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“That little statue is already mine.” Jaime said as he took a sip of coffee. He had the smuggest grin on his face as he convinced himself the Emmy Award for lead actor in a drama series was already his.
“Oh, I think you’re too confident, Jaime.” Tyrion told him.
Jaime Lannister found early in his teenage years, that he had the charm and the looks to be a successful actor. So, after conquering the industry in movies and a few comedy shows, he marked his name in the show business select list of actors who get a part in a drama show.
“Hey, it’s mine. I’m telling you. It was all worth it… They’ll call my name and I’ll climb those steps to get that golden lady in my hands.” He finished his coffee. “Now I need to get ready.” He said as he got up and walked to his closet.
Tyrion followed him. “Tell me again why you’re taking Brienne Tarth with you, please. I thought the girl despised you…”
Jaime laughed as he took his suit from the hanger. “Well, I think a part of her still does…”
Tyrion looked confused. “So…?”
Jaime picked two ties from the drawer. “Red or blue?”
“Red! Now tell me why you invited her to go with you.” Tyrion gesticulated as he seemed curious.
Jaime held both ties in front of his eyes. “Nah… Blue is better… it’s the color of her eyes, you know.”
Tyrion rolled his eyes. “Brother, you sound like a teenager getting dressed for prom.”
Jaime smiled and placed the blue tie next to his shirt. “I invited her because she’s got attitude, and also because she was the only one who stood up against Tyrell.” Jaime said as he mentioned the fact that Brienne Tarth was the only person in the crew to actually give Jaime’s co-star the treatment she deserved. On the screen, Jaime and Margaery were a passionate romantic duo, but off-camera they simply treated each other in a hostile way, like declared enemies. Margaery thought Jaime was too old to play that part, and Jaime thought the girl displayed the most ridiculous duck face whenever she had to play a tragic scene. Among the crew they were known as Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable, in a reference to the actor and actress who performed Gone With The Wind, and just like Jaime and Margaery, could not stand each other.
Tyrion leaned his head. “Are you attracted to this girl?”
“Gods, no… She’s really not my type. She’s 6 foot tall and her body looks like one of those German shot put athletes. She’s got the largest shoulders I’ve seen in my life.” Jaime said as he placed his hand around his own shoulders, trying to show Tyrion how big Brienne’s body is.
When he is finally ready, there is a limo waiting for him. And as he arrives at her address, the actor gets surprised to see she lives in a very wealthy neighborhood. Jaime had never thought she could so rich, considering the assistant director always dresses so casually for work.
He sees the girl saying goodbye to a middle aged man. Her boyfriend? Jaime thinks as he tries to figure out what is the connection between them. The actor sees she is wearing a discreet black dress, which shows almost no skin at all.
When she enters the limo he takes a look at her, while she is smiling and waving to the man on the sidewalk. “Good evening, Lannister.” She says as she closes the car door.
“Sugar daddy?” He asks her without even measuring his words. Deep inside he knows she cannot be offended by anything he says. Her skin seems to be too thick and her mind, too witty.
Brienne rolls her eyes and chuckles as she tries to smooth the wrinkles on her dress. “My father.”
The actor blinks as he takes a look at the man and waves just before the driver starts the car. Jaime starts thinking about her age, then. That man is, at most, fifty-five years old. His eyes scan her figure and he notices, just like a stupid child, he had thought she was older just because of her height. “So how old are you exactly?” Jaime asks as he watches the smile on her face as she looks at the stars.
Brienne narrows her eyes as she looks at him. “Twenty-two. Why?”
His mouth opens in disbelief. “Twen-- But how? You’re assistant director! How can you be so young?” He protests as he almost yells at her.
She laughs. “Not all of us are dinosaurs, Mr. Gable.” She giggles as she finds his shock a little bit flattering.
“Oh, very funny… And I hate that nickname, by the way. Clark Gable was a womanizer.” He told her as he got a bottle of water from a dispenser.
Brienne giggled when he insulted Clark Gable. “And you are…?” She asked him as she arched her eyebrows. “Because I’ve never seen a girl stepping out of your trailer, so I’m sure that if you do have a girlfriend, you don’t bring her to the set like the others do.” She told him as she crossed her arms.
So, you’ve been paying attention to my trailer… He shifts his weight as he looks through the window. “Long story short, I had a girlfriend… but it didn’t work out between us.”
“Because you’re so full of yourself?” Brienne asks as she smiles at him.
Jaime chuckles. “No, because she realized an executive producer makes more money than an actor.” He told her with a sarcastic look.
She was shocked. “Oh… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to--”
“Yes, you meant to! But it’s alright. I like that about you.” He said as he watched the traffic lights. She blushed as she could not control her shyness. She looked through the window, trying to make the discussion end. But he realized he had just found her weakness, which he thought he would never find. “So that’s what gets you shy… when people compliment you.”
“Shut up, Lannister. I came to get free dinner, not an analysis session.” She shakes her head as she looks at him.
“So, do you have a boyfriend? You know, since sugar daddy is actually your real daddy.” He laughs as he gets more comfortable on his seat.
“No.” She is brief in her answer.
“Was there ever?” He insists as he looks into her eyes.
“Yes.” She swallows hard as she tried to pretend she cannot see he is looking at her.
“And what happened?”
“I found out he was just trying to get a better part on a production I was selecting the cast for.” She says as she places her blonde hair behind her ear.
Just for that moment, he feels like he is bonding in a true friendship, somehow. Having exposed his own disgrace and misfortune, and now, watching the girl showing her wounds to him felt like the kind of intimacy he had never had with anyone.
“Well, all I can say is: he was a real jerk, an asshole! You’re very spirited, any guy would be lucky to date you.” He tells her.
Brienne gets speechless for a while; she feels her throat getting drier as she processes his words. “Oh, you should finish that sentence, Lannister. ‘Any guy would be lucky to date me, in spite of my looks’.” She says.
“That’s not what I said.” He leans his head as he narrows his eyes.
“So, tell me why you invited me to go with you.” She bites her lower lip as she waits for his answer.
He smiles. “Guess who’ll seat right at our table!” He lifts his eyebrows.
“Poor Margaery…” Brienne says as she knows he is doing that just to provoke his co-star.
“Oh, come on… It’ll be fun. We can both annoy her tremendously when she doesn’t get the award.” He says as he chuckles.
Brienne tries to hold back her smile. “And how do you know she’s not gonna win?”
“Because I’m gonna win for lead actor, and they usually don’t give two major awards for the same show.” He answers as he grins at her.
“Why are you so sure that you’re gonna win?” She challenges him as her blue eyes get brighter.
“It’s obvious! My acting was tremendous! My poor character lost his fucking hand, his twin-sister slash lover betrayed him and he still had to say goodbye to the only woman he respected, our dear Margaery…” He laughs. “…I deserve that statue, Tarth.”
The girl laughs and shakes her head. “People don’t always get what they deserve, Jaime.”
“Oh, I know that. I’ve had too much of not getting what I deserve…” He lifts his eyebrows.
In just a few minutes they arrive at the theater. Jaime opens the car door and steps out. Brienne gets surprised when she sees him holding her hand as she stands up. She looks into his eyes, not understanding what might be the reason for his attention. It is clear for her that he invited her just to annoy the Tyrell girl, so why would he be so chivalrous with her like that?
Jaime places his right hand on her back and it is like Brienne stiffens and blushes instantaneously. Photographers wait till they are on the right mark so the official photos can be taken. The girl tries to slow her pace, so he can take pictures alone in front of the award panel background, but he keeps forcing her to walk beside him.
“Tarth, this isn’t gonna work if you act like I’m threatening you with a knife.” He whispers to her ear as he watches her face.
“You can take pictures alone, it’s not like we’re together or something.” She says, trying to sound comfortable with it.
He chuckles as he watches her freckles standing out on her pink cheeks. “You really didn’t mean that… Gosh, it’s so funny how you can’t lie… Your face tells the truth for you.” He tells her as he tries to smooth his wild long hair, a mark of his character.
“Shut up, Lannister.” She says as she pretends not to be smiling.
“There you go, almost a smile. Can you smile for them?” He asks her while pointing at the photographers.
Brienne rolls her eyes, as she tries to conceal her nervousness. So they step forward and get to the right mark on the red carpet. A million flashes burn her blue eyes, but she keeps her facial expression, trying to display a confident look. It soon changes into surprised look once again, as Brienne feels his hand sliding from her back to her side, gripping tight onto her waistline.
“Jaime!” She protests, watching the cameras flashing faster and the paparazzi getting louder after the actor’s move. Jaime gets surprised as he feels her torso is not as thick as he believed. His fingers even trace a gentle curve as he strokes her ribs just for a second.
When they approach the reporters, he smiles at the young man from a TV channel. The reporter starts asking him about how his character changed from being the bad guy to being the hero who suffers during the third season of the show. Jaime answers so articulately that Brienne simply stays focused on his words as she watches him a few steps behind.
“And here with you tonight is the assistant director of the show, Brienne Tarth.” The reporter looks at Brienne and then back at Jaime with a naughty smile on his face. “Will you break your fans’ hearts saying you’re no longer single, Jaime?” The guy holds the microphone towards Jaime.
When the actor glances behind, Brienne is waving discreetly at other members of the cast so she clearly has no idea what that last question was. He calls her closer and when she gets near him, he simply snakes his arm around her waist and grins at the reporter. “Yeah, we’re super dating!” He laughs as Brienne blushes fiercely and looks at him with a shocked expression on her face.
“No, we’re not!” Brienne states while shaking her head.
Jaime starts tickling her ribs. “Of course we are, but… she’s shy you know.” He laughs as Brienne squirms and giggles.
“And was it difficult in the beginning? You know, dating a co-worker and also because of the age difference…” The reporter asks, considering Jaime is fourteen years older than her.
Jaime does not let her speak, for he goes on trying to tickle her. He starts laughing and answering the question. “Oh, it was extremely hard actually… But our love survived because she’s really into me.” He says as he strokes her arm. Brienne laughs but shakes her head at the same time she slaps his shoulder violently. Jaime smiles at her and then turns to the reporter. “She’s really into bondage as well.” The actor explains, causing her to gasp and look at him as she laughs. As they continue walking he laughs at how red her face looks while she slaps his arm, but not wishing to hurt him, only trying to tease him.
When he loses the award, Brienne sees bitterness in his eyes. He stays quiet for a long time, until she decides to say something. Brienne tells him those awards are purely commercial and do not indicate the audience’s opinion. He laughs sarcastically, and then he tells her he does not need her sympathy.
As they leave the party after the award, there are many fans waiting for them outside. It is already 4AM when Brienne sees something which calls her attention. In the middle of the crowd, there is a boy, dressed as Jaime’s character. He is wearing a golden glove on his right hand, and he has a full set of armor, including a sword and a red cloak on his shoulders. The kid seems to be about eight or nine years old and he smiles so excitedly when he sees Jaime walking towards the parking lot. There are security guards and barriers keeping the fans away from the guests’ area, but Brienne walks quickly towards the boy when she sees him.
Jaime gets confused and starts calling her name, clueless about what caused her to simply walk towards the public. “Tarth, where are you going? Tarth!” He calls her as he decides to follow her.
Then he sees Brienne asking a very tall strong security guard to take the boy and help him jump the barrier, he smiles and scans the kid’s costume. When Brienne turns to him she smiles back and watches as the boy runs in Jaime’s direction.
The kid looks into his eyes, finding it all too difficult to believe. His favorite star, the hero in his favorite TV show, the man he admires and copies standing right in front of him. “Wow! You really are tall… very tall.” The boy tells him while Jaime takes him up so they can take a picture. The boy’s father gets his cell phone and quickly takes a few shots of the two.
“That’s a very beautiful costume!” Jaime tells him as he takes a look at the armor set. He places the boy back on the ground and kneels so he can scrutinize the sword and the red cloak. “Did you do this all by yourself?” Jaime asked him. “Or your mom helped you?” He said as he smiled at the boy.
The kid’s eyes flickered for a moment. “Oh, I have no mom… she died when I was born. But my aunt and my dad helped me with the cloak and the armor.” He smiles innocently as he tells the story. “It took us two months to make the armor, you know…”
Jaime feels so moved by the boy’s words. He feels like there is a strong connection between them immediately, partly because Jaime also lost his mother very early in his life, so he knows what it is like to suffer that kind of pain. So he takes a black marker from his pocket and signs the boy’s armor, right on the breastplate, causing the boy to yell happily to his father. “Look, dad! Jaime’s signing my armor!” His father watches the scene as he smiles and films it with his phone.
Then Jaime hugs him as he walks with the boy to take him back to his father. But the child calls him one more time. Jaime kneels again to listen to him. “Hey, I know you didn’t win… but I think you’re the best! I know that girls like you because you’re handsome and everything… at least that’s what my aunt tells me. But I like you because you’re a good actor!” He says, making Jaime laugh and grin at him.
“Well, I appreciate your compliment.” Jaime tells him.
The boy smiles and runs back to the barrier. He thanks Brienne for telling the security guard to let him go talk to Jaime. Brienne looks at the signed armor and curls her lips. She nods at the boy, watching the happiness in his eyes as his father shows him the pictures he took.
When she walks back to Jaime, he narrows his eyes as he smiles. “I guess you were right, after all.”
She pretends to be shocked as she turns to him. “What? I’m sorry… Did the great Jaime Lannister admit someone was right? Wow!”
He rolls his eyes. “Very funny. I’m lucky I’ve already put you through embarrassment earlier with the reporters.” He laughs.
“Yeah, that’ll be great in a month we return to work… people will comment… and you’ll be annoyed.” She tells him as she looks at the cars line.
“Would you be annoyed?” He asks her as he places his hands on his pockets.
“Excuse me?” She turns to him as she crosses her arms, almost like she is trying to defend herself.
“Would you be annoyed if everyone thought we were dating?” He widens his green eyes.
“Jaime… That’s…” She laughs nervously. “That’s ridiculous. Why are you asking?”
He leaned his head to the left as his eyes scanned her figure. “You didn’t answer the question, Tarth.”
“Won’t.” She frowns for an instant and her eyes become darker and difficult to read.
Jaime curls his lips. “So it means you wouldn’t be annoyed at all…”
“Shut up.” She chuckles.
“It means you’d love to date me.” He starts walking closer to her.
“Shut up, Lannister.” She slaps his shoulder as she starts blushing.
“That aggression confirms it! Tarth you’re really into me!” He places his arm around her waist again and the journalists waiting behind the cars area start taking pictures. Brienne notices the flashes and takes some distance from him, staring at the red carpet as she walks, trying to hold back her smile.
Once their limo stops, he opens the door for her. A reporter who is close to the barrier holds the microphone towards Jaime. “Are you dating Brienne Tarth?” He asks.
Jaime grins at her and then at the reporter. “No, I’m her sugar daddy.”
Brienne just covers her face when the photographers go crazy and the cameras flash frantically at them through the car window. Once inside the car, he places his arm around her shoulder and waves at the journalists.
Two months after the Emmy Awards, Jaime asked her out while they were in the set. She said yes, and she still slapped his shoulder when he told her she was not getting him into bed on their first date. But she actually did.
The End