“Oh, I think Misaki might have gotten it out of me. I just assumed …” Lexi said and trailed off.
“It’s okay. I’m sure Jett wants all the friendly faces in the crowd she can get,” I said, pushing down my irritation.
I’d thought that it would just be Halle, Trip, and me going out. It still would be, only now there would be more of us. I must have forgotten that I’d agreed to show my Japanese castmates the LA nightlife.
Tonight would be something new for them. We were going to West Hollywood to watch Jett play at The Troubadour. She was excited to be playing there this weekend. It was one of the iconic music clubs in LA. This was the same place that Sam Hunt, Imagine Dragons, Faith No More, Alicia Keys, and One Republic had all played at. Tonight, The Troubadour would host Birthrite.
When I finished getting ready, I found everyone in the living room, drinking wine. It looked like my dad had opened a couple of bottles to help kick off the evening. I was amused when Teresa jumped up, kissed me, and grabbed my arm. Halle ignored her and gave me the same treatment. This was going to be fun.
“Don’t I get a kiss?” Trip teased.
Just when I would forget that he was bi and into me, he would say something like that.
“Do you have a death wish?” Halle, his sister, asked while giving him ‘the look.’
She’d explained to me that she and Trip usually had different tastes in men. For some reason, they were both into me. I put it down to all the Jameses having good taste in men. That didn’t sound conceited at all, which made me chuckle.
“What?” Halle asked.
“I was just thinking that this reminded me of when Cassidy would announce that I was giving out kisses. That was always a bad idea.”
Me and my big mouth. Misaki got up and laid one on me. I blinked at her and gave her a look of disbelief.
“I thought you were my big sister!”
“Well, I like to act like one, but if your girlfriend ever dumps you, give me a call.”
This was about to go south because Halle suddenly had a possessive look on her face. I turned to her and laid a serious kiss on her.
“I promise you if Brook dumps me, I’ll call you two minutes later,” I said and turned to the group. “Halle is my backup plan.”
“What about me?” Trip asked.
“If I ever decide to switch teams, I’ll call you,” I promised.
I forgot Dad was in the room. Sheeeit! Mom was so hearing about that.
◊◊◊
Bill Callaway showed up, so we had an extra car for everyone to ride in. Flo insisted that Halle, Trip, and I ride with her. I ended up in the back between Teresa and Halle. Lexi called shotgun, and Trip sat in the middle with Misaki. Bill and his new girlfriend, Ai, took Haru, Jiro, and Hana.
When we arrived, we were met by Hollywood Central and a few other paparazzi who were waiting for us. I looked at Halle, and she shrugged.
“My bad,” Trip said. “I’m up for a couple of roles and need the exposure.”
“Why don’t we have Flo drop off Halle, Teresa, and me, then circle the block and let you out with Misaki and Lexi? That way, you’ll get your moment in the spotlight and have two attractive women with you,” I suggested.
“Dude, you’re the bomb,” Trip said.
“Anything for you, bro,” I said in my best surfer imitation.
“It’s going to be a long night,” Halle complained.
We pulled up, and I helped Teresa and Halle out of the back. I saw the Hollywood Central guy I was sure had brain damage from all the drugs I was certain he was ingesting.
“Are you and Halle back together?” he blurted.
“That’s the hot girl you were with last weekend. Are you seeing them both?” another one asked.
I pulled both the girls to my side, and we mugged for the camera. Teresa and Halle played it up. I think Halle was giving Brook a hard time. Teresa grabbed my butt, and I was afraid if she kept it up, I would have a hard time right in front of the club.
“My girlfriend still wants you to do her show,” the Hollywood Central guy reminded me.
“Is that the one where I get naked?” I asked, and he nodded. “Tell her if she gets naked too, I’ll consider it.”
He just laughed.
Bill had parked, and he and my J-drama castmates walked up. I grabbed them and explained what we were working together on. Then I saw the Range Rover coming up and pointed.
“I think that’s Trip James and his dates.”
Suddenly, I was yesterday’s news.
We discovered that to buy tickets at the door, The Troubadour only accepted cash. You could order tickets on their website with a credit card, but not at the door. The Japanese contingent used credit cards, mostly because it was easier to convert money that way. I’d done much the same when I traveled. To expedite matters, I ended up paying for everyone to get in. Lexi said she would figure it all out and get me paid back.
