Warner Park

✨ Chapter One | Lunch Date

-- Andrew --

On Monday, I woke up one solid minute before my alarm at 4:59 a.m. I stared at the darkness of my ceiling, inhaling a slow, deep breath as I traced the familiar nooks and crannies above me.

I'd been in this apartment for weeks, yet it still looked like I'd just moved in. Boxes lined the walls, my half-hearted attempts to unpack abandoned long ago. Living out of them had become my system. It was chaotic, but it worked.

I knew I should get up and use the sixty-second head start, but instead, I savored the quiet. Ever since I'd packed up my life and moved to LA, things had been moving at a breakneck pace, the kind that left me dizzy but exhilarated.

I loved it, though... Being busy.

This was exactly what I'd hoped for when I took the leap, figuring I'd land on my feet somehow. But landing a TV role? That still didn't feel real. Was this seriously my life right now?

Gary had laughed at me yesterday, calling it common sense when I'd asked how I even got hired. I still didn't understand it. My "performance" hadn't been calculated or intentional... just me, fumbling my way through, letting Vince take the lead. Maybe that's what they wanted. Either way, I wasn't complaining.

For the sake of paying my rent for the next few months, I was glad they found me. Bewildered, but grateful. Gary had mentioned how editing would change a lot of the show. Seeing how things worked behind the scenes was eye-opening, if a little weird.

My thoughts drifted to Vince. He had a nice smile. I always thought the phrase "captivating smile" was a cheesy cliché, but Vince actually had it. By the end of last night, I couldn't help smiling whenever he did.

I wanted to know more about him. 

I guessed he was in his mid-thirties. Where in rural Minnesota did he grow up? Did he have as many siblings as I did... or more? Was he the black sheep too? What did he do for fun? How old were his kids?

The questions swirled in my head, refusing to leave me alone.

Vince was old-school handsome. Textbook handsome. The kind of good looks you see on a screen but never expect to encounter in real life. When you do, it throws you off. He didn't feel real, like he was something I wasn't supposed to touch.

And then he touched my leg.

Oh my god.

These thoughts were going nowhere good. What was I supposed to be thinking about again?

My alarm jolted me out of my head. One minute had passed.

I laughed at myself as I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Vince had been my first thought of the day. I hadn't felt this way about anyone since I was a teenager, back when I was still figuring myself out.

Back then, thoughts of other men had consumed my inner dialogue. Men were always on my mind from the moment I hit puberty, no exceptions. There had never been a doubt in my mind that I was gay.

Now, Vince made me feel seventeen all over again. The difference was that I no longer had raging hormones or guilt holding me back. I was a grown man. I could do this. I could focus on other things.

I got up and started my day. My routine was predictable, maybe even boring, but it was the key to my success. If I didn't stick to it, I risked slipping back into depression. Sleep deprivation was one of my biggest triggers, so I made sure to get my eight hours every night.

I grabbed water, chugged some coffee, and went for my daily run. Exercise was non-negotiable for me, not just for my physical health but for my mental health too. A few times a week, I added weights at the apartment gym.