she was going with this and he knew he had to answer it carefully.
"Yes, I did happen to go to a couple of clubs."
"Did you happen to run into some brunette?"
"What are you talking about?"
"JC, there is a picture of you in the newspaper at a club with some brunette and she has her arm around you."
JC tried to think back to who it could've been and decided that he'd have take a guess.
Maitland waited to hear his reply and assumed the worst. That maybe he didn't even remember because he'd gone overboard with the liquor.
"You going to tell me who it was or should I just hang up on you? 'Cause I'm really feeling like hanging up on you. It's obvious to me that you drank too much and porbably don't remember."
JC had been talking to Maitland during his limo ride from the airport and was now arriving at his hotel. When the limo pulled to the front of the hotel and stopped, JC opened the door and got out.
"You still there?" he heard Maitland ask.
"Yeah, I just got out of a limo. I'm now at my hotel."
"Oh, ok. So are you going to tell me who that girl was or do you really want me to hang up on you pissed off?"
JC looked at the scene of New York that was before him as a hotel worker grabbed his suitcase for him.
He noticed the city buses that were a usual fixture in the city and he saw one stop at a corner to let some riders off. JC caught the ad on the side of the bus and saw it was an ad for the television show "The OC".
"No, don't hang up on me." he said with a light bulb turning on in his mind.
"So then who is she?"
"Rachel. Rachel Bilson."he answered confidently with the memory of her bumping into him at the club coming back to him.
"She's an actress right?"
"Yeah, she's on "The OC".
"So have you two met before?"
"Yeah, I've met her at a lot of other functions before. She's a nice girl."
"So then are you friends more or less?"
"Maitland, don't worry honey. If you think that something besides a friendly hug happened you're losing your mind. Yes, she's more than just an acquaintance, but it's not like I hang out with her a lot."
Maitland let out a sigh that she'd been holding for a long time. She was glad to know the identity of the mystery girl and she felt a little more at ease with the situation.
"Okay, I'm sorry if I was getting nasty with you. You know that I can overreact."
"No, it's fine. I'm glad I could clear it up and that I could finally call you."
JC had now arrived at his master suite and the bell hop opened the door, set down JC's suitcase for him and then handed JC the key card. JC nodded in gratitude to the bell hop and closed the door.
"So baby, I was wondering how much do you think you've been drinking?" Maitland asked concerned and curious.
"When I go out to a club?"
"Yeah, like how much do you drink when you go to a club?"
"It depends. Sometimes not a lot and sometimes a lot. I guess it depends on who I'm surrounded by and how well my day has gone in the studio."
Maitland wasn't sure how much she liked his answer. It bothered her to even wonder if he'd ever drink too much and forget he was married and go home with a @#%$.
"I'm only asking because I worry about you being in other cities doing your thing and losing sight of of everything that's important to you. I also worry about you because I know you haven't been using a bodyguard as much as you should.
"Maity, I just haven't seen much need to have Lonnie following me around when all I'm doing is recording at the moment and making low key appearances. I'm doing fine and you shouldn't worry too much. Also, I know who I am, who I love, and why I work hard. Going to a club isn't going to tarnish that."
"Okay, okay. It's just remember five weeks ago at your birthday party?"
"What about it?"
Maitland could picture the night of JC's 30th birthday party in her head still and all of the pictures that followed after the celebration.
"You seemed to be enjoying yourself almost a little too much and I swear every other picture I saw from the party was you with a drink in your hand."
"Mait, it was my birthday."
"I know that, but if you can party like that on your birthday who's to say you won't party like that again at a club surrounded by people you might not know and without me there."
JC knew she had a right to say such a thing and worry about him, but wanted to change the subject. He just wanted the conversation to head in a more pleasant direction.
"Can we just talk about something else?Like how is the soap opera going?"
Maitland sighed at his shift in topic and decided that she'd need to drop the whole Rachel/clubbing/drinking thing.
"I've just been shooting episodes like usual. I filmed a kissing scene this morning. But don't worry, Trent is so repulsive to me that I was glad when the scene was done."
JC laughed. "Yeah, I can see how hard it would be to kiss someone not your husband and someone repulsive. But, look at the bright side, you got payed for it."
"I guess that's a good way of looking at it. But why do I need to get payed when I could just mooch off of you forever?" Maitland joked.
" 'Cause if you weren't getting payed I wouldn't want you to kiss other men. Secondly, I have a rule that I will not let a beautiful Australian woman use me."
Maitland chuckled. "I guess I forgot to tell you that I'm only using you. That way when I spend all of my money I can start spending all of yours."
"Shoot, I guess I shouldn't have married you then. I was an idiot." JC said trying to hold in his laughter.
"Babe, you're no idiot. In fact you're pretty much the luckiest guy ever since you did marry me."
"Well I don't know if I'd take it that far."
"Hey now!"
"Just kidding, Mait. You know that I know I'm lucky to have you."
Maitland heard a knock on her dressing room door and stood up form her couch.
"Hold on a moment, Josh. Someone's at my door."
"Okay."
Maitland the door and was pleasantly surprised to see Kelly Fatone standing in front of her.
"Oh my gosh, hey Kelly!" Maitland said and gave her a half hug.
"Hi Maitland. I thought I'd come by and surprise you."
"You did. Take a seat and I'll be off of the phone in a minute."
Kelly nodded and then Maitland turned her back to continue her call.
"I'm back."
"Did I hear you say Kelly?" JC asked.
"Yep, it's Joey's Kelly."
"Well that's nice. Hopefully you girls can have some girl time."
"Yeah. So I think I should get off the phone now."
"Yeah, and I could use a good nap after my long flight."
"So will you call me tomorrow?"
"I will. Don't be worried anymore, Maity."
"I'll try not to. Bye Josh."
"Bye, sweetie."
JC closed his phone and tossed it on a coffee table. He was glad to have talked to his wife and glad that to have remembered it was Rachel he had ran into, but he was still a little plagued by the thought that something else happened because he could only remember up to the hug that Rachel gave him. Yet, Maitland's mind was at ease now and that's all that he needed.
"So was that JC?" Kelly asked as Maitland turned back to her."
"Yeah, it was him."
"Where is he now?"
"He just got to New York. He won't come home for a few more days."
"I see. So then why don't you and I do something fun since we're both man-free at the moment."
"So then where is Joey?"
"Joey and Briahna are off visiting his parents. I decided I'd let them have some fun without me."
"Yeah, because now you can have some fun with me." Maitland said with a smile.
Kelly grinned back.
"So are you done shooting scenes today?"
"I have one more, but it should be a quick one to shoot."
"That's good, then we can go get some lunch after."
"Yeah, that would be nice. You can follow me out to the set now and watch us film if you want."
"Oh, that would be cool!" Kelly exclaimed.
Maitland and Kelly walked out of the dressing room and headed down the hallway. Kelly kept in stride following behind Maitland and almost ran into her when she stopped suddenly.
"Whoa, why did we just stop?" Kelly asked.
Maitland turned to look at her and she seemed to be bothered by something.
"Is something wrong?" Kelly asked reading her friend's expression.
"I just realized something." Maitland said.
"Is it good or bad?"
"Well it's not good." Maitland answered and found herself twisting her wedding ring.
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