Doing alright // Hardzello

Chapter 10

When Ben got back into his hotel room he slowly let himself sink onto the bed. Not in his wildest dreams could he have guessed that Joe would ask him to go on a second date with him. It was crazy to him that Joe even said yes to the first one. He half expected Joe said yes out of pity. But as he was the one to ask now, it sounds like Joe really wants this to go further. 

The next week went in a haze for Ben. Gwil had stopped asking him about going out with Joe. Which Ben thought was quite ironic given the fact that he was now going out with Joe. Saturday rolled around quickly. Before he knew it, he was walking next to Joe towards a restaurant not too far from the hotel. Joe had said that he found a nice restaurant. He wanted to go and drink something at a bar after that.

"Lucy is totally on to us," Ben says as soon as they sit down.
"Yeah, she asked me about it as well," Joe says while leaning back in his chair.
"There is no way that we will be able to fool Lucy," Ben says while opening the menu.
"No, we will not."
"As long as she doesn't tell anyone before we do," Ben says. He runs his hand through his hair.
"Oh no, I am pretty sure that she will not. If there is anyone she will tell, it's Rami. But I can guarantee you that Rami will never tell a soul about this. He hates spilling someone's secrets." Ben raises an eyebrow.
"Now that you say that. I never heard him gossip about anyone." Joe nods.
"Yeah, I don't know what it is, but your secrets are always safe with Rami."

They chat about their work week until their food arrives.
"How did you land the role of Roger?" Joe asks. Ben swallows his bite of food.
"My agent got one of those newsletters. One of the auditions listed was the one for Bohemian Rhapsody. I was within the height range and the general physical description. You know, white, blonde and light coloured eyes," Ben says. Joe nods.
"Did you do an in-person audition?" Joe asks. Ben leans back in his chair before wiping his mouth on a napkin.
"I did both actually. First did a videotape. It was the scene right before Freddie joins the band. We still have to shoot that one. And then I did an in-person audition. They chose the we will rock you and another one bites the dust scene for that one," Ben says, "What about you?" Joe smiles.
"I only did a videotape. They didn't even ask me to do a scene. Just send me an interview with John and asked me to recreate it. So I did that. I got into my car, drove around in an empty parking lot and did my best Deaky accent. And after that, I got the role." Joe shrugs.
"You just have a very convincing Deaky accent. I bet they all fell for that," Ben says.
"Thank you, okay," Joe says while using his John Deacon accent. Ben chuckles. 

"You know, I never got around to telling you this. But when I was growing up Jurrasic Park was huge in our household. My brother is a few years older than me and when he was around nine or ten, my parents let him watch Jurrasic Park for the first time and he loved it. He suddenly was into dinosaurs and everything surrounding Jurrasic Park. For a while, he wouldn't talk about anything else. But my parents wouldn't let me watch it yet, because I was too young. So, all these years I was dying to see it," Ben gets interrupted by Joe, "And then you finally watched it and you hated it?" Ben laughs.
"No, I absolutely loved it. It was one of my guilty pleasures from that moment on. Can't tell you how often I have seen that movie," Ben says.
"I am always glad to talk to fans," Joe says while wiggling his eyebrows. Ben shakes his head while laughing. 
"Well, I gotta say. Timmy always was my favourite character. Mainly because he was closest to my age at the time. I really wanted to be in his shoes for a day," Ben says.
"They were great shoes. I loved most of the movies I did, but this one always gives me so many happy thoughts when I look back," Joe says. 

"Have you seen it in the last few years?" Ben asks. Joe shakes his head.
"Not really. I have seen or looked up certain scenes if I remembered them, but I haven't sat down to watch the entire thing for a while. I have difficulties watching a movie with me in it. I am fine with watching a few scenes, but an entire movie makes me feel weird."
"Yeah, I get that. I feel the same way. Especially about the Eastenders time. But when you were in New York I was scrolling through Netflix because I wanted to watch something but I didn't know what. It recommended Jurrasic Park. And I hadn't seen it in a very long time. So, I decided to watch it," Ben says. Joe covers his face with his hands. 
"Oh god," He mumbles.
"No, I think it is really cute. In the movies you have a few mannerisms and ways of moving that you still have today," Ben says. 
"Is that a good thing?" Joe asks before quickly taking a sip of his drink to have something to do.
"Well, I think you were really cute as a child. And as you haven't changed since then-" Ben says while raising his eyebrows. Joe shakes his head.
"I've got to admit, that was smooth." 

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