Chapter Seven
THE MOON STRIKES down on the raging ranch house, bathing the pops of color coming from the windows in a preternatural blue hue as the beams move throughout straggling clouds.
Jeremy doesn’t know what he expected from the scene, but the party has already spilled out to the lawn and the whole place is crawling with black specks of people partying on.
Barry had been jealous when Jeremy had shared with him and some of the other ranch workers that he’d been invited to the exclusive affair.
But there is nothing to be envious of, Jeremy wishing he could skip the thing altogether.
He’s already running absurdly late, although that seems to be right on time as far as the party is concerned.
Approaching the house, he’s crossing the lawn when a familiar voice calls out, “Cowboy! Aloha!”
Jeremy turns his head and sees Eneki and Ryan waving to him. Smiling big, Jeremy steers away from the entrance and goes over to his friends, giving them a big hug and greeting them with, “Wow, I can’t believe y’all are here!”
“Now we’re on your island!” Ryan laughs, sipping from his cocktail.
Eneki smiles wide, “It sure is good to see you, man.”
“Yeah, same,” Jeremy nods, “How was the rest of filming?”
“We somehow got through it without you,” Eneki smacks him on the arm. They both laugh and Eneki asks, “You just getting here? Need a drink?”
“Definitely,” Jeremy nods. He travels inside with his friend and his husband, chatting about their travels to Colorado and the scenery of the grand mountain scape.
The interior of the house has transformed from the austere livings of a grand ranch owner into something more akin to a frat house.
Loud music bangs throughout the building, shaking the chandelier.
People are layered up and down the staircases and strewn throughout the hallways.
Jeremy and Eneki have to squeeze their way through a crowd of people in the hallway in order to get to the sitting room Jeremy had been lead to the night Clark had asked him to join him in Hawaii.
They’re walking to the bar where an actual bartender is serving people when someone grabs at Jeremy’s forearm.
He turns to the touch and almost smacks his head into Clark.
The actor is all dressed up in a flashy suit, whiskey tumbler in hand and ombre tinted sunglasses on, as he smiles wide at Jeremy and shouts over the music, “You made it!”
Feeling totally out of place, Jeremy gestures to himself - here he stands - as a response.
Clark’s hand is still on Jeremy’s shoulder, pulling him closer so his mouth is next to Jeremy’s ear and says, “I’m glad you’re here.”
Jeremy doesn’t have time to react or respond as Clark pulls away and steers Jeremy by the arm toward the bar. He cuts through the throng like butter and calls out to the bartender, “Another one of these!”
He guesses that he’s drinking whiskey tonight.
Glancing behind him, he catches Eneki and Ryan blocked from the bar by a whole group of people waiting for drinks.
Eneki catches Jeremy’s eye and shrugs to him.
He touches Clark’s hand on his shoulder and leans in to say, “It’s good to see Eneki’s here! ”
“Holy shit, Eneki’s here?” Clark spins around, smiling over the heads of people and waving, “Yo! Eneki! C’mere, man!”
Eneki all but carries the small framed Ryan through the crowd and to the front of the bar. Clark daps him up when they get closer and asks, “What’re you drinking?”
“Old fashioned and French seventy-five!” Eneki tells him.
Clark repeats the order to the bartender as she comes over to drop off the few fingers of high end whiskey served neat. Eneki pats Clark on the shoulder and says, “Thanks! Hey, Clark, this is my husband, Ryan!”
“Pleasure!” Ryan holds out his hand, “I’m such a huge fan!”
Delicately taking the fingertips, Clark kisses Ryan’s knuckles and says, “The pleasure’s all mine. I always love meeting a fan.”
“Is that why you and Jeremy are so close?” Eneki chuckles.
Clark’s smile falters, straining a bit as he leans in and asks, “What’s that now?”
“Cuz Jeremy’s your biggest fan!” Eneki laughs, “He’s seen every single one of your movies!”
Jeremy had been sipping at the whiskey when Eneki spills that little secret about him, nearly spitting out the top shelf liquor at the comment. He definitely chokes on it, coughing as he shakes his head but unable to speak as the whiskey burns his throat.
“No, it’s true!” Eneki keeps laughing, “I figured it out one day and even quizzed him! Dude, knows every film, no joke!”
Clark blinks and smiles, saying placidly, “Crazy. Hey! You guys want to head out back? It’s quieter there!”
The three of them follow Clark to the extensive back porch through an opened sliding glass door. As they make it outside, Clark tugs at Jeremy’s elbow and pulls him to the side. He catches his eyes and holds the gaze, asking outright, “Have you really seen all of my movies?”
Really uncomfortable, Jeremy dares to look away and shrugs, “What does it matter?”
“It matters to me,” Clark sounds way too serious, “Tell me. Have you?”
Jeremy stares at his feet, having some sudden urge to cry; like a child being caught with their hand in the cookie jar. He bites down on the inside of his cheek to stave off the wave of emotion, admitting by way of saying, “You’re a really good actor.”
Eneki comes up from behind Jeremy and pats him on the shoulder, “There you two went. Hey, Clark, beautiful place. Really something.”
“Thank-”
“Hey,” a man says from behind them, lightly touching the small of Jeremy’s back.
Jeremy turns and could fall over at the sight, “Merle.”
“Rezai! You made it!” Clark suddenly shifts gears and calls Merle by the director’s name.
Turning between the two, Jeremy scrunches his brow and tells Clark, “No, this is Merle.”
“Yeah. Merle Rezai. Nobody calls him by his first name though,” Clark chuckles, thumbing at Jeremy as he says to Merle, “This guy. Let him ride a few horses, am I right?”
Jeremy ignores Clark downplaying him again and turns to Merle, asking out of pure shock, “Is that true? You’re seriously the director?”
Merle puckers his lips, disappointed, “I thought you knew.”
Eneki steps in, asking, “Hold up, how do you two know each other?”
“Yeah,” Clark starts catching on, brow scrunched, “What’s going on?”
Jeremy and Merle glance at one another, neither of them eager to answer the question.
“Um,” Jeremy tries to think up a lie but nothing’s coming to him, “We-”
“We went on a date,” Merle steps up with the truth.
Everyone whips around to Jeremy, Clark blurting out, “What? No you didn’t.”
Merle shrugs, “Yeah, we did. It was nice. Really nice.”
Clark shakes his head, “No, because I would’ve known. The only person Jeremy went on a date with in Hawaii was some surfer dude.”
“Well, we met while I was illegally surfing at the Four Seasons’ private beach at night. Is there a possibility that could be me?” Merle asks Clark then turns to Jeremy, “Or did you go on a date with another handsome surfer you saved from security?”
“Aw!” Ryan swoons from the sidelines, “That is so cute! And you for real didn’t know that he was the director of the movie you were working on? How?”
Jeremy is really being put on the spot tonight, also feeling dumb as he sputters out an excuse, “He was always in a hoodie and sunglasses on set. I- I don’t know, I just never put the two together.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Clark laughs harshly.
Merle ignores him and fully turns to Jeremy, asking, “What are you doing here? Did Clark seriously invite you to the party?”
“Of course I did,” Clark barks, stepping in, “He’s my childhood best friend, for your information.”
“Really?” Eneki says, raising a brow and keeping his eyes on Jeremy, “I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah, we go way back,” Clark says to everyone but eyes Merle, “And you should know that he’s the best damn cowboy out there. And he just so happens to work on this ranch for me.”
“Is that right?” Merle looks over to Jeremy, saying to him, “Jeremy, I was hoping I’d see you while I was in the state but I never imagined we’d run into each other like this. Why don’t we go somewhere we can be alone and-”
“No way,” Clark physically steps in between them and puffs his chest, interjecting, “Jeremy came here to hang out with me. He just got here and he’s got plenty more-”
“Look, Clark,” Merle interrupts right back, putting up a hand and trying to explain in a friendly tone, “I just want a little time to talk to him. I got some things to say.”
“Well, whatever you have to say to him you can say in front of all of us, right?”
“Oh my god,” Ryan whispers between Eneki and Jeremy, totally mesmerized.
Merle loses his smile and says, “Actually, it’s private.”
“Hey! What’s the big idea, huh? You had your time with him so just let it go!” Clark actually explodes.
The outbreak is so rash that Jeremy can’t stand it anymore.
He swallows down the last couple fingers of whiskey in one big gulp and ducks away.
Eneki and Ryan follow him as Clark and Merle keeping poking each other’s chests.
Jeremy’s head swims not from the alcohol but from the outrageous revelations that the party is bringing to light.
Downing his fourth beer, Jeremy is feeling somewhat lighter than an hour ago when Clark and Merle had gotten into their argument.
He finishes this one and grabs another from the six pack he’d scored from behind the bartenders’ backs.
He’s been hiding out at the side of the house with Eneki and Ryan, both of them refusing to leave this little drama behind.
Eneki convinced Jeremy to go clear the air with both the men and Ryan went out to the party to do some reconnaissance.
Eneki and Jeremy lean against the building waiting for Ryan to get back, Jeremy cracking open the next beer and starting to drink. Eneki’s kept pretty quiet since Ryan left, but he suddenly pipes up and asks, “So you and Clark, huh?”
Jeremy shakes his head, “What are you talking about?”