20
To say the atmosphere in the house after that was frosty would be putting it mildly.
Marc and I avoided each other as much as possible, which was relatively easy to do given the size of the place. Occupying my time was more difficult.
I watched a movie, then half-heartedly read a book I found on a bookshelf, and dozed for an hour in the afternoon. By five in the evening I was starting to climb the walls. I wasn’t used to having to rest, for one thing. Time away from a production usually involved me doing plenty of exercise and catching up on reading scripts. My injury precluded the former and as for the latter, I didn’t have my laptop with me. I wasn’t in the mood to press Marc to let me access my emails right now. I knew what his answer would be and I was too tired for another heated exchange. Tomorrow, if I could get a decent night’s sleep, I’d push for it. I knew Ally would be desperate to know how I was, too. As annoyed at Marc as I was, I knew he would at least have given her enough information to ease her mind.
When Jay strolled into the living room just before six pm, I jumped up and rushed over to him.
He held his palms up and a big grin split his face. “Easy! Or I’ll have Marc on my case.”
I stood on tiptoes and gave Jay a quick peck on his cheek. It was such a relief to see him. The other guys that had been wandering around were reassuring, but Jay had been with me so long he almost felt like a security blanket.
I still remembered interviewing him for the job all those years ago. He was one of those well-built men that inspired confidence and I’d loved the fact he was so much taller than me.
My happiness faded a bit at the mention of Marc. “He’s already on my case,” I complained.
Jay’s eyebrows rose. “Already? What did you say?”
“I didn’t say anything!”
Jay chuckled. “I’m sure you didn’t mean to. Something about the two of you brings out the painful honesty in each other.”
“I’m not sure I’d call it honesty.” I was very close to pouting, but restrained myself.
“Whatever it is, he’s pissed.”
“He’s always pissed.” I’d had enough talking about Marc. “Please tell me you’re here to stay.”
“For the next few days, yeah.” He held up a laptop that I hadn’t noticed. “I managed to salvage this for you. It was in your office, which was untouched by the fire.”
“Oh, thank you!” I leaned in to give him a grateful hug. We both chuckled as I was forced to twist to one side so I could embrace him awkwardly with my good arm.
“There’s no internet access.”
My happiness disappeared at the sound of Marc’s voice. We turned to see him leaning against the doorway. I wasn’t sure how long he’d been there.
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” I replied coolly.
Jay tapped the laptop with his index finger. “I downloaded all your emails before I left LA. There’s a few scripts from Diana that she wants you to look through. Should keep you busy.”
I offered him a show-stopping smile, ignoring Marc. “Wonderful. Thank you. You’ve thought of everything.”
“Happy to help.”
I turned and walked over to the beautifully polished wooden coffee table, and set the laptop down. “Actually, there is one more thing you might be able to help with.” I darted a quick glance at Marc who was still watching us. As usual, his face was devoid of emotion. “Um, it’s kind of embarrassing, really.”
“Now, come on, Lena. You know I don’t blush easily.”
At Jay’s warm tone, I smiled. He was a big part of the reason I’d survived in Hollywood for so long.
“I haven’t been able to shower since I got here.” At Jay’s confused expression, I hurried on. “Because of the sling. It makes things difficult. I asked Marc if Ally could come to help me out but you obviously know the answer to that.”
Jay frowned, and I rushed on again.
“I didn’t feel comfortable asking anyone else.” The unspoken question hung in the air. I was asking Jay to help me undress without actually saying it. I wasn’t sure why I had chosen to do it in front of Marc and I avoided his gaze.
Jay wasn’t as shy. He gave Marc a sidelong glance, and understanding lit his features. “No problem. Just shout when you need a hand.”
“Now. Now would be good. I’m surprised you can’t smell me.” I was careful to keep my eyes on Jay.
“Only the scent of roses and jasmine.”
I laughed. It was the first time I’d done so since I’d arrived, and it was a welcome feeling. I gestured to my bedroom off the living area. “I’m just through here.”
Jay nodded and followed me. From the corner of my eye, I saw Marc push away from the doorway and disappear down the hall.
*
I stared at the earthy tone of the bathroom wall tiles as Jay concentrated on undoing my sling. This was uncomfortable, but it was in no way as uncomfortable as it would have been with Marc doing it. My relationship with Jay was more brotherly. Although, if that were the case, what did that make my relationship with Marc? Not brotherly?
“So what’s going on with you and Marc then?”
I startled at Jay’s deep voice and wondered if he’d known me so long he was able to tell the direction of my thoughts.
“Steady. You’ll hurt yourself. More than you have already.”
“Nothing.” My voice came out small, a bit like a startled bird.
“He hasn’t upset you?”
I grimaced as the sling came free and slowly, carefully, lowered my arm. “He always upsets me, don’t worry about it.”
“You seem more rattled than usual is all.” Jay dropped the sling on the counter.
“It’s not that. It’s just . . . everything. The house, the operation, now my exile. It kind of takes it out of a girl.”
“Yeah, I get that.” Jay’s chocolate brown eyes held concern. “Now I’m gonna undo your shirt, and if you ever tell my girlfriend I said that, I’ll resign on the spot.”
I laughed again and winced a little from the pain. I’d need more drugs at dinnertime. “How is Sophie?”
“Worried about you.”
I shot him an unimpressed look. “She should not be worried about me. She should be angry with me for hogging you all the time.” Sophie had been Jay’s girlfriend for the last five years. I secretly wondered if he was ready to pop the question—it was clear he adored her. I worried that his sense of duty to me was somehow stopping him from taking that next step, and hated myself for it.
“She’s worried about you,” Jay repeated, “and you know she can’t stand it when I hang around all the time. I drive her crazy.”
I smiled. Sophie was a super-smart entertainment lawyer who was just as busy as Jay. “You can tell her I’m doing fine.”
There was that word again—fine.
Jay had finished undoing my buttons. “Alright, now turn around and we’ll slip this off from behind to protect your decency.”
We wrangled with the shirt in silence and when we were done he added it to the pile on the counter.
“There,” Jay said, looking at the ceiling and making me want to laugh again. “Now I’ll unhook your bra but you’re on your own from there, OK?”
“OK. And thank you.”
“No problem. I feel for the film crew, you know? Where do they look when you’re doing a love scene?”
“Anywhere but me, mostly.” I wasn’t sure if that was entirely true. Over the years I’d caught a few furtive glances at my breasts, but had learned to detach myself from it.
“Well, you’re a brave woman.”
The hook on my bra came free and I used my good arm to hold the material against my cleavage.
“Marc doesn’t think so,” I muttered, then immediately wished I hadn’t said anything.
“Say what now?”
I sighed. “It doesn’t matter. He just said something about me selling myself out for my career, that’s all.”
I heard Jay swear under his breath. “You decent?”
“What? Why?”
“I want to say something to you.”
I pressed my bra against myself more firmly. “I’m mostly decent.”
“Good.” Jay met my eyes in the mirror and they were unusually fierce. “You haven’t sold yourself out. Not even close. You’re all class. Always have been. Don’t let him tell you otherwise, you got that?”
I nodded at him, strangely humbled. “Of course. It doesn’t matter what he thinks, anyway.”
Jay’s eyes narrowed. “Now I’m not going to dignify that with a response, because I believe you know better. But I will say this to you: men who care about someone in a certain way will act a certain way.”
I stared at him. “I’m not sure I get you.”
Jay nodded. “Yeah, you do, Lena. Yeah, you do. It’s just whether you choose to admit it or not. Yell out after your shower if you need a hand.”
I continued to stare after him when he was gone.