“Of course not, Jay. Are you kidding?” The laugh that came from me sounded mechanical, high, and wrong.
He drove in silence for so long before answering me, I finally glanced at him. He was white-knuckling the wheel, jaw locked in place and brow furrowed.
“I’ll ask you one more time, and for the sake of our friendship, Meek, don’t lie to me. I’m not in a place where I can take liars. Is it Dougie?”
“A part of it’s him and a part of it’s me, Jay. Like I said, we’ve had a tough time.”
“Are you coming with me to Greenville?”
I sighed. His question was a bigger one than just a trip. “How do you expect me to explain that to Dougie?”
“It’s what you do. You PA for me.” Jay said it like there wasn’t an argument to be had. Yet, Dougie never would allow me to be gone for a month with Jay, not after what had happened. My mind started to concoct excuses for him, because he was right. I had cheated, I had broken our trust, I had jeopardized our family and the job that put the food on the table every night.
“I want to go, Jay. I do. I want to be there for you and I get this movie is big and that you need a PA there. I’m just trying…” I took a breath and combed my fingers through my hair. “I’m trying to figure out what’s best.”
He didn’t hesitate. “It’s best for you to come.”
“I know Bob mentioned I could go but a whole month isn’t necessary. Maybe in a week, I could meet you out there to check on you.”
“Maybe now, we drive to your house, pack your shit, and you come. Tell Dougie it’s for the job.”
We got to a red light and Jay glanced at my hands. I was picking at my nails, a habit I had to stop. I folded them together. “It’s just that I have a lot of other obligations. You aren’t the only actor I represent and PA for, Jay.”
My tone was chastising and he let it go, or at least I thought he did until he hit a few buttons on his phone screen. Our secretary’s voice came over his cell’s speaker. “Empire Talent. How can I help you?”
“It’s Jay Stonewood. Is Bob at his desk?”
“Oh, sure. One moment.”
I whisper-yelled at him, “What are you doing, Jay?”
He shined his smile on me, the one that melted women’s hearts around the world. “Seeing if they can spare my agent for a month.”
“Don’t you dare, Jay. I am not…”
“Jay!” Bob bellowed into the phone. “How are you? You with Mikka? She pick you up?”
“Yep. We’re both here, just driving back and I’m feeling good in the LA air, Bob.”
He harrumphed. “You know you got to get back to that hometown of yours for just a month, son. Just give us a clean bill until the film crew gets there in a few weeks. This damn movie is going to be it. I can feel it.”
“I feel it too.” He nodded like there wasn’t a hint of a doubt there. I wanted that for him, wanted him to make the movie only he had the acting ability to accomplish. Jay felt people; he was them, their pain, their joy, their love. I was convinced that part of his indulgence in drugs was for that reason, whether he knew it or not. He had this gift of seeing into someone’s soul and holding their hand through their turmoil. It made him a brilliant actor, but it was also a large burden to carry.
“So, I need Mikka to come back with me.” Jay dove into asking for the impossible. He was my biggest actor but I had others, two of which were handling movie deals right now. There was no way I should leave.
“Yes, I told her she should go.” I rolled my eyes because he had said I could go which was much different. “We got you there for a month at that bed and breakfast you mentioned. I booked her the only other room there.” He grumbled like he was looking it all up.
“Bob, I have numerous movie deals.” I protested.
“No worries, Mikka. We’ll get those taken care of. Jay needs twenty-four-hour care and attention.”
Jay belly-laughed in silence next to me. I smacked his chest. He carried on the ridiculousness with Bob. “Yep. You hear that Meek? Twenty-four hours, seven days a week.”
I rolled my eyes. As we neared my apartment, though, his joking felt less and less light, his presence weighed more heavily on my mind, our situation seemed more and more dangerous.
“Right.” I cleared my throat. “Bob, I’ll have to discuss this with my family and iron out details for our agency before I commit. If you could give me a couple days—”
“We’re on the way to her house to get her packed right now, Bob. She can fly out with me?” Jay cut me off.