Alter Ego: His Sultry Lover

"I would tell him that he was a fabulous actor and that I will support him through every decision he takes. I will also apologize for the problems he has had with women in the past. I truly feel bad for him." His heart warmed at her words. She was such a considerate soul. How precious his little girl was.

"I think he would be glad to hear that there was someone defending and thinking about him. He seems like a lonely man." And he was a lonely man before he spoke to her. He looked forward to his days ever since she came into the picture. That was saying something, right?

"Since when did you start concerning yourself with the entertainment industry?"

"Since you told me that you liked him. I had to scope out the competition." He stifled a giggle. He was being smug when he said he would scope out the competition. He was bloody pleased that he was the only man who occupied her mind. End of story. She never even looked at another person. It was pretty assuring to see her being plagued by him day in and day out.

"There is no competition, remember? He is just a fantasy and you are real. I like things that are real."

'We are both real, baby. That's the beauty of this situation.'

"You have a sweet mouth. Let's go to the next question?" he asked.

"No. One question a day. That's what we decided on. We can't overburden ourselves." She chided in a gentle voice.

"Then what should we do now?" he asked with a small smile.

"Talk about our day!" The excitement was clear in her voice.

- - -

Would you like to be famous? In what way?

There was a pause in the conversation. They had began by asking how their day had been and the woes of their profession, but this question threw Cage off. He had answered first the day before and he wanted to hear her answer before he spewed anything.

"Would I like to be famous?" she contemplated. "I don't think so," she said finally. "I don't think I was meant for the glamorous life. I don't like how they hound celebrities and make them feel like prey for the consumption of the public."

She had encapsulated his life in a few sentences and done a far better job than he ever could. It was true; he felt like he was nothing but an object for everyone to look at… like he was an animal in the zoo or circus and everyone had come to watch him perform tricks and entertain them.

On a side note, if he were an animal, he would probably be a lion, but that was beside the point.

"I can't tell you how strongly I feel about this topic," he huffed. "I can be considered popular and I don't like it." Understatement of the year. But he felt like he needed to explain. "I love what I do, but it doesn't mean that I get my life splayed out in public because of it. It makes me uncomfortable and sometimes even makes me want to change my profession."

He fucking hated the fanfare. Hated it.

"Be honest with me, what would you do except for your profession?" Her question startled him. No. Of course not. He loved what he did for a living. It was the only thing he knew he was good at.

"Official couch potato? But I wouldn't survive a single day without money. I am used to living the lavish life, now." Though said jokingly, his words were true. There was nothing more he wished to do than lie around in bed all day doing nothing, but with his current lifestyle, he wouldn't last long if he quit his job.

"Look at the rich man bragging about his wealth. He sure knows how to make others feel inferior." The two laughed and teased each other for the next couple of minutes before hanging up, both tired from their long days and looking forward to sleep.

- - -

Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?

"Do I rehearse what I am supposed to say? Heck yes, I do. I don't make many calls to begin with and they are either with you or business-related. I am always flustered beforehand, wondering how I should speak. I practice and practice and if I don't have time to do so, I will feel so nervous that my voice will get squeaky. I sound like a mouse."

She had a habit of doing this since she was a child. Her mother had the same habit of practicing her tone before she took a call, her jittery motions before the call would have been amusing for anyone, but to Katherine that was the way a conversation had to happen.

When she grew up, she had the same reactions as her mother. When she was calling for business, she would sound professional, but she was practicing everything in her head before she spoke it out, such was her habit. Her conversations with Cage were impromptu and made her so nervous that she would softly and breathily talk to him.

On the other hand, this nervousness transmitted very differently to Cage. He, one the other hand, found her breathy voice sultry and devious. If only he knew that it was a product of her nerves. One could guess that now he did.

"Oh, I think I have heard this voice. Does this mean that I made you nervous? That my voice makes you really, really reconsider if you have to talk to me face to face or not?" He wanted to sound like he was making a joke, but it would be a problem for them once they met. If she was nervous now… he could only imagine what would happen once they met face-to-face.

"I never considered not talking to you. It would be easier for me to control myself if I didn't hear your voice, but it's a great part to you that shows me exactly how you are feeling. I can hear the micro-expressions in your voice and understand if I am on the same page as you. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Micro-expressions? Why do you sound like a detective? Is there something that I need to know about you? Are you a secret agent or something? Don't scare me, love."