Forever and a Day (3 page)

He shrugged, set down his suitcase and left for his office.

By the time he got back to the kitchen Evie had his breakfast on the table. She made his usual: Oatmeal, scrambled egg whites, Greek yogurt with honey and black coffee. Xander felt the uneasy tension as he sat down. Looking at his breakfast, he realized his belly had no desire for food and he stared down at it with his hands in his lap.

“You don’t like what I made?” Evie called out from across the kitchen.

He quickly looked up, “Uh, no Koukla its fine thank you. I’m just worried about you.”

“I’m fine. I need to get some snacks for your trip. Eat, it’s getting cold.”

Xander sighed quietly and continued looking down at his meal. Here was his big break and he knew it was hard on Evie. He had never given her pause concerning another woman. She just could not handle him being around women, especially without her close by. With a sharp pang of regret, he knew what would make her happy. As he made his decision, he felt his eyes sting. His life was already a series of sacrifices he thought… what is one more?

He quietly got up and went out the kitchen door, stepped around the corner and out of view of Evie. He took his phone out and stepped into his office. With a trembling hand, he scrolled to his contact list and chose Eric’s cell number.

“What are you doing?” Evie exclaimed from the open doorway.

Surprised, Xander spun around and faced his wife. Before he could answer her, she had a hold of his hand with the phone. He saw her look down and recognize Eric’s name on the screen. She looked back up with tears in her eyes then jerked the phone out of his hand.

“I know what you were going to do Xan.” She put his phone to sleep and continued, “You were going to cancel on the Malaka, weren’t you?”

Xander nodded, still a bit stunned at what was happening and managed, “I think it’s for the best.”

“No.” She stated, shaking her head at him. “My mom is right. I need to stop being jealous…” Evie covered her forehead with her hand and took in a deep breath then looked into his eyes, “You are going to go and do this! You are going to do the best you can to win this part. You’ve already gotten almost all of the parts you tried for. I know you can do it.” She saw him begin to object and her hand shot up and covered his mouth, “No. I will be fine. If you get the part, you can show me the money.” She followed it with a tight smile.

Xander felt his eyes begin to water and was suddenly grateful for her actions. He knew it would have killed him to stop acting, and he was sure to lose Eric as his one and only friend if he quit outright on him. He pulled her to him and embraced her, kissing her forehead he whispered to her, “Thank you Koukla.”

She hugged him back then slipped his phone into his pocket, “Ok. Go eat now.” Then she gave him a nudge towards the door.

Back in the kitchen, Evie took the seat opposite from her husband, “Xan, I—I know I don’t talk to you about my feelings… it’s just too hard for me. My mom is always on me to open up…” She looked down at her hands and without looking up, she continued, “I—I know about all the pretty girls you used to date working at your dad’s restaurant… I never understood why you even liked me.” Evie looked up when she heard his spoon clatter in its bowl.

Xander looked on in dismay at his wife’s disclosure. He began to respond and she immediately shushed him.

“Here you were, this hot Adonis looking guy and you wanted to go out with me. I—I know our parents wanted us to date as we were both part Greek and belonged to the same Greek Orthodox Church.” She held up her hand to him to wait and began blurting out the rest, “I know my dad told your dad that I was parthena, uh, a virgin… then when you were in college your dad suddenly died and—and we began dating. I always thought you married me because your dad wanted it. Xan, I—I never felt I was…” she sighed and covered her face with her hands, “I just don’t understand.”

Xander was out of his chair and had his arms around her in a blink of an eye, “Evie! I love you—you do know that, right?” He felt her shrug.

Her hands came away from her face and she sighed heavily, “Xan, I see how much you love Athena and I think I see that you love me in your eyes, but… but I don’t feel it. I—I don’t think I can.”

Xander pulled back to look at his wife. The futility of telling her daily how much he loved her and how pretty she is was like banging his head repeatedly against a brick wall. Over the years, he did everything he could think of to prove it to her: Flowers, poems, cards, love notes, helping with chores… nothing seemed to sink in, and now this revelation. “Evie, I don’t know what to say… except that I’m sorry if it’s something I did.”

“It’s not you Xan, it’s me. I’m the one who’s sorry.”

The theme to Star Wars began emanating from his pocket, “It’s Eric…” Xander mumbled.

“Tell the Malaka you are ready.” Evie sighed.

Xander answered his phone and told Eric he would be outside in a few minutes. “Evie?”

She shushed him, “Everything is ok. I’m sorry about earlier too, I really wanted to do it but I wanted to hurt you back. I—I’m sorry.”

Xander could only blink back in surprise at her admission.

Evie got up, walked over to the counter and picked up a brown paper bag, returned to him and held it out, “Here are some snacks. Now get your bags and go. Text me your itinerary, I will pick you up. Hurry up, go!” Evie urged and walked him to his bags. As he picked them up, she gave him a kiss on his cheek, “Did you remember to staple your information sheet to your head shot?” Then shot him a raised dark eyebrow.

“Yes. What? How—how did you know that?” Xander stammered.

“I’m your wife it’s my job to know. Now go!” She gave him a push towards the front door.

Xander opened the front door and saw Eric’s gray Mercedes E350 parked on the street. He turned to Evie and leaned in for a kiss, surprisingly she let him kiss her on her lips. He thought it was odd as the only time she would kiss him on the mouth is during their Saturday morning ‘time’. “Uh, I love you.”

“Love you too.” She smiled a little smile at him and slowly closed the door.

Xander shook his head all the way down the wet brick path to Eric’s waiting car. He saw the trunk pop open and he quickly deposited his baggage and got into the car.

The first thing out of Eric’s mouth was, “Who won?”

Xander eyed his friend giving him the once over: His flaming red hair was parted at the side like some fifties clean cut kid. His pale freckled face was full and his paunch was getting noticeable. He was not good looking by a long shot, but he looked younger than his real age. Xander shrugged at him, “Don’t they always?”

“You got that right buddy boy! That’s why I am twice divorced!” Eric laughed and accelerated the car away from the curb.

“I was ready to call you and tell you I had to quit…” He watched as Eric shot him a dark look, “then Evie came in and took the phone away and told me I was going to go and do the best I can…”

“She made the right choice, I would have dropped you.”

“I know…”

“On the bright side, she didn’t flip me off.” Eric turned to Xander and winked, “Does she not know, that I know what ‘Malaka’ means?” Eric made a rapid jerking motion with his fist.

“I am sure she does…” Xander smiled at his friend.

“Well I am glad you worked your shit out. I have bills to pay, you have your business, and this is mine. Now, if you were out there making me rich…”

“Yeah, you’d offer to hold my Johnson while I pee.”

Eric snorted, “Of course and I would have my trusty tweezers in hand to help you find it.”

“Bastard.” Xander chuckled.

“So are you and the wife going to be ok?” Eric asked seriously.

“Oh my God, there is heart in that soulless body…”

“Fuck you then!” Eric laughed. “Ok, truth?”

“I think so.”

“Ok, now that problem is dealt with, down to business…”

“Uh… well there may be one more thing.”

“Fuck, now what?”

“Halo Raines…”

“What about her?”

“Remember the story I told you when I was on her film set?”

“Yeah, she was checking you out or something?” Eric turned and eyed his actor, “What else did you not tell me?”

“It wasn’t important at the time… I, uh well kinda felt something when she was staring at me and… uh.” Xander began tapping his fingers on his knee.

“Uh, what?” Eric snapped.

“Hell… she came up to me and I turned my back on her and walked away.”

“You did what? Oh for fucks sake Xander! Fuck!” Eric yelled.

“Hey! It’s not like I ever thought I’d see her again… trust me she won’t remember some random extra from two years ago!”

Eric nodded and stared ahead at the highway for a long moment then turned back to Xander, “Fine, I agree on her not remembering you… if she does, she could so blacklist your ass if you pissed her off. What the hell is with this ‘I felt something’ bullshit’?”

Xander looked out the window as the gray skies raced by, “Do you remember my birthday party the night before filming on the Halo Raines set?”

Eric looked blankly at him then nodded his head, “Yeah… Evie was acting all weird and shit.” He winced, “Oh, fuck. That’s the night when she took Athena and left you…”

“Yeah… well the next day when Halo kept staring at me it was like I was suddenly standing in front of her… getting lost in those blue eyes.” Xander sighed and shook his head clearing the memory.

“So that’s why you walked away?”

“Yeah, I didn’t dare look into her eyes again. I was afraid…” Xander shivered.

“Fuck! So what’s going to happen if you see her? God dammit all Xander!” Eric hit the steering wheel hard with both hands.

“Eric, that was then. This is now, trust me it will all be good.” He lied.

“It better be! I worked my ass off to get you noticed for this. Two nights ago, it came to my attention that they were re-auditioning for this role. Fortunately for us I happen to ‘personally’ know Susie Selmer, the casting agent for the film. I called in all my markers for you on this.”

“Thank you…” Xander trailed off.

Eric sighed when he pulled up to the airport-parking gate. He rolled down his window, pushed the red button and accepted the ticket. He began the upward spiraling trek to the parking lot at Portland International Airport. He found a spot near the elevator and turned off the car.

“Eric? You can’t ever tell Evie any of that.”

“Sure.” He sighed.

“By the way, did you ever tell Evie I lost a role because I didn’t staple my information on my head shot and it got lost?”

“Ha! I’d have loved to burn your ass on that one with her, but no. Although, I do remind all my clients to pay the extra cash and get their info printed on the fucking back. All because of you buddy boy!”

“Weird…”

“That is some radar Evie’s got… better you than me!” Eric chortled then pointed at Xander, “Ok then, convince me that everything is going to be ok with Halo Raines as I still don’t get it. You’ve been around a bunch of hot actresses…”

Xander turned to face his agent, “Tell you what, you ever get a chance? Look into Halo Raines eyes then you tell me.” He paused and looked out of the front window, “I’ll be fine.” He looked back to Eric, “Hell! As you already know my day job can be intense. I can keep my cool. I already did once with her. I’ll be fine.” Xander said trying as much to convince himself as well as Eric.

Eric cleared his throat quietly, “Xan? I have to ask… you carrying a torch for Halo Raines?”

Xander heard the question and felt his ears get hot, “No. I have a family to take care of Eric. No worries.” He met his agent’s slate blue eyes, and struggled to do his best to act as honestly as he could.

“If it were anyone else I wouldn’t believe them.” Eric replied after a few long drawn out moments, “I need a check for four hundred and thirty dollars and yes I rounded it up.”

“Jesus H… you add your agent’s fee on top of that too?” Xander exclaimed as he pulled out his checkbook, “Who do I make it out too? Oh yeah the devil himself…”

“Ha, ha, funny man. Too bad this isn’t a comedy you are reading for.”

“Hey, I’m the one with a soul…” Xander said smiling.

“Fuck you too.” Eric laughed. “Enough with the funny shit. You leave at 8:10 and arrive at LAX at 10:32. Here is the good part, you can kiss my ass later for it too… they will have a driver waiting for you when you land. They are showing their appreciation for the last minute call.”

“Wow! That’s unheard of for a nobody like me.”

“Fuck!” Eric shouted, “How many times do I have to tell you to stop talking like that! You want that role? You decide you are the best motherfucker for it. You know why? I’ll tell you! You are up against a heavy hitter on this one buddy boy.”

Xander held his hands up as if he was surrendering, “Ok, ok! Just don’t tell me whom I am up against. I want to go in clean and level headed.”

“There’s my Xander!” Eric reached over and patted Xander’s shoulder firmly then reached behind the seat and handed him a thick manila envelope. “Here is your itinerary, script and ticket. I booked you into the Best Western, down from their office. Study your ‘sides’ on the way down. I know you will do good.”