James Black

by Skye Turner

  I can do this in my sleep, so I’m bored out of my mind and frustrated as hell at her unprofessionalism. She flubs the lines again and starts making more excuses. I can’t take it. Turning on my heel, I walk off the set, leaving a lot of pissed off people on the stage. Hugo is talking to a few people as I pass. The director is screaming and throwing things as he rages. I hear footsteps behind me on the pavement as I get outside and recognize the sound of Hugo’s shoes.

  “J. Wait up, buddy,” he calls out.

  Stopping, I lean against the building to wait for him. As he approaches, I can see his own frustration. “This was the last straw. They’re dropping her. Her manager and publicist will be here this afternoon. They need a couple of days to get everything in order and then you’ll have a new co-star on Monday. They’ve already got the line in to her replacement.”

  I nod. I knew this was coming. I hoped it wouldn’t, but I knew it would. It’s a damn shame, too. “I figured. It sucks for her, but it’s her own fault. She needs to get her shit together.”

  He nods. “It does. To be that young and that fucked up… it really is a shame. But they knew she had a substance abuse problem when they signed her on for the film. It’s been reported for ages.”

  Straightening from the wall, I watch the people around me. Either they’re running around like crazy people or they look bored… Always the same thing. So, now I have a few days of “free time”… maybe I can get some history in. Hugo interrupts my musings. “Hey, J, did you hear me? I’m going to call Top Notch Transport and have your driver here in about half an hour, ok?”

  Looking at Hugo, I can see how tired he looks. He’s been by my side every minute of the past week other than when he goes next door to his own apartment to sleep. We’ve been shooting every day. He’s scheduled and attended four interviews with me. There was a photo shoot with the local entertainment magazine. He needs a few days, too. “Nah, I can text her. I have the number. Hey, why don’t you take a few days for yourself? I’m just going to have AJ take me around a few places. Maybe a couple of plantations and a trip to New Orleans. I’ll be cool. Why don’t you take a few days to decompress, man?! You look like shit.”

  He stares at me and then laughs. “Ok, I’m not arguing with you about the time off. I’ll take it. I just might head back to Fort Worth to see my madre.” We converse as we head back to my trailer. “But, I do not look like shit. You’re so rude. I have no idea why I put up with you.”

  I chuckle and slap his shoulder as we walk. “Good idea. And yes, you look like shit.” I ruffle his hair and muss it up. “See, your perfect hair is all fucked up. And you put up with me because I pad your bank account with ridiculous amounts of money.”

  We reach my trailer and I turn to head in. I stop and look back when he doesn’t follow me. He looks pensive.

  “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  He shrugs. “I’m not here just because you pay me, J. I’m here because underneath that façade, you’re a good man and have a lot to offer the world. I’m here because sometimes, you drift to places you don’t need to go and for some reason I can bring you back. I’m here because we’re friends and because I believe in you… your talent and your spirit. Your money is a nice bonus, but I’m here because I love you, man.”

  Well shit. There he goes. He’s my second biggest supporter. He’s right. He anchors me when I seem to dwell on… things… and I want to drift away.

  Stepping out of the trailer, I grab him and pull him in. There are a lot of ears on a movie set. As the door closes behind us, I grab a water from the fridge and chug it. My head is swimming and the cool water helps clear it. Then, I look at him. “I know that, Hugo.” Clapping him on the shoulder again, I pull him in for a hug. He’s taken by surprise, but claps my back before stepping back and watching me. “You’ve always had my back. I appreciate that… more than you know.”

  He smiles and I remember the fresh faced boy I met all those years ago. “Yeah, well, shit happens. To everyone. It’s about what we take from the shit that matters. No one is perfect and it’s the imperfections that make people worth remembering. Everyone has demons, some people just hide them much better than others.”

  I nod and lean my head back as I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Truth, man. Truth.”

  I hear him sit across from me and I crack my eyes open and watch him. He does something on his phone and leans back against the seat and looks up. “I just texted AJ to come pick us up. I’ll have her take me to the airport, if she’s ok with it.”

  “That’s what I pay her for. She’ll take you to the airport.”

  He looks at me and I can tell he’s trying to read me. “So, why are your hackles up about her? You didn’t fuck her, did you?”

  My feet hit the floor as I sit straight up and glare at him. “What the fuck? NO! I did not fuck her. She just pissed me off. She’s just like everyone else. She hears things and sees things and thinks she knows me. She doesn’t know shit!”

  He steeples his fingers and looks at me over the top. “Ahhhh. So, you had a disagreement?”

  I glare at him. “No, we didn’t have a disagreement. She made an assumption and it was wrong. She claims she knows all about me… from tabloids.”

  He nods. “I see. So, she made the same assumption about you that people make every day, yet this time it pissed you off… When was this?”

  What the hell is he getting at with that comment?! I slap the table. “Almost two weeks ago.”

  He laughs. “Are you serious? She insulted you almost two weeks ago and hurt your feelings and you’ve been stewing on it?” He leans back. “Interesting.”

  I don’t like his tone. What the hell is he yapping on about?

  “What’s interesting?”

  He smiles. “You. You’re upset that your driver had a low opinion of you. Yet, she’s still your driver. You could have fired her. You could have had me call her boss. Yet, you’ve done neither and here you sit… stewing… for almost two weeks.”

  “Yeah, so?”

  “So, why is that?”

  Why is that? I don’t honestly know. She claims I’m an asshole, yet she judged me without the first inkling of knowing anything about me. Hugo is right, lots of people do. But the fact that she made an assumption made me angry. Why is that?!

  She’s interesting. She seems so tough and like nothing bothers her, yet it’s an act. I can tell. She’s hiding something. Or she was hurt and she’s determined it won’t happen again.

  Why is she so interesting?

  Well, her ass can certainly fill out a pair of jeans…

  Her ass?! Her ass is why she’s intriguing, J? No, no of course not. But, her ass is a very nice perk.

  Hugo is smirking at me as I process the thoughts. “Shut up. I just think she’s interesting and when she’s not being a hard ass, she’s funny.”

  “Uh huh. Did she apologize for insulting you?”

  “Yeah, she did.”

  He laughs. “Did you accept it?”

  I flip him off. “Obviously. She’s still driving me, isn’t she?!”

  “She is. And making five hundred more a week than anyone else would be, too.”

  My eyes flash up to him and I see the triumph on his face. It makes me remember the conversation that prompted the raise. I laugh. “Yeah. I asked her if she was a lesbian.”

  His hands hit the table and his eyes are wide, brown saucers as he looks at me in horror. “Dios mío! You asked her WHAT?”

  I can’t contain my smile at his shock. “You heard me.”

  He makes the sign of the cross and mutters something I can’t hear. “James, you cannot say that to people. She could have sued you for sexual harassment.”

  I can’t stop laughing.

  “Stop laughing. Why are you laughing? This is serious! Jesús, James.” His hands are over his heart. “How do you still have any money with the shit you say to people!?”

  Tears are rolling down my face and I have to keep wiping my e
yes with my sleeve. He’s about to say something else but a knock at the door interrupts us.

  I call out, “Yeah.”

  It opens a crack and I can see bleached bangs. “I’m here whenever you’re ready to leave.”

  Hugo looks at me as he calls out to AJ, “Thank you. Can you give us one more minute, AJ?”

  “Sure. I’ll be in the car. No rush. Whenever y’all are ready.”

  He looks at me as the door closes. “I’m serious. You’re lucky she didn’t drop you on the spot, James. And then sue you. No wonder she made assumptions. You can’t do that. I mean it!”

  Ok, so maybe it WAS partly my fault that her perception of me was incorrect. Dammit. I didn’t even think about her suing me. I don’t see her as the type to sue though.

  Standing up, I grab my leather jacket and slip it on. “Ok. It won’t happen again. Besides, I don’t think she’d sue me.”

  Hugo stands up too and we head to the door. “Somehow, I think you’re right. But just think before you speak. Use that brain of yours. Ok?”

  I nod and we head to the Tahoe.

  *

  Avangeline

  I’ve been at Bluebonnet Swamp taking photographs all day. It’s actually cold and with the frost on the ground, I’m getting some great shots. I love this place. It’s a swamp in the middle of town. You get the best of both worlds. These uncharacteristically cold temperatures have most people staying away lately, but I love it out here.

  As I shoot, I keep replaying my insults to James twelve days ago over and over in my head. He hasn’t really spoken to me since that day. He tells me when and where to get him and that’s pretty much the extent of our communication. In fact, he texts me when he can so that he doesn’t have to talk to me.

  I’m still surprised he didn’t fire me, but Charles hasn’t said a word to me about any of it, so I don’t think he notified him. I almost told him today, but he was already upset about something, so I didn’t want to make it worse by telling him I’d insulted a major client.

  I apologized to James the afternoon I insulted him, and he said fine, but it’s been weird since then. The sad part is, I’d only driven him one other time before that incident, so I’m not even certain if I’m doing a good job. I’m basically a really nice, expensive taxi service at this point.

  It kind of sucks.

  I’m taking a photo of a brown pelican sunning itself when my phone buzzes in my pocket. Pulling it out, I see it’s from James’s manager, Hugo.

  “Hugo

  Done for the day. No shooting until Monday. Need a pick up at the studio.”

  I read the text and sigh. Back to work, though I’m kind of excited. With the break in filming, maybe James will want to travel someplace and I can actually do something I enjoy and teach him about my state.

  On the way to the car, I text back that I’m a few minutes out and will be there shortly.

  After parking outside of James’s trailer, I find myself checking my face in the rearview mirror. Whoa… wait. What the hell am I doing? Who cares what I look like?

  Well, I have been tromping through the swamp. I need to look presentable and professional. Yeah, sure. That’s why, AJ.

  Oh, shut the fuck up. Ok, so I don’t want to walk in there with two very sexy men looking like a hot ass mess. So what?!

  Laughing uncomfortably at myself, I get out and walk to the door. I can hear loud, animated talking inside, though I can’t make out the words. Pausing briefly, I knock.

  James calls out and I pop my head in the door. They ask for a few minutes and I head back to wait in the car. It’s freaking cold out here. What the hell, Mother Nature?!

  I mutter out loud, “Go home, bitch; you’re drunk,” and get in the warm car.

  I’m playing with the Sirius stations trying to find something to listen to when the door opens and Hugo slides in, followed by James.

  Hugo smiles at me. “Good afternoon, AJ. Thanks for getting here so quickly. You must have been close.”

  I smile back. He’s very charming. And very, very good looking. “I was nearby taking some pictures.”

  James’s head comes up and his startling blue eyes meet mine. “Pictures?”

  I nod. “Yeah, I wanted to be a photographer in another life.” I point to the camera equipment lying on the passenger seat. “It’s still something I enjoy when I have the time.”

  He’s staring at me as I talk. “Really? What were you photographing?”

  I shrug uncomfortably. “Just the swamp.”

  He looks surprised. “The swamp? There’s a swamp nearby?”

  I chuckle at his surprise. “Yeah, a few streets over, actually. It’s on the outskirts of the city limits. It’s very cool. I was able to get some great shots of the pelicans with the fog on the water. The lighting was impeccable this morning.”

  His intense gaze is unnerving me. Shivers race down my spine as he continues to peruse me. I refuse to think it’s from his gaze. Turning around, I adjust the heat.

  Hugo breaks the uncomfortable atmosphere. “Would you mind taking me to grab my bag from my place, AJ? I was able to book a flight out to Fort Worth this afternoon. Would you be willing to take me to the airport?”

  I turn and smile at him again. “Of course. Wherever you need. That’s what you pay me for.”

  James says flatly, “I pay you.”

  O…….k….

  I’m watching the exchange in the rearview as I back out of the space and turn toward the gates. I hear Hugo whisper, “Stop. Don’t be a dick. We talked about this.”

  James looks up and sees me watching. He smirks. “Well, I do pay her. It’s my money she’s paid with.”

  Watching him watch me for a second, I pick up on the mirth in his eyes as I refuse to back down. He chuckles.

  I retort as we clear the gates, “Regardless of which one of you pays me, my job is still to get you where you need or want to go, so what time is your flight, Mr. Martino?”

  Hugo laughs and James even chuckles. Hugo answers, “My flight leaves at 5:17.”

  I check the time. “We’ll have to hurry to get you there on time for check-in. The airport is all the way across town and we’ll have end of the day traffic near downtown.”

  James mutters, “No worries. He keeps a bag packed. He just needs to grab it.”

  I nod. “Ok, cool. You’ll be golden then.” Glancing at the men in the back again, I see James is still watching me. I decide to converse with Hugo to calm my racing pulse. “So, is there someone special in Fort Worth?”

  He nods. “There certainly is. The most important woman in my life.”

  I sigh. That’s so sweet. “Yes, I’m sure she’ll be very happy to see you.”

  “Yes, I don’t see her nearly enough since this one,” he points at James, “keeps me so busy.”

  I can’t imagine. “I’m sure it’s very hard to make a relationship work with the time apart.”

  James starts laughing. Hugo coughs. “It’s not so bad. She’s used to it. I’ve been gone for almost twenty years now.”

  Twenty years? Holy shit! How does anyone have a long distance relationship for twenty freaking years?! That chick must be a saint!

  I ask, “She isn’t interested in moving out to L.A. with you, since that’s where you are most of the time?”

  He frowns. “Oh no. She’d never leave. Fort Worth is home.”

  I can understand that. Louisiana is home for me, but damn, that must suck.

  Before I can ask anything else, James callously butts in. “Wait, are you thinking he has a woman back in Fort Worth?”

  My eyes fly up again to meet his in the rearview mirror. “That’s none of my business. I’m just making conversation.”

  Hugo laughs. “I do have a woman back in Fort Worth, but she’s my madre. I’m going to visit my mother.”

  Ohhhh. Well, now that makes more sense.

  James asks another question that completely throws me for a loop. “Are you interested in our dear Hugo, AJ? Is that w
hy you are so talkative with him, yet you can’t be bothered to speak more than ten words a day to me… for over a week?”

  What? Is he upset because I’m talking to Hugo?! And he’s been mad at me for insulting him. I apologized more than once and he just grunted at me.

  Screw him!

  Realizing we’ve reached Hugo’s apartment, I park. He takes one look at my face and opens his door before hopping out. As he leaves the vehicle, he calls back, “Don’t kill each other, please. I just need to grab my bag. I’ll be right back.”

  I glare at James and he glares back. Neither of us is backing down and neither of us looks away. I’m biting my tongue and I can see him grinding his teeth.

  What is his fucking problem?!

  Chapter Six

  James

  Damn, J. Why are you so mad? You’re being a dick.

  Shit, I know I’m being a dick, but she can’t talk to me, just drives me around, and now she’s all chatty and flirty with Hugo?!

  She was acting as if I wasn’t even sitting here. Screw that! I am not someone to be ignored! I pay her. She works for ME. She needs to be more respectful of that fact.

  Shut up, J. You’re being an ass.

  AJ and I are staring at each other; both of us are riled up, but neither is willing to be the first to look away. She’s so spunky. I really like that characteristic about her. I’m famous. I’m fucking really famous and really rich and she’s not backing down an inch. She has a steel backbone. I wonder where that came from?!

  I mutter¸ “You have balls, babe.”

  She jerks back, grabs her breasts, and exclaims, “Excuse me?! I can assure you I do not. I most certainly have tits!”