Lights, Cameras, Outsiders!

Chapter 20

LCO 20
"So what's you talk to Tommy about?" Matt asked. He decided to take me bowling that night with Rob and Christine.
"He was kind of feeling left out. So I invited him to go to get burgers tomorrow," I said.
"Alone?" He said, grabbing his bowling ball off the machine.
"Yeah. Look Matt, nothing's going to happen," I said.
"I don't know..."
"If anything happens, I'll tell you." He rolled the ball down the lane and got a strike.
"Yeah like you told me last time something happened?" He snapped walking back to his seat. Christine walked up to the machine.
"Stop it Matt," I said.
"Well you know I'm not loving the idea of you going out with him when he likes you," he said.
"Matt, it's not a date or anything."
"And you say you're gonna tell me if anything happens, but I don't really like that because last time anything happened, you didn't tell me until you were in the hospital."
"I'm not gonna end up in the hospital."
"Essie, I don't want you going on that date."
"It's not a date."
"Essie, you're up," Christine said. I walked up to the machine.
"Tell you what, Matt. I get a strike, I go alone. I don't, you come with us."
"Fine. Go ahead."
I bowled and nine of the ten pins were knocked down with one balancing on the corner of its bottom. It spun and spun until it finally hit the ground.
"YES! Suck it, Matt."
"Fine go on your stupid date."
"It's not a date!"
*********
"Just so we're clear this is not a date," I said to Tommy as we slid into the booth.
"Oh no. I wouldn't dare to steal ya from Matt," he said.
"Good cause he's not too happy about this."
"Why?"
"Cause he thinks this is a date," I reiterated.
"Oh."
"So why do you and Ralph fight?" I asked.
"He's very professional and I'm...not," he said.
"How?"
"He wanted to rehearse lines the other night and I wanted to play PAC Man," he said.
"Y'all are just different ages."
"Swayze's like that too."
"Cause he's lot older."
"All Francis lets us do is rehearse lines and eat and Tai Chi with Swayze. I thought it'd more exhilarating."
"Oh it will be."
"What was Tex like?" He asked.
"Well preparing for the shoot was kind of boring but once we got rolling it was a lot of fun," I said.
"Did you and Matt have fun?"
"Yeah after day shoots we'd go out for dinner and down to rodeos to get the cowboy feel."
Two girls walked up the table next to us and start giggling. A man behind newspaper started smiling and signing their papers they were shoving in his face. I knew that smile anywhere.
"Excuse me, sir," I got up and tapped the paper.
"Hmm?" He said. I yanked the paper down and stared at him. He kept his sunglasses on but put out his cigarette. His lip had dried blood in the right corner.
"Really, Matt?" I said.
"Hey, I didn't know you two were coming here. How's the food?"
"Matt!"
"Ok ok," he sat up straight.
"I didn't like the idea so I spied. You all are some boring people."
"Matt, go back to the hotel."
"As long as I'm here, I may as well get some dinner."
"Come outside with me," I said dragging him by his arm outside.
"Stop it. Nothing was going on," I said.
"Yeah sure and once I'm gone, he's gonna slip his hand up your-"
"Hey! No, he's not. Matt, just please go back to the hotel," I said.
"Fine I'll go," he took off his sunglasses and stuck them in his jean pocket. I craned my neck and looked closer at his eyes in the dark. He has tired bags around one and
the other was surrounded by purple and yellow.
"What the hell happened to your eye?!"
"Emilio and I were fooling around. He's got the busted lip. You should be worried about him."
"I swear to God Matt if this is makeup or if you got Emilio to punch you," I pressed down on it with my thumb.
"Ow!" A white circle appeared and then disappeared. It was real.
"Ok. Go back to the hotel and put ice on it."
"You're not coming back now?"
"No. I'm not. I promised Tommy until ten and at ten oh one I'll be up with you and the ice okay? Just put ice on it," I said.
"Fine," he snapped.
"Hey, hey, hey," I said turning him.
"I love you," I smiled.
"Yeah yeah," he said.
I went on my tippy toes and started to pull him for a kiss.
"Ow," he said pulling away. He smiled.
"I can deal with it."