2 >> The Running Man
“Right now on The Sleaze,” Ellen K spoke to the city of Los Angeles through KIIS FM’s airwaves, “A not-so-happy ending for JT. Breaking news from our E! news desk: the wedding we’ve all been waiting for did not quite go as planned. Sources report that Justin Timberlake and his longtime girlfriend, makeup artist Talis Nixon, did not make it down the aisle this weekend.”
Ryan Seacrest, the most famous DJ in America, piped up and gave his coworker the lead-in. “Ken Baker, the left coast executive editor from Us Weekly, has the story. Ken, what happened, man?”
“It’s really a pretty sad story, actually,” Ken inserted from his office just a few floors above. “This was supposed to be this big fairytale couple, and this perfect day for Justin and Talis, but sources are saying that they were not as happy as they might have led us to believe.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” Ryan interjected, rather sarcastically.
“Yeah, apparently everything was a go for Friday night, however, my source says that the bride just refused to get out of the car. They had everything set up at this absolutely beeeauuutiful Malibu mansion, it was right on the beach, as we reported before. Talis had an entire motorcade dedicated to getting her to this house safely, and then, when they pull into the driveway, she won’t get out! People were shocked. I mean, there are bridesmaids running everywhere; you have Jessica Biel, you know, who’s very good friends with Justin--.”
“Right, of course.”
“Yeah, she goes to talk to her, absolutely begs Talis to come inside. She totally refuses. It was just really sad.”
“What happened, though? Can we assume there was some mischief going on?” Ellen hoarsely added to the conversation. “There had to be something.”
“You know, it’s hard to tell at this point,” Ken answered, matter-of-factly. “Here we have this beautiful couple, this really great couple that seemingly had no problems.”
“Well, there’s no such thing as no problems,” she retorted.
“Yeah, of course. But this was not a couple we heard about all the time. You know, they dated for five years without any messy dramas to report really, so it was pretty shocking.”
“Yeah, totally.”
“We do know that Justin attempted to come after her, though,” he continued to inform. “There are tons of pictures that are surfacing with him in his suit, standing in the doorway of this house, and we’re pretty sure he was coming to talk to her. But her car left just when he appeared.”
“Wow,” Ellen marveled. “They really seemed like a happy couple.”
“That’s what’s got everyone baffled “ we honestly never would’ve guessed something like this for them.”
“That’s so sad,” Ryan agreed sullenly. “If Justin Timberlake’s getting dumped, I know there’s no hope for me.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
“Looks like that’ll be the talk of the town for a while, no doubt. Ken. Thanks buddy,” he finished. “This is KIIS.”
“See, that’s why I don’t believe in relationships,” Rie Torrey commented to her friend, turning down the volume on her Jeep’s radio. “I would kill myself if I were ever left at the altar.”
Jacqueline gave her friend a sideways glance, finding her conversation just as ridiculous as always. “Justin Timberlake’s relationship is no reason for you to be a skank,” she chuckled, staring down the streets of Sunset at sunrise.
“I’m not a skank,” she combated. “I just don’t believe in that monogamy bullshit.”
“Which makes you a skank,” she yawned.
“You’ve never been in a relationship either, Jac.”
“But not because I like the thrill of the chase,” she defended herself. “I just haven’t found a guy that’s worth it.”
“Oh, meaning you’re a picky skank? Got it.”
“Shut up and drive,” she laughed tiredly. Rie was easily Jacqueline’s favorite person in the entire world, but sometimes, like at 7:00 in the morning, she needed not speak, due to all the bullshit she spouted.
Dressed down in oversized sweats and tank tops, the two women entered the parking lot of The Griddle Café, portfolios in hand, headed for the secluded entrance at the back of the restaurant. It was rather busy for a Monday morning, so instead of a table, they took two adjacent seats near the grill, sitting close together so that they could hear amid the restaurant bustle.
“Do you already know what you’re getting?” Rie asked her friend curiously, taking a seat to her right. “I never know what I want.”
“Yeah, I’m getting ‘Tis the Season,” Jac nodded, referring to their pumpkin pie pancakes. “I’ve been waiting to have those all damn year.”
“You know they’re on the menu year-round, right?”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t feel appropriate until October,” she rationalized with a smile, staring down the long bar-like table. “Rie, there’s your favorite person,” she added quietly.
As any typical Angeleno, when a celebrity was in the vicinity, she did everything in her power not to turn her head “ that’s what tourists did “ but sneak an inconspicuous glance down the row from behind her designer sunglasses. “Who is it?” she mouthed back.
“Jessica Biel.”
Rie’s smile expanded tenfold, as Jessica had been one of her favorite celebrities ever since they worked together on an indie film earlier in the year. “I love her,” she reminded Jac, getting a quick look at the star. There were about six chairs between them, and Jessica sat solitarily, with her back against the brick wall, a plate of half-eaten eggs in front of her, and engaged in a book. “She’s so cute.”
“You’re a dork,” Jacqueline chuckled, taking a sip of her water.
Rie continued to pretend she wasn’t staring. “I’m gonna go say Hi.”
“Rie, what the hell? Sit down,” she dissuaded her bold friend, grabbing her arm in the process. “She’s enjoying her alone time; don’t bother her.”
“I’m not gonna bother her! I just wanna say Hello and see if she remembers me.”
“She doesn’t,” Jac assured her. “You, as a PA on the set, were not a blip on her radar.”
“I think she would,” Rie contested, pulling out her maroon BlackBerry Curve. She scrolled through her several pictures to find the group of shots of her with Jessica Biel, James Marsden, and Jake Gyllenhaal. “See.”
“Yeah, you’re BFFs,” Jac rolled her eyes, “but that was months ago. She has long since forgotten about you, babe.”
“You are such a damn hater.”
The two friends went on to place their orders, Jac getting her ‘Tis the Season pancakes, and Rie settled on a Cobb Omelette.
Jacqueline Scheine was in the process of putting together a modeling portfolio for her interview with Elite Model Management. She was a gorgeous girl, tall and lean, fair vanilla skin, with piercing jade eyes and endless dark brown hair. People in the industry often told her that she resembled Aleksandra Eriksson, which she hadn’t quite figured out if that was a bad or good thing. Still, she’d met with the director of scouting for Elite, who encouraged her to come in for an interview. So with high hopes, she enlisted Rie to take several new shots to add to her collection.
As they went through each picture, constructively criticizing each one, they were pleasantly interrupted by the one and only Jessica Biel. “Hi,” she inserted sweetly, causing both of the women to look up. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt--.”
“Wow, hi!” Rie beamed in response, sitting back in her seat.
“Hi,” Jessica grinned. “I’m sorry, I just “ I saw you come in and I wanted to say Hi before I left. Your name is Rie, right?”
“Yes,” she nodded with an ever-growing smile. She was tempted to give her friend an I-told-you-so kick. “I was just telling my friend about how we worked together on ‘Nailed.’”
“Yeah, we had such a great time on the set,” she told Jac genuinely. “Rie was always the first person on set, last to leave, and she was just the best PA I’ve ever seen.”
“You’re too sweet.”
“That’s awesome,” Jac inserted.
“So hey, how have you been?” Jess questioned earnestly.
“I’ve been good,” Rie nodded again. “The wedding season is finally coming to an end, so I’m focusing on fashion photography for the rest of the year.”
Jess visibly flinched at the mention of ‘wedding season,’ but she pressed past it. “Oh yes, you’re like a big deal photographer,” she remembered.
“I don’t know about big deal, but I do what I can do.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“But how have you been?” Rie switched gears. “Any new movies in the works?”
“Umm, I’m reading through some things,” she answered vaguely, fidgeting with the zipper on her hoodie. “I kind of think I’m gonna take a little break and hang out here for a minute, but yeah… I’m reading some scripts.”
“Very cool.”
“Hey, how’s your mom doing?” Jessica remembered to ask, hoisting her large purse further upon her shoulder.
“She’s all right,” Rie decided timidly. “Umm. She’s going through chemo now, but we’re optimistic.”
“Oh, that’s good to hear,” she replied gently. “She was really sweet the few times I met her.”
Jac watched in slight bewilderment as this exchange went on between her best friend and this celebrity. She knew Rie had become a huge fan of Jessica’s, but she wasn’t quite sure why until then. She came off as an extremely sweet, genuine girl “ atypical of the many other celebrities they encountered daily.
“Well hey, it was great seeing you,” Jess stated with finality.
“Good to see you, too.”
“Hey, are you guys doing anything on Thursday?”
“Umm,” Rie gave Jac an inquiring glance. “Not that I know of. Right?”
“Nothing yet,” Jac agreed. “What’s up?”
“Well, a couple of friends of mine are hosting an Obama fundraiser over in Santa Monica. You guys should come hang out if you want.”
“Yeah, we’d love to,” Jac immediately accepted.
“Cool, cool. Lemme get your email and I’ll send you the directions to the house and everything.”
After email addresses were exchanged, Jessica went on her way, leaving the friends to stare at one another incredulously. “How fucking cool is she?” Rie marveled, digging back into her omelet.
“Very cool,” Jac approved. “That was dope.”
“Yeah, apparently I am a blip on her radar, thank you.”
“I stand corrected,” she grinned. “You really are BFFs.”
“Well not yet,” Rie replied playfully, smiling her flawless smile, “but we’re getting there.”
“I hate you,” she added.
“And that is precisely why you are sittin’ to my left.”
>>>>>>>>>>
“Justin,” I call into his extremely large Hollywood Hills home, returning from my breakfast and errands. “I’m back!”
There’s no answer, not that I ever expected one, so I go further into the house, through the kitchen, and find him sprawled across the couch of his den. He isn’t asleep, but just lying there, disheveled and despondent.
“Hey,” I announce, informing him that I’m standing above him.
“Hey,” he mumbles, not moving an inch.
“I picked up some boxes from Lowe’s. I figured we could pack up Talis’s stuff and get it out of here,” I suggest.
“Okay.”
“Okay.” I begin to turn around before I see that he still hasn’t moved. “Would you like to do it now, or later?”
“Am I supposed to be involved in this?”
“Well, I’m not gonna do it alone, Justin.”
“Then just forget it, Jess. I’m not going through her shit.”
“Well you can’t just let it sit in your house until the end of time,” I argue. “Get up.”
“Fuck you,” he mumbles again, turning his back towards me.
“Justin, I’m not doing this with you.” I begin to peel his blanket from his body, much to his chagrin. He begins to fight me, swatting my hands away. “Justin!”
“What,” he retorts sternly. “Leave me the fuck alone.”
“You told me not to leave you, so no, you’re fucking stuck with me. I’m not letting you do this to yourself.”
“Why can’t I just lay here? It’s not like I’m doing heroin.”
“For someone that doesn’t have the capacity to sit still for more than five minutes, this is self-destructive behavior for you,” I tell him as I fold his blanket. “I know you’re hurting right now, but wallowing in this will not make it go away.”
“Leave me alone,” he repeats quietly.
“So you just want her shit to hang out here forever?”
“Just leave it.”
“Why?” I continue to press the issue. “Why can’t we get rid of it?”
He’s silent for a long time and then sits up on the couch, gazing out to the wall in front of him. There’s a large painting adorning the wall “ one that Talis picked out, no less “ and I wonder what he’s thinking. He won’t look at me or even acknowledge my question, but at least he’s sitting up, I suppose. “Do you know why she left?” he eventually asks.
I shake my head sadly. “She just said she couldn’t handle it.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” he reasons with a frown.
“I know,” I agree. “And after all this time, the least she could do was tell you that.”
“There had to be something else…”
“Why does it matter?” I blurt out with a sigh. “She ran away, and that--.”
“You don’t have to say it like that,” he interrupts defensively. It’s the most life I’ve seen out of him since Friday.
“Justin, she did. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it.”
“You know, she’s your friend, too.”
“Yes, she’s one of my best friends,” I concur, “but the shit she did was fucking dirty and you deserve better. You need to get over her.”
“She just got scared,” he continues. “There’s nothing dirty about that.”
“Dude, are you fucking kidding me? She ran away from her wedding an hour before she was supposed to marry you. How do you fucking defend that?” I’m getting angry now.
“She just got scared,” he repeats quietly.
“Justin, look at you!” I yell. “You haven’t eaten or showered in three days because ‘she got scared.’ You were publicly humiliated because ‘she got scared.’ She broke your heart, Justin, and refused to even face you while doing so, all because ‘she got scared.’ Wake up, dude.”
“Jess, what’s your problem,” he spits back. “If I wanna be depressed or cranky or fucking suicidal about this shit, why can’t you just support me? What does it matter to you?”
“Because!” I take a step back to figure out the answer to his question, realizing I don’t have one. “I just don’t understand it.”
“Well, you would never understand because you’ve never had a meaningful relationship in your life.”
“Wow,” I laugh, a bit shocked that he would say that to me. I’m not sure what else to say, so I just shake my head.
“Jess.”
I hold up my hands as if to say it’s no big deal. It hurt, but I certainly won’t lose sleep over it. “It’s fine.”
“Jess, I’m sorry.”
“Do you think she’s gonna come back? Is that what this is about?”
“Maybe she will,” he says quietly, looking down again.
I tilt my head and give him a sympathetic look, though he can’t see it, and sigh. It’s killing me to see him this way. “How long do we wait?”
“I’m not crazy,” he tells me solemnly, but still staring at the floor. “I know you think I’m nuts, but I’m not. She lives here; this is her home. She has to come back eventually.”
“Okay, so she comes back to the house. What do you do? What do you say? You just welcome her with open arms and she’s back to being your fiancée? What, Jus?”
“I don’t know.”
“What happens then, Justin?”
“I don’t know!” He opens his mouth to say something else, but pauses to probably search for his words. “I just know that we’ve been together for most of my adult life, and… I’m not sure what to do without her,” he states honestly. “I have no idea why she ran away from me, but I can’t just pack up her things and act like she was never here, Jess. I just can’t.”
“Fine,” I relent.
“I’m not crazy.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
“But you think I’m getting there, and I’m not. I just don’t feel like being bothered.”
“I understand,” I tell him, even though I really don’t. Why anyone would want to waste their life pining away for someone that clearly doesn’t feel the same, I’ll never understand. “I’ll just put the boxes in the garage, just in case you ever feel like using them.”
“Thank you.” He settles back into his couch and pulls the remote from behind him, turning on the television.
“Hey, you wanna come to dinner with us tonight? It’ll just be me and my parents,” I offer.
“No, thanks.”
I motion to take a seat beside him on the sofa, but he moves to his left before I manage to even get there. With an exasperated exhale, I opt for the very end of it instead. “You’ve gotta leave this house sooner or later, Jus.”
“I will,” he reassures me, finally looking in my direction. “Just gimme a couple of days.”
“Are you scared that she’s gonna come by and you’ll miss it?”
“No, Jess. Just”just give me a couple of days.”
While I’m quite aware that giving in will only make his situation worse, he’s not giving me many other options. “Fine. A couple of days.”
>>>>>>>>>>
After much goading and prodding on Jessica’s end, Justin kept his promise to only stay cooped up in the house for another couple of days. By Thursday, he’d joined her and his cousin Rachael for lunch, and a few hours later, they were headed to a friend’s house in Santa Monica. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting from the night, being that he wasn’t at all interested in engaging with people, but he promised he would come. Besides, it never hurt to put up a few grand for a good cause, and getting Obama in office was definitely a good cause.
He’d been minding his business for the most part, seesawing between Jessica’s side and a cool corner of the couple’s backyard deck. At this point, he was standing outside, leaned against the railing of the deck, watching the empty pool and holding an empty cup. Before he was interrupted, that is.
“Hey,” Rie initiated, approaching Justin’s solitary spot outside. There were others out there, but most were engaged in their own conversations.
He looked up, a bit stunned to see the stunning stranger before him, but remained unaffected in appearance. “Hey.”
“You’re famous,” she announced as if it were new information.
“Umm, yeah,” he glanced behind him, seemingly searching for nothing. “That’s what they tell me.”
“That’s what I hear.”
“Are you?”
“Am I famous?” she grinned, giving him a view of her impeccable smile. “Not yet.”
“You wanna be?” Justin asked cautiously, all too well aware of her type already.
“In my own right,” she decided. “…Eventually. Maybe.”
“You sure about that?”
“No,” she chuckled. “I’m never too sure about anything.”
“That’s dangerous, you know.”
“I’m dangerous.” She smiled again, leaning against the rail with him, and inexplicably began to stare.
“What?” he frowned, standing back from her gaze.
“You just look… different on TV,” she said honestly. “I mean, you look the same, but kind of… frail.”
“Frail?” He laughed. For the first time in six days. “That’s funny.”
“Is it?”
“It is to me,” he continued to grin.
“Your smile is the same, though.”
“Thanks?”
“It’s a compliment,” Rie confirmed. “Don’t worry, I’m not being dangerous right now.”
“Oh, it’s an on and off thing,” he realized, reassuming his positioning to watch the pool just below them.
“Yeah, I can kinda turn it up and down, depending on how I’m feeling at the moment.”
“And how are you feeling at the moment?” he dared to ask.
“Slightly vulnerable,” she admitted with a whisper.
“And why is that?”
“It took a lot to come up to you, dude. And just generate a conversation out of thin air? Pshh.” She shook her head and gave him another glance. “In theory, I should be passed out by now.”
Justin found himself laughing again. “It’s not that serious, I assure you.”
“I believe you.”
He gave Rie his own version of a perfect smile and even snuck a few glances at her. He took notice of her immaculate chocolate skin and how it accentuated her blindingly white teeth. Her thin face was framed by extremely long, wavy black hair, with purple “ yes, purple “ highlights, and her almond-shaped brown eyes, full of mischief, held his gaze.
“Can I get you another drink?” she finally offered, after a second too much of awkward staring.
“I’m good,” he declined with an open hand. “I just had some water; I don’t drink.”
Rie immediately knitted her eyebrows in disbelief. “Are you a recovering alcoholic or something?” she pried.
“Umm. Preemptive alcoholic,” he decided.
She laughed out loud and nodded. “I’m Rie,” she finally told him, extending her right hand to him.
“Justin,” he offered back hesitantly.
“Dude, I already know your name,” she chuckled, noticing his unease. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite.”
“No, I know,” he softened at the touch of her hand, but moved a bit to his left to get some distance between them. “Don’t mind me; I’m weird.”
“Oh good, so am I.”
He looked into her eyes for a moment, deciding that she had easily become the best thing about the entire week. “So Rie, huh? Is that short for anything?”
“Nope,” she shook her head. “My name’s not Rihanna or anything… just Rie.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Rie.”
“Likewise,” she returned, looking up to the starry sky. A part of her couldn’t believe she was actually involved in a conversation with Justin Timberlake, but even worse, a bigger part of her couldn’t believe that she actually cared. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but she’d lived in Los Angeles her entire life, and she was never really starstruck. But standing there talking to him, she actually found that she was rather nervous.
“So is this a habit of yours?”
“Is what a habit?” Rie questioned, turning around so that her back was against the deck.
“Going around picking up guys at Obama fundraisers.”
“Ohh, no. Of course not,” she laughed. “I’m open to McCain events as well.”
“See. Now I gotta stop talkin’ to you,” he played along.
“Now why you wanna go and do that, love?”
“You had me thinking I was special.”
“Hey, man. Love is a battlefield,” she admitted with a wide smile. “You had me for a hot minute, but then that Mexican Colin Farrell walked in the door and I had to redirect my attention.”
Justin turned just in time to see a Hispanic guy making his way through the living room of the house, and he definitely did resemble Colin Farrell “ bushy eyebrows, spiky haircut, and mole included. Justin couldn’t help but laugh at Rie’s description. “You’re leaving me for him? Really?”
“The heart wants what it wants. What can I say?”
“Do you go for black Angelina Jolie’s as well?” he offered, eyeing a lean caramel-colored woman with Angelina’s trademark eyes and even a hint of her lips.
Rie scrunched up her nose and turned her head towards Justin. “You can have that one, homie. Look, she’s lookin’ right at you.”
“I’ll pass,” he announced, finally turning back around. “Besides, the company here is infinitely better.”
“Well, I don’t mind white Justin Timberlake’s myself, actually.”
“Aren’t you sweet.”
“The funny thing is, I’m really not,” she grinned, taking it upon herself to pat his back. “I guess you really are special.”
This time, he physically recoiled from the touch of her hand, and he was suddenly thrown back into his reality, it seemed. He took one last look at the stranger beside him and bid her goodbye. “Hey listen, it was nice meeting you, Rie.”
“Are you leaving?” she questioned, confused.
“Yeah, I gotta run.”
“Oh.” She was thrown off by his sudden shortness, being that they seemed to be doing just fine a few seconds before. “Well all r--.”
He was headed inside before she could even finish her sentence. Rie began to wrack her brain, trying to figure out precisely what went wrong, but her thoughts were put on hold when Jessica entered the patio.
“Hey,” she greeted her sweetly. “Listen, don’t take that personally,” she told Rie.
“What personally?”
“Him leaving like that. He’s just been a little…” she trailed off and reconsidered her words. “I’m sorry about that.”
“Oh,” Rie gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “Psh. I wasn’t even thinking about that,” she lied. “I’m surprised he talked to me that long.”
Jessica smiled, but she knew Rie had to have been taken by surprise. “Well, I just wanted to assure you that it wasn’t you. He’s usually very sweet; he’s just… “
“Hey, don’t mention it.”
“Okay,” she nodded. “Listen, we’re gonna get out of here, but I was talking to Jac, and we’re gonna meet up next week to work out, so hopefully I’ll see you soon?”
“Umm, yeah. That would be great,” she agreed, downing what was left in her plastic cup, which was mainly melted ice. “I’m sure we’ll cross paths soon.”
“Yeah, definitely.”
“Yo, Jess,” Justin interrupted from the sliding door of the house. “Can we go?”
“I’ll be right out,” she told him.
“It was nice talking to you,” Rie proclaimed before he could escape again.
He gave her an odd look “ not particularly mean or malicious, just odd “ and then nodded. “I’ll be in the car, Jess.”
“I’m sorry,” Jessica finished, disappearing from the balcony as quickly as she’d appeared. She met Justin outside at the valet area, where he was walking around in circles as he awaited his navy blue Beemer. “Dude, that was rude.”
He gave her a bored look and continued pacing.
“Justin.”
“Look, I came out like you wanted me to. You didn’t say I had to be nice.”
“You’re making this way too hard, Justin.”
“What the fuck,” he glared at me, and then over to the paparazzi that made no secret of the fact that they were in the bushes. “I talked to her, and now it’s time to go. What did I do wrong?”
His car thankfully pulled up just in time for her to not answer his question. They entered the car silently, and were left to contemplate exactly what was going on here. Jess knew it would take time. He’d been damaged, and that was to be expected, but she wasn’t sure if she was up to the challenge.
She’d seen him through any and every problem he had with Talis, and she wanted to be there through whatever obstacles he had with the next one. She was his best friend, his go-to girl, and she loved that. But when he was in that headspace “ the one where he was admittedly fucked up “ he was so hard to get along with. She didn’t know how much fucked up she could take.
“How long is this gonna last?” she finally asked him quietly, hoping he would give her an answer and not an argument.
He kept his eyes on the road, but he was clearly concentrating on an answer for her. “I need closure, Jess. She walked out on me without anything but some nonsensical excuse, and that’s just not good enough for me,” he answered honestly. “I don’t think I’ll trust anyone until I at least get some closure. So please, don’t rush me through this.”
She nodded quickly, wishing that she could give him what he needed, but for once in their lives, she actually couldn’t. “All right.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks for all the feedback, you guys! I promise the story won't be so depressing all the way through lol. I'll be putting up cast pictures as we get further in, but the next couple of chapters will be more about establishing all the main characters, so stick with me!
And in case anyone was wondering, Talis is pronounced like Telise (tuh-leese)... I just wanted to be needlessly difficult lol.
-Ash
And in case anyone was wondering, Talis is pronounced like Telise (tuh-leese)... I just wanted to be needlessly difficult lol.
-Ash
Story Tags: interracial unrequited boyfriendj love fiancej vulnerablej
