by H. P. Munro
There had been discussions floating around for months about French planning another show focusing on a celebrity publicist in LA. When she’d first heard about it, she’d idly wondered whether had she and Freya employed someone like that their outcome would have been different. However, despite the talk no one had been attached to the project, until last month when she had heard chat that Freya had been approached for the lead.
She’d felt almost giddy with the thought that Freya would be coming back to LA. When her phone hadn’t rung and her email inbox had remained empty, save from the usual crap, Jordan had come to the conclusion that although Freya was coming back to LA…she wasn’t coming back to her.
***
Jordan pushed open the door to Dan’s beach house. She leaned down and released the puppy from its leash. “Dan? Jackson? You home? Are you decent?” Jordan called. “’cause I’m still recovering from the last time I caught you two at it. So if you’re doing the nasty then just let me know and I’ll wait outside.”
When she got no response she moved further into the house, noticing that the French doors out onto Dan’s deck were open slightly. Cursing that the dog might have gotten out and now making a bid for freedom down the beach, she ran to the doors and pulled them open. Her heart lurched up into her throat as she was greeted with the sight of Freya being heartily licked by her dog.
“Hey little guy, who do you…?” Freya stopped as she heard the French doors open. She turned her face, which was being slavered with wet sloppy licks from the small dog, towards the noise. She gasped quietly as Jordan stepped out onto the deck.
“Jordan.”
“Freya.”
They both smiled shyly.
“Is this yours?” Freya asked holding the dog up and admiring her.
Jordan was still dumbstruck that Freya was in front of her. “Yeah, she is,” she breathed.
Desperate to say a thousand other things Freya nodded and concentrated on playing with the dog who was enjoying the attention, “What’s her name?”
Jordan rolled her eyes and gulped. Tearing her eyes from Freya, she glanced out towards the beach, not seeing anything, “Roxie, her name is Roxie.”
Freya’s head recoiled in surprise, a slow smile started to spread on her lips. “Hey Roxie, nice to meet you,” she said, tickling the dog’s stomach. “Dan and Jackson have gone for a run,” she said turning to Jordan. Her brain was racing and she was relieved that she had hold of the dog, otherwise her hands may have disregarded the orders that she was giving them not to grab Jordan. “Do you want a coffee or something?” she asked casually, her throat thick with the words that she wanted to say, but would not give voice to.
Jordan blinked in astonishment, the woman that she loved, that she had been breaking her heart over for seven months, was standing in front of her offering her coffee as if she was her neighbor asking her round for a mid-morning gossip. She opened her mouth to say no, “Yes, thanks.”
Freya smiled, still holding onto Roxie she brushed past Jordan to walk back into the beach house.
Jordan caught a familiar waft of perfume as Freya passed. Her body jolted as her whole being reacted to the memories that the smell evoked.
“What the hell is it with flavored coffee?” Freya mused looked at Dan and Jackson’s cupboard contents. “We have cherry, blueberry, mint or,” she looked at the packed of orange coffee and gave a small laugh. “Orange?”
Jordan blushed slightly, her hands gripping the kitchen work surface behind her, “Cherry please.”
Freya set to work to make the coffee. An awkward silence descended upon them as neither knew what to say to the other, whilst both fought their inner battles over saying what they wanted to. The water seemed to take an eternity to boil.
“A watched pot and all that,” Freya said trying to lighten the tension between them.
Jordan gave her a weak smile in response.
Taking a deep breath Jordan decided to at least start a conversation, “So how long are you here for?”
Freya busied herself with rearranging the mugs, she was unsure how much to disclose of Eleanor’s new project, so opted to go for the line Dominick had told her to use if asked, “Just a few weeks. My run finished up at the theatre so I’m taking a break and meeting some people, to see what options might be here for me.” She walked to the fridge to get milk.
Jordan nodded. “Congratulations. The talk at the factory is that you’re going to be on Eleanor’s new show.”
Pausing as she lifted the milk from the fridge Freya swallowed hard. She knew I was coming back, she thought, she knew and she’s dating someone else.
“Thanks,” she turned plastering on a smile. “I’m not meant to say much, but it’s going to be great, I’m looking forward to it. We’re filming the pilot and then who knows,” she shrugged.
Feeling her breathing increase Jordan wanted to scream at Freya, why the hell didn’t you tell me you were coming back? She wanted to yell at her to find out at exactly what point Freya had stopped loving her and how the hell she’d managed it because, try as hard as she had, she couldn’t seem to stop loving Freya.
“You know, I should probably go, I have a lot to do,” she said gathering Roxie into her arms, unable to bear the pain that being around Freya and not being with her was causing. “Tell Dan I’ll call him later,” she called over her shoulder as she started to almost sprint towards the door.
Freya heard the front door slam as she slinked down the kitchen cupboards towards the floor.
April 2013
Freya tentatively knocked on the door to Eleanor’s office. This was her first time returning to the production offices since she had been fired and, although her visit was for entirely different circumstances, the experience was throwing up all manner of memories.
“Come in.”
She gave herself a little shake then pressed firmly on the handle, plastering a broad smile on her face to mask her nerves.
“Freya, it’s good to see you,” Eleanor rose from behind her desk and walked quickly towards her, taking a startled Freya into an embrace. Eleanor was not known for physical affection with her employees, so Freya put this rare demonstration of fondness down to the residual guilt that she was still feeling over how Freya was treated and the subsequent fall out. “Come sit down,” she pointed over towards her sofa area.
Freya noted that the office had not changed much in the time since she had gone, save for the coffee table. In place of the table Freya remembered there was a large Perspex rectangle filled with thousands of half-dollar bills.
Eleanor saw Freya examining the piece of furniture and gave a small sigh, “That’s my Emily table. A not so subtle reminder of what happens when we get it wrong.”
She gave Eleanor a wry smile. The producer shrugged as she flopped onto her sofa, “Get it wrong and people aren’t shy in telling you. Repeatedly!”
“All in the past Eleanor,” Freya said dragging her eyes from the fans’ reaction to her departure. “I’m more interested in what you’ve got in store for me with the new show.”
Eleanor clapped her hands together, “They loved the pilot, we’ve got a six episode pick-up that will get a summer slot. They’ll be taking it to the up fronts next month. It’s gonna be great.”
“So we’ve got a show?” Freya grinned.
Nodding, her red hair bouncing wildly around, Eleanor returned the grin, “We’ve got a show!”
***
Feeling energized after her meeting with Eleanor, Freya headed towards Dan and Jackson’s beach house, hoping to persuade them to go out for a celebratory meal. She opened their front door to announce her arrival and was greeted by the sound of Jackson singing loudly to ABBA in the kitchen. She grinned and was about to add her own voice to the happy noise when she was almost bowled over by a small scruffy dog pushing her legs out of the way, taking the opportunity of the open door with all four paws.
“Damn it,” Freya growled as the dog sped past her onto the street. “Roxie
!” she yelled, taking off in pursuit of the grey dog.
“Please don’t get killed,” Freya puffed in time with her footsteps. “Roxie, c’mere,” she shouted. Slowing her steps she remembered something that Dan had mentioned during her not so subtle attempts over the past weeks to question him about Jordan.
Freya stopped and put her fingers in her mouth letting out a loud piercing two-tone blast. The small dog stopped at the signal. “Biscuits,” Freya called in her best ‘I’m not terrified that I could be the cause of my ex-girlfriend’s dog getting squished’ voice.
The dog paused momentarily, as if assessing its options, before running towards Freya. She let out a large relieved sigh as Roxie got close enough for her to sweep up into her arms.
Walking slowly back towards the house, she rubbed her face in the soft fur of the dog who was wriggling in her arms trying to lick her face, “You my furry friend almost gave me a heart attack.” She plopped Roxie back on the floor of the hall in Dan and Jackson’s home, careful to position her body between the dog and the door in case it made a second bid for freedom. As she closed the front door, Jackson peeked his head round the corner of the kitchen.
“Hey honey, why’s your face all red?” he asked, disappearing before she could respond.
Freya shot Roxie an accusatory glare as the dog sat down at her feet dropping the teddy bear it had in its mouth onto her toes.
“Too cute. Like your mom,” Freya scowled at the animal and reached down for the teddy bear throwing it for the dog to chase. It pounded off in pursuit of the toy and Freya took the opportunity to escape to the kitchen. As soon as she walked in she was handed a red drink in a tall glass by Jackson, who was dancing around the kitchen with his arms above his head. “Bloody Mary,” he shouted over the din, pointing down at her drink.
“Is there a reason?” Freya asked removing the celery stalk and taking a careful sip wincing at the strength. It appeared that Jackson had been heavy-handed with the Tabasco sauce.
Jackson picked up his glass and clinked it against Freya’s. “It’s Monday,” he smiled turning down the volume on his iPod docking station. “And you had your first ‘I’ve got a job’ meeting with Eleanor,” he grabbed Freya’s hand and led her out onto the decking area. “So now you have to tell me all about it.”
“Why do you have Roxie?” Freya asked casually.
Jackson was used to both women’s ‘casual’ questioning of either him, or Dan, on the other, “She’s been in Orlando, visiting her family.”
Jackson had hoped that Freya’s return to LA would prompt a reconciliation, but Freya had been back for four weeks and his two favorite women seemed to be somewhat stubbornly avoiding each other. Dan had warned him on several occasions not to meddle, however Jackson believed that the two women would never be truly happy apart. They had broken up on the night he and Dan had got together, so Jackson had never known them as a couple. But, loving them both dearly, and wanting them to be happy, meant that Jackson wasn’t about to mention to Freya that Jordan was due at any minute to collect Roxie, which was why he was making Bloody Marys.
“Sooooo, the meeting?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Freya shook her head slightly, rousing herself from her thoughts of Jordan. “Good, really good actually. They’ve picked us up for six episodes for the summer schedule,” she smiled, genuinely excited at the prospect of the new show.
“You found somewhere to live yet?” Jackson asked, huffing after spinning Freya following her news. He surreptitiously looked at his watch to check the time for Jordan’s arrival.
When she had arrived back in LA, Freya decided that this time her staying in Anna’s guesthouse would only be a temporary measure and she would get her own place. She wanted to finally put some of her own roots down in her hometown.
“Yeah I have,” Freya took a sip of her drink. “I’m going for a second look tomorrow, if you’re free?”
“Sure, if it’s the afternoon,” Jackson replied. “Where is it?”
“Hmm?” Freya asked sipping her drink, buying for time by pretending she didn’t hear the question.
Wise to her ploy Jackson made sure he got eye contact, “Freya, where is the house?”
“West Hollywood,” Freya mumbled against the rim of her glass, ignoring Jackson’s slightly raised eyebrows. Despite being desperate to, Jackson didn’t get the chance to challenge Freya’s real estate choice as Roxie started to bark at the sound of the front door opening and bounded to greet whoever entered.
“Jackson?” Jordan called, walking through the house.
Avoiding Freya’s horrified look, Jackson yelled back in response, “Out on the deck, sweetie.”
Freya’s hand sprang to her hair as she gave herself a quick glance to check her appearance before Jordan came into view.
“Hi, oh hey,” Jordan stopped, her eyes trained on Freya as Roxie squirmed in her arms. She stood in the doorway frozen to the spot.
Jackson looked between the two women, “How ’bout I fetch you a drink.”
“No it’s okay,” Jordan started but was halted as Jackson ignored her and pushed past to scuttle off to the kitchen, intent on breaking the world record for the longest time to pour liquid into a glass.
Jordan, realizing she had no chance of escaping, sat stiffly down on the love seat opposite Freya. “So…” she started awkwardly, “how have you been?”
Freya gulped. She was talking to Jordan. Actually, she wasn’t talking to Jordan, she was staring at Jordan and in fact, if one were inclined, one could apply the word ogling as the correct description of what she was doing. Somewhere in her head, a voice screamed at her ‘Speak’.
“I’m good thanks. I met with Eleanor today, we’ve been picked up for a summer slot,” she finished, terrified of saying the wrong thing and spoiling the moment. She chewed nervously on her lip, “Jackson said you were in Florida, is everything okay?”
Jordan looked surprised, she’d obviously been a topic of conversation. She felt annoyed with herself that even that little piece of information had caused her heart to beat a little bit faster, “I just had a few days break in filming, so decided to get away for a bit.”
Deciding to push the boundaries slightly Freya nodded slowly. “Did Matt like Orlando?” she asked, deliberately getting his name wrong.
“Mike,” Jordan corrected. “We broke up,” she added simply.
Freya gave a little cough, hoping that she had done enough to disguise the celebratory yelp that escaped unbidden from her lips. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she replied, using all of her acting ability to maintain her decorum.
Jackson stood outside the kitchen door, his weight on one foot as he leaned in an attempt to make out what was being said out on the decking. He figured that the fact that he was struggling to hear their muted voices meant at least they weren’t shouting.
The front door opened and Dan stepped through the threshold, “Hey honey I’m-”
His greeting was cut off as a strong hand thwacked against his mouth, another gripping the back of his head to silence him. He looked into his boyfriend’s eyes and offered a muffled, “What?” against Jackson’s palm, his eyes wide in confusion.
“They’re both here,” Jackson hissed. “Out there,” he jerked his head towards the French windows. “DO NOT…I repeat, do not, spoil this,” Jackson warned ominously.
Dan flashed him a hurt look and pulled his hand away from his mouth, “As if I would. I want it as much as you do. What are they talking about?”
Giving a quick shrug Jackson moved to resume his position. “I can’t hear,” he whispered.
Joining Jackson, Dan leaned to the side and held onto him for support as he tried equally hard to hear the conversation
“Me neither,” he sighed, scrunching his face up in concentration. “Do you think they’re, you know?” he asked hopefully.
“Hey Dan!”
Jordan’s voice startled both men making them fall over each other slightly in their attempt to disgui
se that they had been eavesdropping. Freya however was looking at both of them suspiciously from her spot behind Jordan. “I’m just going to grab Roxie’s stuff and head off if that’s okay,” Jordan said.
The men hesitated then both started to scrabble together the accoutrements that had accompanied the small dog’s stay. Finally, with Roxie securely on a leash and her other items stashed in her bag, Jordan stood at the front door. “Thanks again for looking after her,” she said gratefully to the two men, kissing them both fondly on the cheek. She turned to Freya and paused. “It was good to see you,” she finally said.
“It was good to see you too,” Freya replied, her breath catching slightly as she answered.
Jordan smiled then opened the door and headed out into the evening sun. Jackson and Dan stood at the door waving goodbye while Freya hovered in the hall, not sure whether she should join them. Finally, she opted to return to the deck. She was sitting, her legs pulled up against her chest, when Dan and Jackson came and looked at her expectantly. She gave them a small smile, “It was a start.”
***
Jackson stood on the sidewalk with two silver travel mugs in his hand. His eyebrows raised in surprise as, instead of the Prius that Dan would tease Freya about, she pulled up in a black Audi TT roadster convertible. The roof was down as, after a New York winter, the actress was enjoying feeling the warmth of the LA sun on her skin.
“What happened to eco-car?” Jackson asked handing her one of the mugs before hopping into the passenger seat.
“It was a momentary weakness,” Freya grinned. “What’s this?” she asked lifting the silver mug up to inspect it.
“Smoothie, I’ve been experimenting,” Jackson fastened his seatbelt, catching Freya’s skeptical look. “Drink it, it’s good for you.”