"What's he like?" Beck asks as he takes Jade's hand, lacing their fingers together as they walk
"He's..." Jade hesitates, trying to find the words to be honest to her boyfriend but not to scare him "I guess the best way to describe him is firm, but fair. At least that's how he raised me. I could go out with my friends as long as I was honest about where I was going and who I was with and that I made it home by my curfew. Once when I was fifteen, I lied and said I was going out with my girlfriends when I actually was out with a boy, and then I tried to sneak in twenty minutes past my curfew and he caught me. I was grounded for two weeks."
"Firm, but...fair." Beck agrees with a chuckle
He's meeting Jade's father, John, for the first time tonight and to say that he's nervous would be an understatement. It's been nerve-wracking every time that a girl has ever brought him home to meet her parents, but something about this particular instance just feels...different. Beck knows that Jade is the only child...the only daughter...of a single father who had lost his partner in a tragic accident. He's expecting John to be more protective of Jade, and he can't say that he blames him.
But Beck loves Jade, and he wants her father to love him as well. He wants to make a good first impression so that their relationship doesn't gain the unnecessary stress of her father not liking him.
"Exactly." Jade nods "Or his stipulations for me going to college. He really didn't think the whole 'drama school' thing was a smart choice in terms of practicality, but he knew it was what I really wanted to do. So, he told me he would pay my way through my undergraduate so long as I kept at least a B average. Again, firm...but fair."
"He doesn't want you to be an actress or a writer?" Beck raises an eyebrow at her
That's the first that he's hearing of this. Jade has never made it seem like any part of her relationship with her father is strained, at least from what he can tell. Beck can imagine that not having his support in her career choice might not make for smooth sailing between the two of them.
"No, he does. He wants me to be happy, and that's why he wants me to be so cautious." Jade explains "Let's face it, my chances at employment and job stability would be much higher if I had gone into business or education or something like that. The chances of making it in the entertainment industry are small, and he doesn't want me to struggle."
"Does he realize how talented you are?"
"Do you have any grounds to speak on how talented I am?" Jade chuckles "You've never seen me act."
"But I've read your writing." He reminds her "If you can act even half as well as you can write, you'll be booking parts left and right once you want to be."
The script for her one-act play that she'll need to put on in order to graduate is almost complete, and of course she's allowed Beck to read what she's written so far. He's offered her honest feedback as well, and she's appreciated it. It's really fucking good, at least in Beck's opinion. He can't wait to see it come to life on stage.
"Well, thank you for that." Jade blushes, looking down a bit "He's always been supportive of me, he believes in me. He just worries."
"Can't blame him for that, I suppose." Beck shrugs "...what will he think of me being an actor?"
"He knows you're an actor." Jade tells him "Don't look so surprised, do you not keep your parents updated on your life when you talk to them?"
"I do!" He's quick to assure her "They know about you! I guess I just thought, well...I don't know what I thought, actually. What did he say when you told him that I'm an actor?"
"He asked how we met and he wasn't surprised to hear the answer." Jade laughs "He says everybody is meeting everybody on an app or at a bar these days. But then he asked if I would know you from anything, and I told him about LA Med. He's not really part of the target demographic so I wasn't surprised when he said he hadn't seen any episodes in a few years. So then, I told him about the new show and how you play a pretty significant part and he seemed...dare I say, a bit impressed."
"Really?" Beck perks up
"Most 'actors' in New York have done a commercial or two and are working three jobs while they wait for their next audition." Jade reminds him "Yes, the fact that you've booked a role on a pretty major network show is impressive to him."
"Alright, good." Beck nods, feeling a bit more confident "Good. I don't want him thinking that I'm not good enough for you or something."
"I think it's inevitable that all fathers think that about the men their daughters date." Jade smirks "Isn't that a law of nature or something?"
"That's a fair point." Beck agrees "Well, hopefully he thinks I'm a bit better for you than he did before."
"You're not nervous, are you?"
"Of course I'm nervous!" Beck tells her "You're extremely important to both of us, and I want us to get along."
"I'm sure you will." Jade assures him as they reach the doors to the restaurant "Um, one thing...before we go in."
"Sure."
"Don't bring up my mom unless he does." Jade instructs her boyfriend "It's been well over a decade now, but it's still hard for him."
"Sure." Beck nods "That's easy enough."
The couple arrives at the restaurant before John does, and Jade had made sure they would do so on purpose. Her father is big on punctuality and being on time, and she knew if he had arrived first he would have been keeping track of the time that passed until they did.
The restaurant itself is much fancier than the ones Beck and Jade have dined at together previously. While Beck could afford it with his new paycheck, Jade certainly couldn't on her part-time wages from the bookstore, and they've taken to trying to be equals in their relationship when it comes to paying for things. Tonight's dining location had been John's choice though, because he insisted that it be his treat. A fancy restaurant on the Upper East Side where the appetizers alone cost over twenty dollars is no place for a casual meal, and that makes Beck all the more nervous.
"Dad!" Jade grins when John walks through the revolving door
Beck is thankful that she noticed him right away, he's not sure that he would have recognized him without her help and he doesn't want to come across as rude.
"Hi sweetheart..." John grins, opening his arms to greet his daughter with a hug "You're looking well. Very tan."
"Cat and I have gone tanning in the park a few times this summer..." Jade admits "Dad, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Beck."
"Beck." John extends his hand to shake "I've heard a lot about you, s'nice to finally meet you."
"You as well, sir." Beck smiles "Your daughter is...well, she's fantastic."
"Yes, I know." John nods "Shall we sit?"
The hostess leads them to a reserved table in the back of the restaurant, a booth. Beck and Jade sit on one side and John on the other. Jade grabs Beck's hand beneath the table and gives it a reassuring squeeze, smiling at him as she uses her free hand to open her menu.
"How is that summer class coming, Jade?" John asks as he looks at his own menu "Hopefully it's not too much for you to manage?"
"My elective film history class?" Jade chuckles "No, I'm managing it just fine. S'all busy work."
"I don't see why you couldn't have taken that during fall or spring semester."
"We wanted a guarantee that we could keep the apartment." Jade reminds him "I told you that."
"Right, so I can pay your rent year round instead of just during the school year." John teases, smirking
Beck laughs because he feels obliged to.
"I told you that if you wanted me to help with rent that I could-"
"I'm only teasing you, Jade." John assures her "Relax. You're doing fine, and so far so is he."
"Thank you, sir." Beck says "I think..."
The waiter comes to take their order, and with it being a steakhouse there aren't that many options to choose from. John also orders them a bottle of wine to split, which is thankfully delivered to them rather quickly.
"So, Beck..." John takes a sip from his glass "My daughter tells me that you're the next big movie star."
"Oh, I don't know about that..." Beck chuckles humbly, turning to his girlfriend "Is that really what you told him?"
"Not in those exact words..." Jade admits with a shrug "But I might've implied it indirectly."
"Well, thank you..." Beck smiles, squeezing her hand beneath the table again "I'm not sure if there's a movie career in my future or not right now, but I'm grateful for the opportunity that I've been given and I'm really excited about it."
"As you should be." John nods "I don't know much about LA Med but I've read good things and I know it's quite popular. I'm sure the same can be expected for a spinoff."
"That's the hope."
"I'll be watching when it premieres in the fall."
"You will?"
"You will?" Jade is surprised
"Of course I will." John assures them "You're important to Jade, and Jade is important to me. I want to show my support where I can."
"Thank you, sir."
"It can't be any worse than the god knows how many seasons of Gossip Girl that she made me sit through when she was in high school."
"Oh?" Beck raises an eyebrow at his girlfriend
"You were just as invested in finding out who Gossip Girl was as me!" Jade insists
The table shares a laugh and both Beck and Jade start to feel a bit more relaxed. A sense of relief rushes over them both as they realize that things are actually going well. They talk for a bit longer about Jade's studies and what Beck thinks of the idea of her entering the same industry as he's working in, obviously he's supportive of it and it seems that John is too. They discuss John's law career and how he had decided he wanted to become a lawyer after watching LA Law with his parents, although he now practices employment law and his cases aren't nearly as exciting as those that had been written for the show. It makes Beck think about how he maybe has the potential to inspire young people to enter the medical field, at least if he plays his character well.
Towards the end of the meal, Jade excuses herself to use the restroom. She and Beck share a look before she does so, and he offers her a nod of reassurance to let her know that he'll be okay on his own with her father for a few minutes. She kisses him on the cheek before she leaves, and John watches her walk away...making sure that she's out of earshot before he speaks.
"Beck, can I ask you something?"
"Of course, sir."
"Sir." John scoffs "Am I really that intimidating?"
"M'just trying to be polite." Beck admits
"Mr. West is fine...for now." John tells him "As my only daughter, and my only child in general, Jade is the most important thing in my life. I'm sure you can understand that."
"Of course, Mr. West."
"She's independent and she's strong, she's had no choice but to be since we lost her mother. She doesn't need you to take care of her, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't." John says "And with you being in the industry that you're in, I feel obligated to ask...do you have a backup plan?"
"A backup plan?" Beck takes a sip of his wine
He has the feeling he might need another glass if this conversation is headed in the direction that he thinks it is.
"It's wonderful that you've found the work that you have, and I don't doubt that you're a talented young man...but you never know what can happen. Characters can be written out, auditions can be hard to find...I bother Jade about this quite often, what's your backup plan?"
"I, uh..." Beck hesitates "If I'm being completely honest, Mr. West...I don't have one. Acting has been my only focus since I was in middle school. It's all I want to do."
"I see..." John nods "You don't have a degree in something else?"
"I...I don't have a degree at all."
"I see..." John says again, taking a sip of his own wine now "Well, I wish you the best of luck with this new role then. I hope it works out and pans into other opportunities for you."
"As do I."
"Hey." Jade returns to the table and slides into the booth next to Beck "What are you guys talking about?"
"Just the ups and downs of the entertainment industry." John tells her "You know how it goes."
"Okay..." Jade chuckles, grabbing Beck's hand beneath the table again "I was hoping you had been working on choosing a dessert."
"We can do that." John assures her, reaching for the menu again "What do you two have a taste for?"
"Does it bother you that I don't have a backup plan?" Beck says into the silence of the bedroom
He had accompanied Jade back to her apartment following dinner. Cat was out with Robbie, so they took advantage of their momentary alone time by having sex, then took a shower together, and are now cuddled up together in bed. In the morning when Beck's alarm goes off early, he'll get dressed and kiss Jade goodbye, and then she'll go back to sleep while he heads off to set for the day.
"Huh?" Jade is confused "What are you talking about?"
"Your dad brought it up..." He tells her "When you went to the bathroom."
"Brought what up?"
Jade rolls over and switches on the reading lamp on her bedside table so that she can see her boyfriend's face better.
"He told me that you're strong and independent and that you don't really need me to take care of you..."
"He's right about that."
"But he also said that doesn't mean I shouldn't try."
"Okay, fair enough."
"He asked me what my backup plan is incase acting doesn't work out." Beck explains "Said that characters can be written out of shows easily and that auditions can be hard to come by...and he's right."
"Beck..."
"I don't have a back up plan." Beck admits to his girlfriend "Acting is all I've ever wanted to do since I was in middle school. I don't ever want to do anything else, at least that's how I feel right now."
"That's fine, baby." Jade assures her boyfriend, caressing his face gently "I don't have a backup plan either! My dad...there's something you need to understand about him. He had me very young, he was twenty. He didn't get the chance to really establish himself before he started his 'grown-up life'. My mom died when they were twenty-seven. He never had the chance to take risks, he's had no choice but to be practical. He doesn't understand that I...that we...have those opportunities."
"He told us that he knew he wanted to be a lawyer from the time he was a teenager."
"That's what he's always told me too." Jade shrugs "He never had the chance to really explore his other options either though. As soon as he found out my mom was expecting me, he fast-tracked himself through his undergrad and through law school so he could provide for his new family. We don't have those responsibilities yet, we can afford to be a little selfish in our career choices."
"I guess I didn't really look at it like that."
"I mean, why would you?" Jade shrugs again "I'm sorry that he said that to you."
"No, don't be." Beck assures her "You're his little girl, right? He just wants what's best for you."
"Even if he has odd ways of showing it." Jade nods "Seriously, Beck. Don't worry about it. Like I said, if the 'actor' thing bothered me, I would've ended things with you back when you told me."
"I know, I know." Beck sighs "I just really love you, Jade. I don't want to lose you, especially over something like that."
"I love you too." She tells him "And I promise that you won't."
"Okay..." Beck leans over and presses a gentle kiss to her lips "Sorry to keep you up, I'm glad we talked about that."
"Me too." Jade smiles as she reaches over to turn the lamp off again "We should get some sleep now though. You have to be up early tomorrow."
"Right." Beck agrees as he wraps an arm around her, letting her settle against his chest "Don't remind me."
"You love your job, don't act like you don't." Jade chuckles
"I do." Beck tells her as he presses a gentle kiss to her temple "But I also love lazy mornings in bed with you."
"We'll have more chances for that, don't worry." She says with a yawn "G'nite, babe. I love you."
"I love you too." Beck tells her "Goodnight."