by K E Osborn
Danger looks to Ria and exhales. “Zaria, you’re the actress… you tell me. Was that… bland to you?”
It’s funny, at the time it felt anything but bland, but seeing it on screen it’s exactly how it felt. The chemistry was off. There was no buzz to it, at all.
She shifts uncomfortably and looks to me briefly and then back to Danger. “I think the problem was we didn’t know each other at all, and not being an actor you didn’t know how to get ‘in the zone,’ so to speak.”
He nods and exhales. “We’ve done all this hype and I’ve fucked it up,” he says running his hands through his hair.
Oliver chews on his bottom lip. “Okay, if we can re-shoot some of the scenes and get them to do some edits, would you both be willing? I know this is asking a lot of you, Zaria… but if you don’t ask, right?”
I tense up wondering what kind of scenes he now has in mind.
“I think that’s a great idea. Danger and I are way more acquainted now, we should be able to get that chemistry buzzing a lot more than what we’ve just seen on the screen.”
“Yeah, I’ll be far more comfortable this time around. Knowing Zaria is going to help big time and she doesn’t scare me anymore.”
She bursts out laughing. “I scared you?”
He chuckles. “I was petrified of you at the start—”
“That explains a lot—”
“Yeah, but you’re a pussy cat now—”
“Oh… palease!” Lunar murmurs.
I glance at her kinda feeling the same way at the mutual exchange between Danger and Ria.
“Give me some time and I’ll get onto the production company. See if we can shoot some more scenes to spice it up and how long it will take to splice them in. Hopefully, we can push it through quickly. I’ll be right back,” Oliver says rushing out of the room with his cell firmly placed against his ear.
“Great, now we’re gonna have to watch more filming of you two together?” Lunar states and Danger flinches.
“It’s just this one last time, babe. Then never again, I promise.”
She nods, stands up and walks out of the room. I look to Ria as Danger follows Lunar.
Ria sighs. “Maybe we should leave the video how it is?”
“As much as I’m gonna hate it, too, we’ve spent too much time promoting and put too much hype into this video for it to be substandard.”
“I agree, it should be perfect. But Nate that means Danger and I will probably be more… intimate.”
“Yeah, I get it. At least this time I’ll be better prepared.”
“Exactly, you’ll know what to expect because I will prepare you and I won’t let you go in blind, okay?”
“Yeah,” I reply but it comes out in a murmur.
Oliver comes back into the room with Danger and Lunar in tow and claps his hands together. “Right, we start re-filming tomorrow morning. Hopefully, we can get the new takes done and dusted in a day and back into production tomorrow evening.”
“So you don’t think we’ll have to do a heap of retakes?” Danger asks.
“Not a lot, mainly just the in bed at the hotel scenes. The band’s shots were awesome… the clip just lacks chemistry and we need to find that to make this successful.”
Swallowing hard, I grit my teeth. That was the worst part for me. Ria, topless and grinding on Danger. Having to watch that again, but with it even more intense will be like torture. I’m not sure I’ll be able to sit through it multiple times, but, we’ll see. I have to suck it up and support Ria. I have to show her I can do this.
“Okay, will the scripts be sent through tonight then?” Ria asks and Oliver nods.
“Yes, we’ll go over the adjustments today, and send them out to you asap to go over. We’ll see you all at the studio bright and early first thing in the morning.”
I stand along with everyone else. “Right, well our luggage should be off the bus by now, guess we can all head home,” Tillie says.
Glancing over at Ria she smiles at me, and I’m kind of unsure where to go to from here.
“Wanna come back to mine?” she whispers.
“God yes,” I say back, probably a little more enthusiastically than I should. She laughs and we head out to grab our luggage. After saying our farewells to everyone and putting the luggage into my car, I drive us back to Ria’s Hollywood Hills mansion.
“I’m so glad to be home. Being on tour’s fun, but there’s nothing like being home,” she says and I smile at her as we pull up to her guarded gates and security let us in.
“Do you wanna go see your parents?” I ask.
“I probably should, but maybe tomorrow after filming is done. I don’t want to be distracted from the job.”
I nod and pull up at the front of her door. “Home sweet home.”
“Thank God! I need a real shower,” she says stepping out of the car with a smirk.
I slide out, grab her luggage and head for the door. But as we walk up the steps the door swings open shocking us both.
“Ria… darling!”
Ria stops, her mouth wide open as she looks at her doorway seeing the visitor she didn’t know was coming.
Chapter Fifteen
The woman stands there in Ria’s doorway with her arms wide open smiling broadly as Ria just gawks at her.
“Mom?”
I freeze on the spot not knowing what to do.
“Motek, I’m so glad you’re home,” she says the first word in her native tongue. I don’t understand it, but I’m assuming it’s some sort of term of endearment as she rushes down taking Ria into her grip, kissing her frantically from cheek to cheek.
“Mom… Mom… stop. Where’s Patrick?”
“He’s by the pool… relaxing.”
“He’s here? Oh my God, you should have told me you’d be coming.”
“We wanted to surprise you, darling. Come in, we have so much to talk about.”
“Mom, Nate’s here.”
Her Mom turns finally noticing me and smiles looking me up and down. “Nice to meet you, Nathaniel, but my girl and I have some talking to do. You’ve had her for two months… you understand?”
“Mom!” Ria’s eyes open wide as she glares at her mother.
Feeling about as small as an ant or maybe smaller, I fake a smile and nod. “Sure… you guys have heaps to discuss, I’m sure. I’ll ah… see you tomorrow, Ria?”
She struggles with herself by taking a step toward me and then stopping as I place her luggage down at the bottom of the stairs. She mouths ‘I’m sorry’ to which I nod and turn heading back to my car with a sinking chest and an aching cock.
It’s been two months you idiot, what’s one more night?
Getting in my car, I look back to see Ria being dragged inside by her mother. She glances back to me with a quick wave, I smile and wave back before she’s gone. Taking a deep breath, I start my car and drive home.
***
Pulling up, I walk in and Matt looks up at me raising an eyebrow as he spoons a mouthful of ice cream into his mouth. “Umm… Israeli goddess at your beck and call and you chose me? I’m flattered.”
I smirk and shake my head. “Her parents were there… at her house.”
He nods and moans in acknowledgment. “Ahh yes, the good ol’ buzz kill. Especially after having no sex for two months and listening to Ryan and Tillie, Danger and Lunar going at it like fucking rabbits all the time. I’m guessing right now blue balls doesn’t begin to describe the feeling?”
I chuckle. “Well, at least I’m not the only one with blue balls, right?”
“Oh no, brother, that’s just you. There’s plenty of execs and groupies on the road for me in between stops. Just ‘cause it’s not happening on the bus doesn’t mean it’s not happening.”
Groaning, I pluck the spoon from his hand and shovel it full of Ben and Jerry’s. “Goddamn it.”
“Maybe she just doesn’t like your ice cream, brother?”
“My ice cream is great… very, very creamy.
”
Matt laughs and grabs the spoon back from me. “Full of creamy goodness, hey?”
“Not for lactose intolerants that’s for sure.”
“Okay, this got officially weird.”
“Yeah, I need sleep or sex… probably both, but I’ll have to only have the former tonight.”
“What’s one more day?”
“Exactly.”
I squint at him. “Why are you eating ice cream? You only eat that when you’re depressed?” I ask, and he sighs and shakes his head.
“Ah alas, nothing gets past you, little bro.”
“So you are depressed?”
He shrugs. “More like feeling nostalgic.”
Raising my eyebrow, I cock my head to the side. “Matt, are you high?”
He laughs. “No, it’s just seeing all you guys with women and happy, it’s kinda making me wonder…” he pauses and shakes his head like he’s being silly and spoons another mouthful of ice cream.
“Matt!”
He swallows and exhales. “Well, it makes me wonder if I should be looking to settle down, too. You know… find a girl. A nice girl. Not some groupie or some skank, but someone respectable, someone modest… a real lady. You know, classy and elegant, sophisticated and shy.”
“So she’s a shopping list?” I scrub my hand over my head. “Matt, you can’t find a woman with every quality you want. They don’t exist. You’ll be looking forever.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right. I should give up now. Back to groupies and sluts it is,” he says shoveling in another spoonful.
I pat his shoulder. “Matt, your girl is out there, and one day she will just appear in your life out of the blue and it will be the least expected thing ever.”
“Yeah… maybe.”
Suddenly the doorbell rings and I glance up furrowing my brows wondering if this is some weird sign or just a coincidence.
“You expecting someone?” I ask as Matt places his spoon into the tub and walks toward the door.
“Yeah… needed a pick me up.”
“So you rang dial a slut?” I chuckle and Matt snorts.
“More like hire a hippie,” he replies.
I open my eyes wide as he opens the door and I peer around the corner to see Whisper standing there smiling wide in his usual monk attire.
“Namaste you sexy boy! I missed you,” he says rushing in and hugging Matt tight swaying him from side to side.
I smile because even though I’m in two minds about Whisper’s seemingly weird methods and whether or not they actually work, the guy somehow has me liking him, and after a couple of months not seeing him, he’s been on my mind and it is nice to catch up.
“Hey, Whisper! How’s things?” Matt asks as he lets Whisper walk into the kitchen. He spots me and smiles tilting his head.
“Oh there he is sexy boy number two. Hahaha. You boys I missed you so much like sand misses ocean at end of king tide, you know what I saying? Come here let me squeeze demon from you, Nathaniel,” he says rushing to me and grabs my cheeks squeezing them tight while he squints at me and makes a kissy face.
This guy, really?
I smile and shake my head.
I have to admit I was feeling like crap after having to leave Ria, but within thirty seconds of Whisper arriving I feel lighter already.
I don’t know how he does it.
He looks around the house that hasn’t changed since he last rearranged it and he shakes his head. Putting his fingers to his chin and he sighs slumping his body. “Oh boys, this qi in here all wrong for your ju-ju now. Your energies all different since I last here. This Fung Shui all have to change, it all have to move to create good flow for you, yes? And I get the sage out, too. So many bad demons in both of you this time. Matthew you feeling so negative, it wash over you like a storm cloud eating you up like a mouse nibbling moldy cheese. It bad, bad, ju-ju. I clear it right up! You not even know I here!” he says while frantically pulling a sage stick and lighter from a pocket in his monk suit. He lights it up before we even have a chance to say anything. I shake my head looking to Matt and he smiles. I think he knows we’re wasting our money on this. It doesn’t change the qi—whatever the fuck that is—of the house, but having Whisper here does change our moods, so that’s good enough.
He starts running around the house waving his sage around singing Hava Nagila again making me chuckle to myself as I look to Matt and start chanting ‘cool, calm and collected.’ Whisper looks to me and smiles so wide like he’s mega proud of me and continues to wave the sage over every inch of the kitchen and living room.
I turn to Matt seeing him finally smiling and I’m glad. Walking in from Ria’s seeing him eating the Ben and Jerry’s has me concerned for him. I don’t like seeing him collapse inside of himself. Matt’s always the happy, go-get-em type and for him to be falling down emotionally has me a little worried to be honest. So if paying $399.95 to have Whisper here is going to make him smile, then hell I’ll pay it myself. It’s not like we can’t afford it.
Whisper finishes Hava Nagila and comes back over placing the sage stick on the kitchen island. He takes a deep breath placing his hands into the prayer pose and bows in front of us.
“Namaste, sexy boys.”
“Namaste, Whisper,” we both say back.
“Matthew, I worry for you. You eating lots of dairy. Bad for your inner Buddha. You stop eating dairy and relax your chakra… okay?”
Matt smirks and nods. “Okay, but how does one relax their chakra?”
I smirk, I can’t wait to hear this answer. It will probably be something outrageous and cost another $399.95 on top of the cash we’re already paying.
“Well, I not only Korean Fung Shui master, but internet dating guidance guru. I help you on your path to seeking perfect ten.”
I open my eyes wide and so does Matt as we look at each other wondering how the fuck Whisper knows Matt is sad about being single.
“You know I’m looking for a perfect woman? And I’m sad about being single?” Matt asks.
“Whisper know everything… everything Matthew. I one with the wind, I hear and know all. I speak with nature, it speak with me. I a Korean guru remember?”
Shaking my head, I bump into Matt’s side and let out a small laugh as he stands here stunned.
“You think about it, sexy boy, I be here when you need my dating services. And in mean time, I Fung Shui your house,” he says and rushes off to the coffee table and pushes it back to the other side of the room, right back to where he moved it the first time he was here.
I shake my head and chuckle as he goes about moving the artwork and vases back to where they were originally the first time he moved them and I look to Matt who still looks dumbfounded.
“You okay, bro?”
He shakes his head slightly and clicks his tongue to the roof of his mouth. “Maybe…” he pauses for a second, “… I should do internet dating?”
I raise my eyebrow to him and tilt my head. “Matt, really? You’re gonna try finding your shopping list on the internet?”
He shrugs. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” He picks up the spoon in the tub of ice cream and shoves a mouthful into his mouth.
“Relax your chakra, sexy boy. No dairy!” Whisper calls out not even looking at Matt but somehow knowing that he’s eating the ice cream. Matt swallows and drops the spoon to the bench with an almighty huff.
I smirk as Whisper moves the ficus to the other side of the staircase and I roll my eyes as he walks back over to us and nods. “There, flow all better. You see improvements in your lives now, you mark my words.”
“Thanks, Whisper,” Matt says.
“Oh… anything for you, sexy boys, you like family now. We like brothers. I your third twin, yes? Hahaha. You pay cash now? Usual price… $499.95.”
I chuckle through a snort realizing he has raised the price significantly and Matt just nods pulling out his wallet and sorting through a wad of cash.
“Okay, I’m hitting the showers.
You gonna be okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good… thanks, Nate. I’m glad you’re home tonight.”
“Any time you need me I’m here. I’m always here for you, just like you’ve always been there for me.”
“Thanks. Go shower, I’m good, I promise.”
Slapping his shoulder, I nod to Whisper. “Good to see you, Whisper.”
He brings his hands up in a prayer pose and bows to me. “Namaste, sexy boy.”
I head for the stairs, the ficus customarily hitting me in the face as I walk up the wooden stairs toward my en-suite feeling somewhat lighter, but still thinking of Ria and how I should be inside her right now, but she’s with her parents and I’m here aligning my dairy free chakra instead. Fuck my life.
***
My eyes flutter open as I stretch and yawn taking in the coolness of the morning air. I’m jolted back to reality that I’m home and not on the tour bus. I smirk slightly as my muscles smile with me at the comfort of my soft mattress and not the hard bus bed, but I hate that Ria isn’t next to me. Then it dawns on me, I’m going to be heading into the filming today totally blind… again. I was going to run over the script with Ria last night, but her parents kinda stopped everything.
Sighing, I roll over in my bed and grab my cell from the bedside table. I miss her and I wanna send her a text.
Or at least try to.
Me: I cant wate to see you.
I hit send, I’m pretty sure I’ve spelled some things wrong and my grammar’s up the shit, but I’m trying and still learning, so I’m sure she’ll forgive me.
My cell beeps letting me know there’s a message and I look at the screen seeing it’s a reply from Ria.
Ria: I can’t wait to see you, too.
She replies and now I can see my errors, so I make a mental note and file it away for later.
Matt and I make our way to the studio. We’re running a little late as Matt needed a caffeine hit, so we had to stop at Starbucks, where he proceeded to chat up the clerk for fifteen minutes. But as we walk in, the halls are buzzing with energy and everyone seems excited.
