Beck stifles a yawn as he slumps down in his makeup chair. It's barely 4:30 in the morning, far too early for any human being to have to be awake. Yet...here he is. He supposes that he doesn't have much room to be upset, he's here because of the results of his own actions...and he's going to end up making a lot of money in the long run.
He's currently back in LA, working on a new limited series for HBO. It will have an eight episode run and follows the story of a detective trying to track down a local serial killer while also fighting his own personal battles. His character isn't supposed to have any tattoos, and Beck himself has several in real life. Normally the costuming department can pick outfits that conceal most of them, but today he's going to be filming a sex scene with his on-screen wife. All of his tattoos on every part of his body will need to be airbrushed over.
"Alright, hot stuff." His makeup artist, Rose, says to him as she approaches "Strip for me."
"Yes ma'am." Beck chuckles, pulling his t-shirt over his head and tossing it onto the counter in front of him "Whatever you say."
Some might take Rose's remarks to be inappropriate, but Beck knows that they are all in good fun. Especially considering that both Rose and her wife are in their mid-fifties and have been together for close to twenty years.
"Might as well get comfortable." Rose tells him as she begins setting up the air brush supplies "This is going to take a while. I have a lot of area to cover."
"Yeah, yeah." Beck smirks, pulling his phone out of his pocket so he can entertain himself while she works "I don't have as many tattoos as some other people out there."
"Yeah well, I'm not in charge of those people. I'm in charge of you."
Beck and Rose make small talk as she gets to work, mostly about how the project has been going so far and how adorable Rose's dogs are. Beck scrolls through his various social media apps as they converse, catching up on everything that he had missed overnight.
The picture that appears at the top of his Instagram feed makes him pause his scrolling. Jade had posted it, he had recently re-followed her, a black and white picture of her and Wilmer. She stands behind him with her arms draped playfully around his neck as she presses a kiss to his cheek, while he smiles at the camera. He's sitting at a table that has a birthday cake in front of it, the two candles in the cake are shaped like a '6' and a '0'. Jade has captioned the post 'the love of my life'. Beck's thumb pauses in front of his screen while he contemplates whether or not he wants to like the post or not.
"Those two are a bit of an odd match, don't you think?" Rose says, startling Beck out of his subconscious thoughts
"Hm? Oh, yeah. Definitely odd." Beck agrees with her, deciding to scroll past the post without liking it
"You ever worked with either of 'em?"
"Jade and I went to high school together, actually." Beck informs her "We were friends."
No need to get into the specifics of their relationship right now. Rose is nice enough, and the two of them talk about quite a bit during his time in her chair, but she doesn't need to know every detail of his past.
"Oh! What a small world." Rose remarks as she continues airbrushing Beck's chest "Did you see this coming?"
Beck pauses. He knows that she's asking in regards to Jade marrying a much older man, but his first instinct is to answer whether he saw his breakup with Jade coming.
The answer to the latter is...no. He really hadn't. Sure, their communication in the weeks leading up to that phone call hadn't been the best. He had been busy with midterms, and she had been busy working and auditioning. They went hours between text messages some days, and trying to schedule phone calls or video chats with each other felt almost impossible. Beck never thought that was enough for Jade to want to break up with him though. They just needed to make it to his Thanksgiving Break at the end of November, then he would be back in LA and they would be able to spend a whole week together.
He had begged her to change her mind, he wanted to put in the work to keep their relationship together. He didn't think he could live without her. Jade didn't think she could handle four whole years of long distance while he was in Chicago. She was very firm in her request to end their relationship, and Beck had known her mind was made up. Six months later, she booked her first part in Wilmer's movie, and three years after that she married him.
The rest is history.
"No." Beck tells Rose honestly "No, she never really seemed like the type. Her high school boyfriend was the same age as the rest of us."
"People change, I guess."
"Yeah, I guess so."
It was hard at first to watch Jade and Wilmer's relationship blossom from the sidelines. Beck wouldn't say he was jealous of Wilmer, after a few weeks he accepted that he and Jade were really over and moved on himself. He dated other girls, he's even had a few serious relationships...one that even resulted in a failed engagement. It was just hard to watch someone he cared about, because he'll always care about Jade...even if it isn't in a romantic way, be with someone who is so clearly wrong for her. Wilmer doesn't have the best reputation in the industry, and Beck doesn't understand how Jade can overlook that. She has never seemed like the type to tolerate that kind of bullshit.
He doesn't love Jade anymore, he hasn't for almost ten years, but he's always going to have love for her.
"What about him?" Rose asks
"Huh?
"Wilmer Gordon." Rose nods towards Beck's phone, even though Jade's post has long since disappeared from the screen "Have you ever worked with him?"
"Oh. No, I haven't." Beck tells her "I've herd plenty of stories about him though."
"I worked on that Prairie Paths movie he did a few years back." Rose informs him "He's a real asshole."
"So I've heard." Beck scoffs "What was he like?"
"He was in the makeup trailer every day, wanted to make sure that everyone 'looked right'...a real control freak." Rose admits "Seemed like he was like that with his wife too. Always wanted to know where she was and who she was with, he'd lose his shit if he couldn't find her. Which is a real pity, she seems like a nice girl."
"She is. Or, uh..er, she was...when I knew her." Beck corrects himself "So, I guess it's true that he has a temper then?"
"Yeah, he's definitely not afraid to make someone cry." Rose sighs "Anyone in the cast or crew could be a victim of a tongue lashing at any time...even Jade. She improvised a line once and he let her have it, in front of everyone working that day too. He argued that the script was perfect and she had no right to change it. It was sad to watch."
Based on everything that he's heard about Wilmer, Beck has always figured it was safe to assume that he doesn't treat Jade well. It's upsetting to hear it confirmed.
"The girl I knew in high school would have never put up with being treated like that." Beck tells Rose "She would have stood up for herself."
"It's very easy to be blinded by love." Rose sighs "Unfortunately, people usually don't realize they've been blinded until it's too late."
"I suppose."
"He's lucky to have her." Rose admits "He's done some of his best work since they got together, she must be some kind of muse after all."
"Kind of makes you wonder what would happen if she ever left him, doesn't it?"
"Oh, he'll always be Wilmer Gordon. His name means something. That's half the battle in the industry these days."
"You never know." Beck shrugs "Stranger things have happened."
"You're not plotting his demise, are you?" Rose raises an eyebrow at him in the vanity mirror
"Of course not." Beck chuckles "I want to stay as far away from him as possible, trust me."
Jade still feels like a bit of a stranger in her Los Angeles home, despite six years of marriage to Wilmer and eight years of being with him in general. They're not here nearly enough for it to really feel like the house is also her's, unlike their New York penthouse that felt like home after only a few weeks. She realizes that 'home' should really feel like wherever her husband is, but the LA house makes Jade feel uncomfortable. So much so that when she travels solo to LA, which isn't all that often, she opts to stay in a hotel instead.
"Well..." Wilmer clears his throat as he descends the staircase into the living room, fastening his watch around his wrist as he does so "I'm off. It's probably going to be a late night, don't worry about waiting up."
"You're going out?" Jade is surprised as she looks up from her book to see her husband dressed so nicely "We've been here for less than an hour, don't you want to...I dunno, relax for a little bit? We spent all day traveling."
They're in town for a week to hold auditions for Wilmer's next movie, now titled 'Life Sentence', about the lawyer whose client is wrongly executed. Jade is of course set to play the role of the main attorney, but there are other parts that need to be cast as well. As the director and co-writer, Wilmer will of course be part of the audition process, and wherever Wilmer goes...Jade usually also goes with him if it's possible. There will be a few actors who will need to do a chemistry test with her as well, if they make it far enough in the process. She wishes she could be apart of the whole process, the initial auditions and the callbacks and all of that, but Wilmer refused. He worries that too many people in the room could make the actors nervous, and he doesn't want that to impact the team's ability to find the perfect person for each part.
"I know but when Paramount Pictures calls and says they want to meet, you say 'okay'." Wilmer tells her, walking over to the couch and pressing a kiss to the top of her head "S'just business."
"And I suppose no one at Paramount Pictures bothered to invite your wife to dinner with you, right?"
"I'm afraid not..." Wilmer sighs, moving to sit down beside her "You know how these executives are. It's all bullshit and locker room talk."
"Maybe I want to be part of the bullshit and locker room talk." Jade shrugs "We're supposed to be partners, Will."
"I'm sorry, honey." Wilmer takes her hand and squeezes it tightly "Maybe another time."
Honey.
She hates that, and he knows it. The conversation is over, or at least Wilmer wants it to be. If she continues pressing, it will turn into an argument. This doesn't really feel like something blowing up into something bigger than it needs to be. If he wants her to stay home then fine, she'll stay home.
"Alright." She nods "Maybe another time."
"I should get going." Wilmer says, kissing her goodbye "Like I said, I'll be late. These guys love to talk about themselves. Don't wait up, I'll see you in the morning."
"Okay." Jade smiles as she watches him leave "I love you."
"I love you too."
"Do you have your phone?"
"Of course I do." He holds it up with a smile before placing it into his pocket "See you in the morning."
"See you..."
With that, Wilmer exits. No doubt headed down the driveway to a car that was already waiting for him. Jade is alone in the house that doesn't feel like her's, that she hates being in, that she fears will never really feel like home.
Wilmer had lived here with his second wife, Shayna, the one he had been married to the longest. They had been married for fifteen years, and there are still traces of their relationship everywhere. Curtains that she had chosen, hardwood floors that they had picked out together, it's as if Shayna still haunts the house even though she's still very much alive. Jade has asked Wilmer if they could remodel the house dozens of times, and he has always said no. He claims that they're not in Los Angeles often enough to justify changing everything about the house just because she 'feels a bit insecure', and she supposes that she sees his point.
Jade grabs her phone from its place on the coffee table in front of her and immediately navigates to her contacts list. She finds the 'Rebecca Olson' contact and momentarily considers calling. She and Beck did agree that they could meet up when they were both in the same city, and as far as she knows he hasn't left LA. It's been six weeks since they last saw each other though, and they haven't spoken since she called him that night.
Her thumb hovers over the call button as she contemplates whether or not she actually wants to call him. Ultimately, she decides not to. It feels like she'd only be sleeping with him to punish Wilmer, and that isn't the purpose of her arrangement with Beck. Once spite gets involved, Jade feels as if the situation has the potential to become even messier than it already is.
Rather than calling Beck, she exits his fake contact and navigates to her mother's instead. She figures its worth a shot, even though she knows that it's likely she'll get sent to voicemail. After about six rings, her prediction is confirmed.
"Hey, Mom..." Jade says as the recording begins "It's Jade. Wilmer and I are in town for the week and I'm going to have some free time while we're here. I wanted to see if maybe you wanted to get lunch? Just the two of us? Or dinner if that's more convenient. Doesn't matter to me. I'd just really love to see you. Let me know when you get this. Alright, love you. Bye."
After hanging up, Jade calls her father and leaves a similar message. Unfortunately, she knows deep down that both of her parents will likely decline her offer, if they even acknowledge the fact that she called them at all. To say that neither of them are fans of her husband is...an understatement. Neither of them had been pleased that their twenty-something daughter had decided to marry a man more than twice her age, and a man even older than both of them as well. Jade doesn't feel like they ever gave Wilmer a fair shot, they only met him once before the wedding and had decided that was enough for them to judge him. Regardless of their reasons, their opinions and choices had hurt her, and it hurts even more that they appear to no longer appear to want anything to do with her...they don't even want to see her when it's guaranteed that Wilmer won't be with her.
She doesn't want to stop reaching out though. Hopefully, one of these days, one of them will cave. Admittedly, she misses them both. Her step-father as well.
With a sigh, Jade returns to her book. She hadn't planned on finishing it tonight, but it now appears that she's going to with there being nothing else to entertain her. She's starting to wish that they had brought her assistant, Jenna, along with them on this trip. Not only would Jenna be able to run out and get her another book once she finishes this one, she'd also be someone to talk to. Already, not even thirty minutes after Wilmer has left, Jade is starting to feel a bit lonely. She reminds herself that she's a good boss for giving Jenna the week off, especially when she does so much for her.
Around 9:30, Jade decides to shower and climb into bed. Her body is still on East Coast time, she's exhausted from traveling, and Wilmer had instructed her not to wait up for him anyway.
He startles her awake when he climbs into bed beside her, and she noticeably flinches as he slides his arm around her waist.
"Sorry..." Wilmer apologizes as he kisses her gently "M'sorry, baby. I didn't mean to startle you."
"Wha' time is it?" She asks him, her voice still heavy with sleep as her eyes adjust to the darkness
"S'late."
"It's almost four in the morning!" Jade exclaims as her eyes finally adjust enough to read the clock on her bedside table "Where the hell have you been?"
"I told you it was going to be a late night..." Wilmer tells her calmly "These meetings...well, you know how they go."
"I can't say that I do, I've never been fucking invited to one." Jade snaps as the scent of unfamiliar perfume fills her nostrils "And where was this 'meeting' anyway? A Victoria's Secret?"
"What?"
"You smell like perfume." She tells him "Perfume that isn't mine."
"I sat next to Katherine Gill at dinner." Wilmer explains "The scent must have rubbed off on me."
"Yeah, must have." Jade scoffs as she pushes his arm off of her and rolls to face away from him "Goodnight."
"Jade..."
"I said goodnight, Wilmer."
Wilmer's side of the bed is empty when Jade awakes the next morning, and she momentarily starts to wonder if she had imagined their interaction the night before. Maybe she had imagined everything, maybe he never actually came home at all.
But the sheets smell like him, and his discarded clothes in the hamper smell like the same perfume that had lingered on him earlier that morning when he came home. She hadn't imagined anything, and she's angry at him for running away from the confrontation that he knew would likely be coming if they both woke up together.
There's a note stuck to the bathroom mirror when she enters, Wilmer's slanted and rushed handwriting at least giving her some kind of indication of where he ran off to.
"Auditions started early..." She sighs as she reads the note aloud to herself "I'll be home in time to take you to dinner at seven. Love you, Will."
Jade crumples the note in her hand and tosses it into the trash before leaving the bathroom to retrieve her phone. Without any hesitation this time, she opens the 'Rebecca Olson' contact and calls Beck. He answers after the second ring.
"Hello?"
"Are you in LA?" She asks him bluntly
"Uh, yeah..." He laughs "Are you?"
"Yeah, and I want to see you." She tells him "I...my husband pissed me off and then snuck out early this morning, and I don't feel like giving him the satisfaction of sitting alone in an empty house all day."
"You don't have to ask me twice..." Beck chuckles "I'm filming until noon today and then we can-"
"I need you to pick me up." Jade cuts him off "I can't risk nosy drivers getting involved and blowing this whole thing up."
"That's fine, I can do that." Beck agrees "Send me the address and I'll let you know when I'm on my way."
"Alright." Jade nods "Oh, and don't try to get into the gate. Just park on the street and I'll come out. We have cameras by the front door and I don't want to risk it."
"That's fine, Jade." Beck assures her "I'll text you when I'm on my way."
Within three hours, Jade is sitting in the passenger seat of Beck's Porsche Carrera GT as they cruise through the Hollywood Hills. She wears a hoodie and dark sunglasses, hoping not to be recognized driving around with a man who isn't her husband.
"You know you draw more attention to yourself when you're dressed like that, right?" Beck can't help but laugh "You're adding a layer of mystery that people are going to be anxious to uncover."
"No one can tell its me."
"If you say so..." Beck shrugs "So...what'd he do?"
"Hm?"
"Your husband." He clarifies "You said he pissed you off. What'd he do?"
"I think he cheated on me again." Jade sighs "And I know, I'm not really one to talk but-"
"Wait, again?" Beck clarifies "Is this, like, a normal thing for him?"
"S'not exactly normal but it isn't exactly abnormal for him either..." Jade explains "I dunno...he'll come in late and smelling faintly of perfume. There's always a cover story and I never have more proof than that, but sometimes I just have this gut feeling."
"Gotcha..." He nods "So you're using me to get back at him?"
"We said we could use each other..."
"You're right, we did." Beck chuckles "I just didn't think you'd take it so literally."
"I'm not using you to get back at him, because that implies that he would find out this is happening." Jade clarifies "I won't let that happen-"
"Well, yeah. The outfit tells me that much."
"I'm using you to make myself feel better." Jade explains "He cheats on me, I sleep with you, we go back to being happily married as soon as he gets home tonight."
"I..." Beck hesitates "Alright, sure. Sounds good to me."
He wants to tell her that her logic is extremely flawed, that happy people don't cheat on each other...and they especially don't cheat to get 'even'...but he decides its best in this situation to keep his mouth shut. Beck doesn't want to be the one to piss her off further, mainly because he might not get laid today if he does...but also because it could mean the end of their 'arrangement'. He likes the way that things are right now, and he doesn't want to risk blowing things up.
"I need to be back at my house by 3:30, by the way." Jade adds "I have to beat him home. If he catches you dropping me off..."
"We could explain it."
"Not to Wilmer..." Jade shakes her head "He's too possessive and too jealous. He expects me to be sitting at home waiting for him when he gets back, ready to tell him how much I missed him."
"And that doesn't feel like a red flag to you?"
"No, I think it just means he cares and he wants to feel valued."
"Alright..." Beck agrees, biting his tongue again "We'll make sure you're back no later than 3:30."