Unanticipated Plans

Chapter 1

Tom walked into the bar feeling oddly sad. The movie had wrapped and he would be going back to his flat alone. Well at least until next month when he started shooting his next adventure. He didn't want to go home; he wanted a new adventure, a different kind of adventure.

Rob threw his arm around Tom's shoulders momentarily snapping him out of his thoughts, "C'mon Loki, let's have a drink."

Tom smiled at the man who played Iron Man. He envied Robert if he was truthful with himself. Chris too. They both had a family to go home too. Tom didn't even have a pet since he travelled so much. He knew that his co-stars would go home to their beautiful wives and newly born babies. He wanted that more than anything the superficial world of Hollywood could give him.

He followed Rob to a barstool and sat between him and Scarlett. She was hanging onto her boyfriend, cooing at his every word. He wasn't attracted to her but he still felt a pang of jealousy knowing she had someone to go home with.

A shot of bourbon was placed in front of him. Rob stood up holding his shot glass in the air, "I would like to propose a toast to the best cast! You guys have been the best to work with. Here's to you!" Tom threw the bourbon down his throat feeling the sting all the way down to his stomach. He didn't normally drink bourbon but he welcomed the feeling that it provided. It helped loosen him up, causing him to forget the ache in his heart.

As the evening wore down, the owners opened the bar to the public again. Most of the cast were gone except for Tom and Jeremy. Jeremy was a lot like Tom but was more of a playboy than Tom could ever be. He didn't want that. They sat talking with some of the remaining crew members laughing about memorable moments during shooting. Tom was enjoying their company.

Not too much later, Tom found himself sitting alone with Jeremy. "So what do you have going on after this?" Tom asked.

"Ah, I gotta get back in the gym for training. I will be filming the next Bourne movie in two weeks."

"Where will you be filming first?"

"I think Bulgaria."

"That's a beautiful country."

"So I hear. I'm looking forward to it. I hear the women are interesting to say the least."

Tom faked a laugh. He felt that now familiar feeling of envy creep back into His stomach. He turned away and looked down at the other end of the bar. His eyes found a blonde woman laughing with what appeared to be some of her friends. She was gorgeous, he thought. She glanced at him. She felt as if she were being watched. She startled Tom by smiling slightly then returning her attention back to her friends.

He smiled to himself then returned to his glass of water. Jeremy continued talking about his shooting schedule. He nodded along, listening to the stories he would tell. Tom began to get the urge to travel after hearing all about Jeremy's adventures. He didn't want to go home. In fact he wanted to go anywhere but there. He started mentally making a list of the places he would like to go. London, Norway, Croatia, then he thought about stateside, Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts. He wanted adventure didn't he? So why not go? Everyone else was off to an exotic location and those that he truly envied were off to their families, since he didn't have the family he truly wanted he chose to go on an adventure until he had to be on set for his new film in Paris.

"So what are your plans?" Jeremy asked.

"I think I just decided to travel for a bit, see where the world takes me."

"Sounds fun. I envy that you actually have a month off to do that." Tom was taken aback by this admission.

"Really? And here I was sitting here feeling sorry for myself!"