The One Where The Lines Get Kinda Blurry

The One With The Email

Jen stepped in through her front door and immediately burst into tears. She always knew this was going to be the hard part, but she hadn't appreciated precisely how hard it was going to hit her this time. David was gone, flying directly from their glorious London bubble to Chicago, where he would once again be spending his entire summer working at the theatre, and she would have to learn to live without him all over again. Sure, she had her own work lined up, another movie to shoot, more meetings, more promo work..... but she would have to do it all without the man she loved by her side. She felt empty and miserable and lonely. She was used to being at home on her own and usually it didn't bother her at all, but right now, she felt like she had been sucked into a dark tunnel and the light at the end of it seemed too far away, out of reach and completely unobtainable.

Two weeks later and the movie shoot was going alright. The cast was a lovely mix of people and there were faces old and new for her to bond with, but she somehow felt like an outsider. They were film people and she was 'just' a tv actress, there purely to attract different bums to cinema seats, rather than hired on merit and talent. She felt it daily and it bothered her, but she also appreciated the opportunity to get her face seen by different studios and directors so she kept her head down and painted on her best smile. But every night she went home and longed for company, for someone to talk to about her day, to give her a hug and reassure her that she was doing the right thing and that she was worthy of the job she was doing. Yes, she had her close group of girlfriends who were vitally important to her and kept her sane, but they couldn't fill the void that she felt deep inside her. She needed to be loved. Loved by her man. And yet her man was thousands of miles away, lost in his own world and barely in contact with her. Not because he didn't care, because she knew without doubt how much he cared. But because he too was in a world of pain, trying to re-discover that place where they could pretend they were just friends, and not lovers desperate to reconnect, trying to heal their hearts that had once again been wrenched apart. She picked up her phone to dial his number but stopped herself. What would speaking to him achieve right now except bringing her more agony? She couldn't be with him because she was working. He couldn't be with her because he was working. And anyway, she couldn't see him in the way she wanted to as it would be breaking their rules. Their own stupid, frustrating, damned ridiculous rules. So now it would be what, over two more months until she got to see him again? She had to be strong. She had to stand firm and try to get back to that place she had managed to find where she wasn't overjoyed that they weren't together, but she wasn't spending every moment pining for him either. She just wasn't quite sure right now how to even begin to get back there.

David glanced at his watch as he was leaving the theatre following another successful day. He really loved being back here. Somehow it always felt like coming home when he was within these walls; directing, auditioning, planning, fundraising and generally rolling his sleeves up and getting down to anything and everything that needed doing. Something about the whole process made him feel alive and also like he was giving something back. He had been lucky to get his breakout role that had changed his life beyond belief, but he knew most others would never be so lucky, and by remaining so involved in this theatre, somehow he felt that at least he was trying to help those creatives who may never get the same opportunities that he had been given. It was 11.37pm, which meant 9.37pm LA time, or Jen time. He wondered what she was doing right now. He knew she was shooting a movie so perhaps she would still be on set. Or maybe she was home, sat curled up in that oversized cream bucket chair she loved, by the window, the light from the large lamp illuminating her script as she concentrated on learning her lines for tomorrow, something he knew she found a lot trickier than on Friends where so much could be adlibbed or generalised, rather than having to learn the exact text word for word. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone to call her, then checked himself. He didn't want to interrupt her evening. If she wasn't learning lines she might be out for drinks with some of the cast, or she might be at one of her circle gatherings with her girls. Yeah, he probably shouldn't bother her. Although he really did want to hear her voice. He missed her sweet tone and her infectious giggle. He missed her teasing and her gentle affection towards him. He missed her body pressed tightly against his own as her fingers danced and explored. He missed every little thing about her. He started to dial her number before snapping the phone shut and stuffing it back into his pocket. No. This was exactly why London had been a mistake. Glorious, incredible, enjoyable, amazing...... but a big mistake. He was hooked, again. Once more totally and utterly under her spell and somehow, he had to break it in the couple of months before they were back on set together otherwise, they would yet again be playing with fire and sooner or later they were bound to get burned.

Jen returned home from another long day, arduous on set, flinging her purse on the counter and pressing play on her answering machine which alerted her to two new messages. The first one was from one of the film production staff to tell her that her call time for tomorrow had been pushed back to 11am from 10am since they had overrun so late today. Awesome she thought, an extra hour of sleep. The second message was from her agent telling her that she had sent her an email that she thought she might like to check as soon as possible as it was a little out of the ordinary and also personal. Jen poured herself a glass of ice-cold water, went over to the desk in the corner of the room and fired up her computer, yawning and stretching as she waited for it to open up her emails. She was more than a little surprised by the content of the message she read.

Subject: Brad Pitt

Hi Jen,

This may seem completely out of the blue and left field but I have been considering asking you this for a while. What would you think about going on a date with Brad Pitt? I know he is a fan of the show and he would love to meet you properly, and since you are no longer seeing Tate, I wondered if this was something you might be interested in? I know Brad's agent well and we could arrange for the two of you to meet up somewhere discrete.

Let me know if this is something you think you might enjoy or not. No pressure!

A  Xx

Jen closed down the computer without replying to the message. Brad Pitt. Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt wanted to take her out on a date. She had met him briefly at a party not long after Friends had started and he had seemed sweet and charming and was obviously pretty easy on the eye, but that was almost four years ago...... and that was before David. She had absolutely no idea how to respond. When someone like Brad Pitt wants to get to know you then the obvious reaction is to be extremely flattered and a little nervous right? And that's exactly how she felt. But her instant gut reaction was yes. Yes, actually a date with someone like him was exactly what she needed right now. Someone to get dressed up for and spend an evening having a bit of fun with and maybe even asking his advice about how to find bigger and better film roles in the future. It might be the perfect way to take her mind away from David for a short while. Maybe this was the key to finding that balance again where she could love David, but learn to live without him again until the time was right.

She went to bed feeling a lot more positive than she had done when she walked through her front door a short time earlier. And when she woke the next morning her gut instinct remained and her mind was made up. She dialled a familiar number which went to voicemail after a few rings. "Hey it's Jen. I read your message and yes ok, you can go ahead and set up that date with Brad. Tell him I'm looking forward to it, thanks. Speak soon."