Page 52 of The Actor: Harrison

Stubborn. She is freaking stubborn and it drives me crazy! I suggested helping her with the movie, not pushing her down a cliff, for Pete’s sake!

The sweat is running down my forehead while I push the leg press for the umpteenth time. I should count how many reps I’m doing, but every time I start to focus, my mind goes back to the lunch I had with Sienna a few hours ago.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stop?” Leonard’s voice drags me back to reality.

When I finally put my feet on the ground, I can feel the ache in my leg muscles. I look around the Hunting Club gym and notice how many people have changed since I first came in here today. How long have I been exercising today?

I look up at my friend and can’t avoid his puzzled and maybe a bit worried face. He is one of the calmest people I know. Running his billion-dollar empire, he learned how to hide his emotions. I must look crazy if he’s staring at me like that.

“Yes, I probably should,” I say, exhaling slowly.

Now that my frustration toward Sienna has lessened a bit, I realize how tired I am.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asks and I think about it.

Leonard isn’t someone who asks that just to have a conversation. He means to hear you out. And probably try to help you with a solution. He’s usually the practical one. If there’s a problem, he tackles it head on.

“I had a fight with Sienna,” I explain as he sits on the bench next to me.

“You always fight with her. You didn’t have a good start,” he points out matter-of-factly.

“Yes, but then we slept together and we solved our disagreements.”

He chuckles and shakes his head. He’s in a good mood today, usually he doesn’t so much as smile. “So, what’s the problem?”

“We need to reshoot some scenes and we’ve run out of budget. I suggested covering the costs and she went batshit crazy.”

He frowns. “Why doesn’t she want your money? She knows you’re rich, right?”

I roll my eyes. Only Leonard would ask something like that.

“Yes, she knows. She says it would look like she slept with me to make this movie.”

“That would probably happen, yes,” he states, and sometimes I wonder how he got so far being so blunt with people. Maybe because he’s a tech genius and they overlook his peculiar ways.

“So what? There will always be someone talking shit about her because she achieved what they can’t even dream. Their opinion doesn’t count and I definitely don’t believe those things. Nobody with any real influence in Hollywood believe those things,” I blurt out angrily.

Leonard tilts his head and watches me with an almost-smile on his lips.

“Are you pissed because she doesn’t want your money or because you already gave it to her and she doesn’t know?” He raises an eyebrow in a silent challenge.

“Aaron should really keep his mouth shut,” I mumble, a bit pissed about him talking about my situation to other people.

“Aaron is just worried that you’ll fuck things up and end up hurt,” he states and I’m taken aback.

I know they all care about me, as much as I care about them, but I didn’t know they talk about me when they’re worried about my wellbeing.

“I…it’s just…I don’t know why she’s so against Hollywood money. I understand being an indie director and not wanting the big production companies to push you in a direction you don’t want just for the sake of the gross income. But this isn’t the case.”

“Have you tried to ask her why she hates that money so much?”

His question is so easy and so complicated to answer. I feel guilty about my decision to keep quiet about the funding with Sienna, but I know this is a topic that will rip us apart and I’m not ready to let her go yet.

“It’s complicated.”

Leonard shakes his head, almost disappointed. “You should really talk with her about it. Maybe she’ll understand your position.”

“I know. But if she doesn’t, I don’t think we can come back from that.”

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