For the first time since he was a kid, the spotlights were on Kodnisk. He had a special question to ask at tonight's date with his lady. Kodnisk pressed his phone on, and the bright screen illuminated a photo of his girlfriend in front of a huge framed painting of a praying mantis. Her hand was bent and doing a peace sign at the side of her smiling face.
She had made that painting, and Kodnisk could remember how proud she had been of herself. She had painted something ‘truthful’ she said that day.
His phone binged.
Mualay - I know your ‘surprise date’ is taking me to that new restaurant by the recreation district. You aren’t slick! ;)
Kodnisk huffed, then chuckled. He began to text back.
Me - I’m omw to ur place-
Then his phone binged again. This time it was from Shawn. And not Shawn the hiking buddy, Shawn the Producer.
What did he want? Kodnisk’s days as a childhood actor were over. Konisk decided he’d give the text a glance before continuing to get ready for his date.
Shawn: Kodnisk my man, I have got a deal for you! Here’s what’s up: the movie studio wants to make a next generation of your hit movie series Chef Genius! It’ll keep the same concept as the movies you starred in: kids get tired of running their lemonade stand and open up a prestigious restaurant in order to try and earn 3 Michelin stars. But they want you to do a cameo in it! You’re gonna play the role of the original kid all grown up who guides the protagonist into making his restaurant outstanding!
Kodnisk widened his eyes. A retelling of the movie series that made him a child star!? And they wanted to give one of the major roles to him!? What an honor! Of course he’d want it!
But then Kodnisk thought better of it. Getting back into the spotlight? Always being the center of gossip? The stress of deadlines and pressure and everything else that came with being an actor!? Having to deal with mobs of people screaming his name and begging to date him? And what if Mualay found out? No. Kodnisk had already told himself he was not about that life anymore for a reason. Though acting had lots of fun parts to it, he had barely had a home life, and not to mention a romantic life. Mualay was one of the best things that had ever happened to him and he didn't want her love to be drowned out by envy or idolism.
He had only met her after he had hid his riches, his fame and movies away while changing his identity. He moved from California to the other side of the country, where he could restart as a normal young adult who liked hiking and making NFT’s. It was through art that he and Mualay found each other. She could never find out about his famous past. It would ruin everything.
Me - I’ll think about it Shawn. But I’m not saying yes just yet. I’ve got a personal life now, you know.
Shawn - Okay bro. You do you. But the new Chef Genius movie has already been announced, and people are starting to go crazy over the news.
Kodnisk turned off his phone and slipped into his car. Nothing could ruin this date. Tonight Kodnisk was going to get serious with Mualay. He was going to ask her if she would like to move in with him in his two-story home. He could worry about explaining how he got the money for it later. He’d just had to find a way to keep a huge movie deal a secret.
As soon as Kodnisk picked up Mualay he sped to the restaurant, wind blowing cool air onto the couple as they drove. The outside was made of orange and gray stones, with the top floor being made of brick. It had yellow light-bulbs tied from the building to the poles across the street so that they hung over the outside tables.
A waiter opened the door for the two. “Hello Mr. and Mrs., welcome!” the waiter's eyes widened when she turned to Kodnisk. “Hey, you look like that Nolin kid from the Chef Genius movie sierie-
“-Where do you wanna sit?” Kodnisk turned to Mualay.
Mualay did a double take at Kodnisk and glanced at the waiter before saying, “...upstairs.”
Kodnisk quickly rushed them upstairs. Though Mualay brang up that Kodnisk had been rude to the woman, he blamed it on being eager to taste good food.
While they were eating dinner, things got worse. Someone yelled aloud “I just read that Chef Genius is returning! And they’re actually considering bringing the old actor back for a cameo!”
Everyone began to chatter about it. And everyone began to say how much Kodnisk looked like an older version of the little kid from the original.
When Mualay began to consider this fact, Kodnisk’s heart began to beat faster. He got up and rushed Mualay to one of the balconies, shutting the doors behind them.
“Woah! Kodnisk! What has gotten into you!?” Mualay put her hands on her hips. “All night you’ve been looking over your shoulder and glancing around like some scared mouse!”
“Oh, sorry, Mualay, I’m just…I was just nervous about tonight.” he fibbed. “I just wanted to say…I love you.”
Mualay’s face grew into a smile. “I love you too. You’re always so supportive of me,” she then faced the moonlight, which shined against her skin. “I’ve always felt like a weirdo. I mean, I like bugs! I thought I could tell no one about that until you encouraged me to embrace it. That’s the only reason I painted that praying mantis. I was so afraid no one would like that thing, and now look! It’s in an art gallery! You convinced me that I should be true to me and those I care about and I’ll always love you for that.” Mualay smiled and turned to him, grabbing one of his hands.
Kodnisk couldn’t return a smile to Mualay. He felt like punching himself in the face. Here she was, being so open and honest with him, and he couldn’t even tell her about his past fame. And yet he told her to be true to herself.
“Maybe I should take my own advice,” said Kodnisk, lowering Mualay’s hand to put a hand to her cheek. “Mualay, there’s something you should know about me. My full name is Kodnisk Nolin, and I starred in those kiddy movies, Child Genius.”
Mualay blinked. Then she gasped. “Oh! I thought you looked just like him! I knew his last name was Nolin but I didn’t think you were him.” Mualay laughed. “Huh.”
“I hid it from you because I was scared. I didn’t want you to start acting like those crazy fangirls. Still, that was wrong of me to hide my past. You wouldn’t hold that from me so how could I hold that from you?”
Mualay thought. “...you’re right, but at least you told me now.”
Kodnisk stared at her. “You aren’t going to act differently around me?”
“Because you used to be an actor? No. I love you for you Kodnisk, and I’m glad you told me. If you’re true to me, I’ll be true to you.” Mualay grabbed both his hands and squeezed them.
Kodnisk then smiled. “There is something else I wanted to ask you tonight. We’ve been together for a long time, and in that time I’ve realized I need you in my life. Let’s get serious. Do you want to move in with me?”
Mualay gasped again and she fell into Kodnisk. “Yes! Definitely!”
Kodnisk wrapped his arms around her. At this moment, as he breathed in her sweet soda-like perfume, he knew everything would work out. He had the right person by his side, and he would make sure to be true to himself and those he cared about through and through.
Hey there! I’m Shila! I’ve loved books since I could read, and decided I would write books I wanted to see written for others! Check my children’s book Imagination on Amazon!
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