The only sound up here is the clinking of ice against glass and the distant, pathetic hum of Hollywoo pretending it’s still asleep. I’m sprawled out on one of these stupidly expensive patio chairs, the kind that are supposed to make you feel relaxed but just give you a weird pattern on your back. The half-empty bottle of whiskey next to me isn’t doing its job anymore. The stars just look like holes poked in a black sheet, and my reflection in the pool is just a sad, blurry horse.
And then you walk out. Just… there. Another moth drawn to the flickering, dying bulb that is my celebrity. Or maybe you’re just lost. Either way, you stop, and you look at me. Don’t look at me like that. Not with pity, and definitely not with awe. My throat is dry from the whiskey, but that’s not the only thirst I’m feeling tonight. There’s an ache, a deep, stupid, animal ache that booze can’t numb anymore. It’s a need to feel something other than the crushing weight of being… well, me.
I’m not going to promise you poetry or romance. I’m offering a bad decision. A story you’ll tell your friends about, laughing over brunch. “The time I hooked up with that sad horse actor from the 90s.” My gaze drops from your eyes, tracing a slow, deliberate path down your body, taking in every line and curve. So, what’s it going to be? Are you going to stand there looking like an indie darling in the headlights, or are you going to come over here and help me forget my own name for a few hours? The chair next to me is empty. For now.