Morning sex became forced routine they had to squeeze in their super tight schedule. Most of the time, they overslept or rather, sleep was more pleasurable than a quickie.
Their conversations were reduced to unanswered text messages, and brief phone calls between breaks.
It’s been almost three months since they arrived in Goldstone, life in Bluebridge felt like a lifetime ago. They both have changed drastically, their Blulebridge friends might not recognize them.
Tommy was Maxine Roberts “Golden Boy” while Charlie was her favorite prodigy, at least that’s what’s been talked about within the community.
“So … that’s the Golden Boy?” Amber Stewart asked Vicky. Amber was the lead role in the movie Tom was working in a small role.
Vicky smiled, raised her brow to confirm.
“Nice … he’s delicious,” Amber looked over at Tom who was trying to make a phone call and had his back against her. Vicky laughed softly, she couldn’t agree more.
“Is he in for a ‘party’?” Amber asked again.
Vicky lifted her shoulders, “I think he’s been restraining himself from that … he has a girlfriend,” she whispered the last part.
Amber threw her head back as she laughed out loud. “That’s hilarious … what does that have to do with anything in this city?”
“I know right? He’s got offers coming in like you wouldn’t believe, don’t be surprised by this time next year, he’ll be all over Goldstone … very high in demand, he’s gonna give in sooner or later,” Vicky said.
Amber nodded, she had gone through the phase herself a while back. “I’ll talk to him later … the sooner he joins the party the better for his career … then he can dump that girlfriend of his and have the real taste of Goldstone.” She glanced at Tom’s hind and turned back to Vicky, “I know I want to try some of that soon enough.” They both chuckled.
**********
“Hey babe, where are you?” he asked on the phone. He could hear murmur in the background, and a little bit of shouting.
“Hey baby … I’m at Jeremy’s, we’re waiting for you … are you on your way home?”
He closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose, “I’m sorry, Charlie, I’m actually calling to tell you … I can’t make it tonight, they’re not wrapping up until 2 today.”
“Oh …” her voice had lost all enthusiasm. It was moving out day because school starts the day after. Tommy was suppose to come home early and help out with the move, spend the night with her. “That’s okay … I guess Jeremy and the guys can help me out with the stuff.”
Tommy sighed in frustration, “I hate this … please believe me, I want to do all the moving for you … I can do it tomorrow … it’s just …”
“No, that’s fine, Tom, you’re likely to have time tomorrow either, don’t worry about it … besides, I can’t do it tomorrow, I have to be in campus early in the morning, and it’s easier to get there from Chatterly … or otherwise I have to ask Jeremy to take me there,” she calls him Tom when she was not fine with everything. Chatterly is the area where her apartment is.
Tommy was out of words, his hands were tied. “I’m sorry babe, I really am … is Jeremy there? Can I talk to him?”
She didn’t reply and gave her phone straight to Jeremy.
“Hey, man, are you coming over?”
“No, Jer, I can’t get off work just yet … would you do me a favor? Can you help Charlie move out tonight? She must hate me for this, but I really can’t … and I’m gonna owe you one.”
“Oh, man … sorry to hear that,” his voice lowered. “Sure, no problem … we can drop her off at Chatterly, unload her stuff there before our gig tonight,” he was quiet for a few seconds like he was covering the phone. “Charlie said she wants to come with us to the gig afterwards, to celebrate moving day,” he continued.
She was upset with him, and he knew that he really didn’t have a say in it, she was simply letting him know that she could do things without him. She knew it would bother him. He sighed deeply, “Okay, man. can you tell her I’ll make it up to her … I hate this as much as she does … don’t let her drink too much, Jer, it’s her first day of school tomorrow.”
“Yes, dad, no worries … we’ll keep an eye on her, see you man,” Jerry said.
He stood numb looking at his phone, trying not to picture her with his friends having fun without him. He wanted to blame someone, or something that prevented him from going home that night and helped her move out of his flat. But that’s just the way it is. Once he snapped out of it, he felt depleted. An overwhelming fatigue that was the culmination of his week. He dropped himself on a chair in the dressing room right next to Amber Stewart..
“Tom Raven, right?” she greeted him.
He looked up at the mirror to meet her gaze there, he forced a smile, “Hi.”
Amber looked stunningly fresh even though she had far more parts in the movie than he was, her lips stretched wide showing a row of pearl white teeth. “I hear you’re the next big thing, Tom, and from what I see … I couldn’t agree more.”
Tommy scoffed, he looked away, he was not in the mood for flirtatious comment.
“This kind of lifestyle is not a bed for relationships, Tom.”
Her statement pulled his attention back to the mirror.
“Sorry … I couldn’t help overheard your conversation back there … just saying … I have 4 failed relationships since I started, I haven’t had one in two years now … maybe I just gave up trying … it’s just too hard, it’s either work or relationship, can’t seem to have both around here,” she was fixing her hair while staring at her own reflection in the mirror.
“Maybe you should’ve tried harder … I mean I would,” Tom said.
“Aww … that’s so sweet …” she paused, applied her mascara and gave a cute pout at Tom. “I think you should … do you go to parties, Tom?”
He chuckled, “Not if I can help it … it’s terrible, I’d rather go home and sleep.”
Amber turned to him, “Give me your phone,” she demanded.
He was taken aback by that, he didn’t want to be rude, he gave her his phone.
She punched in some numbers. “I’m giving you my number … maybe you just didn’t go to the right party, Tom, you should get out more … know the right people, it’s much more fun … I’m Amber Stewart by the way.”
Tom smiled, “I know … nice to meet you, Amber.”
“Nice to meet you too … look, work can be daunting, a little ‘after work party’ should do you good, loosen up those edges … take your girlfriend with you, … or not … up to you, have fun, take advantage of what the city has to offer,” she winked at him.
He took back his phone after she called her own phone from it.
“Now I have your number too … remember … if you ever look for some fun, just call my number, ‘kay?” she whispered in his ear.
He wasn’t sure if it was a friendly invitation or was it more of a flirt. No one can be too sure in that environment. All he knew, he now has Amber Stewart’s number in his phone and she has his.