"Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is growing up."-James A. Baldwin
Chapter Two: Dinner is Served
Starr gazed out the window at the palm trees that lined the streets of the place that has been her home for eight years. Her white sunglasses were pushed up above her forehead as she jotted down lyrics to a new
song she had been working on in the notebook given to her from Langston on her 25th birthday. She met with Darren Price earlier that morning to plan out the details of her third album. The two joined forces for Starr's last album and it was a musical match made in heaven.
After the hard time she had with the first one, it felt good to be under the management of someone who understood the concept of her music and promoted it for what it truly is. The driver came to open Starr's door when the white suburban stopped at the front of the mansion. Starr smiled as she took the few steps up to the door that led inside her home. It felt good to be back.
"Look who's finally home after a year long tour," Langston Wilde said walking down one of the black staircase in a white button down and black pencil skirt towards her best friend. "I've missed you so much." She said wrapping her arms around Starr into a long overdo hug. "So notice anything different?" Langston asked when they pulled away from the hug. Starr stepped back to analyze her friend.
"You got a haircut?" Starr answered looking at her friend's short brown locks. "It looks good Lang." She said smiling at Langston before walking towards the living room. "When you told me you were thinking about cutting your hair like Emma Watson. I freaked out in my dress room, but I have to admit it turned out better than I thought."
"Speaking of hairstyles," Langston said taking a seat in the opposite end of the black chair with Starr. "Growing your hair out and adding a dark brown undertone was one of the most brilliant ideas I've ever had." She suggested curling her feet underneath her. The women burst out in laughter at her comment. "How was Sam's valedictorian speech?" The brunette asked when the laughter died down.
"Uh it was great," Starr answered staring straight ahead preoccupied in thoughts about her encounter with James. Langston angled her head in front of Starr to break off her eye contact with the wall. "It seems like just yesterday he was Spidey Sam. I've missed most of his birthdays and Jack's and Dani's. At least Sam opens my presents and writes back. They could care less," Starr suggested smiling to hide her sadness. "I'm going to go spend some alone time with my babies. I know they missed me." Starr said leaving the room to be with her pet snakes.
"I'm so glad you made it bro," Nate Salinger said hugging James after he stepped into his hotel room. "I know you just got home from Australia and had to go straight to Llainview. I emailed Rye to send my regards for not making it to his graduation." Nate suggested when they pulled away. "I told him with the movie kicking off that I can't visit but we can video chat." He added taking a beer from the fridge across the room. Nate walked over to where James was now sitting and handed him a soda since he didn't drink. "Hey man you won't believe who's directing my new movie." Nate said taking a sip of his beer. James shrugged his shoulder while raising his hands. "Markko Rivera and Langston wrote it. Small world aye?" Nate suggested laughing before taking another sip of beer. James didn't say anything. Instead he smiled and looked down at his drink. "There's a couple loose ends to tie up but it's pretty much a done deal. Did anything exciting happen in Llainview?" Nate asked looking at his brother.
"By exciting do you mean if anybody got kidnapped or committed a crime than no. Nothing really happened in Llainview," James answered placing his soda can on the table. "Except I did run into Starr while Ryder and I were playing catch in the park." He added looking towards his brother.
"Wow! I didn't even know she was back in the states," Nate said sitting back still lost for words. "Wasn't she in Beijing just a couple of weeks ago?" He blurted out looking at his brother. James shrugged at him in response. "Wait. You said you ran into her in the park, rights," Nate asked placing his beer on the table. James nodded. "Isn't that were you guys first met in the park. She was crying. You gave her a tissue"-
"I was there, Nate. You can spare me the details of something I actually lived through," James replied walking out of room in the kitchen to place his can on the counter. "Besides I haven't seen you in over a year and now you're leaving town for eight months. I don't want to spend the last day I get hang out with you talking about some girl." James suggests placing his hands on the counter.
"Some girl?" Nate yelled raising from his seat looking at James in a confused way. "Starr Manning is not just some girl. At least not to the billions of people who listen to her music and watch her perform and certainty not to you." Nate exclaimed placing his beer on the counter. "I get that your brake up was hard but what's with you, James? You put everything on the line for her time and time again. You even pondered over her years later. I would think you'd be happy to see Starr again." Nate suggested walking towards the couch to sit down.
"For the record I have not spent the last nine years pondering over Starr. You know I've dated since then. I've moved on,"James retorted back leaning his hands against the counter. "And I never said I wasn't happy to see Starr. I just wasn't happy with how she looked and what she told me." James suggested. Nate looked at him confused. "Starr told me she was lonely Nate not just with words but with her eyes. At first, she tried to hide it from me but I saw straight through it. Her eyes didn't have that twinkle that only Starr has. They we empty, cold, and sad. That's not her Nate."
"Maybe it is, James. You said it yourself it's been nine years maybe she's not the same Starr," Nate stopped talking to pull his buzzing phone out his pocket. He glanced at it a few seconds before turning to James. "We gotta go man. Markko needs to talk with me. I hope you're hungry bro," Nate said throwing the keys in his pocket to James before walking towards the door.
Langston retreated to her home office on the western wing of the house to do some writing after her talk with Starr. She needed to do something to distract her roaming mind while she waited in anticipation for a deal to go through. Langston had just sent her script to a producer who was considering picking it up. Now she had to do the hard part wait for a response.
On the eastern wing of the mansion, Starr sat in her private sitting room still at work perfecting the song she had been writing earlier. Her snake wrapped securely around her neck as she wrote.
"Hey get dressed. We're celebrating," the brunette told Starr bursting into the room in a sleeveless navy blue chevron jumpsuit with turquoise pumps and a necklace.
James handed the bottle of wine across the table to his brother who is sitting next to Britney Jennings, the owner of JMP, Jennings Media Productions. Markko Rivera sat at the head of the table sporting his usual facial hair and sideburns. He wore his usual black suit and dress shirt but topped it off with a plum purple tie that matched Britney's peplum sleeveless dress that stopped above her knees.
James in just a white button down, gray t-shirt, dark jeans, and sneakers felt underdressed. Nate put a black blazer on with his white v-neck, and jeans. Britney broke out in laughter after Nate's previous attempt of flirting with her failed greatly.
"Okay now we've met and I can tell you like me. A LOT. Did I mention you are extremely hot by the way," Nate suggests turning to Britney who was still laughing. "And I make you laugh. I'm sure that's a bonus." He added smiling. "You, me, and Markko equals a badass team and a kickass blockbuster hit. There's no doubt about that so enough with the small talk and making fun of my sorry pickup lines. Let's sign the papers and celebrate." Nate said looking from Britney to Markko. Before Markko or Britney could respond, a familiar voice is heard.
"Well I can imagine it was ama-" Langston pauses in mid sentence stopping in front of the table surprised with Starr behind her texting.
"What's wrong Lang? Why did you stop?" Starr's eyes followed immediately to Britney Jennings who was sitting on Markko's right while he sat at the head of the table. James takes in her appearance. She's wearing a sleeveless denim button down tied in the front with a white lace maxi skirt that has splits on the sides. Her hair cascaded around her face in waves. "James," Starr says barely over a whisper taking her sunglasses off to look in his direction.
"Starr." James said while grinning.
"Britney." Langston yelled clearly in shock.
"Markko." Britney said turning to Markko confused.
"Langston." Markko replied in surprise.
"Nate," everybody turns their head towards Nate. "What? Nobody said my name and I didn't want to feel left out here. Nate suggests shrugging.