Chapter Three - Asher
Asher
I”ll be damned. They got the Sirens for this fucking game. Wouldn”t that be just my goddamn luck?
Sighing, I gather my shoulder-length hair to twist it into a messy bun before I walk out of the locker room, clasping shoulders and handing out fist bumps to my teammates as I wait for Luca in the hallway. That asshat takes way too long to change.
I shouldn”t have listened to Van when he convinced me that Luca and I could share my car.
It”s obvious that Luca thinks we didn’t get him his own car to fuck with him, but having to wait for him and drive him around? I’m starting to fear that I”m the one fucked with.
And I’m feeling even more fucked, now that I know they got the dang Sirens for the halftime show. Of all the pop stars and starlets, all the bands or singer-songwriters, rappers, and whatever there is in the whole wide world, they really had to pick those two?
Not that I dislike their music. No, I listen to it with complete indifference when I”m at the gym and forgot my headphones, which happens more often than I”d like to admit. It’s nice enough, but on none of my carefully curated playlists.
I have to admit, though, I enjoyed watching them grow in the entertainment industry and make it further than so many others, always wondering if our paths in the industry would cross at some point.
And then, when they almost did a few years back, I pretty much put my foot in my mouth. It was definitely not my proudest moment.
I had just finished shooting a movie with a co-star who must have gotten the part via her parents’ connections instead of an actual casting.
Actually, I”m pretty sure that”s exactly what happened, since her daddy dearest was a C-suite member of the company producing the movie.
And as another son of a C-suite member, although from a different, yet no less influential company, I still went through the casting. I’m sure there have been enough opportunities where my name was enough to give me an advantage, but I make damn sure to earn my part as well.
Her lack of talent and motivation at having to—gasp—work doubled the time it took to shoot our scenes. The last thing I wanted was a repeat of that torture and disruption to my schedule so shortly after.
Could I have gone about it more tactfully? Sure. Did I have the nerve to? Hell no.
I was exhausted, on the edge of a damned burnout, and I couldn”t give less of a fuck if whichever singer they were casting”s feelings were hurt by what I said. I didn’t even know they already had Kayla in mind, I was way too exhausted by simply being awake.
The whole experience almost made me fall out of love with acting and I just had to protect my passion for it. I’ve loved acting since I was a damn child, and suddenly, I found myself dreading the thought of standing in front of a camera. It took me a while until I fell in love with it again, but I sure did. Harder, faster, and even more passionate than before.
Did I beat up myself just the tiniest bit when I finally learned that Kayla was, in fact, the woman they wanted to cast for that movie? Maybe a tiny bit.
What those two have achieved over the last few years is nothing short of incredible. Yet I stand by what I said. They”re incredible at what they do, and I”m incredible at what I do. That doesn”t mean those two things would mix well. Maybe in a music video or a musical. Not that I would ever voluntarily do one.
What a funny twist of fate, that now Luca is simping for that woman”s best friend. Well, ”simping” is such a negative word, but he”s definitely a goner. The whole training he’s been giddy, his hands twitching for his phone to find out more about her, his eyes searching our surroundings for her. All that from one single look.
I don”t believe in love at first sight. There is just no way anyone could ever look at another person and decide from half a kilometer away that they”ve found their soul mate. I love Luca like a brother, but . . . just no. I don”t buy it. I wouldn’t be surprised if that little crush dissipates as soon as he actually gets to know her.
He seems to buy the whole ‘love at first sight’ crap though, in a ”here you go, take all of my money” shopping spree, judging by the far-away look in his eyes when he comes out of the dressing room, his empty eyes pointed right at my face as he walks straight past me, showing no sign of having noticed me standing there.
”Damn, you”re down bad,” I tease him, catching up easily. After all, I’m a good bit taller and my legs a good bit longer than his.
”Huh?” He looks up at me like he”s just woken up from a deep slumber or daydream.
”Nothing,” I say with a chuckle and shake my head amusedly.
”Sorry, I was distracted,” he answers while almost running into the wall where the corridor drops to the left.
”So I”ve noticed.” I raise my eyebrow at him but don”t comment further.
He”s a grown man. I”m not going to insert myself into his love life, even if I find it ridiculous. I’ll watch from the side-lines and have a laugh at his expense when it inevitably goes wrong.
”Say ”hi” to Jade and Ellis from me, will you?” he asks, still distracted, but I”ve decided to let it go. Let him be distracted. I’m surprised he even remembered that I’m meeting my parents later on.
Maybe his brain will return to its natural state once he”s slept. He”s probably still jetlagged and it”s making him delusional.
”Of course. Such a shame you can”t come along.” We”re finally in the parking lot, dodging a bunch of men who walk past us and inside the stadium quickly, wearing creaseless suits with their hair slicked back. They look a bit like serial killers.
Well, as long as we’re not the target.
”We”ll find another day,” Luca assures me with a nod, then climbs into the car.
”There”s my favorite son,” Mom exclaims so loudly, all heads in the restaurant turn to us as she jumps up from the table to give me a hug.
”Hi, Mom,” I greet her with a chuckle.
Whenever we hug, the awkward pose reminds me of how much smaller she is. On the contrary, my dad is just as tall as my six-foot-five, so it”s not exactly hard to figure out which half of my genes are responsible for my height.
Her genes shine through in my face. I’m told I have her eyes and mouth. I can’t exactly say I see it, but with so many people going out of their way to let me know, I guess they have a point.
”Are they putting you through the wringer?” he asks with a hearty laugh as all three of us sit down at the table.
”It”s so lovely that you”re staying in Philadelphia, sweetie,” Mom adds before I can answer him and beams at me. “We already ordered your favorite pasta for you.”
“Thank you,” I say gratefully and shoot her a smile.
We don”t get to spend too much time in the same city nowadays, so when we do, it”s always a highlight. I know Mom would love for all of us to meet up for weekly dinners and do family holidays, but with her working in her flower shop and Dad being tied to his fancy c-suite office job here in Philadelphia, while I’m traveling all over the world for movies or press tours, it”s hard to even meet up once a month.
”Yes, they are putting us through the wringer,” I answer my dad with a chuckle. ”Nothing I can’t handle, though. Luca is already complaining about it. Such a lazy bum.”
”You say that as if you won”t start complaining too in. . .” He takes a second to think. “Let’s say, a week,” Dad points out and I shush them. He might be right, but that doesn”t mean anyone else needs to hear it. ”You”re not the youngest anymore, my son. Be careful with those bones of yours.”
”Sure,” I tell him and roll my eyes. I might not be twenty anymore, but I”m definitely the fittest I”ve ever been.
The superhero movie I did two years ago got me into the best shape of my life, thanks to my amazing coaches. That’s when I fell in love with the gym. It’s where I spend most of my free time nowadays, much to the dismay of my mother who wants me to date and make grandbabies.
It would be a lie to say that my gym results don’t have an effect on my dating life. And contrary to popular belief, not necessarily in a good way.
Do women want to get with me? Yes, of course. I”m good-looking and a pretty known actor by now. But it”s like my muscles are like bait for fish - they bite and we have a good time. Yet once they realize how much hard work and time it takes to maintain my figure takes, they run for the hills.
And it does take a lot of time. Now that I’m in this match, exercising is basically my job for the next weeks. I don’t even know what to do with all the free time it gives me.
”Well, anyways. What else is new? Mom, how”s the shop going?” I ask, grinning when the waiter brings our plates. God, I’m hungry.
”Oh, it”s going amazing,” she says with a smile, which widens when I dive right into my pasta. God, it’s garlic-y goodness, just like the last time we were here. ”We have a wedding coming up and, listen, I”m not one to judge, but they want orange lilies.” She grimaces and shakes her head disapprovingly.
”I feel dumb for asking, but what”s wrong with orange lilies?” I scrunch my eyebrows and look at her, confused. Orange lilies are pretty, right? What”s the big deal?
”Well, according to Victorian Flower language, they stand for hatred. Not exactly what you want to have for your wedding now, is it?” She clicks her tongue as though she”s disappointed that I don”t know this. ”I just think they should have put a little bit more research into their wedding flowers.”
”So, did you tell them that?” I raise my eyebrow at her, biting my lips to keep the grin that wants to break free under wraps.
”Of course not,” she says like I’ve just asked her when she’s last seen a unicorn and clicks her tongue.
I burst into a chuckle. That”s just like my mother. Complaining about their flower choice but not being arsed enough to speak up. God, I love her for it.
My dad also looks like he”s about to burst into laughter. He leans over and drops a kiss to her temples. ”You”re ridiculous.”
”Anyways,” Mom hurries to change topics, rolling her eyes at the two of us. ”Tell us, who else is at this charity match of yours?” She lays her chin on her hand that she has propped on the table. ”Anyone interesting? Any new friends? Old friends? Girlfriends?”
My mind wanders to Luca and the woman who has turned his head. And the brown-haired woman who eyed the spectacle just as skeptically as me, arms crossed in front of her chest as she shot me a fiery glare. For some reason, I want to tell Mom about her.
If I tell her our backstory though, she’d probably rip me a new one.
Whatever. I signed an NDA, so no info for my parents for now either way.
”I can tell you in—” I demonstratively look at my wrist to check my watch. ”Ten days, seven hours and fifty-two minutes, when the official announcement is out.”
”Can”t you give us any hints?” She leans back and crosses her arms in front of her chest. ”You don”t need to say it. Just point at a sign they”re on. Dance us a clue. Do a pantomime act.”
”I think the term ”non-disclosure agreement” includes those choices of communication, hon,” Dad says with a chuckle and leans over to kiss her lips, now pursed in a childish pout.
”Okay.” She lets out a sigh and rolls her eyes. ”I still can”t believe it, I mean, the last time you played football must have been in what? Fifth grade?”
”That sounds about right.” I nod and hide a yawn behind my hand. Today’s training was really damn exhausting, and add a good portion of jetlag to that, and I”m about to fall asleep right here at this table.
Before I actually do, I order a coffee, resulting in shocked looks from everyone around when they realize I will be having coffee with my pasta.
Well, they can look all they want as long as my eyes remain open as well.
”God, I”m too old for this shit,” I grunt and throw Adam the football. I didn’t stay with my parents past dessert. I know Mom was disappointed, it was written all over her face, but I really didn’t want to find pictures of me sleeping at a restaurant table in the tabloids.
Now it’s the next day and I’m, well, not completely relaxed, but at least I’m not about to fall asleep standing.
And it”s tackling time. Finally? Dreadfully?
It certainly sounded fun when they first told us, but now I”m not so sure. Teaming up with Luca would have been fun, but our trainer, Rich, just had to ruin it. I already saw the fear in Luca”s eyes and the way relief washed over him when we had to change partners with a Walker sibling pair of similar statures.
”Speak for yourself,” Adam replies and stretches his arms over his head, then turns his torso to either side.
He”s the oldest of the Walker brothers at thirty-five, only a few years older than me. I already know him from some industry functions my dad dragged me along to, and as two of the youngest people at those boring events, we bonded quickly.
It’s the kind of friendship where we gravitate towards each other during stuck up entertainment business functions, but I wouldn’t ask him to hang out privately.
The Walker brothers are, without a doubt, one of the most influential families in the entertainment business, and Adam is the CEO of Croney, a big talent agency. Although you wouldn’t know from the way he carries himself. He has way too much swagger to be a C-suite exec. Or maybe that’s exactly what got him there.
How the fuck does this guy even have the time and motivation to stay this fit?
He”s almost as tall and easily as big as me—and I usually spend like two hours a day at the gym. Does he not sleep? Or does he outsource all of his work to assistants? Maybe he’s only a CEO on paper and to lend the company his face, who knows?
I have no more time to wonder, because he gets into a wide stance and shoots me a gloating grin.
”Come on, big guy, show me what you got.” He waves me closer tauntingly. I roll my shoulders and get into position myself. One leg forward, read to sprint at him. Three. Two. One.
I sprint. He tries to evade, but I see his maneuver coming from a mile away. My shoulder hits him right in his torso and I can hear the air getting pushed out of his lungs.
He tries to keep himself steady on his feet, pushing against me, but keeping his balance only barely. All I need to do is a slight turn, and the both of us land on the mat behind him, the fall pushing the air out of our lungs.
”Damnit, you”re strong,” Adam groans and lets the ball fall off the mat. ”Maybe you”re right; I might be getting too old for this shit, too.”
”Told you,” I chuckle and get off the mat, offering him my hand to help him up and swallowing a comment about helping elderly people in need. He takes my hand, grunting when he comes to his feet.
”Oof!” Adam and I turn around to watch Luca and his brother Tanner as they do the same thing. Luca is currently trying to get Tanner off his feet, but he’s not very successful.
”So how”s he doing?” I can”t help but saunter over with a wide grin on my face, arms crossed in front of my chest. ”Because, I’m not going to lie, that looked pretty weak.”
”Fuck off, Asher. I could outrun you anytime, dickhead.” Fair enough, he probably could.
”Why should I? Is your ego as weak as your tackle?” I wiggle my eyebrows at him. God, I love getting on his nerves.
Mozart wrote an opera to make the intended singer move her head like a chicken, and when I annoy Luca, it makes that muscle in his jaw tick that makes him look like a hen clucking. Same thing.
”You”re talking big game,” he says, challenge flashing in his eyes as he crosses his arms in front of his chest as well. Adam breaks into hysterical laughter behind me and the corners of my mouth are fighting a grin as well.
”Come on, as if that tiny man could take you down. Show him, Asher!” Adam clasps my shoulder, still shaking with laughter. Meanwhile, I narrow my eyes at Luca. There’s no way he could bring me down. What”s his game?
Well, I guess I won”t know unless I agree, and I”m not known as the kind of man who would back down from a challenge like this.
”Show me what you got, big boy!” I roll my shoulders and get into a stance that will allow me to keep a better balance. Meanwhile, he gets into position. I don”t like that look in his eyes. The one where they are twinkling with mischief and the muscle under his left eyebrow twitches. That little asshat is planning something.
Someone gives a sign and he starts sprinting at me. I brace for impact, ready to evade or push him back, but there is no impact.
”What the—” I wonder, confused when that little wanker digs his fingers into my ribs. Shit. Of course, he knows my kryptonite. I can’t believe he’d play me like that, though.
Booming laughter escapes me involuntarily as I try to get his hands off me, but that little fucker is quick. Before I know it, he”s behind me and I can”t shake him off.
”Mercy!” I beg between laughter and fall to my knees to escape his torturing fingers.
”No mercy for the weeeak!” he shouts and goes right on. I squirm on the ground, until finally, I catch his hand and pull him forward abruptly until he falls to the ground. Got that bitch.
I try to keep him off me, he tries to free his hands and continue the tickle torture, and before I know it, we have an audience. I don”t know how he does it, but suddenly I”m eating the ground and he kneels on my back, his hands triumphantly in the air.
”Victory!” he shouts to the cheering shouts of the group around us.
Oh, I”ll give him victory. Someone pulls him off me, but before I can say or do anything, Rich”s booming voice echoes over the field. ”Enough clownery, get back to it!”
Accompanied by loud booing, the crowd dissipates, and I slowly turn around. I”m still trying to catch my breath from all the laughing.
”Come on.” Luca offers me his hand and I roll my eyes and swat it away. How is that weakling supposed to pull me up?
When I come to my feet, I glare at him with narrow eyes and anger flowing through my veins.
”I”m going to get you for this,” I say lowly, stepping closer to him to continue in a whisper. ”When you least expect it, in your moment of weakness, I will be there.”
He gulps.
That fucker forgot that I know him just as well, if not better, as he knows me.
I”ll get him back. Spectacularly.
From now on, I keep my eyes on him. Unless Adam and I are scuffling, I”m thinking for the best way to get him back, planning my revenge in minute detail.
Pull down his pants? Funny, but classless. Drive off without him? He”d just take a taxi, that”s no fun. Break into his apartment when he”s sleeping and draw a moustache on his face with permanent marker?
Now I”m getting somewhere.
Just as I”m trying to decide the colour of his future face decor, Rich calls for a quick water break.
And walking over to the side of the field, I get a way better idea. As Luca walks over to the water bottles we threw onto the ground carelessly, right next to the field, he lifts his shirt to wipe his forehead, conveniently walking right by the mats we”re supposed to fall on. Blindly. Come on, at this point, he’s making it almost too easy.
It’s one of the first things I got to know about him when we started working together. How easily he gets startled and how fucking high-pitched he shrieks when you jump-scare him.
A grin tugs at my lips when I lean down and start sprinting towards him. I throw him over my shoulder and onto the soft padding. Just as I knew he would, he lets out a surprised shriek as he”s in the air, accompanied by curses as he lands.
”What the fuck?”
”I did not know your voice could get that high when you scream,” I snicker, and I hear Adam chuckle behind me. Seriously, I’ve heard his shrieks and this one should have easily been able to break glass. The shoulders of our other team members are trembling in laughter, but they have the decency to face away from Luca to cover their amusement up.
”I hate you,” Luca mumbles and hides his beet-red face in his hands, which doesn”t help at all with my laughing fit. God, that was fun. I guess we”re even now.
”Wow, that was higher than my vocal range.”
The laughter gets stuck in my throat when I realize that Millie is standing right behind him, looking at him with an amused expression, before she walks off. Suddenly, Luca lifts his face, murderous intent burning in his eyes as he glares at me.
Whoops.
”You”re a dead man, Asher,” he promises, and the tone in his voice makes the hair in my neck stand up.
”Oh, come on!” I try to calm him down.
I didn”t even realize she was anywhere close, even I know that would have been insensitive. But not only embarrassment is written all over his face, but the tiniest twinge of hurt makes a muscle in his jaw twitch.
”Dead.” Now the muscle on the other side of his jaw twinges. ”I swear to God. The second time she”s in earshot and I”m shrieking like a toddler.”
Embarrassing indeed. Not that I”m telling him that.
”I”m sure she finds it adorable,” I chuckle when another thought crosses my mind. A thought way too funny to keep to myself. “And she definitely won’t think that this is what you sound like during sexy time.”
Well, maybe I should have kept that thought to myself for a bit longer. My laughter gets stuck in my throat when I see him glare at me.
”And I”m sure you enjoy getting kicked in the ass so deep you can taste the dirt from under my shoe.”
I roll my eyes and huff. ”You can”t even kick that high.” And even if he could . . . I”m a good four inches taller than him, I doubt he”d get a good kick in.
”I”ve proven you wrong once already today, want me to do it again?”
Now he”s tickling the beast. ”You”ve done no such thing, you cheating bastard.” I narrow my eyes at him and cross my arms in front of my chest.
”Boys, boys.” Adam tries to jump in to keep us from breaking into a full-on brawl. ”I thought handling my own brothers is bad, but holy fuck am I thankful we”re not related.”
Well, likewise, asshat. I respect Adam, but I don”t need his unsolicited opinion.
”Stay out of it,” I grunt and straighten my back to my full height, towering over Luca. Then suddenly, there”s a dull pain on the back of my head.
Did he just slap the back of my head?
”Don”t be a dick. It”s clearly important to him.” I force myself to take a deep breath and glance at Luca from the corner of my eye. He looks at me, chest heaving with angry breaths, yet the corners of his mouth are twitching suspiciously as he watches me get scolded.
”Alright,” I give in and sigh, rolling my eyes. Only today. Only in this one instance will I be the bigger person. ”I”m sorry.”
”Sorry, I didn”t hear you?”
My eyes look somewhere behind him, although shooting him a blazing glare when I see him smile. Within a second, he”s schooled his face, goddamn nerd. If Adam were not still close by, I”d have him in a headlock by now.
I look him up and down. His childishness aside, I sometimes forget that this dude is my friend instead of just an annoying little brother. And he seems to be head over heels for this woman that he hasn”t even really talked to yet.
”I said I”m sorry,” I tell him with a heavy sigh, fighting the urge to tease him. ”I”ll make it up to you.”
”I accept your apology,” he says overly gracefully, and honestly? He makes it really hard to not deck him.
Instead, I push him, almost making him fall onto another mat. When he catches his balance, he pushes his middle finger against my chest, making me laugh.
”Oh, come on.” I nudge his shoulder and roll my eyes. ”Don”t act like I fucking pantsed you in front of her. I don”t know what your deal is; you”re too chicken to even talk to her.”
”I will talk to her. I just need an opening. I can”t exactly sprint over half the field just to ask for her number and I”m definitely not doing it when you”re all around. I”m sure I”ll get one soon enough.”
Well, I mean, he definitely could if he wanted to. What a scaredy cat. What does he think is going to happen? That fate or the universe or whatever is responsible for this love at first sight crap will give them their magical moment, all by itself?
There”s no way I”ll keep dealing with this whiny, infatuated mess of a best friend. I have to do something. Even if it’s awkward as fuck to message her.
She might be the only link, the only chance Luca might have.
Once training is done and I”m waiting outside of the locker for Luca again, I take out my phone, flicking it between my hands.
I remember that Van sent me Kayla”s number one day, with the intention of having me send her an apology.
Well, that never happened. One moment I remembered, the next someone shouted for me and I forgot all about it, and then the topic died and I didn’t want to bring it up again.
I guess it would be weird to message her. Then again, who knows? She might have similar problems with her best friend.