Chapter 25
VICTOR
“Are you about to murder me?” Josie asks me jokingly as we descend the stairs into my mansion’s basement.
I laugh.
She’s quoting me from that time she hid me in that alleyway.
“You’re quick with a witty retort,” I say. “No, I’m not planning to murder you anytime soon, Josie Gunn.”
“Great. Well, that’s a relief.”
“I have something else planned for you,” I explain.
“Oh, God. What is it?”
“Wait here.”
We’re standing outside a closed door at the bottom of the staircase.
I disappear into the next room, moving fast enough to make sure that Josie doesn’t have the chance to peek inside and catch a glimpse of my surprise.
I wait a moment before I re-open the door. I’m building the suspense. I love the drama of it all. Yeah, I’m sure that Josie has absolutely zero clue as to what is about to happen.
I turn on a few switches. I start up the music. I get myself ready.
And then I re-open the door.
“Welcome to my private cinema,” I grandly announce to my audience of one.
Josie looks taken aback by my melodramatic display, but then she sees what I’m revealing.
She sees what’s in the room behind me - a foyer decked out just like a high-end movie theatre with soft, reddish lighting and dark walls displaying more posters of classic movies. There’s a bar counter with different drinks and a popcorn machine.
A little private cinema.
I’ve done all this for myself. I always loved going to the movies, but when you’re so famous that you get mobbed on the street then you sadly can’t experience that anymore, so I had no choice but to create my own.
“No freaking way,” Josie remarks as she takes a tentative foot inside.
“What do you think?” I ask her as her head spins from side to side to look at the foyer.
“This is incredible,” she whispers.
Good.
“Welcome, welcome. Okay, line up then. You want popcorn?”
“Yes, please.”
I gesture her over to the bar where I pull out a bag of popcorn and a soda. I also hand her a paper ticket.
“Keep this,” I say as I hand over the stub. “It’s your ticket. You won’t be let in without it.”
Josie giggles.
“Okay, I will.”
I point her towards another door.
“Head over there,” I say.
I meet her before she gets to the doorway. I stand in between her and the next room.
“What are you doing, Victor?” she asks me whilst holding back a fit of laughs, finding this utterly hilarious.
I raise out my hand.
“Ticket, please.”
The girl hands me her ticket, and I tear it before I stand aside to let her in.
Josie nods her head in appreciation before we’re both heading into the darkened auditorium – the same size as a normal movie theater.
Josie’s head nearly spins completely around as she takes it all in.
“This is amazing, Victor. You did all this?”
“Yes.”
“Just for you?”
“Yes, and for friends,” I reply. “Look, when you’re as famous as I am then you can’t usually go to the movies. I used to love doing that every weekend, and I was really starting to miss my visits. This is the next best thing. And, hell, I have the spare money to recreate a cinema, so why not?”
“Yeah, why not? This is so good. This is the best use of money. I love it, Victor.”
We take a seat in the middle of the auditorium. Josie is smiling at me. I’m glad to make her so happy. Her soft brown eyes are wide.
She looks so gorgeous, and she doesn’t even know it.
The lights dim even more as the projector behind us starts to roll. I had it all set on a timer.
“What are we watching?” Josie asks me.
I rub my hands together in glee.
“Wait and see, Josie. I’m going to give you an education in film.”