“I don’t know how to react to you without your little drooler,” Bess jokes. Kate forces a tight smile and sips her water to avoid any immediate response.
Originally she had been excited to have an excuse to get out of the house without Jonah, a chance to try and remember what life was like before she was a mother, but not she wanted to go back home and crawl back under her covers. At least that way she could hide from the sideways glances and soft whispers surrounding her.
“I know right? Is he still on the tit?” Craig asks. Kate chokes on her water as the word ‘tit’ echoes through the small café, causing several more unwanted glances. The rest of the tables erupts in laughter and then merges into a conversation about the current teen starlet and her obvious horrible choice in clothing.
Kate smiles and nods her way through the conversation not sure if she she’s relieved or upset that she doesn’t quite fit in with the people just months ago she considered her closest friends. The conversation turns to around town gossip and Kate can’t help the natural smile that covers her face. It’s always been a personal favorite.
“I hear that Jake is totally doing his newest leading lady,” Bess whispers just loud enough for any hungry ears to take in. Craig covers his mouth in mock horror.
“God Good. That man really can’t keep it in his pants. So why the hell can’t I get on one of his movies?” Craig groans. Kate reaches over and rubs his arm soothingly. Maybe it won’t be too hard to slip back into this as she though.
“What about the Richie and what’s his face from Fall Out Boy rumors?” Kate suggests. Bess’s face lights up as she launches into all the details that being a food runner for most of the major TV studios provides her. Kate leans forward on her elbows soaking up the energy and scandal that Bess emulates.
This is part of what she’s missed. The meaningless chatter and information that filled her head before she had more important things to worry about. And her friends seem to feel the same. As long as the topic of conversation stays away from Jonah the conversation flows and it’s almost like nothing every happened.
A tiny pang of guilt hits Kate as she makes this connection. That her friends haven’t really taken to the newest and most important person in her life, but the break is nice, like a vacation from her reality.
“You know what people are really talking about?” Craig redirects. Kate shakes her head enthusiastically. She isn’t quite sure what it is that Craig does. It seems to change with his mood. But one thing that never changed was his ability to know more than his business about whoever it was he was working for.
“I feel so deprived. Tell me!” Kate demands. Bess throws Craig a knowing look as she sips her bloody Mary. Kate tries to hold back her distaste for a drink at an 11:00 lunch, but doesn’t want to cause any drama.
“Word on the street is that things aren’t as perfect as they seem between you and Justin,” Craig states. Kate sucks in a quick breath and feels her eyes widen. Even though it’s the truth she had hoped that people hadn’t picked up on the reality yet. She rubs her lips together roughly to avoid the question a little longer.
“What the hell is going on with you two? I mean you have the kid, you’re practically shacked up and yet you’re never together,” Bess presses. Kate looks between her two friends who have now taken up her previous position leaned forward on their elbows waiting for her answer.
For a fleeting moment Kate considers telling them the truth. That her and Justin and less of a couple than they were during their break up and that in truth she wishes he would just admit the defeat so they could try being friends instead of pretending to be something more. But telling these two would be like making an unofficial statement to Perez Hilton.
“We’re fine. I mean it’s been hard with Jonah and all, but really we’re just trying to keep to ourselves,” Kate replies. She smiles at the easiness of the lie. The looks on their faces tells her that they don’t completely buy it, but they would never push without more information.
Even though life would be easier if Justin would let their relationship end, Kate is grateful for the cover that it provides. She doesn’t have to answer questions about why he isn’t involved or why it didn’t work out. So that small safety net is enough for her to continue living the lie for a little longer.
“So has the baby put a damper on your sex life?” Craig asks. The evil grin on his face lets Kate know that he’s trying to hit a soft spot, make her cave. But even as new as Kate is to the business, she knows better than to fall into that trap.
“Not at all. If anything it’s made it better.” Not such a small lie this time. That last time they had sex it produced Jonah. Kate’s phone comes alive with chimes and vibrations and she grabs for it grateful for the excuse to break away.
“I have to take this,” she says apologetically. Bess and Craig nod and have forgotten her absence before she even pushes away from the table.
“Hello?” She leans against a shaded wall and waits for her savoir to reveal himself.
“How is my favorite screamer?” Todd Reuben asks. Kate sighs as her agents voice fills her mind. The reference to her less than stellar career to date isn’t exactly welcome.
She came to LA with dreams of being discovered while waiting tables at TGIFridays and two years later was grateful when she was picked to do a toothpaste commercial. Enter Todd. Within three months he had her booked on a guest stint on a hot teen sitcom playing someone at least 5 years younger than she was. And then a string of unmemorable teen movies. Two of which she played someone killed off within the first forty five minutes.
“I’m fine Todd,” Kate answers. She can hear him dictating something to his assistant under his breath. She would hang up if she wasn’t so desperate to stay away from her friends.
“You’ll never guess what I have for you,” he taunts in a sing song voice. Kate rolls her eyes. The last time he sounded like this she got the part of the high school tramp in the latest Hilary Duff movie.
“Todd we talked about this. I’m not doing any work until Jonah is one,” Kate reminds him with a heavy sigh. She lifts her hand and takes in the ragged appearance of her nails.
“I know what you said, but this is not something you’d want to pass up,” Todd urges. A couple passes on the street and Kate gets caught up in their obvious fondness for one another. There was a time when she thought she and Justin would be like that. Everyone was overjoyed when they started dating. Todd told her she had hit the dating lottery.
“If this has anything to do with Paris Hilton, just save your breath,” Kate warns. Todd laughs like he hasn’t offered it before.
“No no no. Nothing like that. We’ve come a long way from that point,” Todd says. She hates to admit that Justin was good for her career. That even before Jonah she was getting interest just because people knew her as his girlfriend. As mush as she wishes she was moral enough to turn away those opportunities, she can’t.
“Guess who is the only actress Jonathan Dayton wants for his next film?” Todd prompts. Kate freezes. So many times she has wished for this moment. For Todd to tell her that she was requested on a movie that didn’t end with a prom.
“Do not screw with me right now Todd. The hormones are still raging and I could do some serious damage,” she warns. He laughs again and the simple noise rubs her nerves.
“I would never do that to you. Since that US cover there have been all kinds of interest in you, but this is the only thing that I dare break into ‘mommy time’ for,” Todd states. Kate grits her teeth at the mention of the magazine. But then again, if it got her Dayton’s attention…
“What does this mean?” Kate asks.
“It means that you need to get your little ass in this office so we can talk about this face to face,” Todd answers. Kate nods and takes that in. She glances at her watch. She told Mae she would be back by 12:30 so she could make it to her lecture.
“Like now?” Kate holds her breath as she waits for the answer. She doesn’t want to make Mae miss class, but this is Dayton. The man that got an independent movie an Oscar nod.
“Well unless you have something other meeting that could turn your career around I would say yes,” Todd replies. Another glance at the watch. Mae will understand.
“I can be there in half an hour,” she offers.
“That’s my girl. Be ready to be wowed,” Todd finishes. Kate stares at the phone long after Todd hangs up. The brick bites at her back as she slides down the building into a sliding position. She cradles her head in her hands as she takes in the reality of Todd’s words.
A chance to be more than the mother of Justin Timberlake’s baby. Maybe actually prove to so many people that she is more than a pretty face. Too many possibilities. And then she’s hit by the agreement she and Justin made. Nothing big for a year. Nothing that might take them away from more than a few days. But that was before she knew this was even possible.
As she scrolls down to Mae’s number she considering calling Todd back and telling him that Dayton can wait another 6 months, but she knows she can’t. Cause Dayton won’t wait.
“Join the Insanity,” Mae chirps. Kate laughs.
“How’s everything going?” she asks. She can hear Mae talking to Jonah and she wonders if he understands his nanny’s constant dialogue. Everything with Jonah is natural to Mae, like he’s a part of her life that she’s always been ready for.
“We’re good. You on your way back?” Mae asks. Mate takes a deep breath and bites her lip until it almost breaks the skin.
“That’s actually why I was calling. I kind of have a meeting with my agent that I cannot miss,” Kate offers. The silence on the other end tells Kate all she needs to know.
“Well, I guess I can stay. I have that lecture, but I’m sure I can get someone to take notes for me,” Mae eases. Kate feels bad for taking advantage of Mae’s generosity. One thing she knows about the girl is that she would never say no when it comes to Jonah.
“You don’t know how much I appreciate this Mae. I swear you can have like all next week off, or at least a couple days,” Kate gushes. Mae chuckles softly and starts singing softly to Jonah. Kate can’t place the song, but recognizes the slow melody.
“And just so you know Justin may be coming by a little later, I told him he could take Jonah tonight,” Kate adds. Back to the silence.
“Thanks for the warning,” Mae chuckles. Kate forces her way through to the goodbyes and just sits on the concrete. A couple of passing people have mild recognition on their faces, but she doesn’t really care.
Things can never be completely good. There’s always a bad side and Kate decides she is sick of letting the bad sides preventing her from enjoying the good. This time it’s going to be about her.
Author's Chapter Notes:
so excited to have this up and even more excited you all like this! let me know what you think!
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