Page 108 of Off Script
“What up, man? Good to see you back in the land of the living.” Without waiting for a reply, he leans down, sticking his head between mine and Trevor’s, and hisses, “Don’t look now, but I think you’ve been spotted, Ben. Some chick is staring daggers at you. If looks could kill, you’d be dead, my friend. Jesus, it’s giving me the creeps.” Hethrows in a dramatic shiver for good measure. “She must not have liked your last movies or something.”
Without any semblance of subtlety, Trevor whirls around on his stool.
“Damn, Trevor. Be cool,” Jordan grumbles. “She’s sitting in that back corner booth. Red shirt.”
I squint at Trevor. He shrugs. “Don’t recognize her, but she certainly recognizes you. For once in his life, Jordan wasn’t exaggerating. She’s glaring at you.”
Curiosity gets the better of me, so I surreptitiously glance over my shoulder. When I spot the girl who they’re talking about, my breath lodges in my chest. Instantly, I feel like someone just poured a pitcher of ice water down my back. My good mood vanishes as every one of my millions of nerve endings stands at attention.
“Shit, it’s Harper, Carlisle’s roommate,” I confirm with a frown. “I do not want to deal with her tonight.”
“Seriously? In a city as big as LA, how do we end up at the same bar?” Trevor mutters incredulously.
“Dude, is Carlisle with her?” Jordan asks. “I didn’t notice her when I walked in, but she could be here too.”
I shake my head. I didn’t see her in the booth with Harper either. I just hope Carlisle isn’t on her way to meet Harper. “Let’s leave. We could hit up that new bar next to The Polo Club,” I suggest.
“No. You know what, man? Her roommate did you dirty, not the other way around. We’re staying and we’re gonna have some fun. That's your best revenge, bro.” Jordan raises his hand to signal the bartender, who scurries over to take our order. “A round of tequila shots. And keep ‘em coming.”
The bartender places three shot glasses on the bar top in front of us and fills them to the brim with tequila. We each grab one, and Jordan yells, “Bros before hoes!” as we shoot them down.
Agreeing with Jordan’s revenge logic, I commit to getting drunk and having fun. I’m an actor, after all. I can pretend to be happy.
After one beer and three shots taken in quick succession on an empty stomach, I’m laughing and enjoying catching up with Trevor and Jordan. While we vacationed together over Christmas in the Bahamas and I see Trevor at our gym sessions, I haven’t socialized with them over the past month. January, with all the new year’s resolutions, is always Trevor’s busiest time as a personal trainer, and Jordan started working on a new movie that has him stuck on set most days. And I’ve spent much of my time brooding at home alone.
When a pretty brunette approaches me and asks for a selfie, I don’t turn her away. It’ll be fun to flirt. My flirting skills are a little rusty, but the alcohol flowing through my veins helps me shake off the dust.
Also, knowing that Harper will tell Carlisle about the flirtation is an added incentive.
“At your service, darling.” Trevor grins as he rolls his eyes when my southern twang comes out.
“Oh my gosh, I knew it was you! You were so good inCaptain Commander! I watched it, like, four times in the theater!”
As I listen to her speak, I appraise her features. She’s an attractive woman. Shoulder-length, mahogany hair with large brown eyes, and a pert nose over large, smiling lips. But as I mentally log and compare each of her features against Carlisle’s, this woman comes up lacking.
Pushing down my frustration that the memory of Carlisle still taunts me, I turn on my charm. “Thank you. It’s fans like you that keep me working. Can I buy you a drink to show my appreciation?”
She squeals excitedly. “Sure, thanks. I’m Abby, by the way.” She bites her lower lip and trails her fingers down my arm.
“It’s nice to meet you, Abby,” I reply, grabbing a hold of her hand and bringing it to my lips for a whisper of a kiss. “Tequila shots okay or would you prefer something else?”
“Tequila sounds great,” she giggles, resting her hand on my shoulder as she stands behind me. I make eye contact with the bartender and hold up four fingers.
Shrugging Abby's hand off, I stand from my stool. “Where are my manners? Please take my seat.” Gesturing to my friends, I introduce her to Trevor and Jordan.
After we take our shots, I excuse myself to hit the john. All these drinks and I have to piss like a racehorse.
As I’m exiting the men’s restroom, I’m accosted by an irate Harper. Lurking in the shadows, she pounces before the bathroom door even has time to swing shut.
Wagging her finger in my face, she screeches, “You are the biggest, most narcissistic asshole on the planet, Ben Sutton. The rest of America may love you, but I know what a truly despicable coward you are!”
“What the hell, Harper? You need to back off,” I reply angrily, taking a step backwards. She’s ruining my good mood. Again.
“That’s it?” Like an apex predator stalking its prey, she advances on me until she has me cornered against a wall. “You aren’t even going to make an excuse for your sorry behavior? You really are an asshole.”
“Yeah, you already mentioned that.” Huffing, I add, “I'm not going to put up with your shit.”
As I begin to push past her, Harper moves in for the kill, her face so close to mine that I can feel a fine spray of saliva hit me as she hisses at me. “Carlisle is so much better than you. You never deserved her, and she sure as shit never deserved how you treated her.”
