Ethan
No matter how many times I went to the premier or opening night, I couldn't help but feel nervous. I was worried about my woman, but knowing her, she was handling it better than me. Deza had her in one of the dressing rooms at the large theater downtown where we did all of our opening nights.
"She needs to have some time to herself where you're not humping her damn leg like a Chihuahua in heat." Deza had been quite clear on why Riley wasn't coming with me to the premier.
"You want a turn?" I'd tried to hump her leg a few minutes earlier as she came in to check on me, but it hadn't gone over too well. Something about her big ugly boyfriend out front and him not liking me as it were.
His loss. He's eating those words when the two of them finally retied the knot. It was me that got them back together, though neither one of them seemed to want to admit it.
It was a thankless job.
"You know it's weird." Deza moved up in front of me and reached up, adjusting my tie.
"What's that?" I let my eyes move across her face, taking her in and feeling a deep sense of gratitude for all she'd done in my life. She'd played mother, sister, agent and best friend. Hell, she'd played my best girlfriend too, eating ice cream and crying over sappy-ass movies that would make my brother throw up in his shoes.
"I didn't have to locate some bimbo to join us tonight. In the past, we had some poor girl sitting up next to your seat, shaking like a leaf." She chuckled. "Bet you didn't tell Riley that, did you?"
I narrowed my eyes. "I didn't tell Riley a lot of shit like that. I'm not exactly proud of the guy I was, but I'm changing. For the better."
She smoothed down my tie and nodded. "That's true, and I'm so proud of you for taking a chance on her. She's going to be the woman that will carry you through everything you come up against."
"And I'll be that man for her."
"Yeah, you will." She leaned in and kissed my cheek. "I love you, kiddo. Great job on this film. I'll have your large popcorn with extra butter ready for you when you walk out."
I smiled. "And I'll smile this time without you asking."
"Amen and Hallelujah." She patted my chest and turned, walking to the door as someone else knocked. "You want company?"
"See who it is first, please." I pulled at the tie a little, hating how close to my throat she tied it. She did that shit on purpose. The woman was a masochist and wanted to see me squirm a little.
"You're a pain in the ass brother." She laughed and walked out as Liam walked in, his face pale and eyes a little wide.
"Hey." I turned to face him and laughed. "You look like you just saw a ghost. Run into someone you had anal sex with in prison?"
"Fuck you too." He closed the door and pressed his back to it before running his hand down his face. "The board of directors at my company wanted me to start getting to know Mona a little better because she's a fucking boss at work."
"And? That's a good thing, right?" I walked over to my snack table and chunked a Kit Kat at him. "Here. Looks like you could use a break."
He rolled his eyes, opened the package and dropped down on the couch beside the door. "So they wanted me to bring her with me tonight to this when I mentioned I couldn't hang out with her this weekend."
"Oh. Nice." I walked to the door and paused. "She's out there right now?"
"Yeah, and she makes the dress she's wearing look like it was stitched by the gods. I swear I've ejaculated three times in my slacks since picking her up." He let out a harsh sound and dropped his head back. "She's killing me, man. I fucked three different women last week, all of them turning into her after a few beers."
I laughed hard and opened the door, finding her standing near the front door, her dark hair down around her shoulders. "Wow. She looks amazing in that dress. You're being an idiot. If I didn't have Riley, I'd take her for a spin for sure."
"A spin? I want to hand her the keys to my car, my house, my life."
"All for a fuck?" I closed the door and walked back in to find my shoes. "You're being a little dramatic here. Even for you."
"I'm serious, Ethan. It's driving me crazy."
"Then get the girl, idiot." I bent over and slipped my feet into my black loafers. "It's not that hard. You've been with more women than Hugh Hefner. Pull out your moves and make it happen."
He stood and ran his hand through his hair. "It's not working. Nothing works on her. She's totally against the idea of even smiling at me. She told me last week to keep my distance, and if I get too close to her, she'll bite my dick off."
I snorted and stood up. "You jacked off to that shit, didn't you?"
"Until I was raw." He cupped his face and groaned. "What do I do?"
"Get out the playbook we made a few years ago. It's got the best shit you, me and Cole know. Use it, idiot. Stop acting like this girl is the end all be all and win her over."
"I want her to own me, man." He opened the door a little and glanced out. "And she would do it so well."
"You're grossing me out. Get out. This night isn't yours. It's mine."
He glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "Yeah. It is, and I'm proud of you. Riley looks like a goddess. If she wasn't taken by the prick she's dating-"
"Engaged to." I lifted my finger and pointed at him. "Watch it."
"You know the drill." He winked. "See you in there. Proud of you little brother."
"Thanks, Bro." I waited a few minutes after he left to take in everything that had happened over the last six months. It was hard to believe. Almost too hard.
I smiled at the memory of hearing that we were doing open auditions. I was beyond pissed. So ready to blow that I wasn't sure I'd have a job after I got through chewing a hole in Frank and Deza. Poor Deza had to drop the bomb on me at my last premier. The memory was as clear as if it had happened yesterday.
"Frank decided that he wants to bring more publicity beforehand to your next movie, Down Low." Deza flinched like I might slap her with my words.
"And? Stop being cryptic." Worry sprouted in my stomach, but I kept my cool as best I could. The bitch behind me was getting on my last nerve. I jerked around. "Hey. Slow down a little with the chattering. I need to have this conversation, so if you're really my number one fan, you'll let me do that."
"Oh, I'm sorry." She reached over and rubbed her hand down my back. "Go ahead. I'm just excited and when I get e-"
"Awesome. Pipe it down." I turned back to D, who gave me a 'behave' look.
"He wants to have open auditions for the lead female in the film." She flinched as I responded loudly.
"Fuck no. We're not having anyone who has been in a toilet paper commercial, or played the lead in their school musicals coming in for auditions with me." I stood up and ran my hands through my hair. We'd tried that years ago, and it was a fucking nightmare. I still had a handful of crazy bitches from that audition stalking me. "No."
"It's not up to you." She stood up and tugged at the front of my shirt. "We're doing it, but it is a little different this time. And remember it's his movie, Ethan. We just star in it."
"Then tell him to find someone else. I'm not hosting auditions so a thousand women can come paw at me like I'm a fucking piece of meat. No." I leaned down and got in her face. "And you should have already known that."
"Don't go tough on me." She pushed at my chest a little. "We're having them submit their information and a vocal audition. We'll weed them out, and then you can pick the top ten who actually get a live audition."
I started to calm a little. "When does this shit start?"
"The information is going out in the papers and all over the news tomorrow. I wanted you to enjoy the party tonight without this reaction." She waved her hands around.
"How do you have the girl's picture if this jacked up shit storm hasn't even started?" I dropped back down in my chair, a little more chill now that I knew it was ten women and not ten thousand.
"A handful of agents found out about it early. Her agent submitted her, but I'm not taking agent submissions. The actors have to submit their information themselves. And actually... I think the press leaked the information a day early. I need to check into it, but it's looking that way."
"Jeez." I shook my head and took a deep breath. When was Deza going to stop trusting the press? They'd been nothing but a thorn in our sides since we started on this journey. "Get the girl to submit on her own, then. She's someone I could create something with."
"How do you know?" Deza laughed. "You haven't seen her act or met her."
"Pull her up again." I glanced over at the girl beside me who sat quietly. "Want some of my popcorn, Amber?"
"Oh my gosh. You remember my name?" She beamed as I nodded and handed her my popcorn. I wanted to remind her that my job was to memorize pages and pages of lines, but I decided that getting a tongue lashing from D later would feel nearly as good as taking the annoying blond in the back and asking for a blowjob.
"Here, and thank you for behaving." Deza handed me the phone. "And stop cussing so much. People think of you as the boy they would take home to meet mom and dad."
I laughed and snorted. "Is that a fucking joke? I play an asshole in all of my films."
"They think it's just a ruse. Did you not read the article that People Magazine just did on you?"
I glanced down at the phone and stifled a groan. The girl was perfect. Her short bobbed haircut made her look incredibly cute. Innocent. The pretty smile on her face drew me in, but the red lipstick... the slight narrowing of her eyes. She wasn't at all what she appeared to be. How badly I wished she were sitting next to me. No blow jobs for her.
I'd take my time and-
"Ethan. What are you doing?" D snatched the phone as I glanced over at her a little winded.
"What? What are you talking about?" I leaned back in the chair and breathed in deeply.
"You're panting."
"I'm turned on." I looked over at Deza. "She's fucking hot. I want her in my next movie. Make it happen."
"Impossible." She shrugged. "We're not getting involved."
But she did get involved, and I had Riley beside me now because of her and Frank. I would have to thank them in a few years when they thought I'd forgotten to.
"Ethan. We gotta go." Deza leaned into the room and smiled. "Riley's waiting for you."
"Good. I'm ready." I walked out and moved toward my girl, taking her in as my heart almost stopped in my chest. She made Marilyn look like yesterday's news. Our new movie would put her on the map and make her America's sweetheart.
She would move into the limelight, and I would retire and help raise our kids.
Our castle by the water would last a few years until we picked up and moved overseas to live on the shores of Jamaica. I could see it so clearly as if someone scripted the whole fucking thing.
We grew to have the greatest love story of all time, and when she finally retired, they would write a movie script based on it.
The leading actor looked a lot like me, but he was a little less cocky. It was concerning, but I'd make do with the kid. He'd come into his own.
He was my son, and he would be destined for greatness, not because of the acting I'd done in my younger life, but the empire his beautiful mother built.
My daughter would take over for Liam and rule the advertising word, and the baby... little Gracie, she would dance on Broadway every night of the week.
"Ethan?" Riley brought me from the movie in my head and reached for my hand. "You ready for this?"
I brushed my hand by my nose and forced the tears of joy welling up in my eyes back down. "I was born ready for this. After you, baby doll."
She walked in, and the crowd erupted, their cheers music to my ears. I tucked myself behind her and let her have the bright lights. Why not? She saved me. Changed me. Made me a man I could be proud to be.
For that... I was forever grateful to my love.
My girl.
My final call.
The End