“What do you want to do?”
I needed to see him. I needed to tell him how I felt.
I needed to get him back.
“I want to get him back. At the very least, I want to apologize and make sure he knows how I feel about him.”
“What do you have in mind? I’ll have you know; I’m very good at arranging coincidences.”
“I think we’re going to need help for this one,” I said, dialing the one person I hoped could help me.
35
Jackson
It had been a week since seeing my parents, and I wanted to reach out to Audrey, but I had no idea what to say. Everything I typed never felt like enough.
I wanted to salvage this. But I didn’t know how.
So I focused on work instead, getting to the set early for extra hours of training or just hanging around with the crew, and on one occasion, shadowing Naomi while she worked. Seeing how everything came together was fascinating, and I had started to think about asking Bryson what my chances were of directing an episode next season if we got picked up again.
On top of that, Addison Michaels had asked me to come to New York for the day to run screen tests with the rest of the film’s main cast.
The test went smoothly enough. It was always a bit nerve-wracking meeting people the first day, not to mention I’d fought hard for this role, and I still wasn’t convinced that Addison wouldn’t realize he’d made a mistake and change his mind. He’d been upfront that he was giving me a chance but that I hadn’t been his initial choice.
We’d run some lines but mostly spoke in a small group about the characters and themes. Addison, I was surprised to find, had a calm, insightful manner when talking to us actors. He was articulate and precise, even when he told you to change something he didn’t agree with, but he also genuinely listened to our opinions and would work it into the dynamic if he liked it.
All said and done, it was a great day, but I was happy to be on my way back home.
It was the first Sunday in years that Sarah and I didn’t have brunch together, so I called her as I waited at the airport for my flight back to Chicago.
It took me all of twenty minutes to bring Audrey into the conversation. I wanted to believe I was strong enough to have one moment where she wasn’t at the front of my mind, but who was I fooling. Ever since I met her, I found myself thinking of her at odd times of the day, then almost every day, until there wasn’t anything I did or anywhere I went that didn’t bring her to mind.
I’d had to stop myself that very morning from texting her a photo of a corgi that had been checking out of the hotel. With its owner, of course. The point being that the dog was wearing a raincoat, and the first person I wanted to tell was Audrey.
“And you haven’t spoken since that night? Is there a reason you haven’t talked? Or tried to sort things out?”
“What can I do? I put myself out there once, and she walked away. And what if there’s nothing I can do? We said some pretty raw things to each other.”
There was a pregnant pause before Sarah asked, “Would you take her back if she wanted to?”
“In a heartbeat. I still love her, you know? As much as it hurts, I want to run over there and just forget this happened. That probably sounds ridiculous, but it’s the truth.”
“It’s not ridiculous, Jace. You can’t help how you feel.”
“Thanks. I’m sorry we missed our brunch this morning.”
“Actually, I have an idea. I just discovered this great little Italian place downtown. What time do you land? Do you think you could meet me there by seven? You owe me for all this free relationship advice I’m giving you.”
I chuckled and checked the time. “I think I can make that. Text me the name of it, and I’ll let you know if I’m running late.”
“Can do. And hey, I think everything is going to be alright.”
“Thanks, Sarah. See you tonight.”
Tht evening, I searched for Sarah as I entered the quaint and cozy restaurant. Traffic from the airport had made me an hour late getting home, but I’d texted Sarah, then threw my suitcase in the room and forgone a shower to make my way here, so it was only thirty minutes past when I’d agreed to meet her.
Hopefully, she wouldn’t give me too much grief for it.
