THEM AND HER FLEETING ROMANCES

Chapter 6

Theodore can't contain the excitement he was feeling when he arrived at the set of Today's Stars that day, an entertainment show where random stars are being invited for an interview about their careers, aiming to squeeze some gossip about them.

"I thought that you'll be late," his manager, Charlie, started as he entered his assigned dressing room. "I texted you to come here an hour before the show. What made you decide to come here ten minutes before the program? Liz, come on. Do his make up now. Double time, we're in a rush. Fast! Fast! Fast!" The gay manager even clapped his hands to raise their spirits.

"Don't do this again, Theo. You know, that you're the top star. What if some newspaper got a wind of this attitude and wrote you as someone with lack of responsibility and a failure at time management? That's not good for your image, understand that?"

Theo glared at Charlie who kept quacking like a duck beside him. "There won't be any problems, Charles."

"It's Charlie. Charlie. Not Charles. Gah! Just hurry up and be on standby in five minutes. Five minutes, okay? Five. Girls?" Charlie glanced at the makeup artists, "do it in five minutes."

Charlie left and closed the door to appease the program coordinators. Liz also reached for the make-up sets and started looking at the best color to use for the actor which Theo stopped.

"Don't put any make-up on me. Just some powder and give me a change of clothes."

The other assistants rummaged through the closet to match some outfits for him and after freshening his look, he changed into a white polo and wore some flashy jewelries on him including a dangling earring without a match, a bracelet and rings.

"Are you sure you don't need even an eyeshadow?," Liz asked as she saw Theo fixing his own hair.

"Yes. This is enough, am I ugly without those colors?"

The girl's hearts melted away when Theodore smiled at them. As someone hailed as the most handsome bachelor in the country from a famous fashion magazine, it's unimaginable to think that someone could not fall from his charms.

"You're sparkling," the two assistants say in unison.

The cameras rolled and the bald host introduced him. Of course it's mandatory to say his achievements and current status in the industry.

"Let us please welcome, the prince of all single ladies out there. None other than our young emperor, Theo Delaney."

"What's with the emperor?," he immediately asked after he took the seat meant for him.

The host laughed. "Aren't you the Emperor? 'Kill them all,' you said those lines. Quite coldly."

Theo grinned at the failed mimicry of his acting. It's one of his scenes in an evening drama before where he acted as a tyrant emperor. "That's embarrassing. Oh, please don't mention it. Not anymore, not anymore," he told them, acting a bit evasive about that experience.

"You look good today," the host complimented him. "Very fresh."

"Oh, I told my assistants not to put makeup on me."

"Still, it worked. You're dazzling!"

"Dazzling?"

The actor nervously laughed off the compliment. First of all, it's an accident for him to become part of his industry. He never dreamt of bright lights, blinding him wherever he goes because what he's aiming for is to be a producer, but that's a high goal for some ordinary guy like him.

The interview format is very common. He was asked again on how he was discovered and how he started his career.

"I was actually assigned as a technician that day. I was fixing the set when the camera man told me to stay in my place, then he clicked. Stared at my photo and said, 'Okay, dress him up.' Everything started from that one photo and then they told me to act like the mute antisocial brother of the female lead. It's just for a few minutes and I literally said nothing. After that, I think, I started being called for photoshoots."

The show went on, still on their unoriginal questions. Until that certain query came. Something an actor like him should answer in a vague manner.

"So, what about love? Your status. Tell us the love life of Mr. Theo Delaney."

He closed his eyes firmly, weighing his decisions to make, took a look at the hanging lights above them then to the audience waiting for his answer.

"Oh my God, what's that reaction? What is that?," the host squealed, getting pumped at the possible juicy conclusion to the question. "Is there someone?," he asked again.

Theo dipped his head, then slowly looked at the camera. "Am I obvious?"

"You are," the host screamed.

"I hope she notices too."

And the crowd can't help but make noise on his revelation.

"Hoping? Are you rejected?"

The actor's silence was taken as a yes by the host and with that, more noise emerged from the huge crowd of fans gathered in the audience's area.

"Who dared to ignore Theo Delaney, who dares?," the host emphasized.

"She did not," Theo responded to the taunt, trying to clear up the building misconception. "She did not outright reject me. It just seems like she doesn't remember me."

He successfully gained sympathy from the audience after those words.

"So she forgot about you."

"Yes."

"Seriously, with that face? Forgotten?"

The fans laughed. No. No one can forget someone as handsome as Theo. His eyes alone, lazily gazing somewhere far, could make you think about him all day. He's too dreamy to be ignored.

"Not before. I am like a common student before I entered show business. Black hair, black eyes. Typical boy from the neighborhood. That's me."

"In other words, you're assuming that she forgot about you because of how your appearance changed?"

"Correct."

"Oh my— so what do you want to tell her? To that girl."

Theo used his charms and peeked at the camera and staff, and to Charlie who's already biting his nails due to stress, ready to drop a bomb which will shake his whole career for a while.

"To the Miss. I hope she's fine and doing well. My appearance may have changed but it never changed the fact that I waited. For three years, I waited."