Page 18 of Off Script
Which is a philosophy my own mother shares. Growing up, she would often tell my brother and me that we needed to be the ones to make the first moves when we started dating. I always believed that old-fashioned way of thinking had fallen by the wayside, but apparently not completely.
“You’re catching on quick.”
“Like, ever? You won’t ever call a guy?” I ask with a grin, needling Carlisle because it’s fun to rile her up. “What happens if you’d like your guy friend to grab something from the store for you or you need a ride home from work because you can’t ride the bus anymore since all the other commuters think you’re a phone sex worker?”
She huffs daintily in response. Relenting, she says, “Only in the beginning. Until we know each other better.”
“So, there’s hope that one day you might call or text me first? Be still, my heart!”
Chuckling, she retorts, “Shut up.” After a pause, she blurts out, “You know, if you want to speed things up, we could FaceTime. Putting a face to a name would help us get better acquainted. Maybe then I'd call you.”
“Nah.” Her suggestion is a minefield I have no desire to navigate.
“Why not, Brent?”
She sounds exasperated with me, and for good reason. Her request isn’t ludicrous. In fact, it’s probably the normal next step, but my situation isn’t normal and I'm not ready to give up my anonymity.
And I'm not willing to encounter the possibility that Carlisle will change how she treats me once she finds out who I am.
“I like the mystery of getting to know your personality first. It’s innocent and old school and fun.” I grapple for a safer topic. “How was your day?”
“Nothing special. You?”
“I had most of the day off, so I read and worked out. Now I’m talking to you and getting ready to go to bed.”
“Do you ever work?” she mutters sarcastically.
“Did I forget to tell you that my work hours are sporadic?” I reply, ignoring her jab.
“Somehow, I think that there’s a whole heck of a lot that you’ve forgotten to tell me, Brent," she ripostes.
“Touché.”
“I'm determined to peel back your layers as if you were an onion, Brent. Eventually I'll figure you out."
Which is exactly what I'm afraid of.
But it's also exactly what I need. I need to find that person who works to understand me and accepts me as I am, flaws and faults and all.
"Tell me something about yourself. Give me something, Brent.”
My mind instantaneously goes blank at Carlisle's request. “Umm…” I ponder what I can tell her to pacify her curiosity without lifting the veil of secrecy too much. “I grew up in Austin.” Talking about my early life in Texas seems safe enough.
“Hey, wasn’tFriday Night Gridironfilmed around there? I used to watch that TV show with my mom.”
Damn, apparently not safe enough.
Despite airing over a decade ago,Friday Night Gridironcontinues to be a cult favorite, and it’s the show on which I scored my first onscreen acting role. It was only a nine-episode arc for my character, but it was enough to cement my desire to act professionally. My performance also helped me land Jada as my agent when I moved to LA after high school.
“Yeah, it was mostly filmed in and around Austin,” I confirm.
"Tell me about your family. Any siblings?"
"One younger brother."
"Are you close?"
"We've grown apart over the years. He's only a year younger than me and being that close in age made things hard sometimes."
