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[sub]A collab with [@Polaris North][/sub][/center]
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Izabella listened to Nick take a jab at her last name, and chuckled when he made a comment about if she wanted to add an Emmy to her award collection. [color=darkturquoise]“Yeah, that’s right. But enough about me. What awards do [i]you[/i] have below your belt, Nicky?”[/color] The man replied, and made a comment about his most famous movie that literally made Izabella laugh out loud. She clearly remembered hearing about the disaster that was Zombageddon, but then again when had Nick Donovan ever been serious about his career? If he’d found his niche in bad movies and managed to get paid doing them then Bella wouldn’t be the one to judge.
 
She didn’t have time to get back to him, because he started up a conversation with the newly arrived Tiny. So, looking around for anyone not entrapped in conversation already, Bella spotted Vincent. She’d learned that he’d continued his studies, going as far as to become a veterinarian, and set up a clinic in Asia. It was enough information to get a new conversation started with the raven-haired man.
 
[color=darkturquoise]“So, Vincent, I heard you spent a fair while in the Philippines?  I’d love to hear some stories about your time there.”[/color] Bella said to Vince, taking a bite out of her appetizer salad that had just arrived.
 
Vincent, who had stayed silent after Ashley started talking with Emilia, was practically glaring at one of the cuisines. It may have been because he wasn’t much of a fan of Italian food. He was weighing in his mind that pros and cons of eating the unfamiliar dish. It didn’t help that he didn’t know the name either. He was about to disrupt Ashley and Emilia’s conversation to ask when someone else decided to speak with him and he turned to look at the person.
 
Unexpectedly, it was Izabella. He hadn’t spoken much with her when they were teens so he was surprised that she decided to speak to him. Then again, they were all still co-workers so he should have expected it.  [color=0072bc]”Well, you might have heard that I took up Vetmed and finished it. There really isn’t much to tell, to be honest…”[/color] He trailed off. He changed his gaze to the food, finding it uncomfortable to be the one speaking with a person he didn’t know very much while looking at them straight in the eye. [color=0072bc]”I guess I can say that it’s a pretty great place, if you can ignore the poverty and the crimes. The tourist attractions were great to look at, you can have Emilia back that up for me.”[/color] He started to drum his fingers against the table, uninterested in the food for now. [color=0072bc]”The animals though… most of the ones that came in were dogs that roam the streets. It was a far cry from the pets I’ve seen here in America or in the UK, but they were nice all the same.”[/color]
 
Noticing that he had started to blabber off, he let out a small chuckle with a light shake of his head and then looked back at Izabella. [color=0072bc]”How about you? I’ve seen your movies and a hell load of posts in social media but… you know, how have you been?”[/color]
 
Izabella listened attentively to Vincent, smiling, nodding and grimacing at the right times. She was glad that he had done good for himself, and was about to take a bite of her freshly-arrived pasta plate when he asked about how she was doing.
 
[color=darkturquoise]“Well as you could probably imagine, I’ve been dead busy, dear.”[/color] she replied modestly, letting out a lighthearted laugh. [color=darkturquoise]“My schedule has been full ever since I left Edenridge, and after the Academy Award victory I get plenty of offers. I won’t complain, because, I’m happy that I’m not without employment. But if I’m relatively honest, there are days in which I want to leave everything behind and disappear for a little bit, you know? Get away for a while, clear my head, not preoccupy myself with anything other than relaxing.... But as it happens, being ‘famous’-”[/color] she used air quotes when saying that last word. [color=darkturquoise]“Means that everywhere I go there will always be paparazzi waiting to bring me back to reality, Definitely a price to pay to be successful in the entertainment industry.”[/color]
 
Vincent smiled at her. [color=0072bc]”Sounds like a pain to deal with.”[/color] That was the first comment he made after she finished. The blonde woman nodded in agreement. [color=0072bc]“Then again, your passion does lie within the acting community so I guess you’re used to it.”[/color] He then picked up a glass of water and then sipped from it, all the while thinking of what to say next. A moment later, he placed it back on the table as an idea popped up on his mind. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or if Izabella even had the time in her schedule to actually go with it but she might appreciate the suggestion.
 
[color=0072bc]”Say, if you ever have the time, you could disguise yourself, maybe even dye your hair temporarily, and then head on to the Philippines and I’ll show you around. I’ll make sure no one recognizes you immediately so you can have a nice and relaxing stay. Maybe even just leave a note to your manager and escape.[/color] Knowing the routine of the media there and having a clever disguise would at least help her get away from the media for a while. And she’d be out of reach for a while because of the distance between here and there. No one would expect it too because the two were never close. To him, it was a brilliant idea. To her, however, he was not sure.
 
Bella could only smile at Vincent, genuinely surprised at his sweet gesture. Back in the original Edenridge, Vince and Bella had never really been close. The two had interacted briefly in and out of scenes, but never enough to be considered friends. This was why the offer was incredibly generous. [color=darkturquoise]“Oh, darling, that is incredibly sweet of you!”[/color] she said happily, taking his hand and lightly squeezing it as a sign of gratefulness. [color=darkturquoise]“I’m not sure when I will have the time available to travel, but I will make sure to do so sooner rather than later. I would love to visit your country. It would be an honor.”[/color]
 
When Izabella reacted positively, Vincent couldn’t help but grin. The act of her taking his hand had come by surprise but he supposed it was fine.  [color=0072bc]”Feel free to message me anytime. It would also be an honor for me to take around an award winning actress such as yourself.”[/color] He replied with a light chuckle. He was actually looking forward to this plan. Not only would he get to know her better, she would also finally enjoy some down time. Once she let go of his hand, he finally picked up a fork and tasted the Italian pasta that had been sitting in front of him for who knows how long.