Chapter 16
Ash
Two weeks later
~
Los Angeles, California
Ash stayed at Judd's place while he was in Los Angeles. Judd was single, and he had the extra room, so he offered. Ash didn't want to cramp his style. He stayed out a lot and really only slept there, but he and Judd hung out sometimes, and last night was one of those times.
Ash was now with Sam. The director of their film, Luke Cohen, had two different houses that he was considering for filming.
Ash and Sam were to tour both of them and see which one they felt more comfortable in.
The first one was the home of the director's friend.
It was closer to ready than the other home they looked at, but this one was lived-in.
The people were home when Ash and Sam went by, but they stayed on the patio while the guys looked around.
The two of them were just about to arrive at the second house.
"This one's vacant," Sam said as they pulled into the sloped driveway.
"It seems more run-down than the last one," Ash said.
"They must be the same layout on the inside," Sam said. "They've got to match all the pictures of the band house."
"So, I guess if we pick the last one, they'll have to move all their stuff out of the house and let us take it over for a month?"
"Yes," Sam said. "But I'm sure Luke's going to make it worth it for them."
They parked in the driveway and got out of the car. There was a lockbox on the door, and they had a code.
"I feel like that's not worth the inconvenience, and we should pick this one," Ash said.
"I'm sure it's expensive either way. With this one, they have to buy it now and keep it vacant until October when we start filming."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Ash said as they walked inside. "First impression is that I feel more comfortable in that other one," Ash said, looking around.
"Yeah, I hear you. This one needs cleaning, but I can see where it's the same house, basically. This one needs work."
"Ooh, there is a pool and a patio," Ash said, looking through the kitchen. "This might make it worth it."
"Ooh, yeah, that is cool," Sam said. "And we wouldn't be forcing people out of their home. But we need to feel comfortable in here," he said, gesturing to the space around himself. "Half of the movie is going to be in the living room."
"It'd be fine with some paint and floors," Ash said.
He walked through the kitchen and toward the back patio, which they could partially see through the glass door.
He could see more of it as he got closer.
There was debris in the pool, and it was a little green, but it was still inviting.
It was nice outside, and that was something Ash rarely experienced in February.
He opened the door and stepped out into the sunshine.
The house was U-shaped, and the back of it was fenced with a lot of greenery. It was a private courtyard.
Ash loved it. He tested a nearby chair by shaking it before he sat down.
It was made of iron, looked like leaves, and was painted white.
It was heavier than he thought it would be, but he still gave it a little shake before sitting in it.
Sam did the same with his, and they both settled in, gazing at the pool.
"Not bad once it's cleaned up," Sam said.
"No, it's really not. And it wouldn't take a lot inside either. I liked that other back yard, but this is a vibe with the bricks, and the pool, and the… what are those, some kind of banana tree?"
"I think so," Sam said, glancing at the greenery. "Yeah, those are banana trees. They're kind of shabby right now. I'm sure they'd do a good job cleaning it up back here."
"It's not bad," Ash said. "I could see those guys starting their band in this house."
Sam nodded. "Me too. And I think Luke was sort of hoping we'd like this one."
"Why didn't you tell me that?" Ash said.
"I didn't want to sway you."
"Well, you were swayed if you knew."
Sam smiled and shook his head. "You've got a bigger role in this. And you're a big fat rookie."
They laughed, and Ash said, "I'm about to be the opposite of fat."
Sam laughed even harder because he knew Ash had been tasked with losing forty-five pounds by October.
Ash weighed right at two hundred pounds as of now, and the director wanted him to get as close to one-fifty as he could by the time they started filming.
"I'm not starting my diet until later in the summer," Ash said, sprawling out.
"And Luke said we could hang out here as long as we like.
Do you want to get some food delivered?"
"Yeah, I think we should," Sam agreed. "I figured we'd have lunch together. Ty's touring a couple of venues. She won't be home till later this afternoon."
"How does it feel to be a married man?"
"Amazing," Sam said.
"It must be in the water over here with Alex and Josie getting engaged."
"I know," Sam said. "And they got a dog. I think they're going to take a while to plan the wedding, though."
"That is what most people do," Ash said, giving Sam a hard time.
Sam shrugged. "Ty would have moved with me even if we didn't get married, but I have no regrets, and neither does she. We love it."
"Do you miss anything?" Ash asked.
"Like what?"
Ash shrugged. "Hanging out with the boys."
"You hung out with the boys last night," Sam said.
"I sure did."
"How was it?"
Ash shook his head and shrugged. "It was fine. Fun. Judd'll be hurtin' a little this morning."
"What about you?" Sam asked. "Are you hurting?"
"Do you mean am I hungover? No."
"You didn't party as hard as Judd?"
"I guess not. I'm trying to cut back on that these days."
"Livin' for Jesus?" Sam said, smiling and being lighthearted.
"Not really, but Audrey is, and little Luna, and I'm… thinking about them."
Sam smiled and shook his head. "I was just messing with you, bro."
Ash had been in California for nearly two weeks.
He and Sam had conversations about Audrey before.
Sam knew that he and Audrey were seeing each other and that they were keeping it from people in Billings.
Just before Ash had come to California, she had gone to his parents' house and introduced herself as Ash's friend.
Sam knew that neither of them were seeing anyone else, and that was something that no one in Montana knew.
"Did you ever want to live for Jesus?" Sam asked, surprising Ash.
"What? No. Me?"
"Yeah."
"Are you being serious?" Ash said with a smile.
Sam shook his head. Ash's expression changed, and he stared at Sam like he was surprised to be having this conversation with him, which he was.
"I mean, yeah, I'm not trying to be weird or anything, but I was serious."
Ash stared at Sam from across that table.
It was gorgeous and sixty-eight degrees out in Southern California, and Ash squinted at his friend and gave him a teasing smile.
He shook his head a little. "I don't know what to say.
I don't really have anything to say about Jesus.
I like that Audrey believes in Him. I guess that counts for something. "
"Shoot, I don't think it does, but the interesting thing is, why do you like that she believes?"
Ash shrugged. "Because she's a good person."
"Do you relate the two?"
"With some people, I do. With her, I do."
"What do you mean by that?" Sam asked.
Ash shrugged. "I don't know, she's a good one."
"A good what?"
"Christian, I guess. Some Christians are… rude and judgmental."
"Some humans are rude and judgmental. That has nothing to do with them being Christian. In fact, if they were doing it right, they wouldn't be like that."
"I don't know, it just seems… stiff."
"The Bible's not like that. We're humans, and we make mistakes.
Humans misrepresent God. But you can't let your perception of people cloud your judgment about the Bible.
If you ever studied the Bible for yourself, you wouldn't say it's stiff.
Ty's all into it, and so she's learning all kinds of stuff.
She started telling me things, and then I got jealous and wanted to study on my own, so I've been doing it, too. "
Ash considered what Sam said about God. In all honesty, he had never been much of a studier.
He had been forced to study in school, and that didn't go very well.
He was a brilliant musician and songwriter and starting to make real money flipping houses.
Ash was self-taught in the way that he could look up tutorials and practice to get better at things he wanted to learn.
He had, however, never picked up a book and attempted to study it. He would definitely not know where to begin with the Bible.
"It doesn’t really appeal to me," Ash said.
"Does it offend you?"
"Does it offend me? Does what offend me?"
"Jesus."
"Jesus? I'm not sure. I don't think so. I don't know. Why do you ask that?"
"Because to some people He's a rock of offense, that's what the Bible says. Some are just completely closed to the idea. To some, He's a cornerstone, a stepping stone, a solid ground to stand on, and to others, He's a stumbling block, a rock of offense."
"No, I don't think I'm offended. I just don't understand the appeal—not based on what I've seen of it with other people."
"What about me?"
"Well, you're cool. I didn't even know you were… I mean, you don't go shoving it down people's throats. Audrey's like that, too. You guys are the cool ones."
"You would be too," Sam said. "And you would understand the appeal, if you studied it right. I’m sorry to put it like that.
I'm just saying… the book itself is supernatural.
If you let it sink in, it changes you. It's a gift to know your eternal destiny.
Real Christianity's about love and freedom and redemption.
All that other stuff's just human error. "
"Well… " Ash hesitated. "I've never looked at it like that…" he said, smiling at his friend. "I guess I'll have to give it a shot one of these days."
"Do you have a Bible?"
Ash shrugged. "Probably at my parents' house somewhere. Something someone gave me when I was a kid."
"Well, I'm going to order you one," Sam said. "Even if you don't—"
Sam was in the process of picking up his phone while he was talking, and Ash cut him off. "You don't have to get a Bible right this second," he said.
"I’m not, I'm ordering food."
"Oh."
"What do you want?"
"Sub sandwich, Greek, anything really. Whatever you think."
Sam went on to order food, and that was all they said about it.
Sam also ordered the Bible. It was only a day or two later when he handed it to Ash. It was a nice one, bound in brown leather with thin pages that were so brand new they stuck together.
In the days that followed, Ash made it a goal to study it. He found reputable resources, downloading three different apps on his phone.
It was about a week later when he read something that made things start to sink in.
One of the things he was reading was talking about Old Testament prophecy, and Ash suddenly appreciated the significance of human history itself bending toward Jesus.
Historical events were foretold, and then they came to pass.
We had the benefit of seeing that ancient prophecies all got fulfilled in the life of one Man. God in the flesh.
Ash understood it in a way that there was nothing for him to do but repent and fall subject to such a God.
Jesus was real. All of time itself revolved around His appearing on this earth—right down to B.C.
and A.D. Sam was right. The more Ash got to know about the Bible, the more amazing it was.
Believing the words of the Bible gave him a new perspective on life and its circumstances.
Working with Luke in Hollywood and understanding what he wanted became easier because Ash wasn't so worried about impressing him.
There was one person he was still worried about impressing, though. Her name was Audrey. He still had a few days in California, and it might as well be a lifetime. They tried to work it out where she and Luna came for the weekend, but they just couldn't.
When Ash first made plans and bought his ticket, he wasn't thinking about Chicago the musical. He had Luke's schedule, and he made his flight arrangements accordingly. Ash was supposed to go home on a Wednesday, and the last performance of Chicago would take place the Sunday before.
As the month passed, Ash realized how much he dreaded missing it.
He really wanted to see the show. He had been working hard, and he knew Luke would understand if he asked to head back home early.
They had accomplished a lot in the month that Ash was in California, and Luke was happy to rearrange the last few days so that Ash could head back early.
He changed his flight. He would now be home Sunday at 1pm—just in time to see the final performance of Chicago. His family was coming too.
Audrey had no idea.