Astrid

"Shay broke up with me last night," Gavin explains. So she got through to Shay after all, Astrid thinks, gloating inside as she pretends to sympathize, "I'm so sorry Gavin! It's my fault isn't it, she's jealous because we're friends now. I should explain to her it was just a friendly kiss...." Gavin shakes his head & sighs with resignation, "No, Astrid, it wasn't about you, entirely. It started with the whole Xtina thing & we never did pick it up properly from there. Especially since Xtina & I are still close."

"And who is Xtina?" Astrid asks, pitching her voice to sound lighthearted, while she seethes inside. She worked hard on this, only to have Shay break up with him over another woman! Astrid cannot stand being upstaged. "I dated Xtina between you & Shay," Gavin explains, "She's been helping me with my lines, and Shay is extremely jealous over it. Or was..." "Helping with your lines?" Astrid asks in surprise, remembering the quick progress he's been making as an actor, "Is she an actress then?" Astrid voice squeaks too high on the final word, as her own jealousy overcomes her professionalism as an actress.

"No, she was an undergrad at Otis. But she's crazy about this Sandman book & knows your lines by heart, as well as mine & everyone else's," he laughs affectionately "She's been waiting for this movie for years. She used to dress like your character for Halloween parties." Astrid sits glumly for a moment, perplexed, unsure how to proceed. Shay broke up with him, but he isn't crushed. And he's talking way too much about this other girl now, the girl who had him after her, and who wore her costume. Whatver this 'Xtina' has planned for Gavin, Astrid isn't going to let it happen. Gavin is her prey, she had him first! "I can help with your lines, Gavin," she offers flirtatiously & Gavin accepts with a quiet thanks.

"I'm really sorry about Shay breaking up with you," Astrid commiserates as she leads Gavin into a dark corner of the club. She's not wasting any time, she needs to claim him before her part in this movie is over & he starts after this 'Xtina'. She lays her hand against his cheek & beams pure sympathy & love up at him through her eyes. "It's all right, really, Astrid," Gavin says, his arms coming around her like it was natural.

"I'm sorry about a lot of things, Gavin," she says, making her voice tremble. "I'm sorry, too, Astrid," he says. For what? she wonders. He never did anything to deserve the royal dumping he got, she was just done with him. But it doesn't matter what he's thinking, the important thing is she's halfway to owning him like she once did. "I'm going to make it up to you," she whispers as she pulls at the buttons of his shirt.

"Astrid, please," Gavin protests weakly, and she laughs throatily, lips against his stomach as she tugs on his belt. "I remember you, Gavin, you can't pretend this doesn't excite you," she moans, getting a little excited herself. This isn't the first time they've done this in public: Gavin pretends to an odd kind of modesty, but at heart he's an exhibitionist as much as Astrid is. "Astrid," Gavin sighs her name, part protest, part submission. She has him where she wants him, she can already taste her success.