22 She giggled

Mark

None of the guys actually go to see my movies, much less go to my movie premieres. Well, Jamie and Steve watch when they can, or they say they do. It didn't bother me before, especially after Jamie and I were guests at a talk show when I did my third movie, Blossoming, and they asked Jame what he thought of my acting and Jame said, "I still haven't recovered from the second hand embarrassment." Yeah, after that, I was like none of you can come watch my movies ever. And then LJ did Rock Star and Mr. Barnes was so excited that he made all of us and several other bands attend the premiere and that kind of made me feel bad. Maybe just a bit.

Actually, the way Mr. Barnes forced the other guys to come tonight was also off. He said, "Best if you guys go, you all need any exposure you can get. You're not PYD, after all." What the heck.

I don't know how the other guys feel about that, but I decided to make them feel like I really wanted them to be there to support me, so that they feel less suckered than they probably did. After all, they have no choice but to love me.

"Mark, your friends are looking for you," said one of the PA's as he let Jamie and LJ into my dressing room.

"It's Mark from Boy Next Door!!!" LJ erupted into a high pitched squeal. This is the typical LJ greeting.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, so happy to see them. My hair and make up was done, I just needed to get into my suit, which Jamie handed over, wordlessly. This was the typical Jamie greeting. "Thank you, and can I borrow your phone?"

"Seriously, Mark, give me your phone and let me install the app," he whined, but pulled his phone out of his pocket anyway and set it on my open palm.

"You're the best, Jame," I said, immediately unlocking it.

"What app?" I heard LJ ask.

"Mark is being a creepy stalker using my social media account."

"Oooh, that's right," LJ clapped his hands. "You have new memes! Did you see the one where you turn into the Incredible Hulk?"

Still no update on Kate's homepage. She was online this morning, but no new posts or stories. I gave LJ the side eye; he was looking spiffy in a black jacket, cut military style. "Nice jacket, J, where did you get that?"

"Jamie, of course," LJ smiled, innocently. "It's Jamie's new thing, giving jackets away." Jamie kicked him and LJ guffawed, backing off while rubbing his leg where Jamie's kick landed.

I handed Jamie back his phone as he settled into my vacated make up chair. Of course Jamie dressed LJ, poor jerk has no clothes. "I'll just change my pants," I excused myself. "Jame, can you please stay and help me change?"

"What am I, your mom?" Jamie didn't get up from my make up chair or even look at me, which meant he was okay to stay.

"Uhh, but I'm hungry," LJ complained.

"There's catering in the next room." I had barely finished my sentence and LJ disappeared like lightning in the direction I gestured towards.

When I got back from the toilet, I saw Lauren, all dolled up, with her ass propped on the make up counter, giggling at whatever Jamie was saying. Jamie was still sitting in my make up chair, his legs up on the counter beside Lauren. She had her hand on his knee.

"Hey, Lauren," I reached behind her to get my shirt and suit jacket, which were now a little squished because of her. "I didn't know you knew each other."

"We don't," she said and held her hand out to Jamie. "I'm Lauren, I'm Mark's leading lady."

"Oh, you must be so much more than that," Jamie said. He took her hand and kissed it as she giggled. "I'm Jamie."

I stared at them for a second and shoved my clothes on Jamie's lap. "I need to get dressed, so if you'll excuse me..." I pulled my shirt over my head, and felt a swift movement whoosh in front of me. Soon as the shirt was off, I saw that Jamie had gotten up, covering Lauren's eyes with his free hand, the other still clutching the hangers with my clothes, which were now more than a little crumpled.

"We need to protect you from the perverts," Jamie had explained to an ever-giggling Lauren. I crumpled the shirt I had just taken off and hurled it at his face. Jamie blocked it and said, "Don't worry, miss, I will protect you."

I grabbed my dress shirt from him. "I need to get dressed, please."

"I'm sorry, miss, duty calls. Please avert your eyes from the best abs in the universe while I try to cover them up." That made Lauren laugh harder. Jamie was smiling as he took the shirt off the hanger and pulled it over my shoulders.

"I'm not a big abs or biceps girl, anyway," Lauren stated.

I looked over at her and frowned. "Don't you have your own dressing room?"

She ignored me and added, "I like tall and slender builds."

Jamie looked back at her and grinned. "Why does that sound like destiny unfolding?"

"Ugh, I think I'm gonna vomit," I muttered, as Jamie scolded me to tuck my shirt in. I unzipped a bit for the shirt to go into my pants and heard Jame say, "Miss, it's really dangerous for you here..." and Lauren giggling some more.

LJ had then arrived with three hotdog buns. "Back so soon?" I asked him. He was staring at Jamie standing rather too closely to Lauren, and holding her wrists, while she giggled like she couldn't turn it off.

"I don't know anyone," LJ said, and then he turned to me. "Is Jamie flirting with Mina from Heart's Vampire?"

"I know, right," I zipped back up and smoothed out the creases in my shirt.

"Oh goodness, that's such an old movie," Lauren exclaimed and held her hand out to LJ. "I'm Lauren, I'm in this movie with Mark. I'm such a big fan of yours, you were awesome in Rock Star!"

"Aww, we haven't started and it's already over," Jamie crossed his arms and shook his head, making Lauren giggle again and lightly slap his arm.

She then held her hand out to LJ again and he stared at her. Then, he put a hotdog in her hand.

"Oh wow, I'm so sorry," Jamie quickly snatched up the hotdog sandwich from her and grabbed the wet wipes from the make up artist's open bag.

Lauren laughed again and waved him off. I swear, I've never seen Lauren this happy. "I'll wash my hands, instead. I have to finish getting ready anyway. Glad to meet you all, and see you all later." She gave Jamie a meaningful look and left the room.

LJ took a huge bite of hotdog. "What the hell was that?" he mumbled with his mouth full, wiping mustard from his chin.

"Yeah, Jame, what the hell was that?" I looked at myself in the full-length mirror. Damn, was I good looking.

"Doesn't she kind of look like Antonia?" Jamie said, biting into the hotdog he took from LJ. "Can we get her for our next music video?"

LJ and I looked at each other, lightbulbs popping over our heads. I never really saw it before, but yes, she kind of looks like Antonia, a bit. Except she wasn't as pretty or cool or sexy.

Then LJ snapped his head back at Jamie. "Song 6!!!"

"What?"

"That line Jamie said earlier, it's one of Burt's lines from Song 6," he exclaimed, excitedly. "I knew it sounded familiar." And he started singing that verse, while stuffing his face with more food.

"We're shooting the video for that on Sunday, right?" I asked. "I want to change my rap for that song, the rhythm is off."

"You can bring it up in the meeting tomorrow," Jamie shrugged.

Suddenly, my phone chimed and Jamie and I looked at our respective phones at the same time. "Burt's here!" I smiled, feeling strangely comforted.

"Yep, let's go," Jamie headed for the door, not looking up at his phone. "Break a leg, or whatever it is they say before a movie." I chuckled at that.

As he fell in step with Jamie, LJ snatched the hotdog back, and mumbled, "Get your own." Then, before heading out the door, Jamie reached for the bun again and LJ held it up to his mouth and let him have a bite. I chuckled at the sight; these guys never fail to cheer me up.