The Sweetest Summer

Chapter Fify-Seven - Oops!!!

Eli:

The wrap party for A Dangerous Game was a fucking affair to remember. Streamers hung from the sky, and beautiful women passed tiny pastries and cocktails on shiny silver trays. The production crew had shut down the entire set to throw a massive party in the "detective office" on our last day of filming.

It was strange to think that when I'd first started this role I was a kid. Eighteen, self righteous, and thought I was going to conquer the world. I'd gone through heartbreaks, and pushed myself to the limits both personally and professionally, until I'd finally made it to this moment- having played a part in a successful television show. A show that would be syndicated for years to come. My agent had already landed me more roles on the silver screen, without an audition. Another sign I'd 'made it'.

I looked over my good fortune, and took a long pull from my Modelo, wondering if I'd actually see any of this cast or crew again. I'd grown rather fond of Jose the sound guy, and Jennifer my production assistant, but as the lights faded, I knew so would they. It was a drawback to the business. Jobs ended, and people went on their way.

"Wow. Six seasons. Can you believe it?" My costar Sean aka 'Bucky' sidled up beside me, nursing his own Modelo.

"Honestly, I can't. I didn't know what the fuck I was getting into six years ago."

"You and I both, brother." He nudged me with his slender shoulder. Sean was good looking in an unassuming kind of way. Over the years, he'd built a broad fan base, one which he'd thoroughly enjoyed. A different girl every night of the week, and some nights more than one.

"I thought I was going to hate you that first day..."

"No shit?"

"No shit. I thought you'd be just another pretty boy bullshit actor." We both took a pull of our beers scanning the crowd. Sean had been a tortured child actor with crappy parents who'd made it out the other side of a nasty drug addiction a few years before I'd met him. "Maybe I'll finally learn to like you on this press junket..."

I grinned, setting down my beer on the closest silver tray. "I can only hope to be so lucky."

Sean snagged us another round from a passing waitress, and I accepted readily. I'd worked my ass off these past six years, and I was fully prepared to get fucked up tonight.

"I have to say I question your timing though..." Sean was speaking again and I turned toward him.

"Timing with what?"

He pointed toward the far left side of the stage and my eyes followed his index finger.

"Jesus."

"More like his evil second coming." I scoffed, taking a long pull from my beer while shifting between my feet in my dress shoes.

Across the party stood a very pissed off Sky Seigler, gripping her champagne flute in a vise-like grip while her eyes glared daggers into me.

"Look, I get it, she's not end game material, but you could've waited until the press was finished. Now I'm going to be an inadvertent casualty."

"I just couldn't fucking do it anymore, you know? Not when I'm still in love with my ex." I sighed, finishing my beer in one long gulp.

Last week, the night before our big finale love scene I'd had enough of Sky's clingy theatrics, and blurted out that I didn't want to see her anymore. There'd been tears, and hysterics, and broken shit in my trailer, and it resulted in one awkward sex scene. Jean-Pierre had insisted our chemistry was 'organic' but I felt like a fraud, taking the hottest shower of my life afterwards.