6. Chapter Six - Jackson
Jackson
Lexie : Thought it was only fair you had my number as well.
I've been staring at Lexie's message for the past 20 minutes, ever since it popped up in my notifications, grinning like an idiot.
She's been on my mind since I first met her, but now? I’m worrying for her, ever since I saw her ex all but corner her in the store. What would she have done if I hadn’t come by coincidentally?
When she was still with him, she had that content smile on her face whenever I came by the bakery, moving lightly like she was walking on clouds of happiness.
Not now, though. That break-up hangs over her like a dark thunderstorm cloud, pouring rain, weighing her down.
I’ve seen people go through break-ups before. Hell, even Adam went through one, but I’ve never seen someone quite as devastated as her.
But it makes sense. It’s in the way she cares, even about strangers, in the way Alan and Bailey instantly became protective of her—when she loves, she appears to love hard.
With a groan, I lean back on the uncomfortable couch in my trailer, linking my fingers behind my head and staring at the ceiling. I’ve never experienced that kind of love. Not for anyone apart from my family.
Sure, I’ve had flings and girlfriends. Most of them bailed when they realized I’d never put them over my family, stating they deserved more.
And they did.
Looking at how Adam prioritizes his girlfriend over us, I’m kicking myself for it. I should have prioritized them, but my obligation to my family just felt stronger.
Then again, none of them felt like ‘the right person at the wrong time,’ none of them are the reason for my sleepless nights. But Lexie might become just that. Even if only as a friend.
A soft knock on my door pulls my mind back to my trailer and I get up, knowing fully well it’s Joey, my assistant for the day.
I never even noticed the raindrops hitting the roof of my trailer, but when I open the door, I’m instantly met with a wall of pouring rain and let him in quickly.
“You’re getting the full England experience today,” he jokes and closes his umbrella that seems almost as wide as he’s tall. “Is everything alright?”
“Of course, just let me tie my shoes.” I lean down and do just that. Usually, I’d hang out on set until they need me, but since the mood here is unbearable, I prefer spending my downtime in the trailer. “Sorry you always have to get me.”
“Oh, trust me, I get it.” He shakes his head, wet hair flying, making little drops of water fly everywhere.
"I'm just warning you, man," he says lowly when I get up and open the door, opening the umbrella and holding it over the two of us. "Rob is in an extra shitty mood today."
"Thanks for the warning," I reply, giving him a curt nod. After a moment, I pause and shake my head, exhaling an annoyed sigh. "Then again, I don't think I've ever seen him in a good mood."
"Well, trust me, today is especially bad." Joey shrugs and pushes me aside so we’ll round a giant puddle instead of walking right through it. "They did that scene at the dinner with Elena, and you won't believe how many times they had to stop production and touch up her makeup because he tore into her so much she started to cry." He shakes his head and then opens the door to the studio for me, closing the umbrella as soon as I've stepped inside.
I turn around and look at him, eyebrows raised in surprise. She seemed to hold her ground just fine the last time, but I guess having to deal with an asshole like Rob is bound to grate at nerves, no matter how strong they are.
"I heard she was a bitch and difficult to work with, but goddamn if I don't feel sorry for her."
"She does have a reputation,” I say with a shrug, then walk alongside him. “Then again, has she been a bitch to you?”
“Not yet,” he says and runs his hand through his wet hair. “You think the rumors are wrong?”
“The jury’s out. But when you're in show business, you’ve got to learn not to trust rumors too much. I mean, according to rumors, I’m in a relationship with every female actress I interact with." I shrug. “So maybe take it with a grain of salt and see for yourself instead of blindly trusting rumors.”
“You’re right.” He gives me a nod, but just as he takes a breath to continue, we’ve reached the set and I’m whisked away.
There’s a timid atmosphere in the air as another assistant hands me a script so I can go through my text and directions one more time while the crew adjusts some of the lights.
"Well, I don't even know why we fucking cast you," Rob’s angry voice sounds over the bustle of the set. Instantly, tension seeps through my body, my shoulders tightening as I listen. "Did you sleep with the producer or what? Because it sure as hell can't be your talent that got you here."
All I hear in reply are stifled sniffs that break my fucking heart. Even if Elena was a bitch, that’s no way to talk to someone while you’re working together.
I look around to follow the sound of the voice and find Elena to my right, standing in front of Rob with her arms crossed in front of her chest. But not in a daring way. No. It looks as if she’s hugging herself, protecting herself from the cruel things Rob is shouting her way.
"See? You can't even hold it together enough to keep your goddamn makeup on. Now we've got to take another break so you can get that shit fixed," Rob sneers, throwing the script he’s been holding in his hands at her face.
"You're fucking pathetic. What can you even do? Aside from looking pretty on a good day."
Something in me snaps. The way he talks to her is already super abusive, but throwing a heavy stack of paper at her? Hell no.
I knew things between the two of them were tense, but we're trying to shoot a fucking movie here, and if he can’t keep a minimum of professionality, he has no place here.
With long strides, I rush over to the two of them and position myself between her and Rob.
"I think it's time you shut your mouth, Rob," I say, towering over him and raising an eyebrow, daring him to object.
Maybe it's my patience wearing thin after dealing with a similar situation yesterday. Or maybe it's the fact that I'm a big brother, because trust me, if anyone talked like that to Zoey the way he does to Elena, I wouldn't hesitate to introduce my fist to their face in a very hurtful ‘hello’.
"Even if you're frustrated, belittling her isn’t going to help."
"Who do you think you are, pretty boy?" Rob shakes his head at me with a sneer. "You know damn well you have no say here. I’m your boss, so get your pretty ass over there and do your fucking job."
"You want to repeat that?" I raise an eyebrow again, watching his face turn a deep shade of red. Oh, he’s not going to take the chance of retreating I just gave him.
"I said, move your pretty ass over there and do your fucking job."
A smile spreads on my face, ever so slowly. It’s not often I wield my last name around, but I’m definitely not above it. And ‘Walker’ certainly has a weight in the entertainment industry.
"You know what? No, I’m not. Elena and I are taking a quick break. We’ll be back here in 15 minutes. She has her makeup to fix, and I have a phone call to make."
I chuckle as Rob’s eyes widen. Suddenly, he seems to remember who my brothers are. I really don't like playing this card, but I will in situations like this. Adam is a hotshot in the entertainment industry. From dad’s friends in the industry rallying around him, lending supporting hands when he took over the company just after his death, to the people he won over with his wit and intelligence—he’s respected in the whole damn industry. And not only in the United States either. No, his network is a global one.
Once upon a time, it used to mess with my head, thinking producers only cast me because of my family connection. I even tried auditioning under a stage name to escape it and only when I succeeded on my own terms did I feel comfortable continuing to pursue this career.
"Come on, Elena."
I turn around to find her frozen in her spot, so I put my arm around her shoulder to pull her with me.
"Is everything okay?" I whisper as soon as we’re off set, people around us too busy to pay us any mind.
"No, no, it’s not," she hisses, angrily wiping tears from her face. "God, I really want to quit this fucking movie."
"I hear you," I say with a nod and let go of her to open the door outside. The rain has stopped but heavy clouds are still threatening another downpour. "I don’t think I’ve ever worked with a director this unprofessional. Do you have any idea why he has his sights on you in particular?"
"Not an idea, I know very well what his issue with me is," she says with a shrug and comes to a stop in front of her trailer. "He tried to set me up with his son once. Needless to say, it didn’t work out."
She motions for me to come inside her trailer, where she flops onto the couch—a feat considering her tight corset—and leans back, closing her eyes.
"His son was a narcissistic, gaslighting misogynist, who I’m sure will land in jail for domestic violence at some point." She takes a deep breath. "Fuck. If I had known I'd never have taken this role. Sneaky motherfucker only got announced after I signed."
"I guess now we know where his son got it from," I mutter, taking a seat next to her.
“Maybe I should have aired that dirty laundry after all, considering what they’ve done to my reputation,” she whispers and my eyes dart to her. So they’re the ones responsible for people like Joey thinking she’s a bitch?
Interesting.
"So, what now?" she whispers, her voice breaking as she presses the heels of her palms against her eyes.
"Now, you take a minute to collect yourself, then call Monica to fix your makeup. In the meantime, I’m making a call. After that, we’ll go in there, act the shit out of that scene, and hope mentioning my brother will make him scared shitless and be on acceptable behavior for the rest of the day."
I give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "And after that, send me your schedule. I’ll see what I can do to make sure you’re not alone with that jackass. I’m sorry it took me so long to step in."
"Thank you, Jackson," she says, shooting me a sad grin. "I appreciate it. I know you’ve got enough shit to deal with yourself.”
I freeze. “What makes you say that?”
“Nothing in particular,” she admits with a shrug. “You always seem lost in your thoughts and those bags under your eyes tell me you’re not sleeping well. I’m not going to pry but if you ever want to talk about it, you know where to find me.”
“Thanks,” I say, confusion making my voice break. Was I really that obvious?
"Of course." She holds out her hands and I help her get up and climb down her wet stairs so she can go over to the makeup trailer.
As I turn to walk away, I already have my phone in my hand, pulling up Adam’s contact and hitting the call button. My heart beats into my throat. Please answer.
Fuck yes.
"What?" I roll my eyes at his warm, whispered greeting.
"Sorry for disturbing you." I quickly check the time on my wrist. "I know it’s early for you, but I’ve got a problem at set." He knows as well as I do that after the way our last conversation ended, I wouldn’t call with a non-issue.
"Oh, you absolutely do," Adam sighs into the phone, annoyed. "Give me a second. Don’t want to wake Lily."
I hear him trudging through his flat and softly closing a door, yet only daring to talk again once he’s closed another one behind him.
"All right, talk. I’m making coffee, so put it in simple, pre-coffee words, will you?"
I chuckle and give him a quick summary of Rob’s behaviour over the past weeks and what Elena just told me about him.
"Is Crony involved in producing?" I ask Adam, and he hums the way he tends to do when he’s thinking.
"Let me check," he mutters. I hear typing and little sounds of acknowledgment. "Ah, there it is.” One more click. “Yes, we’re involved. Enough to theoretically demand a director change."
"Theoretically?"
"Yes," Adam chuckles, "it’s a little more complicated than you think."
"Why? Just fire him. It sounds easy enough to me."
Adam laughs, but I’m not sure if he’s laughing with me or about me.
"Jackson, if I were there, I’d slap you upside the head. You sound entitled as fuck."
"Not entitled—just angry and annoyed."
"Even so, firing him means halting production until we find someone new who is available at this short of a notice. That’s a lot of wasted money, even for me."
"I reckon having that asshat put us behind schedule isn't costing you much less." I jump up and start to pace my trailer. Suddenly, it sounds impossible, and I feel like a fool.
"You've got a point. I’ll make some calls, do the behind-the-scenes work, and let you know. I promise you can witness the firing if it comes to that. Sound good?"
"Not ideal," I admit. "But it’ll do. Thanks, Adam."
"Anytime," he replies. I hear another soft voice in the background and suppress a gagging sound when I hear him kiss his girlfriend, like the good brother I am.
“Well, I’ve got to go,” Adam says, and I roll my eyes. Obviously, he’d hang up once his girlfriend is awake. We quickly say goodbye, and only when I lower my phone do I realise that my other hand is grasping my shirt right above my heart.
I quickly release it. I’m not going to continue like a heartbroken idiot every time my brother shuts me down for his girlfriend. He’s made his priorities clear and he’s right. I’ve got to deal with it. Find new priorities of my own because it’s becoming clear that this family can’t be it anymore. Unless I want my heart broken over and over again instead of adjusting my expectations.
Adam might be stoic and put his girlfriend above us, but in the end, I can count on him. That has to be good enough for now.
"Feeling better?" I ask Elena when I see her approach me from the corner of my eye.
"Not great, but better," she says with a determined nod.
"Good. Now let’s act the shit out of this scene and call it a day."