Tangerine Kisses: A Novella

Chapter Seven - Sebastian

It is not a date, I tell myself as I hunt for the aftershave I save for special occasions. The last few months have been a weird one for me. I tried to throw myself into the play as much as possible and ignore that weird feeling I get whenever I am around her. I know she has a deep distrust for me, probably I would too. Steering clear of her has not helped to ease the tension so I figured the easiest way would be to have a drink together, get drunk, and laugh about our past. At least, that is what Dave said when I mentioned it to him. Dave is not just my agent, he is also a friend. Albeit a friend who takes great pleasure in telling me what I can and cannot do with regards to my career. He is well into his fifties now, just a few years younger than Dad, and he has been in the business so long I trust him completely. Obviously I'm not the only actor he agents, but I think I am the most prolific which is why he dedicates a lot of time to me.

He asked me how the play was going and told him it was going well except the awkwardness of having an ex from university around who is now suddenly ten times hotter and no longer the shy girl I befriended when we were eighteen. Dave said in the industry you run into exes repeatedly and it was bound to happen at some point. The easiest way to get over it is to hang out and laugh about it, that's probably what Brad and Jen did.

For our not-date I have managed to get us a table booking at a jazz bar not too far from the theatre, but a bit more central. Bookings are hard to come by and to be honest I did have to use the "I am a famous celebrity" card, which luckily they brought. I remember how Ava used to love to dance at uni and I just hope she has not grown out of it.

I locate my bottle of aftershave and I get a call from Jack. I answer cos I know the last time he was pissed I ignored him for ages when Louise was around. This time I tell him I am getting ready to go out and for him to keep it quick.

'I sent you that email about potential venues to have dad's party at,' he says, his voices laced with irritation, 'did you read it? I sent it over three weeks ago.'

'Shit.' I had totally forgotten. 'I will. Tonight, uh no wait, I'm busy. Tomorrow. I promise.'

'For God's sake, Bash, grow up and take some responsibility,' Jack snaps at me and hangs up. It puts me in a shit mood, that is until I swing by Ava's at eight pm and I get that weird feeling I get when I know she is near.

Ava lives in close to Kensington so I take a taxi because it isn't far. Her apartment is in a nice building close to Holland Park which is not as big as Hyde Park but certainly large enough to jog round. It is a nice area, well it is central London after all. Probably similar in price to where I am now.

I buzz her intercom, number seven, and after a short while she answers.

'Hi, it's me,' I say.

'Sorry, Seb,' she replies sounding breathless. 'I'm running late. I'll buzz you up.'

It is no big deal to me, plus it means I get to see her apartment. I shrug as she lets me in through the main front door with the intercom. I climb the main stairs to the second landing, noting the stairs are carpeted which indicates this is a well looked after building. When I reach number seven she pops the door open before I can even knock and lets me in.

I catch the first smells of someone's home you always get the moment you step in through their front door. Her flat smells of cooking and laundry, and she smells like she just stepped out the shower. Which, now I am looking at her, she has. She is wearing nothing but a silk robe which stops mid-thigh, and her hair is wet but brushed. Her cheeks are flushed.

'My sister had an emergency so I had to take the kids,' she explains to me. 'She promised she will be here in ten minutes though.' I wonder if this is an acceptable explanation for her state of undress but then I realise why she is telling me this as an explosion of noise assaults my ears.