Traded – By JCC Downing #4
“Your agent wants you and Troy to be in the papers as soon as possible. There’s a benefit concert that he got us all VIP passes for.
You just have to dress well and be print friendly.
” Bri looked over to Troy. “I didn’t realize you and Scotty have the same agent, but since I’m handling his social media presence, did you want me to take care of yours until you find someone you like here? ”
“You sure you want to?” Troy sipped his bubble tea. “Will you even have time?”
“Absolutely,” she nodded. “It’s just a few pictures a day, and once you get someone here you like, they can chase you around.”
“If it’s not that big of a deal, go for it.”
“Fabulous. Once we get home, shower, change, and get ready to go.”
Troy looked baffled. “I thought we didn’t need to be there until six.
“We don’t,” Scott said. “But with the traffic, we’ll be cutting it close.” He shook his head and chuckled at Troy’s confusion. “You’ll get used to it.” Bri just turned the music up and headed to the freeway.
After switching from Bri’s SUV to Scott’s Lexus, they headed to the Hollywood Bowl.
Scott took the wheel this time, Bri climbing into the back to add pictures to both of their social media channels.
She’d made them both change clothes, opting for a slicker, almost-club look for the concert.
As it was a benefit, she said the press would be taking pictures from the moment they exited the car, so they needed to be photo ready from the get-go.
No faded, ripped jeans for this one, she said, so he settled on a darker set of jeans, high-tops, a buttoned down henley and leather jacket.
Scott wore something similar, opting for a contrast collared shirt and suit coat instead.
Bri’s hair was out of its messy bun and flowed down her back, just reaching the waistband of her leather mini-skirt.
Her white shirt was unbuttoned so when she moved, a hint of lace peeked out from the neckline.
Knee-high black boots completed her outfit.
Troy exited first, waiting for the valet to open Bri’s door before heading to the red carpet with Scott.
There were a few more team members there with their wives and girlfriends (WAGs), so the gentlemen took a group shot before heading into the venue.
Scott introduced him to his new teammates as they headed to the open area where food trucks set up several dining stations.
They talked shop until the artists came up for the meet and greet, with Bri grabbing several candid shots of everyone on her phone and camera.
He recognized a few of the bands; Black Velvet Machine, Country Blue, and Muddy Boots were on his Spotify and Untamed Coaster was part of his workout playlist.
When the band Hush arrived, Troy could not keep the smile off his face. “Bri, can we get a picture with Hush? My girls will go absolutely nuts.”
Bri smiled and went over to their handler, chatting him up for a moment before pointing to where Troy, Scott, and the rest of their group was seated. Nodding, the handler got the band’s attention and brought them over to the table to make introductions.
“Thank you so much,” Troy said, the goofiest grin on his face. “My girls love you guys, they have posters all over their rooms and probably every song you’ve ever released on my Spotify.”
“Thanks,” they said before posing for several pictures with both the players and the WAGs. Troy shook hands with the band members before sending the pics to his kids. “They’re gonna be so mad at me,” he chuckled as he pressed send.
The rest of the evening was a blur. He rocked out with the rest of the crowd to the concert, but his gaze kept going back to Bri. She’d brought over other bands for pictures and traded business cards with agents and handlers while dancing with the rest of the WAGs.
When she caught him watching, she went over and dragged him to dance with her. “Having fun?” she asked, leaning close to speak directly into his ear.
“Hell yeah,” he answered. The heat of her body and the scent of her perfume was intoxicating, which took him by surprise. “You?”
“Of course!” she said. “I love live music, and these bands are amazing!”
“Cool.” After a few moments, “Since I’m gonna be here for a while, maybe we can catch a few more concerts together.”
She smiled then. “Anytime! I’ll be your concert buddy!” Then she nudged him, “Besides, you still owe me a trip to Amoeba!”
“Anytime, Bri.” Their eyes met, and he felt a spark, one he hadn’t felt in a while. Giving her another crooked grin, he turned his attention back to the stage.
Sunday morning came too soon, and the sound of the blender woke him again. Eight o’clock. Rolling out of bed, he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and stumbled downstairs.
Bri stood in the kitchen, making smoothies again. No sign of Scott, so he took a seat at the kitchen island. “More detox?”
She turned around and handed him a glass. “More energy mix today. Normally Sundays are our cheat days, but we had waffles and bulgogi tacos yesterday, so no cheating today.”
This one was sweeter than the previous one and he swallowed it down without question. He took in her workout wear. “Are you using the gym here?”
“Nah, I was going to go for a run and wanted to see if you or Scotty wanted to come with.”
“Let me get changed, and I’ll join you,” he said, polishing off the rest of his drink. “I doubt Scott is in any shape to join us.”
“Yeah, he and Albie hit the tequila pretty hard last night.” She sipped her own smoothie as she wiped down the counter. “Go get dressed. I’ll mix something up for him when we get back.”
“Where are we running? Are there good courses around here?”
She finished her drink. “Yeah, but since it’s just you and me, I’ll take you to one of my favorite places to run instead.”
Santa Monica State Beach was quiet. She parked the car, grabbed her hat, and led Troy down to the sand. “Three miles down to Venice Beach, three miles back, and then there’s paths around here if you want a longer run.” Fixing her ponytail, “Ready?”
He nodded. “Let’s go.”
It took a bit to get used to running on the sand.
The warm sun countered the cool ocean breeze, and the crashing of the waves mixed with the sound of shore birds to create a bit of its own hypnotic music.
The tang of salt coated his lips as they ran.
Taking it all in, he could see why she loved running here.
As they picked up speed, he started taking in the scenery around him.
Near the pier parking lot, there was a classic car meet-up and small canopies with vendors selling trinkets and other souvenirs.
Surfers carried their boards down to the water while bicyclists rode by.
The lifeguards were out early, setting up their gear for the day.
And all around him there was this peaceful energy coming from the ocean, the sun, the sand, the city.
He lost himself in the run. It was calm but energizing.
The vibe was so different from Chicago, from New York.
The energy here in Los Angeles was a different kind of special, and for the first time since he arrived, he actually thought he could be happy here.
As they finished their loop, Bri pointed up ahead to a small shop where they could grab coffee.
They strolled up the sidewalk, finishing their coffee when Troy spotted a small hanging sign that read ‘Open House.’ Near it was a narrow two-story house that faced the ocean.
The patio had several realtor flags on it, and the gate and doors were wide open.
On the patio, an older woman in a green suit and large round sunglasses welcomed them in.
“Hi, I’m Patty. Welcome. Are you new in town?” she asked.
“Yeah, I just moved here from Chicago, and I’m looking for a new place.”
“Well, come on in, I’ll be happy to show you around.
” She led them inside where grey and blue seemed to be the theme of the place, judging by the staged furniture.
As she described the home, its bedrooms, and baths, the square footage and off street parking, he started picturing his life here.
He’d have the master facing the beach, while his girls could pick from the other three rooms. He’d need more furnishings, as this was much bigger than his place back east. But looking around he felt at home.
Like he could be happy here. Turning to the balcony, he saw Bri standing there, leaning on the railing and the first thing that came to mind was that she belonged here too.
She met his gaze, and he felt that spark again.
And by the shy smile that curled on her lips, she felt it too.
He walked out onto the balcony and stood next to her.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“I think it suits you.” The breeze blew her ponytail over her shoulder.
“I’d need more furniture if I bought it.” He raised an eyebrow. “Know any good furniture stores?”
“A few. I could help, if you like.”
“Then it’s settled.” He turned back to Patty and exchanged business cards. “I’m very interested. I’ll be busy tomorrow, but I’ll have my agent call you to get the ball rolling.”
“That’s fantastic!” she gushed. “I’m sure you and your lady friend will be very happy here.”
“Oh,” Bri stammered, her cheeks pink. “I’m just his friend. Not his lady friend… I mean.”
“No,” he reluctantly agreed. He looked at Patty and winked. “Not yet, anyway.”
She smiled back, a knowing look in her eye. “My money’s on you, sweetie,” she whispered. Then with an answering wink, she headed downstairs to start the paperwork. Bri followed close behind.
Troy looked out from the balcony once more. Taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders. “I could totally get used to this.” Scanning the horizon once more, he turned and headed downstairs.
The End… for now
JCC Downing started writing in elementary school and continued writing throughout high school and university.
After graduation, she wrote video game and movie reviews while starting, then scrapping, her “Great American Novel.” Finding her voice in fan-fiction, she became very prolific in several fandoms. She still lives in San Diego with her family, turtles, and two fish named Mr. Pickles and Senor Pepino.