CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
TAYLOR
Taylor had attended many movie premieres, but one could never get used to sitting in a movie theatre in a
full suit and tie. Not to mention having to sit in the dark next to the sex goddess Mel was and not being able to do anything about it. Tay couldn't help himself but to have these thoughts about her. Behaving
himself was not an option, especially since he and his brothers spent a majority of the red carpet walk plugging an album and a beer. Movie premieres weren't always fun and games, they were work, too. He smiled to himself as he recalled the last event Mel had attended with him many years ago that required sitting in a room full of celebrities, dressed to the nines. That particular event involved raging teenage hormones and a certain red lollipop.
Mel must have read his mind because she leaned over and whispered to him, "I'm sorry, I don't have any candy in my clutch tonight."
Tay laughed a hearty laugh that must have come out louder than he expected it to because Zac looked over at him from his left side as if he were crazy. Realizing how loud he actually was, he immediately shut up and
cleared his throat, embarrassed. He glanced sheepishly over at Mel and she was smiling slyly at him. Tay smiled back at her and shook his head.
Eventually the movie started. Tay couldn't help but to glance around Mel and over at Drew. Her eyes were glued to the screen and she had Mel's hand in a death grip. He smiled. He was so incredibly proud of
his friend. Then he settled himself in his seat to watch the movie. These types of movies weren't normally his thing--they were normally more Zac's speed--but he was hooked within minutes. He admired the filmography and was impressed by the acting. Jason and Drew were amazing. He would never admit it out loud, but secure enough in his manhood, he could admit to himself that he may have understood why Mel wouldn't kick Jason out of bed. He wasn't sure if he would call it a man crush or if Jason was just that badass, but whatever it was he would surely take it to his grave. Beyond that, though, he developed a brand new respect for Jason as an artist.
And then there was Drew--she was a scary bitch! Tay never thought she had it in her and he had been equally as shocked as everyone else when he found out she got this role. But as he viewed the film he knew that there was nobody else who could have possibly filled that role like she did. The film was truly epic and he felt like he was watching her star rise right before his eyes.
During the second half of the film, Jason stood in a cave with his back to the camera. Drew stepped out of a pool of water--Tay slouched in his seat and lowered his face to his hand. "Oh my god," he whispered to Mel.
"I can't watch this."
Mel giggled and nudged his elbow. "This is the scene Zac and I watched them film. I thought it was awesome!"
Tay glanced over at his brother. He almost wanted to offer him a napkin. He glanced back up at the screen. Nope, Drew was still there, in all her glory.
"Tay, stop being such a baby, it's just a movie," Mel hissed playfully. "They're not gonna have sex if that's what you're worried about--well I don't think so anyway...oh, look, there, it's over."
Tay glanced up at the screen, Drew once again covered up. He couldn't stop the blood rising in his cheeks.
The fight scene at the end of the film was so epic, and he was so blown away by Drew and Jason once again, that he completely forgot about Drew's earlier nude scene. The blood, the gore, the effects--it was all
completely top notch. Gerard Cline never disappointed.
When the lights came back on a standing ovation ensued. Gerard looked around and waved and delivered silent thank you's all around him. Mel was hugging Drew and they both hastily pulled tissues out of their clutches and began dabbing their eyes and laughing. This would probably be the first and only time Tay witnessed women crying after a testosterone-fueled fantasy action film.
_____________________________________________
DREW
Drew was on the edge of her seat through the entire film. She wasn't sure how she felt about watching herself onscreen but she decided she didn't have much choice and simply chose to embrace it. She trusted Gerard. She trusted his judgment and talent. She knew he wouldn't allow her to look or sound bad on film.
And he didn't. In fact, she barely recognized herself. It didn't look like her, it didn't sound like her--the fact that the woman she saw on screen was her was something it took awhile to wrap her head around. There were definitely things she could improve on and made a mental note to be aware of once she started filming her next movie. But as a whole, being her very first film, she was extremely proud of herself. It was absolutely
amazing what that much hard work could accomplish.
It seemed to take forever to get out the door to ride to the after party. Somewhere along the way she seemed to lose track of Mel and Tay and Ike and Zac for being stopped along with Gerard and Jason every step of the
way. Some of the biggest names in Hollywood wanted to shake Gerard's hand and congratulate Drew and Jason. Drew was completely star struck and she hoped her face didn't show it.
More pictures followed, more interview questions, more press, and by the time they made it to their limo and to the hotel for the party they were already thirty minutes late. Drew had changed into her after-party dress in the limo, a little orange sequined number with short sleeves and shoulder pads. Outside of the party there were more cameras, more reporters, and more fans. It was surreal how going into the movie some eyes were on Drew and coming out ALL eyes were on Drew. The only thing she knew to do was to smile and greet people and say thank you. She couldn't tell if the feelings she was feeling was nerves or excitement--maybe it was a little of both!
By the time Drew and Gerard actually got in the door, the party had been underway for an hour. Drew looked around in awe. They had turned the ballroom into something that resembled the movie's sets and built a
platform in the middle of the room that held Magdara's actual throne from the movie. She couldn't believe how much work had gone into this party, and all for this movie!
"I'm trying not to act all touristy and stuff, but it's really difficult!" Drew whispered to Gerard.
Gerard smiled at her. "It's quite all right. This sort of thing makes me feel like a kid again."
Drew smiled in relief that Gerard shared the sentiment. "You realize this party is for you," Gerard said.
She smirked at him. "It's not, it's for the movie. It's for all of us."
"Which still makes it for you. Tonight, you are Andrew Brooks. Everyone here is looking at you. How does that make you feel?"
She let what he said sink in and she slowly looked around the room, allowing herself to see the big picture. She had been having a hard time feeling like the star of the movie tonight. She felt like Gerard's date,
merely an attendee of the premier. "I think this might take some getting used to," she answered.
Gerard chuckled and kissed her cheek. Sliding his arm around her waist, he guided her into the party, past more cameras and into the sea of the smiling faces of her peers.
_______________________________________________________
TAYLOR
Their group felt a little cliquey but Taylor didn't care. Sure they all ventured out to speak to this person or that person, but they all found themselves coming back together in the same location, Jason and Gerard
included. Cameras and media sources were everywhere, but he didn't care. He was used to it. And since the negative press from weeks earlier had seemed to fade away as quickly as it came, he was able to be a little more comfortable with himself. Drew had changed her dress but Mel opted to stay in hers. Tay was glad. She didn't need to change. He liked the thrill he got when he brushed his hand down her side and felt no lines around her waist. It gave him something to look forward to.
When Drew and Gerard finally found them, Tay couldn't resist shaking Gerard's hand and congratulating him on a fantastic film. He hugged Drew tightly. "Man, it feels like it was just yesterday that you guys were
touring around with us, getting into all kinds of trouble, and now I feel like I'm going to be following you around for awhile."
"And getting into all kinds of trouble?" she joked.
"I don't know, I think I've had enough trouble to last me a lifetime."
The two of them laughed. Then Drew's expression turned serious. "Tay I don't know if you'll fully understand how glad I am that you're here tonight. And under the circumstances, as well."
"Even if the circumstances were different, I wouldn't have missed it for the world." He glanced over at Mel, who was talking to Jason and Isaac, then back at Drew. "This is just an added bonus."
As if on cue, Ike approached Gerard and shook his hand, smiling. "That was an amazing film," he said to him. "I was extremely impressed. And I'm not biased just because my friend is in it."
"Why thank you, friend." Then Gerard winked and leaned over. "But it's okay if you're biased. She was bloody fantastic. Movie would have been nothing without her."
"Just the movie?" Ike asked.
Gerard looked at him for a moment before a smile slowly crept across his face. "I think I'd like to buy you a drink."
As his brother walked away with his new friend, Tay and Drew rejoined their group just long enough for Mel to look across the room with stars in her eyes. "Oh my god," she said. "Is that--it is!!"
Drew looked the direction Mel was looking in and said, "Oh my god, Mel, you have to go say something. You HAVE to!"
Following Mel and Drew's gaze, Taylor shook his head in disbelief. "Really? We're still doing this? After all this time?"
Mel and Drew both glared at Tay simultaneously. Some things never changed with those two. "How many more opportunities like this will I have?" Mel asked.
"The guy's, like, a hundred years old!" Tay objected.
"Would you rather I flock to hulking thirty-something who looked...well who was like Jason?"
Tay smiled and shook his head in defeat. "Fine. Go. Have fun. I hope he proposes to you and you live happily ever after and have lots of babies."
Mel smiled and kissed him. "I promise I'll make you my pool boy."
"I'd rather hold my breath till death do you part, thanks."
As Tay watched Mel run off happily to meet her teenage girl crush, Jason stepped up alongside him, swigging from a bottle of beer. "Tell me we didn't just lose our woman to Father Time over there."
Tay nodded. "Afraid so."
"Hm," Jason said as they watched her. "She seems to like them tall."
Tay narrowed his eyes at him.
"Hey, I'm not saying you're short," he continued. "I'm just saying, he's taller than you."
"Well he's not a hulk like you, either," Tay jabbed back.
Jason swigged his beer again. "You got me there. He's also British."
"Yeah, I don't know where that came from. She's had a thing for him since the beginning of time. I think it's cute to watch her fangirl a little." Then he sighed. "She sure does have an odd taste in men, huh? Doesn't seem to have a type."
Jason looked over at him out of the corner of his eye and smiled. "Oh she has a type, all right." He swigged his beer again.
"Oh really? What's your theory?"
"Well she came here with you, didn't she?"
Tay couldn't help but smile as he shifted his weight from one foot to the next. "Yeah, I guess she did."
"Don't let that one go," Jason said. "It'll be the biggest mistake of your life."
Tay nodded. "Believe me, I made the mistake once. It'll never happen again."
"You look like you need a beer."
"I think I've needed three already."
The two men laughed and found themselves in search of beer.
_______________________________________________________
MEL
Several drinks later Mel found herself with Nikki and Kate, chatting up some random Hollywood people. Mel didn't recognize them and she doubted Nikki and Kate did either, but none of them seemed to care. The
conversation was mindless and the party had been going on strong and by this point everyone was pretty much excused for whatever randomness left their mouths. As the night wore on, the flashes on the camera bulbs seemed to get brighter. She posed with Nikki and Kate for several pictures before their eyes finally got a break.
Somewhere between a camera flash and laughing with the girls, Taylor ended up in Mel's face, his arms wound around her waist. Scratch that, one arm wound. The other hand gripped a beer. "Well then," Mel smiled. "What's going on here?"
He grinned back at her. "Maybe I just need to be near you."
"Need or want?" she teased.
"Does it matter?" he teased back.
She looked at him, suspicious. "How many have you had already?"
He looked at his beer and back at her. "Uh..."
"That's what I thought."
"Don't pretend like you haven't been slinging back the drinks yourself."
"Well...the bartenders sure can whip up some tasty concoctions around here.'
"Uh-huh, see?"
They found themselves mindlessly swaying to the upbeat music that was playing, oblivious to the world around them. There was music, but no official dance floor. Most everyone mingled. A few of the more
wasted couples made out in corners. Mel expected that at a Hollywood function such as this everyone would want to be on their best behavior but she was quickly learning differently. The later it got, the more rowdy Hollywood seemed to become.
As Tay and Mel laughed and talked together, she felt a pair of hands on her hips that came from behind, obviously not belonging to Tay. "You two are the sexiest couple in the room," the female's breath hissed into Mel's ear.
And then she disappeared.
Mel froze, her eyes wide. Tay returned the shocked expression and then they both burst out laughing. "What in the hell just happened?" Mel asked.
Tay shook his head. "I have no idea...maybe she got us confused with someone else? The lighting is kinda weird in here..."
Mel giggled, draining the last of her cocktail. "You're probably right. Did you get a look at her? What did she look like?"
Tay shrugged. "It happened so fast..."
Forgetting the strange moment, Tay and Mel spent a couple more minutes with each other before they both decided they needed refills. They were both drunk and they knew it. Another drink would have to be the cut off for both of them, no question. Neither one of them cared. This was their night to be wild and fancy free, without a care in the world. They were going to enjoy it.
And then, to their amazement, their drinks came to them in the form of an exotic, gypsy-looking woman with striking eyes and long, dark hair. She was slightly shorter than Mel and appeared to be in her mid-thirties,
dressed in a long, flowing, purple dress. Mel recognized her voice immediately. "You looked like you needed refills, so I took the liberty. I hope I got them correct."
Shocked, Tay and Mel hesitantly accepted the drinks from the mystery woman. "Um, this is perfect," Tay said. "Thank you, how did you know?"
The woman smiled. "A mere observation. I haven't been able to take my eyes off of you two all night." She extended her slender arm. "My name is Marci, by the way."
"Uh, very nice to meet you, Marci," Mel said. "Thank you so much for the drinks. Oh, I'm Mel and this is Taylor."
"I know who you are."
"Oh..." Mel and Tay glanced at each other.
Mel sipped on her drink. It was marvelous! She had no idea what it was but she no longer cared. It was the best thing she had put in her mouth all night.
Tay and Mel found themselves back to normal, drinking and laughing with Marci. She was a delightful woman, very nice, very kind.
"Marci, what IS this cocktail?" Mel asked. "It's so good!"
"Well, it's very special. It's native to my home country of--"
____________________________________________________________
TAYLOR
Taylor opened his eyes slowly to see Mel, who was already wide awake, staring back at him. She lay there, still, her only movement was the blinking of her eyes. He knew they had had quite a bit to drink the
previous night but surprisingly he didn't feel hung over at all.
Adjusting to the daylight around him, his eyes widened at the extra arm that was slung over Mel's waist, the red nail polish not belonging to her.
He sat up slightly, careful not to disturb the bed. He glanced over Mel at the dark-haired woman who spooned her. Mel lay there, looking up at him, stiff as a board. "Who is that?" Tay hissed at her.
Finally moving her eyes, they darted around and she dared shake her head. "I don't know!" she hissed back.
Tay got out of the bed and observed his surroundings. He was shirtless but his pants were still on. He looked at Mel. His shirt was on her. Looking around, he found Mel's dress rumpled in the floor and his belt was nearby. Looking around more, he spied the man sprawled out face-down on the other bed, completely naked and sound asleep.
He then turned around and peeked through the curtain and out the window. He didn't recognize anything outside. He leaned over to whisper to Mel. "This isn't even our hotel!"
"You're kidding!"
He gently lifted the woman's arm off of Mel and hissed to her, "Why does everyone keep trying to have sex with you??"
Mel glared at Tay. "I don't know. Maybe you could help lighten the load and seduce somebody once in awhile!"
He helped her carefully out of the bed and they proceeded to quickly exchange clothes, trying hard not to wake the mystery couple. "I think they're down for the count," Mel said. "I don't think they're gonna wake
up."
"I don't care, I'm not taking any chances." That was when his eyes landed on the leftover lines of cocaine on the small desk. His hand immediately went to his nose in fear. "We have to get out of here!"
"We don't even know where here is!"
As they finished dressing, Tay fished through his pockets, and Mel through her clutch, to make sure all their personal belongings were accounted for. Miraculously they were. He then walked carefully around their bed and found a cell phone on the table between the two beds. Quickly he flipped through the pictures and was shocked at what he saw. He saw them in all kinds of compromising positions--all four of them--and he still didn't recognize the couple. His stomach tied in knots, wondering if she'd sent any of them out via any social media. He shoved the phone in his pocket. On their way out the door, he fished through the man's pants,
which were slung over a chair. Finding his cell phone, he shoved that one in his pocket as well. "Come on, we gotta go!"
Mel rushed toward him as quickly as she could and they made it out the door, closing it behind them as quietly a possible. "Tay, you can't just steal people's cell phones like that!" she hissed.
"Don't worry, they'll get them back." he took her by the hand. "Come on, we gotta get out of here."
"Why are we rushing? What happened last night?"
"I don't know! That's why I don't want to risk them waking up and seeing us here."
They ran down the hallway and quickly got on an elevator. Tay pressed the button to a random floor and they got off and sat in a couple of chairs that sat outside the elevator. "What are we doing?" Mel asked.
"Buying a few minutes. There are pictures on these phones I need to get rid of. Then we'll turn them in to lost and found."
"Are you serious?? What kind of pictures?"
"Nothing good..."
"Tay...did we do any drugs?"
He looked up at her. "Uh...I want to say no, but I can't be too sure. Would we be awake like this if we did?"
"I don't know...I saw all that coke..."
"I know, that's why we had to get out of there."
Miraculously, both phones were easy to navigate and both of them never signed out of their social media. As far as he could tell none of the pictures had been posted or texted to anyone. He felt bad for doing it, but he didn't want to take any chances, so he deleted the entire galleries on both phones. He deleted every photo he could find. Taking it a step further, he removed both the sim cards from both phones. "Put these in your purse," he told Mel.
"You're putting shells in the lost and found."
"So? We just found these phones, we don't know they don't operate."
Taylor was thankful when Mel chose not to question him any further. This was crazy. Absolutely crazy. This sort of thing didn't happen to him. He didn't lose control to the point where he had no idea where he
was. He supposed they were lucky to be alive. Judging by the fact that both Tay and Mel were only half naked and the other two were completely naked, and judging by the pictures, he could only imagine that the night hadn't gone as far as it was intended to go. For that, he let out a breath of relief.
After turning in the phones and walking out the hotel doors, hand-in-hand, Tay was almost afraid to leave. He was afraid of what he might walk outside into. He felt exposed under the sunlight, as if last night would
be there to haunt them at any second. The only thing that seemed to calm him was Mel's hand in his. It was just then that he realized that he hadn't seemed to be able to let go of it.
Thankful he still had a little battery left in his own phone, Tay called Ike. "Tay, where ARE you?" Ike asked. "I've been calling you and Mel both all morning!"
Tay looked back at the hotel and back at the parking lot. "Uh, I'm not really sure..."
"What do you mean you're not sure? What happened to you guys last night after you left the party?"
Tay sighed, defeated. "Ike, I don't even remember leaving the party."
"Dude..."
"I know..." then Tay managed to rattle off the name of the hotel they were standing in front of.
"How in the hell did you end up in Beverly Hills?" Ike asked.
"I don't KNOW! I need someone to come and get us ASAP."
__________________________________________________________
TAYLOR
Taylor had attended many movie premieres, but one could never get used to sitting in a movie theatre in a
full suit and tie. Not to mention having to sit in the dark next to the sex goddess Mel was and not being able to do anything about it. Tay couldn't help himself but to have these thoughts about her. Behaving
himself was not an option, especially since he and his brothers spent a majority of the red carpet walk plugging an album and a beer. Movie premieres weren't always fun and games, they were work, too. He smiled to himself as he recalled the last event Mel had attended with him many years ago that required sitting in a room full of celebrities, dressed to the nines. That particular event involved raging teenage hormones and a certain red lollipop.
Mel must have read his mind because she leaned over and whispered to him, "I'm sorry, I don't have any candy in my clutch tonight."
Tay laughed a hearty laugh that must have come out louder than he expected it to because Zac looked over at him from his left side as if he were crazy. Realizing how loud he actually was, he immediately shut up and
cleared his throat, embarrassed. He glanced sheepishly over at Mel and she was smiling slyly at him. Tay smiled back at her and shook his head.
Eventually the movie started. Tay couldn't help but to glance around Mel and over at Drew. Her eyes were glued to the screen and she had Mel's hand in a death grip. He smiled. He was so incredibly proud of
his friend. Then he settled himself in his seat to watch the movie. These types of movies weren't normally his thing--they were normally more Zac's speed--but he was hooked within minutes. He admired the filmography and was impressed by the acting. Jason and Drew were amazing. He would never admit it out loud, but secure enough in his manhood, he could admit to himself that he may have understood why Mel wouldn't kick Jason out of bed. He wasn't sure if he would call it a man crush or if Jason was just that badass, but whatever it was he would surely take it to his grave. Beyond that, though, he developed a brand new respect for Jason as an artist.
And then there was Drew--she was a scary bitch! Tay never thought she had it in her and he had been equally as shocked as everyone else when he found out she got this role. But as he viewed the film he knew that there was nobody else who could have possibly filled that role like she did. The film was truly epic and he felt like he was watching her star rise right before his eyes.
During the second half of the film, Jason stood in a cave with his back to the camera. Drew stepped out of a pool of water--Tay slouched in his seat and lowered his face to his hand. "Oh my god," he whispered to Mel.
"I can't watch this."
Mel giggled and nudged his elbow. "This is the scene Zac and I watched them film. I thought it was awesome!"
Tay glanced over at his brother. He almost wanted to offer him a napkin. He glanced back up at the screen. Nope, Drew was still there, in all her glory.
"Tay, stop being such a baby, it's just a movie," Mel hissed playfully. "They're not gonna have sex if that's what you're worried about--well I don't think so anyway...oh, look, there, it's over."
Tay glanced up at the screen, Drew once again covered up. He couldn't stop the blood rising in his cheeks.
The fight scene at the end of the film was so epic, and he was so blown away by Drew and Jason once again, that he completely forgot about Drew's earlier nude scene. The blood, the gore, the effects--it was all
completely top notch. Gerard Cline never disappointed.
When the lights came back on a standing ovation ensued. Gerard looked around and waved and delivered silent thank you's all around him. Mel was hugging Drew and they both hastily pulled tissues out of their clutches and began dabbing their eyes and laughing. This would probably be the first and only time Tay witnessed women crying after a testosterone-fueled fantasy action film.
_____________________________________________
DREW
Drew was on the edge of her seat through the entire film. She wasn't sure how she felt about watching herself onscreen but she decided she didn't have much choice and simply chose to embrace it. She trusted Gerard. She trusted his judgment and talent. She knew he wouldn't allow her to look or sound bad on film.
And he didn't. In fact, she barely recognized herself. It didn't look like her, it didn't sound like her--the fact that the woman she saw on screen was her was something it took awhile to wrap her head around. There were definitely things she could improve on and made a mental note to be aware of once she started filming her next movie. But as a whole, being her very first film, she was extremely proud of herself. It was absolutely
amazing what that much hard work could accomplish.
It seemed to take forever to get out the door to ride to the after party. Somewhere along the way she seemed to lose track of Mel and Tay and Ike and Zac for being stopped along with Gerard and Jason every step of the
way. Some of the biggest names in Hollywood wanted to shake Gerard's hand and congratulate Drew and Jason. Drew was completely star struck and she hoped her face didn't show it.
More pictures followed, more interview questions, more press, and by the time they made it to their limo and to the hotel for the party they were already thirty minutes late. Drew had changed into her after-party dress in the limo, a little orange sequined number with short sleeves and shoulder pads. Outside of the party there were more cameras, more reporters, and more fans. It was surreal how going into the movie some eyes were on Drew and coming out ALL eyes were on Drew. The only thing she knew to do was to smile and greet people and say thank you. She couldn't tell if the feelings she was feeling was nerves or excitement--maybe it was a little of both!
By the time Drew and Gerard actually got in the door, the party had been underway for an hour. Drew looked around in awe. They had turned the ballroom into something that resembled the movie's sets and built a
platform in the middle of the room that held Magdara's actual throne from the movie. She couldn't believe how much work had gone into this party, and all for this movie!
"I'm trying not to act all touristy and stuff, but it's really difficult!" Drew whispered to Gerard.
Gerard smiled at her. "It's quite all right. This sort of thing makes me feel like a kid again."
Drew smiled in relief that Gerard shared the sentiment. "You realize this party is for you," Gerard said.
She smirked at him. "It's not, it's for the movie. It's for all of us."
"Which still makes it for you. Tonight, you are Andrew Brooks. Everyone here is looking at you. How does that make you feel?"
She let what he said sink in and she slowly looked around the room, allowing herself to see the big picture. She had been having a hard time feeling like the star of the movie tonight. She felt like Gerard's date,
merely an attendee of the premier. "I think this might take some getting used to," she answered.
Gerard chuckled and kissed her cheek. Sliding his arm around her waist, he guided her into the party, past more cameras and into the sea of the smiling faces of her peers.
_______________________________________________________
TAYLOR
Their group felt a little cliquey but Taylor didn't care. Sure they all ventured out to speak to this person or that person, but they all found themselves coming back together in the same location, Jason and Gerard
included. Cameras and media sources were everywhere, but he didn't care. He was used to it. And since the negative press from weeks earlier had seemed to fade away as quickly as it came, he was able to be a little more comfortable with himself. Drew had changed her dress but Mel opted to stay in hers. Tay was glad. She didn't need to change. He liked the thrill he got when he brushed his hand down her side and felt no lines around her waist. It gave him something to look forward to.
When Drew and Gerard finally found them, Tay couldn't resist shaking Gerard's hand and congratulating him on a fantastic film. He hugged Drew tightly. "Man, it feels like it was just yesterday that you guys were
touring around with us, getting into all kinds of trouble, and now I feel like I'm going to be following you around for awhile."
"And getting into all kinds of trouble?" she joked.
"I don't know, I think I've had enough trouble to last me a lifetime."
The two of them laughed. Then Drew's expression turned serious. "Tay I don't know if you'll fully understand how glad I am that you're here tonight. And under the circumstances, as well."
"Even if the circumstances were different, I wouldn't have missed it for the world." He glanced over at Mel, who was talking to Jason and Isaac, then back at Drew. "This is just an added bonus."
As if on cue, Ike approached Gerard and shook his hand, smiling. "That was an amazing film," he said to him. "I was extremely impressed. And I'm not biased just because my friend is in it."
"Why thank you, friend." Then Gerard winked and leaned over. "But it's okay if you're biased. She was bloody fantastic. Movie would have been nothing without her."
"Just the movie?" Ike asked.
Gerard looked at him for a moment before a smile slowly crept across his face. "I think I'd like to buy you a drink."
As his brother walked away with his new friend, Tay and Drew rejoined their group just long enough for Mel to look across the room with stars in her eyes. "Oh my god," she said. "Is that--it is!!"
Drew looked the direction Mel was looking in and said, "Oh my god, Mel, you have to go say something. You HAVE to!"
Following Mel and Drew's gaze, Taylor shook his head in disbelief. "Really? We're still doing this? After all this time?"
Mel and Drew both glared at Tay simultaneously. Some things never changed with those two. "How many more opportunities like this will I have?" Mel asked.
"The guy's, like, a hundred years old!" Tay objected.
"Would you rather I flock to hulking thirty-something who looked...well who was like Jason?"
Tay smiled and shook his head in defeat. "Fine. Go. Have fun. I hope he proposes to you and you live happily ever after and have lots of babies."
Mel smiled and kissed him. "I promise I'll make you my pool boy."
"I'd rather hold my breath till death do you part, thanks."
As Tay watched Mel run off happily to meet her teenage girl crush, Jason stepped up alongside him, swigging from a bottle of beer. "Tell me we didn't just lose our woman to Father Time over there."
Tay nodded. "Afraid so."
"Hm," Jason said as they watched her. "She seems to like them tall."
Tay narrowed his eyes at him.
"Hey, I'm not saying you're short," he continued. "I'm just saying, he's taller than you."
"Well he's not a hulk like you, either," Tay jabbed back.
Jason swigged his beer again. "You got me there. He's also British."
"Yeah, I don't know where that came from. She's had a thing for him since the beginning of time. I think it's cute to watch her fangirl a little." Then he sighed. "She sure does have an odd taste in men, huh? Doesn't seem to have a type."
Jason looked over at him out of the corner of his eye and smiled. "Oh she has a type, all right." He swigged his beer again.
"Oh really? What's your theory?"
"Well she came here with you, didn't she?"
Tay couldn't help but smile as he shifted his weight from one foot to the next. "Yeah, I guess she did."
"Don't let that one go," Jason said. "It'll be the biggest mistake of your life."
Tay nodded. "Believe me, I made the mistake once. It'll never happen again."
"You look like you need a beer."
"I think I've needed three already."
The two men laughed and found themselves in search of beer.
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MEL
Several drinks later Mel found herself with Nikki and Kate, chatting up some random Hollywood people. Mel didn't recognize them and she doubted Nikki and Kate did either, but none of them seemed to care. The
conversation was mindless and the party had been going on strong and by this point everyone was pretty much excused for whatever randomness left their mouths. As the night wore on, the flashes on the camera bulbs seemed to get brighter. She posed with Nikki and Kate for several pictures before their eyes finally got a break.
Somewhere between a camera flash and laughing with the girls, Taylor ended up in Mel's face, his arms wound around her waist. Scratch that, one arm wound. The other hand gripped a beer. "Well then," Mel smiled. "What's going on here?"
He grinned back at her. "Maybe I just need to be near you."
"Need or want?" she teased.
"Does it matter?" he teased back.
She looked at him, suspicious. "How many have you had already?"
He looked at his beer and back at her. "Uh..."
"That's what I thought."
"Don't pretend like you haven't been slinging back the drinks yourself."
"Well...the bartenders sure can whip up some tasty concoctions around here.'
"Uh-huh, see?"
They found themselves mindlessly swaying to the upbeat music that was playing, oblivious to the world around them. There was music, but no official dance floor. Most everyone mingled. A few of the more
wasted couples made out in corners. Mel expected that at a Hollywood function such as this everyone would want to be on their best behavior but she was quickly learning differently. The later it got, the more rowdy Hollywood seemed to become.
As Tay and Mel laughed and talked together, she felt a pair of hands on her hips that came from behind, obviously not belonging to Tay. "You two are the sexiest couple in the room," the female's breath hissed into Mel's ear.
And then she disappeared.
Mel froze, her eyes wide. Tay returned the shocked expression and then they both burst out laughing. "What in the hell just happened?" Mel asked.
Tay shook his head. "I have no idea...maybe she got us confused with someone else? The lighting is kinda weird in here..."
Mel giggled, draining the last of her cocktail. "You're probably right. Did you get a look at her? What did she look like?"
Tay shrugged. "It happened so fast..."
Forgetting the strange moment, Tay and Mel spent a couple more minutes with each other before they both decided they needed refills. They were both drunk and they knew it. Another drink would have to be the cut off for both of them, no question. Neither one of them cared. This was their night to be wild and fancy free, without a care in the world. They were going to enjoy it.
And then, to their amazement, their drinks came to them in the form of an exotic, gypsy-looking woman with striking eyes and long, dark hair. She was slightly shorter than Mel and appeared to be in her mid-thirties,
dressed in a long, flowing, purple dress. Mel recognized her voice immediately. "You looked like you needed refills, so I took the liberty. I hope I got them correct."
Shocked, Tay and Mel hesitantly accepted the drinks from the mystery woman. "Um, this is perfect," Tay said. "Thank you, how did you know?"
The woman smiled. "A mere observation. I haven't been able to take my eyes off of you two all night." She extended her slender arm. "My name is Marci, by the way."
"Uh, very nice to meet you, Marci," Mel said. "Thank you so much for the drinks. Oh, I'm Mel and this is Taylor."
"I know who you are."
"Oh..." Mel and Tay glanced at each other.
Mel sipped on her drink. It was marvelous! She had no idea what it was but she no longer cared. It was the best thing she had put in her mouth all night.
Tay and Mel found themselves back to normal, drinking and laughing with Marci. She was a delightful woman, very nice, very kind.
"Marci, what IS this cocktail?" Mel asked. "It's so good!"
"Well, it's very special. It's native to my home country of--"
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TAYLOR
Taylor opened his eyes slowly to see Mel, who was already wide awake, staring back at him. She lay there, still, her only movement was the blinking of her eyes. He knew they had had quite a bit to drink the
previous night but surprisingly he didn't feel hung over at all.
Adjusting to the daylight around him, his eyes widened at the extra arm that was slung over Mel's waist, the red nail polish not belonging to her.
He sat up slightly, careful not to disturb the bed. He glanced over Mel at the dark-haired woman who spooned her. Mel lay there, looking up at him, stiff as a board. "Who is that?" Tay hissed at her.
Finally moving her eyes, they darted around and she dared shake her head. "I don't know!" she hissed back.
Tay got out of the bed and observed his surroundings. He was shirtless but his pants were still on. He looked at Mel. His shirt was on her. Looking around, he found Mel's dress rumpled in the floor and his belt was nearby. Looking around more, he spied the man sprawled out face-down on the other bed, completely naked and sound asleep.
He then turned around and peeked through the curtain and out the window. He didn't recognize anything outside. He leaned over to whisper to Mel. "This isn't even our hotel!"
"You're kidding!"
He gently lifted the woman's arm off of Mel and hissed to her, "Why does everyone keep trying to have sex with you??"
Mel glared at Tay. "I don't know. Maybe you could help lighten the load and seduce somebody once in awhile!"
He helped her carefully out of the bed and they proceeded to quickly exchange clothes, trying hard not to wake the mystery couple. "I think they're down for the count," Mel said. "I don't think they're gonna wake
up."
"I don't care, I'm not taking any chances." That was when his eyes landed on the leftover lines of cocaine on the small desk. His hand immediately went to his nose in fear. "We have to get out of here!"
"We don't even know where here is!"
As they finished dressing, Tay fished through his pockets, and Mel through her clutch, to make sure all their personal belongings were accounted for. Miraculously they were. He then walked carefully around their bed and found a cell phone on the table between the two beds. Quickly he flipped through the pictures and was shocked at what he saw. He saw them in all kinds of compromising positions--all four of them--and he still didn't recognize the couple. His stomach tied in knots, wondering if she'd sent any of them out via any social media. He shoved the phone in his pocket. On their way out the door, he fished through the man's pants,
which were slung over a chair. Finding his cell phone, he shoved that one in his pocket as well. "Come on, we gotta go!"
Mel rushed toward him as quickly as she could and they made it out the door, closing it behind them as quietly a possible. "Tay, you can't just steal people's cell phones like that!" she hissed.
"Don't worry, they'll get them back." he took her by the hand. "Come on, we gotta get out of here."
"Why are we rushing? What happened last night?"
"I don't know! That's why I don't want to risk them waking up and seeing us here."
They ran down the hallway and quickly got on an elevator. Tay pressed the button to a random floor and they got off and sat in a couple of chairs that sat outside the elevator. "What are we doing?" Mel asked.
"Buying a few minutes. There are pictures on these phones I need to get rid of. Then we'll turn them in to lost and found."
"Are you serious?? What kind of pictures?"
"Nothing good..."
"Tay...did we do any drugs?"
He looked up at her. "Uh...I want to say no, but I can't be too sure. Would we be awake like this if we did?"
"I don't know...I saw all that coke..."
"I know, that's why we had to get out of there."
Miraculously, both phones were easy to navigate and both of them never signed out of their social media. As far as he could tell none of the pictures had been posted or texted to anyone. He felt bad for doing it, but he didn't want to take any chances, so he deleted the entire galleries on both phones. He deleted every photo he could find. Taking it a step further, he removed both the sim cards from both phones. "Put these in your purse," he told Mel.
"You're putting shells in the lost and found."
"So? We just found these phones, we don't know they don't operate."
Taylor was thankful when Mel chose not to question him any further. This was crazy. Absolutely crazy. This sort of thing didn't happen to him. He didn't lose control to the point where he had no idea where he
was. He supposed they were lucky to be alive. Judging by the fact that both Tay and Mel were only half naked and the other two were completely naked, and judging by the pictures, he could only imagine that the night hadn't gone as far as it was intended to go. For that, he let out a breath of relief.
After turning in the phones and walking out the hotel doors, hand-in-hand, Tay was almost afraid to leave. He was afraid of what he might walk outside into. He felt exposed under the sunlight, as if last night would
be there to haunt them at any second. The only thing that seemed to calm him was Mel's hand in his. It was just then that he realized that he hadn't seemed to be able to let go of it.
Thankful he still had a little battery left in his own phone, Tay called Ike. "Tay, where ARE you?" Ike asked. "I've been calling you and Mel both all morning!"
Tay looked back at the hotel and back at the parking lot. "Uh, I'm not really sure..."
"What do you mean you're not sure? What happened to you guys last night after you left the party?"
Tay sighed, defeated. "Ike, I don't even remember leaving the party."
"Dude..."
"I know..." then Tay managed to rattle off the name of the hotel they were standing in front of.
"How in the hell did you end up in Beverly Hills?" Ike asked.
"I don't KNOW! I need someone to come and get us ASAP."
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