My only regret is that I didn’t do that the first time, he thought. “Thornton and I need to go our separate ways. I know this makes little sense, but I didn’t listen to the signs before, and the outcome wasn’t to my liking. I feel like I was given another opportunity to correct it, and I can’t let him be a part of my life this time.”
“Then isn’t it a good thing you walked away?” Dent asked. “Sometimes, we don’t need to think too hard about things. It sounds to me like you fixed what was broken, and you’re tying yourself in knots debating what comes next. I say go with the flow; let the cosmos or your instincts guide you to your next destination.”
Star smiled wryly. “Maybe you’re right.”
“So, you’re an actor?” Dent said.
“I’m trying to be one,” Star said shyly. “I’ve been here for almost four years, hoping for a chance to be recognized, and when it happened, I walked away. As you can see, now I’m wondering what’s next.”
“Then maybe you will find the answer you need in Valleywood.” He shrugged a shoulder. “I didn’t mean to listen in on your conversation. I have good hearing.”
Star smiled. “It’s all good, and you could be right.” He looked down at his phone when it dinged and saw that he had gotten an email from Tanner. His face brightened when he saw it was his plane ticket that had him leaving tomorrow.
Damn, Tanner works fast.
He also noticed the other attachment, which was the audition script. However, Star didn’t open the file. He wanted to read it later when his thoughts weren’t so chaotic. He felt a bit lost in what was happening and needed time to think. Everything felt the same, yet he’d noticed small differences in just a short time. One thing was for sure, he needed to get packed, but he didn’t want to return to his apartment in case Thornton was there. It would be great if he had some protection. Raising his head, Star’s orange-gold eyes connected with Dent’s chocolate-brown ones as a thought came to him.
“I don’t have much money, but can I hire you as my bodyguard until I get on the plane tomorrow?”
Just as Star asked his question, Dent’s cell phone rang. “Give me a second. I need to get this. It’s the head of the company I work for,” he said, standing ready to leave, but Star stopped him.
“You don’t have to leave.” Star stood and grabbed his coffee mug. “It’s time for a refill.”
Dent nodded and answered his call. “Hey, Syn, what’s up?”
Star picked up Dent’s empty cup and walked to the counter to order them both a cup of coffee. In contrast, he took his black and strong with a bit of sugar. Dent, or the man he used to know, liked it with vanilla-flavored cream.
After placing his order, Star stepped to the side and watched Dent talk on the phone and saw the man openly smiling. The Dent he knew versus the man in front of him wasn’t that different. He was positive and seemed to have a good life before tragedy struck. He didn’t know how he was going to prevent it from happening again. It would be so easy if he were attracted to Dent, and if the other man was attracted to men, then they could enter into a relationship. Still, he seriously wanted Dent as a friend and nothing else.
And thinking of relationships, Star made a vow to stay single and not have one. He didn’t want the hassle of hiding his love affair. From now on, he would focus on accomplishing his dream of being an actor. Just as Dent finished his phone call, the barista called Star’s name for their coffees, and he went to get them. Just as he turned to go back to their table, Dent was in front of him.
“Give me a dollar,” Dent said, taking one of the cups from him. Dent tasted the coffee, and Star could see the shock in his eyes that it was how he liked it. “How do you know this is how I like my coffee?”
“I told you I feel like we’ve met before,” Star said. He returned to their table and sat down, waiting for the other man to do the same.
“I see,” Dent said, sitting down and staring at Star intently. “So, how about that dollar?”
“Oh,” he said, reaching for his wallet, pulling out the requested amount, and handing it to Dent, who took it and stuffed it in his jacket pocket.
“Aren’t you going to ask why I need it?”
“No,” Star told him. “You’ve helped me a lot today, and giving you a dollar is not even enough.”
Dent chuckled. “It’s a retainer fee to be your bodyguard.”
“Just like that?” Star asked.
“When it comes to you, yeah, it’s just like that.”
Star shook his head. The man was still the same as when they met in his last life. “When and what time do you leave for Valleywood?” Dent asked.
“Tomorrow at nine in the morning.”
“Would you rather leave tonight?”
“Tonight?”
“Yeah, my boss needs me in Valleywood, and since the pilot is already here dropping off a client, he wants me to leave tonight.”
