Page 39 of After Midnight

I never meant to give him the cold shoulder. I had wanted to see him before he left for Chicago, but once again, my chaotic family life had gotten in the way. Or maybe I’d let it get in the way.

With all my time focused on the girls, I knew it was unfair to start a relationship. That being said, I also needed a friend. Not like my buddies from school, but someone who could hold me when times were bad. Times like now when my entire world was crashing around me. I needed Dillon but it was my own fault he wasn’t here for me. Hell, it was only because he had texted me that I even got to say goodbye.

I arrived home to find Miss Rita waiting for me on the couch. “You heard already?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Margarette texted to say she’d won the court case so I’m officially fired. She expects me to vacate the house immediately or risk being arrested for trespassing.”

I didn’t want to rehash today’s courtroom shitshow but I knew I had to bring her up to date. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen. Mr. Langdon is filing a notice of appeal tomorrow, and he’s assured me once that happens, we’re right back to the same holding pattern as before.”

Things had been so insane lately, I hadn’t seen Miss Rita at all the past week. She’d taken time off to spend with Ashton as he recovered, and the times she’d come over to clean, I’d been out running errands, studying, meeting my attorney, or otherwise trying to distract myself from the hell my life had become.

“Ashton and I both want to tell you how sorry we are we didn’t tell you we were siblings, Dominic. We both feel bad it came to light how it did, especially now when things are so chaotic for you.”

I shrugged. “I’m not going to pretend I’m not hurt. Not telling me feels like you were both lying to me.” I held my hand up to stop her from interrupting because I needed to have my say. “I get why you did it, Miss Rita, but you and Ashton deliberately held back this huge part of yourselves. It makes me question what else I don’t know about the people I thought I was closest to.” My voice cracked on those last words, and I needed time to be alone.

I went up to my bedroom, leaving her sitting on the living room couch, and crawled into my bed. I cried myself to sleep. My mind drifted to the charming Prince Dillon who’d dreamily swept me off my feet. But not even that fantasy could fully distract me from my nightmarish reality.

Chapter sixteen

Dillon

As I walked through the airport in Chicago, two things struck me. How I sure as hell wasn’t in Colorado anymore, and how amazing it’d be to have Dominic with me. Did pining over a virtual stranger and thinking how fun it’d be to share this huge life-changing event with him make me pathetic? Maybe. Or perhaps a closet romantic.

Either way, Dominic’s image took up residence in the back of my mind even as my new life quickly took over. Nearly as soon as my plane landed, a driver picked me up and whisked me away to Third County’s club. I arrived there just ahead of the afternoon classes, and one of the teachers I’d worked with online thrust a sandwich into my hand, saying, “Eat fast, we start in five minutes.”

In that first week, I discovered how everything was so completely different compared to Denver?the crowds, the venue, and what people considered funny. It took about a week of crashing and burning onstage before I found my footing, then I killed it. My confidence got boosted further when my Friday night set earned me a congratulatory clap on the backfrom Feldman, who’d been kicking ass and taking names since coming to Chicago.

Still riding the high of success, I decided to call Dominic. I needed to hear a friendly voice, one that wasn’t my parents saying how proud they were of me. Of course, I appreciated their support, but I also felt overwhelmed and Dominic made me feel… settled. Centered. Like I could just be myself around him without risk of judgement, ridicule, or?as weird as it sounded?praise.

Unfortunately, the phone went to voicemail. “Hey, it’s me… I mean, it’s Dillon. Just thought you might be up for a chat. I’ve been thinking about you and I wish you could be here,” I said, hoping it was okay to reveal that. “I had a killer set tonight, felt more at home onstage, like I was back in Denver. It helped when I looked at the bar and pretended your smiling face was back there.” I felt my own face flush at the admission and I quickly ended the message, embarrassed I got all mushy.

Dominic never called back, and I couldn’t ignore what his deafening silence meant. Apparently, he just wasn’t that into me. I mean, he was going through a ton of shit with his family, but the hot and cold of our would-be relationship up to that point left me frustrated. One minute, I’ve got my tongue down his throat in the pool, and the next, I can’t get a damn return phone call. My firm resolve to somehow pursue more with him, to not throw in the towel too soon, had begun to crack.

Still, considering everything happening in his life before I left, I remained worried about him.

The next week got even better for me professionally, and by my last weekend in Chicago, I had started making a name for myself among comedy circles. I’d also grown closer to my coworkers since we spent most of our waking hours together, either in classes or watching each other perform onstage.Despite missing Dominic and feeling just a little homesick, I was having fun and soaking in as much of the experience as I could.

Things must’ve been going well because both women and men flirted with me.Shamelessly. Too bad their attentions were wasted on me. One guy, a tall, lean man with a cheerful smile who would’ve normally caught my attention, sat next to me at the bar and asked if he could buy me a drink.

I looked him up and down, appreciating the view while thinking of all the reasons I should say yes. “Thanks, that’d be nice,” I told him. “But maybe some other time.” Then I rushed off to the other side of the club. Probably a stupid move on my part, but thoughts of Dominic dulled any excitement I might have for any other guys.

As fate would have it, my sets were back-to-back with Feldman’s. He would play off what I’d said earlier, and then I’d harass him the next night about stealing my material. On stage, it sounded like we were horrible rivals, but in reality, our combined sketches became more and more intentional and rehearsed.

We played off each other really well, and the crowds ate it up. By the end of the third week, Mr. Foreman called Feldman and me into his office.

“The club has been asked to cast a comedy act for a movie,” he told us. “Would the two of you consider joining forces as a duo?”

Feldman and I stared wide-eyed at the man before we both responded at the same time. “Of course!”

Mr. Foreman explained it was a romantic comedy and, no surprise, the female lead had a gay best friend. The filmmakers wanted a major scene to go down in a comedy club, which was where we came in.

As soon as we’d left the office, I phoned my parents.

“Dad, I have news,” I said when he answered.

“Okay, spill,” he said, and I wanted to laugh at the concern in his voice.

“I’ve been asked to be in a movie. Like, Hollywood.”

---