PERMANENT - Leonardo DiCaprio

Chapter 49 - Blast from the past

Wednesday 6.30am

I pulled my trainers on as I sat at the edge of the bed, leaning over and trying to tie the laces in the dark. The sun had just risen, so it wasn't pitch black outside, but as the heavy velvet curtains were drawn in front of the large windows, it blocked out most of the light.

Walking over to the overnight bag I had taken with me (but never unpacked), I rummaged around until I found my baseball cap (that I had stolen from Leo and now claimed as mine), and walked over to the mirror, putting it on and fixing my hair, making sure to pull it down low to hide my face.

Picking up the spare room card, I walked over to the door, opening it quietly as to not wake Leo, and closed it behind me gently until I heard the door click and lock behind me.

It had by no means been my intention to wake up this early, but I couldn't sleep, so decided to be productive for once and go for a morning run. Besides, what other place offered the views that Hollywood did?

Walking past the other luxury bungalows, I could see it was quiet, and everyone else was too sleeping, except for the cluster of staff that were wide awake setting up for breakfast in and around the restaurant as I carried on walking out through the main entrance.

I set out jogging down Marmont Lane at a steady pace, zipping up my jacket all the way as I ran. The sun was very low in the sky, only just rising, and the dark blue sky was slowly turning lighter, and the subtle orange glow was getting stronger, but the chilly morning wind felt sharp.

I had opted to use the less populated roads for joe - they were quiet and peaceful, and allowed me to really clear my head.

As I ran, I thought through the last couple of months. The travelling, the drama, the fun, and this was our last stop. Titanic was almost done, and soon we would all be living out of the moment, and this would be in the past - just a memory at a point in all our lives.

I longed to go back to London to see Matt, even though so had been back not too long ago. I had to plan a trip for him here soon, and I was willing to force him if he didn't cooperate.

//

I had been jogging for about an hour as I rounded the street to Sunset Boulevard, and the sun was now shining warmly, my jacket tied around my waist, over my shorts. Contrasting to the quiet streets behind Chateau Marmont, Sunset Boulevard, lined with lush palm trees was bustling with cars and people already.

"Pen? Pen!" I heard a slightly distant voice shout. I looked over to the left, to the other side of the road, slowing down my jog to a walk, as I squinted trying to see the figure, which stood in the shade, so it was hard to make out the identity of the mystery silhouette.

At this point, I had stopped completely and was staring. The voice was familiar, and no fan ever called me Pen, they usually went by Penelope, and besides, it was hard to recognise me what with my sportswear and cap so low even I could hardly see.

The tall figure started walking towards the road, crossing carelessly between the many cars queuing up in traffic. As he entered the sunlight, and I no longer had to squint, I recognised him all to well. I should've recognised sooner - the impressive height, the smart suit, and the way he walked. Jake.

"Hey stranger," he said as he finally approached me, gleaming his perfect smile.

I smiled in return, "Long time no see."