stories from the city; damon albarn

43-

Chloe Erlich had been chatting with Liv Tyler for the past hour and a half. Being the famous kids of rockstars meant having a lot in common. So, the two like to catch up and see how the other was doing. So on and so force. Ewan had wandered off about an hour into that mess, coming across a group of actors smoking on a pavilion.

Some of them were vaguely familiar, others he didn't know at all. However it was still a group of people he largely didn't know- but he approached anyways, deciding to ask for a light.

He approached the small blonde boy in the middle of the group, seeing as he was holding a box of cigs, a nervous grin on his face. "Bum me a smoke?" Ewan asked, tilting his head a little bit, trying to take away from the awkwardness of the situation.

The boy nods and hands him one, making sure to light it, but not before asking "Are you Irish or something?"

"Scottish." Ewan answers quickly, taking the cigarette and taking a long drag off of it.

"What're you here for?" The boys asks, a cocky grin on his face now, as if he was trying to deduce his importance.

"Film I'm in. You?"

"Same here. What film are you in for?"

"Trainspotting." Ewan answers.

The redhead next to the boy rolls her eyes as the blonde continues to ask seemingly obnoxious questions. It was as if she was used to him acting like this.

Ewan finally asks "aren't you a bit young to be smoking?"

The boy looks at him weirdly "I'm 22."

He did not look 22. In fact, Ewan was under the impression that this was a 16 year old child actor that was making his rounds of relevancy. But to find out that this was a grown man, was like a brand new revelation to him.

"What are you? Because you look 20 and 40 at the same time."

Ewan takes another drag from his cigarette, blowing the smoke out slowly. "I'm 25." He says exasperatedly.

The boy winces "You've got a name right?"

"I would hope so."

"What is it?"

"Ewan McGregor. You?"

"Leonardo DiCaprio. Pleasure to meet you." He shakes Ewan's hand and then glances around before turning back to his own cigarette.

The group sits in silence for a few minutes until Ewan decides to head back over towards Chloe, figuring that Liv Tyler would be more interesting than watching the boy, no man- smoke a cigarette.

"McGregor, where're you going?" He says pouting

"To find my girlfriend. Told her I'd take her sight seeing." That was a lie. If anyone was taking someone sight seeing, it was more like Chloe was showing him around.

"You've got a girlfriend? She hot? Famous?" Leo asks curiously, nudging his female friend "she's gotta be hot right?"

The woman groans before standing upright and saying "Don't bring me into this."

"She's a pretty girl." Ewan admits slowly, turning around and returning his attention to the pair.

He grins "Got a photo?"

"Er in my wallet maybe." He says honestly, beginning to dig around in his pockets for his wallet, taking the opportunity to brag about his girlfriend. Ewan pulls out the wallet and sifts though it, eventually finding a photo he'd taken of Chloe in his new trailer for Velvet Goldmine a few weeks ago.

Leonardo whistles before clapping him on the back. "You're a ladies man McGregor!"

"Lady man." The girl corrects. "He's got a girlfriend."

Leonardo raises his hands in defeat.

Ewan curiously looks over to the girl "What's your name?"

"Kate Winslet." She answers and then adds "I'm an actress. That's why I'm here."

He nods his head and then says "Well Kate and Leonardo, I've got to go. My girlfriend is waiting."

And with that, off he went with Leonardo mumbling under his breath "I could've sworn he was at least thirty."

And Kate hitting him on the arm.

Meanwhile, Chloe Erlich was knee deep into a conversation about fashion and a new Aerosmith album- two things she didn't particularly care for at all, when Ewan plugged himself into the conversation.

"Hello lovely!" He says gently, kissing her on the cheek and then sliding an arm around her waist.

She blushes a little and returns the kiss, leaning into him a little, before saying "Well, I think I'd better go." So the conversation finally ended.

Once they were alone once again, Chloe looked at him with amazement in her eyes "It's like you're a psychic. You knew exactly when I wanted to leave!"

"I don't know about psychic, having good intentions might be a better word."

Chloe laughs a little before saying "Are you having a good time at Cannes? Getting the movie star treatment?" She teases

He shrugs "Well, I've got a pretty little lass with me and someone just got cocky with me, so I'd say so." She laughs at this and the two continue to walk on, eventually deciding on entering the food tent- craving a brief snack.

However, just as they had sat down with their food, Damon Albarn and Justine Frischmann entered. Things had been going so well and Ewan's own insecurities about his relationship had faded to the back of his mind. Until then at least.

In fact- he was the one who noticed them walk in. Chloe had already started drinking her frappe by that point.

But it was the alarmed expression on Ewan's face that made her look.

"Don't be bothered." She says quickly

"I'm fine. Promise."

"You don't look fine. You look worried."

"Chloe trust me. I'm fine."

She backs off, however she did find herself watching the duo approach the stand and order, pay and begin the journey to find a table. Damon Albarn had completely annexed her out of his life, so she was a bit curious to see what had been going on.

Ewan was watching as well, but for a different reason, he was honestly listing the reasons he thought Chloe would work better with Damon, or reasons why maybe she didn't like him. It was kind of ridiculous because he knew she didn't want him. But he still thought that she did. Maybe.

Neither of the two notice the other staring at the same group of people.

But Justine Frischmann notices them immediately.

"Chloe Erlich? Is that you?" She says excitedly, as if she and Chloe were best friends. They weren't.

Chloe places a grin on her face and waves "Hello Justine! Long time no see." Justine would be perfectly tolerable if it wasn't for the living mop next to her.

Justine looks over at Ewan before saying "and you, you better have done my music justice in this film. Doing all of that was a pain in the arse."

He chuckles "Can't promise you anything yet."

Damon was oddly quiet, shuffling around and giving a slight wave. His hair had grown out, he seemed like he wanted to get away- or at least go elsewhere. Which wasn't like Damon at all. He liked making things uncomfortable. He lived for it.

Remember the Hans Erlich Show?