Chapter Text
Emily had no clue what the exact time was. All she knew was that it was very hot for that time of night. The Hollywood sky above her was painted black and the air was sticky with humidity so much so that it felt like she was in an exotic country some place else on the globe. The ferocious roar of music and people, the buzzing neon lights and the electrifying energy that downtown Los Angeles promised sparked around her, which left her in amazement as she wasn't even stood in the bustle of it all, yet it still managed to excite her as if she was in the heart of it.
Emily had sat herself on a tiny wall that edged what looked like a very private parking lot. The only vehicles she saw before her were big and black and had tinted windows and she had lived in L.A. long enough to know exactly what kind of people would drive around the city in cars like that. The thought made her uncomfortable. There she was, dressed in ripped up black pantyhose, worn out biker boots and a over sized Black Flag t shirt that belonged to an ex boyfriend among a gathering of celebrity carriers, waiting to do something very illegal.
She was waiting for Benny. She was always waiting for Benny. He was never waiting for her, she was always the one to be stood or sat in the shadows with anxiety festering away inside her, feeling as though she could vomit at any second. It annoyed her that she was always waiting for Benny. The way Emily looked at it, was she was the customer, and he was providing a service. So the fact she was the one who was made to wait in sketchy places, she personally saw that as bad customer service.
There was no telling how long it would take Benny to get to Emily so she pulled a cigarette out of the carton that she kept in her bra and lit it. She made a conscious effort to take slow and long pulls so it lasted her a while as she was getting towards the end of the packet and she didn't know when she'd be able to afford any more.
As Emily gazed up at the sky above her, trying to count the faint stars that twinkled momentarily, she heard a group of people approaching faintly. There were too many voices for it to be Benny so she glanced over to see who was there in fear it was the cops or someone with authority coming to quiz her sketchy self. She couldn't quite make out the bodies through the dimly lit light of the lot but she could clearly see there were more girls in the group than boys. All females wore pastel colored dresses with small heels and held tiny clutch bags under their dainty arms, two of the three boys had big sunglasses on and Emily inwardly scoffed at them. It pissed her off that people wore sunglasses at night in L.A. for two reasons; 1. It's night time, they're called sunglasses for a reason and 2. They make you look like a complete fucking tool. The one other boy who wasn't wearing sunglasses in the darkness was wearing all black. Not one hint of color in his outfit. He was one of the tallest members of the group and he had dark hair that was tied back into a small bun at the nape of his neck accompanied with the burliest beard she'd seen in a while. Her eyes followed them across the lot as the group slowly walked towards where Emily was sitting. As they moved closer into her proximity she could study their faces a bit more closely and she couldn't help but recognize the three boys from somewhere.
They walked passed Emily, all of them not even noticing she was sat less than a meter away as they passed. Apart from one of them. The one dressed in black with the beard had his eyes locked on Emily as he strode past her. As they looked at each other, Emily noticed that his eyes were blue, but a blue that she'd never seen before. They was almost crystal. Almost like water from a beautiful clear ocean. His eyes somewhat took her breath away.
Jared continued to walk on but his eyes never left hers. His head rotated round as he walked past her as if being magnetized by her stare. The first thing he noticed was her hair. Dark brown and curly. It was thick and made her round face look tiny. The second thing he noticed was the eyes. A warm brown color that reminded him of melted chocolate. He wanted to stop. Jared wanted to tell the others to go into the charity event without him just so he could lose himself in those marvellous eyes this woman owned. But he couldn't speak. He was paralyzed by her stare. His mind grew fuzzy as everything around him faded away and this girls eye's were all he could fixate himself on.
* * * * *
"Yo, Emily?!" His voice boomed through her knocking her out of the mystery mans eyes she'd found herself lost in. Emily looked around to see who the voice belonged to and wasn't surprised to be faced with Benny.
"It's about time. I've been sat out here for too long Benny!" She tried to sound like she was angry enough not to buy from him, maybe scare him slightly that he's kept her waiting too long too many times and now he could lose her business all together.
"Well it's Saturday night in the City of Angels, what d'you expect?!" He replied counting a handful of notes in his palm. It didn't work. "Anyways, doll face. The usual?"
Benny was short with olive skin and was from New Jersey. His mother was half Italian and his father was full Italian and he was the youngest of five children, the four above him all being females. The family owned a small deli in Atlantic City, and as soon as they birthed a son it automatically became Benny's future responsibility. But Benny Vinacelli had different ideas. Instead of working in the family business and selling Italian delicacies like his family had intended him to do, he found himself stalking the streets of Hollywood selling the complete opposite of delicacies.
Emily nodded her head quickly, just wanting to leave and go to the party she knew was happening a few streets over. Benny produced the merchandise from his back pocket and was about to place it in Emily's opening palm when suddenly a door swung open to her right that she didn't even know was there. Light was thrown out engulfing both herself and Benny and it made Emily's eyes burn. She quickly closed her fist and put her hands behind the back, making it completely obvious as to what she was hiding even though her intentions were opposite.
"Ayyy Luke! How's work treating ya?" Benny grinned at the man who'd emerged from the newly opened door. He was tall and very thin. His hair was black and scruffy and he was wearing the stereotypical waiter uniform. Black penguin suit and white gloves. Emily drank in his outfit and was surprised at how expensive he looked and also how young. He looked no older than her, and she was only 27. She was also slightly jealous. He could be the same age as her, possibly younger and he looked like he had a pretty well paying job, and here Emily was. Living from day to day, never thinking about what the next week would bring in fear she'd not be around to see it.
"Yeah it's good dude? You got any weed?" It was at that last question that Emily knew she could relax and not feel threatened by this new male.
"Of course just for you baby." Benny pulled out a little plastic bag filled with the pungent buds and held them out to Luke the waiter. "That'll be 20 man." As Benny named he price, Luke timidly withdrew his open palm and gave Benny a look of panic and despair.
"I've only got $10 on me dude." Luke's voice was shy. Benny shook his head.
"The price is $20. Sorry man." Benny went to slide the plant back into his back pocket when Luke almost leapt in front of him to try and persuade him otherwise. Emily took a step back and tried to sneak away as she had got what she came for. She had the money to pay for her habit, Luke's lack of funds wasn't her problem.
"Oh Benny come on! Can't I just pay $10 now and, and...." Luke trailed off, "I'll get you and your friend into the party." He pointed at Emily with one hand and pointed over his shoulder towards the still open door behind him. By this time Emily had already started to slowly sink into the darkness of the parking lot so she could escape the deal. But now, thanks to Luke she was being used as bargaining rights. Benny looked at her and gave her that smile, that smile that said she had no choice. He was happy with that compromise and she was going to a party, apparently.
* * * * *
Jared was finding it hard to focus on anything that was going on around him. He was sat at a round table that had been squeezed into a huge ballroom. There were so many circular tables surrounding him he was concerned if he'd actually have the room to stand up and go to the bar to get a drink. He couldn't escape. He would either turn to his right and be faced with people he didn't really know who would talk at him not too him or turn to his left to be faced with people that would be practically gagging for him. He could tell by the way the girls to his left would hang on every word he spoke, giggle at statements not worthy of a giggle and take any chance they could to touch him as they giggled at nothing.
He was tired of this shit. He was so tired of it. He was forty years old, and was still being treated as if he was twenty one. A part of him felt guilty for hating the attention. Any man would thrive in it still, be pleased with the fact they still got hit on by the youth of Hollywood like they were the same age. But Jared was growing bored of the game he'd been playing for decades. The older he got, the more he found himself not wanting to fuck a hot blonde under the age of 25 for one night, but to find someone. One girl. One girl who he could devote himself too and keep as his own. And no matter how many one night stands he had, they would never be enough to shake the aching feeling of loneliness that had started to devour him. He'd become so lonely.
He slowly felt claustrophobia seep into his being and he needed to move. He needed to get out of the large scale room and breathe fresh air, not accumulated oxygen. He looked across the tablecloth and glanced at his eldest brother Shannon and band mate Tomo and threw his head to the side motioning to the boys that he was leaving the table. He slipped out of his chair and squeezed through the closely placed tables and past the other people at the event who were trying to squeeze through them as well.
When Jared had made it out of the ballroom alive, he made his way to the bar deciding to get a quick drink before going out back to have a quick cigarette on the sly. He slowly wedged himself through the throngs of people until his lower abdomen was resting against the front of the bar.
"Uh, hey. Can I get a whiskey please." He asked politely to the woman behind the bar. When she walked away, he relaxed into himself and casually looked around at the people surrounding him. He inwardly yawned at all the men in black tie and all the women made up to the nines. He really didn't mind going to charity events because they were for a good cause at the end of the day, but the people who attended said events, he was just bored of them. The woman brought his drink back and placed it in front of him, Jared smiled appreciatively and threw it back. He turned to leave to go outside for a cigarette but was stumped in his spot when he caught a glimpse of the wild and unruly dark curls that had been sat next to him the whole time.
* * * * *
Emily spent pretty much 80% of her life feeling self conscious just walking around L.A. sober. So for her to be sat at a bar of a Hollywood ballroom, surrounding by women and men whose underwear probably cost more than her whole lifestyle and having just done a line of MDMA in the bathroom, she truly felt like she was going to be sick with disgust of herself. She sat rigid, staring at the array of different alcohol that had been placed on glass shelves behind the bar. She was clutching a glass of water as she knew she'd need it once the drug took effect. She was struggling to come up and she knew it was because she felt insecure and depressed due to her surroundings. It annoyed her when she struggled to let herself be affected by the drug. She spent money on it that she didn't really have to feel a certain way for a few hours and when her conscious was going through turmoil it only prolonged the inevitable rush that ensued, making her feel like she was wasting money as every minute ticked by without the feeling creeping up. She took a sip of water and closed her eyes for a moment. That was it. That's all she needed. She felt the tingle go up her spin and the warmth explode through her body. The muscles in her legs started to tense and relax and her pupils began to dilate. She was coming up hard and she knew then she had to leave the event. She needed loud music with a heavy bass line, chewing gum and enough space to dance. She slid of the bar stool she'd plonked herself on and stood up. She didn't realize how busy it was around her and had ending up pretty much leaning on someone's chest. She looked up to apologize but was faced with someone she didn't think she'd ever see again. Suddenly a bolt of lightning shot through her whole system making her knees weak, only she didn't know if it was the drug or the man in front of her causing the sensation. A part of her couldn't believe she'd been so lucky to have run into him again, but another part of her was crying out in embarrassment that he was one of these A-Lister's that surrounded her.
"Sorry." Emily breathed, trying to step around him and hiding her face all at the same time. But instead of escaping them piercing blue eyes that burned into her face and his breath on her neck that she felt due to the lack of space between them, he grabbed her by her elbows keeping her stood in front of his body. He squinted as he looked into her now black eyes and she panicked knowing they were the size of saucers. Was he going to freak out? Call the police and tell them that some stupid fucked up girl was in the building? She wanted to wiggle away, make herself evaporate, but his icy blue gaze had her frozen.
"You've taken something." He said slowly as a cheeky smile grew across his face.
"What? No!" Emily cried rather loudly gaining a few people to look at the pair of them. She quickly looked at her feet avoiding his inspection and once more tried to wiggle out of his hold, but he just held on tighter. Jared chuckled slightly.
"You have! Look at me." He let go of one of her elbows and lifted her chin up and held it gently so she had no choice but to stare at him with pupils as big as planets. He grinned and laughed. His eyes lit up at the situation. Jared found it rather amusing that some girl who was dressed like she'd just jumped of the back of a Harley was inside a Hollywood Fundraiser buzzing her cute little head of. She started to fidget in his arms and he felt somewhat guilty. He was no stranger to drugs, he had taken many in his lifetime and he could tell just by the way her legs were shaking and the immense size of her pupils that she had taken MDMA. He also knew that it wasn't nice to dissect someone in that state as that drug tends to intensify emotions. He wrapped his arm around her waist knowing she'd enjoy the feel of him and leant down to whisper in her ear.
"I'm going outside for a smoke. You want to come with me? It'll help you come down if it's too much in here."
Emily swivelled her head round to take in his face. His features were relaxed and honest and she felt suddenly at ease that he could apparently tell how she was feeling. He had obviously taken the drug she had himself and knew the tricks as how to not let it drown you. She nodded quickly and felt him pull her closer into his side. Emily nestled her body as close to him as she could, delighting in the way she fit against him and she kept wanting him to touch her more. She wanted him to kiss her and then push her against a wall. She blamed the drug initially and it's common side effect that MDMA makes being touched in the simplest of places feel like an orgasm all over your body, but she knew deep down she would of felt that way even if she hadn't taken anything.
Jared didn't exactly know why he felt obliged to take this girl out for a cigarette with him. Maybe it was because he knew she needed one and that it would help. He could tell she was about to fuck up in the ballroom and he wouldn't wish that upon anyone. Fucking up is not fun. He's done it many a time and he didn't want to see this girl who was clearly not on the guest list go through that in front of those people.
Maybe it was because her eyes captured him again, even though the chocolate color of them was pretty much engulfed in the blackness of her pupils, he still felt his stomach drop when she looked at him, her stare rendering him helpless.
Or maybe it was because out of the sea of upper class assholes that had been invited to the event they both were attending, he found her, in a Black Flag t shirt and dirty old boots and couldn't possibly pass up the chance of finding someone else that night who was as out of their depth as he was.