Moon over the Bay (Moonlit Nights) by Morgan Emerson

over to grab a champagne bottle and an empty glass. He filled it
before sitting back and taking a drink.
    “Uh huh, whatever you say.” The
woman offered before pouring herself a glass of champagne.
    Nathan tried to listen to the
conversations around him, but he wasn’t interested. He just couldn’t not think
about Jess. The redhead next to him didn’t help. Not that she looked anything
like Jess. This woman was well toned and dressed for attention where Jess was
all soft curves and stylish comfort.
    He didn’t know what to do about
her. It had seemed so right to tell her he was moving to San Francisco at the
time, but now that he was back in LA, he just couldn’t shake how different
their backgrounds were. Jess grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth, and
Nathan grew up basically parentless. Jess’s parents were overbearing and
controlling, while his mom made sure he had necessities but didn’t care past
that. Nathan finished his glass and poured another.
    He glanced over at the end of the
table and saw one of the studio lawyers flirting with one of his co-stars. She
was pretty good looking for her age, but she had at least fifteen years on the
guy she was smiling at and touching. Nathan remembered when he had been on the
receiving end of such attentions once he started making the audition circuit.
He hated it, and watching it now made his alcohol-filled stomach roll.
    Nathan didn’t ever want to feel
that way again. And Jess was rich. How many men had she treated like a boy toy?
That was what she’d said to him that weekend, how much she’d enjoy having him
as her toy boy. How many men had she had then grew tired of? He took another
drink. But was she really like that? She seemed way too sweet to be that cruel.
He pulled his cell out and looked at it. He typed out a quick text and sent it
off.   Then he poured himself another
glass of champagne when the flirty waitress brought another bottle.

 
    _____

 
    The shrilling sound of his phone
cut through the fog in Nathan’s brain. He struggled to regain consciousness but
it seemed to be lost in the thick haze of booze from the night before. Nathan
rolled onto his back as the noise finally stopped. The silence was blissful.
    He tried to recall what had
happened yesterday as he slowly started to blink, looking up at the ceiling. A
ceiling that didn’t look like the one in his house. Nathan looked to his left
and saw an unfamiliar nightstand and lamp. A toilet flushed, and he sat up
immediately. As fast as he sat up, he fell back directly while clutching his
throbbing head. Nathan heard the bathroom door open and was scared to look.
    “Hey there, cutie,” a woman
purred as she sat on the bed near him. Oh no. No. No. No.
    He peeked through his hands to
look at the woman.
    How the hell did he manage to get
himself into this mess?
    “Nice to see you too.” She
smirked as she pulled her dress on over her bra and panties.
    Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.
    “Well since you’re so chatty, I’m
going to take off.” She put on her shoes and headed for the door. Nathan
finally recognized her. The extra who’d tried to talk to him last night.
    “Wait, did
we . . . you know?” Nathan tried to swallow as he waited for his
death sentence.
    The woman snorted. “Not for my
lack of wanting.” She gave him a sultry smile, and he felt sick.
    “No need to look so freaked out.
After you got super drunk, which I warned you about, I helped you up to the
room,” she grabbed her purse and looked at him. “I was worried you’d end up
getting sick and dying or something, then they’d shut down production, and I’d
be out of a job.” She shrugged.
    “Anyway, you kept calling me
‘Jess,’ and when I managed to get you in bed, you held me and said you loved
me. At which point you passed out. Your Jess must be a special girl. Congrats
on the part again. See you on Monday,” she said with a wink before shutting the
door.
    The relief Nathan felt was swift
and overwhelming.