Chapter 1.3 – Mr Bigshot

Driving up into the Bridgeport Hills, Allie’s stomach was doing somersaults.  She could not believe she was going to be working for the notorious Tom Mason. Not only was he a reputable actor but he was also number one on the list of best looking men in the world!

Pulling up to the gates, Allie left her car parked outside and took out the keys the studio had given her.  They told her that Tom would not be home so to let herself in and get acquainted with his files in the study.

Walking into the lobby of the house, Allie could not believe her eyes.  The first thing she saw starring back at her was a Simmy Award.  It was on its own pedestal which Allie was not surprised about.  If she ever won one of those she would have it on display for everyone to see too.

The rest of the house was just as beautiful.  It was very modern and totally represented Tommy’s bachelor lifestyle.  There was hardly a feminine item insight!

“Wooohooo,” she screamed spinning around and jumping up and down.  She still could not believe she was standing in Tom Mason’s house.  She was so happy she thought she could kiss the floor.

Instead Allie decided to continue moseying around. She located the study and the kitchen and then sauntered outside only to be faced with a gleaming blue swimming pool.

She had not had a chance to dip her toes in water since she arrived in this sweltering city and the call of the refreshing pool was just too much to bear.  She whipped off her clothes to her swimsuit that was underneath and did a running jump into the pool.

She let herself sink to the bottom of the pool relishing the cool water that eloped her.

Eventually the need to breath won out and she shot back up to the surface.  The scorching sun almost blinded her so she closed her eyes and let herself bob on the surface for a while.

“How’s the water?”

Stunned, Allie’s eyes sprung open.  Who just said that?

As she slowly turned she saw Tom Mason lying on a sun lounger behind her.

Mortified, Allie pulled herself out of the pool and tried to cover up her modestly but her clothes were by the door and she had no other choice than to stand scantily clad in front of her new employer!

“Err hello, Mr Mason, Sir,” she stuttered walking over to him.  “I am Allie your new Personal Assistant.”

“Do you normally spend your working day swimming in someone else’s pool?” Tom was glaring at her now and Allie had never felt so ashamed in her life.

“Err I am so sorry Mr Mason, err Sir.  This will never happen again I promise.  The studio told me you would not be home and I…”

“I don’t really care about that Annie.  It seems I am out of beer so your first job as my assistant is to get me another drink.”

“Of course, Mr Mason.  Oh and my name is Allie, not Annie.”

Tom rested his head back and closed his eyes.  The conversation was obviously over.

Allie quickly pulled on her clothes over her wet swimsuit and headed to the bar.  She mixed up a fruit punch for him that she was famous for at the diner and then deposited the drink next to the sleeping Tom scurrying quickly inside.

She relocated to the study and sat at her new desk.  She had had instructions from the studio on what her job would entail and set to work answering some of Tom’s emails.

There were hundreds and Allie thought she would never get through them all.  She made a list on a separate page on what she needed to run through with Tom.  There were interview requests, promotion times, emails from directors and even some personal emails from girls that he was obviously dating.  She tried not to read those one and dragged them into a personal folder for Tom to look at later.

She worked quickly and meticulously but after each email was sorted, more came flooding through. 

Just as she was about to give up and get herself a drink, an instant message popped up on the screen.  “Hey is this Allie,” it read from a person called Kitty.

“Yes,” Allie wrote back.

“Hi Allie, my name is Kitty.  I am a celebrity PA too and thought I would welcome you to the club.  How’s it going being the PA to one of the hottest celebrities in town?”

“Not so good so far,” Allie replied and told Kitty all about Tom’s first impression of her.

“Lol,” Kitty replied.

Allie and Kitty messaged back with each other for a while. Turned out Kitty was PA to another actor named John Ford who was a big time star in his hey-day but was now quite old and very selective with the films he did.  Kitty was just telling Allie a story about catching John cheating on his wife, when Tom walked into the Study.

“Hey Annie.  I am just going out.  Can you please call up The Ivy and book a table for six for me for 10pm?”

Allie quickly clicked close on her conversation with Kitty and put on her sweetest smile for Tom.  “Yes of course, but my name is Allie.  Is there anything else I can do for you Mr Mason?”

“Yes, we need a new housekeeper.  The last one quit last week and this place is a mess.  You’ll find a job description and salary in the computer.”

“Absolutely. Any special requirements?”

“Just make sure she is hot and has killer legs.”

He rubbed his hands together and I saw a cheeky wink come out from under his sunglasses. He then turned on his heel and left.  I waited until I heard the tires of his car screech out of the driveway, then I called to place his reservation, packed up my things and headed home.

But there was one stop I needed to make on my way.  I was so excited as I pulled open the heavy doors to the Diner that I could hardly contain myself. I spotted Mille over by the counter and ran over to her passing my replacement on the way.  Since landing my new job, I did not have to slave away at the Diner anymore!

“Millie,” I cried spinning her around.

“Allie, gosh.  Look at you.  How was your first day with Mr. Bigshot?”

“Good good.  But enough about that.  How would you like a new job earning twice what you earn here and for fewer hours?  Plus you’ll get to see my face every day!”

“I would say – where do I sign,” Mille replied.  Allie filled her in on the new housekeeper job at Tom’s and both girls were so excited they jumped up and down clapping their hands.

“I need to give a couple of weeks’ notice here and then I am all yours.  Or should I say all Tom’s.”

Allie was so happy that the earlier events of the day meant nothing anymore.  So far working for Tom Mason had not lived up to what she had hoped.  He seemed arrogant and a complete chauvinist, but he was gorgeous to look at so Allie resigned to keep her relationship with him simple and straight forward. 

The next few days went by easily enough.  Allie hardly saw Tom.  He seemed to stay out partying all night and sleep during the day. The only time he bothered her was if he wanted a drink or to check on the progress of something.  She had been asking him every day if they could go through the long list of requests she had but he just brushed them off telling her he will deal with it later.

Then one day he came into the study and for the first time since she arrived, he was not wearing his sunglasses.  He slumped down on the sofa next to her desk and looked over at her.  “Right you have my attention for approximately 20minutes.  What is it you need to go through with me?”

It took a while for Allie to respond.  She was too busy starring into his eyes.  They were so green and so perfect she thought she might lose herself in them.

“Allie?”  Tom persisted.

“Yeah erm, sorry Mr Mason.  Firstly Rolling Stones Magazine needs to set up a photo-shoot of you to accompany the interview you did for your latest film. Is that ok?”

“Sure schedule it in,” Tom replied.  They spent the next two hours going through the rest of Tom’s appointments and requests.  Taking off his sunglasses had somehow lowered Tom’s hard exterior and he jovially worked with Allie to make sure everything was done.

“Is that all,” Tom asked when Allie had gone silent. 

“Yes that’s it.  Oh one last thing, I have hired a housekeeper for you, she starts next week.”

“Good job.”

“Do you have anything more for me to do?”

“Yeah one thing Allie, please call me Tommy.”  He jumped up and headed out of the door.

Allie watched him go.  Please please please don’t fancy him, she told herself.  But it was too late.  She now had the biggest crush on Tom Mason, and she knew she did not stand a chance in hell!

Now they were friends, Tom started stopping by the study more and more to assist Allie with her work.  Sometimes, he would just stop by to chat and Allie would tell him all about her trying to becoming an actress.  Tom would regale her with his stories of cracking the business and the two of them would laugh together until the early hours.

Sometimes their evening chats would turn into movie nights.  Allie would make the popcorn and Tom would mix the drinks.  It turned out he was a great host.  He would constantly fuss around her making sure she was comfortable and even though she was the employee, he would always insist on getting up to get the drinks or anything else she needed.

Every now and then, Tom would brush up against Allie and just the slightest touch from him would send electricity through her.  But Tom never even battered an eyelid.  She knew it did not mean the same to him.

But then she was sure that she sometimes caught him watching her through the fish window in the study.

When she looked up at him, he would quickly look away like he was never looking.  Allie thought she might be going mad!

One afternoon Tom had come into the study and had insisted that Allie took the afternoon off.  He said he needed someone to keep him company while he sunbathed. Allie was more than happy to pander to this request.  Anything to see him with his top off.  While she lay basking in the heat of the day she could feel the heat of Tom’s body radiating beside her.  She was desperate to reach out and touch him, but she knew she had to hold back.  He would never reciprocate and she could not afford to lose her job!

“I have one quick work thing to run by you,” Allie started after they were both settled.  “A new club in town called “Club Noir” has just opened and it’s their celebrity launch party tonight.  They have sent you an invite; would you like me to RSVP for you?”

“Nah.  Those things are always full of D list celebrities and groupies.  Why don’t you go instead?  Take a friend?”

“Really,” Allie gasped.  She had always wanted to go to a celebrity party.

“Sure.  You go and have fun, you deserve it.”

“Hello there,” came a voice that sounded oh so familiar to Allie.  As she looked up she saw Millie’s face beaming back at her.

“Millieeeee,” she squealed jumping up and running into her arms.

“Hello my dear girl.  Just old me reporting for duty,” Millie responded giggling away.  Allie could tell she was just as excited as she was to be working for Tom.

“Tom, Tom, I would like you to meet your new housekeeper.  May I present the best housekeeper in the work, Mrs Millie Macintyre.”

“Nice to meet you,” Tom said looking Millie up and down.  He then turned back to Allie and said, “Allie, I would like a word with you in private please.”

Allie followed Tom into the coolness of the house and she shivered. But it was not the drop in temperature that made her shiver; it was the icy atmosphere that she suddenly found herself in.

“What up,” Allie asked when Tom had closed the patio doors. 

“May you please tell me who that just was,” Tom spat.

“I told you who that was silly.  That is Millie, your new housekeeper.”

“Yes I thought that’s what you said,” Tom snapped back.  “I think I specifically asked you for a HOT new housekeeper.  And I am sorry to say that your friend is not!”

Allie could not believe what she was hearing.  She would have thought Tom was joking if it weren’t for the deep rooted scowl on his face.  “I’m sorry Tom but don’t you think that is a bit prejudice, let alone sexist!  Millie is a fantastic cleaner and cook and she is more than qualified for the job…”

“Allie I don’t care if she has waited on the queen, she is not what I asked for.  Now get rid of her!”

“Tom I can’t.  You can’t do this.  She has quit her old job to work for you.  She has four children to support.  She needs this job. Tom please…”

“She’s gone Allie and I don’t want to hear another word of it.  Get that woman out of my house.”

Allie watched as Tom turned his head on her, once again it seemed this conversation was over.

But it wasn’t over for her.  “I won’t do it do you hear me. If you want her gone than you can tell her yourself.”

But Tom wasn’t listening, he had already marched off. “To hell with you”, Allie muttered to herself.  “Millie is staying!”