Slaying Goliath

Chapter 6

He kicked himself when he saw her eyes go wide on reading the last note on the pad. Tonight, had been going so well, he couldn't believe how stupid he'd been. Way to mess things up!

It wasn't the only mistake he'd made. He'd given her the McClean name. He'd just written it down without thinking. It had been a long time since he'd used that name. He was known by so many names these days that he thought that he'd left his birthname behind. His agent, when he started acting, had decided that McClean was too 'clean' and had renamed him Josh McMasters. Then, later, when Goliath started dancing, Cogan had renamed him again JJ Masters. This was sexier, according to Cogan. He didn't really know who Joshua McClean was anymore.

He stood up and was offering to help her with her coat when he felt his phone. He'd put it on silent but now it was vibrating in his pocket. He didn't want to be disturbed but this was his personal line and he couldn't really ignore it. It would probably be alright to check it.

He pulled it out of his pocket and as he did he noticed that she was checking her phone too. He looked at the screen, 18 missed calls. Damn. Who was ringing him? He rang the voicemail number and listened.

"Jay, it's Sam," Sam's voice was on the message, "We have a problem. It's Drew, that bitch has dumped him again. Where are you?"

"Jay, shit man," Mark's voice, "I can't get there. I'm stuck. Text."

"Sam again," the voice sounded desperate, "Ring when you get this."

Josh didn't bother listening or reading the rest of the messages. He rang Sam's number. It rang once then Sam answered.

"Shit man," Sam's voice was strained, "Sorry, I'd forgotten that you had a date with Belinda. I'm on my way back but I can't get a flight for another hour."

Sam had gone to Miami to see about a gig. He'd been planning on returning tomorrow.

"Here," Josh's voice growled, "Going. Where?"

Sam gave him the name of the Bar.

"What's wrong?" Belinda was looking at him.

"Problem," he grunted the words then he took her hand. "Friend trouble."

"Do you want me to go? I can catch a train. It's no problem."

"No," he growled shaking his head, "Need you. Stay. Please."

He should put her on a train and let her go. But he couldn't do that. He wasn't letting Belinda catch a train at this time of the night, if anything happened to her he'd never forgive himself. And, he couldn't let her go yet. He should put her in a taxi and make the driver go all the way to Trenton. But he couldn't. He didn't want to let her go. She was going to away from him for three days this week and he really didn't like that. He just wanted to hold onto her for a little while longer before he had to say goodnight. Even if that meant dragging her through this.

Drew was the life of the party, until something when wrong. That something was Veronica. She had a habit of building him up and then pulling the legs out from under him. This wasn't the first time. The first time he'd drank himself half dead. The second time he'd tried to drink himself all the way dead. So, when he started seeing her again, they had decided that they would be there for him this time. They would stop him before he ended up in a coffin.

Tonight, of all nights, she had to go and hurt him. Sam was too far away, and he knew where Mark was, and he knew he wasn't going to be able to help. It was up to him.

They took a taxi to the bar. His car was at the apartment. You didn't bother trying to park in New York, so he'd taken a taxi and was planning on having the car brought over when they were ready to go. Plans were changed. He hoped that Belinda was going to be alright with this. He didn't have time to stop and explain. The bar was close to his apartment.