Chapter Five

· zach ·

Six months later…

Life went by quickly, and with it came a slew of changes for the friends around me. Evan and Grace were in a committed relationship, in deeper than ever. Our friend Josh had up and eloped last month with Grace’s friend, Marla. When I’d first arrived in Texas in October, I spent most of my evenings with the crew from Evan’s film The Ending Series. I kept busy by going to the bars, clubs, restaurants, and cool places Austin had to offer. The city was laid back, and the girls were young, beautiful, and willing to have fun. It was my normal routine, until after I’d slept with Hilary. All the city’s diversions couldn’t take away the restlessness. It was then that I set my plan into motion.

Summer was in full swing. Evan’s movie would wrap up soon, then he’d be off to Atlanta in August to film his next feature. Josh would go with him, along with Marla and Grace. I’d stay in Austin, with the few acquaintances I’d made while throwing myself into my passion project. It was well under way. I had yet to let Evan know, however, that I wouldn’t join him in Atlanta. I darted toward Evan’s trailer as the studio lot bustled with people.

“Zach. Lunch.”

I pulled my head up from the smartphone that took most of my time and focused on a leggy, caramel-haired goddess. She held a Styrofoam container in one hand and a root beer in the other. “No, thanks, Jenny.”

“It’s for Evan.”

“Oh, right.” I pocketed my phone and took the food off her hands. “Thanks.”

She smiled and adjusted her headset that connected to a two-way radio at her waist. She was the assistant to the assistant director of the movie. She was also a gossip and a troublemaker—that coming from personal experience. She’d tried to hook up with Evan, then with Josh, and finally with me, then spread rumors about it. Being the third choice didn’t sit well with me. Neither did a stage-five clinger.

“Tell him I said hi.” She winked and turned, her ass swaying toward the tent set up ahead. Background extras and crewmembers convened under it where gobs of food were laid out like a buffet. The movie business was demanding, loud, and involved a lot of sitting around and waiting.

My phone buzzed. I balanced the drink on the container and pulled out the device that never stopped ringing. I answered and tucked it between my shoulder and ear, making my way toward Evan. “Mike, what’s up?”

“Zach, my man. Tell Evan I need him to look over that offer and make a decision by the end of the day.” Mike was Evan’s agent. Evan hated talking deals and numbers. He wanted the gist of the project. If he liked it, he listened and asked questions; otherwise, it was a waste of time. Mike took it upon himself to go through me to convince Evan when something was a great idea.

“He’s not gonna do it, Mike.”

“Just ask him. It’s an easy endorsement. Four million for a few thirty-second ads.”

I skirted around lighting crew and camera setups as I made my way toward Evan’s trailer. “It’s in Japan.”

“Even better. Nobody in the States will see it.”

“Oh, they’ll see it, all right. His fans will make it viral in no time.” Mike was money hungry, but my best friend wasn’t. Evan wouldn’t do an endorsement for an easy paycheck.

“Just talk to him. And give him the script of that remake I told you about.”

I knocked on Evan’s door and waited for his cue to enter. “Got it. I’ll let him know.”

Evan studied a screenplay as he sat at the dinette table in his luxurious top-of-the-line trailer. The place was a small mansion, complete with everything from two entertainment centers, a kitchen, bedroom, and shower, to his own makeup station and massage chair. For the amount of time he lived on-set, it was nice to stay in comfort, despite the overkill.

“Mike?” Evan asked as I set down his food. I nodded and took a seat across from him as he tossed the script aside. “What’s he want this time?”

“Four-million ad shoot in Japan.”

“For?” Evan dug into his baked chicken and vegetables as I checked emails on my phone.

“Some sports brand spot. It would be a couple days to shoot.” My fingers flew over the phone as I answered an email from a landlord in Atlanta. I was searching for Evan’s next temporary home. “And he has a script from Sophie Cross that she’s directing. He says it’s a good one.”

“Nope,” he countered quickly, dropping the fork and picking off the chicken with his fingers. “I’m running full force with plans for Gracie’s book. The script should be done soon.”

When his production company bought the options for Grace’s memoir, it had caused a stir, making the already acclaimed book even more successful. All Evan’s time would be dedicated to making the film the best it could be, especially since he wanted to direct it as well as produce. “You could still work on Sophie’s movie while in pre-production.”

“No script yet?” Evan asked. I shook my head as he continued to eat. “I need to read a script first.”

“Sophie wants to meet with you already.”

“I need a script.”

That was his typical response. Evan had made mistakes in the past, going into projects without knowing the specifics. Now, he demanded that I read the script first and let him know my feelings, then pass it on to him. He trusted my instincts, sometimes more than he trusted his own. He wouldn’t have landed the biggest gig of his life as Captain Drew Abrams in The Ending Series had I not convinced him to take the job almost ten years ago.

“Fine. I’ll tell Mike.” I went to the fridge and opened it to see stacks of protein drinks inside. “Damn it. Is this Josh’s doing?” His trainer and friend of almost nine years had Evan in tip-top shape.

“Yep. Drink one. Keep on that muscle he helped you gain.” Josh trained me using a regimen that had helped me build a good twenty-five pounds of muscle over the past six months.

I wanted what Evan ate, but the idea of standing out in the tent line in scorching Texas heat changed my mind. I shook the chocolate shake and twisted the cap, gulping the chalky drink and cringing. “Having big muscles is overrated,” I grumbled.

“Not while having sex, dude.” Evan grinned.

“I don’t need to hear about you and Grace doing it, bro.” Nothing shot my mood to hell more than listening to anything having to do with relationships or sex. Especially since I didn’t have either at the moment.

“Whatever. How’s the restaurant stuff coming along?”

I brought my mind back to the present. “Uh, well, I’m in the middle of permit hell. Plus, I’m still looking for a project manager to spruce up the place.”

Evan nodded. “Let me know if you need more cash.”

“I’m sticking with the plan for the projections and costs. I’m making sure this pays off for all of us.” My head was once again buried in emails. This time from my lawyer, who was helping me through the mounds of paperwork and licensing necessities.

Back in December, I had gone on a date to this restaurant downtown where the food was subpar, but the ambiance was quaint, albeit in need of a small pick-me-up.

As the chick—whose name I couldn’t recall—droned on about her cat, I had excused myself. My mind mulled over Thanksgiving. Over her. Hiding in the hall, in need of silence and clarity, I had overheard two waiters in the next room discussing their jobs. The restaurant was closing. It was as if the Universe had manifested my dream and was presenting it directly to me.

I ditched my date that night, opting to stay up to jot down my ideas. I made contact with the owner and offered a price. That was the first step toward the gestation of opening a new restaurant.

Creating a thorough business proposal, Evan and Josh had jumped on board as passive investors. I, however, spent every precious spare moment I had on becoming a restaurateur.

“Did you hear me, Zach?”

Evan’s voice sounded as distant as my mind felt. “Sorry, what?”

“Hilary.”

Shit. What did he know about Hilary? Anytime her name came up, it was like a bullet hitting my stomach. However, when Evan said her name, it felt like a cannonball. “What about Hilary?”

His shoulders fell, and he gave me a look that screamed disappointment. “What’s with you?”

“Nothing’s with me,” I said, gulping down the rest of the muscle shake.

“You’ve got your head all over the place, man. I’d say it was all the restaurant junk you’ve been dealing with, but this goes back farther than that.” Evan went to the kitchenette, cleaned up after himself, and washed his hands. “Got anything to tell me?”

I stayed silent. I’d betrayed him. My best friend. My family. Things had gone from both of us being able to confide in each other about anything, to me not able to face him. I slept with his sister, and any mention of her reminded me of what I wanted but couldn’t have. “No.”

“You’re sure everything’s okay? If you need something, I’m here for you.” I shook my head adamantly. He looked unconvinced, and concerned, but continued. “She’s coming so Grace can have her as the temporary property manager while Gracie finishes her book.” Grace was an author, but before she had begun to write full-time, she was the property manager of six townhomes. It just so happened that we rented the one next door to hers. “Her plane lands at seven. I need you to pick her up.”

My body tensed. “You don’t wanna get her?” The image of Hilary under me had been on a constant loop. It was like one of those memories that was made up, dreamlike, as if it had never happened. Yet her smell, taste, and touch lingered like a hellfire slowly burning me from the inside out, one that I was unable to quench. I started to think of it as penance for all the sins I had committed against the women who attached themselves to me, only to realize they were shit outta luck when I tossed them aside. Damn, I was an asshole.

“Grace and I have that dinner with Charles and his wife tonight.”

“Fuck, I forgot about that.” Evan and Grace were going out with the director of Evan’s movie. I checked out the paperwork on Evan’s kitchen counter, making sure his sides and call sheets were present for the next day. “Yeah, I’ll get her. What flight?”

When Evan didn’t answer, I finally glanced at him. His gaze was fixed on me. Instead of asking him anything, I stared back until he gave a slight shake of his head. “I told you two days ago, then I told you this morning. I emailed all the information.”

“Right.” I smacked his shoulder on my way out in an attempt to make everything seem normal. “I’ll send wardrobe over in a bit.”

Before I left, Evan called out, “You might want to take her to the grocery store. Last I saw, there wasn’t any food at your place.”

My whole body froze, the fire inside me instantly extinguished. “My place? She’s staying with me?”

He shrugged. “Well, yeah. I stay at Gracie’s next door. She’ll stay in the empty room that used to be mine.”

I leased a townhome from Grace’s family friend, Stephen Jenkins, for Evan. The place was only meant to be used until the movie was done, but I had extended the lease another six months. Austin was looking to be a permanent situation for us all, yet I hadn’t imagined I’d be sharing the place with Hilary. Why had she even agreed to take on the job for Grace? Why was she visiting? It made no sense to me. I began my trek out.

“Zach?”

“Yeah?” I turned back, waiting for him to ask me for something.

“Take tomorrow off and rest. You look like shit, pal.”

I smiled and shot him the middle finger. He was right. I needed a break. Taking on too much was my way of coping. I had grown accustomed to it. Accomplishing something helped me fill the void inside, despite the fact that it was only temporary. I would be facing the issue head-on. I’d be living with it, with her, and praying for a way to get past the temptation it would undoubtedly create.