Lennox
“What’s going on with you, mate?” Bobby asks from across the bar as he pours me another pint.
I flew to London.
Why? No clue.
But, I’m already miserable. Why not see the town I grew up in alone and homeless?
I’ve been partying with strangers every night. Ignoring all my obligations and I started filming random shit again like I used to do, when I felt useless and empty.
The media has reported on the ‘return of the old Lennox’, the one they haven’t seen since I started filming with Jace.
They say he tamed me.
He did. In a way that I never expected. In a way I never knew I wanted.
“Nothing, I just needed to get away.”
“All the limelight burning your eye sockets?” he replies sarcastically, but he’s not far off.
“Something like that,” I reply with zero intonation.
He hums, side-eyeing me cautiously.
He’s been running this place since before I was born. I was lucky he took a chance on me and let me work for him. It was one of the many jobs that helped me survive.
“Have you seen Amelia since you’ve been here?” he asks, continuing the small talk and I’m grateful for it.
“Yeah, we had tea earlier today, then walked the South Bank. She seems happy.” Amelia worked for him during the same time I did and our circumstances were pretty similar. We became friends but after I moved to the states, we haven’t talked as much. “She’s engaged, wants to start a family.”
“Good for her.” There’s genuine happiness behind his tone and I think he looks at his past employees like foster kids. He always went out of his way, giving young ones a job, even when he probably didn’t really need the extra help.
“You know, I don’t think I ever thanked you, for taking a chance on me. If it weren’t for you, I’d probably be dead in a gutter somewhere.”
“Oh bloody hell, don’t get all sentimental on me now.”
I chuckle and stay quiet because he’s always said he hates that sappy shit.
It’s been six weeks since I’ve laid my eyes on Jace. For the first week I moped around, waiting for the goddamn Jacewilderofficial notification to pop up on my phone.
Well, that never happened.
Instead, the gossip columns blew up, plastering pictures of him and Elodie St. John all over everything.
And there he was, standing with her, that golden boy smile that doesn’t meet his eyes staring back at me from every magazine and news article.
I stopped looking him up when I saw the one where they were kissing at some café in New York. Apparently she was visiting him while he was on set. The mocking tone of the news article sounds childish in my own head.
Maturity has never been my strong suit when I’m bitter.
The next week, someone I used to film some social media content with reached out asking to collaborate on some videos. Hanging out with her was a way to fill the void even though it just burned a bigger hole inside me.
That trailed into a month-long hiatus of partying which the media made even more accusations about, falsifying stories of our dissociation from each other.
They speculated every theory under the sun about why I was out partying with old friends and why Jace was dating one of the world's biggest movie stars.
I had to fly here to distance myself. From him. From the old Lennox taking over. From everything.
“What are you filming next?” Bobby asks, continuing the conversation like the professional bartender he is.
“I have the next couple months off. I didn’t plan it that way but the script I was offered started filming during the time we’re scheduled to do the press tour for Iron Horizon. So, I had to pass on that one and I took another role that starts filming after the junket is over.”
“Are you looking forward to the press tour with that co-star of yours? You two made quite the headlines a few months back. It was all anyone was talking about.”
I roll my eyes and take a swig of my beer. “Don’t remind me.”
He chuckles, his big belly bounces with the rumble. I’ve always gotten a kick out of how jolly he is. I smile for the first time in…well, weeks.
“Don’t tell me you fell in love with your co-star?” He chuckles again and my smile fades.
“Oh.” He nods silently. “Okay.”
He flips over two shot glasses, slamming them down on the wood. He fills one with a shot of tequila until the golden liquid sloshes over the top and repeats the same with the other.
Pushing one toward me, he asks, “Was it love?”
I shrug as I peer up at him. Maybe. I know I’ve never felt anything like what I felt for him. But how could it be for Jace? He’s so easily brushed me off, even after I practically begged him not to.
“Unrequited,” I say out loud, because I’ve never been one to lie to myself and I’m not going to start now.
He nods, deep and slow again, understanding easily since he’s a part-time therapist to half the local community.
“Fucking love.” He picks up his glass holding it out. I grab mine, tap the rim, and we both shoot back at the same time.
The liquid burns as I swallow. I’m not usually a tequila guy so it takes a minute for my face to return to normal.
My phone rings in my pocket and I don’t get too excited because I know it’s not him. Not only is he too determined when he sets his mind to something, he doesn’t have my actual phone number.
Pulling it from my jacket, I glance down seeing Sofia’s name pop up.
“Hey, Sofia.”
“Hi Lennox, how are you?”
“Great, I made a last minute trip to London. You know, for funsies,” I say playfully, even though I feel far from it.
“Oh,” she says, surprise in her tone. “When will you return? I was hoping you’d be available to make a surprise appearance in New York on Friday?”
New York?
“What day is today?” I whisper to Bobby. Both he and Sofia answer, “Wednesday.”
I frown. “Thanks and yeah, I’m certain I can get a flight back tomorrow.
“Wonderful, this is going to be a great way to kick off some media attention before the movie tour,” she replies with more excitement than I’ve ever heard from her.
“The press tour doesn’t start for another couple months, right?” I glance around looking for a calendar, wondering if I’ve completely lost track of time.
“You’re right, but Jace has an appearance on The Midnight Hour with late night talk show host Greg Guthrie on Friday.
We’re letting them premiere the trailer and I thought we could surprise everyone and have you show up during his interview.
People have been asking, wondering when they’ll see you two together again and I think this will be perfect for that. ”
“Oh, fuck.”
“Is there a problem?”
“No,” I say quickly, swallowing the lie.
“Okay, good. I’ll coordinate your flight and hotel then email you all the details. Also, Jace doesn’t know, so make sure you don’t say anything. I want his reaction to be genuine and real.”